The morning breeze ruffled the hem of the Saintess uniform as Valo stared blankly at the scene before her.
At this moment, she thought, ‘I feel less like Zhuge Liang observing the stars and more like the Chancellor setting a dire flag before Huarong Pass.’
She simply could not understand, no matter how hard she tried, why her two daughters were here!
But that wasn’t all!
Knight Princess Ain was leading the apprentice knights of the Clock Tower [Knight Order] — this clearly signaled an action that looked just like… intercepting the river to save Adou.
‘Clearly, I’m that Adou,’ Valo thought.
Valo involuntarily shivered.
She had only just appeared, yet the resentful gazes of her two daughters were already stabbing toward her.
“Mother, your outfit today looks so pure~”
“It matches your identity perfectly.”
Her dutiful daughter Kaika was offering praise with the standard smile of a “good daughter.”
However, Valo would have to be an idiot not to hear the sarcasm.
‘I’d have to be an idiot not to hear it,’ she thought.
Kaika was mocking her for wearing the clothes of a [Saintess Candidate] despite being the [Demon King].
“Are you looking for a thrill? If so… do you need me to praise you, Mother? You slutty thing, are you wearing that Saintess uniform because you want to play out some cosplay plot where you’re defeated and captured?”
The girl flipped the dark purple rose in her hand as if she were afraid others wouldn’t see the [Flower of Fel Energy].
Valo was truly terrified this time. She didn’t dare say a word, her eyes fixed on the [Blackening Value] of 80% within Kaika’s [Nurturing Panel].
She was terrified that Kaika’s Blackening Value would suddenly spike, triggering the [Matricide Plot] — shouting “My mom is the Demon King” and taking them both down together!
A moment later, Finney calmly stopped Kaika’s shadowy behavior.
“Kaika, we don’t have much time.”
“……”
However, this scene didn’t make Valo breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, it made her heart leap into her throat.
Since when had Finney and Kaika been on such good terms?
They were literally a [Spirit Pearl] and a [Demon Seed]!
Unless… these two sisters had reached an agreement and were cooperating for some common goal without her knowing.
So, what could be the goal of these two sisters who were now precisely blocking the path of the [Church] convoy?
“Mother, Kaika and I are no longer infants in swaddling clothes. You don’t need to make sacrifices for our sake.”
Sure enough, after Finney took over for Kaika, she poked Valo’s most dreaded worry right in the center!
“You don’t have to become a Saintess Candidate, and you certainly shouldn’t give up that identity of yours just to become one.”
“Mother, we are here to save you!”
As those words fell, Finney completely entered [Hero Mode].
Her righteous attitude made it seem like she wasn’t attacking a Church convoy, but rather performing a heroic rescue!
The [Justice Value] that had already climbed to 50% was the best proof — the [Female Hero] believed she was doing the right thing!
“You… you all? cough, cough, cough…”
Valo felt her vision darken. It was so stifling; she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Why was it like this? What did they mean by “saving” her?
Did she look like some weak, submissive Demon King who had been defeated and captured, then imprisoned in the inner palace by the [Saintess] to be humiliated daily?
Did the Saintess serve her food in a dog bowl every day, burn her chest with candle wax, or leave teeth marks on her skin?
Did she need to wag her tail like a beggar before the Saintess, or take off her clothes at night to be “judged” by the Saintess’s holy fingers?
Not at all!
She was currently living in a mansion, waking up to [Apprentice Nuns] helping her wash and dress, and eating whatever breakfast she felt like.
She held a relaxed, leisurely position as the [Health Teacher] at the Clock Tower — the largest academy in the [Empire] — and had the [Sister Superior] acting as her bodyguard outside the door.
Her status as a [Saintess Candidate] allowed her to command most members of the [Church], including the Sister Superior.
All she had to do was act like a submissive, ditsy little thing in front of Anqi.
As long as the news of her becoming a Saintess Candidate was successfully announced today, she could trigger the [Virtuous Corruption Ending]. And now, her two daughters were rushing in to “save” her?
If she weren’t worried about her secret being exposed, Valo would have screamed, ‘Don’t ruin your mother’s plans!’
Thoughts aside, no matter how anxious Valo was about the unexpected situation, she could only put on a “virtuously corrupted” appearance.
She interrupted Finney’s eagerness with a mix of reproach and concern.
“Finney, I told you clearly before. Mother is becoming a Saintess Candidate of her own free will. Don’t misunderstand and do something stupid!”
As she spoke, she turned her gaze toward [Knight Princess] Ain, who was hiding in a corner.
‘Stop pretending to be innocent, Val Junior! Don’t think I don’t know the students from the [Knight Order] around us are acting on your orders!’ Valo thought. ‘You’re involved every single time something goes wrong! This is infuriating!’
“Miss Ain, please stop everyone from fighting over me!”
However, the Knight Princess, who usually called Valo “Mother” with such enthusiasm, was actually acting tough now!
She talked back, “Sorry, Mother, but the prerequisite for me following orders is that I also agree with the order being executed.”
‘This is rebellion! This is defying their mother!’ Valo thought.
‘Orders? Who has the authority to order Ain? Is it that old magical hag, the [Great Sage]?! Why would the Great Sage give Ain an order to save me?!’
Valo suddenly felt a sense of crisis, as if the entire world were conspiring to stop her from reaching the [Virtuous Corruption Ending]!
Instead of being defused by her explanations and commands, the situation ahead spiraled even further out of her control!
Kaika spoke of her dark and terrifying decision with indifference, her [Blackening Value] rising to 85%!
“Mother, you must have been lured in by some crow’s sweet talk, right?”
“You really are useless, Mother. But as your daughter, I’ll make sure you wake up soon and cut your losses in time.”
Finney placed Valo on a pedestal she didn’t belong on, her [Justice Value] climbing to 60%!
“Mother, I will prove through my actions that you don’t need to make sacrifices for us.”
“I’ve realized the truth now. I won’t let you bear all of this alone anymore!”
Finally, the Demon Seed and the Spirit Pearl spoke in unison.
“Mother, are you some stubborn old geezer who won’t admit she’s been tricked even after realizing it? Stop pretending and come to our side immediately.”
“Anqi, how long do you plan to hide in that carriage?! What you’ve done to Mother this time has pushed things way too far!”
Valo was speechless.
‘I’m not, I didn’t,’ she thought.
She was the one who actively wanted to reach the [Virtuous Corruption Ending].
Being “deceived and reformed by Anqi” was just an act she put on to get there!
However, the current situation made Valo’s breath hitch and her forehead break out in a sweat.
She realized that the more she tried to explain, the more she was digging herself into a hole.
Why were her daughters’ “kill shot” values rising?
‘No, don’t panic! This is just a technical adjustment! It can still be saved!’
Right, she could cooperate with Anqi to hold back her two daughters first, then have Ain and the students from the [Knight Order] go back to watch the celebration.
They could set aside their differences and develop together.
She would tell her daughters: don’t worry about whether it’s right for her to be a [Saintess Candidate] for now; they could talk about it after the [Victory Day Celebration].
Yes! Brilliant! She could slowly and carefully separate her identities as a mother and the Demon King with a plan, but she absolutely had to become a Saintess Candidate!
Only by becoming a Saintess Candidate could she reach the [Virtuous Corruption Ending].
Once that was done, there would be room to maneuver for everything else!
Thinking this, Valo hurriedly turned an expectant gaze toward the Saintess, Anqi, who was forced to emerge from the carriage because Finney had called her out.
‘Good girl! Did you see your mother’s look? Do you understand what I mean? Now, follow my lead!’ Valo thought.
However, the hope Valo had felt a second ago was crushed by Anqi in the next.
“Pushed things too far? Finney, it seems you and Student Kaika have some sort of misunderstanding about Mother~”
The Saintess suddenly unfurled her pure white wings.
She then grabbed Valo by the waist and, amidst Valo’s startled cry, lifted her in a princess carry.
Looking down with holy majesty and a smile, she countered, “Have I done anything to hurt Mother? Mother only actively desired to become a pure and holy [Saintess Candidate] because she likes me, trusts me, and wants to break free from her past sins and filth~”
“Right, Mother?”
‘Right. No, wrong! Is it?’ Valo thought.
Valo realized she couldn’t answer this death-trap of a question.
At this moment, her expression likely looked more painful than if she were actually crying.
“Ahaha… Um, yeah…”
Her pitiful, half-laughing, half-crying face was captured perfectly by Kaika and Finney.
“There, Mother has explained it herself. Could I ask the Hero and Student Kaika not to interfere with the work of the [Hidden Sea Church]?”
Anqi’s subsequent display of intimacy toward Valo was the spark that lit the fuse!
Finally, at the moment the Saintess provocatively lowered her head, her soft lips about to touch Valo’s…
Everything exploded!
Crack
Kaika suddenly crushed the [Flower of Fel Energy] Holy Relic in her hand.
The dark purple rose instantly transformed into eerie, sinister [Fel Magic] power that dyed the Elf girl’s body.
Purple shadow throwing knives flew from her hand, slicing through the air in an arc toward Anqi’s wings!
But the Sister Superior immediately leaped into the air and intercepted them, catching them with her bare hands.
The Sister Superior’s expression changed instantly. “This level of Fel Magic… Student Kaika, you seem to…”
Before she could finish, Finney’s Holy Relic, [Pandora], also began to transform!
Crimson chains lashed out in the blink of an eye, wrapping around Anqi’s waist.
The girl then used the momentum to leap toward Anqi, looking as if she were going to use brute force to snatch Valo out of her hands!
One distracting and one snatching — perhaps this had been the sisters’ plan from the beginning!
The great Hero even had time to smile at her!
“Don’t be afraid, Mother. We’ve already planned a way out for you!”
“Please wait just a bit longer. I’ll rescue you from this sea of suffering right now!”
‘Sea of suffering? Sea of suffering!’ Valo thought.
At this moment, Valo only felt her head buzzing. ‘What “sea of suffering”?! Clearly, we all have a wonderful future ahead of us!’
Instead of entering the perfect [Virtuous Corruption Ending], was she supposed to spend her life hiding and running with these two instead?
But… everything happening now was no longer within her control.
Her stomach hurt; it was so painful. She was about to faint from the sheer idiocy of her daughters.