Volume 6, Chapter 79 – The Princess of the Kingdom of Death

Admittedly, thinking that Nola had fallen for her might be a delusion; most people harbor such expectant, narcissistic thoughts. However, given the way Nola was currently fidgeting with her hands and looking around in such embarrassment that she didn’t know where to put her gaze, calling it a delusion was undoubtedly self-deception.

Should she ask bluntly? A remark like, “Nola, you haven’t gone and fallen in love with me, have you?”

Logically, it was feasible. The fatal part of such questions, however, was never how to say them, but what to do after they were said.

If Fia didn’t know Nola liked her, she would certainly have asked directly with a teasing mindset just to see Nola puff out her cheeks and turn red. But now that she knew the seeds were there, she didn’t dare be so glib. It would be fine if Nola was untalkative enough to reject her outright, but if she accidentally agreed, it would be exceptionally troublesome.

As she had told Nola during the day, one of her reasons for rejecting Tilulu was that she didn’t have romantic feelings for her. It was the same with Nola now. Nola was indeed very cute, and after spending time together, she had discovered her kind character, but she only viewed Nola as a close female friend. There was no ambiguity beyond friendship on her part.

Following this trend, she would likely reject Nola just as she had rejected Tilulu.

And Nola wasn’t Tilulu; she couldn’t use the excuse of waiting until she was an adult to make other plans. Once rejected, it would be a true rejection.

Pressing her lips together, Fia stole a glance at Nola from an angle she wouldn’t notice.

In all fairness, Fia didn’t want to reject Nola—not because she had a sudden change of heart, but out of sympathy. If she hadn’t already rejected Tilulu, or if Nola hadn’t just been rejected by Claire not long ago—if even one of those factors were missing—she could have hardened her heart to tell Nola she didn’t harbor romantic feelings for her. But with both factors present, she couldn’t bear to say it. She was also worried Nola would become as despondent as she had been the previous few nights. It had only been a few days since she said she wouldn’t abandon her; rejecting her feelings now might lead Nola to conflate the two, even if they weren’t the same thing.

Yet, she couldn’t just casually agree, either.

Truly conflicted.

Why do I always run into these situations?

No…

Fia suddenly remembered a crucial point. Nola was currently at the peak of her estrus period. It was possible that her ambiguous feelings were merely a product of her hormones. In that case, once the period passed, she might clear her head, realize she had fallen for someone she shouldn’t have, and slowly forget about it.

Beastmen did all sorts of out-of-character things during estrus. Nola might simply be unable to help herself. Just as no one takes a drunkard’s rambling to heart, she shouldn’t view Nola’s feelings during estrus as her true heart. While there was a hint of self-consolation in this thought, it was a genuine possibility.

I’ll just wait until Nola’s estrus period is over and talk then!

Fia happily pushed the trouble onto her future self a few days from now.

Her expression gradually became serious as she looked at Nola’s face.

“What did Nola want to say just now?”

“Fia… Fia should speak first.”

“I was going to say I still have some things to do, so I’ll head back first. Claire and Liti should still be over at the pass helping the Charm Cats maintain the defensive line. I need to go warn them.”

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“Then I’ll come too.”

Nola naturally walked toward the door, even picking up the bedside candle before she left, looking as though she was certain Fia would agree.

Fia’s expression turned subtle. She was leaving specifically to keep some distance from Nola; wouldn’t going together defeat the purpose?

She glanced at Ruth, who was lying quietly on the bed. Her tranquil sleeping posture was reminiscent of a sleeping beauty.

“What about your Lady Goddess? She’s a high-rank undead; just lying here will affect those around her. If she wakes up and starts wandering around, the consequences would be disastrous. Someone needs to watch her.”

“Ugh…”

Fia’s logical argument made Nola’s fiery red cat ears and tail droop. Her dejected expression was like that of a child whose toy had been taken away.

Don’t make such a sympathetic face.

I’ll lose my resolve.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, Ruth let out a low groan from the bed. She seemed to have a headache; her brow furrowed, and she sat up, holding her forehead.

“Where is this…”

Hey, isn’t your timing a bit too perfect?

Because the timing was so good, Fia even suspected Ruth had been faking sleep until she heard Nola was being forced to stay here because of her. In the end, her [Mind Blast] wasn’t so powerful that it would knock an eighth-rank undead unconscious for half a day. Furthermore, undead didn’t experience pain. The way this girl sat up clutching her forehead looked like acting no matter how one sliced it.

She was likely an old woman pretending to be a frail girl—crafty and cunning.

Only Nola’s reaction was genuine.

“Lady Goddess!”

Nola, still holding the candlestick, lunged to the bedside, her purple cat eyes filled with hope and joy.

“You’re awake?!”

“Ah…”

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Perhaps it was Fia’s imagination, but she clearly saw a hint of embarrassment in Ruth’s eyes; she didn’t even dare look Nola in the eye. According to Nola, her Goddess always stayed hidden behind a golden light screen when meeting her, never revealing her true form. Seeing her now, besides the frightening status of being an undead, it was likely because her true form lacked majesty, and she was afraid of being laughed at by Nola. In truth, if it weren’t for the fact that the Eldest Princess’s face was naturally cold, Fia herself would be embarrassed by the daintiness of this body.

It was worth noting that although Ruth was a girl of fifteen or sixteen, her chest was as flat as Fia’s. Fia could at least say her body hadn’t begun to develop yet, whereas Ruth was at the level of being malnourished.

“How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable? Would you like some water? Ah, as an undead, you probably don’t need water. Should I move you to a cemetery suitable for undead life—”

“Ahem. Nola, your Goddess isn’t that fragile. Let’s hear the cause and effect of the situation first. Don’t you also want to know why your Goddess suddenly disappeared?”

“That’s true.” The rambling Nola finally snapped out of it. She squatted by the bed, looking up at Ruth. “Lady Goddess, where did you go during this time? I… I was deceived by a Darkborn under the Sovereign. She disguised herself as you and said you were going beneath the World Tree Continent to fight a decisive battle with Chaos…”

“Well, about that…”

No, I can’t use too casual a tone in front of Nola.

Ruth suddenly realized. Despite her true form being seen by Nola now, Nola didn’t look down on her because of it. She quietly sighed in relief, sat up straight, and adopted a serious expression.

“There is no point in hiding it now. Too many things have happened, so I will start from the beginning. I will allow you to call me Ruth, but do not pry into my identity.”

Ruth spoke after packaging the story of her leaving the Weeping Mountains to return home. She also explained that she had given Nola the Flame Greatsword back then because she admired Nola’s persistence. She hadn’t expected Nola to be called the Holy Son by outsiders because of it, and since she had called herself a Goddess from the start, she simply let the misunderstanding continue.

The Sovereign’s appearance was purely accidental; she hadn’t known the Sovereign would run amok in her back garden. Ruth also revealed that she had encountered Absolute Evil, who was covered in dark red armor, during the day. This made Nola gasp; the dark red armor undoubtedly belonged to the Wandering Knight. Treating such a person as a subordinate meant she had essentially been hovering at the gates of hell.

Finally, Ruth expressed her gratitude to Fia. If Fia hadn’t appeared, she surely would have been killed by Absolute Evil’s holy magic. It was worth mentioning that whenever Ruth looked at Fia, there was a hint of fear in her eyes. The blazing sun during the day had left a huge shock on her; she was certain she would never forget that spectacular sight for the rest of her life.

“…Leaving the Weeping Mountains was purely due to an unexpected turn of events. I will continue to stay in the Weeping Mountains in the future. If you have an emergency, Nola, you can come find me at any time.”

Speaking to this point, Ruth paused.

“Undead have no reproductive ability. I watched you grow bit by bit and treated you almost like my own daughter. Although it is inconvenient for me to directly help you solve various troubles due to a covenant with the gods, indirect help is not excluded. The world of the undead is always lifeless and lacks novelty. When you came to the Weeping Mountains to find me, it was one of the few opportunities I had to speak with someone. You might think it’s just chatting and means nothing, but what you consider easily obtainable is not so in the world of the undead.”

“I say this to emphasize that, as you can see, I lied to you. This was my mistake first. So whether you call me Ruth or use some other title, it won’t change your importance in my heart. That is, if you don’t despise me—”

“You are still my Lady Goddess.”

Not waiting for Ruth to finish, Nola hurriedly explained. Wanting to comfort Ruth, she subconsciously reached for Ruth’s hands resting outside the blanket, but then she remembered the status gap between them and sheepishly withdrew her hand, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

“It is an unchangeable fact that you bestowed upon me the grace of a second life. This has nothing to do with your identity. Whether you are a Lord God or an undead, it will not change my respect for you. Back when I was about to die in the Weeping Mountains, the likes of gods ignored me. It was you who saved me. That point alone is enough for me to believe in you; you are my Lady Goddess. If you feel lonely, I… I will visit you often. No, it would be fine if you just moved in with me directly.”

“That won’t work.” Ruth was incredibly comforted by Nola’s words, but it also brought a bitter smile to her face. “I am an undead, and not an ordinary one at that. Just by existing here, the aura of death I release would affect those around me. Accessories used to restrict death auras don’t work on me, otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed in the Weeping Mountains all this time. I am happy for your sentiment, but let’s leave it at that. I’ve made it through five or six hundred years; a few months is but an instant to me. Besides, there is a mountain of things waiting for me.”

“A mountain of things…?”

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“That Chaos devoured the vitality of the soil; I have to restore the land bit by bit. The Weeping Mountains aren’t entirely an illusion barrier. At the very least, in the deepest depths, that forest wasn’t fake. That was land I painstakingly cultivated. This grudge is now settled. From now on, the Netherworld will no longer welcome the Darkborn—whether it’s Absolute Evil or the Sovereign.”

“Hmm… if Ruth is willing, I can help you restore the vitality of the soil. Undead can’t use nature magic, right? That is something I, as an Elf, am good at,” Fia said expressionlessly.

The reason she was expressionless was that she was tightening her facial muscles. Looking at Ruth’s current performance, she clearly didn’t know that she had turned more than half of the Weeping Mountains into scorched earth, to the point where even the illusion barrier couldn’t be maintained. Having her home blown to smithereens, Ruth would surely be grinding her teeth in hatred once she returned. Anyway, restoring the soil’s vitality was just a matter of waving her hand to use [Rain of Serenity], so it wasn’t a problem. At the very least, it was easier than facing Nola. For an undead to restore soil vitality would be as difficult as trying to burn through a copper lock with a candle.

Unaware of this, Ruth hesitated.

“You are willing to help me restore the land? I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet.”

“Instead of thanks, there’s something I want to ask you. Do you undead not feel pain?”

Why ask that suddenly?

Although she didn’t understand Fia’s goal, Ruth answered seriously since Fia had saved her life.

“Ordinary attacks, of course not. However, if it’s an attack specifically targeting the soul, like the mental magic you used on me, it still hurts.”

“That’s good. Although you were controlled by the Chaos Seed when you attacked me repeatedly during the day, it would be hard to justify just treating it as if nothing happened. Nola used to speak rudely and point her blade at me, and I punished her slightly. So, I can’t play favorites. Even if you are an undead, you can’t escape punishment. Of course, I won’t take your life or cause permanent trauma, but some physical suffering should be fine, right? You can try to run, provided you can outrun me.”

“Fia, what are you doing!”

Nola stood up, half-angry and half-protective as she glared at Fia. She didn’t know what Fia was planning, but as a former victim, she knew all too well. This was her Goddess; how could she allow Fia to put her Goddess on a rack and whip her on the bottom?

Fia turned her palm toward Nola, signaling her not to stop her.

“She was after both of our lives at the time. If I hadn’t been strong enough, we would certainly have been killed by her. It wouldn’t make sense not to give her a punishment. I will protect Ruth’s privacy; even Anastasia won’t know her identity.”

“It’s not a matter of identity!” Seeing Fia persist, Nola simply spreads her arms like a mother hen protecting her chick, blocking the path between Fia and Ruth. “I… I will take the punishment for Lady Goddess!”

Are you a masochist?

Roasting her in her heart, Fia noticed Nola’s long eyelashes were trembling slightly; she was clearly afraid. It seemed the pain from back then had left quite a psychological shadow on her.

This stupid cat.

At this moment, Fia had the thought that it might not be so bad to keep Nola by her side like this. This Fire Cat was likely the type who, once in love, would start thinking about the person she liked from the moment she woke up and continue until she couldn’t sleep at night, clutching her pillow and giggling—a head full of pink fantasies.

As the person being liked, it was hard to say this was a bad experience. To be honest, she just wanted to pull this Fire Cat into her arms and rub her head and ears—maybe even nibble on an ear? The texture might be nice. The trade-off was that Nola would be too embarrassed to contain herself, purring in her throat.

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“What are you talking about…”

Facing Ruth’s furrowed brows and confusion, Fia glanced at Nola, who was still stubbornly blocking her. She put her hands on her hips and sighed helplessly.

“You’ll find out. Even if Nola blocks you, I can’t go against my principles. That’s that; I’m going back first. You two can catch up properly.”

She had to think about Nola’s feelings carefully; she couldn’t be reckless. To be safe, it was better to ask for Claire’s opinion, though Claire might not be able to give her one.

Claire was reliable at all times, except when it came to this matter where she couldn’t offer a suggestion. Thinking carefully, she didn’t have a suitable consultant around her. Neither Anastasia nor Liti was appropriate; it was troublesome.

Wait.

A flash of inspiration hit her. Fia suddenly thought of the perfect people.

Why not consult my father and Mother Yulisha? As elders, they have more life experience than me.

Her heart was instantly filled with hope, and Fia walked quickly out of the mansion.

Suddenly, only Nola and Ruth were left in the room. The former stared blankly at Fia’s back, seemingly wanting to chase after her but unable to take a step because of Ruth.

Knowing the secret within, Ruth curled her lips into a smile befitting an elder.

“Nola.”

“I-I’m here. Does Lady Goddess have any instructions?” Nola turned around hurriedly.

Ruth didn’t mince words and went straight to the point.

“You like that Elf, don’t you?”

“Eh? N-N-No such thing!”

“You can fool others, but you can’t fool me. Don’t deceive yourself. Honestly, as a bystander, watching you hesitate makes me incredibly anxious. Let me teach you…”

Without waiting for Nola’s refusal, Ruth pulled Nola to sit on the edge of the bed.

Under the flickering candlelight, only barely audible whispers remained in the room—along with Nola covering her cheeks with both hands, her face flushed with a shame she couldn’t bear to show.