Volume 6, Chapter 84 – Ruth’s Punishment and the Future of Cold Night

A flock of white birds flew across the sky as Cold Night, now fully entered into spring, presented a scene of flourishing prosperity. Brinkat, where Fia was staying, was especially bustling. The high-rank monsters of the Weeping Mountains had been almost entirely wiped out, leaving only a few low-level monsters that had previously lived on the outskirts of the forest to linger on. This meant two things: first, there was no longer a need to worry about monsters raiding the city; second, adventurers entering the forest in the future would no longer have to fear accidentally stepping into a high-rank monster’s trap.

Beyond that, and more importantly, since the end of that earth-shattering explosion, no more earthquakes had occurred in the Weeping Mountains. Coupled with an inexhaustible supply of black bread and dried fish, the cat-folk began to live a stable life unlike any they had ever known.

The dried fish, in particular, was an extremely luxurious food for a city like Brinkat, which was not particularly wealthy in resources and far from the sea. Setting aside that the Fire Cat Tribe’s territory was entirely populated by cat-folk and thus the dried fish held immense appeal, the salt content alone provided them with great satisfaction. Fia had only learned a few days ago that salt was expensive in Cold Night; ordinary civilians there would only use a very small amount of salt per meal. Thus, something as salty as dried fish greatly satisfied the taste buds of the common cat-folk.

As for the bread that was too hard to bite, it was no issue for the beastmen. Beastmen could digest even leather and bone; simple black bread was practically a delicacy.

It was worth mentioning that Fia had once curiously asked Tsukuyomi why, since beastmen could digest anything, they didn’t have their magic chanters use [Food Creation] to solve their hunger and cold issues.

Tsukuyomi’s answer was that beastmen were not naturally gifted in magic like elves. There were very few magic chanters among them, and their status rose accordingly. To ask those pitifully few magic chanters to manufacture foul-tasting food—not to mention the magic chanters themselves being unwilling—the nobles who paid to maintain them would never agree. With that time, it was better to have the magic chanters do things more beneficial to the nobility, such as increasing their strength or subjugating monsters.

More importantly, not every magic chanter was as “over-spec” as Fia. A magic chanter who could create a mountain of food in one go was something one couldn’t find a second of in the entire World Tree Continent. Most magic chanters were doing well if they could produce enough food to fill their own stomachs once.

While the people on the ground rejoiced over the countless loaves of bread and fish, a certain gloomy dungeon cell in Brinkat City presented a different scene.

Three girls stood in the pitch-black cell. The sunlight entering through the ventilation was completely insufficient to light the room, so their faces were hidden in the shadows. Additionally, there was a woman with a hood over her head lying face-down on an iron plate. The dark iron plate seemed to absorb all light, giving one the sensation that their soul was being pulled when glancing at it. This was a magic item capable of weakening a person’s spirit and stripping them of their ability to resist——an item Fia had specifically brought over from Blossom.

The girl’s identity was none other than Ruth. It must be said that if Ruth had softened her stance and revealed her identity as the Princess of the Kingdom of Death, Fia might have shown mercy for the sake of future peace, given that the Netherworld bordered Silvar. However, Ruth had never disclosed this information. Thus, in Fia’s eyes, Ruth was merely an eighth-rank undead, no different from Davis.

“You just wait, I won’t let you off!”

Despite having all her mana taken away by Fia’s [Forceful Plunder] and her body being tied up tightly, Ruth showed no signs of softening her tone, much like Nola before her.

“Hmph. Her Highness sparing your life is an act of leniency. Not only do you not thank her, you dare to speak so arrogantly?”

Snap-cracking the whip in her hand, Anastasia looked down on Ruth with hostile words. It wasn’t that Anastasia didn’t know Ruth, but rather that Ruth, for the sake of her pride, didn’t want to be recognized. She had deliberately changed her voice when speaking, and with her head covered in advance by Fia, Anastasia believed the girl before her was someone else.

The golden-haired Anastasia turned to Fia.

“Your Highness, we must increase the punishment for someone this stubborn. Keep striking until she begs for mercy. We must carve the fear of you into her heart; only then will she know who she shouldn’t provoke.”

“Yes, I know.”

Amused internally, Fia’s lips curved slightly. She looked toward Ruth, who was likely gritting her teeth.

“You heard her. If you say ‘I’m sorry’ to me, I’ll reduce the number of lashes from twenty to ten. Don’t think you can just tough it out with your strength. This is a whip specially made for you. Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance when you faint from the pain.”

“In your dreams!”

Ruth answered viciously. As the Princess of the Kingdom of Death, she had never suffered such a grievance. Or rather, she had never imagined anyone in this world would dare to tie her up and whip her on the bottom. One must know that in the Kingdom of Death, no one dared to breathe a word of dissent against her; ordinary undead would view even treading on her shadow as an act of desecration. Now, being tied up and having her skirt removed by Fia was simply a supreme humiliation. If she had the ability to spit, she would have spat in Fia’s face by now. In fact, her teeth were chattering and grinding so loudly that one could feel her bone-deep hatred for Fia just by the sound.

“I thought you were a decent person, but I didn’t expect you to be such a shameless and lecherous scoundrel! I must have been blind to let Nola follow you!”

“Wasn’t it you who rushed over trying to kill Nola and me first? That’s why I’m punishing you. We have to take things one step at a time. If I hadn’t been slightly stronger than you, Nola and I would have been turned into corpses by you long ago.”

“Ugh.”

Ruth instantly stagnated. Fia was exactly right. Although she had been controlled by the Chaos Seed at the time, that didn’t change the fact that Fia and Nola would have been killed by her if Fia hadn’t been stronger. Her arrogance weakened, and her volume dropped significantly.

Reaԁ oո ΚαtRеαdiոɡCаfе

“Th-Then I could have turned you into undead as well, allowing you to live on while maintaining your self-awareness.”

“Hey, hey. Only someone with a broken brain would think of becoming an undead. Undead can’t eat or sleep, and they can’t do… those things. Even basking in the sun is a luxury. What kind of fun is there in a life like that?”

“You… you’ve never been an undead, how would you know the benefits of being one!”

Ruth still tried her best to argue.

Fia was used to Nola’s stubbornness, and now seeing Nola’s “half-mother” being just as stubborn, she only found it funny. She crossed her arms and spoke playfully.

“You say being an undead is good, but haven’t you been having a lot of fun in the world of the living these past few days? Don’t think I haven’t noticed. The moment going back is mentioned, your face immediately falls. You’re always staring at ants and spiders when there’s nothing else to do, only to stare them to death and then revive them because you can’t bear it. In the end, you’ve created these terrifying things like undead ants and undead spiders. Haven’t you seen the Charm Cat maids waking up with dark circles under their eyes? They even dream about invincible spiders crawling out from under their blankets.”

The death aura on Ruth was too dense. When she stared at an ant, the death aura would gather on it, turning her gaze into a lethal weapon that smothered the ant to death. It was only when the servants in the mansion discovered ants and spiders that couldn’t be killed no matter what that people finally realized an undead had snuck into the residence——except for her skin being too white, Ruth looked no different from a human. With Nola acting as a guarantor, no one suspected this suddenly appearing pink-haired princess was an undead.

“Ugh.”

Fia’s words left Ruth speechless. Finally, she could only grit her teeth resentfully.

“Kill me or cut me as you please. I shall surely repay today’s shame in the future!”

“Still stubborn. Anastasia, begin.”

“Yes.”

“One!”

At Fia’s count, Anastasia raised the long whip, preparing to swing it down toward Ruth’s overly white buttocks. However, Nola, who had been silent and at a loss for what to do at the side, suddenly stepped forward. She closed her eyes and fearfully blocked Anastasia’s whip.

“Wait!”

“Miss Nola, this is Her Highness’s decision.”

“I know, but… but she’s my God——” Remembering the need to protect the Goddess’s privacy, Nola hurriedly changed her words. She cast a pleading look toward Fia, who stood behind Anastasia. “Fia, how about we just forget it? I have no intention of blaming her…”

“Nola might not blame her, but that doesn’t mean I don’t. When a punishment is due, it must be carried out.”

“Then at least reduce the twenty lashes to ten, and take my share out of it. No, simply let me take the punishment in her place.”

“No—way—” Fia refused with a drawn-out tone without even thinking. “Nola has done nothing wrong, so why should you be punished?”

Besides, Nola had become completely “kawaii-fied.” She no longer spoke with thorns like she did at the beginning; if she truly had to punish Nola, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to do it.

Saying so, Fia pulled Nola to her side with the Spatial Hand.

“In short, no means no. If Nola can’t bear to watch, you can go outside first. It just so happens that Nagg’s soldiers from the front line sent a letter last night. Chazo’s remnants holding out in the Royal Capital of Cold Night have surrendered. The wavering tribes in the surrounding areas are waiting to see how things play out. Taking this opportunity to use both kindness and authority will only benefit the future. This is a great chance for you to show your skills; you must prepare diligently.”

“Mn…”

Reαⅾ оո ΚαtRеaⅾinɡCafе

Despite the information Fia revealed being something Nola had looked forward to and even dreamed of in the past, she did not show a joyful expression, only nodding slightly.

Is she unhappy?

Fia waved to Anastasia.

“Anastasia, I’ll leave this to you. Nola and I are going out for a bit.”

“Yes.”

Fia pushed Nola’s back as they walked out of the cell. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the damp stairs of the prison.

“What’s wrong? You suddenly look so unhappy.”

Nola kept her head down, her face full of heavy thoughts.

“…Fia, were the words you said that day true? You won’t suddenly disappear after leaving Cold Night, will you?”

As she finished, Nola looked toward Fia’s face with worry.

Fia couldn’t help but find it funny.

“Of course it’s true. Besides, where could I run to? Silvar is right next to Cold Night. With your strength, it would only take you a few days to find me. Plus, I have teleportation magic; I’ll come back to see you periodically. And Tilulu hasn’t officially taken the throne yet; I have to wait until she is crowned and the necessary people are dealt with before I can leave with a peace of mind.”

“That’s good then…”

As Nola’s voice fell, Fia suddenly felt something touch her right hand. She looked down slightly and saw that Nola was quietly reaching out, looking as though she wanted to hold her hand but didn’t have enough courage, pulling back the moment they touched, then quietly reaching out again.

She was brave enough to swing a sword at her in the beginning, yet now she was dawdling over holding hands. What a strange person.

Fia simply took the initiative to take Nola’s hand. This made Nola jolt all over, almost letting out a strange sound from her throat. She blushed with embarrassment, and it took a long while before she murmured:

“Is… isn’t it too early…?”

“It’s just holding hands. Even friends who are on good terms do it.”

“But we…”

She likely wanted to express that they weren’t ordinary friends.

Fia didn’t want to delve into that question. She wanted to make a change and not let everyone show expressions of loneliness and regret, but this step was a large one to take. She needed to adapt slowly; in truth, she didn’t know if she could do it. Accepting Nola while being able to face Claire with a clear conscience was truly a difficult problem.

“Leaving those questions aside for now, I want to move Tilulu’s coronation ceremony to the Fire Cat Tribe—meaning a relocation of the capital, moving the Royal Capital of Cold Night from the west to the east. Tilulu’s foundation is the Fire Cat Tribe you command, and this place is close to both Silvar and the Weeping Mountains. If an emergency occurs, there can be support from the Elves and your Goddess. Moving the capital to your place will make many things easier. Although I will clear out the dangerous people, I’m still worried that leaving Tilulu and you in an unfamiliar old capital would have a high probability of something going wrong.”

There were many ways to kill someone; it didn’t necessarily have to be through direct combat. Secretly poisoning or creating “accidents” while traveling were all methods. As long as someone was willing to risk everything to kill someone, there were as many methods as one could want. Even with Radric guarding Tilulu, it wouldn’t be entirely safe.

“Have you asked Tilulu about this?”

Rеaԁ οո КatRеаⅾiոgСafе

“I’ve discussed it with Tilulu and Radric, as well as Tilulu’s eldest brother. They all think it’s fine. The key point is you. This is your territory; moving the capital here will affect your influence.”

“Mn…” Feeling Fia’s warmth in her left hand, Nola lightly pinched her chin with her right and thought with her head down. “We’ll be family in the future. Since we’re in the same boat, there’s no need to distinguish between ‘mine’ and ‘hers.’ Whatever keeps the people of Cold Night from going hungry is what we’ll do. Fia thinks too selfishly of me. Moving the capital is no problem, but I have one requirement.”

“What requirement?”

“I won’t allow Tilulu to do things like arranging a marriage for me after she grows up.”

Nola stared exceptionally seriously into Fia’s eyes. Those purple cat eyes were invested with a resolute will. Clearly, this was Nola’s bottom line.

Fia was stunned for a moment, then she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“How could Tilulu do such a thing? Nola is thinking far too poorly of Tilulu.”

Although Nola was blushing, she still stubbornly emphasized:

“I’m planning ahead. Who knows if she’ll be jealous of me and try to break us up on purpose?”

“Impossible. I guarantee Tilulu won’t do that. Tilulu isn’t that petty. I thought Nola was going to say something important, but it’s just this little thing…”

“This isn’t a little thing!”

“Alright, alright, it’s not a little thing. I’ll tell Tilulu later, though I think it’s completely unnecessary.”

If Nola weren’t taller than her, Fia would certainly have reached out to pat Nola’s head—if Nola knew Fia’s thoughts, she too would regret why she hadn’t grown a bit shorter.

“Then besides this requirement, is there anything else? After all, I’m the one pushing this from behind. Without Nola’s help, it would be difficult for Tilulu to sit firmly on the throne so quickly. She owes your Fire Cat Tribe a lot, so as compensation, the Fire Cat Tribe can come to me for any material needs. This way, it’ll also be easier for you to explain things to your subordinates.”

Even though Tilulu no longer called Fia “Mom,” Fia still considered Tilulu as half her daughter in her heart. When her daughter owed someone a favor, the mother naturally thought of helping.

“Really? Then I won’t be polite. I won’t ask for less just because it’s you, Fia. This is for my tribesmen.”

“You’d better discuss it with Ying before you speak. It’s not that I’m worried you’ll ask for too much, but I think you might leave some things out, and then you’ll definitely be scolded by Ying when you get back.”

“Ugh, that’s true… I’m simple-minded, I’m sorry.”

Admitting it honestly, Nola lowered her head dejectedly, her ears drooping.

This guy is really cute.

Fia arched an eyebrow while her lips curved.

“Everyone has things they are good at and things they aren’t. Nola doesn’t need to feel inferior. By the way, I’ll have half of Nagg’s army stay behind to be stationed in Cold Night for you and Tilulu to command. The variety of races in Cold Night is a problem. When necessary, use this army to deal with those who don’t listen and leave those who do. Although this method is bloody, without uprooting the old powers, new orders cannot be implemented. For long-term peace, it’s a worthwhile sacrifice.”

“I’m good at that. But won’t keeping the army here make your Silvar—I mean, won’t it make your father unhappy? Silvar is still at war with the Kingdom of Alfrieg; that’s when you need people the most.”

Fia laughed and patted her chest, her face full of pride.

Rеаԁ оո ΚаtRеаԁiոɡСafе

“What do you take Silvar for? Leaving behind less than ten thousand soldiers won’t make Silvar’s defense empty. Besides, it’s spring now; there’s no pressure from the Netherworld. We’ll be much more relaxed. At most, we’ll have a few fewer people for the summer counter-offensive, but with me there this year, not to mention wiping the Netherworld off the map, sweeping through it will definitely be no problem.”

“…If anyone else said that, I’d definitely think they were daydreaming. But coming from your mouth, even though it’s broad daylight, I feel a bit cold.”

“Afraid of me?”

“No.”

As she spoke, Nola tightened her grip on Fia’s hand. She looked toward the exit ahead where sunlight was already shining in and whispered:

“Although it might be my own wishful thinking, if there’s anything I can do to help with the summer offensive, Fia must tell me. I’ll go and help you.”

It’s more like a leisure trip than helping.

Fia felt it would likely turn into a scene of her bombarding everything below while Nola cheered her on from the side, maybe even shouting “Over there!” to remind her of any fish that slipped through the net.

Realizing this, Fia tilted her head to look at the Fire Cat beside her. Although she had partially accepted Nola, Nola had been too embarrassed to see Claire. Before leaving Cold Night, she should find an opportunity for Nola and Claire to talk privately, at least so Nola wouldn’t carry too heavy a psychological burden. Claire actually didn’t mind Nola’s existence; otherwise, if Claire did mind, Fia would never have thought of making a change.

For some reason, an image suddenly flashed in Fia’s mind of a future where, after she and Claire had offspring, Nola would become a mother-like figure busy caring for the little baby. Even though it looked a bit pitiful, it was somehow cute.

Wait, I haven’t even fully accepted Nola yet. Why am I thinking so far ahead?

Fia shook her head repeatedly.

And that thought was too mean to Nola.

“What is Fia thinking about?”

“N-Nothing. Let’s head out first, head out.”

Nola looked suspicious.

“I feel like I was just being looked at with a very impolite gaze…”

“It must be Nola’s imagination. Do I look like that kind of impolite person?”

As Fia’s words fell, the two stepped out of the prison. The brilliant sunlight of the outside world shone on Fia’s exquisite features, and her smile, which seemed capable of parting the clouds, left Nola dazed for a moment.

Maybe it was my imagination? Fia wouldn’t have that kind of mischievous look in her eyes.

Nola was quickly fooled by Fia, and the two continued to hold hands as they sat by the street, quietly waiting for Anastasia to emerge from the prison.