Volume 8, Chapter 58 – One Move Ahead

The next day.

The pale autumn sunlight streamed through the open window into the room. Fia, lying flat on her bed, opened her eyes right on time. A flash of coldness flickered in her restrained ruby-like pupils. If anyone had caught that look at that moment, they would surely have thought the person lying here was an emotionless doll, then their hair standing on end. But such a scene lasted only an instant. As Fia sat up, the invigorating cold wind entered her nostrils. She reclaimed her emotions and instead began to think.

So, what should I do next?

Rather than anxiety, Fia felt more of a calm, rational reflection after complete composure. Having been secretly outmaneuvered by a hidden enemy using methods beyond imagination, it wouldn’t do not to counterattack with even greater force.

Even she could get angry.

Gently stroking the ruby ring on her right pinky with her fingertip, Fia jumped off the bed. Barefoot on the soft carpet, she walked to the mirror and stood there gazing at the black-haired elf in the reflection, wearing only a simple nightgown, her physique much smaller than her peers.

For now, it was basically certain that the enemy came from the abyss. To understand their goal, she should start with why they wanted to drive a wedge between her and Lucitine—the most logical thought was, of course, to weaken the World Tree Continent’s side, to prevent her from joining forces with the undead.

On Anastasia’s side, in the world of “Forget-Me-Not,” since she wasn’t there, even if the undead formed an alliance with the living of the World Tree Continent, the Chaos under the abyss wouldn’t need to worry about survival. But here, with her and Claire as two anomalies, they had to prevent her from allying with the undead.

However, it couldn’t be ignored that this level of provocation wouldn’t last too long. If the World Tree Continent truly faced a life-or-death crisis, Lucitine wouldn’t sit idly by. As a result, she and Lucitine would still end up cooperating; the only differences would be time and casualties.

Then, the only remaining possibility was to divide and conquer after sowing discord, to nip them in the bud while they were lying low.

The one secretly manipulating Chaos would take advantage of her absence to swallow the entire undead forces.

Fia continued thinking.

The World Tree Continent and the Primordial Continent were separated by the World Tree’s barrier. To swallow the undead whole, even if Milan left all the Chaos in the second Nursery untouched for the other side to manipulate, in terms of scale, the Chaos remaining there couldn’t possibly devour Lucitine. Unless even the Eye, with their collective consciousness, could be manipulated by the other side.

“Hmm—”

Without knowing what abilities the enemy possessed, it was indeed necessary to consider this possibility. If even Milan and his people could be manipulated, then the kingdom of the dead was indeed in imminent danger. She would also have to rethink her approach to the Eye. This didn’t necessarily mean killing them, but at least freezing them with [Spatial Confinement] to restrict their movement.

“But…”

One should never treat the enemy as a fool. Any plan she could come up with with a little thought, the enemy would surely also be aware of. The existence named Dofilia could infer that it was sowing discord, so there should logically be a supporting trap.

Under normal circumstances, she should go to Lucitine after she has calmed down and explain things clearly. But if at that time, the other side used some scheme to make Lucitine or Ruth believe that going to her was because cooperation had failed and she intended to tear off all pretense and forcibly enslave them, then there would inevitably be another infuriating argument.

—In fact, even if the enemy did nothing, it would be very difficult to make Lucitine understand her. The fact that she and Milan had a master-servant relationship was true. Even if Lucitine really calmed down and listened to her explanation, understanding that they had been played against each other, she wouldn’t let go of the fact that she had “colluded” with Chaos just because of that. She harbored equal loathing for all Chaos. If it was Chaos, it couldn’t be allowed to exist in her sight.

Repeated explanations would only get her an angry response.

Of course, she could also use violence to make the undead obediently comply, making them realize that if the existence named Dofilia wanted to enslave them, she wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble. But this would undoubtedly play into the hands of the hidden enemy, being toyed with, and there would surely be even more humiliating traps waiting for her afterward.

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An open scheme, perhaps…

Maybe this thinking was too cautious. In reality, the enemy might not be capable of such complex orchestration, and she could simply go try talking to Lucitine. But knowingly walking into a potential trap was like using a lighter to test if there was a gas leak in the room.

Explaining that the other side was sowing discord was a dead end.

It seemed like she was checkmated.

A normal person would think so. Going to Lucitine would only fall into the trap; not going wouldn’t resolve the conflict either. And when Lucitine faced danger, if she made a heroic rescue, Lucitine would continue to think she was using the same old trick, colluding with Chaos to deceive her, further deteriorating her already shaky image.

Fortunately, the situation wasn’t completely hopeless. The enemy hadn’t calculated everything.

Fia shook her head. Her hip-length black hair swayed with the motion. In the mirror, she slightly curved her lips—a smile at the enemy having missed a move.

Admittedly, the enemy had made her suffer a great loss through unexpected means, but she wasn’t completely unprepared either. All along, she had been exploring one seemingly insignificant matter, and this very matter was enough to completely reverse the situation.

Well then, time for a countermove.

Using her hand as a comb, she ran it through her black hair. The comfortable sensation of the smooth hair sliding between her fingers, though not as good as stroking Tilulu’s or Nola’s fluffy ears, it was still hard to put down.

Fia looked at herself in the mirror. Then, she tilted her head slightly at the reflection, her tone flat to the point of being incredible, as if talking to a friend.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh ho, not surprised at all.”

Appearing in the mirror was that pure white fairy. This time, she wasn’t in Claire’s form, but had transformed into Lucitine’s appearance. The only things unchanged were her clothes and hair color. She was still dressed in a pure white gown, her white hair floating anti-gravitationally upward. Facing Fia without a trace of tension, she looked at first glance like a lover who had been accompanying Fia for a long time.

Maintaining her casual posture with hair flowing freely, Fia turned around, expressionless.

“The ability to appear and disappear is indeed surprising, but since you’re no threat to me, there’s no need to be surprised. I still have things to do, and I wasn’t thinking of you. Will you leave on your own, or shall I see you out?”

“Eh, resorting to violence right away? That’s not very ladylike, you know. You’re an elf princess; you should be more polite.”

As if very afraid, the pure white fairy, possessing an almost perfect figure and floating in mid-air, crossed her arms over her chest and retreated slightly. Her voice was delicate and enchanting, possessing a magic that could captivate the soul. However, Fia could sense this was all an act.

“I’m sorry, but the elves of this world advocate for strength. As an elf princess, I must lead by example. If you don’t want me to see you out, then speak quickly. I have no goodwill towards you.”

“Shouldn’t you ask me why I’ve changed my appearance?”

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“Memory entities have no fixed form. They can become whatever they want.”

“True.”

The pure white fairy in Lucitine’s likeness rested her chin on her finger and nodded lightly. Just looking at this charming posture, anyone would think she was a harmless maiden, but in reality, she was a Ninth-Tier powerhouse.

Fia wasn’t clear about this pure white fairy’s purpose. She thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow.

“The recording crystal was your doing?”

“Hmm? What do you think?”

Although the pure white fairy hid it well, Fia still caught a flicker of bewilderment in her eyes at the very first moment.

This could be an act, but to act so naturally required some skill.

As if covering something up, the pure white fairy crossed her left arm over her chest, rested her delicate chin on the back of her right hand, and struck a quite fairy-like charming pose, her expression teasing.

“Right now, you must be troubled by the rupture of your relationship with that Queen of Death, right? The hard-earned friendly relations, no, the hard-earned bond of love, shattered over a trivial matter. She kept saying you were the hero of the undead, but then she turns around and abandons you. How heartless. If it were me, I’d abandon the entire undead realm to stay by your side. You are the benefactor who granted me a perfect body, who gave me a new lease on life. Other than repaying this kindness with my life, nothing else is enough to make up for the debt owed.”

“Mm, you’re right.”

“Huh?”

Fia’s answer completely caught the pure white fairy off guard. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she couldn’t even maintain her playful pose with her chin on her hand.

“Why aren’t you angry?”

You’re just trying to anger me, aren’t you?

Of course, she could make the pure white fairy disappear with one sword strike, but that would only temporarily drive her away. Learning the fairy’s purpose through conversation and eliminating her root and branch would completely solve the problem.

Fia crossed her arms nonchalantly.

“So? What are you trying to say?”

“It’s the same as last time. Let’s make a little deal.”

As she spoke, the pure white fairy tentatively floated towards Fia. She cautiously observed Fia’s expression, moving closer, step by step, until her shoulder lightly touched Fia’s, then passed right through her body. She paused for a moment, lamenting her inability to touch Fia, a look of regret on her face.

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Then, like a fox spirit bewitching a monarch, the pure white fairy leaned against Fia in an exceptionally enchanting, dizzyingly alluring pose. Her hands rested on Fia’s shoulders, her moist cherry lips close to Fia’s ear, her breath like orchid, as if comforting her lover.

“You kill that fake for me, and I’ll become the Queen of Death. Then I, and the entire kingdom of the dead, will be yours. I won’t resist even if you dress me up as a cat or a dog. This soul will forever belong to you, won’t forget your name until the moment it extinguishes. I’ll be more obedient than her.”

What a charming proposition.

Fia waved her hand, signaling the pure white fairy to move away. Although reluctant, the latter obeyed Fia’s command, releasing her attempt to encircle Fia’s neck and returning to a position a step away—”encircling” only looked like it because she had no physical body; it wasn’t real contact.

Based on her current behavior, she did indeed seem like an obedient dog.

Unfortunately, the ingrained sense of danger made her untrustworthy. Keeping such a dog by one’s side would eventually lead to being bitten while asleep.

“That fake you’re talking about is Lucitine?”

“Exactly.”

“Not Claire?”

“Ah, could it be that I used that young lady’s appearance last time, causing you to misunderstand? I just saw that you seemed to like that young lady called Claire very much, so I took her form. What a terrible misunderstanding. The ‘fake’ I spoke of has always been that ungrateful woman.”

Like a child who had done wrong, the pure white fairy hurriedly stepped forward, clasping her hands delicately in front of her chest, almost pressing her bosom against Fia.

Fia took half a step back.

“Are you finished?”

Hearing Fia’s intent from her cold tone, the pure white fairy frowned slightly.

“You don’t seem intent on agreeing to my proposal.”

“Your proposition is indeed very attractive. But I am not like the Sovereign, someone who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Before I make a move, go back to where you came from.”

Killing an innocent person to achieve some goal—such an act might seem cold and cool in some people’s eyes, but it was actually a manifestation of lack of empathy and immaturity. If the innocent person to be killed for the sake of a plan was oneself, the outcome would only be crying out and cursing “unfair,” “why me of all people.” Ultimately, it was the opportunism of those who thought it didn’t concern them.

Moreover, who could be sure the memory entity before her would keep her promise? It would be a naive, petulant choice to abandon a friend alienated by an enemy’s machinations and trust someone met only twice.

“Won’t you reconsider? I think I’m much better than her, you know?”

“I only count sincere people as friends. If you’re willing to tell me your origins, I’ll change my attitude towards you.”

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“Ah, that’s impossible. If I told you who I was, there would be no ‘ifs.’ What a pity. If you change your mind, just think loving thoughts of me in your heart~ Then I’ll appear and cooperate with you in anything you want to do. See ya~”

After these words, the white fairy suddenly dissipated into particles of light. Such a scene gave Fia a sense of familiarity. The souls she had seen being crushed by Lucitine yesterday had disappeared just like this.

The luxurious bedroom returned to silence.

Fia frowned.

Calling Lucitine a fake—did “fake” here refer solely to Lucitine herself, or to all the successive Queens of Death?

Fia also considered whether this pure white fairy might be the one who provided the recording crystal. But the fairy couldn’t have appeared in the operations room without her and Milan noticing. Coupled with the bewildered look when the crystal was mentioned, she was probably an unrelated party, at least unaware of the recording crystal matter.

She couldn’t cause any waves anyway. She’d ignore her for now.

There were more important things to do right now.

That enemy hidden in the shadows had indeed outmaneuvered her with abilities beyond imagination. However, she had always been seeking one answer.

—Where did Lucitine’s hatred for Chaos originate from?

The reason the enemy had successfully sown discord was that Lucitine harbored a hatred for Chaos from the depths of her soul. This wasn’t, on the surface, caused by the undead’s ten-thousand-year war with Chaos. In fact, even from the time of the first Venex, who had no contact with the Eye, the Queen of Death had already loathed Chaos. Therefore, directly stated, the hatred successive Queens of Death felt for Chaos was actually personal enmity, and this personal enmity came from the first Venex.

As evidence, Lucitine had said her hatred for Chaos was innate; from the moment her consciousness was born, she already hated Chaos, to the point where just mentioning it made her insides churn. It wasn’t until she acquired a living body that the various sensory stimulations fed back by her environment overwrote the hatred she constantly felt.

Such an answer was enough to confirm that Lucitine hated Chaos because the ‘replacement’ ceremony had left the emotion of hating Chaos in her soul. This residual emotion from the first Venex was influencing her thoughts. And the one who created the ‘replacement’ ceremony was the first Venex. Therefore, if she could learn from the first Venex the true nature of her loathing for Chaos, she could fundamentally solve Lucitine’s indiscriminate loathing of Chaos.

That is, to make Lucitine realize that “Chaos also have enemies and allies,” and that her hatred for Chaos was merely an awareness affected by the first Venex. This way, even if she and the Eye were on the same side, Lucitine could view the issue rationally, unaffected by that emotion in her soul, which didn’t belong to her.

As for how to proceed, she already had an idea.

Lucitine had told her how to enter the immortal sanctuary. Now all that was left was action.

Fia called for the maid outside the door, changed into formal attire, told her companions she had business to attend to so they wouldn’t worry, and disappeared from the Twilight Palace via teleportation magic.

Well then, let’s begin.