Volume 8, Chapter 77 – Secrets of the Past

“Ugh…”

The original Venex, still in her form with demonic horns atop her head and tail and wings behind her, froze. Fia couldn’t tell what she was thinking from those completely white eyes, but she sensed the original Venex’s inner struggle. After pondering for a long while, she finally turned away and reluctantly answered Fia.

“…Go ahead. But if you want me to share my soul with these watchdogs so they can get bodies with your help—first, I won’t agree; second, I can’t do it. Also, I’ll only answer your questions, Fia. Everyone else has to leave, or I’d rather not say a word.”

“Setting aside Lucitine for now, you should know the memory bodies can’t leave the Immortal Sanctuary, right?”

“They can keep their distance. The Immortal Sanctuary is boundless; walking a few hundred meters away shouldn’t be a problem.”

Even through the translucent [Bee Shield Forcefield], Fia could clearly see the stubbornness on the original Venex’s face.

If the original Venex were a friend like Lucitine, she might have apologetically asked the others to step aside. But the original Venex was a criminal; there was no reason to make Lucitine leave.

She frowned.

“I’m not negotiating with you. I’m giving you an order.”

“Such a stiff woman still hopes to win Fia’s heart? Not even in your dreams.”

“Stiff? You’re just not worthy of getting answers from me.”

Facing the mockery from the Venexes, the original Venex didn’t argue. Instead, she lifted her chin and glared back, her gaze filled with contempt.

Better to leave.

Intending to go, Fia turned around, but before she could, Lucitine grabbed the fabric at Fia’s shoulder. Her lips pressed tightly together, she shook her head.

“I’ll step aside with the others.”

“No need.” Fia’s attitude was firm. “It’s no loss not knowing these secrets. I only came here to satisfy my curiosity. Since she’s unwilling to talk, we’ll go back.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts.’ She’s a criminal. Why should you all have to leave? Let’s go.” Finished speaking, Fia smiled wryly at the distant Venexes. “I still need to visit the Chaos. Once you’ve figured out how to cleanse and repurpose souls, I’ll shape bodies for you one by one. But I should state upfront: right now, you don’t have souls, so I can overlook your clinginess as longing after being without the living for so long. But once you have bodies, you can’t do this anymore. I already have a family. I’m an elf princess. I can’t just cling to people casually.”

“No problem, no problem! Proper channels, right? We understand! As long as we can have bodies, anything goes!”

“Besides, we’ve almost finished the theoretical part. We just need Lucitine to find us a few unlucky souls for experimentation. They’re already dead anyway; their souls are useless. We’ve never experienced what it’s like to be alive, so it’s not a waste.”

“Better find souls that are both beautiful and mature, like Fia’s wives are.”

Don’t say things like that to me.

The Venexes’ lively demeanor left Fia at a loss for words.

“And to think you rejected that old woman’s temptation for our sake…”

“Shows how important we are, right?”

“You all… I just think a criminal doesn’t have the right to make so many demands. Lucitine and I will head back first. We’ll return in a day or two. Remember to give me and Lucitine the theoretical stuff then—let’s tentatively name the spell [Rebirth of Venex].”

“No problem! But I think it should be called [Rebirth of Venex Lovey-Dovey with Dofilia].”

Reαd оո ΚаtRеаⅾіոɡСаfе

“It’s [The Lovey-Dovey New Life of the Majestic Venex and the Cute but Powerful Dofilia].”

“Why not just go with [The Love Child of the Queen of Death and the Elf Princess]~?”

“Huh? Can we call it that? Then let’s go with [The Love Child of the Queen of Death and the Elf Princess]!”

“Love Child it is!”

Are these guys children?

The chattering voices of the Venexes made Fia laugh despite herself. She knew these Venexes were bored from being repressed for too long, which was why they found any topic interesting. So she didn’t stop them. She just turned her head to look at Lucitine beside her, who was much taller—Lucitine wore a worried, guilty expression. Fia figured Lucitine felt bad not only for failing to help but also for causing trouble. But that was unnecessary.

Maybe giving Lucitine’s hand a little squeeze would encourage her?

But holding hands in front of so many Venexes would definitely get them riled up. Better wait until they’re outside.

Fia took two steps forward with Lucitine, but behind her came the sound of someone pounding the wall with a fist.

“Hey, you’re just leaving like that?!”

“Hmm?”

The one making the sound was the original Venex. Fia looked back to see her gritting her teeth, forcefully hitting the [Bee Shield Forcefield].

Right. She’d forgotten to freeze her again with [Spatial Confinement].

Unlike the other Venexes, the original Venex had a soul and could freely enter and leave the Immortal Sanctuary. Letting a Tenth-Rank enemy go would be a disaster that kept one tossing and turning at night.

Seeing Fia turn back, the original Venex’s gritted-teeth face showed a flicker of hope. But that joy was instantly hidden, and she stopped pounding the [Bee Shield Forcefield]. Instead, she crossed her arms, her tail wagging impatiently behind her, as if waiting for Fia to ask.

Wait, was she regretting it?

If it were someone familiar, Fia would definitely take this as a sign of regret. But the original Venex’s personality was erratic; she couldn’t be sure. So she asked again.

“So, you want to give answers now? Honestly, if you just wanted a body, you should have said so from the start. I might have agreed outright. Instead, you had to put yourself on the opposing side. From my perspective, you’re a criminal who must die—”

“If my soul perishes, everyone here except you will cease to exist.” The original Venex resumed her previous arrogant tone. “Especially Lucitine standing beside you. Her soul was split from mine. I am the main body that occupies most of it. If I, the main body, perish, not only her but also that girl named Ruth will disappear.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Ugh…”

Hearing the impatience in Fia’s voice, the original Venex instantly panicked. She opened her mouth as if to explain something to Fia, but then noticed Lucitine standing beside her. Her attitude, which should have completely softened, only softened a little.

“I… I’m not threatening you. I just wanted to tell you that if you kill me, the others will die too. So if I say now that I want a body, would you agree?”

“Of course not.” Fia stepped forward to stand before the original Venex, posing her question directly. “I have some doubts. Why do you hate Chaos so much that you’d embed that hatred into Lucitine’s soul, making her loathe Chaos from the very beginning of her consciousness?”

“…”

A low moan came from the original Venex’s throat. It was clear she didn’t want to answer this question. But if she didn’t answer honestly, Fia would leave directly. She wavered between talking more with Fia and looking down on those she called watchdogs.

Rеаd оո КаtRеαⅾіոɡСаfе

Until Fia urged impatiently.

“If you hesitate any longer, I’m leaving.”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Don’t go!” Extremely anxiously, the original Venex hurriedly called out to Fia. She looked at the Venexes in the distance watching with amused expressions and clicked her tongue hatefully, answering with exceptional difficulty. “But you have to promise me that while I’m speaking, no one except you will interrupt.”

This wasn’t an excessive request. Fia glanced back at the Venexes; all of them nodded slightly in agreement.

“Alright, I promise.”

“Then I’ll reluctantly share with them.”

Though she had no body, the original Venex, appearing as a pure white soul, still made a motion of arranging her skirt. She took a deep breath to compose herself and began to narrate.

“That was a story from long ago. Back then, the gods and Darkborn were retreating on all fronts, and I wasn’t undead yet. So the gods—I remember the Goddess of Life and the God of Fire came as representatives—asked me to help them defeat Chaos. If I succeeded, they were willing to give me the richest lands of the Origin Continent—the Origin Continent was the world swallowed by Chaos.”

“At that time, I lived on the World Tree continent. Not because I liked this barren land, but because the Origin Continent had no territory left for me to rule. Those gods were no match for me one-on-one, but they had formed an alliance to oppose the Darkborn. If I attacked one god, all the gods would become my enemies. And my strength could at best fight two gods to a draw. So when the Goddess of Life put the conditions before me, I couldn’t resist the temptation and agreed to help them.”

“Nothing in this world comes that easily.”

Lucitine muttered quietly.

The original Venex immediately frowned. Fia quickly tugged Lucitine’s slender right hand, signaling her not to speak. Since they had promised the original Venex not to interrupt, they had to keep that promise.

She coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment, asking on Lucitine’s behalf.

“Didn’t you think this bait was too obvious? Since you could at best fight two at once, and there were quite a few gods back then, you shouldn’t have been able to help much. Even if they offered compensation for your help, they should have only given part of the land, not the richest parts.”

“No…”

Though it was just a different person speaking, the original Venex didn’t show impatience again.

Fia had a feeling that if she gave the original Venex a body, she really would, as she claimed, willingly become a pet—how twisted was that?

“Fia is used to being powerful, getting whatever she wants. Naturally, you can’t understand how huge this temptation was. The richest lands of the Origin Continent were so full of magic that even breathing air filled you with magic. Ordinary people just staying there would slowly rise in rank. How could I, someone stuck on the World Tree continent, resist such temptation? Besides, it was just help, not a life-or-death struggle. At worst, I could retreat back to the World Tree continent. No big deal.”

“And then?”

“And then things turned out like this.”

The original Venex curled her lip, showing unwillingness.

“By then, Chaos had already devoured several gods and countless Darkborn. It wasn’t something I could deal with. Plus, those hypocritical gods all hid behind, unwilling to risk helping even when I was surrounded. The result was me being defeated by Chaos. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, escaping with my soul separated from my body, there would be no Queen of Death now. That said, I had already become an undead. I couldn’t feel the temperature or taste. Chaos turned me into an undead—that’s why I loathed Chaos. Wait.”

Seeming quite surprised, the original Venex’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at her still pure-white slender arm and murmured.

“…It didn’t change.”

“What didn’t change?”

“Previously, whenever I mentioned Chaos, I couldn’t control my emotions. Then, because of demonic language magic entwining me, my body would be seized by emotions, becoming uncontrollable, like before—my body would turn red. I don’t know if that woman named Claire told you, but the power of demonic language magic changes with emotions. If emotions become extreme, the magic’s power is strengthened to unimaginable levels. That’s usually a good thing, but since my body itself is maintained by demonic language magic, once emotions fluctuate too much, I’m seized by them. Now there’s no change, probably because of Fia…”

“Come to think of it, didn’t Claire tell you her secret? She and Fia are fiancées. Why doesn’t she cherish such fortune? Demons like us naturally know how to cling to the strong. Being able to latch onto you is an honor accumulated over several lifetimes. No, unless she, as a descendant of the Demon Lord, has unspeakable difficulties…”

Reаⅾ оո ΚαtRеаⅾinɡСαfе

By the end, the original Venex was already holding a hand before her lips, murmuring to herself, clearly deep in thought. This piqued Fia’s interest. In the past, the original Venex had only said Claire came from the same world as her, that she was of the same race as the Demon Lord Tartaros. Nothing more. Now, there seems to be new speculation.

Fia’s eyes lit up.

“Have you discovered something new?”

“No. I just sense an aura far stronger than mine from that young lady named Claire. If this were my original world, I’d suspect she was the Demon Lord herself. If not the Demon Lord herself, then definitely a blood relative. But it’s just speculation; I have no evidence. After all, given my original status, I rarely saw the Demon Lord… Speaking of which, I recognize those two swords. One absorbs magic power and physical strength; the other reverses cause and effect, right?”

Completely correct.

Fia nodded slowly.

“Mm.”

“Ahh, that settles it.”

The original Venex suddenly wore a relieved expression, her tail also drooping straight down.

“Those are the weapons of the Demon Lord Tartaros. Losing to Miss Claire—I have no complaints. And only someone like that is worthy of being your wife, Fia. Someone like me would need the Demon Lord’s approval just to be a concubine.”

“Thinking about the future now? Don’t you think that’s wishful thinking? Don’t forget, you’re a criminal.” Fia paused, her attitude softening slightly. “But I still want to thank you. I’ve been searching for Claire’s origins. Even if the Demon Lord is just your speculation, it’s a great help. Thank you.”

“Th-thank you? A person with this level of strength is willing to thank me…”

Looking flattered, the original Venex’s cheeks flushed—actually, they didn’t, but Fia could tell from the way the original Venex held her face in her hands, eyes lowered, that she was blushing.

“One thing is one thing. This doesn’t mean merits can offset crimes. I have another question. Lucitine said she sensed your aura on the Chaos that betrayed us that day. Don’t you loathe Chaos? Why are you working with them?”

“Ugh—”

The original Venex froze. Though she, like Lucitine, was much taller than Fia, she dared not look at Fia’s face.

“Do I have to answer this question?”

“Yes.”

“Then… then Fia has to promise that after I answer, Fia won’t get angry and will stay here talking with me a while longer…”

The original Venex’s voice was like a weak, helpless little girl, full of pity. In fact, if not for the Bee Shield Forcefield barrier, the original Venex would have already stepped forward to gently grasp Fia’s skirt, showing a red-eyed, about-to-cry expression.

Though she didn’t know if it was fake or genuine, this state made it impossible to refuse.

If conditions permitted, Fia would want to hold her head in her hands. What she feared most was others crying and pleading with her.

She forced herself to stay calm, answering word by word.

“I can’t promise not to get angry. But just staying here a little longer—no problem.”

The moment she finished speaking, Fia felt countless alert gazes from the Venexes behind her, especially Lucitine’s beside her, which stung her skin.

But the original Venex seemed not to notice the other Venexes’ stares. Her expression instantly brightened, like a child praised by an adult.

Reαd оn ΚаtRеaⅾіngСаfе

“It’s because someone told me that if I cooperated with her, I could kill Lucitine and take back my body. If Fia hadn’t appeared, I would have succeeded—didn’t you promise not to get angry? D-don’t glare at me like that…”

“Haah. And this was a woman, and when she spoke, you couldn’t locate her, right?”

“Mm… that’s her.”

“I see.”

So the one who drove Milan mad was that girl. This meant she couldn’t rely on the original Venex to tell her where the other party was. The facts were clear: that girl was most likely the Overlord. If not the Overlord herself, then definitely the Overlord’s spokesperson. As for the original Venex, though she didn’t know why the Overlord helped her, it was certain that the original Venex was also being used as a tool.

This matter was probably concluded, then.

The intriguing mysteries had been unraveled one by one. Fia felt much relieved. She took aromatic tea snacks from her storage magic, then dispelled [Bee Shield Forcefield], using [Spatial Hand] to form tables and chairs. Though the Venexes couldn’t directly taste the food, they could perceive their flavors through memories shared by Lucitine. As for the original Venex, as a soul entity, smelling the rich aroma was fine—Fia didn’t plan to eat right there; that would be too cruel. She’d just let Lucitine enjoy it while she fulfilled her promise, talking more with the original Venex.

Interestingly, just as Fia sat down, Lucitine beside her muttered quietly.

“Tch. Why don’t you spend more time with me?”

“I promised her beforehand. Besides, soon I’ll be going with Claire to Dragonfall. Then there won’t be a chance to pump her for information.”

“Hmm? You’re leaving the World Tree continent?”

Quite shocked, Lucitine sat up straight. Her pink pupils instantly shrank, and her hands instinctively reached forward as if to grab Fia.

Fia shrugged, sitting casually by the table.

“Can’t be helped. The wedding is two months away. Before that, I need to resolve Claire’s curse. Even if I can’t resolve it, I need to accompany Claire back to her birthplace. Don’t worry too much, Lucitine. I’ll be back soon.”

“Wedding… Is Anastasia and Nola included?”

Repeatedly chewing on this word, Lucitine, also seated at the table, frowned in thought. For some reason, Fia had a feeling Lucitine was scheming something.

“More or less. Why?”

“Nothing. Well, you talk to this one. I’m going to chat with the other mes.”

Don’t you share memories with them?

Fia wanted to ask Lucitine this, but Lucitine had already risen and walked among the other Venexes, her elegantly queenly face covered with solemnity and determination.

What was she up to…

Unable to understand Lucitine’s thoughts, Fia’s attention was completely drawn away by the original Venex—the original Venex poured pale yellow juice into a goblet, then deliberately placed the cup against her rather luxurious chest, leaning toward Fia while propping her head with one hand, charmingly asking if Fia wanted to drink first. Though the original Venex was just a pure white soul entity, without fragrance or healthy color, her seductive voice alone still surpassed the vast majority of women.

If it were Claire or Anastasia, she’d surrender instantly. But the original Venex? She had no interest in her.

Facing the straw the original Venex produced from somewhere and offered, Fia took it and inserted it into her own glass, leaving the original Venex, who had been holding her goblet in anticipation, frozen in place.