Volume 3, Chapter 14-4 – Imperial Expressway

“Stella!!!”

“I finally found you.”

When Stella reached the front entrance of Blood Demon Manor, the first thing she saw was a petite figure standing amid the dark-red mist like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her pale-golden eyes stared fixedly into Stella’s. Her cheeks were puffed up as well, making her look both adorable and furious.

Truthfully, Stella was suddenly a little afraid to speak.

“Do you remember what I told you?”

“I warned you again and again not to come to Nightmare Street.” Gehenna stopped in front of Stella. “And what do you do? I catch you red-handed.”

Stella instinctively took half a step back.

Gehenna stepped forward.

No.

Several steps forward.

She went straight up on tiptoe, pinched Stella’s cheek, and pulled hard.

“Mmgh—!”

Stella cried out in pain.

“If I hadn’t happened to notice that Lavinia, the Nexus Council’s watcher, had disappeared, finally freeing me from that annoying pest’s surveillance, and thought I finally had time to properly teach this troublesome disciple of mine…”

Gehenna tugged on Stella’s cheek as she spoke through gritted teeth.

“I wouldn’t even have known you’d run off!”

“Mm… mmgh…” Stella mumbled an indistinct defense. “I was wrong… there won’t be a next time…”

“There’s going to be a next time?!”

Gehenna eased up slightly.

“I frantically searched the entire school and couldn’t find you anywhere! I asked the gatekeepers too, and they said they hadn’t seen you leave! If I hadn’t suddenly remembered that I’d left a tracking beacon on your cheek, I never would’ve guessed that just to take over some broken-down house, you’d risk being discovered by Aetlana and run all the way to Nightmare Street!”

Gehenna finally let go.

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and resume breathing normally. No one knew that not long ago, she’d nearly stopped breathing altogether.

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Stella rubbed her cheek.

That tracking beacon Gehenna had left on her in the Principal’s office last time was still there?

Why did Gehenna put something practically equivalent to a tracking device on a student’s face?

Wasn’t this a serious violation of student privacy?!

She guarded against Stella like she was guarding against a criminal. Was that really necessary?

Besides, Stella had only come to Nightmare Street to fish Cheryl out of trouble. Although a tiny little incident had happened afterward…

As for what that incident was…

‘Forget it.’

‘Better not say.’

If she did, Gehenna wouldn’t stop at pinching her cheek.

“Forget it. I suppose you were lucky today and didn’t run into anything unfortunate.” Gehenna’s voice softened. “But Lavinia has gone missing. Someone said the last place she appeared was Nightmare Street. I don’t know why, but I keep getting this feeling that you had something to do with it. Though when I think about it, that’s impossible.”

“…” Stella did not dare speak.

Lavinia’s essence was literally inside Blood Shadow’s stomach right now, wasn’t it?

Don’t ask. If anyone asked, her status was simply unknown.

“I think she was probably killed by the Bone Dragon,” Gehenna said. “If that’s really what happened, the Nexus Council will probably be furious. Fortunately, she disappeared on Nightmare Street rather than at Lilith School, so they can’t pin the blame on us. But the Samael family definitely won’t let this go. Lavinia was one of theirs. If she died outside, they’ll investigate no matter what.”

Gehenna folded her arms across her chest and looked Stella up and down several times.

“Tell me. In the short time you’ve been gone, you didn’t overestimate yourself and go make contact with Aetlana, and you didn’t cause yourself any trouble, right?”

Stella felt a little guilty and had no idea what she should say.

She hadn’t overestimated herself and made contact with Aetlana?

She hadn’t merely made contact with her. At one point, the two of them had practically been pressed against each other, and Stella had even gifted Aetlana her own dark history as a farewell present.

She hadn’t caused Gehenna any trouble?

Stella thought about it.

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The trouble really wasn’t that serious.

All she’d done was crawl under Young Miss Belphegor’s suite bed, then play a little forced-submission game with her afterward.

Then, while she was at it, she and Aetlana killed two Samael dragon attendants together.

Stella herself had also used the Laxia Ritual to devour Lavinia, Lilith School’s new faculty member, on the spot.

Afterward, she still hadn’t been full, so she ate a group of Holy See colleagues who had traveled all that way to see her.

Finally, she’d rushed straight to Blood Demon Manor and established the 【Imperial Expressway】 strategy as the first step toward conquering the Abyss.

‘…Small matters. All small matters.’

Alright, who was she kidding?

Each one was more outrageous than the last. This had already gone far beyond what could be explained by a young person’s abundant energy. More importantly, every bizarre thing she had done had happened within the span of just a few watches.

Stella knew perfectly well that she was good at causing trouble, but now that she carefully sorted through everything, she immediately realized that she really had gone a little too far. If Principal Gehenna found out, she would absolutely break Stella’s legs on the spot.

But Stella remembered that Principal Gehenna was basically a walking lie detector. Lying was completely useless.

What was there to be afraid of? It wasn’t like this was the first or second time she’d caused trouble. Things always worked themselves out in the end anyway. When it came to bluffing her way through trouble, she was number one under heaven!

“Mm…”

Stella shook her head.

Then immediately nodded.

“…What does that mean?” Gehenna tilted her head, not quite understanding what Stella was trying to say.

Gehenna stared into Stella’s eyes for several seconds.

Shaking her head meant she hadn’t made contact?

And nodding meant she probably hadn’t caused any trouble either?

“Forget it. As long as you’re completely unharmed, I think we can leave this matter here.” Gehenna waved a hand, then abruptly changed the subject. “Someone received a report that the Bone Dragon has left Nightmare Street. You’re safe for now. I’m lifting your curfew.”

Stella froze.

‘The Bone Dragon… had left?’

‘Aetlana is gone?’

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She had really left.

‘In that case, all of my troubles have finally come to an end, right?’

Stella thought it over.

Young Miss Belphegor probably wouldn’t come after her. The Chastisement spirits wouldn’t come bother her again anytime soon. Gehenna had helpfully pinned Lavinia’s disappearance on Aetlana, so even if the Samael family investigated, they would investigate Aetlana and wouldn’t trace it back to Stella. As for Blood Demon Manor, Remedios and the others could keep themselves busy with it.

All Stella needed to do was go back, get some sleep, and then continue her great career as a spy…

“However,” Gehenna’s voice interrupted Stella’s thoughts, “I didn’t come looking for you just because of this.”

“What else is there?” Stella instinctively asked.

“Stella, have you read today’s newly published Prophet Weekly?” Gehenna asked. “The Nexus Council has already decided to hold the Abyss Supremacy Tournament.”

“…The Abyss Supremacy Tournament?” Stella blinked. “Does that have anything to do with me?”

“Of course it does.”

Gehenna nodded.

“When the round table cannot reach a consensus, blood shall decide the truth.” Gehenna’s voice turned solemn. “Each of the Seven Elector families will choose one direct heir and cast their true name into the Chalice of Sin burning with azure flame. Once the contract is formed, this will no longer be an ordinary competition, but a ruleless survival trial spanning the Abyss. There is no stopping just because someone has had enough. Only the sole victor may raise the trophy at the finish.”

Gehenna paused.

“The winner will receive the powers of the Regent, while the losers will naturally receive nothing.”

“And you.” Gehenna stared directly into Stella’s eyes. “As the Valentine heir, you are naturally already an unquestioned participant.”

“You’ll have to compete, cooperate, or kill your way through the heirs of the other families. Faust, Mammon, Samael, Bathory, Belphegor, Asmodeus…”

“Victory and defeat have yet to be decided. If you want any chance of winning, you need the will of a victor.”

“While there’s still time, I need to have a proper discussion with you.” Gehenna walked toward Blood Demon Manor’s entrance. “Now, tidy yourself up and get ready to come back to school with me.”

Stella stood frozen for a long time.

The Seven Electors, each choosing one direct heir, a ruleless survival trial, one sole victor, and everyone else left with nothing.

She suddenly remembered that line from Vivian’s letter.

—Be prepared. If necessary in the future, I may need you to make a tiny little… sacrifice.

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‘This is the so-called “tiny little sacrifice”?’

‘Had anyone asked for my opinion?!’

‘Please, I’d only just sat down in the chair at Blood Demon Manor less than one Watch ago!’

Stella briefly sorted out her current situation.

She was a genuine human Saintess, yet had to pretend to be the Pale Daughter of the Abyss.

Her left hand bore the Holy See White Tower’s highest-level wanted brand.

The club members under her were eagerly preparing to construct the Imperial Expressway, with the intention of conquering the Abyss and breaking into the surface world.

And now she had to represent an Elector family and participate in an Abyss-wide battle royale?

Was this some kind of joke?!

‘Lord, how about You just send down a bolt of lightning and strike me straight back home?’

Author Note

Volume 3 should pretty much end around here.

We’re getting ready to enter the next volume.

Come to think of it, I quite like the volume-based format.

One large volume can complete the setup, development, twists, and resolution of many smaller stories, then tie them all together through one overarching conflict.

Translator Note

That’s the end of Volume 3: Daughter of Ashes!!