Volume 4, Chapter 5-3 – Come Love Me, Mom

The abilities of a Book Demon sounded… strangely familiar.

Stella instinctively touched the inside of her clothes.

Hidden there was a lousy book whose head was filled with nothing but overthrowing the Holy City, constantly plotting how to command the armies of the Abyss and fight their way back to the surface.

The Primordial Doctrine.

That book also constantly updated its contents, recording her actions and choices. It would even actively speak to her, attempting to guide her behavior.

Stella’s expression gradually became strange.

‘No way, right?’

‘Could the fragment of the Church that the Inquisitor had specifically instructed me to obtain, the Primordial Doctrine that required the faith of believers to unseal, actually be a Book Demon too?!’

Stella recalled how the Primordial Doctrine fervently urged her to attack the Holy City every single day, along with its encyclopedic knowledge.

If the Primordial Doctrine was alive…

If it had its own consciousness…

If it was also a Book Demon…

Then why exactly did it spend all seven Watches every day urging her to rebel whenever it got the chance, egging her on to attack the Holy City and pushing her to unify the Abyss?

Stella shuddered.

Remedios was the heir of Faust and wanted to conquer the Abyss.

The Primordial Doctrine spent all day urging her to attack the Holy City.

These two books couldn’t be working together, could they?

And Stella had been completely kept in the dark.

She felt like she had somehow become last place among a group of idiots.

Or perhaps first place.

—————

Remedios glanced at the brass wall clock.

The bell chimed steadily as its hand slowly moved across the time markings representing the Seven Electors.

Although it was currently the Fifth Watch, the Sixth Watch, which was most suitable for assassination and punishment, was rapidly approaching.

After that would come Belphegor’s Seventh Watch, when Nightmare abilities were at their strongest.

The demons of the Abyss liked doing the most suitable things during the most suitable Watch.

“Stella, you’d better leave soon,” Remedios said as she withdrew her gaze, her tone becoming solemn. “The Sixth Watch is about to begin. As the period ruled by Bathory, who represents Commandment and Punishment, it’s also the most suitable time for assassination in the entire Abyss.”

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“Your actions tonight were simply too conspicuous. There’s a very high chance that the contestants from the other Electors will make a move against you during the Sixth Watch and eliminate you in advance. Although Valentine’s Blood Thorn Guards specialize in direct confrontation and will definitely protect you, they’ll probably struggle against schemes coming from every direction.”

“Normally, I might suggest asking the Principal or Vice Principal for help, but this is a competition between the Abyssal Electors after all. They can’t openly protect their own student either. Otherwise, they’d offend far too many people.”

“I understand.” Stella nodded.

She truly had not expected the trouble she had caused to become this serious, but by now she was already accustomed to the great storms of the Abyss.

Nothing serious.

All minor problems.

“In that case, I should leave first,” Remedios said. “I need to prepare for the first tournament riddle that’ll be announced tomorrow. If you don’t know how to solve it, you can come find me.”

She smiled faintly.

“After all, the Chalice of Sin is a magical artifact created by us Fausts. When it comes to playing games with riddles, you could say I’m something of an expert.”

After saying that, she gave a slight curtsy.

“See you later, Stella.”

Remedios soon blended into the dispersing demon nobles and dignitaries before walking out through the carved doors.

—————

Stella touched the Primordial Doctrine hidden inside her clothes.

She really had learned quite a few interesting things today.

About Remedios.

About Book Demons.

Stella thought for a moment.

If the Primordial Doctrine really was like Remedios and was fundamentally a Book Demon…

Then why would a demon native to the Abyss give itself such an overwhelmingly sacred-sounding name as the Primordial Doctrine?

‘…Could it be to make it easier to fool me?’

Stella felt that although she was stupid, she wasn’t beyond saving.

Besides, this lousy book had absolutely nothing to do with the Church’s teachings about original sin.

If it was called the Primordial Doctrine, shouldn’t it at least explain what original sin actually was?

Instead, it spent every day acting like the leader of some pyramid scheme, planning grand strategies for her to attack the Holy City.

Stella recalled everything the Primordial Doctrine had done over the past few months.

Urging her to unify the Abyss.

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Urging her to attack the Holy City.

Urging her to go to the White Tower and eat Chastisement spirits.

Which one of those things had anything to do with holiness?

Yet that scheming Inquisitor had specifically instructed Stella to get her hands on this fragment of the Church when Stella had first arrived at Lilith School.

At the time, Stella had thought it was some sacred relic of the Church. Looking back now, it was completely and utterly a heretical book.

What exactly was Itheria trying to do?

Did she know what the Primordial Doctrine actually was?

Stella needed to find some time to write the Inquisitor a letter.

On one hand, she needed to maintain the routine communication expected of a spy. On the other, she absolutely had to probe into the true nature of this lousy book.

But for now, staying alive came first.

Stella quickly walked out of the reception hall.

Remedios’s warning was right. If Stella was still staying at Lilith School once Bathory’s Sixth Watch, the most suitable period for assassination, arrived, then her private dormitory would probably be hosting one hell of an all-star party.

Blood Demon Manor it was.

Stella made up her mind.

But before going there, she needed to bring Lainia along.

After all, she had only just decided to make her the gatekeeper. She at least needed to deliver the employee to her post.

The problem was, where was Lainia right now?

All Stella knew was that she was training with Blackthorn Guard Captain Riko. She had absolutely no idea where exactly they were training.

Stella directly pulled out the Marauder’s Map.

Ink began to move, outlining the school and the various people moving through it.

When it came to finding someone, the Marauder’s Map was obviously reliable.

Except…

Stella’s gaze landed on the ink dot representing herself.

Centered around her dot, a dense cluster of tiny black dots was scattered nearby.

Three Belphegor Nightmare Maintainers.

Six Samael dragon attendants.

Three Bathory Commandment Arbiters.

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Eight Valentine Blood Thorn Guards.

Two Asmodeus Revelry Envoys.

Two Mammon Tax Officers.

Every single one of them was at least a higher demon.

“…?”

Stella raised her eyes and looked at the empty corridor.

Then she lowered her gaze again and stared at the dense ring of black dots on the map.

What was going on?

There was… an entire crowd of demons following right behind her?

She could understand Belphegor’s Nightmare Maintainers. Franleya had probably sent them. Perhaps they had no malicious intent and were only secretly keeping watch on her.

She understood Valentine’s Blood Thorn Guards too. No matter how unreliable Vivian was, she would still send people to protect her heir.

But the rest of them…

What were the Samael dragon attendants here for?

To help Veronica steal herself a mom?

What were Bathory’s Commandment Arbiters, a bunch of law enforcers, doing joining in on the fun?

As for Asmodeus’s Revelry Envoys, demons of lust and revelry, they probably didn’t have good intentions either.

And then there were Mammon’s greedy Tax Officers…

Wait.

What were Tax Officers doing here?

Collecting taxes?

The corner of Stella’s mouth twitched.

Was she… really going to get a good night’s sleep tonight?

No.

There was no chance of that happening.

Stella instinctively glanced at the palm of her left hand, where a dim glow had begun to emanate.

The Chastisement Brand.

…That thing was still there.

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Stella distinctly remembered that the Chastisement Brand normally struck while its host was asleep.

After all, while awake, the host might flee, resist, or call for help.

Only while asleep were they at their most vulnerable.

The Chastisement Brand possessed spirituality. The moment it judged the host’s condition suitable for an attack, it would immediately send spatial coordinates to the Church’s White Tower.

Then a Chastisement spirit would teleport across realms to carry out the hunt, pursuing its target until death.

Stella lowered her hand.

She looked at the huge group of demon assassins on the map waiting to claim first blood on her, then looked at the death warrant in her palm, ready to summon a Holy Light hound the moment it got the chance.

Outside, assassin squads sent by the Electors were camping her.

Inside, the Church’s Chastisement spirit was waiting for her to close her eyes.

‘Could it be…’

‘I have to eat another colleague again?’

Author Note

I noticed someone asking whether the protagonist has any fellow spies in the Abyss, so I’ll answer that briefly here.

’Spoiler

Yes, there are some, but the story hasn’t reached the point where they appear yet. The commotion the protagonist has caused still isn’t big enough or evil enough. Once things reach roughly that stage, they’ll appear as an introduction to the Church storyline.

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Translator Note

Whoa if Primordial Doctrine is really a Book Demon, then that’s really unexpected plot twist xD

Itheria is really sus

Could it be Itheria is actually a demon too? Or maybe a human who joined hands with a demon maybe?