Avira’s approach was simple.
—Of course, it was refusal.
“Just pretend you never saw this letter. Don’t send any reply.”
“But won’t that be a bit heartless? The Blood Clan is part of the Demon Race too. If the Blood Clan is wiped out, it would be like losing a neighbor’s wall for protection.” Oleniya analyzed.
“Belis must be thinking the same thing.”
Avira’s smile gave her a sense of complete confidence.
“Don’t worry. I know about the conflict between Pomistan and the Blood Clan. You have to trust Belis.”
“Trust…?”
“Yeah, you have to believe that she’ll unleash her potential in her moment of despair.”
Avira’s words shocked even Oleniya. For a moment, she felt like she was in a casino, with Avira as the gambling god seated at the center of the table.
“As for whether the Blood Clan falls or not, that’s Belis’s problem.”
Pomistan was a country that had sealed itself off from the world decades ago. They believed they possessed more advanced technology and metallurgy, and they didn’t want others to master it.
In fact, that was true. It was as if they understood the essence of “RPG games,” training large-scale units of “Savassen Guards” as their main fighting force, and every Savassen Guard was extremely troublesome.
Before the time reversal, the Blood Clan had faced that squad of just a few dozen and arrogantly boasted that they could take Savassen in a few days. Instead, they were turned against and the entire race was wiped out. Later, Pomistan turned Belis into an energy core, using her continuously as fuel to power their armor.
So, every time Avira heard Belis’s name, she viewed her as a corpse.
Of course, Belis herself was a very powerful queen, but unfortunately, the plot treated her as mere background, a tragic figure existing only to highlight Pomistan’s profundity and strength.
That was why Avira had sent Lilina to Blood Clan Territory.
It might be an experience worse than death.
During their conversation, the maid Molly brought some snacks from the kitchen and placed them on the table, looking at Avira and Ophitia with expectant eyes.
Avira had thought she was about to report something, but instead Molly said:
“I’ve prepared some drinks for you. I can bring them over anytime if you want.”
“Ah, whatever.”
“What does ‘whatever’ mean?”
Molly stepped forward. “Lady Avira, those drinks use Emerald Jade Fruit. It’s good for children.”
“Hm…?” Avira suddenly widened her eyes. “Bring some over to see~”
It was quite amusing.
Although Molly was normally not allowed near the upper floors of the Royal Palace starting from the second level, Oleniya often gave her “backdoor access” to sneak in. It seemed this Great Sage had suddenly developed an interest in alchemy and food preparation. After being caught a few times by Avira and the Demon King without punishment—instead being casually overlooked—it had become a tacit understanding.
“Molly, you didn’t add anything weird in there, did you?” Ophitia questioned. After all, last time this girl had wanted to experiment on Oleniya.
“Of course I did~” Molly’s smile showed no embarrassment; she even seemed righteous about it.
“…”
“Then get out on your own.”
“Got it.”
—
Before the sun set, Avira happened to glance out the corridor window and saw someone standing outside the Royal Palace.
As the sun dipped westward, that Evil Demon girl’s figure looked exceptionally frail. She seemed to have waited quite a long time, frequently glancing at the nearby clock tower.
“Ophitia, how long has Berika been waiting outside?”
Ophitia laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve been with you all day, hehe…”
She touched her chin. “It looks like she has something to discuss with you. Want me to take you down?”
Avira nodded.
Normal walking was fine; the most nerve-wracking part was still “going down stairs.”
Ophitia feared Avira might slip and fall. Whether she was worried about the child, herself, or simply didn’t want to disappoint her, who could say.
This wasn’t bad at all.
As they exited the Royal Palace, Berika’s eyes immediately locked onto Avira and the Demon King. She knelt straight down… For the Demon Race, where symbolism outweighed formality, kneeling upon meeting was relatively rare.
She had something to request from the Demon King.
“Lady Demon King, Lady Avira, good afternoon.”
“How long have you been waiting here?” Ophitia asked.
“Only seven hours…”
Only seven hours?!
“Lady Lace told me you were very busy, so I thought, every time Lace goes out, I’ll ask her.”
Avira was amused:
“Stand up and tell us what’s going on. I probably know what you want to say. It’s about Lilina, right?”
After expressing concern for Avira’s well-being, Berika quickly got to the point:
“Lady Avira, I want to ask you something about Lilina.”
“If I can answer, I will.”
“…”
Berika opened her mouth but said nothing, even though those words had been brewing in her mind for a long time.
Avira roughly knew what Berika wanted to say.
For example, that Lilina was actually innocent, or that Lilina had been influenced by something to turn bad.
Berika was actually a quite pitiful Evil Demon. She wasn’t good at getting along with others, and her relationships with subordinates stayed superficial. This was something Avira learned later.
So, while Berika was still hesitating, Avira took the initiative:
“What’s your relationship with Lilina?”
“I…”
Berika finally raised her head. “I grew up with her as a child. I know her.”
“Lilina’s mother died very early, and she lived with her father. That’s when I met her… I’m sorry, Lady Demon King, Lady Avira. Even so, I don’t know why she would betray the Demon Race in this situation.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Ophitia smiled.
“Thank you, Lady Demon King… Actually, I came here also to thank Lady Avira for letting me meet excellent Evil Demons like Celine and Atia. And I wanted to ask about Lilina’s situation. At least I want to know her outcome, so it can finally be settled.”
Seeing her finally speak her mind, Avira felt somewhat gratified.
In short, she had a good relationship with Lilina and was trying her best to put in a good word.
However, Avira believed there was no room for redemption in this matter.
Those who made mistakes had to accept punishment.
Avira shook her head and smiled terrifyingly. “She’s not dead yet, Berika. No matter who it is, as long as they’re a threat to the Demon King, I’ll deal with them one by one.”
