Chapter 63 - Penelope

What entered their sight was different from an ordinary prison.

An ordinary prison would have areas divided by iron bars.

Instead, coffin-like incubators were propped up at an angle, with one person trapped inside each.

It wasn't just humans who were trapped.

Orcs, elves, goblins, and even rare, hard-to-find races were all lying quietly without a drop of color in their faces.

A knight observing them realized one fact.

"These people are all alive. They're all still breathing."

"Let's rescue them quickly!"

Seeing them about to open an incubator, Zed blocked their way.

"What rescue? The only thing we have to rescue is a single Demon."

"Are we supposed to just watch innocent people die? That goes against chivalry!"

"Can you still call yourself a knight, Sir Zed?"

Zed looked at them with a pathetic expression and spoke.

"It's either slowly dying in the blizzard, or blowing up and croaking. The latter is at least better. I'm going to go find that Demon bastard."

As he was about to leave the room, Zed added something.

"And I only got my position through connections."

Do not offer useless sympathy.

They had no choice but to admit that Zed was right.

They each left with a sense of guilt, but Zed harbored no such personal feelings.

They searched the rooms with incubators one by one like that.

However, rendering such close observation pointless, they were immediately able to pinpoint their target.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Waaah! Let me go! I said let me go! What did I even do wrong to be locked up in a place like this!"

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

A woman's voice, throwing a loud tantrum, echoed fiercely down the hallway.

"Doesn't it seem like that's the one?"

"I really want to pray that it's not."

They headed toward the source of the noise and found an incubator shaking violently.

"Open this!! I said open it right nooow! Are you doing this because you don't know who I am? I'm Penelope, daughter of the Great Demon Sitri!"

"Hah, shit, it is her."

Even though they had achieved their objective, their faces showed displeasure.

Thus, the three knights opened the incubator door with bitter expressions.

The Demon, who had been causing a ruckus by thumping on the door, panicked.

"What, you actually opened it? Wait, time out! Time out! Waaah! Please don't hit me! I'll be quiet this time! Really, I swear this time... Huh? What the? You aren't the guards?"

Opening her eyes stealthily, Penelope watched the men surrounding her.

"Are you—"

"Where are the real guards? Who are you people? Are you here to kill me?"

"Are you Penel—"

"Wait a second! I didn't do anything! I have nothing to do with those bastards! Spare m— Urgh!"

Zed clamped a hand over Penelope's mouth.

The noise that had filled the incubator room died instantly.

"From now on, you are only allowed to answer yes or no. If it's yes, nod your head, and if it's no, shake it, got it?"

"Mmph, mmph."

"I said shut your mouth, you bitch."

"..."

Penelope became quiet when he thrust a sword at her.

She nodded her head.

"Is your name Penelope?"

Nod, nod.

"Are you sure?"

Nod, nod.

"We made a deal with your mother, the Great Demon Sitri. We infiltrated this facility on the condition of getting you out of here. Follow us quietly."

"Mmph, mmph?!"

"Ah, ah, I said only yes or no."

"Mmm-mmph! Mmph, mmph!"

"She's resisting far too fiercely, isn't she?"

"Doesn't it seem like she has something to say?"

"Is that so? Hey, pink hair. I'll let you go for just a second. Answer concisely within three seconds."

With that warning, Zed removed his hand from her mouth.

"WaitasecondpleasejustlistentowhatIhavetosaythethingisthereasonIwascaughtinherewasn'tbecauseIwascaughtbutactuallyitis—mmphmmph!!"

"It was just useless nonsense. Let's gag her and take her."

"Let's do that."

The woman, who had been spitting words like rapid fire, ultimately couldn't say another word and was lifted up, tied as she was.

In the process, she was hit once by a knight for struggling too much and fainted.

* * *

While walking through the blizzard.

Ferda felt a strange air current above his head.

It wasn't simply his imagination.

Concillus, who was walking in the lead, looked back and asked.

"Did you just feel that?"

"Ah, I felt it."

"What did you feel?"

Marco, who was struggling just to walk, didn't even have the energy to pay attention to his surroundings.

"A wind other than the wind."

"A wind other than the wind?"

"It's the Silver Dragon spawns. They are searching for intruders on this mountain."

Marco, whose complexion was already pale, turned even bluer.

"Then aren't we in huge trouble?"

"Not necessarily. The fact that they passed over our heads means they haven't found us yet."

It was something that bothered him.

Because if a force equivalent to two knights dropped down from the sky like meteors right now, they would be hopeless.

"I will pick up the pace."

Ferda moved along the path that Concillus had carved out.

A moment later, a black image drew closer within the white field of vision.

They had returned to the cave they had come out of.

Six people, including Zed, were waiting there.

"You've arrived?"

"The target?"

"We brought her."

Zed lightly kicked the fainted pink-haired girl next to him.

Pink hair and white skin.

Unbefitting a Demon, she was glowing with a white-jade hue.

However, her ram-like horns, black eyes, bat wings, and long spade tail proved that she was, in name and reality, a Demon.

"That ended quickly."

"The research wing was empty. There was no one there. Going alone would have been enough for me. What about the living quarters?"

"There were no major hurdles. It seems there's nothing unusual on either side. Let's head back."

After confirming that everyone had completed their respective missions, they began to step onto the gate.

Ferda thought about the situation.

'It ended easily.'

The remaining time was now about three minutes.

It was just the right amount of time to finish up and return.

It wasn't pressing, but it wasn't exactly leisurely either—it was an appropriate amount of time.

As if everything had been calculated.

'It worked out too well.'

The balance of the deal fell perfectly into place.

It was a bizarre occurrence.

Because Demons only make deals that are advantageous to themselves.

"We must move quickly."

The mage guarding the gate spoke.

"What is it?"

"The Silver Dragon spawns that were roaming overhead are approaching this way."

"They're coming this way?"

"Yes. It seems they've noticed us."

"Quickly, erase the tracks! Erase the tracks and escape from here immediately!"

They could not let it be discovered that people from Grand Duchess Valdrova's territory had come here.

They busily began to erase their traces with the tools they had brought.

The remaining time was a mere two minutes.

Ferda thought.

Within this remaining time, he had to figure out the reason for his unease.

"Nnngh... Nnn?"

Penelope woke up, looking around.

Then, upon seeing Zed's face, she glared with wide eyes.

"Mmmph! Mmm-mmph!"

"Hold still. I'll make you comfortable."

"Mmph! Mmph-mmph!!"

When Zed raised his dagger, Penelope shook her head desperately.

With tears and snot streaming down her face, that sight unmistakably signified fear.

Ferda felt a sense of doubt at that sight.

"Wait."

Zed's dagger stopped.

"What is it?"

"Take the gag off. I need to hear what she has to say."

"There shouldn't be anything worth hearing..."

Saying that, Zed took off the gag.

"Mmph, puha! Thank you. No, more importantly, I have to add onto what I said earlier! I—"

"Shut up. I will decide what you talk about. Otherwise, I will slit your throat."

"Hiiiik! Please don't do that! Don't kill me! I'll answer anything! Yes!"

"That's it."

Ferda gestured with his chin as he looked at Penelope.

"Why are you afraid of dying?"

"I-Is there any being that isn't afraid of dying?"

"Demons who die on the Serdes Continent are merely reverse-summoned back to Hell, aren't they? It would be painful for a moment, but to you people, it's nothing more than returning home. Is that not so?"

"T-That is true, but my situation is a little different! If I go back, I'll really die!"

Penelope shouted as if having a seizure.

"What does that mean?"

"It means my mother wants my death rather than my rescue! I can't go back to Hell!"

Penelope weeping and struggling, begging them to spare her.

"Then tell me why she's trying to kill you."

"Because I... that is..."

Penelope chose her words carefully.

"Don't try to get clever. Tell the truth."

"No, I can't tell the truth about this! Because I shouldn't tell the truth! Waaah! I'm going crazy from the frustration! Why is my brain so stupid!?"

Something she couldn't tell the truth about.

She knew about it, but it was something she must never reveal.

And the Great Demon, Sitri, was trying to kill her.

What did all of that point to?

Ferda thought.

It was definitely a problem with an answer.

A story he might have heard once before.

A story he would have brushed off as idle chatter.

But upon thinking about it, a truly important story.

Do not make deals with Demons.

"Right."

In that moment, a flash of insight entered Ferda's mind.

Ferda looked down at her and muttered.

"It was you."

"Regent!"

Zed shouted at the top of his lungs.

He was standing with one foot on the gate as the last to enter.

"You must come quickly! There's not much time left! How many minutes? They say it's thirty seconds!"

He urged Ferda after watching the conversation between him and Penelope.

Having made his final judgment, Ferda rose from his spot.

"Sir Zed."

"Yes?"

"I'll leave these burdens to you."

"What? What do you..."

Ferda threw his bag at Zed.

"Whoa?"

Zed caught the suddenly thrown bag.

He succeeded in catching it with his excellent reflexes.

However, another object soon came flying toward Zed.

It was a mass of pink hair.

"Ukkyaaaak!?"

"Keuhk!"

It collided with Zed's body, pushing him straight into the gate.

What had pushed Zed was none other than Penelope's body.

Holding her, Zed's eyes went wide.

This Bending Bridge could only allow eight people to escape.

"Regen—"

The dimensional gate closed.

Zed's shout was cut off.

Ferda was the only one left behind in the cold mountains.

If he were truly left alone, it wouldn't be a big problem.

Because he would only need to wait for rescue.

However, things would not flow according to Ferda's expectations.

It's coming.

That bastard.

At that moment, surprisingly, the sound of the raging blizzard began to fade away.

What could be heard instead was the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow.

Soon, a figure pierced through the pure white blizzard.

Even on a night without a single ray of moonlight, his appearance could be felt clearly.

"Oh? This is a truly unexpected situation."

Silver hair, sharp horns, and silver eyes.

Undoubtedly, a Silver Dragon spawn.

It was definitely the bastard that had been circling above his head.

"I clearly heard there would be a rat here... but it looks like a different rat is here?"

He snickered.

Like a cat looking at a rat trapped in a jar.

"Nice to meet you, Regent of Valdrova."

* * *

Returning to Valdrova Castle, Luri immediately started cleaning.

She had neglected it for a whopping twenty days.

She had left the basic cleaning to the spirits, but without supervision, they wouldn't work hard.

That was why she was cleaning late at night.

"Are you done cleaning?"

-Kkyuung.

"Good work. You may return now."

-Kkyuung!

The spirits were excited at the prospect of finishing work.

The spirits who had been helping Luri clean were reverse-summoned.

Before long, she was left alone in the room.

Luri looked around the room she had cleaned.

It was the bedroom.

To be exact, it was the place where Valdrova and Ferda would share a bed after their wedding.

Since they were merely engaged right now, that was still a long way off.

However, Luri did not slack off.

Luri was a maid.

A maid's duty was to adjust and perfect the environment surrounding their master.

To create such an environment, it was only possible if more than fifty servants were in residence.

If one wanted perfection, it was only possible with a hundred servants.

However, there were no servants in this castle other than Luri.

Yet, it was enough.

Unlike weak human maids, she was a dragon spawn.

Among the Silver Dragon spawns, she was one of the top fighters you could count on one hand.

Her abilities made it possible to make this castle perfect.

Even after decades, it maintained its neatness without any major renovations.

'That is what I can do.'

Maintaining perfection.

Being perfect meant being within expectations.

Being within expectations meant being able to be controlled.

There was no element in this castle she could not control.

Her life formed a perfect circle.

'Ferda...'

At least, until he appeared.

'Ferda Rosnova.'

When she first met Ferda, he was a weak human.

In appearance alone, he was merely a greenhorn noble slightly older than her.

One of those third-rate humans with nothing to be expected of them.

'But he wasn't.'

Ferda was different from expectations.

If one were to ask if he was the complete opposite of expectations, that wasn't it either.

He was utterly unpredictable.

He acted arrogantly, but could always be seen taking responsibility.

He seemed like an emotionless psychopath, but when he stood before Valdrova, he looked like a naive boy.

Unbecoming of his age, yet fitting for his age.

Impossible to define even if one tried to define him.

An incomplete entity.

'A variable...'

Right.

What was ruining this calm flow right now was also because of that variable.

Luri hated variables.

Things she could not control made her powerless.

She hated being powerless.

So he had to be excluded.

However, Ferda could not be excluded.

Because he was Valdrova's fiancé.

And so, everything began to change, to the point of creating uncontrollable situations.

'It wasn't a bad thing.'

It meant good changes.

The stagnant territory began to develop, and Ferda was gradually solidifying his recognition and reputation.

He was changing everything while unhesitatingly carrying out tasks that Luri would never have done.

The feelings she had regarding those surprising achievements were subtle.

Luri already knew what that feeling was.

'Impatience.'

Compared to that kid who had only lived eighteen years,

she had lived hundreds of years longer,

and had served hundreds of years longer.

Yet she feared that a single man would change everything in less than a year.

That he would take everything away.

That was why she had tried to meet with Silverwind.

Amidst everything changing, wouldn't they have changed as well?

And even if they hadn't changed, wouldn't there have been something I could do?

'There was nothing I could do.'

She was powerless.

In the situation, in strength—everything fell outside of her expectations.

'And... I...'

That taut fuse ended up catching fire.

By unnecessarily making contact with Silverwind,

she had unnecessarily caused Ferda to face Goz.

Of course, she might have been able to resolve the situation a bit more smoothly.

If Ferda hadn't spoken so roughly,

if he hadn't shown blatant hostility, things might have gone amicably.

Right.

It was Ferda who escalated the situation.

It would have been a comforting matter if she just blamed others like that, but Luri could not do so.

'If I hadn't stepped forward in the first place... none of that would have happened.'

The starting point of everything was Luri.

And yet, the words she had spat out were:

["Who... asked you for help?"]

CLENCH.

Strength went into her grip.

Things were awkward even now, but that awkwardness would last even longer.

How she should look at him from now on, and how she should face him.

Luri couldn't figure out what on earth she was supposed to do.

An uncontrollable variable.

Because it dug into even Luri's emotions, it was confusing.

In front of the blankly standing Luri, a wind wavered.

A wind spirit urgently manifested and stood by Luri's side.

-Kkyuung! Kkyuung!

The spirit was fluttering about in a panic.

Luri recognized that it was the spirit that had gone to monitor the situation at Count Concillus's castle.

"Speak."

The wind spirit reported in a panicked voice.

She tried to listen to the story calmly, but she couldn't dare to do so.

"Is that... true?"

The variable was constantly moving.