Chapter 352: Blood Alliance

It began in the middle of the night, after I had returned from the Divine Event.

In keeping with my promise to her, I summoned Mia to my room in the Celestial Palace so that we could enjoy cuddling for a few hours before going to sleep.

We had just hopped into bed, caressing each other’s hair and sharing a few light kisses when Mia’s ears perked up at the sound of footsteps behind the door.

Without wasting a breath, she pushed me away.

No matter how much I resisted, I wasn’t strong enough to keep hugging her, but making her blush was enough to satisfy me.

Before she could catch her breath, someone began knocking on the door.

The knock was brief. It sounded almost shy, interrupting the silence.

Mia got up before me and told me to wait as she slowly made her way to the door.

Despite the palpable hesitation in their first knock, the person behind the door knocked again. This time, the sound echoed twice.

Their impatience made Mia frown, and she let out a long sigh before opening the door. Through the slit, I recognized the pale skin and striking red hair of Earth’s voyeuristic vampire goddess.

Catherine: "Forgive my intrusion, and I’m sorry if I’m interrupting..."

Neither emerging from the shadows nor surrounded by blood puddles at her feet, her entrance stood in stark contrast to her first nightly visit.

She even bowed her head instead of acting haughty, making me wonder if she truly was the same Catherine from last time.

Miwen: "Are you really sorry? Or were you hoping to catch us in the middle of something naughty like last time’s?"

Her expression remained blank, but the awkward silence that settled in the room spoke for her.

Catherine: "My actions last time vex me beyond imagining..."

Closing her eyes, Catherine bowed her head again and waited for my response, her hands folded neatly one over the other in front of her.

I enjoyed the scene a little too much and prolonged it as long as I could, but unfortunately, Mia knew me too well and only let me have fun for a few seconds before pulling on my arm.

She had already told me what happened between Catherine and her during her hunt, and the annoyed expression she wore for me melted my will to tease Catherine any more.

Miwen: "Alright. Come in. And bring the cute maid behind you, too. We can have a little party~"

Stepping to the left, Nyxie revealed herself behind the wall next to the door.

Nyxie: "Not even in your dreams, pig!"

She shoved Catherine into the room and slammed the door, the impact shaking the ground.

As Catherine stumbled and fell into my arms, an unsatisfied Nyxie swiftly and forcefully reopened the door, only so I’d see her sticking out her tongue at me before once again slamming the door shut.

Meanwhile, I was surprised by how frigid Catherine’s skin was. I couldn’t feel any warmth in her body.

Now that I was looking so closely, she also seemed incredibly frail. Her skin offered almost no resistance, and pressing my thumb against her felt dangerously close to poking a thin, empty shell.

It was as if I could break her limbs or rip them off without intending to if I weren’t careful.

Catherine: "...Is this what’s required of me in order to earn your forgiveness?"

She remained completely still, neither offering herself nor resisting my touch.

I thought about sliding my hand down to see if I could change her poker face, but the moment the idea crossed my mind, Mia noticed the devious smile on my face. With her elbow, Mia bumped my side, clearing her throat loudly at the same time.

Miwen: "...Mia told me that you helped her."

Catherine nodded quietly. Meanwhile, I held her by the shoulders, keeping her only a single step away so I could see her eyes clearly.

Miwen: "I’ll hear you out, then."

Even though her eyebrows only rose a little, it was one of the strongest reactions I’d seen from her, and the honesty I saw behind her expectation brought a small smile to my face.

While I wasn’t sure why she thought I’d ask for her body in exchange for forgiveness, when I learned she had chosen to protect Mia, I decided she was my best bet for making an ally within the Gods’ ranks.

Besides, Cassandra had enjoyed the exhibition play, and I was only truly mad at the [Blood Magic] torture that Catherine had put her through. However, Cassandra ended up loving that so much that she begged me to do it to her too, so...

I was willing to let the past rest.

If she hadn’t come to apologize, I would have searched for a way to talk it out with her.

Though, of course, her requests were another matter...

Catherine: "I see... In that case..."

Since she wanted me to rest tonight, Catherine and I didn’t talk for too long.

For most of our discussion, she apologized for threatening me and promised that she wouldn’t offer power to Erik or any other Champion of Earth.

I appreciated the gesture and agreed to the small favor that she asked of me.

Once Catherine left the room, Mia and I returned to the bed to resume our peaceful cuddling.

It took me a few minutes and many kisses to get Mia in the same affectionate mood since she was worried, but after a while, we were hugging tight and rubbing lovingly against each other again.

The next day, while most Champions rested before the Third Phase of the Divine Event, I met up with a cool-beauty Goddess for a date.

Nyxie: "...You’re taking too long to eat. Can’t you do it faster?"

As if things couldn’t get any better, Catherine insisted on having the cute maid tag along on our date.

Each second I spent watching Nyxie miserably fail to pretend she wasn’t bothered to guide us already healed my soul a little, but...

Miwen: "I like eating with my eyes first, and with this feast, it’d be rude not to."

Nyxie’s eyes narrowed with so much disgust that they twitched.

I answered her with a friendly smile, and the maid hurriedly turned her back, crossing her arms as she stared away from us.

Miwen: "Oh? These snacks are actually pretty good..."

Nyxie didn’t just turn her head toward me; she snapped it.

With glee in her eyes, she threw both hands onto the table and leaned forward.

Nyxie: Of course! This is my Lord’s favorite bakery in the Third Plaza of the North Side district!"

While incredibly specific, I had to give her credit; Nyxie was a much better guide than Catherine, and thanks to her, our little date was actually pretty enjoyable.

From bustling places with lots to see to slightly hidden, out-of-the-way spots we could talk over snacks, Nyxie knew it all.

Her suggestions were pretty good, too.

Most of the places she took us to were in some way favorites of Asdrea, quieter and more discreet, yet great at what they offered.

Miwen: "Hm... If he likes it so much, shouldn’t a loyal maid like you buy him their entire stock?"

Nyxie shook her head, her eyes lingering on the floor for an instant.

Nyxie: "I was already reprimanded for doing that..."

After unconsciously mumbling under her breath, she gasped and narrowed her eyes at me.

Nyxie: "And you’re not going to get rid of me so easily. I’ll keep an eye on you today at all times."

I’d have loved to hear that any other day, but...

That would put a wrench in my plans with Catherine.

Catherine: "...Hm? Is there something in my face?"

Other than a blank, worryless expression, she only had a small breadcrumb on her face, which I decided was funnier not to comment on.

Instead, I leaned forward, hiding my mouth behind a hand so I could whisper in her ear.

Miwen: "Are you sure this is fine? I thought you wanted to talk in private?"

I glanced at Nyxie as she narrowed her eyes, almost as if she were looking at a bug.

Catherine: "...We can talk privately in your room. For now, I simply wish to learn more about you, the man who commands Elizabeth."

She stirred her mug, staring at her own reflection in the coffee.

So far, she had not sipped it or touched her bread.

Miwen: "Why are you so fixated on Elizabeth? Is she in danger?"

For the first time, I caught an unmistakable change in her expression: A small, dismissive smile.

If not for the slight huff that escaped her nose, I might’ve missed it, but looking carefully at Catherine, I almost felt a tinge of longing in her lips.

Nyxie: "My Lord has deemed your summons an extension of yourself. For now, I won’t let them be harmed outside of the Divine Event rules."

Her voice was so firm that, for a moment, I forgot she was such a cute, easily provoked maid.

Miwen: "Got it. In that case... if you wanna know about me, shouldn’t you start by talking about yourself first?"

Catherine seemed to agree, but Nyxie cut in before she could say a word.

Nyxie: "Incredible... Even the most degenerate vermin in His Majesty’s domain knows proper etiquette..."

I couldn’t provoke her with a witty reply. She seemed genuinely proud of what she’d realized.

Catherine: "I suppose you’re right..."

There was no question who Catherine meant to reply to, yet Nyxie was the one nodding in satisfaction.

Catherine: "I fear, however, that there isn’t much interesting about me. I have lived a long, yet uneventful life..."

Despite her words and neutral tone, her longing smile grew slightly.

While I knew she might be trying to appear reserved, I couldn’t help but find her smile oddly soothing. It felt like a happy memory breaking through the plaster layers that masked her.

Miwen: "Alright. Then how about you start with the whole Nameless thing? I still don’t get that."

As the smile on Catherine’s lips faded, strands of blood seemed to weave across her forearms.

Nyxie also went quiet for a second, and a grey fog formed around her fingers.

I could feel the pressure of the mana emanating from their bodies thicken.

Catherine: "Cassandra Novaes was... Half right."

Her hand trembled slightly, but unlike last time when Cassandra brought this up, Catherine held back from reacting aggressively.

Instead, she chose to take the smallest possible bite of the bread she’d gotten for herself.

Catherine: "Lords of vampire families in Hell had indeed adopted ’Catherine’ as a generic name for their familiars, but..."

I couldn’t tell whether the brief sourness Catherine’s face showed was a result of Nyxie’s watchful eye and her unwillingness to disrespect Asdrea’s tastes in front of the maid, her thoughts about the Nameless deal, or the bread’s taste.

Personally, I thought the bread was great.

Catherine: "I’m its originator."

Nyxie’s eyes shot open as she stared at Catherine in disbelief.

Though the almost nonexistent changes in her expression made it hard to know for sure, the vampire Goddess seemed ashamed, breathing heavily while keeping her eyes closed.

Catherine: "It’s a long story, but... One day, three other monsters and I woke up to consciousness in the Boss Room of our Dungeon. After a long Rampage, we descended the floors, and Christine, our boss... She led us out of the Dungeon."

For a long story, it was incredibly short.

Her expression hadn’t crumbled into emotion yet; however, the heavy look on her face told me she had skipped quite a few details.

Miwen: "So you’re a monster escaped from a Dungeon, huh?"

A mid-boss, no less...

Catherine: "It brings me utter shame to say so, but... Yes."

She confirmed with a soft, almost unwilling whisper.

Nyxie seemed disgusted by her words, but...

Miwen: "Alright, so you escaped from a Dungeon, and...? How does Elizabeth fit in that?"

Catherine’s eyebrows raised slightly.

She stared at me in silence for a second before asking me in a calm voice...

Catherine: "I thought you’d have a stronger reaction. The memory of what the monsters did to your world is still fresh in your people’s memories, no?"

She wasn’t wrong.

Earth’s hate of monsters was so strong that even monster tamers were often unfairly scrutinized and had to work twice as hard to earn the same recognition as other adventurers.

Miwen: "I have a cute dragon angel waiting for me back home..."

Not to mention the North Dragon we took from Isabella’s world...

Miwen: "I only care about whether I can trust you or not. Where you came from and how you were born doesn’t matter to me."

I felt both Nyxie and Catherine studying me, but I remained firm.

Catherine: "I see... In that case, to answer your question..."

She took a sip of the coffee in her mug, and I couldn’t find any changes in her expression. It was like only tasteless water filled her mug.

Catherine: "I spent a long time living with Christine and the other vampires from our old Boss Room, but their ambition wasn’t something I could match."

She stirred the coffee, wearing an uncomfortable smile.

Catherine: "I was the last one holding on to the idea of staying inside our room back when we first escaped, and in the outside world, I was the only one who wanted to lay low."

After a small sigh and a moment of silence I didn’t want to interrupt, Catherine continued.

Catherine: "In the end, everyone went their own way. Our names were passed down in vampire families, but with time, it became hard for me to tell what became of each one of them..."

Her pauses started growing longer.

Even her hands seemed to tremble a little, though not with restraint, but nervousness.

Catherine: "Well, I got what I wanted. I lived... Until the Demon Queen Elizabeth took over the world."

I needed to peel through too many layers to read her expression.

There were emotions practically begging to surface, but I couldn’t get a clear idea of how she felt about one thing before she moved on to the next.

It was risky, but I needed to break her composure.

And I could only think of one thing.

Miwen: "...Wait a second."

I sent Elizabeth a message through our psychic link.

A second later, her figure appeared beside me.

Elizabeth: "I can’t say it’s wise to summon me to this domain, but as per your request, here I am, Your Majesty..."

The moment Elizabeth’s face came into view, Catherine’s jaw dropped.

She stared so intently at the Demon Queen that she forgot to pretend she was breathing.

Miwen: "Sit here, Liz. You’re only to talk when I allow you to."

Watching me order Elizabeth to sit on my lap, Catherine recoiled in her chair.

Elizabeth also seemed a bit surprised, but she only needed a glance into my eyes to realize how serious I was.

She quietly obeyed, sharing a seat with me while I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug.

Nyxie watched the scene with disgust, but it was nothing different from her usual antics.

While I didn’t know much about the maid, Catherine had called her "Your Majesty" once before, and Nyxie knew too much about Asdrea’s tastes not to be close to him. It was impossible to believe she’d lie about her Lord’s words when she said he had deemed my summons an extension of myself.

Besides, Elizabeth was killed so long ago that most Gods probably didn’t remember her face.

As far as bets are concerned, this one was safe. But as for the effect I wanted...

Miwen: "You said you got what you wanted. That you lived. But... Did you ever regret your decision?"

Complete silence.

Even the breezes that once reached us seemed afraid to make a sound.

Catherine froze. Her eyes were wide open and fixed on Elizabeth, as if she were staring at a ghost.

Just for fun, I pushed Elizabeth forward a little, like a toddler.

Catherine immediately turned her face to the side, while her eyes remained on Elizabeth.

No matter how much I tried to push the Demon Queen toward her, Catherine always avoided her face.

Only once I pulled an annoyed Elizabeth back and patted her head did Catherine calm herself down enough to answer me.

Catherine: "I... I don’t know. I don’t think so. No. I have not."

She was lying.

To herself.

It was so obvious that even Nyxie could tell.