Chapter 78: Everything Unveiled

I grabbed at my forehead to see if she was telling the truth.

Unfortunately, she was.

Two distinctly horn-like objects protruded from my forehead. Despite my condition, I forced myself upright and stumbled toward the nearest mirror.

What I saw was worse than I’d imagined.

It wasn’t just the horns. I had wings as well, a pair of dark, membranous wings folded against my back. And when I opened my mouth to check further, I saw fangs.

Smaller than Lillith’s, but undeniably vampiric.

"Are you perhaps a vampire, Lord Brimstone?"

"I-I don’t think I am."

There was no way.

Sure, Lillith had bitten me. Multiple times. But that wasn’t how vampirism worked in this world. You couldn’t just turn someone by biting them. If that were possible, the entire continent would have been overrun with vampires centuries ago.

"You don’t think you are?"

I shook my head and turned back to Seraph.

"Tell me everything."

"Well... they appeared while you were healing my father. Your magic suddenly spiked, and then... those features just manifested. I’ve never seen anything like it."

So that was why Seraph had yelled. Why the white-robed operatives had reacted with such confusion.

I hadn’t just been glowing with healing magic. I’d been growing horns and wings right in front of them.

"Although," Seraph added, "compared to before, your horns, wings, and fangs are significantly smaller now."

"You mean they shrank?"

She nodded.

Well, that was one thing to look forward to...

✧ ✦ ✧

In the end, I spent another hour in Seraph’s guest room, hoping the features would fade on their own.

They didn’t.

I had to rely on Seraph if I wanted to step outside without getting myself crucified for being a vampire.

The rest had helped, at least. I could stand without immediately collapsing, and most of the trembling in my limbs had subsided. But the moment I tried walking around the room, my legs reminded me that I was nowhere near recovered.

Her illusion magic masked the horns, wings, and fangs as I finally left the guest room and entered the living room.

And there I saw her father.

"Before you go, my father wanted to tell you something."

The man rose when I entered.

Seraph hadn’t been exaggerating about his mana. It radiated from him in steady waves, controlled but potent. He had white hair, pale, colorless eyes, and a body that looked surprisingly fit despite being bedridden for six years.

Had my healing magic restored him to his prime?

Or was this simply what he’d always been beneath the disease?

"So you’re the one who healed me?"

He studied me for a long moment before glancing at Seraph. Something passed between them, a silent exchange I couldn’t quite read.

When he looked back at me, his expression had settled into something formal.

Then he placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head.

"As head of House Duvall, I pledge this: the two greatest illusionists of the Federation are now under your command, Lord Brimstone."

Well, I supposed having two of the Federation’s greatest illusionists under my command was a fair trade for a few weird changes to my appearance.

Probably.

✧ ✦ ✧

The moment I stepped outside the Duvall estate, I realized I’d overestimated how much an hour of rest had actually done for me.

My legs felt heavy.

Each step took more effort than the last, and the strength I’d been forcing into them began to disappear. I managed to make it only a short distance before my knee buckled.

I pitched forward, almost crashing headfirst into the stone road before Seraph caught me.

"You still haven’t fully recovered?"

"Now you know why I asked you to protect me in exchange for healing your father."

I gave a strained laugh, draping an arm over her shoulder as she helped me upright. She immediately reinforced her body with mana to support my weight.

"I thought you said you were fine."

"I said I could leave. Those are not the same thing."

"This isn’t the time to use wordplay on me, Lord Brimstone."

"I’m joking."

I tried taking another step. My leg nearly gave out again.

Yeah. Definitely not recovered.

"Care to walk me home?"

"That’s a given, Lord Brimstone."

"Just call me Reyn."

"Reyn?"

"I’d rather have you waste words on information than on that long address."

"I-I see. Of course, Reyn."

Seraph continued walking me home, taking most of my weight as we went. I could feel the mana reinforcement running through her body as she kept me upright.

She was probably burning far more mana than necessary just to compensate for my condition.

I wasn’t that heavy, was I?

Actually... never mind.

After what I’d just put my body through, I probably weighed a ton.

Then I shook my head, remembering a more immediate concern. With all the confusion, the mana drain, the sudden transformation, her father’s proclamation, I’d almost forgotten.

Plan Theatre.

The white-robed operative had definitely said something about it. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume Seraph’s theatre production was involved somehow.

"I’ve been meaning to ask. Plan Theatre, are you part of it?"

She stumbled, nearly losing her balance. When I looked at her, her expression was almost sorrowful, threaded with guilt.

That confirmed it.

"Looks like you are. Tell me what it’s about."

I adjusted my grip to give her a more comfortable position to support me, then waited.

"The theatre... it was meant to turn Lord Lucius against you."

So Aqua was right.

"Turn?"

"The script I gave you and Lady Rose... I was recording your performances the entire time with my illusion magic. Every time Lucius slept, I planted those vivid recordings in his dreams. Making you look like a villain who abused Lady Rose and changed her."

So Anna playing a character that resembled her old self had been intentional.

"And how does that work?"

"Apparently, the headmistress has been planting seeds in Lord Lucius’s mind about being chosen by the gods. I don’t know the details, but according to her, she wants Lucius to believe the dreams I’ve been giving him are divine warnings about you."

That was surprisingly elaborate.

But it hadn’t happened in the original novel. The Citadel wanted Lucius to turn against Leonis Academy, yes, but they never targeted one specific student.

Unless this arc had changed because of my presence.

Did the Citadel think it would be easier to use my relationship with Anna against Lucius than to follow their original strategy?

"So tomorrow, what happens during the actual performance?"

Seraph hesitated.

"The headmistress planned for me to use my illusion magic to its fullest. She wants Lord Lucius to believe everything is real, and then..."

She trailed off.

"And then?"

"...And then attack you. The biggest threat to the Federation."