Chapter 870: A Troublesome Woman

Under the cover of night, the blizzard still raged relentlessly.

Within a blizzard so fierce that it was nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes open, let alone see anything clearly, the glacier beneath the cliff continued to surge violently, roaring like a giant bellowing in fury.

Were it not for the howling blizzard drowning out the sound, the rushing water would likely have carried far enough for travelers in the surrounding area to hear it.

Of course, on a night like this, no one would come wandering into such a desolate wilderness.

Originally, that was how it should have been.

*BOOM!*

In the next instant, the glacier suddenly exploded upward, sending a spectacular column of water soaring into the air.

*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a golden lion burst out from beneath the water.

It leaped high into the air, clearing the cliff before gravity finally pulled it back down, landing heavily upon the snow-covered ground.

"We’re finally out..."

Riezel jumped down from the alchemy beast’s back and looked out at the raging snowstorm with a sigh.

"Why’s the entrance to the Theresis Tribe’s territory in a place like this?"

Rather than a sigh, it sounded more like a complaint.

"This is not the only entrance to the tribe’s territory," Yanivette replied as she stepped down from the alchemy beast, standing calmly amidst the howling wind and falling snow without the slightest change in her expression. "This was originally an emergency escape route that would only be opened during times of crisis. It simply happened to be the closest one, so I guided the girl here."

"You’re really dragging whoever you can into this mess, huh?" Riezel said bluntly. "Chloria’s just an ordinary girl. How could she possibly be fine after falling into a glacier like that?"

"Were you not perfectly fine?"

Yanivette replied indifferently.

"Besides, I had not fully awakened at the time. Acting purely on instinct while still half-conscious, my understanding of the outside world was incomplete, so a few mistakes were inevitable."

"Furthermore, even if the girl had truly come to harm, my awakening would have restored her."

"It would simply have taken considerably more time."

Only after finishing her explanation did Yanivette turn her gaze toward Riezel.

"I know that you intend to travel to the royal palace and meet the current queen."

"Since it was a promise, even one made without my awareness, I will not deny it."

"Come with me to Urvashi. I shall take you into the palace."

It seemed that Yanivette had already learned quite a bit from Chloria’s memories. At the very least, Riezel could no longer sense the strange feeling she had given him when they had first met.

As her bloodline awakened, the woman was recovering her strength at an astonishing pace while adapting to her current body just as quickly.

Everything that had once belonged to Chloria was perhaps being taken away by this woman bit by bit.

"...What will happen to her?"

After a moment of silence, Riezel finally asked.

Even though the question lacked any context, Yanivette clearly understood what he meant.

"She was born for the sole purpose of carrying my soul," Yanivette said coldly. "Now that I have awakened, her mission has naturally come to an end."

Riezel naturally understood the implication behind those words.

If her mission had ended, then there was no longer any need for Chloria to continue existing.

Judging from the current situation, the girl with the slight self-destructive tendencies would most likely face only one of two fates. Either she would never wake up again, or her consciousness would be erased.

Yanivette was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

To her, only those who possessed power had the right to rule over everything, and Chloria clearly did not possess any power, so she could only be ruled.

As for that, Riezel did not feel much sympathy.

It couldn’t be helped.

He and Chloria had merely crossed paths by chance. They had known each other for only a few days and shared no memories or feelings worth becoming attached to.

Riezel was not the type to bemoan the state of the universe and pity the fate of mankind over something like that. If it had been something he could have solved with a little effort, he would not have minded lending a hand.

However, anyone with eyes could see that this matter ran far deeper than that and was not something that could be resolved so casually. Given how shallow their relationship was, he had no intention of becoming any further involved.

Still, there was one thing he was curious about.

"Who exactly is Chloria? And why are you inside her?"

Unlike before, Yanivette no longer seemed interested in answering his questions.

"I have already answered many of your questions and revealed numerous secrets to you. Together with this alchemy beast, I have already given everything that a defeated party ought to give. I have no reason to continue satisfying your curiosity."

Yanivette’s response made Riezel laugh.

"Heh, so you’re saying you want another fight?"

Riezel was actually rather interested.

Yanivette’s strength had already grown far beyond what it had been before. Perhaps she could finally give him a satisfying battle.

Just as Riezel was thinking that, Yanivette spoke again.

"Naturally, I desire revenge, but not now."

Looking at Riezel, a beautiful smile bloomed across her face like melting snow.

"Once I have recovered all of my power and reclaimed my inherited sword, then even if you wish to flee, I will not permit it."

Riezel noticed that only when battle was mentioned did this woman ever smile.

"You’re not just obsessed with power. You’re a total battle maniac too."

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he spoke.

"If one possesses power, then if not for battle, what else should it be used for?" Yanivette replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You should understand. I can sense that, in certain respects, you and I are actually the same kind of person."

Riezel did not argue this time.

He did not believe that power existed solely for fighting, but he had to admit that those who possessed power often used it to fight—that was an undeniable fact.

He himself had always sought greater strength and pursued ever more thrilling adventures with greater freedom.

In that sense, he could indeed be considered a battle maniac.

However, he knew very well that there was a fundamental difference between himself and Yanivette. At the very least, he was not someone who worshipped the ideology of power or regarded strength as everything.

He sought power because he needed it.

He desired freedom, so he strove to become stronger.

Yanivette was different.

To her, overwhelming strength was everything, and she stubbornly believed that only the victor had the right to enjoy all the wonders this world had to offer.

Had Riezel not defeated her, she probably would not have been standing here speaking to him so calmly.

"Let’s go," Riezel said, cutting the conversation short. "We’ll head back, get some sleep, and reach Urvashi tomorrow."

Right after saying that, he glanced at Yanivette.

"When we get there, behave yourself. If you even think about laying a hand on the people around me, you’re dead."

He genuinely was a little worried that this woman might attack Lizbeth and the others without the slightest hesitation. Having never witnessed their strength, she might very well consider them unworthy of even sharing the same room as her.

If she decided to make a move, then aside from Euryale, no one else would stand a chance against her. Even Lizbeth, without drawing Moslow, was absolutely no match for Yanivette.

Thinking of that, Riezel deliberately issued the warning.

Unexpectedly, Yanivette suddenly fell silent.

"What the hell? You were actually planning to attack them?"

Riezel seriously began considering whether he should hang this woman up and give her a proper beating right here until she finally learned to behave.

But just as that thought crossed his mind, Yanivette suddenly spoke.

"Who are the two girls traveling with you?"

Her question caught Riezel completely off guard.

"You mean Lizbeth and Euryale?"

Riezel suddenly realized something.

"Yes." Yanivette frowned. "Earlier, I was not entirely conscious. But now that I think about it carefully, those two girls gave me a rather unusual feeling. Especially the younger one, and the sword she has been carrying... why does it give me a feeling that is both familiar and unsettling?"

As she spoke, she genuinely appeared confused by it.

Riezel’s expression immediately became meaningful.

’So this woman had already noticed that Lizbeth and Euryale were different...’

’Was it because of Moslow?’

’Or... was it the bloodline connection between Reinnail and Theresis?’

Either way, Riezel had no intention of explaining anything.

"If you wanna know, then try beating me," Riezel fired back without the slightest hesitation. "Wasn’t it you who said only the winner gets to rule over everything?"

After saying that, he patted the thick leg of the alchemy beast beside him before starting to head back toward the fortress tower.

*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*

The alchemy beast let out a thunderous roar before following after Riezel, leaving a trail of deep footprints across the snow.

Watching Riezel’s retreating back, Yanivette smiled once again.

’You are the first person who has ever dared to speak to me like that.’

’I only hope that you can still defeat me after I have fully recovered my strength.’

’Otherwise...’

With a cold smile on her face, Yanivette followed after Riezel, leaving the cliff behind.

Meanwhile, the glacier below continued to surge endlessly, and it would likely do so forever, never coming to a stop.

===

Half an hour later, Riezel and Yanivette returned safely to the tower and entered the beautifully decorated first-floor hall.

*ROAAARRR—!!!*

*ROAAARRR—!!!*

The two lesser frost dragons were resting in a corner of the hall, but the moment they spotted the alchemy beast following behind Riezel, they immediately climbed to their feet and roared at it.

*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*

The alchemy beast refused to back down, roaring back while glaring at the two dragons as it instantly slipped into an intimidating stance.

Seeing that, the two dragons also became restless, looking as though they might charge over at any moment.

"Shut up. Don’t wake everybody up."

Riezel waved a hand, shooing the two dragons away.

*ROAAARRR—!!!*

*ROAAARRR—!!!*

Seeing that their master had no intention of attacking the golden beast, the two dragons reluctantly settled down and lay back where they had originally been resting.

"You, go lie down in the other corner. Tomorrow you’re gonna be pulling the carriage with them."

Riezel pointed toward the opposite corner of the hall as he gave the alchemy beast its instructions.

*ROARRR—!!!*

The alchemy beast answered with a short roar before happily trotting over to the designated corner and lying down.

"You’re back, Master!"

At that moment, Lilith’s figure suddenly appeared before Riezel out of thin air.

"Yeah, I’m back."

Riezel nodded.

"I..."

Lilith had just begun to speak when she suddenly stopped. She sharply turned her head and fixed her gaze on the person standing behind Riezel.

It was Yanivette.

"Oh?" Yanivette had seemed completely uninterested in Lilith, but the moment she noticed Lilith staring at her, she glanced back with a hint of surprise. "I see. You’re rather special as well. You’re not an ordinary human, are you?"

"...Who are you?" Lilith ignored Yanivette’s question and instead demanded coldly. "You’re not that gloomy little bug from before, are you?"

"A bug? Are you referring to my vessel?" Yanivette narrowed her eyes. "Compared to me, that girl is indeed as weak as an ant. Even so, she is not someone you may insult as you please."

As she spoke, Yanivette started to raise her hand.

Before she could do so, however, Riezel reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You really wanna fight me again right here?"

Riezel’s tone remained perfectly calm, yet it was precisely that calmness that made it obvious that his mood was far from pleasant.

"...Very well. I shall give you face."

Yanivette remained silent for a moment before lowering her hand expressionlessly.

"Lilith, go back to your room first," Riezel said as he turned to her. "Don’t worry. This woman’s not dangerous for now."

Lilith looked at Riezel, then at Yanivette. Her pair of golden eyes, different from Yanivette’s, shimmered softly.

Unlike Yanivette, whose eyes only turned golden when light gathered within them, Lilith’s pupils were naturally golden, carrying an air of arrogance and demonic allure. Even though those eyes possessed no special abilities, as a high-ranking demon from another world, Lilith could perceive things that ordinary people could not.

Inhuman eyes naturally sensed inhuman things.

To Lilith, the woman who appeared to be Chloria Michette radiated an aura that was both strange and extremely dangerous.

Could this woman pose a threat to Master?

Should she strike first?

But her master seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

"...I’ll be watching you."

After a long moment of silence, Lilith left those words behind, then activated teleportation magic and disappeared on the spot.

Yanivette remained completely unfazed and calmly walked toward the staircase.

Instead of returning to the room Chloria had previously occupied, she headed straight for the top floor, intending to stay in the most prominent room on that level.

As she walked, she carried herself as though she naturally belonged in the highest and most conspicuous place. Every step she took and every movement she made reflected both her noble status and the supreme pride she held in herself.

"What a troublesome woman..."

Riezel muttered to himself before heading back to his own room.

Tonight, he would get a proper night’s rest, and after tonight, there might not be another opportunity to sleep peacefully.

Having already formed a rough guess about Yanivette’s true identity, Riezel could already imagine the tremendous upheaval this woman would cause once she arrived in Urvashi and entered the royal palace. Before that happened, he intended to make the most of the little peace that remained.

Thinking about the two enchanting girls who were still waiting for him in his room, Riezel unconsciously quickened his pace.

===

[A bonus Chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]

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