Chapter 181: Traces of the Devil

"A Gemstone." Ron sighed as he looked at the handwriting in the journal, which had become familiar due to Magic.

He knew it.

"This Mage obviously didn’t know the Gemstone and the slate are a single piece," Yelena said, laughing with a touch of schadenfreude. "And Molok himself is dirt-poor. A single Gemstone is more than enough for him to pay the required price!"

"It’s not funny," Aive said, shooting the Shadow Spirit a sideways glance. "One of the two remaining Gemstones is in the Nine Prisons. What could possibly be worse than that?"

"My mistress potentially losing her position, of course," Yelena’s smile vanished. "Don’t forget, the current master of Marborg is Duke Glaciesia. Molok regaining his power is definitely not a good thing."

"As for the Gemstone, that has nothing to do with me."

"The conflicts in the Nine Prisons aren’t our business either!" Delaford rolled his eyes. "Why don’t we just hand Delusional Land over to the Abyss and walk away?"

"Your master seems quite interested in this place. I wonder what she’ll think of you when she hears we gave up on Delusional Land?"

Yelena shuddered. The Goblin Hunter might not seem particularly bright most of the time, but when it came to making threats, his cunning was on another level.

"Ah, I just had an idea!" The Shadow Spirit feigned a flash of inspiration. "I heard Molok often appears in Imprint City! Perhaps I can ask someone to make some inquiries?"

"As a Shadow Spirit and a Contractor, I should have a few connections in that regard!"

"Imprint City... The City of Many Gates isn’t a place one can just visit on a whim," Ron said, waving his hand dismissively. "Before we think about that, let’s worry about the problems right in front of us."

"Annie’s construction team is making great progress, and newcomers are starting to pour in. If this trend continues, I believe beings other than your master will start paying attention to this place again."

"We need to deal with the problems left over from ancient times first."

"You mean... we’re preparing to go to the ruins that Mage visited?" Constance’s eyes widened. "But our strength can’t match his, can it?"

"He sought help from a devil for the express purpose of exploring those ruins. If he sold his soul and still couldn’t accomplish his goal, he’d be a pretty pathetic Mage."

Ron used an Illusion Trick to show his companions the location of the ruins as recorded in the journal. "They must have explored the entire site long ago," he explained. "But considering the changes that could have occurred over the years, I think we’ll need a guide who’s familiar with the surrounding area."

"Aiksuuri, stop wagging your tail. Have you been there before?" Ron took two steps back, trying to get away from Aiksuuri’s tail, but the Young Dragon just followed him.

"I haven’t, but I can summon my vassals!" the young Black Dragon exclaimed. "Morlo and his kin can definitely help!"

’Those Kobolds?’ Ron arched an eyebrow. ’Do those little creatures’ stomping grounds really extend that far?’

"Stop your wishful thinking. You just want to tag along," Yelena sneered. "If the map Ron’s showing is accurate, Dogman Canyon is a long way from there!"

"Perhaps we could ask Polly for help?" Silvia suggested. "Ron spared her life. It’s time she repaid that debt."

Yelena and Constance looked at the others in confusion. Only after Aive explained did they learn who this "Polly" was.

"Absolutely not!" Constance protested immediately. "Mr. Ron, I have great respect for you, but how can you make a deal with a Ghost Witch? That’s even... even worse than consorting with devils!"

"Every interaction with them is a life-threatening risk! They can’t be trusted at all!"

The Half-Elf had likely wanted to say "more depraved and evil," but held her tongue.

"Ghost Witches, devils... six of one, half a dozen of the other," Yelena said noncommittally. "Although you’ve kindly given me freedom of movement, I’m still your captive. I have no say in your decision."

"Besides... I actually get along with Ghost Witches quite well, thanks to their aesthetic tastes. Other than fellow Shadow Spirits, very few creatures find our forms in the Shadowfall Netherworld to be beautiful."

"They’re even considered beautiful on the Material Plane."

"You’ve got a good foundation, sister, but are you sure you want to adopt a Ghost Witch’s sense of style?" As someone who had been on the receiving end of a Ghost Witch’s vicious insults, Silvia’s lip twitched. "If you hadn’t tried to kill us before, I’d even be willing to give you a makeover. I’m sure I could—"

"I’ll pass," Yelena said, glancing at the Vampire Descendant. "The changes to my appearance are proof of my pursuit of power and knowledge. Though I know I’m no longer beautiful—I even avoid looking in mirrors—I have no intention of concealing my true form. Unless a job requires it, of course."

"Do Dwarves and Half-Elves walk on stilts because they’re unhappy with their height? It’s the same principle."

Ron looked around at the group. "Strange, isn’t it? We don’t have any Dwarves in our party, yet we’re full of jokes about them. Baffling."

"A Dwarf’s height and crudeness are things to be mocked," Yelena replied matter-of-factly, and to everyone’s surprise, Constance actually nodded in agreement. "The only exception I’ve met in all my years is your Rurik. His speech and demeanor at the banquet that night showed clear signs of Elven cultural influence."

"True. For a Dwarf, that ’three-no-forge’ quirk of his is completely against their nature." Now even Aive was nodding along.

"Then it’s settled," Ron said, pulling the conversation back on topic. "No matter what conditions the Ghost Witch might demand, we should at least go and see. There’s no harm in looking."

"Besides, if we play up our ’connection,’ we might be able to get some information out of her."

"If you go empty-handed, she won’t help you, even if you’re the one who saved her life," the Shadow Spirit advised. "Don’t ask how I know. I had a close friend who was a Night Ghost Witch. Once."

"Did you two have a falling out because you tried to get something for nothing?" Aiksuuri asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Yes," Yelena shrugged. "We did indeed ’break up.’ A few of my kin and I bound her limbs and head with Thorn Chains, then summoned five flocks of ravens—SNAP!"

"Your Thorn Chains snapped?" Delaford asked, looking dumbfounded. He’d seen a Ghost Witch before; they were massive creatures.

Seeing that no one was the least bit frightened by her cruelty, a disappointed Yelena rolled her eyes at the goblin. "Let’s just say it wasn’t the Thorn Chains or the ravens that ended up in six pieces."