The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 620: “Heh.”

It had to be said, Diere was incredibly bold. Knowing the Imperial Capital was enemy territory and that the information about the “horn” came from the enemy, with its veracity unconfirmed, she still dared to come alone, infiltrating noble houses and even the Imperial Palace. It was incredibly reckless.

Shien also thought so, but he understood her actions.

First, Diere had the Goddess of Fate’s Blessing, giving her strong intuition. If the information was false, she would have sensed it. Since she believed it, it must have been a premonition from the blessing.

Second, Diere had complicated feelings towards her mother, neither hate nor indifference. Learning that her mother cut off her horn, causing her power to go berserk, she probably felt she should handle it herself.

Third, Diere had always been wary of the “demon” power within her, having been treated as a monster because of it. Now, knowing there was a solution, she naturally wanted to find it.

Moreover, Mara, the Imperial Consort, targeted her for some reason, and the Raifurut family was also involved. These factors combined led her to come to the Empire alone.

She didn’t want to ask Shien or anyone else for help.

As she said before, she had always been helped by others, never solving anything herself.

In the Royal Capital, Lucy, Vivian, and Riley secretly protected her. Even her decision to go to Larmigion was influenced by Vivian’s invitation.

In Diere’s world, there were only two types of people: those who selflessly helped and protected her, and those who wanted to harm and exploit her.

Her life was full of dramatic ups and downs, love and hate.

This shaped her solitary, independent, cold, and competitive personality, making her eager to prove herself, become stronger, and handle any danger without needing others’ protection.

This was why she didn’t immediately meet with Shien after sensing his arrival in the Imperial Capital.

She felt ashamed to see him. Despite coming to the Empire alone, she still needed Shien’s help, and he had even arranged for her protection, saving her life multiple times.

“You…” Shien sighed, “I don’t know whether to say you’re blessed or cursed.”

Even Leisha agreed. Diere faced much malice, yet she was also incredibly lucky to have people selflessly helping and protecting her. This extreme kindness and malice surrounding her were hard to describe.

Perhaps this was Diere’s fate.

The “demon” within brought her misfortune, but the [Goddess of Fate’s Blessing] protected her, bringing her good fortune and encounters.

If Shien’s Unique Skills and Special Skills combined created an unbelievable cheat, then Diere’s life was a mix of good and bad, her future uncertain, depending on whether she would be consumed by misfortune or change her fate.

Perhaps Diere had already realized this, which was why she wanted to become stronger, to become independent, refusing others’ help, and gambling everything on Shien when she discovered he was a Hero, hoping to awaken her own potential as a Hero descendant.

Diere’s life wasn’t easy.

Shien didn’t know whether to blame her, feeling conflicted.

Diere, however, remained calm.

“Don’t worry,” she said, looking at Shien, “This just means I’m not strong enough yet, not independent enough.”

She touched her forehead.

“That’s why I want to retrieve that horn no matter what.”

Shien understood.

“Will retrieving it solve the problem with your Unique Skill?” he asked, getting to the point.

“I don’t know,” Diere replied honestly, “I just have a feeling that it’s the first step towards my true strength.”

That was enough. Since Diere, with the [Goddess of Fate’s Blessing], said so, they had to retrieve the horn.

“Did you find it?” Shien asked the crucial question.

“No,” Diere shook her head and sighed, looking tired, “I searched all the noble houses that had my horn, but I couldn’t find it.”

“What about here?” Leisha looked around, “This is the Raifurut treasury. Your horn should be here, right?”

“I thought so too,” Diere said, “But it’s not here either.”

Diere had already searched, but to no avail.

Only one place remained.

“The Imperial Palace?” Leisha murmured, realizing the implication.

Only the Imperial Palace might still have Diere’s horn. Since even the nobles had it, the Imperial Palace must have had it as well. And since the Raifuruts swore loyalty to Mara, and Mara targeted Diere, the possibility of her horn being in the palace, or in Mara’s hands, was very high.

Diere must have thought of this before, otherwise, she wouldn’t have infiltrated the palace. Unfortunately, that was a trap, and she almost died.

“It seems we have to confront that venomous Consort to find your horn.”

Shien realized this.

Diere didn’t object, and neither did Leisha.

This was the obvious next step.

And it meant that Shien and Mara had another score to settle.

“Let’s go,” Shien said, holding Diere’s hand, “We’re leaving this place.”

“Where to?” Leisha asked immediately, “The Bigusler residence?”

This young lady was indeed paying attention to Shien’s movements in the Imperial Capital.

“That’s our base in the Imperial Capital for now,” Shien confirmed, “We’ll go back and discuss our next move.”

“Alright,” Leisha sighed, “I thought I could finally relax after you arrived. It seems I can’t rest yet.”

“What are you afraid of?” Shien rolled his eyes, “You’re good at hiding. I’m not asking you to fight on the front lines. Just do some behind-the-scenes work, support us, and disrupt their plans.”

This was indeed Leisha’s specialty.

However, hearing it from Shien, Leisha felt somewhat belittled.

“I’m a powerful magician, not just a Spatial Magician. I can use various types of magic, and their power isn’t weak. You’re actually treating me like a support who can only do small things behind the scenes?”

Leisha was almost angered to death.

But Shien simply said, “Otherwise, you want to fight on the front lines?”

He extended a “kind” invitation.

“No!” Leisha immediately puffed out her chest, “I want to watch the show. I’ve decided, I won’t help you anymore. Don’t think you can use me as free labor!”

Leisha decided to stand up for herself.

Shien didn’t care.

“Suit yourself.”

He gestured dismissively, as if she was dispensable.

This was even more infuriating!

Leisha swore inwardly that if she ever helped him again, she would be a dog!

Was being a Hero so great?

Was having the Dragon Demon and the Evil God backing him so impressive?

Who didn’t have a hidden identity?

She was also someone with a significant background and wouldn’t be looked down upon by this “mere Hero”!

Just as Leisha firmly told herself this, Shien suddenly said,

“Oh, before you leave, remember to say goodbye to ‘my Lasha.’ It’s a good way to end things.”

These words couldn’t be ignored.

“…Wait.” Leisha was silent for a moment, then looked at Shien with a twitching mouth, “What do you mean by that?”

What did he mean by “your Lasha”?

That was clearly her Lasha!

As if seeing through Leisha’s thoughts, Shien stared at her.

“Heh.”

After a moment, Shien chuckled meaningfully, holding Diere’s hand and turning to leave.

Leisha stared blankly at Shien.

A strong sense of unease erupted in her heart.

Could it be…

“What… what did you do to Lasha? What did you do!!!”

Leisha rushed forward.

Amidst the commotion, the three of them left, and along with them, the numerous treasures.

No one noticed this.

Chapter 621: “Please Calm Down.”

Both Shien Buztout and Leisha could use teleportation. Therefore, the three of them came and went without a trace, unnoticed.

However, on their way back to the Bigusler residence, Leisha kept pestering Shien, demanding to know if he had done anything to Lasha and why he had chuckled at her like that.

Shien ignored her, holding Diere’s hand and returning to the Bigusler residence.

Along the way, Shien noticed the increasing chaos in the Imperial Capital. Numerous knights patrolled the streets, carriages rushed to and from the palace and knight camps, and people were even leaving the city. The atmosphere was tense. The commoners, sensing something was wrong, whispered amongst themselves uneasily.

Shien knew it was because of the Emperor’s madness, but he didn’t comment, returning to the Bigusler residence.

The number of spies outside seemed to have decreased, probably recalled by the nobles. The Emperor’s madness was more important than monitoring the Biguslers, and the nobles needed manpower.

Shien returned with Diere and the chattering Leisha, finding Lasha still tending to Leni Bafein, while Lilith immediately jumped into his arms.

“Milady,” Lasha said, stopping her work and standing up as she saw Leisha. The master and servant, like twins, were reunited after a month.

But before Lasha could react, Leisha rushed to her, her face serious, grabbing Lasha’s shoulders, and asking anxiously,

“Are you alright, Lasha!? Are you okay? Did that bastard do anything to you? Did he force you? If he did, just blink! Tell me quietly!”

Leisha shouted these words at the top of her lungs.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Shien, Diere, and Lilith were speechless.

Lasha also fell silent, as if with question marks hanging over her head. Seeing her mistress’s serious and anxious expression, she seemed to understand something and glanced at Shien.

Shien quickly averted his gaze. He didn’t want to be exposed for his teasing remark.

Unfortunately, Lasha seemed to see through everything and calmed down.

“Please calm down, milady,” Lasha said in her usual calm tone.

“No! I can’t calm down!”

Leisha shook her head vigorously, wanting to know the truth.

Unexpectedly, Lasha said,

“Even if you’re anxious now, it won’t change anything. What happened has happened, and we can only accept it.”

These words stunned Leisha.

Even Shien almost spat out his tea.

Lasha…

Lasha…!

Are you sure these words won’t cause an explosion in this situation?

As expected…

“It’s over… it’s over…” Leisha murmured, her hands falling powerlessly from Lasha’s shoulders, her eyes vacant.

“My Lasha… my Lasha… she’s no longer pure…!”

This was what Leisha understood from Lasha’s words.

“Cough…!”

Shien coughed, looking at Lasha in shock. He hadn’t expected her to say such a thing. He was just teasing, what did she mean by this?

Shien, who thought Lasha would clear up the misunderstanding, was truly dumbfounded.

He didn’t know that Lasha did this intentionally.

(Now I have a reason to keep milady here.)

Lasha was playing 5D chess.

She had been thinking that since she couldn’t leave Leisha, nor could she leave Shien, then staying with Leisha by Shien’s side was the best option.

However, she hadn’t figured out how to do it. She knew her mistress very well.

Leisha was essentially someone without desires. She had no particular goals, wandering aimlessly around the world after leaving the Assassination Branch of the Old Demon Faction. While seemingly evading the Kingdom’s pursuit, she was simply traveling without any purpose. She didn’t desire anything, or rather, she had already obtained what she wanted ten years ago.

Although Leisha showed some embarrassing sides before Shien, she was a very difficult opponent. She was free-spirited, unpredictable, and without desires. If not for various coincidences, she wouldn’t have stayed by Shien’s side, and would have left with Lasha long ago, continuing her travels.

Shien could control Leisha only because she needed him, or at least didn’t particularly reject him.

Perhaps Shien could keep Leisha under his thumb, but if one day she suddenly left without saying goodbye, he wouldn’t be able to stop her.

Therefore, to control Leisha’s unpredictable nature, Lasha had to take drastic measures.

“Please rest assured, milady,” Lasha said calmly, “Even if this body is no longer my own, occupied by another, I will always be your maid. Please don’t doubt that.”

These words confirmed that Shien was a beast.

“Hahaha…”

Leisha laughed, like a broken toy.

“No…”

Shien continued to be dumbfounded, then finally stood up.

Seeing this, Diere looked over.

“…Did you really do it?”

Diere stared at Shien, a hint of shock in her eyes. Not coldness, jealousy, or anything else, just pure shock. As if Shien had done something unforgivable.

“I didn’t…”

Shien wanted to explain, but he froze.

Because even he wasn’t sure if he had done it!

He remembered countless times waking up to Lasha’s service. He would wake up washed and dressed, and Lasha’s occasional shocking remarks suggested that he had done something in his sleep.

Had he really done something he shouldn’t have while asleep? Did Lasha do “something else” while changing his clothes?

The more he thought about it, the more Shien felt his mind going blank.

Seeing Shien like this, Diere seemed to take it as an undeniable fact.

Her gaze towards Shien became incredibly complex.

Unexpectedly, her man actually did it with that maid.

This was… terrifying.

A Hero, of all people?

This was enough to scare everyone in Omnipotence.

Shien, unaware of the gravity of the situation, clutched his head in distress, ignoring Lilith, who was tilting her head in confusion. He carefully approached Lasha.

“Um, Miss Lasha, I have something important to ask…”

Shien said weakly.

But before Lasha could react, Leisha glared at Shien, her eyes filled with unprecedented killing intent.

“You beastly Hero, I can’t believe you actually did such a despicable thing…!”

Leisha clenched her fists tightly, her anger burning like magic power.

“I… I’m going to duel you… duel you…!”

Her rage, as if she wanted to fight Shien to the death, made him panic.

“Wait!” Shien quickly said seriously, “If I told you I was just joking before, would you believe me?”

“Joking?” Leisha’s anger subsided, and she looked at Lasha.

Shien also looked at Lasha, his eyes pleading, like a pitiful victim eager to know the truth, waiting for her answer.

Under the gazes of her two masters, Lasha’s expression remained calm and indifferent.

Then, Lasha dropped a bombshell:

“I used contraceptive magic potions. I would never cause any unnecessary trouble for the two of you.”

The air instantly froze.

“—”

Silence.

Deathly silence.

Everyone froze, unable to move.

Diere was silent.

Lilith blinked.

Shien’s eyes twitched.

Leisha silently turned her head and stared at Shien.

That gaze was like looking at a dead man.

“Swoosh!”

In the next second, Shien and Leisha disappeared simultaneously.

Leisha, without a word, used spatial transfer magic and took Shien away.

“…”

Diere and Lilith looked at each other speechlessly.

Lasha, as if nothing had happened, continued to calmly tend to Leni.

Meanwhile, in a deep mountain outside the Imperial Capital, an unknown battle unfolded.

Shien, looking at the ferocious Leisha charging towards him like a vengeful ghost, looked up at the sky speechlessly.