Chapter 33: The Allure of the Fall

“Are you alive?”

“Of course~”

Kaze found Lilith just as the kind passersby, Ragnar and Senia, were helping her up. Her face showed not a trace of distress or annoyance; instead, it held a peculiar mix of excitement and enjoyment.

“…”

The mere sight of Lilith’s expression was enough to make Kaze frown. After seeing off the two benevolent knights, he turned his gaze to Lilith, who was now meticulously tidying her clothes and hair.

“You deserved that.”

“Oh, what a thing to say!”

Lilith hummed, a wide smile still gracing her lips.

“Don’t you think it was absolutely delicious?”

“…?”

The incomprehensible description prompted a question mark in Kaze’s mind. Only Lilith herself seemed utterly engrossed in this so-called ‘deliciousness.’

“Honestly, you have no taste. If I told my sisters about this, they’d undoubtedly shriek with excitement.”

“…”

Kaze’s expression grew even more disdainful. His mind was already conjuring images of countless female demons gathered together, emitting shrill, piercing cries.

“You tasteless brute, you wouldn’t understand.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Oh, come on—”

Hearing Kaze’s resolute words, Lilith pouted.

“You shouldn’t think that way—hmm… it’s like, two sworn rivals, two people who could never possibly develop a friendly relationship, falling in love for various reasons. The man is on the side of justice, and to embrace this love is to accept the very evil he once vehemently vowed to eradicate. He struggles, he agonizes, until this emotion suffocates him, leaving him unable to breathe. Finally, he simply succumbs, tearing apart his own wings, shedding his halo, becoming the very person he despises most—”

Lilith paused mid-sentence, then couldn’t help but clap her hands.

“Oh my, this kind of drama, watching a good person fall to depravity, is utterly irresistible!”

“…”

Kaze instinctively took half a step back.

“I cannot comprehend.”

“Hmm—alright, let’s try to give you some immersion. Who do you dislike the most?”

“Orlan.”

“Ah, haha…”

Hearing the name of the Grand General from Kaze’s lips brought with it an unexpected sense of resignation.

“Fine, let’s substitute Orlan then. Imagine, hmm… Orlan and you have always been at odds in the political arena. He is the Grand General by His Majesty the Demon King’s side, and you are His Majesty’s most trusted personal guard. For various reasons, Orlan decides to transform into a beautiful maiden and come to your side—”

“I cannot imagine it.”

Kaze’s expression grew progressively stranger. Orlan, a beautiful maiden? Heavens, that was a nightmare impossible even if the sky fell! It was a scenario Kaze couldn’t construct, even with his imagination stretched to its limits.

“Oh, don’t refuse so quickly! Just listen. After Orlan becomes a beautiful maiden, they cling to you every day. Your relationship transforms from bitter enemies to sweetly… What’s wrong, Kaze? Don’t look like you’ve just swallowed a fly.”

“…”

Kaze’s expression could now only be described as ‘ferocious.’

“I’d rather eat a fly.”

“Hmph, so tasteless. 😗”

****

Meanwhile, Lamia, having resolved the situation, stood by a cabinet, examining the items brought by the two human knights and Lilith.

Lilith’s welcoming gift also consisted of food, but compared to the offerings from the two humans, her pastries were “far more flavorful”—thanks to the addition of magic stone powder.

Lamia had caught the long-absent scent of magic from afar, a fragrance she hadn’t encountered in two whole days, which to her felt like an eternity. After promptly casting Lilith out, she immediately began rummaging through the items Lilith had brought.

“Ha… Haaah… ❤️”

As she savored the long-missed, savory food, Lamia let out a sigh of pure contentment. The sound startled Wade, who spun around sharply, his gaze fixed on Lamia.

Wade knew well that the recent visitor was a succubus, and one who never engaged in anything normal. All these chaotic events and Lamia’s peculiar acceptance stemmed entirely from her.

Given the suddenness of the situation, he had forgotten to inspect the succubus’s offerings. The moment she had touched him earlier, he had felt her attempting to manipulate his magic, intending to create the illusion that he was reacting to her touch. It was clearly malicious, as if she were trying to seize an opportunity.

Fortunately, Wade possessed a keen sensitivity to magic. Whether it was charm-type debuffs or such attempts to redirect his own magic, he could almost always react swiftly.

Lamia was also aware of this. Beings with powerful magic, whether demons or humans, inherently possessed a perception of other forces. To enact any scheme, one had to strike “when they were unprepared.” Wade, in his current state, would be entirely unaffected by Lilith. Perhaps if he were in a fierce battle, spread thin, she might manage to slow his movements, but due to his formidable anti-magic capabilities, he would at most experience a momentary delay, never true enchantment.

This was precisely how Wade had dealt with Lamia. The mind-reading technique he had secretly employed was planted during a fierce battle with Lamia, the Demon King, when she had no time to set up defenses. However, this mind-reading differed from charm spells or other magic affecting the body and mind; it was merely an auxiliary ability, causing no physical or psychological harm to the affected person. Thus, it was incredibly difficult to detect once cast, requiring a thorough, top-to bottom inspection to even notice.

It was, in essence, a cheat-like skill. Before using it, Wade had done considerable mental preparation, convincing himself, ‘This is a righteous act to defeat her.’ Coupled with the desperation of the battle, having reached a point of no recourse, he had resorted to such a measure. Regardless, it had prevented his death, saving him from being killed by the near-time-stopping sluggishness.

Now, though lamentable, it seemed he had indeed used it correctly. Otherwise, he would never have known that the Demon King was still executing such a plan.

Yet, when Lamia let out that comfortable sigh, Wade still tensed. The items were made by a succubus, after all. What if there were some subtle succubus tricks hidden within?

With this thought, Wade nervously watched Lamia’s direction. One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Wade remained there for a full minute, detecting no unusual changes in Lamia. Finally, he let out a disappointed sigh 😔—

—’Hmm? Disappointed? 😧’

‘What am I disappointed about? 😨’

‘No, it must be a delusion.’

‘Perhaps I’m disappointed because I didn’t see the demon race descend into chaos, thinking those two demons would stage a rebellion and poison their king directly—I must think that way. The Demon King should be eliminated!’

‘No… haaah… no.’

‘This day has been chaotic enough. Let’s have fewer troublesome things happen.’