Chapter 13: Past, Future.

Inside a hall somewhere within the Human Empire.

Viretta stood in the center of the hall, dressed in a dark brown robe, her expression cold and rigid like iron.

Behind her stood Rivina, barefoot, her blood-red long hair loose, a smile hanging at the corner of her lips.

Viretta raised her hand and pointed at the three people in front of her.

“Rivina, from now on, these people will be your teammates.”

The first was a burly man built like a mountain, muscles knotted and bulging, rough skin covered by thick leather armor, with a massive battle axe hanging at his waist.

He looked Rivina up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disdain.

“So you’re the new Hero?”

His voice sounded like grinding gravel, thick with mockery.

“Tch, you don’t even look as good as the previous one.

Skinny like a stick, can you even stand properly?”

Hearing this, Rivina did not get angry.

Instead, she threw her head back and burst into sharp, piercing laughter that echoed through the empty hall.

“Hahahaha! Is that so?

Then… you must be very strong, huh?”

“When I was slaying dragons, you were still playing in the mud!”

The big man slammed his chest fiercely, his face full of pride and arrogance.

“A little girl like you dares to call herself a Hero?”

“Oh?”

Rivina’s smile suddenly vanished.

Her blood-red pupils locked tightly onto him, the corner of her mouth curling into a strange arc.

“You’re already dead.”

“Hahaha!”

The burly man froze for a moment, then erupted into even louder laughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world.

“What kind of joke are you telling—wait…”

His mouth hung open.

The laughter cut off abruptly.

A cold, otherworldly presence brushed across his neck without warning.

He didn’t even feel pain.

Only a chill at his throat, as if a breeze had passed by.

The next second, he realized—

His head was no longer on his shoulders.

The head, still wearing a stunned expression, rolled slowly onto the floor.

Its eyes were wide open, its mouth still frozen in laughter.

The headless body stood stiffly for half a second, then crashed to the ground.

Blood gushed out, quickly spreading across the polished marble floor in a glaring crimson pool.

The hall fell into complete silence.

Viretta stood where she was, not even lifting an eyebrow.

She simply spoke calmly, with a faintly reproachful tone.

“Rivina, he was supposed to be a member of your team.

How could you kill him?”

“Teammate?”

Rivina suddenly spun around, closing in on Viretta like a streak of blood-red lightning.

Her smile was chilling, madness flashing in her red eyes.

“Something this weak deserves to be my teammate?”

She raised a finger and lightly pressed it against Viretta’s chest.

Her tone was as cold as a blade.

“Do you think… I need people like this?”

She leaned close to Viretta’s ear and laughed softly.

“I don’t need them.

And I won’t become a Hero.”

She straightened up and spread her arms wide, as if the entire world were within her grasp.

“I will surpass the previous Hero.

I will personally… tear apart the woman who killed my beloved Hero.”

Viretta looked at her expressionlessly, prepared to activate the rune that could utterly crush Rivina at any moment.

“Don’t be so tense, Viretta.”

Rivina suddenly stepped back, her smile still radiant, as though killing someone just now had been no more than brushing off dust.

“I never said I wouldn’t help you kill the Demon King.”

She licked her lips, her eyes filled with a craving for slaughter.

“After all… she’s the one who killed my beloved Hero.”

She clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm.

“The Hero… can only be killed by me.

He belongs to me alone.”

Viretta stared at her coldly, her voice calm as water.

“I don’t care about anything else.

I only require the Demon King to die.

As long as the Empire’s interests are not harmed, anything else… is permitted.”

“What a loyal hound of the Empire.”

Rivina sneered, her eyes full of mockery.

“But… that’s fine too.”

Before the words finished, her figure dissolved into a mist of blood and vanished instantly.

All that remained were crimson stains on the floor and the heavy stench of blood lingering in the air.

Demon King’s Castle.

“Lady Melorin,” Lilith’s voice was gentle.

“Are you feeling any better?

That… reward just now placed too great a burden on your body and soul.”

Melorin forced herself to lift her head.

Her gaze was still unfocused, yet she struggled to curve her lips into a weak but stubborn smile.

“It’s alright, Lilith.”

She waved her hand lightly, her movements slow and feeble, as if every joint were groaning.

“This… doesn’t even compare to one ten-thousandth of what I’ve endured before.”

She paused, her voice lowering as if trying to convince herself.

“I am… a Hero who survived the battlefield.”

Seeing her forcing herself like this, Lilith felt a swirl of emotions.

She knew that the so-called reward was never a blessing.

It was a torture that stripped the soul away completely, then forcibly flooded it with pleasure.

She had seen far too many people whose wills were destroyed by such rewards.

And Melorin was the first who could still retain even a trace of herself after waking.

“Since Lady Melorin has recovered,”

Lilith tucked away her worry and smiled.

“Please come with me to study today’s lesson.

The Demon King personally arranged lessons on demon history and etiquette for your adjustment period.

You mustn’t fall behind.”

“Lessons?”

Melorin froze, then smiled bitterly.

Studying?

In this situation?

Yet she didn’t refuse.

She simply nodded.

Lilith gently took Melorin’s hand.

Hand in hand, the two slowly left the dining hall and headed toward the castle’s library.

As they walked, Lilith glanced back at Melorin, her face tinged with apology.

“Lady Melorin, please don’t take what happened this morning to heart.”

Her voice dropped low, carrying a subtle hint of probing.

“The Demon King… sometimes has rather… special ways of expressing herself.”

Melorin paused.

Special ways of expressing herself?

She didn’t understand why Lilith would deliberately bring up the morning’s events.

Was she trying to comfort her?

Or hinting at something else?

Unable to grasp the intent behind the head maid’s words, she could only smile vaguely and wave her hand.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

She tried to make her tone sound light.

“After all… it was the Demon King’s reward to me.”

“Exactly, exactly!”

Sylvia immediately chimed in.

“The Demon King’s rewards are something people can only dream of!

I pray every day to be rewarded by the Demon King just once!”

Her face was full of longing.

“That feeling of being personally cherished by the Demon King… ah… just imagining it makes my whole body burn!”

Listening to this, a trace of pity flashed through Lilith’s eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

“Sylvia.”

Melorin turned to look at her, a gentle yet resolute smile on her face.

“As long as you complete the tasks the Demon King assigns you properly, I believe the Demon King will reward you too.”

“Really?!”

Sylvia’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Lady Melorin, you’re so kind!

I’ll definitely work hard!”

Looking at Sylvia’s innocent yet fanatical expression, Melorin felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if pricked by needles.

Sylvia… I’m sorry.

She spoke silently in her heart.

I believe that once you recover, you’ll understand my difficulties.

For now… all I can do is endure.