Valeslina and Sophia now in the guest room, each wearing a fresh set of clothing. Around Valeslina’s neck was a bandage adorned with a magic circle.
Normally, Valeslina would remain unharmed by any weapons, but the artifact wielded against her was potent enough to inflict a wound.
After the incident with the spy, Sophia had clung to Valeslina in tears. Unable to endure the grotesque scene of the spy’s final moments, she had vomited on Valeslina’s dress before passing out.
In response, the Emperor offered them the guest room for the night—a proposal Valeslina readily accepted.
Now, Sophia y asleep on Valeslina’s p.
Curled up on top of her was Seraphix, peacefully snoozing. Valeslina’s gaze lingered on the cat, her thoughts drifting back to the earlier incident.
'That was only an aura…'
Valeslina trusted Naphael’s judgment when it came to sensing; his abilities far surpassed those of any creature she had encountered in her entire life.
Though she hadn’t experienced it directly, she’d seen the change in the spy’s eyes. Those were eyes that had embraced death.
If there was one thing Valeslina understood about humans, it was their indomitable will to live. Witnessing it shatter in mere minutes had been a new experience for her.
Her attention returned to Seraphix, his expression stirring a faint smile.
'Perhaps... Seraphix could grant my long-awaited wish.'
***
I awoke on top of Sophia, blinking sleepily as I took in my surroundings. Valeslina sat across from me, her eyes fixed on me with a calm, contemptive look.
'That’s different from her usual thirsty stare,' I thought, ignoring her gaze as I repyed the earlier events in my mind.
A gring problem had come to light during that incident.
My skill, 'Veil of the Abyss', allowed me to manipute an aura of the abyss, spreading it or seeping it into a target.
My intention had been to redirect the spy’s focus, as I did with Naphael, giving the others time to subdue him. However, instead of distraction, the aura had driven the spy into a manic, suicidal frenzy.
'This aura is more dangerous than I thought. I can’t use it carelessly on living beings.'
Then another thought struck me.
'Wait… Naphael tanked that aura and was fine?'
I shook off the thought and turned my attention to the more pressing matter: Valeslina.
Despite the chaos, I hadn’t been particurly worried about her safety. Even with lower mana reserves than Naphael, I was confident she could have handled herself.
Focusing on her, I checked her status window.
---
Valeslina Kovalevska (Koshchei) Level: 1,489 Mana Capacity: 49,197 Occupation: Owner of Mystica Dynamics Co.
Strength: 283 Intelligence: 2,695 Agility: 587 Dexterity: 875 Vitality: 3,005
Skills: Undying
---
Valeslina was an anomaly, much like Mathilda—an outlier in this world. If she’d wanted to, she could’ve easily freed herself. After all, the spy had only two-digit stats, even with high mana capacity.
I frowned as irritation built inside me. One of my biggest peeves, even in my previous life, was helping people who could help themselves.
“You could’ve freed yourself,” I blurted out.
Valeslina’s eyes widened, but instead of anger, her expression softened into a warm smile.
A peculiar sensation crept into my mind, a voice speaking directly to me.
"Sir Seraphix, I hope you don’t mind me using telepathy. I want to keep this private. You might already know, but I’m not human. As for the earlier incident, thank you for helping me. You were right—I could’ve freed myself. But doing so would’ve revealed my true abilities. I hope you can forgive me; I simply want to enjoy this little family I’ve built for a while longer.”
It was the first time I’d understood someone other than Sophia.
'So telepathy bypasses the nguage barrier.'
More importantly, her words hinted that she viewed me as some powerful entity, much like Sophia did.
'Is this because they’re reted?'
I decided to store the other information for ter. For now, I needed to maintain my facade. With her high stats, Valeslina could be a valuable ally.
“I understand, Koshchei,” I replied, deliberately using a piece of information she hadn’t mentioned to appear more knowledgeable.
Her reaction, however, was unexpected: her lips trembled, and her voice quivered.
“Sir Seraphix… do you know my race? Have you met others like me?”
I hesitated before answering, “Yes… a long time ago.”
'While pying D&D back in my previous life…'
“I see…” she murmured, her eyes glistening with tears as she composed herself. “Then you might already understand my struggles. May I make a request?”
'I don’t know a damn thing!'
I instantly regretted my earlier response.
“Only if you can offer something of equal value,” I said, keeping up appearances.
“Thank you. My request is this: when the time comes, I want you to protect Sophia at all costs. And… can you grant me death?”
I blinked.
'That’s… an odd request.'
Protecting Sophia was a given—she was my master. But as for the second part…
“I’ll consider it.”
“That’s enough for me,” she said with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
Having concluded the conversation, I started to drift off, eager for sleep.
Just as I began to fade into slumber, her telepathy broke the quiet again.
"Um... Sir Seraphix, I actually have one more request."
I opened my eyes and gnced at her.
"What?"
"Can I... pat you?"
***
Grigori sank into the couch in his private library, pinching the bridge of his nose as the memory of the incident repyed in his mind.
It had been a gamble—pcing his trust in the testimony of a nine-stroke beast. Yet, the gamble had paid off: the beast’s cim had been true. The imperial guard was indeed a spy.
But that wasn’t what troubled him now.
'What kind of ability was that?'
His 'Eye of Discerning' revealed the entire room shrouded in a sinister aura, as if the space had been severed from the rest of the world.
When the aura vanished, the spy, drenched in blood, suddenly colpsed to the floor.
Then, the beast turned its gaze toward him and added,
“It’s the United Republic of Aur.”
Grigori was perplexed by the sheer absurdity of it all.
The beast had not only uncovered a spy, eliminated it, and revealed its true identity—all in a matter of moments.
'How did it know? When did it conduct its investigation? How!?'
He sighed deeply, frustration threading through his thoughts.
“So this… is a nine-stroke beast.”
***
As Grigori pondered the incident, a knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
A young man entered—the imperial prince, Calyxianov Kashnikov, Grigori's son.
"Father, I have come in response to your summons," Calyxianov said, bowing slightly, his expression calm and stoic.
Seeing his son, Grigori's features softened.
"Take a seat."
Calyxianov nodded and sat on the couch across from him.
"When are you returning to the academy?" Grigori asked.
"Winter break ends next week, so I pn to leave tomorrow."
"Will you be traveling back with Sophia?"
At the mention of her name, Calyxianov's expression shifted subtly.
"Yes."
"You'll need to postpone it," Grigori instructed. "She will be staying here at the pace for a day."
Calyxianov's face briefly showed surprise before he nodded.
"I see. Thank you for letting me know."
Switching his tone, he added, "One more thing—she's tamed a nine-stroke beast."
