Clyde thought that he had seen the red-haired woman before, but he couldn't remember her well. He furrowed his brow and observed the woman. She was clearly not just a simple woman, approaching him in such a mysterious manner.
"Who are you?" Clyde asked.
"My name is Mari," Mari said as she approached Clyde. She still had a wide smile and approached Clyde with a very cheerful demeanor. All of this only made Clyde more suspicious of her true identity.
"That doesn't answer anything," Clyde replied in a flat and cold tone.
Mari tried to lean towards him, but Clyde immediately stepped back reflexively. He didn't bother hiding his suspicion either. In a situation like this, it was natural for Clyde to be cautious, especially with someone he had just met.
Seeing Clyde move away from her, Mari didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled and then spoke in a whisper, "I am a follower of Demon Duchess Gremory."
Upon hearing that name, Clyde couldn't hide his surprise. His eyes widened as he looked at Mari. It had been a very long time since he had heard the name Gremory.
"We can't talk here," Clyde said.
"We can go to my place," Mari replied. She then began to walk, and Clyde followed her.
As they walked, Clyde looked around to make sure no one was following them. Some beings stared at them with curious looks, but then they quickly averted their gaze, not seeming too interested.
So far, Clyde felt that Mari was a very strange figure. First of all, why would there be a follower of Gremory in this place? The last he knew, this fortress was a very safe place where beings who disliked Celestials and wanted to hide from them lived. So, no Celestial could find them here.
Yet, the figure in front of Clyde right now was a follower of Gremory – a Celestial. And she is a Demon Duchess at that.
Mari led Clyde into the apartment building where she lived. The apartment was arranged in such a way that it seemed Mari had been living there for a long time.
"Explain to me," Clyde demanded.
Mari turned to him and smiled. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Not really. I'm not thirsty. Just answer my questions."
Mari sighed. "You're being mean to me. Relax. We are friends because we are both followers of Demon Duchess Gremory."
"I'm not her follower," Clyde said.
"What?" Mari looked puzzled. "But... you've already completed a Personal Quest for her."
"Yes, but I didn't make any agreement to become her follower."
Mari appeared even more confused. Her forehead furrowed, and she glanced around as if seeking answers on the walls or in the furniture of her apartment.
Seeing her looking so perplexed, Clyde decided to say something.
"You don't need to worry about that now, do you? I may not be a follower of Gremory, but I do have a certain connection with her," Clyde said. "How did you end up in this place?"
Mari snapped back to reality. "I was rescued by Samuel when I was unconscious. I had become a follower of the Demon Duchess back then, but suddenly, my consciousness faded, and I woke up in this Fortress."
"And you can still contact her?" Clyde asked.
"Yes," Mari nodded simply.
"How?"
"Well, I use my soul to communicate with her. Every time we establish a connection, my soul gets chipped away little by little," Mari said. She stated it as if it weren't a significant issue, even smiling. Clyde couldn't quite understand this girl.
Mari let out a chuckle at Clyde's expression. "You must be wondering why I would do that. Well, Her Majesty provided me with assistance in the Selection Stage. I'm just repaying what she did back then."
Clyde decided not to dwell on that topic any longer. Essentially, all the problems they were facing stemmed from the same source – the Selection Stage, created by the Celestials.
It was somewhat ironic to say that Mari owed something to Gremory. But when you were in the depths of despair, it was only natural to consider anyone who helped you as the good side.
"What did you want to tell me?" Clyde asked.
"Please sit."
Clyde took a seat on the plush sofa near them. Then Mari began to speak.
"You've caused a lot of commotion by killing a Celestial. Up to now, they still don't know who that deceased Celestial is, but it won't be long."
"They've also begun a search to find out who actually killed the Celestial. One of them already knows it was you."
Clyde's heart sank when Mari said that. However, it didn't take long for him to regain his composure.
"Who is it?" Clyde asked with a flat tone.
Mari blinked. "You don't seem afraid."
"There's no point in me being afraid. They'll still come, won't they? I'd better prepare myself as best I can," Clyde replied.
Mari looked at Clyde with a different expression now. There was a sense of respect and admiration in her gaze. "As expected. You're just as Her Majesty described."
Clyde had briefly wondered what Gremory had said about him, but he pushed that question aside because it wasn't important now. What mattered most was who the Celestial was that knew about him.
"It was the Demon King, Asmodeus," Mari said.
Clyde, who had been calm before, now began to feel anxiety creeping into his chest. A Demon King knew about him. Despite knowing that he had acquired various powers from the Celestial Cradle, Clyde still saw that name as a threat.
"Do you know anything about him? What are his powers?" Clyde asked.
Mari shook her head.
"Does... your master know about it?"
"Yes. She said she would tell you everything when you meet."
"So, she wants to meet me too, in the end," Clyde said to himself. "When and where?"
After that, Mari proceeded to explain how they could meet. Clyde left the apartment after hearing everything, feeling the urge to increase his Level before the confrontation with Demon King Asmodeus occurred.
Clyde went to Hammer's place to repair his swords and request a new set of armor.
As usual, Hammer asked where Clyde was going and what he would do. But Clyde remained silent about it, and Hammer didn't ask any further questions.
~~~
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