My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Chapter 66 - Dog Collar

"Darling."

Sitri’s lips twitched.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Not even the fake smile she always wore remained on her lips.

"Do I look like I’ve gone crazy?"

"Did you catch some idiot virus after your little trip to the north? Or don’t tell me you’ve mistaken me calling you ’darling’ for me actually falling in love with you?"

There were plenty of humans who made that kind of mistake.

But Ferda wasn’t one of them.

That was why Sitri had never been so flustered by anyone before.

"I know your fatal secret."

"The only thing about me worthy of the word ’fatal’ is my charm."

The greater the secret, the less one lets it show.

The more critical a nation’s situation became, or the more dangerous the matter was to those at the top, the more thoroughly it was concealed.

The same was true for demons.

Even demons could not escape the laws governing secrets.

"I heard an interesting story."

A story from the distant future.

Ferda had gathered every kind of information for his magical research.

Among them were records concerning Hell.

A chronicle recounting the moments when the Seven Great Demons of Hell had been threatened.

A complete compilation recording their fatal mistakes and weaknesses.

The demons called it the Debiromicon.

Though it appeared to contain highly confidential matters, it was actually a book that humans could also read.

The reason was simple.

It was both a declaration that they would never repeat the same mistakes and, at the same time, a trap for fools.

Anyone who studied the Debiromicon hoping to exploit a demon’s weakness always ended up being outwitted instead.

It was always the result of arrogantly believing they were different.

But Ferda truly was different.

He had read those demonic records a full fifteen years later.

And what he was speaking of now was something that would happen during those fifteen years.

"I heard the absurd story that one of the countless children born to the Great Demon Sitri, who spent her days indulging in debauchery, stole your Life Vessel."

"What are you talking about?"

Sitri tilted her head.

"So you don’t know about it?"

"Of course not. I haven’t the slightest idea what kind of nonsense you’re spouting, darling."

"I see."

True to her nature as a seducing demon, she kept her composure remarkably well.

Ferda leisurely observed her face.

He waited only for the moment when that mask would finally shatter.

"Then I’ll hand Penelope over to the Magic Association."

"The... Magic Association?"

"You demons know better than anyone how much those people hate demons, don’t you? What do you think would happen if I handed them not just any demon, but one capable of exposing the weakness of the Great Demon Sitri?"

Ferda spoke as though singing.

"They’ll conduct a thorough examination of Penelope’s body. It may take time, but eventually they’ll uncover the truth. And when that happens—"

"Enough."

Sitri cut him off.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The silky aura of temptation she had radiated moments ago became cold, piercing thorns.

"Who was it?"

Sitri’s mask had broken.

"Which bastard told you a secret like that?"

Her gaze burned into him.

It felt as though she were desperately trying to peer into the depths of his soul.

"It couldn’t have been my daughter. If that idiot had said anything or even hinted at it, she’d already be back in my hands."

"What if I figured it out myself?"

"I’m not underestimating you. But I’m not overestimating you either. Even the Grand Dukes don’t know about this yet. There’s no way a mere human could learn it before they do."

"You’ve stopped calling me darling. Are you getting impatient?"

"Yeah. I am. So answer me already... unless you want to spend eternity burning in Hell."

Sitri threatened him with her long fingernails.

"Don’t threaten me. Do you want to end up like a filthy fly yourself?"

Even the demons of Hell had rules.

The higher a demon’s rank, the stricter those rules became.

Climbing to the top was difficult.

Falling from it took only an instant.

"You think I can’t do it?"

Her sharp nails pressed firmly against Ferda’s skin.

"You violated our agreement. I told you to hand Penelope over to me, yet you’re trying to use her against me."

Ferda replied calmly.

"You asked me to rescue Penelope. And I did."

"No. I clearly told you to send her to me. This is a breach of contract, Regent."

Ferda let out a scoff.

"And didn’t you violate it as well?"

"What?"

"You said you would send ’all of us’ back safely. But I never escaped from that place. What do you have to say about that?"

"You should’ve killed Penelope, obviously. Reverse summoning her back to Hell would’ve solved everything."

"And what if I didn’t know that? You made the rescue itself the condition. And I rescued her safely. If anyone violated the agreement, it was you."

"You think this is some kind of word game?"

"Isn’t that your kind’s favorite pastime?"

The word games of demons.

How many people had been tempted and destroyed by them?

"If it bothers you that much..."

Ferda crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

"Then let’s settle it in court."

When disputes arose over contracts, they could be resolved in the Demon Tribunal.

And Sitri would undoubtedly win.

But would she really bring the matter before the court?

She couldn’t.

Because the moment the words Life Vessel came out of his mouth...

Her greatest shame would be exposed to the entire world.

Sitri fell silent.

She had been completely cornered.

"You said it yourself."

Ferda smiled faintly.

"Even the Demon Race can become excellent dogs... as long as they’re fitted with the right collar."

"It seems even a demon can become an excellent dog."

"Heh..."

Sitri let out a quiet laugh.

"Hehehe... Hahahahaha!!"

She burst into loud laughter.

Had she finally lost her sanity?

"You know something, oppa?"

"...Oppa?"

"You’re incredibly sexy right now, oppa."

This atmosphere was completely different from her usual false seduction.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Fine. I’ll do it. It’s true that I made a deal with Abel Silverwind. Anything else?"

She slowly ran her long tongue across her lips.

Panting softly, she said,

"For you, oppa... I’d do anything."

It was even more unsettling than when she had turned cold.

"Back off."

"Hehe... You’re so prickly. Even playing hard to get is unbelievably charming."

Sitri obediently stepped back.

"So... what about my question?"

"What question?"

"The informant who told oppa all that."

No one had told him anything.

He knew it because it happened in the distant future.

Naturally, there was no way to explain that.

So he simply answered,

"Barbatos."

One of the Seven Great Demons of Hell.

The Demon of Shadows and Intrigue.

And the demon most likely to have dealings with Ferda.

"Barbatos... That’s unexpected. I never thought I’d hear that name."

Sitri muttered quietly.

She didn’t look like someone who had found an answer.

More like...

Whatever.

"Then until next time, handsome oppa. Make sure you take good care of that dog collar until we meet again."

Mwah.

With a blown kiss, her figure disappeared completely.

Dawn arrived.

***

"Ugh..."

A Dark Elf.

Having used emergency escape magic, only her body had managed to reach this place.

"Damn it..."

She had barely found a place to hide, but there was no escaping the freezing cold.

Even for an elf with exceptional physical resilience, surviving in a snow-covered mountain range was no easy task.

The icy wind seeping into the cave from outside tugged relentlessly at the Dark Elf’s fading consciousness.

Then suddenly...

She jolted awake.

Someone was approaching.

"Who’s there?!"

The only thing she had was a stone clenched in her hand.

Even so, she glared fiercely at the intruder.

What emerged outside the cave was a massive figure that blocked nearly half the entrance.

The Dark Elf could see him clearly.

He possessed crimson eyes and sharp fangs.

"There you are, Director Linne."

"..."

The man slowly looked Linne over before speaking.

"We received reports of a disturbance. Judging by what I see, every word of it was true."

"You Demon Race bastards are just as filthy as ever. What, are you another one standing in line just to get a look at an elf’s body?"

"What a pointless remark."

"If you know it’s pointless, then hand over some clothes. At this rate, I’m going to freeze to death."

The Demon Race man extended his hand.

His massive, bulging muscles looked intimidating.

"The journal and the samples come first."

"You can see the state I’m in. Of course they’re no longer in my possession."

"So they ended up in their hands."

"Yeah. I failed."

"You know better than anyone what happens to failures."

Linne growled.

"So what? Since I failed, you’re going to execute me on the spot?"

"You’ll be escorted back as a prisoner instead of a research director. Then you’ll stand trial."

"Go ahead and put me on trial! Every bit of that research is inside my head. I’m the only one who knows how to recreate those samples and how to continue the project."

"We have those among us who practice necromancy. Extracting what’s inside your head won’t be difficult."

"Those idiots? Ha! How perfectly do you think those creepy know-it-alls can reproduce my work by poking around in my head? They’ll end up making nothing more than children’s toys before regretting it!"

The man merely looked down at her.

She forced herself to keep talking.

The cold felt deadly, but she stubbornly pushed the words out.

"You let only me survive while the rest of my people died. That day, you said it yourselves. Out of all of them, I was the only useful one. Are you really going to execute the most capable person you’ve got?"

"..."

"So quit wasting time and hand over those damn clothes."

The man stared at her for a moment before tossing over a coat.

Linne quickly wrapped herself in it.

The inside was warm thanks to a Warmth Magic spell.

"Was it Ferda Valdrova who did that to your eyes?"

Linne clenched her teeth tightly and nodded.

"I never imagined I’d be defeated by that brat."

"I’d heard he was exceptional compared to ordinary humans. His name is even being discussed at the Round Table now."

"’Exceptional compared to ordinary humans’ doesn’t even begin to describe him. Even those words underestimate him."

"Then how would you evaluate him?"

Linne pulled the coat tightly around herself.

"Throughout all of history, there has never been anyone like him."

"You’re afraid."

"I’m only being objective. The moment he caught me off guard... I felt it."

She recalled the image of Ferda after Lightning Bolt pierced her eye.

What she had seen was a young man with gray hair.

Blue eyes whose intentions were impossible to read.

Within those blue eyes, she sensed something strangely familiar.

"That bastard is a madman who’s fought mages stronger than himself over and over again."

The eyes of a great hunter who compensated for insufficient power with skill, always looking several moves ahead and overwhelming his opponents.

The moment Linne saw those eyes, she knew she had already lost.

That was why she abandoned the fight and escaped using an emergency escape scroll.

The man glanced outside.

The fierce snowfall had gradually begun to subside.

"It’s time we moved."

The man stood up, but Linne hesitated.

"Is there... no way for me to avoid punishment?"

"You already know the answer."

The man replied coldly.

"All you can do is hope the council accepts your assessment that he’s a madman."

The Demon Race were all like this.

They had no emotions.

No guilt.

They would judge the value of her life through calculation alone.

The only thing I can do is prove how valuable I am.

Linne hugged the coat tightly.

I... will survive.

Survival.

That was the promise she had made to herself the moment she laid her hands on Godwin’s blood.

***

The central-eastern region of the peaceful Cerdes Continent.

The Rosnova territory was also enjoying peaceful days.

Its former head, Erembalt, had retired due to old age, while his two sons successfully carried on the family’s legacy.

Then, without warning, disaster struck the household.

Not that cannons or catapults had literally attacked.

In fact, that would have been preferable.

"Hello, Head of the House. You know who I am, don’t you?"

Standing before Erembalt was a young girl.

She spoke with an innocent voice, yet her tone was utterly impudent.

Ordinarily, Erembalt would have shouted at such a child for speaking so disrespectfully.

"Yes... I know very well."

But he dared not do so.

Because appearances were deceiving.

The little girl standing before him was far older than he was.

"You’re the great role model among mages, Lady Erdes, are you not?"

"Oh my, a role model? You don’t have to flatter me like that. I know people call me the beautiful troublemaker."

That was a difficult remark to respond to.

She certainly was a troublemaker.

But "beautiful young girl" was another matter entirely.

"What brings you to this humble place?"

Erembalt desperately wanted to know her purpose.

Erdes was like a storm.

She appeared without warning, turned everything upside down, and disappeared.

Depending on the circumstances...

People disappeared as well.

Erembalt himself could become one of them.

"Oh, it’s nothing much. I don’t intend to reduce this place to ruins, so relax."

"Y-Yes... Of course. That possibility never even crossed my mind."

"But depending on how things go... I just might."

Erembalt swallowed hard.

I’ve been caught by a genuine lunatic.

With a flick of Erdes’s finger, a map emerged from her robes and spread itself across the table.

"What do you think this is?"

"A... map?"

"That’s right. A map engraved onto mana paper. The people in our Magic Tower use it to observe the flow of mana."

After that brief explanation, she pointed at one location with her small staff.

"Where do you think this is?"

"Judging by the markings... Count Consilus’s castle."

"Correct. And what about this place?"

"Hmm... somewhere in the northern... mountains?"

"Be specific."

"That would be... Silverwind’s territory."

"Exactly! That’s a relief. If you were as dense as Blue, I’d be getting annoyed."

She smiled sweetly as she lowered her staff.

"Why do you think I pointed out those two places?"

"Eh? W-Well..."

Erembalt stared down at the map.

He couldn’t bring himself to raise his head.

He lacked the courage to meet the meaning hidden behind that subtle smile and those eyes.

"I-I’m sorry. My foolish mind cannot understand..."

"That’s fine. You’re not a mage, so how could you? Besides, unlike Blue, at least you’re aware that you’re stupid."

Only then did Erembalt realize that the Grim Reaper had been standing behind him the entire time.

With every wrong word...

Every wrong action...

Every wrong choice...

He would die.

Why?

Why do I feel this way?

The answer was simple.

"A Bending Bridge Magic spell was used here. One connected to Hell."

Because of Black Magic.

Her hatred for Black Magic was legendary.

"I-Is that so...?"

"But I don’t believe Count Consilus was the one who used it."

"T-Then..."

"Think a little harder. If it wasn’t Count Consilus, then who was it? One of his relatives? His children? Or..."

She smiled.

"Someone above him?"

"Someone above him..."

Then it all connected.

Why this troublesome mage had come to see the head of a knight family.

"Ferda..."

His third son.

The son he had cast aside.

Everything had happened because of him.

"There are traces that Regent Valdrova has made contact with a demon."

Erdes Roton.

Erembalt knew better than anyone how intensely she despised Black Magic.

Anyone connected to Black Magic faced, at minimum, the extermination of their entire family.

Which meant the complete destruction of House Rosnova.

"P-Please... spare us!"

Erembalt dropped to his knees.

The proud crest of his knightly house was pressed into the floor.

"I swear it! I have nothing to do with that boy! From the day he left this house, we’ve been complete strangers! We haven’t even exchanged a single message!"

Rubbing his hands together desperately, he begged for his life.

Erdes continued smiling as she watched him.

"I know."

"You worthless little knight had nothing to do with it."

Her tone suggested understanding.

Yet it brought him no comfort.

There was no mercy in her anger.

This fact alone was enough to wipe out House Rosnova.

But today...

She had no intention of doing that.

"So..."

She spoke with a smile.

"Tell me."

There was only one thing she wanted.

And that single thing was unimaginably significant.

"Tell me everything... about that man named Ferda."