The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 1501: Epilogue 27 - Elise’s Secret (3)

Leon’s POV

I noticed Elise slipping away on her own, heading somewhere without saying a word to me.

Normally, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to it. People were allowed to have their own business, after all. The problem was that this wasn’t the first time I had gotten the feeling that Elise was keeping something from me. It wasn’t anything obvious. She wasn’t acting suspicious every second of the day or sneaking around in dark alleys like some cheap spy from a bad story. Still, every now and then, I would catch glimpses of things that didn’t quite add up.

Small things.

The way she sometimes hesitated before answering certain questions.

The way she occasionally looked at me like she knew something I didn’t.

The way she would change the subject whenever certain topics came up.

Individually, none of those things meant much. Together, though, they painted a picture that was difficult to ignore.

I had a feeling she was hiding something important from me.

And for some reason, as I watched her leave, I got the impression that if I followed her today, I might finally find out what exactly she had been keeping secret all this time.

Unfortunately, Elise wasn’t stupid.

Actually, calling her merely intelligent would be underselling her quite a bit.

She was observant. Sharp. The kind of person who noticed things most people overlooked without even trying. Following her in a normal way would be practically asking to get caught. I was pretty sure that if I tried sneaking behind a tree every few seconds, she’d spot me within five minutes and then spend the rest of the day looking disappointed in me.

And somehow, being looked at with disappointment felt worse than being yelled at.

So instead of taking the conventional route, I simply floated up into the sky.

It was a much safer option.

From above, I concealed my presence as thoroughly as possible while keeping my eyes fixed on her location below.

If I was going to spy on someone, I might as well do it properly.

The view from up there wasn’t bad, either.

I looked down at the ground below, carefully tracking Elise’s movements as she traveled farther away from where we had been staying.

Eventually, she arrived at a meeting place.

And she wasn’t alone.

Someone was already waiting for her.

The moment I got a clear look at the other person, I immediately recognized her.

I had only met her briefly before, but I remembered her.

That alone was enough to catch my attention.

Were they acquaintances?

At first glance, that seemed like the obvious conclusion.

The longer I watched, however, the less convinced I became.

Something about the way they interacted felt different.

There was history there.

Much more history than what simple acquaintances would have.

As my curiosity continued growing, I focused on their conversation and listened carefully.

What followed ended up answering far more questions than I expected.

The two of them talked about Lilith.

They talked about Elise.

They talked about things that had happened long before I was involved in any of this.

Piece by piece, the truth started falling into place.

I learned more about Lilith’s past.

I learned more about Elise’s role.

I learned who this mysterious woman actually was.

Honestly, by the time I finished listening, I felt like I had just sat through several Chapters’ worth of lore all at once.

Part of me was tempted to complain.

Another part of me was just glad I finally had answers.

After learning everything I needed to know, I figured there wasn’t much point in staying hidden anymore.

So I revealed myself.

The reaction was immediate.

The moment the woman noticed me, her expression darkened.

Her face twisted into a scowl so intense that I almost felt personally insulted by how much she seemed to dislike me.

Almost.

The look she gave me wasn’t ordinary irritation.

It wasn’t annoyance.

It was genuine disgust.

The kind of expression someone reserved for a person they absolutely could not stand.

"Why are you still here?" she asked. "Didn’t I already warn you?"

I shrugged.

"You didn’t really explain anything," I said. "You told me to leave, sure, but you never actually gave me a reason that made any sense. If you genuinely wanted me gone, then maybe you should’ve explained why instead of expecting me to disappear just because you said so."

Her frown deepened.

Apparently, she wasn’t impressed by my argument.

"As someone who possesses Lilith’s body, you cannot simply wander around dangerous places whenever you please," she said. "Do you have any idea how much Satania despises the possibility of another Lilith appearing?"

The way she said Satania’s name made it sound less like she was talking about a person and more like she was talking about a natural disaster.

"If you want to live," she continued, "then I advise you once again to leave this place."

At this point, I was honestly starting to think Satania needed her own dedicated warning label.

Every conversation somehow led back to her.

It was getting to the point where I was wondering whether she was secretly responsible for every problem in the world.

I wouldn’t even have been surprised anymore.

"Honestly, everything I’ve heard so far just makes me more interested in learning about Satania," I said. "So I think I’ll stay a little longer."

The woman stared at me.

Then she sighed as though she had just realized she was dealing with an idiot.

"You truly are unfit to be Mother’s vessel."

Her gaze sharpened.

"How can you remain so calm while standing in the middle of enemy territory?"

She sounded genuinely baffled.

"I’ve already told you. You are no match for Satania. If even I can see that much, then it should be obvious to you as well."

I crossed my arms.

"And who exactly are you to decide that?"

Her eyebrows twitched slightly.

"I haven’t fought Satania."

I looked directly at her.

"You keep talking like the result is already decided. Maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re wrong. Neither of us actually knows what would happen."

"Elise," she said, turning toward her. "Have you been filling this person’s head with ridiculous fantasies?"

Her voice carried a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"I thought I raised you better than this. Your duty was to guide the vessel and ensure he followed the path laid before him."

Her expression darkened.

"But it seems I was mistaken."

Elise remained surprisingly calm despite the criticism.

"I haven’t filled Leon’s head with fantasies," she replied.

There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"If anything, I think Leon is already moving toward the fate that awaits him as a vessel."

The woman looked unconvinced.

Elise continued.

"However, there is one thing I do believe."

She looked toward me.

"I believe Leon has what it takes to stand against Satania."

For a brief moment, silence settled over the area.

Then the woman’s eyes widened.

Not because she was impressed.

Because she looked genuinely horrified.

"You’ve lost your mind, Elise."

Her tone was so certain that it almost sounded like a diagnosis.

"Do you seriously believe that something created from another being can defeat the person who defeated its creator?"

She shook her head.

The disappointment on her face couldn’t have been more obvious.

"If you truly believe that, then prove it."

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

A tremendous pressure erupted from her body.

The difference was immediate.

One moment she had seemed like an ordinary person.

The next moment it felt as though an enormous weight had descended onto the entire area.

The aura pouring from her body was overwhelming.

It was almost as if she had been suppressing her strength this entire time and had finally decided to stop holding back.

The sand around us began swirling violently through the air.

The ground trembled beneath our feet.

Even the surrounding air seemed heavier than before.

For the first time since meeting her, I got a genuine glimpse of just how powerful she actually was.

And it was ridiculous.

She fixed her gaze on me.

Her eyes were calm.

"If you manage to defeat me," she said, "then I will reconsider my stance."