Chapter 205: Wolf, Alexander, Mobius (11)

A plan requires patience. Especially when it comes to a scheme to take down a heavyweight, patience is paramount. We gathered at the mansion, sharing information about Mobius’s magic tower or verifying intel Lumia and Alice were fetching from Ithaca.

‘Lumia seems poised to cause some trouble in Ithaca.’

I brought this up while looking over the plan. Isabel, who was examining the plan with me, widened her eyes and said with a worried expression,

‘Isn’t such a radical operation dangerous?’

‘To us, watching from the outside, it might seem sudden, but apparently, the groundwork started ever since Lumia headed to Ithaca. Priests who agreed with the plan have been gathering continuously, and thanks to our last operation, I heard the Holy Knights have a high approval rating for Lumia.’

I offered positive words to ease her anxiety. Still, Isabel looked uneasy.

‘Still, what if it fails?’

‘Honestly, Alexander is someone we can’t handle.’

Alexander was a man with divine power strong enough to ascend to the position of ‘Saint,’ and destructive physical strength. The church was always filled with holy artifacts that bolstered the power of its clergy, and while the Holy Knights disdained the church’s corruption, they weren’t exactly the type to join hands with demons.

Fighting beings that are the extreme opposite of demons, in a space that is the extreme opposite of demons. That was not a fight we could possibly win. With our small numbers, even a victory could be fatal if someone died, and defeating a Saint with demonic power wouldn’t bring stability to the world either.

Therefore, Alexander had to be dealt with by Lumia and the church folk. She was preparing a very confident and ambitious plan, and it seemed various people within Ithaca were cooperating with the operation. Although the detailed specifics weren’t written down, the fact that the city was moving as one was enough to give me confidence.

‘We should focus our best efforts on capturing Mobius instead. To execute the plan, we need to know the structure of Mobius’s magic tower and the experiments he’s conducting. I wonder when the data will be compiled.’

‘Milia-nim said it would take quite a while, so she advised us to leisurely build our strength and observe the situation for the time being,’ Sophia said while mopping the floor. She looked cute today in her maid outfit. I propped my foot up and lifted her skirt; Sophia, with her thighs fully exposed, playfully lifted her skirt even higher and giggled.

‘Master. Are you a pervert?’

‘I am.’

Isabel grabbed my shoulder. Pouting, she looked down at me. Hesitantly, with a shy expression, she spun around in front of me and lifted her own skirt. Her ample white breasts and firm thighs were revealed.

She whispered to me as she lifted her skirt,

‘Evan. Since I’m right here…’

Isabel said that and clung to me like a cat. I squeezed her butt, Sophia gave me a wink and carefully disappeared outside. I kissed Isabel’s forehead and caressed her behind.

‘I’m doing this because I was worried you’d be tired today. Are you okay?’

‘I’m okay because Evan is here.’

She said that and buried my face in her chest. I felt her breasts and took a deep breath. My warm breath dampened her chest, and Isabel’s voice trembled slightly.

‘Evan…’

She called my name once more, burying her face in my hair. I asked,

‘Are you scared?’

‘It’s okay. Evan. Because Evan is beside me. Nothing is scary.’

Isabel’s voice trembled, and a hint of sadness flashed across her face. She trembled, her anxiety filling her chest, then burrowed into me again as if nothing was wrong. I held her tightly like a beast huddled against the cold wave, stroking her head.

‘It’s okay. Everything will be okay. Hmm? You’ve done well so far.’

‘Right?’

Thinking back, so much had happened. I had been rolling around in the slums, then became a slave, and came to this mansion under the name Evan. I had sworn revenge on everyone in the world, and then I met Isabel and Elena.

Our relationship, which started off a bit twisted, had eventually melted softly into each other, fitting perfectly. Before we knew it, we were moving as one, naturally dreaming of the future.

And so, we held each other tightly, sharing our breaths.

How much time had passed? Exhausted, Isabel was sleeping soundly in my arms. I playfully squeezed her chest like a sponge, then carefully picked her up. Elena, who had been reading outside, started to speak as she saw me coming out of the room but lowered her voice upon seeing the sleeping Isabel.

‘She must have been tired.’

‘Isn’t she cute?’

Elena smiled contentedly and stroked Isabel’s cheek. Isabel’s cheeks were soft like a baby’s. When I returned after laying her on the bed, Elena was still sitting in the same spot. Moonlight streamed gently through the window. Elena reached out as if to catch the moonlight, brushing away the dust particles floating in the air.

The white particles, shimmering like remnants of stars, scattered chaotically following her gesture before disappearing. I sat facing Elena and asked,

‘How have things been lately?’

Elena opened her book again and replied,

‘It’s confusing. Even just sitting here, the world is changing so drastically. I was content just being Madam’s maid, but suddenly we’ve become a huge force. The Demon Realm Branch Manager, the Demon King… What is all that?’

It was true. We had grown significantly. We were a weighty force that couldn’t be hidden by a small mansion. Taffy, the Demon Realm Branch Manager, was asleep in the attic, and a Succubus was just a glance away. There was another branch manager allied with us at the academy, and I had somehow become the demon closest to the Demon King.

‘Are you scared?’

‘I am. I’m scared that everything might change suddenly. The world is changing too fast for me to adapt, and I’m afraid tragedy might strike before I get used to this happiness.’

Tragedy held various meanings. The tragedy of the Holy Knights attacking while we slept. The tragedy of the demon Lilith suddenly ending us using some scheme. The tragedy of the Hero’s party attacking all at once, or the tragedy of us being defeated by Mobius.

Elena turned her head and wiped away her tears. She seemed to be trying not to cry, but her tear ducts wouldn’t obey.

‘Ah… Talking about this now feels like it’s ruining the mood. I’m sorry. I was being a bit much, wasn’t I?’

I reached out my hand. Elena tightly grasped my hand and placed it on her head. Mentioning the killing of the Hero’s party felt like walking on thin ice just to utter the words. Taking their heads, overthrowing the Hero. With the Hero’s head as a trophy, creating a new world.

Grand, radical talk was no longer fantasy. Could we adapt to this pace once everything was over? How should we live from now on? Even meticulous plans become meaningless in the face of fate’s tremors. We could only think of the best course of action and pray to someone.

‘Evan. Stay like this for a moment.’

Elena looked at me, and I placed my hand on my head, trusting the people who believed in me.

I looked up at the moon. Elena held my hand tightly, slowly pulling me closer. I pulled her into my embrace, patted her back, and said,

‘Everything will be alright. You’ve done well so far. Hmm?’

‘Right?’

Elena clutched my clothes tightly. I nodded and held her until she fell asleep.

And then I came out to the backyard. In the place brightly lit by starlight, I sat on a chair and let out a heavy sigh. It was a night filled with thoughts. Along with the chirping of insects, I heard a stifled sobbing sound, someone clinging to the wall, holding their breath.

I followed the mournful sobbing sound and found an elf there.

An elf with orange hair, hugging her slender legs tightly, weeping sorrowfully as she stared at the ground. Without looking at me, she spoke in a small voice,

‘W-why is the world changing so fast? Hmm? Why is everyone else changing and leaving me behind? Do humans always change this quickly? When I see the people I knew constantly changing, I don’t know what to do. Thinking that all the good things I knew were lies… My head is so confused.’

I sat down beside her. I didn’t touch her. I wasn’t in the mood for that today. I just sat quietly beside her, waiting until her crying stopped.

‘I really liked him…’

Petunia Titi continued to shed tears. She didn’t push me away, and I didn’t embrace her. Like stars that don’t invade each other’s space, she gazed at the sky, burning with the light of her emotions.

‘I really, really liked him…’

And so, the night passed.

We now had to race towards our great undertaking.