Chapter 36
Not long after Natalie turned and left, a familiar voice sounded from behind a large tree beside Lisbeth. When Lisbeth shifted her gaze there, a young woman in a white robe stood there, her long hair a striking sky-blue.
Lisbeth’s pupils contracted sharply. Instinctively, she pointed a finger at the figure. “Ovelia! Why are you here!?”
Indeed, the person before Lisbeth was Ovelia, one of Christia’s Personal Maids—and the one who had crafted this very body for her. To Lisbeth, she had once felt like a familiar presence. But that was only how Lisbeth had seen her days ago.
After learning Ovelia had hidden the fact that her magic power limit wasn’t restricted, Lisbeth now doubted her identity. After all, Lisbeth had once been the Hero of the Human Race. Yet Ovelia, a stranger, had taken it upon herself to conceal this. It left Lisbeth utterly bewildered.
“Well, hello there~ What’s wrong?” Ovelia grinned, pushing up her glasses. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Nothing much. Just curious why you’re here.”
Though Lisbeth was suspicious, Ovelia wore a bright smile. “Oh, is that so? Natural to wonder. But I think you have something more pressing to ask, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do have many questions. Could you answer them for me?”
Lisbeth knew Ovelia meant the magic restriction. Since she’d brought it up, Lisbeth believed she wouldn’t hide it. Just as expected, Ovelia chuckled and waved her hand. “As you know, I imposed no restrictions on your body. Instead, I gave you physical abilities rivaling a Four Heavenly Kings-level Demon Clan member. Of course, it still can’t match your original form.”
“I know that. But why did you do it? Why are you here now? And most importantly—how did you evade Natalie’s Thunder Emperor Domain?”
Lisbeth cared most about the last question. Ovelia had stood closer to Natalie than she had, yet slipped past detection unnoticed. Hearing this, Ovelia simply held up one finger and shook it. “Lisbeth, ask one question at a time. Bombarding me makes it hard to answer~”
“Is that so? Then answer them one by one. And how much do you actually know?”
Lisbeth’s tone was calm, but she’d already taken two steps back. If Ovelia said anything off, she’d retreat to her hiding spot behind the tree and draw the long sword concealed there. Unlike the wary Lisbeth, Ovelia smiled casually and sat beside a tree. “Alright, I’ll answer briefly. Start with your third question: evading the Thunder Emperor Domain is simple. Just generate lightning elements matching her domain’s wavelength. She can’t detect you. See? Easy.”
“Heh… Really that simple…”
The corner of Lisbeth’s mouth twitched involuntarily. She knew it wasn’t simple at all—just no small feat. But Ovelia was a renowned archmage from two centuries later. It wasn’t surprising she could do it. Nodding, Lisbeth said, “I understand that part. Now, answer my first two questions.”
“Well, I could—but not the first one yet~”
“Then when?”
Ovelia’s refusal confused Lisbeth again, but she just smiled. “Don’t be impatient. These things take time. I’ll tell you much eventually. Today, I’m here to convey one thing~”
“One thing?”
Seeing Lisbeth’s puzzled look, Ovelia took a deep breath. “If I’m not mistaken, Stalos invited you to sneak into my lab for a breast-enlarging potion, right?”
“Yes, that happened. But how do you know?”
“Simple. Lord Demon King ordered her to do it.”
“Hm?”
If Lisbeth had once thought Stalos acted purely for the potion, she now sensed something ominous. “First, as the Human Race’s Hero, you couldn’t easily gain our trust. Yet your recent actions were flawless. Honestly, Lord Demon King has been troubled by your purpose in coming to the Demon King’s Fortress. So she chose my lab as your test ground.”
“I see. So that’s it.”
Lisbeth finally understood. Christia wouldn’t stop watching her. This was a trap to lure her in. Stalos’s invitation was surely on Christia’s orders. Ovelia would place obviously crucial items in the lab to test Lisbeth’s loyalty. If Lisbeth took anything she shouldn’t, it’d prove she was untrustworthy. No matter the cost, Christia would never lift her surveillance. Piecing it together, Lisbeth asked, puzzled, “Then why tell me this, Ovelia? From hiding my unrestricted magic power to passing this intel—what do you mean?”
“Well, I’ll keep that secret for now~”
“I see. Still, thank you.”
“Mhm, no problem~ Time’s late. One last thing, then I’ll leave.” Ovelia stood, brushing dirt off her robe. “After you complete Lord Demon King’s test, come to my lab that night. I have words for you alone. If you distrust me, don’t come. Your choice.”
“Understood. I’ll be there.”
Watching Ovelia vanish into the forest, Clothilde spoke from Lisbeth’s sword. “Alex, do you really believe her?”
“Hmm… I’m still skeptical. But her words sounded logical. Most likely, this is still part of Christia’s test.”
“Hm? How?”
Clothilde sounded confused. “This doesn’t feel like a test. Who reveals their entire plan?”
“No, the test isn’t surface-level—it’s deeper. Christia might use this to have Ovelia gain my trust, then extract useful intel. It seems overly elaborate just for trust… but not impossible.”
“Ah, now that you say it—possible. Ugh, so troublesome. Why scheme like this even after returning home?”
Lisbeth knew Clothilde was restless, even unseen. She smiled and shook her head. “Little Sword, I know you’re lost. But understand: this Demon King’s Fortress isn’t my home. It’s my battlefield.”
