‘Why is there so much emotion in the question?’

It was a dark balcony, and the other person was wearing a black mask, so it would have been hard to make out their face. As though he recognized who it was. 

 “Although I know the person, I don’t know them well.”

 [Could you tell me who it is?]

He spoke again in a respectful, calm voice as if he knew he had asked it in a rising voice before. 

 “A man by the name of Gabe Jenade, the master of the South magic tower.”

 [A tower master? Really?]

“Yes. I don’t have a hobby of telling lies.”

[I do not doubt the words of the lady. I apologize if there was a misunderstanding.]

Even though I didn’t express displeasure, Duke Kreundel apologized cautiously.

“No, it’s okay. But why did you ask that?”

[Perhaps that person is related to the disappearance of my sister.]

 “What, the master of the South Tower?”

Considering Gabe Jenade’s involvement in the rifr incidents during the founding ceremony and the recent Madame Montgomery’s party, Duke Kreundel’s speculation could not be easily dismissed.

If Gabe Jenade was the cause of the rifts, he might also be the one who kidnapped Kreundel’s sister.

Though the details were unclear, Duke Kreundel had lost his sister and parents in a fire incident.

Eliminating one of the four major families seemed advantageous for Irkalla.

‘Why would Gabe Jenade kidnap Kreundel’s sister without k*lling her?’

There was something else I didn’t understand. 　 

 “The God of the Underworld is watching you.”

 “Be careful.”

Gabe Jenade’s warning on the balcony, that Irkala was watching me.

 If Gabe was one of the Cultists of Irkalla, then it would be best if he didn’t give me any information, but my thoughts were cut short when Duke Kreundel spoke. 

[Thanks to the lady, I got some clues. Thank you.]

“I’m glad it was helpful, but….”

Suddenly, I felt uneasy. Because of the abrupt appearance of the rift, our meeting might not have concluded with a clear answer. I asked with an anxious heart.

“But, Your Grace. We agreed to make a deal, right?”

 […….]

 “Your Grace?”

 [I was already thinking of it as a partnership].

 “Haha……. I was checking, just in case.”

I was worried that he might say that this was the end of the deal now that he had a clue. 

 ‘No, Duke Kreundel wouldn’t do that.’

Except for the fact that he had a contract with a sin, he was someone who embodied justice, principles, and rules.

 [I’m going to focus my investigation on him, as the Lady informed me, and I’ll start by looking into the movements of the South Tower].

 “I heard he spends most of his time at the Angellus mansion, he’s Miss Dorothea’s teacher.”

 [Is that information from the lady’s informant, too?]

“Well, yeah…….”

That wasn’t information from an informant but something I had seen and experienced. However, to avoid the hassle of explaining, I went along with it.

 [I know that all the lady needs from me is the power of sloth, but if there is anything else you would like me to do for you, please let me know. I’ll help if it’s something I can assist with, separate from our deal.]

‘Oh? What’s going on here?’

For some reason, Duke Kreundel seemed favorably disposed towards me.

Did I unintentionally show a good side to Duke Kreundel during our past interactions? While pondering the recent events, I nodded slightly.

‘No. I was just a lone blackmailer.’

Regardless of the other person’s feelings, creating connections was always beneficial. Especially the favor of the head of one of the Four Great Families—it was even better. I looked down at the communication magic device with a slight smile.

“Well, I have a small and humble favor to ask.”

[What is it?]

“Can I call you by your name?”

Perhaps because my request was sudden, Duke Kreundel’s reply came a long time later. 

 [……What?]

“We have a cooperative relationship, but it feels a bit stiff to call each other ‘Your Grace’ and ‘Lady.’  so stiffly.

[Sure.]

“… If you don’t like it, just let me know.”

 [Ah.]

 “……Unless you don’t like it.”

I immediately took a step back, wondering if I had overstepped my bounds by pretending to be friendly so suddenly, fearing that I might ruin what little positive rapport I had gained, but Duke Kreundel was generous.

[Well, Elodie.]

The fact that he called me by my name was as good as permission. I quickly responded, fearing that Duke Kreundel might change his mind.

 “Yes, Leon.”

[Let’s discuss what comes next.]

At the young man’s words, who seemed to know only the basics, I frowned slightly.

“Haha, yes. We should discuss it.”

[The Lady no, Elodie, you said you needed the power of sloth to wake up someone in a coma].

 “Right.”

 [So, I checked if Sloth could directly achieve it, but he answered that while he could put someone into a dream, he couldn’t wake them up from it.]

Did that mean Sloth couldn’t wake someone in a comatose state? However, I clearly remembered what the goddess Ishtar told me.

 [My Fifth Child, Find the Dream…….]

The fifth child was Leon Kreundel, a descendant of the Seven Heroes, and the dream undoubtedly referred to Sloth currently sealed within the Kreundel family. As a god, she wouldn’t speak empty words.

‘She told me about it. Then, could it be…?’

As one possibility crossed my mind, I immediately threw out the question. 

 “Leon, do you think I could use the power of sloth myself?”

 [Would there be a difference if Elodie uses it?]

“Maybe.”

I had a strong intuition that my purifying ability might play a crucial role in waking up my biological father.

 After a moment of silence, I heard Duke Kreundel’s voice. 

 [I asked Sloth, and it said only the contractee can use the power.]

For a moment, I wondered if the wicked Sloth was lying. However, my doubt was quickly dispelled.

[That’s right. Only the contractee can use it.]

Greed, which I thought was asleep, answered instead.

 When the two sins spoke together, I, a mere mortal, had no choice but to believe them.

Honestly, I felt disappointed. I had believed firmly that persuading Duke Kreundel would immediately wake up my father. However, there was no time to despair.

[I can terminate the contract, but I still need the power of sin]

 “You’re using that power to find your sister, aren’t you?”

 [Yes, I am].

This time the answer was clear. 

 “Then I must do everything in my power to help you find your sister as soon as possible.”

***

How can the Duke of Kreundel naturally identify Gabe Jenade’s face? The answer was clear to Mario.

[The battle to subjugate demonic beasts will take place soon.]

“The battle to subjugate demonic beasts……”

Without realizing it, I stumbled over my words, and Mario chuckled, responding.

[Yes. This is a battle to subdue demonic beasts that the young lady has never attended.]

“I don’t have a hobby of sitting in the scorching sun.”

[Only the young lady feels that way. The other young ladies are unconditionally attending, right?]

That’s because they wanted to look at the good-looking men attending the battle to subdue demonic beasts.

Since I was originally the fiancee of the First Prince, I had no reason to admire other handsome men, and above all, I didn’t like active events.

Indoor events were always better.

[I don’t know because I’ve never attended, but all magic tower owners in all directions must attend the battle to subdue the demonic beasts.]

As it happens, Gabe Jenade is scheduled to come to the battle to subdue the demonic beasts, which I had been absent for the entire time due to health reasons.

 Mages are very individualistic, and each Tower lord has its own tendencies, but Gabe Jenade, the Lord of the South Tower, was known for his secretive nature.

Since his whereabouts were uncertain, it wasn’t easy to observe or meet him personally.

Even though I had attended a few official events, I hadn’t recognized Gabe Jenade when I saw him at a restaurant in the past.

[Well, then I’ll go and take care of the task the director assigned to me.]

“Thanks, Mario!”

 [What for. I’ll just do what I’m told. Well then, that’s it -.]

As soon as I ended the communication with Mario, I let out a deep sigh. 

There’s no way I’d want to go to a battle to subjugate a demonic beast, waiting endlessly to defeat it.

A battle to subdue demonic beasts.

It was a so-called show event, where a camp was set up in a place where medium-sized demon beasts appeared, and those with outstanding military skills from noble families subdued the demon beasts.

It could be said to be an event to show off to the people that the imperial family is making efforts to prevent the number of demonic beasts from increasing.

 In a way, it was a transformed version of hunting competitions held in other countries, with the target changing from animals to beasts.

The emperor even gave a reward to the person who caught the most demon beasts.

‘Rather than senseless animal sl*ughter, demon subjugation might be better.’

Especially, the demon subjugation event was Carlot’s favorite among official events.

I had even heard rumors that he was called the ‘God of Destruction’ because he unleashed his earth-shattering powers outdoors. 

 “Ugh…….”

I began to walk hesitantly, letting out a deep sigh.

 My purpose was to get permission from Duke Perdia. Each head of the noble families had to submit a list of participants to the imperial palace to attend.

Upon arriving at the duke’s office, I was surprised to find the door opening before I even had a chance to knock.

“Why are you standing there without coming in?”

As I discreetly entered, the duke was seated on the sofa.

  ‘Weren’t you about to leave?’

Sitting across from him, I went straight to the point.

“Father, I want to go watch the demon subjugation event.”

 “…….”

His golden eyes stared at me with suspicion. It was a look that seemed to say, “Are you planning to cause trouble again?”

“I’ve been seeing demons up close a lot lately. So, I thought it might be a good idea to learn how to deal with them by watching others subjugate them.”

I rambled on with my explanation.

‘Even I have to admit, it’s a ridiculous excuse.’

However, what surprised me was the gradually softening gaze of Duke Perdia.

“That’s not a bad idea.”

‘Is this… really happening?’

Obtaining permission so easily made me feel fortunate today. However, that was a hasty judgment.

 “On one condition.”

True to Perdia Duke’s liking for conditions, there was no way he would let it pass just like that.

“What condition is it?”

As I asked the question, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Entering was Jansi. He seemed not to have noticed my presence before, but as he briefly glanced at me, he brightened up and smiled.

 “I see Lili is with you, Father.”

 “Good timing, Jansi. You’ll accompany Elodie and make sure to protect her well during the upcoming demon subjugation event.”

It wasn’t a suggestion; it was an order. Just like when he had proposed something similar to me before, neither Carlot nor Jansi had the option to choose.

“Yes, Father.”

Watching Jansi obediently follow the command, I smiled inwardly. Perhaps  Duke Perdia thought that Jansi could control me well.

‘But, can he really?’

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