Episode 579

The Wraith’s Mansion, once the laboratory of the great sorcerer Hoshigar, had long been shrouded in a gloomy aura. But recently, it had become a hub of noise and commotion.

“Let go of me, you damn lich!”

Anastasia, the third princess of the demon realm, still in her cat form, was dangling in the air, caught by Richmond the lich, and was yelling at the top of her lungs.

Richmond shook his head, looking at her with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“Why do you keep trying to escape when you have nowhere to go?”

Anastasia hissed, her eyes narrowing in defiance. “If we were in the demon realm, you wouldn’t even dare look me in the eye, you wretched lich!”

Just then, a magical gag appeared, silencing her. It was Elizabeth, surrounded by stacks of spellbooks, who had cast the spell. She glanced over her glasses at the struggling Anastasia and spoke calmly.

“Asha, remember, we’re guests here. A little decorum wouldn’t hurt.”

The three princesses, summoned from the demon realm, were currently residing in Hoshigar’s mansion in Baranown. They were there as a communication bridge, following a pact between Zeke and their adoptive father, Mephistopheles, the ruler of Pandemonium.

Anastasia, however, had been humiliated by Zeke and was constantly scheming to escape. Despite her repeated attempts, she was always caught and brought back by Richmond, yet she never gave up.

The mansion’s door swung open, and Ekaterina entered, sword in hand, drenched in sweat. Elizabeth snapped her fingers, and a cool bottle of water appeared before Ekaterina, who took it gratefully and drank deeply.

“Phew.”

She set her sword against the wall and shook her head at the sight of Anastasia dangling in the air.

“Got caught again, huh?”

Ekaterina clicked her tongue, looking at Anastasia with a mix of pity and amusement. Anastasia, desperate to speak, shook her head vigorously at Elizabeth, who, after a moment’s consideration, removed the gag.

“Damn it! I almost got away this time! You muscle-brained fool, you ratted me out to the lich!”

The three princesses had always been rivals in the demon realm, and being stuck together for so long was a new experience for them.

Ekaterina shrugged nonchalantly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Anastasia trembled with frustration, while Ekaterina seemed to enjoy teasing her sister.

Just then, a portal opened on one side of the mansion.

Elizabeth and Ekaterina tensed, ready for anything, but relaxed slightly when Zeke stepped through. Anastasia, still hanging from Richmond’s grasp, fell silent, her ears and tail drooping.

Zeke surveyed the scene, a hint of amusement in his voice. “You all seem to be getting along quite well.”

Richmond shook his head, as if to say Zeke had it all wrong. “Master, you have no idea. Even Bain, a fellow lich, has been bedridden from dealing with these witches… Ow!”

Anastasia seized the opportunity to scratch Richmond’s hand, freeing herself and darting behind the sofa.

Richmond rubbed his hand, sighing. “Honestly, I’d rather be sent to the battlefield with Bain. Fighting beasts would be easier.”

Elizabeth chuckled elegantly. “Anyone listening might think we’re being rude. Let’s be careful with our words, shall we?”

Richmond flinched at her words, knowing full well the power the three princesses held. Even as a lich, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by their presence.

Zeke gestured for Richmond to take a break, and the lich, looking relieved, retreated to the underground lab.

Once Richmond was gone, Zeke addressed the princesses. “I have something to discuss. Please, take a seat.”

Elizabeth closed her book and sat gracefully, while Ekaterina plopped down wherever she pleased. Anastasia peeked out from behind the sofa, eyeing Zeke warily.

Zeke settled into a chair and retrieved a tea set from his inventory. “Would you like some tea?”

Elizabeth accepted with a nod, while Ekaterina asked for something stronger. Zeke poured tea for Elizabeth and handed Ekaterina a bottle of strong liquor. For Anastasia, he placed a plate with a cookie on the floor.

Elizabeth sipped her tea with poise, and Ekaterina downed her drink in one go. “Not bad. Humans do know their spirits.”

Anastasia, unable to resist, emerged from her hiding spot to nibble on the cookie.

Zeke, after a moment of silence, spoke again. “I need you to contact Mephistopheles.”

Elizabeth smiled, curious. “What message would you like to convey to our father?”

Zeke set his teacup down, meeting her gaze. “Tell him I intend to attend the Demon Lords’ Council.”

The room fell silent, the princesses’ faces turning pale. The Demon Lords’ Council was a gathering of the highest-ranking beings in the demon realm, a place no human had any right to be.

Anastasia, cookie crumbs on her whiskers, shouted incredulously. “Are you kidding? A human at the council? That’s absurd!”

Ekaterina, equally shocked, glared at Zeke. Only Elizabeth maintained her composure, her expression serious.

“Surely, you wouldn’t say such a thing lightly. Do you have the qualifications to attend the council?”

Her question made the other two princesses’ expressions twist further.

“That’s impossible! A human can’t have such qualifications!”

“Even if our father chose you, this is…!”

Elizabeth’s aura flared, her eyes darkening with a demonic intensity. “Can you two not think for a moment?”

Her words were elegant, but the power behind them was anything but. Ekaterina and Anastasia fell silent, cowed by her presence.

Zeke watched them, then spoke slowly. “I’ve found the soul of the Arrogant Savior.”

The princesses’ expressions shifted dramatically. The Arrogant Savior was a being of unparalleled power, even among the demon lords.

Ekaterina, disbelief in her eyes, asked Zeke, “You… you really have the Arrogant Savior’s soul?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Believing that would be even more…!”

“I’ll show you proof.”

With a snap of his fingers, a sword appeared before Ekaterina. It was the green sword that held Arataso.

As the sword’s blue aura shimmered, something began to materialize.

With a surge of green energy, Arataso appeared, clad in emerald armor, mounted on a demon steed that glowed with an ethereal light.

It was the very image of the captain of the Morning Star’s first battalion, the most loyal knight of the Arrogant Savior.

Zeke, having inherited the Arrogant Savior’s power, had restored Arataso to his true form.

Elizabeth murmured, “The most faithful sword of the Arrogant Savior…”

Arataso’s eyes glowed with a green light, which gradually shifted to a golden hue tinged with red, like the dawn.

It signified his return to the Arrogant Savior’s service, no longer bound as a mere servant of the ‘Clear Green Wish.’

Arataso, having regained his name and power, knelt before Zeke, pledging his allegiance once more.

[Greetings to the Heir of the Great and Arrogant Savior.]

Zeke flashed a sly grin at Arataso. “Looks like you’re officially one of mine now, Arataso.”

[…I had a feeling it would come to this.]

The three princesses, overhearing Zeke and Arataso’s exchange, couldn’t help but believe his words.

“He really has inherited the soul of the Arrogant Savior.”

Elizabeta realized that Zeke had transcended the limits of mere humanity. She immediately rose from her seat and knelt before him. “I greet the Great Lord.”

Her unexpected gesture left Yekaterina and Anastasia stunned. For Elizabeta, known for her quick wit, to acknowledge Zeke as her lord meant she recognized his newfound status.

Though Yekaterina wasn’t as quick-thinking as Elizabeta, her ability to assess situations was sharp. She, too, quickly knelt and bowed her head to Zeke.

Anastasia, however, remained frozen, her eyes filled with wary suspicion as she watched him.

Zeke chuckled softly at the sight of the three princesses. “I suppose I’ve proven my point.”

He turned his gaze to Anastasia and snapped his fingers. Instantly, her feline form reverted to her original self.

“The curse… it’s broken!”

Anastasia, who had been transformed into a cat by a powerful story spell, had been unable to return to her true form by any magic. Yet, with a mere gesture, Zeke had restored her, making her acutely aware of the vast difference in his power.

Zeke addressed her directly. “Open the gateway to Mephistopheles. I intend to meet him and attend the Demon Lords’ council.”

Elizabeta, beads of sweat forming on her brow, responded nervously. “My lord, I must apologize, but opening a path to our father is beyond the power of the three of us alone. We will send word and ask for a little patience.”

Summoning a powerful entity like Mephistopheles required an enormous expenditure of karma, and creating a direct path to him would surely invite karmic retribution.

Zeke shook his head. “I’ll handle the necessary karma and causality. Just open the way.”

As avatars of Mephistopheles, the three princesses could access the dimensional coordinates that connected directly to him.

After a moment of contemplation, Elizabeta nodded in agreement. “Come, take my hand.”

At her words, Yekaterina and Anastasia moved closer, joining hands with her.

A deep hum resonated as the three princesses combined their energies, causing the air to vibrate and a portal to another dimension to form.

Zeke watched with keen interest as the gateway to Mephistopheles began to materialize.