[Karin Abyss - Official title: The pioneer of war. Demonic Title: The lady general who bleeds blue. One of the gatekeepers of the underside of the world]

Maria tried to make sense of what she had just learned from the system. She read the words a third time but they still did not reveal any additional information.

Nor did they tell her what she should have been doing next. The system was stingy like this. It would assist Maria when she asked but it never tried to guide her.

Of course, she knew what those titles meant but to connect them to the lady sitting in front of her was a little difficult for Maria.historical

“Another cup of tea? This one had caramel in it” Lady Karin asked as she gestured toward the teapot on her desk. Maria diverted her attention toward the gloved hands of the lady.

They gave her no answers in return and then Maria was back to square one again.

“No, thank you. Can we start our talk now?” Maria asked for the fifth time since the start of this meeting. She had tried to be understanding and let the lady set the pace of this meetup but she had a limit to her patience.

Lady Karin seemed to be in no hurry and had avoided her question the first four times around.

“But we are talking right now. I am asking you about the tea and you are responding to me. I find this situation to be pretty charming” Lady Karin avoided Maria’s questions once again and Maria felt her eyes burn with frustration.

Was this why Nao had decided not to accompany her inside? To let her suffer alone with Lady Karin.

The pioneer of war was a title awarded by the throne to the top-most general in the past decade. Lady Karin still held onto this title suggested that she had not been bested in combat yet.

However, the real title that had surprised Maria had been ‘The lady general who bleeds blue-blood’. It was a title given to a person that had sacrificed their place in the demonic war and placed themselves as an overlooker.

However, not every demon who denounced the war got this title. Most of them dies while a selected few became the guardians of the nodes.

Only 7 known cases had been recorded but the system had confirmed long ago that there had been 10 such demons.

No one knew why they denounced the war or why the world chose them as guardians. However, most people believed it was a testament to their powers and the world’s way to keep them on its side.

“The tea is magnificent but I don’t think it’s the main issue here. Time is of the essence and Nao tells me that we need to stop the next demonic war from erupting. I was hoping that you would be able to help me out in that regard” Maria decided to be forward this time.

She was tired of being subtle and hinting at what she wanted but it seemed to not be working.

Lady Karin was far too good at dodging her questions with words. The experience she had gained in the court was shining through.

“If such is the case then you should have said so from the beginning. I was wondering when you would catch on and finally decide to ask outright. You took far longer than I expected so I guess you do have something of ‘that woman in you as well” Lady Karin leaned ahead, her dress dipping down her breasts and giving Maria a clear view of her cleavage.

Maria tried to look away but a tight grip on her head kept her face focused on those heavy breasts.

“T-That woman? Are you talking about my mother? I mean, Lady Silvya?” A flash of irritation passed through Lady Karin’s eyes and her hand tightened on Maria’s face for a brief second.

“Don’t say her name with that face or I won’t be responsible for my actions. Oh, how I hate that bitch and all she stood for. She took my love away from me. Besides, you’re here with me so why don’t we enjoy ourselves” Maria felt her face being pushed in-between a pair of large breasts.

It was difficult to breathe and Maria tried to get out of the hold but it was unsuccessful. Maria had no other choice but to use magic to enhance her strength.

One second Lady Karin was hugging her, the next second she went flying through the air. Maria felt her heart skip a beat as Lady Karin hit the floor.

She quickly hurried toward the fallen lady’s side and kneeled to check for damage.

“S-Sorry. I was not aware of my strength and you gave me no opportunity to warn you about my attack and -” Maria felt a finger against her lips as Lady Karin pulled herself up.

She looked to be unharmed but Maria was not worried about the injury. Her mind was much more focused on the ruin of any potential goodwill she might have built with Lady Maria.

“Darn it. I was so sure that it would work on you as it did on your father. I should have known that males and females were fundamentally different, not to mention a half-demon -” Lady Karin muttered as she pulled herself up.

She seemed to not be angry with Maria but she was a great actor. Maria decided to wait for the other to gather her wits before bringing anything up again.

“-and I prepared so hard to leave a good impression on you as well. Looks like it all went down to drain once again. I wonder if this is why I have no friends of my own. I do scare away everyone I come across -” the lady continued her monologue as she moved toward the table and began cleaning it up.

Magic worked its way and soon the table was set up in a proper setting. The setting was the same as it had been when Maria first sat down.

Maria watched it all happen from her position on the floor and felt her blood freeze as Lady Karin’s red eyes met her own.

“What are you doing down there? You can come back and sit here so that we can discuss things. I’m done with my test as well” Lady Karin gestured for Maria to sit down in front of her once again.

Maria watched Lady Karin and the seat with critical eyes, her mind calculating the risk of sitting down once again. Should she sit down or should she not sit down? It was really difficult for her to decide.

(I decided to do two 1k+ chapters in a single day. It's easier for me and you get more chapters)