"When are you going to return?" Arieda, as she eats while sitting on my lap, asks.

"I will be returning in three days. Might be earlier if my subordinates can finish their job faster."

"What kind of job?" Haletha asks curiously before widening her eyes as she realizes what she just asked. "Oh, sorry. I shouldn't be too privy to it."

"It is fine," I wave off her apology. "As I said, I am currently eating the Temple from the inside. I kill whom I want to and my subordinates are the ones making it possible. They are currently doing their best to convince the board members to send the High Paladins I want to kill."

"I don't mean to criticize you but you are playing with fire here. The Temple's constant failed attempts might spark an all-out war between the Verniculos Kingdom and the Temple Kingdom. We may win the war but we will suffer great damage. Another thing to consider is the fact that the Temple is not our only enemy."

Haletha pauses and looks at Valeria hesitantly. "Have you thought about this possibility before letting Layland execute his plan, Lady Valeria?"

"It is not my business," Valeria answers, stunning Haletha. "What Layland does in accomplishing his task doesn't matter. What matters is he succeeds in the end. Besides, even if I had not agreed with his plan, he would still do it nonetheless. I have no right to stop him because, as I said, it is not my business."

Haletha seems to still have something to say but she holds herself back. The way she looks at me makes it clear that she is afraid that what she will say will hurt my feelings. I am not that sensitive but I appreciate her choice. She might ask if Valeria doesn't consider the possibility of my failing and Valeria will roast her for that. It is better to not see it happen.

"So...can I follow you back to Antares?" Arieda asks expectantly. "I won't disturb you. I will just watch how you work and learn from you how to be a great leader."

"You are welcome to come to Antares anytime but I have to warn you that I don't spend my time in the office often. More than 70% of my time is spent on the battlefield; so, if being on my side 24/7 is your goal, you have to bleed a lot."

"That is great! You can fulfill your promise to take me on an adventure with you this way."

Humming as I recall when I made such a promise, a light smile creeps on my face afterward.

"That is a great idea indeed. I plan to go on an adventure with Eliseus to the Ritzmandu Abyss after the next Paladin operation. You should join our exciting journey. We will see a lot of new things and have a good time there."

The Ritzmandu Abyss is one of the unexplored regions in the Demon Realm. Cursed Creations have lived there for millennia but we just lack the motivation to explore our region because the neighbor's lawn is greener. That is not a metaphor, unfortunately, since we don't have green vegetation on our land. Hence, the other side is more mouth-watering to us.

There is another reason why we don't explore our region much and it is the main reason why no one is eager to do it. The Demon Realm contains a lot of cursed powers that can even kill Demon Kings upon exposure. It is not improbable that something as dangerous as the Seed of Darkness is buried here in our land somewhere.

As someone who has a broken Origin like Pride, I am intrigued by these cursed powers, which is why I decided to explore the Demon Realm. I am going to become the Demon Realm's <anno data-annotation-id="8380f160-ed92-8c36-04ec-93f99f703efc">Ferdinand Magellan </anno>and let those who call me crazy know that they are just thinking backward.

That aside, you may be wondering why I decided to bring Eliseus with me--I didn't. She was the one who asked me if she could join me on my journey. Naturally, I could see that she has a hidden agenda the moment she hit me up. She might be planning to finish me off but I still let her join me. I am fully aware that I am still weaker than her but when things go south, I am sure I can win.

With that being said, I will not bring Arieda with us. She will become a burden and a victim of our clash should it happen.

"I don't think you should ever join Layland on this journey," Haletha remarks.

"Why?" the daughter asks.

"The Demon Realm is a dangerous territory. Even Lord Ilschevar himself doesn't explore it carelessly. Layland is a highly competent individual but I am afraid he will not be able to take care of another's body when things get awry. Dying at your age doesn't seem funny, does it?"

"I believe in Layland!"

My mouth twitches as Arieda turns sideways and looks me in the eyes surely. I am not sure whether her dumb infatuation with me has blinded her badly or she just wants to mess with me by forcefully shoving a responsibility at me.

Before I can deliver my quip, something in my pocket vibrates--my Sound Crystal. Fishing it out, I am slightly surprised by the identity of the caller. It is Hadrian, so it means the merchants have finally convinced the Temple to send the High Paladins I want. With a slight smile, I pick up the call.

"Hadrian. Do you have good news?"

"My Lord..."

A frown immediately finds its way to my face as soon as I hear Hadrian's tone. I think about a lot of plausible bad news and hope that the merchants are not found out yet because it will be a huge loss should it happen.

"Speak--let me know what makes the news unpleasant."

"The Temple has decided to temporarily stop conducting an operation to kill you," Hadrian informs. "It has decided to hold hands with the Cresundia Kingdom and supply the Heroes of the Kingdom with its Holy Relics. The Heroes of Cresundia are coming for you."

"I see..." I smile faintly. "That is good news."

"Pardon?" Hadrian instantly responds, confused.

"Don't mind me. Just focus on your job. Keep the Black Merchant expanding."

"Y-Yes..."

Still bemused, Hadrian ends the call. Knowing Ilschevar's situation, he is well aware of how things will develop: I will have to fight by myself since Ilschevar can't leave his throne.

He may see this as a danger but I see this as an opportunity. Cresundia still has seven Heroes left, one of which hides from the public's eyes. They are more challenging than the High Paladins the Temple has. Of course, the fight will be significantly harder but I will get a lot more satisfying Power-ups from them.

"Are you aware that you look terrifying now?"

Millonia's question brought me out of my thoughts. "Oh yeah? How did I look earlier?"

"'How do I look right now?' is the more proper question," she retorts. "You are grinning like you are going to massacre an entire generation of your enemy."

Covering my mouth, I remark, "Oh...that doesn't seem to look pleasant, does it?" This is why I need to take my mask off: I need to be more aware of how my face responds to the adrenaline.

Turning my attention to Arieda, I ask, "How much have you progressed since the last time, Princess?"

"P-Pretty good, I guess," Arieda answers, somewhat flustered for whatever reason. "I am better at Elven Secret Arts and I have mastered another two of them. It might not be much from your point of view but I will be able to help you."historical

Petting her head like she is a well-behaved puppy, I say, "Good. You will certainly be of help to me." I stop petting her and then look at her seriously. The Heroes of Cresundia are teaming up against me. I am going to deal with them and I need your help. Will you help me?"

"Of course!"

"Then, I need you to infiltrate the Kingdom and find the hidden puppet master while I keep everyone busy." Noticing Arieda's confused look, I add, "The details will be explained to you later. We don't have much time left, so let's enjoy our time here while we can."

Everyone focuses on their meals afterward. I don't know why they suddenly lost interest in conversing and I figure out the reason by the time they finished their meals. They finished their meals quickly because they want to focus on conversing. I watch in interest as they talk about mundane things, taking notes of how engaged Valeria is in the conversation.

She is not as active as a normal person but she is more active than she ever was. It brings a warm feeling to my metaphorically quiet chest--seeing someone I love act like a living being instead of an emotionless, flawless doll.

Time flies like an arrow. Two days have passed and the time for me to return has come. I would like to spend some more of my time leisurely with Valeria but the Heroes are already on the move. Even though their target is me, it doesn't eliminate the possibility that they will wreak havoc in Antares.

Velucan will be able to take care of them but we will still suffer quite a significant loss. It is better to keep them away from Antares, especially now that the Temple has declared killing every human who stays in Antares is a must.

After saying my farewell to my beloved, Valeria and the Dark Elf Queen Haletha; I return to Antares with Arieda and Millonia.

<annotations style="display: none;"><ol class="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="8380f160-ed92-8c36-04ec-93f99f703efc">A Spanish sailor who happens to be the first sailor in the world.</li></ol></annotations>",