28

"Alright."

A middle-aged voice resonated from the office.

"It seems you'll need to visit the Imperial Palace soon."

The voice belonged to Bordin, the head butler.

He had come to Athena to deliver an urgent report.

"It must be quite serious if the old man himself is calling."

"I heard that there has been an incursion by demons."

The 'old man' Athena referred to was none other than the most powerful person in the Karaz Empire—the Emperor, Valre de Magstia.

This morning, a decree from the Emperor had arrived for her.

Since it had come from the Imperial Palace, it was filled with flowery language, but to summarize:

-Demons have been discovered within the palace. Come and investigate.

That was the gist of it.

The Emperor's command was absolute.

Even Athena couldn't carelessly ignore his orders.

The Emperor was well aware of Athena's unruly nature, so he rarely summoned her unless absolutely necessary.

However, on the rare occasions when something urgent occurred, he would call upon her.

Athena never refused such commands from the Emperor.

She knew that refusal would only lead to even more troublesome matters.

"Hmm… It will take at least a week…"

In the past, she might have gone immediately just to avoid boredom.

But things were different now—Hera was by her side.

Athena disliked the idea of being without her for a whole week. She even considered taking Hera with her to the palace, but she decided against it, fearing that Hera's beauty might catch the Emperor's eye.

"Honestly… being unnecessarily pretty…"

Hera had a captivating appearance that could enchant anyone.

Of course, Athena had also fallen for her, entranced by her beauty. But now, that very beauty seemed a nuisance.

No matter how Hera's appearance might change, Athena was determined to cherish her for life. Hera's charm was not limited to her looks alone.

However, Hera's allure, which could even make the Succubus Queen surrender, remained as potent as ever.

If she were to take Hera here and there, there would be no shortage of pests drawn to her.

Yet, the thought of leaving her behind also bothered Athena, imagining Hera enjoying herself in her absence. That wasn't a pleasant thought either.

While she was still pondering what to do,

"And there's also good news."

Bordin, implying there was more to report.

"Good news?"

"Yes. Haha… You'll be quite surprised."

With a confident look, he puffed out his chest and gazed at her.

His arrogant demeanor slightly irritated her.

"I have finally found it."

"…Found what?"

He spread his arms wide, striking a ridiculous pose.

And in a loud voice, he proclaimed—

"About the dragon's trace!! At first, I couldn't believe it myself. But I'm sure. I've found the mana of a dragon!"

The look on his face seemed to say, 'How about that? Bet you didn't know this?'

A dragon, huh…

Certainly, this is no ordinary matter.

An existence so detached from the world that it could be considered indifferent.

They appear like a typhoon and disappear like the wind, legendary beings rarely seen.

They show no interest in other creatures and live solely according to their own will.

Arrogant yet noble at the same time. Much like himself.

That's why she had taken an interest in dragons.

She wondered if they too lived a weary life, just like her.

If not, what kind of entertainment were they indulging in? That piqued her curiosity.

But.

"I'm not interested."

"Their traces have been discovered for the first time in decades—… What?"

Bordin was dumbfounded by my unexpected words.

As if thinking he'd misheard, he shook his head several times before speaking again.

"Haha… I must be getting very old. I'm hearing things."

"You heard correctly, Bordin. I'm no longer interested in dragons."

At my statement, his mouth gaped open.

Naturally.

Because her life felt more fulfilling than ever now.

Hera. All thanks to her.

Just looking at her made a smile bloom on her face.

Touching her felt better than holding any treasure in her hands.

And when she kissed her lips…

'Must hold back for now.'

She suppressed the dark desires creeping up in her mind.

She had no intention of recklessly touching her.

After forcing a master-servant contract on her once, ignoring her opinion, she had grown wary and guarded around her.

If she trampled on her will once more, she would likely shut her heart tightly and resent her forever.

To be honest, she did want to subdue her rebelliousness and savor every part of her body.

Even if she didn't open her heart, she could still deal with her as she pleased. She wouldn't be able to refuse.

But she didn't.

What she wanted was not Hera, who would follow her like a doll, but one who would serve him with devotion from the depths of her heart.

For that to happen, she had to come to her of her own volition.

'Of course, I'll make sure that happens.'

She had already given the order to Roselin.

With time, her heart would gradually crumble.

Then, she would simply have to approach and embrace her.

"You can stop looking into the dragons now."

"Ah… Ah, then… All my efforts…"

Bordin muttered, shocked.

Well, he had been relentlessly urged to find traces of dragons, and now his master was changing her stance as if flipping a coin. It must feel rather empty for her.

"I'll double your salary."

"Haha!! What's the big deal about dragon traces!! I will do as you say, my lord."

At the news of a salary raise, his face instantly changed. A sneer slipped out at his rather petty behavior, but there was plenty of money to spare.

Doubling his salary, or even more, wasn't a problem at all.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

If not, it seemed about time to visit Hera.

You never know.

While she will be away for a week, she wondered who else Hera might enchant.

She resolved to teach her properly so that such a thing would not happen again.

"Hmm… I just received news that the lady is heading toward the training grounds."

"What?"

"It seems the knights have a sparring session scheduled for today. She might have gone to watch that."

The news that Hera had gone to the training grounds.

Could she be interested in fighting?

Come to think of it, she remembered hearing about her nickname when she first went to Drax.

The Black Bear of the West.

A name so cute that she almost wanted to bite her, but contrary to its appearance, it was a title earned because she had torn apart so many people.

Thinking about it, when she fought her, Hera had not hesitated to kick her straight in the solar plexus.

'Doesn't seem like someone who avoids a fight.'

Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into his mind.

She felt as if she could accelerate her plans significantly.

She walked out of her office with a sly smile on her face.

"Of all the news I heard today, this is the most important."

With that, Borodin followed her out.

***

The place they arrived at after walking down the corridor together was one from where they could see the training grounds through the window.

She quietly spoke to Borodin, who was following her.

"Borodin, did you know?"

"What do you mean, Lord?"

Beyond the window, she could see her.

Hera was looking at the knights with a somewhat blank expression.

"Mana within a person always resembles the character of its master."

"Haha, yes, I know that well."

"And I am quite competitive by nature."

She closed her eyes and focused.

Tracing the traces of mana that had separated from her, she reached the end, where Hera's emotions came through.

She was feeling something close to excitement.

Forming a master-servant contract allowed for a great deal.

She could use her mana to heal her servant.

Conversely, she could also burst her servant's heart in an instant.

Of course, exceptional mana manipulation was required, but as long as her mana was implanted in her servant, the ways to use it were limitless.

'And so, I can do this too.'

While maintaining the connection with her senses, she chanted a spell in her mind.

Release your rage.

Ignite your fighting spirit.

Bring everything in this world under my feet.

It was her unique incantation magic that amplified mana to temporarily awaken the body into a state of excitement.

When the incantation ended,

the mana inside her began to surge wildly. In line with it, her body heated up.

As her body warmed, she felt like going outside and smashing something right then and there.

And surely, Hera would feel the same.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Looking beyond the window, she saw her walking toward the knights.

She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the laughter that was about to escape.

You'd better be careful, Hera.

My mana is very wild.

"Borodin."

"Yes, my lord."

Bordin immediately bowed his head in acknowledgment of my words. I smiled and gave him an order.

"Contact the church and tell them to activate the coordinate transfer stone."

"The church… you mean?"

"Yes. It seems we'll need to go soon."

"… Understood."

Bordin accepted the command and set aside any doubts lingering in his mind.

This is what I liked about him. He didn't bother with his own judgment and only followed my orders.

If I commanded him to kill someone, he would likely do so without hesitation.

I turned my gaze back to the training grounds.

Thinking of the person who would become the first sacrifice to her beautiful slave.

"I hope she doesn't die."

After all, I don't want to see Hera broken.

***

In a forest located at the outskirts of the empire.

It was a vast forest that seemed impossible to escape from if one were to get lost.

Deep within, where no human footprints had reached, there was a hidden cave.

Wooong-

Within that cave.

Mana was being continuously drawn into a single point, like a whirlpool.

The reflected light of the mana made it seem like it had some sort of form.

It took on an oval shape.

At a glance, it looked quite similar to an egg.

But it was not something enclosed in a shell.

It was an egg made of dense mana.

Not long after.

It continued to absorb the surrounding mana endlessly, like a starving child.

Crack—

And then, with the sound of something breaking,

Boom!

Mana burst out with a loud explosion.

The shockwave shook the entire cave, and parts of it began to collapse.

Amidst the mist created by the falling debris,

A single shadow suddenly emerged.

As the mist slowly cleared, what became visible was—

Covered in blue scales.

"Kyuu?"

A creature that looked somewhat like a lizard.