80

Leca crouched, hidden within the bushes. Once the presence of the servants had faded, he scanned his surroundings.

No one was around. Now was his chance.

He darted across the garden and slipped out through a small hole at the corner of the outer wall.

It was a passage he, Shamanaz, and Julius used to sneak through as children.

Thoughtfully, Shamanaz hadn't teleported him to his quarters inside the palace,

but to a spot where he could escape freely.

The hole led to an open lot where local children often played. A few kids were there now, absorbed in their games—none of them noticed him.

Leca recited the spell his father had taught him to disable the mana suppression collar.

—POP!

With a loud crack, the collar split in two and fell off. Startled by the noise, the children turned his way.

Leca immediately fled the scene.

Why did the spell only work now…? Why not back in the prison?

His father's letter had implied he could escape but should wait—but perhaps it hadn't been possible at all.

Maybe the prison itself had been enchanted to block the spell. If so, it might have been something even his father didn't know.

The moment his magic returned, Leca cast a mind-transfer message toward Mia.

But no matter how many times he called, there was no answer. Panic rose in his chest.

Don't tell me—something already happened to her…!

He transformed into a small fire lizard and raced toward the palace.

Once there, he headed straight for Mia's room through the gardens. He knew she wouldn't be there, but he hoped to sense some trace of her.

But then—Peeking through the window, he was shocked.

Servants and maids were clearing out Mia's room. It looked exactly like a house being packed up for a move.

The maids sorted out small belongings, while the servants hauled away the furniture.

What is going on...?

Were they preparing a new room for her return? Was this one being repurposed?

Maybe. But something felt… wrong.

Could they be acting on the assumption that Mia would never return?

Was that the reason she was sent to Beelzebub in the first place?

If she retrieved the ancient treasure—good. If not—oh well. They never expected her to make it back alive anyway.

And so they cleared out her room. The thought made Leca recall what Shamanaz had said:

"Once you find her, don't come back to Sibareth. The old geezers on the High Council will never be kind to you two."

So it was true. He'd suspected as much…

Leca rushed toward the temple.

The palace temple was dedicated to Ahura Mazda, the god of light, but there was also a small shrine within it for Angra Mainyu, god of darkness and evil.

Most demon gods, including Beelzebub, were enshrined with Angra Mainyu—

so if there was a clue about Beelzebub's location, it would be there.

Had he been in human form, it would've taken no time at all. But as a small lizard, the journey took far longer.

When he finally arrived at the temple, he noticed it was busier than usual.

Elders from the eleven bloodlines were bustling in and out of the temple—

and Roland was there as well.

Normally, the ministers didn't visit the temple unless it was for a major state ritual.

Roland was no exception.

But those rituals were usually held at the start and end of the year. This wasn't one of those times.

So why now…?

Leca kept low, avoiding Roland and the Magic Minister as he looked for a way inside.

Rustle, rustle.

He crept between pillars, careful not to be seen.

Then—he overheard a conversation just beyond a column.

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were speaking in hushed tones.

"So, the chosen ones—have they been selected?"

"Some of them. The rest are still being discussed."

"Well, choosing from over a hundred… I suppose it's difficult."

A deep sigh followed.

"They're picking the meek and obedient ones," said the foreign minister, lowering his voice.

"No telling what the strong-willed kids might do, even if they're drugged."

Drugged?

Meek and obedient children?

What were they talking about?

And why did they look around like they were guarding some great secret…?

Just then, the Magic Minister came into view. If he was caught, it would be over.

Leca scurried away and slipped deeper into the temple, toward the shrine of Angra Mainyu.

But the spotless white sanctuary was crawling with children cleaning the floors.

His bright red lizard form would stand out immediately. He had no choice but to climb a pillar and make his way to the ceiling.

Slowly, carefully, inch by inch…

Eventually, he reached the shrine where the statues of Angra Mainyu and the twelve demon gods stood.

Below, he heard the voices of two boys polishing the statues.

"Don't be too upset, Levi. There'll be another chance."

"There won't be another chance! This ritual's only happening because of the war!"

"Roti was excited, though."

"That pika stuff—once you try it, it's like heaven. They say it makes you forget everything.

You forget all your pain and worries."

Pika…hookah?

Pika was a type of hookah favored in Sibareth. It made you feel calm and light-headed, sure—but heaven? That seemed exaggerated.

Leca stared down at the twelve demon statues encircling the figure of Angra Mainyu.

Which one was Beelzebub again…?

"Anyway, Levi, maybe it's a good thing you weren't picked."

"Why's that?"

The boy lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Haven't you heard the rumor? That strange girl is going too."

"Strange girl? Who?"

"The one they almost made queen. The half-fairy girl—the one from another world. She's joining the offering."

What—?!

Leca felt like the breath had been knocked from him.

"Really? But why would that matter?"

The boy lowered his voice even further.

"You really don't know anything, do you? The High Council hates that girl.

Anywhere she's involved—it's not gonna be a good place. And with the Grand Duke Julius gone right now..."

Leca's heart dropped.

Lady Mia… is part of the ritual?

"Open it."

Mia froze at the sound of that voice.

Wait—am I supposed to be discovered like this?

Did the witch plan this too?

And why the hell am I suddenly able to understand what they're saying?!

But Mia wasn't the only one shocked. Watching from the bushes, Lunarena and her crocodile were just as surprised.

"Oh crap. They're really opening it?"

the witch muttered.

The crocodile gave her a look of total disbelief.

"Well, what did you think they'd do? Of course they'd open it. That's the most obvious thing!"

"It wasn't my idea! My master said this was the shortcut to Beelzebub."

"Yeah? And did your master ever actually try it?"

"...No. She said her master told her."

"Then why didn't you test this 'shortcut' yourself, Lady Lunarena?"

"I was scared, okay?! That's why I used her as a test subject."

"EXCUSE me?!"

CRACK. RIP. SNAP.

Mia barely had time to react. A loud crunching noise came as the outer shell shattered.

The webbing that bound her ripped apart.

And then—

She was staring at a group of bizarre, fantastical creatures. It was like stumbling into a Halloween party.

They gazed down at her with curious eyes.

"...Isn't this just some human girl?"

"Uh… haha… hi! Good evening!"

Mia gave an awkward smile.

The demons broke into a chorus of strange, unintelligible chatter.

Then, a towering demon stepped forward—a hulking brute with the head of a horned buffalo.

He looked down at her and muttered in a deep, rumbling voice:

"Human… girl."

That's the voice that said "Open it."

He must be the boss.

Mia trembled.

The buffalo-headed demon asked,

"…Why are you here, looking like that, human?"

"I—I think I was kidnapped. I was asleep, and when I woke up, I was like this—"

In the bushes, the witch and crocodile exchanged glances. Lunarena chuckled.

"She's not bad, that girl."

"Kidnapped…?"

The demon studied Mia closely, tilting his head.

Then he said,

"…Wait. Looking again—you seem like a fairy. What are you?"

"I, um… something like that. I'm half. A hybrid, sort of."

"Hybrid… of human and fairy?"

She nodded quickly.

The demon turned to his underlings and barked a flurry of words in their strange language.

Their voices rose and fell, arguing back and forth.

Finally, the discussion ended.

The buffalo demon lifted a goblet and downed its contents in one gulp.

He wiped his lips and said,

"Very well. Had you been an ordinary human, we'd have eaten you here and now. But our master has a refined palate. A half-fairy, half-human girl—he'll be curious to taste it. He'll enjoy you."

What the—

So Beelzebub is a damn cannibal?!

I mean… okay, not the most shocking twist, but still.

Wait—can the ancient sword even cut a demon god?

If he's alive, he should count as a creature, right?

Oh crap.

Mia was deep in thought when she suddenly felt her body tighten again.

The demons were rewrapping her.

Like before, she was bound in webs. The cocoon tightened around her—

then they even reconstructed the broken shell from earlier.

This time, they polished it.

The result was stunning—a gleaming golden egg, even more tempting than before.

In the bushes, the crocodile muttered,

"So uh… if she does die like the prophecy said—isn't that basically your fault, Lady Lunarena?"

"…"

The demons resumed their feast—drinking, dancing, laughing. Hours passed.

Then, suddenly, they stopped.

They crafted a massive net, carefully placed the golden egg inside, divided the weight among themselves—and flew up into the sky.