The morning comes and the sun failed to appear over the clouds as snow smears all over the place. The air sends a pleasant, yet chilly temperature that’s not too unbearable. The atmosphere is nothing short of solemn yet calm ambiance.
Reysha’s sharp and discerning eye stares at the direction where the carriage of Princess Meriyal with her knights, Lala Forchure and Ries D’Levierre together with Demon Lord Ivy Hellbeing headed off.
They are headed towards the Demon Kingdom Sirius as of plan to expand sovereignty of the Breille Kingdom and start their economic trades. No one knows how long but they are assured that it won’t take a week before supplies start arriving at Breille Kingdom Territory with authorization from Meriyal herself.
Meanwhile, standing beside Reysha is Aspara and Falikh together with Victoria.
“Is…Is it really okay for me to have this?! This…precious magic phone…?!” Aspara said as she held the phone in her trembling hand high and stares at it with twinkling eyes like she is revering it.
“Isn’t it fine? Ivy said that it was a spare one and we still need to stay in touch with you if you are going back to Kerias. For the Bandt’s base, call Victoria, for the Kingdom of Sirius, call Ivy.” Reysha simply explained towards the frolicking Aspara.
“It’s…It’s so dreamy! I didn’t think that having contact with you people will lead me to something this precious!!” Aspara happily grins as she cuddles the phone in her bountiful chest.
“You know what? You actually look decently attractive when you smile. It’s an honest opinion of mine.” Reysha simply said.
“S-Shut it, Einhart! I’m always attractive!” Aspara said as she turns heels and put the phone in her coat pocket.
“Then, Miss Aspara, see you later too. Be sure to be back by spring! Oh, and Spoof will be leading you out of the forest.” Falikh said as he waves his hand at the leaving Aspara.
The three of them saw Aspara off as she slowly fades in the curtain of trees burdened by snow. From the shadow of the trees follows Spoof who proficiently jumps from one branch to another in quick succession as to follow Aspara.
“Now then, we should be preparing our grand plan this upcoming spring.” Falikh exclaimed as he stretches his arms and walks towards the mansion.
“Hey, Granny, even though you guys are bandits, why aren’t you guys stealing anything yet?” Victoria asked. “Also, why do you have a lot of connections with strong and powerful people? You even have a mansion in the middle of the forest.” She added with a tinge of curiosity.
“Well, things happen and we ended up with a huge haul. The reason we still don’t have any activities yet as bandits are because it’s winter. If we steal from people in this weather, they might die on the way because of lack of resources. If they survive, they are bound to go to this forest again in next season.” Falikh explained while whirling his finger around.
“So, it’s like an investment to steal from people, right? That’s a cool and logical thinking, as expected of you, granny!” Victoria complimented Falikh with awed eyes.
“These two, especially Victoria…outright complimenting an act of thievery…Well, it’s not like I am not an accomplice anymore…” Reysha inwardly thought as she watches the two.
Falikh was about to enter the gate of Mousseux when suddenly, Reysha called out to him.
“Hey, I think it is the nigh time that you explain yourself.” Reysha said as she glares at Falikh.
“W-what of?” Falikh gulped with beads of sweat started sliding down from his forehead.
“It’s about your damn connection with your mother, that damn Archpriest.” Reysha emphasizes that two words the mother and archpriest.
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“You purposely let everyone leave first before discussing this, right? Well, very well…let’s head inside…” Falikh said with a crestfallen face as he beckons Reysha and Victoria.
“That’s amazing granny…you are the Archpriest’s son?! I feel so immoral now when I remember thinking of trying seduced her!” Victoria exclaimed with an honest tone.
And so, Falikh led them to the guest room to have a serious conversation.
Meanwhile, soaring through the skies is a girl with dragon parts like wings, horns, and tails carries a frail smaller girl with long blond hair in the middle of the snowy plains. Before long, a forest that is a little farther from the Mesola Kingdom that blanketed the southern part of it behold underneath them.
“Unhand me, filthy spawn of hell.” Genesis commanded Maria, rather, Alef to let her go despite the heights they are traversing.
“Calm down! I just saved you from being their puppet you know! They will be abusing you, drug you and do everything to you to their carnal desire!” Alef shouted at Genesis. “Give it a rest already damn it!” she followed with another shout as Genesis started pounding her face with her fist.
“Ouch! You’re so darn weak without this staff that it’s annoying! Cut it out already and I mean it!” Alef warned Genesis as her balance started shifting for the worse, not to mention while holding onto Genesis, she also needs to focus on her tail that carries her golden staff.
“Unhand me!” Genesis last protest ended being fulfilled as she hit Alef in the nose that made her staggers and in the process, let go of Genesis.
“Ah…Damn it!” Alef immediately realized that she let go of Genesis as the last punch did quite a hit. In a panic, she rushes downward as she propels her wings in a spiral.
She calculated the distance between her and Genesis and she could only frown because her head was thrown into shambles.
She bit her lips as she curses her own fault and Genesis’ stubbornness, however, unbelievably, what Alef saw was Genesis being cushioned by a lot of branches abundant of leaves. Slowly, Genesis descended to the ground with a light fall that carved her figure in the thick snow.
A sense of relief came to Alef as she landed beside the place where Genesis fell. She scratches her head as she sighs at the sight of Genesis sprawling on the thick bed of snow.
“You’re a lucky one I’ll give you that…” Alef said as she picks up Genesis like a cat from the ground.
“I am blessed with luck by the Gods. I am able to avoid most life-threatening situations with them watching over me. Now then, demon who poses as the woman named Maria, give me my staff.” Genesis demanded with never changing eyes that look down on people.
“My name is Alef, and alas, who is sane enough to give this back to you? I am not a fool to hand you this as this will spell my end. I didn’t serve you three years for nothing.” Alef said with an evil grin.
“Vile creature that crawls in the land made by the gods…dare mock me!? Hand it over!” Genesis tried to reach for her staff but to no avail, she wasn’t able to reach it as Alef simply raises the staff overhead. With their massive difference in heights, Genesis gave up.
“Hmph, this is foolish.” She said as she turned away from Alef.
“Where do you think you’re going to? I’ll remind you of this, you are a sheltered woman with no whatsoever knowledge of the outside world. Basically, you don’t have any surviving skills. You’ll starve and freeze to death.” Alef shouted towards Genesis but was ignored.
“Hey…!” Alef exclaimed as she followed Genesis.
“You don’t even know where you are going. You are bound to get lost here and before you can even find your way out, wild animals have already feasted upon your scrawny body!” Alef words are conveyed like she was convincing Genesis.
“I’m not trying to talk to myself here!” Alef shouted as she stares at Genesis’ back.
Alef notices several things about Genesis as she walks in the wilderness in the middle of the winter. Her only clothes that protect her from the cold are the sleeping gown that she had when she took her from the Grand Church.
In her bare skin, there are several cuts that she must not have noticed yet or already have but ignores it. The cuts must have been from the branches the cushioned her fall from earlier. It spread across from her arms to her legs.
Alef also notices that her bare feet have also started getting a little bit too pale which is a sign that frostbite is about to incur. Each and every step that Genesis makes, her body stops a little from stiffness brought by the cold but nonetheless, she didn’t halt her walk.
“Geez...this woman is always…” Alef could only mutter to herself.
For a little bit, Alef stops and undresses her own clothes that provided warmth which she knew it’s kind of pointless as her dragon form resists that coldness.
“Archpriest, catch!” Alef shouted as she threw several things at Genesis.
Because of the word catch, Genesis subconsciously turned around and catches the clothes.
“I don’t need your pathetic pity, cur. Something like this isn--!” Genesis was about to say something but Alef immediately stuffed her mouth with bread.
“Pretend that for this last time I am Maria and this is the last job I’ve done for you.” Alef said as she forces the bread to Genesis’ mouth.
Genesis begrudgingly chewed the bread in her mouth and donned the clothes that Alef presented to her and wore the oversized boots with socks.