Delia felt a wave of panic at the thought of her cousin being in danger. It was the kind of worry that drove most people to charge headfirst into the frontlines, only to end up getting themselves killed.

However, she hailed from a family of cold-blooded assassins, and engaging in such reckless behavior would bring shame to her ancestors. Admittedly, in the days of her father's generation, her clan was renowned for their honor as exorcists. They were feeble back then, as reality seldom favored the honorable.

Nevertheless, both her uncle and father had dispatched her to address the dire situation.

What exactly was she supposed to do? She had no clue.

She cared about Kon and had previously risked her life for her cousin in the colosseum, but it didn't mean she would simply throw her own life away for him. Regardless of what her father or uncle might say, she had no intention of meeting her demise while searching for her wayward relative.

A pang of jealousy coursed through her, acknowledging the fact that unlike Kon, she wasn't particularly remarkable. Her father could easily remarry and have another child, perhaps a son, who would find it much easier to rally the clan's exorcists and ascend to the position of clan head.

No, these were merely her own insecurities. Her father wouldn't discard her as if she were insignificant. While their clan was ruthless, they wouldn't cast aside one of their own. Delia had devoted her life to the clan's prosperity, eliminating anyone who impeded its progress and even risking her own life for its benefit. This was precisely why, despite being a woman, the clan's elders hadn't outright rejected her as the next leader, considering her remarkable achievements.

She darted from tree to tree, occasionally struggling to maintain her footing. Her mind clouded, consumed by a sense of loneliness that gnawed at her insides.

Delia shook her head, determined to dismiss such thoughts. She wasn't alone in this world; she knew, without a doubt, that there was at least one person who cared about her.

…

When arriving at the frontlines camp, many people cast fleeting glances at her, but none dared to meet her gaze.

The Dark Sword Clan's reputation had grown even more formidable during these times, as they were tasked with eliminating deserters, even from other countries.

Amidst this tumultuous situation, the Dark Sword Clan held an unassailable position. They faced no imminent risk of death and merely had to dispose of the cowards who lacked the courage to stand on the frontlines. If anyone too powerful managed to escape, the clan would make its "best" effort to locate them, only to fail.

The Dark Sword Clan enjoyed a secure position, and if Delia's speculation was correct, they awaited the opportune moment to exploit the vulnerability of the four great clans during the war.

It seemed that the advantage of Kon's engagement to one of the royal families brought numerous benefits. As the royal family considered the Dark Sword Clan their protectors and the successors to the "Semei Clan," they wished to prevent their weakening in the war.

Little did they know that the Dark Sword Clan would be the downfall of the royal family, Delia mused, wearing a subtle smile. Kon didn't even need to have a child with the princesses specifically; he could father a child with any other woman and pass it off as his own.

"Ah, Delia, what a surprise," a voice suddenly called from behind. When she turned around, she met the gaze of the Moon Exorcist, whose eyes seemed oddly familiar. She vaguely recalled him as the older brother of one of her former teammates.

A faint, enigmatic smile adorned the man's face. "I heard about what happened with Kon. It was truly a tragic turn of events."

"You speak as if he's already dead," Delia retorted, unwilling to engage in wordplay. "Moreover, shouldn't you have lost your rank for attempting to court one of the princesses in your kingdom? What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was fortunate enough to find sponsorship from another kingdom, and I managed to reclaim my position after a fierce battle with the contender for my title," he replied, his smile remaining unaltered.

However, everyone knew he was lying. It was common knowledge that he had dispatched the title contender with a single strike. This revelation hinted at his strength surpassing his official rank, but he refrained from boasting and preferred to remain in the background.

"What about you and your paramour from the Kuro Clan? How is she faring? I heard rumors that she might ascend as the next clan leader. What was her name again? Natalie, perhaps?" he inquired, the light glinting off his glasses, obscuring his gaze.

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Delia felt her blood run cold upon hearing that knowledge of her relationship with Natalie had somehow leaked. Only the two of them were privy to that secret. How had he obtained such information?

Already embroiled in a difficult situation due to her gender and the prospect of becoming a clan leader, Delia knew that if news of her nocturnal activities came out, she would be stripped of her position as heir in an instant.

"You're quite the pervert," Delia stated, maintaining her composure. She knew that showing any emotion would jeopardize everything, especially since the person before her hadn't bothered to keep his accusations quiet, and nearly everyone around them had heard. "Does it excite you to imagine two attractive girls being intimate?"

She snorted and walked past him, neither confirming nor denying the accusations. There was no doubt that some individuals might possess lie-detection abilities, and she didn't want to take any chances. It was best to treat this as a tasteless joke.

"Though, based on my investigations so far, it seems that the rumors about your former teammates' deaths hold some truth. Did Natalie kill them?" he asked.

"That's old news," Delia dismissed his words.

"Old news?” Suddenly, a swarm of butterflies swirled in front of her, and the Moon Exorcist appeared. His eyes held a sharp gaze. "Old news? You're dismissing the death of my little brother. Do you believe you can get away with that?"

"Did you just threaten me?" Now it was Delia's turn to smile. He had slipped up, revealing his true emotions.

The Moon Exorcist's eye twitched, and he seemed to regain his composure. His smile returned, and he said, "Of course not. I'm simply reminiscing about what could have been. My younger brother used to talk about you so often, one might think he had a crush."

"Of course," Delia replied as she walked past him.

However, Delia suddenly had a realization. According to her father's reports, this was the second time Kon had entered enemy territory. She turned towards the Moon Exorcist, narrowing her eyes.

Was he involved in this? Was it some kind of twisted revenge for his brother?

But she had no time to investigate, and even if she asked the Moon Exorcist, he would likely feign ignorance.

She made her way to the command center and approached one of the administrators responsible for signing mundane documents for the Hermit. After discreetly inquiring, she noted down the people who Kon spent a significant amount of time with and who were close to him.

Delia gathered everyone, including marriage candidate number three, the Semei kid, a young man with a prominent nose, Natalia Kuro's brother, and another group of eccentric individuals wearing shirts of various colors.

Her cousin had a peculiar circle of friends. However, they would prove to be valuable assets, so she wouldn't belittle them, at least not aloud. "My name is Delia, and I am Kon's cousin. I have gathered all of you here for a mission—to rescue Kon."

"And Agon too," the Seimei brat interjected.

Delia ignored him. She wasn't here for any other child, and couldn’t care less about that Argon fellow… Aghon? She already forgot his name.

"Will you be leading the team?" asked marriage candidate number three. She had the striking features of the Raion Clan, silver hair and blue eyes.

"I would love to come, but I can't due to my duties. Instead, I will wait here for him and provide you with some signal talismans that will burn if he ever returns," Delia said, putting on a remorseful look. There was no way she was going along with a group of soon-to-be-dead youngsters. Going behind enemy lines against an army which was led by an ultimate class demon was a suicide mission. However, if it increased Kon's chances of survival even a bit, she wouldn't mind sacrificing these random kids she didn't care about.

A couple of members in the group looked at her suspiciously, but others were ready to set off. Delia maintained her sad expression and almost shed a tear while waving at the kids. "Please, bring my dear cousin back safely."

Once the kids were out of sight, her face returned to an icy expression. But she couldn’t celebrate her joy for long as someone approached her and said. "Lady Delia, someone from the Dark Sword Clan is here, and she's causing some problems."

Huh? Who could it be?

She hadn't heard anything about her father sending someone here.

***

I was still exhilarated as I fled atop Carpy, envisioning the day—hopefully soon—when I could point at a mountain and watch as Carpy blew it up.

However, my thoughts of explosions were abruptly interrupted by a deafening blast behind me. Its sheer power sent tremors coursing through my bones, even at this distance.

Wait, wasn't that the same direction Agon was in?

My heart quivered with unease. Thankfully, my instinctive paranoia had prompted me to escape when I did. Otherwise, I would be caught in the midst of that chaos right now.

"Carpy, can you sense who’s involved?" I asked urgently.

"We're quite far, so I can't be certain. But I can sense the presence of Uwabami and the two-tailed cat demon," Carpy replied.

Well, that wasn't my concern. At that level of battle, I was pretty much useless. So I suppressed my aura as much as possible, ensuring that even other sensory demons would perceive Carpy as a solitary flying demon, one of their own kind and unworthy of suspicion.

This was how life was meant to be, devoid of constant battles against adversaries stronger than me.