Delia was having a good day. She met her beloved friend and successfully completed Kon's mission. Now, she could finally return to the clan she had always dreamed of leading since childhood and had recently achieved her goal.

As she walked out of the desolate mansion, she couldn't help but notice the dozens of corpses littering the building. However, Delia remained unfazed by the gruesome sight, humming a cheery tune and skipping with each step.

Outside, Delia spotted Natalia and nodded at her. But Natalia responded with a sigh of annoyance.

Dragging the princess' head she had killed, Delia held onto it by the hair as she moved forward.

Life had never been more awesome for her.

***

Upon seeing the giant shadow golem, I couldn't help but wince. Coming here without fully recovering was a terrible decision on my part. The time limit forced me to take risks I wouldn't have considered before, and it made me careless.

Given my current condition, the chances of defeating the golem seemed slim. There was no vast ocean nearby, and I hadn't prepared much for battling shadows.

The only weapon that came to mind as remotely effective against the golem was the fire sword. However, it was primarily designed for single-target combat, more suitable for enemies with monstrous regeneration. Yet, as far as I knew, the Kuro Clan Head was just another normal human. He was used to fighting without healing so my sword would be almost like other swords against him.

Escaping and breaking through the barrier could buy me a few precious seconds, but the shadow giant could obliterate me in that split second. Despite the shadow titan's size and powers, shadows didn't exactly have weight so he could move quite fast.

Nevertheless, I racked my brain desperately seeking a solution. And then it hit me—I could exploit the Kuro Clan Head's lack of knowledge in certain areas. This could be my way out, but I had to appear nonchalant.

"I see, so you didn't put all your eggs in one basket," I said, forcing a polite smile. "Well, it pains me to inform you. But all the royal family youngsters, except Princess Wisteria, are dead."

If this tactic failed, my best option would be to escape underground. There shouldn't be a barrier there, and with the help of Perfect Me, I could create a water drill capable of quick escape. However, it was a highly dangerous method that I only would like to use as a last resort.

The Kuro Clan Head peered down at me, his cold eyes devoid of emotion and showing none of his thoughts. Even his Ord had grown quieter as if he had grown accustomed to wielding it. He must have refrained from utilizing this much power for a considerable time, guarding its secrecy and killing anyone who witnessed it. But now in minutes, he had regained control of it.

However, he also knew my triumph over an ultimate class demon. Despite his current advantage over me, he should know there was a high chance I could escape from him. Despite his demeanor, I doubted he wanted me as an enemy. After all, he hadn't even retaliated against the Dark Sword Clan for their actions in the war.

Nevertheless, he remained motionless, ready to strike at any moment. Was he attempting to delay until my fusion time ran out?

"What benefits would my clan gain by collaborating with you?" he inquired, his voice chillingly cold.

A genuine smile appeared on my face as he spoke, surprising even myself. I hadn't expected this approach to work, and my mind raced with countless thoughts before I finally responded with the best thing I could think of, "Have you heard about Avalon Island?"

He frowned at me, his voice tinged with curiosity. "The legendary island of dreams? Where the impossible becomes possible."

Despite how ridiculous my statement sounded, there wasn't a hint of mockery in his voice. As one of the heads of the four great clans, how could he not be aware of the outside world? The ambitions of those in power were concerning in many ways. It was in an exorcist's nature to risk their lives by biting off more than they could chew, even those powerful clan heads, who had their own harems, and everything else life could offer, were still hungry for more.

Eventually, unless I became the strongest, I would probably meet a similar fate. Ironically, the chances of that happening on Avalon Island were the highest. That place was weird, where anything could kill me.

"I have some leads that could take us to that place. If you find something on the island, which lies at the border of the barrier, you could eliminate every other great clan," I tried to entice him. Although he probably intended to eliminate me along with the other great clans, allowing the Kuro Clan to rule the exorcist side of the human continent, this secretive man would finally reveal his full power to the world. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to gain everything.

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Of course, it would be absurd for him to assume that I already knew the kind of person he was. He was patient, willing to wait decades for the right time to set his plan in motion.

Although this strategy would have been effective at any other time, it didn't pose much of a threat to me. After all, this was a fast-paced shounen plot, where the big villain revealed themselves by the time the main protagonist turned eighteen. Strategizing for decades to achieve a goal seemed pointless.

"I will spare you for now," he said. "But you have one week to find evidence, or I will unleash hell upon you and your clan."

I was fifty percent sure he wouldn't follow through, as it would bring him no benefits. However, I didn't reveal my thoughts and nodded. "Of course."

Finding evidence within such a short time frame was unlikely but not impossible. Nevertheless, I needed more leverage over this guy. "While I'm out there searching for evidence, I need you to look after Princess Wisteria."

He nodded, and the shadow behemoth receded into the ground, disappearing completely. With everything settled, I had no intention of lingering in awkward silence. I walked away after delivering a powerful blow to the barrier, causing a crack, and getting out of here.

At our rendezvous point next to a river, I met Delia, who held a head in her hand and threw it at me.

Before it could touch me, Carpy, who had been hiding in the clouds, encased the head in a ball of water and gently set it down.

Delia, on the other hand, seemed amused. "Aw, I thought you would scream like a little girl. When we were kids, even bugs scared you."

"You have a sick sense of humor," I reprimanded her, feeling a disconnect from the person I once knew.

It had been a while since our last official meeting, and Delia now seemed like a different individual altogether. While traces of her basic traits remained, she had undergone such significant changes. Her Ord had transformed so drastically that even a sensor would struggle to recognize her based on her previous energy signature.

Enlightenment, at times, was a terrifying phenomenon.

Without warning, Delia approached me and draped her arm around my shoulders. Immediately, I sent an Ord signal to Carpy, instructing him to restrain any aggressive impulses toward Delia. My cousin wore a knowing smirk and whispered provocatively, "Do you want to know what really happened in the clan?"

"Not particularly. I don't care that much," I replied honestly. The fact that she killed her own father didn't concern me much.

"Ah, so you're implying that your love for me is so profound that you'd turn a blind eye to my murderous actions?" she teased, her amused smile widening as she leaned closer. Her warm breath brushed against my ear as she continued, "What if I killed uncle and aunt? Would you still look the other way if I took your parents' lives?"

A sigh escaped my lips, and I subtly shrugged off her arm. "What's the point of asking such a question when I know you wouldn't follow through with it?"

She tilted her head and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Oh, you invite your sexy cousin all this way and then belittle her. If I were anyone else, I might misinterpret your actions."

Belittle her? What on earth was she talking about? This girl was beyond reason. When had I ever done something like that to her?

I dismissed such questions by shaking my head. It was impossible to decipher what was transpiring inside Delia's head. Her perspective on the world was too different from mine.

"Do you have any other questions, Delia? I have to go and announce the new queen's ascension," I said, attempting to redirect the conversation.

She pouted, puffing out her chest, straining her tight tank top. "If you continue treating me poorly, one day I might just lose control and harm that princess, along with everyone else around you! You owe me an apology!"

I rolled my eyes, making it clear that I didn't mean a word that came out of my mouth next.

"Fine, I'm sorry if you believe you deserve an apology," I responded sarcastically. Despite her threats, I knew that Delia wouldn't take it that far... probably. She did kill her father after all.

"Scumbag cousin," she muttered, ruffling my hair before walking away. "Anyway, make sure to inform me if anyone bullies my baby cousin. I won't hesitate to take care of them."

Although I would have engaged in further banter with her, there were numerous things demanding my attention. One of them was to ensure that the Coronation ceremony proceeded smoothly. Another was to compile a list of individuals to ban from attending.

Naturally, the first person on that ban list was Agon. I wanted to avoid stumbling upon any hidden assassination plots or secret organizations manipulating the royal families. All I desired was a simple Coronation ceremony.

After giving the decapitated head of the deceased princess a proper burial, I set off. Regardless of the person she was before being killed by Delia, it was crucial to provide her with some semblance of dignity in death.

Wait, was the Kuro Clan going to bury the people I had killed? I might have to plan a big burial site for them all, and someone to identify them all. I didn’t have much of a choice when killing them, because anyone could have dangerous special abilities.

But now they were all dead, it was my choice what I should do next,

Man, sometimes being that guy who worked in an office eight hours a day feels so long ago.