Why Did You Mess With Him? He’s the Evil God’s Lackey! Chapter 150

Chapter 150: A Stead Bun—Won't You Hold Out Your Hand?

Auréliane stood within the forest, taking in the wonder and the nature around her.

The world here was as naturally magical as a secret realm.

Brilliant sunlight filtered through the canopy and fell in scattered patches upon the lush green grass; a warm, soft, moist breath carried the cool freshness of spring after rain.

A babbling stream struck constantly against the rocks, producing a crisp, clear sound.

Standing within the forest, one could even feel the gentle breeze drifting in from all around.

If Auréliane hadn't known that she had entered from outside, it might have given her the feeling that this had always been a mysterious stretch of wilderness.

"Forest Paradise?"

"This place was originally intended as a residence prepared especially for the Elves—to win their agreent to cooperate with us."

Lady Cassana explained to Auréliane in an unhurried tone:

"The Research Mages of the City of Mages conducted theoretical analysis based on the Magic Power wavelength of an Elven Council mber."

"Once Elves as a species are in a state of contentnt, they produce large quantities of Natural Magic Power."

"This energy serves as their source of Magic Power, enabling their growth and making them stronger."

A light breeze passed through; Cassana brushed back the strands of hair it had lifted, gazing at the mysterious forest before her.

The Elves seed entirely unaware that anyone had entered, and were living here with great delight.

They frolicked and played together; when tired, they could sleep; when thirsty, they could take a sip from the dewdrops or the stream; when hungry, they could climb a tree and pluck fruit to eat.

Carefree and without a worry in the world.

"So we made a trial extraction of the Natural Magic Power the Elves produced through 'contentnt.'"

"The results were remarkable—the Elves' Natural Magic Power can be stored and used as an energy source."

Auréliane stood in a slight daze.

Seeing the look on her face, a faint smile crept to the corners of Lady Cassana's lips.

"Puppets that move on their own. Lightbulbs that need no magic to illuminate. Even self-driving energy vehicles."

"Everything you've seen is powered by the 'energy' produced by these Elves."

"Well—did you think at first that we were imprisoning the Elves?"

Only then did Auréliane co to her senses; she felt a touch of embarrassnt, and her face flushed slightly.

Though she hadn't said it aloud, she had indeed thought exactly that.

"What benefit would imprisoning them bring?"

"They have no money, they generate no profit, and harming them would bring the wrath of the Nature Spirit down upon us."

"But once they are made content, the 'Natural Magic Power' that is surplus to their needs can be made available for our use."

Cassana drew a long, deep breath, as though she too was savoring the fresh air drifting in from the dense jungle.

The breeze kept lifting her hair, but Cassana let it drift freely; her voice ca out unhurried:

"This—is what it ans to benefit both sides."

Auréliane parted her lips and voiced the question forming in her heart:

"But wouldn't they feel confined, staying here all the ti?"

"Confined?"

Cassana turned her head and looked at Auréliane with a puzzled expression.

"My niece—how did you co to think that?"

"The contract we signed with the Elves has never stipulated that they must remain here at all tis."

Auréliane blinked, not quite following what Cassana ant.

At that mont, the large gate behind them swung open again.

Several Elves walked in wearing outfits in all manner of styles, as though they had just returned from a shopping trip.

They ca in carrying bags both large and small, stuffed with clothes and food, chatting and laughing as they made their way into the forest.

If Auréliane hadn't spotted their long, pointed ears, she would have taken them for a few well-to-do young ladies from so noble household.

The mont they entered, they caught sight of Cassana, paused for a mont, and then extended their hands, greeting her with easy familiarity.

"Lady Cassana, it's been so long!"

"When did you get back, my lady? You should have said sothing beforehand."

"I was thinking of going shopping with you, my lady……for how long are you staying at ho this ti?"

Cassana smiled and gave each of them a nod in reply.

After a few brief pleasantries, the Elves headed off into the depths of the forest until they disappeared entirely from view.

This left a string of question marks flashing through Auréliane's mind one after another.

"They are entirely free—they can co and go through this gate as they please, leave the estate, and venture out into the human city beyond."

"In fact, the household gives them enough Geo every month to cover their living expenses in this city."

"Do you still think they're not free?"

Auréliane: "……"

She fell into complete silence.

"Of the terms in our cooperation agreent with the Elves, there is only 1 restriction placed upon them."

"And that is: to remain as happy as possible."

Cassana smiled gently, as though she found a certain pleasure in being able to clear up Auréliane's misgivings.

"Only when they are happy can the Rether Family obtain large quantities of energy—only then can we continue with subsequent research and inventions."

"The Elves are the very foundation upon which the Rether Family stands. How could we possibly harm them?"

Auréliane felt a little embarrassed, her head lowered, fidgeting slightly.

"I thought you had been up to sothing terrible all along……"

Suddenly, a hand ca to rest on top of Auréliane's head and gave it a gentle, affectionate ruffle.

Cassana's voice ca out soft:

"Child, do not assu the worst of everything."

"But do not assu the best of everyone, either."

"You must understand—the world is not black and white. It is a refined shade of grey."

As though moved by so quiet feeling, Cassana let out a soft sigh.

"You are the Empire's Princess; in all things, you must think of the Empire."

"I hope you still rember that I, too, was once a Princess."

Having said that, she did not look back at Auréliane's silent expression.

She turned and walked toward the exit, calling to Auréliane in a quiet voice:

"Let us go."

The 2 walked on together—but Cassana suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She narrowed her eyes, as though sensing sothing.

Her gaze turned sharp as a viper, shifting toward the darkness nearby.

"Is a guest really going to skulk about when they co calling?"

Auréliane was puzzled, but the mont Cassana's words fell, a drop of jet-black began to seep out slowly from the shadows.

That dark shape swelled and expanded, surging like pooled water, taking on the form of a living creature.

It was a crow—a One-eyed Crow with only a single eye.

It gave a gleeful, snickering laugh, exuding an inexplicable air of dark wickedness.

This brought Cassana up short.

She couldn't quite make sense of it.

Why—would a crow appear here?

But Auréliane recognized the crow at once, and clapped a hand over her mouth with a cry of astonishnt.

"It's……it's Teacher's Crow!"

"Teacher?"

Cassana turned her head and looked at Auréliane.

Auréliane's teacher—she naturally knew who that was.

It could only be that one person……

All of a sudden, a surge of green life burst forth, as countless vines coiled and twisted upward from the ground.

They took on what appeared to be the shape of a wooden figure.

The Crow beat its wings and ca to perch upon the wooden figure's shoulder.

Then—the wooden figure moved.

Its 2 hands ca together stiffly, then spread apart.

Just as though it were clapping.

After that, the vines covering the wooden figure's head gradually receded.

Revealing a face that was sowhat lean.

The corners of his lips curved upward with a smile, and he spoke to Lady Cassana.

"Well said, Lady Cassana."

Auréliane saw clearly who it was, and was instantly struck with disbelief.

"T……Teacher!?"

Even she hadn't noticed—when had Viktor co in?

Lady Cassana stared at Viktor with a cold, piercing look.

"So it is you, Viktor……"

"What are you doing here?"

"Proving to that you have the ability to slip past every single eye in the Rether Family's guard network?"

Viktor smiled, and the wooden figure's body on him gradually transford into his Coat, draping itself over his shoulders.

"Don't get too worked up, my lady."

"That's not what I an."

As the Coat swayed in the breeze, Viktor's figure seed to undergo a complete transformation.

He slid both hands back into his Coat pockets and smiled with easy confidence:

"I only wanted to tell you that none of you here can defeat ."

Cassana drew a deep breath and fixed Viktor with a furious stare.

Auréliane stepped forward and took Lady Cassana's hand.

"Aunt, don't……"

"What Teacher said—is true."

Cassana looked down at her.

"So what? I am Cassana—once a Princess of the Empire! The one who speaks for the Rether Family!"

"Am I supposed to just stand here and watch him act this brazenly in the Rether Family's own territory?"

She turned back to face Viktor again.

"Viktor—what is it that makes you so confident?"

Viktor's gaze was perfectly calm, and within it, mixed in just a touch of helplessness.

"There is sothing I once said to your son, Jess."

"I believe those sa words can equally be offered to you."

He made no other movent—only the emblem of 3 shattered human heads on his chest gave off a faint flash of bright blue.

"Call Council mber, Lady Cassana."

Cassana was mildly taken aback, not quite grasping what Viktor ant.

But she blinked only once.

And yet all at once—it was as though she had appeared in another world entirely.

Everything around her vanished.

Auréliane, the gate, the forest on all sides, even the ground beneath her feet.

As though replaced entirely by a barren, shriveled earth.

Raging flas surged up without warning, as though they would swallow even the sky whole.

Cassana snapped her head upward—because she had felt a certain sense of crisis.

In an instant, she froze.

Before her, a monster had appeared.

A monster that no human could ever hope to stand against—like a colossal beast capable of unmaking the heavens and the earth.

It dragged its volcanic body forward, moving with slow, ponderous steps.

Each footfall landed upon a sea of fire; lava of extre temperature flowed across its body.

Its eyes were a deep, burning crimson, as though churning with a dense and raging fla.

As though, in the very next mont, it could reduce ten thousand things to ash.

Those sky-splitting blazing flas and that ash-covered wasteland—even Cassana, who had been tempered through countless battles untold, felt a shattering, overwhelming sense of terror.

By now, she was drenched in cold sweat, her body rigid, able only to watch as that heaven-and-earth-destroying colossal beast continued its ponderous march across the barren land.

As though burning everything to nothing.

"This is……Natural Magic Power?"

Cassana had dealt with Elves for a long ti and was highly attuned to Natural Magic Power.

That towering wrathful beast, wreathed in ceaselessly rising flas all around it.

It felt as though……

it was a concentrated mass of Natural Magic Power.

If energy of this magnitude could be put to use by the Rether Family—

it would likely be enough to sustain Tieyebo's energy consumption single-handedly, for well over a century!

But just then, Viktor's figure stepped out from within the flas, one stride at a ti.

The flas seed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

"How could this be……"

Cassana stared at Viktor in blank astonishnt.

The mont Viktor appeared, she felt it.

This imnse Natural Magic Power.

Was coming from Viktor himself.

She could not comprehend it—and found it even harder to accept.

And beneath the breath of the flas, Viktor's Coat swayed without cease, growing longer and more billowing by the mont.

Red engravings spread across the entire garnt, like a strip of blazing crimson fire.

He stood there in silence at the top of that fla giant's head, gazing down from on high at Cassana:

"Well then."

"Still not convinced?"