Anatole was the first to speak. "Don't be silly. There is no way for a demon to be revived. They are not humans."
Claudina smiled. "Yes. But what about those who can use Forbidden magic? They are not exactly humans but they can and are able to use Holy magic."
"…You…"
"That's right." She took out the Grimoire from Blakeley.
"My mother is conceived through Taboo. Hence forbidden magic runs in my veins along with Holy magic." She tilted her head. "Don't be so surprised. My case though unusual is not impossible. Chronos told me there were three more people before me who were born like this."
They fell silent.
"Everything that Baron does will be under my instructions. However if you still uncomfortable with it, then…But first," she lifted her left hand. "σπечwert!"
The five Holy swords came out along with a silver light. She handed the swords back to each saint who took them with hesitance.
She turned to Baron. "I am going to put you someplace safe for now," she whispered. "It will be just for a while but the others don't have to know that."
Baron blinked his hundred eyes. "…iF tHE dUChess sAys So."
He lowered his head. She gently touched him with her left hand the symbol of the Ancient Power glowing pale blue. Light shot out in tendrils wrapped Baron in a cocoon. The cocoon lurched, twisted and thinned before it went back inside the symbol.
The saints said nothing but they were in edge when Claudina put Baron inside her Ancient power.
"This should soothe your worries." She faced them. "Baron cannot come out of the Ancient Power unless I want him to. Neither can he break out of it."
Shulia angrily put away her sword. "The moment you let that demon out is the moment I kill both you of you," she said as she shoved past her.
Claudina simply smiled. For once Oriane found it truly sinister. She looked the other way and shivered.
"Now where are the injured? Let me help as well!" Claudina peeked inside the shelter. Most of them were only bandaged and had yet to be properly healed. 'Guess Oriane is still no good at using Holy magic. And judging by the others clothes they were too busy with the attacks to heal anyone …'
First she healed the shallow wound on her torso before she walked inside and sat beside a woman. She smiled again. The woman blushed. Though she was covered in blood and ash she remained beautiful. Casting out Holy magic Claudina started to heal her.
The other saints exchanged looks before entering the shelter with Blakeley.
A week had passed since the disaster at the ball.
While the capital was being fixed the state affairs and ministers were hurled in a mess. In the deceased king's chamber they found a threatening note from unknow enemies. Later on the ministers received an anonymous tip. A clue who these enemies were: Vessels of Ri'sh.
Whether the tip was sent by the saints or the spies form the five gods' side didn't matter. For now they could work on ahead to prevent these issues from happening.
The air was no longer as tense as it was on that night.
The saints had all gone back to their sense of normalcy. It helped since Claudina only let out Baron in the privacy of her room. What she does in there is none of their business as long as Baron was not leaving the room.
Blakeley stayed with them during this time. He couldn't afford to go to his hide out without being detected. Not when the soldiers were searching under every rock to find the owner of the knife.
His knife he lent to Claudina.
The same one with his name in it.
Currently the entire capital was shaking. Even with the tireless works that the minsters and parliament were doing it still wasn't enough.
Their king and the crown prince were both dead. With no successor born between Aidan and Rosalind Carlos and no direct relative of the king were alive, the king's nephew who was 6th in line for the throne was crowned as the new king.
He had a gullible nature but he did had a shrewd side to him so the people kept their hopes up.
The date of coronation was yet to be announced due to the capital being in shambles.
Claudina and the others however took this as an opportunity to eliminate the spies of Vessels of Ri'sh that were wandering in the chaos.
While Shulia, Oriane, Sylvester and Sullivan went to deal with them, Anatole and Claudina decided to come into contact with the new King, Stephen.
Stephen had graciously welcomed them into his private chambers when they told who they were.
"We'll get straight to the point, your majesty," Anatole stated as they sat down.
Stephen a middle aged man with shaggy pale blue hair and beard looked baleful at them. "Speak."
Anatole looked at Claudina who nodded. "Sire the cause of death for the late king and the crown prince was not due to unknown assassin."
He frowned.
"Have you heard of the Arbitrary Abstractions?"
"In passing yes. What does a global club have to do with their deaths?"
"This club is actually a cult named the Vessels of Ri'sh."
His eyes widened. "So you are saying…"
"Yes. This cult was what killed the two." Anatole nodded. "On the day of the attack us saints were busy thawing the attacks of the demons those cultist set. Fearing for the safety of His Highness and His Majesty we left our apprentice here," he said gesturing at Claudina. She lowered her head in a bow.
"I apologize. I wasn't able to do anything. The cult first knocked me out before they went after the late king and crown prince. By the time I woke up it was already too late." When she fixed her posture again there were tears glistening on her lashes. "Please forgive me Your Majesty."
Stephen reddened. "O-of course! I-I mean it's quite alright! You were helpless against them. I understand it. Please don't cry." He himself poured out another cup of tea and handed it to her.
Claudina took it while wiping her tears. She sniffled before looking up slyly. "I wasn't one to believe rumors but truly His Majesty the king is forgiving and the epitome of noble visage." She charmingly smiled. "With Your Majesty leading the Halieas kingdom, it will prosper even more."
Stephen flushed even brighter. "Hahahaha! Indeed you are right! Since I only want what's best for Halieas I will, no, I can make it prosper!"
"Your Majesty is wise," she said into her teacup. She cast a look to Anatole who raised his index finger. 'Alright I am done flattering. Now everything is up to you, Anatole bastard.'
"That's why Your Majesty I have a proposal."
Stephen looked at him. "A proposal?'
"Yes. It will benefit you."
"Let's hear it then."
Anatole and Claudina entered the Crowns Ring hotel.
"I am glad it went well," Anatole muttered to her.
"Hm? Oh me too!"
She remembered how the negotiations went.
Anatole suggested that Halieas Kingdom comes under the protection of the gods. With that there was not only safety from any assassination attempts from the cult but also to avoid war with the Five Nations since they already knew the former king and crown prince were in cahoots with the cult.
Stephen readily agreed after Claudina fidgeted in place when he first seemed skeptical about the situation.
Now in Anatole's bag were the documents containing the both Anatole and Stephen's signature that Halieas was under the Five Nations.
It went well in her opinion. Less unnecessary talking and more to the point. 'Oh but in my timeline Aidan never died. I wonder how it will play out.' She glanced at her gloved left hand.
'Not to mention I am taking some things from the past…I am sure it will be fine! I can always see it as an experiment. Speaking of experiments I don't think Stephen was aware of what was in the chamber where they found Aidan's body. If he did he's a good actor to conceal his anger at something akin to a national treasure being stolen.'
As they were walking in the lobby Claudina spied Lucas May flirting with a checking in guest. The girl was a foreigner judging by her height and brown hair. Here in Halieas people only have light colored hair. Rarely are they born with dark hair.
Lucas caught sight of her but she pretended not to notice. When he waved at her she turned to Anatole. 'That scum…Wait I have an idea.' "Ah would like to join me for a cup of tea?"
He tilted his head. "We just drank tea at the king's palace though?"
"Yes but sharing a pot with someone you know is much better than sharing with a stranger. Oh let's also invite Blakeley too since the others are arriving tomorrow,"
He crossed his arms. "Sai-Claudina I have no interest in playing along with whatever you are planning."
"I am not planning anything! Please?" She begged putting on sad puppy dog eyes. "Pretty please?" 'No one can say no to my pleading eyes! No one!'
He signed. "Very well."
"Yay! I'll go set up everything in the dining hall. You can first freshen up."
"It will take me awhile."
"Fine by me!" With that she ran up the stairs.
Entering in her room she found Baron chasing after a sparrow that flew into her room through the open window.
As per her orders Baron was now shrunk to the size of a toddler and closed all of his eyes except for the two on his face. He appeared more terrifying then before since he didn't have a nose or a mouth.
However she found it the most adorable.
"Baron dearest I am going to away for a few more hours," she said as she reapplied rouge on her lips. "So until I come back don't open the door for anyone. I will bring a nice meal for you."
Baron leaned on the dressing table. "tHe mEAl thE dUcEHss MaKeS?"
"Yes."
He leaped for joy. She laughed. 'So cute!'
For some reason he apparently enjoyed her cooking.
When he first ate it he exclaimed it was similar to the food in the void which was delicious and rare to find. The higher ranks of the demons scaling grade would hoard all the food so the lower ranking ones would starve and fight amongst themselves.
When she heard her terrible cooking was similar to void food she didn't know whether she should take it as an insult or compliment.
'But at least it solves his diet of eating humans,' was her afterthought.
She got up from her chair and admired herself in the mirror. She put a hand delicately under her chin. "Such beauty should be locked away in an art museum."
"dOes ThE dUCheSs WanT tO beComE thE QuEen oF tHe VoId?" Baron asked her.
Flinching she said, "You said something similar before too? The demon king?" She noticed the grandfather clock. "Oh dear! I can't be late! Baron tell me all about it when I come back. I will bring desserts too."
She patted his head. He purred. 'How can he be so cute?!'
After locking the door from the outside she started to walk away when she heard clicking sounds. Baron locked the door form the inside too.
Claudina smiled fondly. "Guess there is some merit in training a demon…" she muttered.
On her way to Blakeley's room which he shared with Sullivan she stopped a passing maid and asked for tea and snacks for three people to be delivered at the dining hall.
Claudina walked down the hallway and stopped in front of his door, knocked and waited.
She didn't wait long for Blakeley appeared to the door in a few seconds.
"Are you busy right now?" she asked.
"Ah no. Do you need something form me?"
She beamed. "Share a pot of tea with me." She didn't ask him. She outright demanded him.
He cocked his head. "…Ok. Give me a minute then." He went inside and came out wearing his coat. She blinked before laughing behind her hand.
"Is something funny?" he asked when he came back.
"It's just you went with my request too easily."
"Yes well if I didn't I am sure you would find some other pretext to get me out."
"Are you implying I would hit you?" she said remembering their first meeting.
"Yes." He put his hand on his cheek. "I am reminded of it every time I see you."
She stopped in her tracks. "Bold aren't you Mr. Anderson?"
He chuckled. "Not as much as you I am afraid."
Making light conversations they made their way to the dining hall. They sat down on an unoccupied table near the window.
A minute later a maid bought over tea and pastries over. Noticing there was no honey she stopped the maid from before. "Could you please bring some honey instead of sugar? Thank you."
"Don't you already drink too much of it?" She looked back at Blakeley. He was absentmindedly poking the cherries on his pastry. "I have noticed Sir Miles and Lady Mauve doing the same too."
"I like to sweeten my palate. Is there a problem?"
"None whatsoever. But too much is never good now is it?" He looked back at the door. "Sir Regis is late isn't he? Should we wait?"
"Not required. Anatole said he would arrive late." She cut a piece of her chocolate tart. Midway into her mouth the chair beside her was pushed open and Lucas sat down on it.
He smirked. "Fancy seeing you here, Miss Spade!"
She put down her fork with a disgusted sign. 'Trash has no awareness…' She glanced at him. He had dressed up within the short time she saw him in the lobby. "…Yes," she said with reluctance.
"Don't be like that~ I thought we were friends."
"We are not. And we never will be. We are nothing more than acquaintances."
"You wound me."
Claudina reached for her tart again. After swallowing she looked up at Blakeley who seemed tense. "Let's head back if Anatole doesn't come."
"If you ignore me I will get sad," he said as he leaned forward for a fork. Rather than taking something from the dessert tray, he took a bite out of her tart. He ate shamelessly while grinning at her.
Immediately she dropped her fork with a loud clatter. Disgust was written on her face as she pushed the plate away.
She slammed the serviette on the table before standing up. "I am done. Blakeley." Blakeley stood up instantly. 'She looks like she's about to murder someone! I better do something!'
Lucas grabbed her hand. "Come now Miss Spade. You now I was joking. Sit down. I will order another one for you."
Claudina slapped his hand away. "Please don't act so close when we aren't. Also stop looking for me." She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "I don't care for you and it makes you look stupid."
Lucas was heartbroken but he quickly composed his expression. "H-haha! You sure are a funny one!"
"I didn't say anything funny!" she snapped at him. "In the first place you came here prancing like an overdressed ostrich in the middle of the day. Do you not realize who ridiculous you look?! Not to mention how you and that ill bred Arch Anis treated me that night by leaving me behind in an unknown territory with murderers on the prowl."
"There was a rea-"
"I nearly died. But that is completely fine to you nobles. What is one merchant compared to the countless other sacrifices?" 'Nice going Claudina! Quoting General Rafael! He will be so proud! He must be shedding tears in the army!' "Thankfully he was there to save me!" she said pointing to Blakeley. "Someone you have ignored since you arrived."
Lucas was quick to change people to avoid the burning glare from Claudina.
"Ah! Where are my manners?" He stretched his hand to Blakeley. "Afternoon sir. My name is Lucas May, a noble in the envoy from Twi'ti." He grinned with his eyes closed.
Blakeley shook his hand with a tentative smile. "My name is Blakely An- I mean Blakely Antero. I am a friend of the Saints and here for some business for my father."
'A friend of those lowly saints eh? Someone like you dares to sit with an angle like Miss Spade. I'll make the rights to it on my name.' His grin was more pinned as his grip on Blakely's hand tightened.
Blakeley shivered.
'Miss Claudina help me!!'