Vito smiled faintly. His gaze still lingers in the kids screen while he asked the Duke
"Tell me about who ordered you, Welf"
"Haaah… it's my lost. Did you perhaps predicted this?"
Duke wanted to probe more, but for Vito, the loser didn't have the right to ask
"…let me warn you first. You can't fight the other side yet"
They stared at each other, the duke don't want to back away at this and stare at him seriously
"I will consider it"
"Good… it's the shadow of the world. They want to bring down the light. Their forces isn't the match of all the Monarchs. They will determine the fate of this world. They are traitors. They are evil-"
"Stop blabbering, I don't have time for this"
"…"
"They didn't have a name yet except a crest of a bat. But the one that ordered me is called… 'The Architect of Darkness'"
Splash-
The duke body exploded. A curse has been placed at him. Vito stand up, and bid his goodbye to the dead
There's no one in the district who died that night. The one who turned to shadow people actually is just fainted. They called the incident 'The Arise of Nightmare'
After the investigation they finally connected it to a new witch that recently emerged, The Dream Witch. She gained many popularity among the masses, and curses by the people who make an embarrassing appearance at that night. This city loves magic after all, especially the one that didn't kill.
Then the news that many nobles children and Duke February's death comes. The headline says the accident caused by a demon, and Duke February got killed by it. Surprisingly no one says a thing to the duke, they just mourn and directing their anger to demons
"Wtf! What's wrong with them! Am the nobles got bribed or something? Didn't they have a lot of money? Hey Vito, why are you just sitting here? What's with you want to kill all insects at once or something!"
"My intel got killed and all the evidence i prepared either the true or false one got destroyed. As for the nobles and their kids… i don't know"
"What the… how?"
Their plans failed, it's like the outcome already set in stone and no one tries to find the truth. Vito grimly took out a notebook and start scribbling it silently. Selena become frustrated because their plans failed in an absurd way
Meanwhile the kids are being treated in one room. The priest usually can healed them in an instant, but the poison they got from the Naga is very powerful that they need to be treated for some days. If Selena didn't drank them a cure potion immediately, they will be dead by now
But the true pain is still ongoing for Dream. Because they are recuperating in the same room. How awkward is that…
The trio just eating their porridge silently, Liliya is here too because of mana exhaustion… 'F*ck I hate porridge! And this silence is killing me…'
Unbeknownst to him, the twin is talking in minds connection about all that happened. Unfortunately so many questions without an answer
(So that's what happened…)
(What is it meant by the chosen one? It's me right?)
(I don't know. But maybe it connected with your affinity that as bright as sun)
(Maybe because i will become powerful enough to be a hero and kill the demon king!)
(…)
(… by the way, what about him?)
Finally it comes to Dream that they are avoiding intentionally
(He's too mysterious…)
(Actually, he looks cool before…)
(…hmph)
Dream can't take it anymore and broke the silence
"Umm, e-etto, I'm sorry… before, y'know"
'F*ck!!! Why am I stuttering now aaaa'
(Oh my god, he looks cute~)
(…)
"Don't worry, I must say thank you for saving me back then"
"Thanks"
Dream remembered the twins he wrote, they literally can be friends with their enemy if got saved once. Liliya even rescued one of the villain who tried to kill her because he saved her once. But then, he only making more troubles for her.
Dream now becoming more confused, if they aren't the same or possibly a transmigrator, it's more simpler. But he instead get this same but not the same feeling 'it just too opposite of their character!'
"If it's okay to ask, why did you save me? And…"
Liliya didn't continue her sentence and just waiting his answer. Dream didn't know what to say, can he answer'because I want to change your fate?' Absolutely not. But he must give an answer so he instinctively answered
"Because you are cute"
"Wha-"
Liliya is blushing at the unexpected answer and Hiiro frowned like the thought of how to kill dream past his head. Dream realize his mistake too and become embarrassed, then even more awkward silence engulfed the room
This time Liliya is the one who cannot bear it and saying whatever in her head
"Then w-why do you think I'm cute?"
Liliya drop a bombshell, making the situation even worse. She didn't planned to say that! She wants to say 'if he think she is cute, then why did he attack them' but messed up
'What the f*ck? What moves is that! What do i say now!? Your brother looks like wants blood now girl! Let's think a safe answer'
"Y-your magic is cute"
Okay what a dumb f*ck is that
Click-
"Hello guys, i bring an apple for y'all~"
Fortunately Selena comes in time again to safe them from the explosion. A sleepy Celyn comes as well
*
Count Pureheart now is talking with Baron Bleaklife. One calmly sipping his tea, the other one just smiled with a cold sweat. He just barely keeping his posture with his experience of a merchant
"Please to meet you, Count Pureheart. My name is Yudas Bleaklife, umm may I know why you called me sir?"
"It's something related to your son"
Yudas broke a cold sweat. He already heard that Dream had gone crazy and trying to kill the count childrens
"I apologise sir! I didn't teach him properly! Although he's my son, he's unfilial child and have a mental illness! Please forgive me, i will punish him soon enough!"
Count Vito is speechless at him. He wants to say thank you, but swallowed his words. He already checked the Bleaklife boy records. A mentally ill boy that always training 25/7 since 5 years old.
But he surprised to know that boy once blackmailed his parents to give him potions for more training. It means he is actually smart and didn't lose his mind yet. Looking at his parents reactions, he have an idea
That's how Dream got sold off to become Liliya's bodyguard without his consent
*
Selena is mad, he didn't like being in attentions. That's why she conceal her house, but now everyone knows her house because someone manage to link her with the incident last night.
How? Selena is pretty sure she didn't leave a trace. That's one of her magic traits after all. She wants to know how the heck they do that and f*ck them over
"Haaa~ this mission leave a bitter taste"
It's like winning but didn't get anything, more feels like losing. She is curious what's the Count gonna do. When he still her teacher, he always appears perfectionist
He didn't leave anything behind and used whatever he could to achieve it. But now, he probably tasted defeat…
Oh my, the perfect teacher is suffering from defeat! What a situation! Sadly his face is still the same, I can't even look more of this handsome cold bastard or i will embarrass myself
If only he didn't retire 2 years ago to stayed within his house in the snowy north that no one come and go…
"That's it!! It's perfect place for me to stay! For entertainment, Count probably will have many enemies now so i can fig- i mean helping him! And Celyn will have a friends to play with! It's a win-win-win for all~"
*
Somewhere in the night… a guy looking at the crater that is formerly a duke garden
"Wah she beat me~ not with any tactics or anything. Just pure force kekeke~"
Then he walked to a warehouse and saw the rows of kids laying in the floor and a dozen of black robes people using magic to the kids
"How's the plan works?"
"Yes sir, all the rats has been wiped off. And the nobles still stuck in the illusion without them noticing"
"Ho~"
Then he whispered to the man he talked to
"Then what happened to father?"
"Duke February is dead"
His body shocked, his eyes started becoming red, and tears start pouring down
"Khk ehk khu
kuHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAA HE IS DEAD! HAHAHAHA"
Maniacal laughter echoed in the warehouse. Although he loses from that girl, he thanked her and the Count for killing of his father, and finally…
"And who am i?"
"You are Duke Aaron February"
"YES!!! HAHAHAHAHA Oh the Protector of February! Show me how he died!"
A screen appear in front of him, showing the Count and the former Duke conversation
"So he died because I lost? Kekeke so I contributed with his death! It means I killed him~ oh my~"
"Oh I must rewarded her too for this achievement! She said she wants a fans right? Let's give him the fans she wants then"
Aaron is the reason for Selena's unwanted popularity