Chapter Twenty-Five: Dark Witch Madonna
"... I am not from this world," Dusken stated placidly, facing the startled Lillian.
Her eyes widened as she pointed.
"Y-you are not from this world?" Her voice held a sceptical tone. "You are lying, right?"
Dusken shook his head as he took a step forward.
"I'm not. Why should I? In fact, not only me, but every individual capable of summoning portals and taking weapons or cards from them is also an otherworldly being."
He smiled insouciantly, not caring about his traitorous act.
"So that's the gist. If you're from a prominent family, kill those people on sight. They're all trouble."
Dusken wasn't certain, but for the briefest moment, he thought he saw the corner of Lillian's lips twitch slightly.
However, a second later, it vanished, making him question its validity.
Lillian chuckled slightly as she walked forward.
"You are one of them, aren't you?" Her voice travelled through the breeze, reaching his ears.
"So if I were to ask my family to kill all otherworldly beings, you'd be the first."
Dusken's smile faltered. Coughing lightly, he followed after her, adding,
"They are different from me, you know," he said, an embarrassed expression on his face.
However, inwardly, his mind was calm as he analysed the situation. He wasn't a fool who would have just told Lillian such a huge secret without reason to back it up.
And just as he had suspected, he was right - she had believed too easily… or haf she? What was her plan? What was her motive? He didn't know.
The next moment, he asked what he truly wanted to know all along:
"So, about the Starlian family, how powerful are they? How many powerful families are there in this world exactly?"
These were his true questions, and now was the perfect time to ask.
Not pausing her steps, Lillian responded,
"This has been your plan all along. To try and calm the atmosphere with your silly joke, so you can extract more information from me, right?"
Lillian's words echoed in the area, making Dusken's eyes turn cold.
'So she thought everything I said earlier was a joke? And she even played along? What nonsense,' Dusken thought with a sneer.
His experience told him that she was putting up a front. There was something that wasn't adding up, and Dusken would rather follow his instincts than believe her.
However, she somehow held crucial information, whether true or not. Dusken needed it.
Who knew if it was part of her ability—to know things that were supposed to be hidden?
Though Dusken had to admit, this 14-year-old girl had exceeded his expectations.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he let out a fake sigh.
"You really got me there, Lillian. I made you angry, so I wanted to diffuse the tension. However, the only thing I remember is my name and my ability.
"I lack some basic information due to a head injury I had in the past. If you can help me, I'll be truly grateful. I just want to return home."
Dusken spoke solemnly, mixing truth with lies to create perfect deception. His sincerity, however, even gave him goosebumps.
Glancing at Lillian's side profile, he saw her open and close her lips several times as if dumbfounded.
'Although she's behaving like this, I should still be wary and not underestimate anyone from this trial, most especially Lillian.' A sharp light ran through his eyes. All he needed was one more push.
"The truth is, I've always been an outcast," Dusken said, remembering memories from his past life.
"The world I came from was peaceful, but in just one day, I lost everything dear to me, then found myself in a place filled with magic, having to pass a so-called trial," he sighed, staring at the nearby trees with a lost expression.
"Believe me when I say, I'm neither good nor evil. I'm just selfish, seeking excitement over others' wishes in a treacherous world that demands survival."
Dusken sighed once more, recalling memories he had buried deep.
'This should be enough,' he thought, keeping his rising emotions at bay.
Some time passed in silence as they both travelled deeper into the forest. A serene expression appeared on Dusken's face as the cool breeze caressed his body.
It was at this moment that Lillian's voice sounded, making him face her.
"The Starlian family is the 6th most powerful household in Kingdom Veltria under the Althea Nation. They normally send guards to traverse the forest to search for resources for their House," she paused for a moment before continuing:
"However, lately, they stay in the vicinity of the forest. Some rumours say they found an inheritance related to the legendary god of darkness."
As Lillian finished speaking, Dusken's eyes blazed with a bright light.
'If there is an inheritance of the god of darkness here, then there is a very high likelihood that the tablet I'm seeking is there.' He trembled internally at the thought.
Dusken naturally knew of inheritances, especially those of gods and devils.
In the real world, there were many records of what an inheritance could hold: sometimes it possessed spell cards, material cards, scrolls, forgotten knowledge—both good and bad—or even the chance to evolve one's talent.
Of course, one's talent could only evolve if it was similar to the god's or devil's inheritance, and he very much met this criterion for the god of darkness's inheritance.
Frowning slightly, Dusken asked,
"Have they attained the inheritance yet?" This was his main question; the tablet was very likely in that inheritance. The sooner he got it, the better.
To his surprise, Lillian shook her head while walking.
"No, they can't," these three words made Dusken's heart skip a beat as a surge of elation pressed down on him.
However, a question soon arose in his mind.
"Why can't they take it? Is there an impediment that only people with dark affinity can get it?" He asked this question, but wasn't sure it was the reason.
Not all the candidates had dark affinity; they had all used their abilities in the battle, and none had met that criterion.
Lillian once again shook her head, letting out a slight, trembling sigh.
"It is because of the witch—a practitioner of dark magic and a great pursuer of all the inheritances of the god of darkness." Lillian's words held a subtle shiver in them, laced with unmistakable, visceral dread as she continued,
"She holds a legacy of the god of darkness. She rose to power due to only one thing: the tablet of Nothing. She made all three nations tremble in fear; her name became words used to scare disobedient children—the grand, dark witch Madonna."