Chapter 496

Alice understood, of course, that although Tiamat looked small and like a child, she was actually quite old, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. No, of course not, absolutely not... But this kind of thing was still not appropriate, especially with the Demon King.

The thought of two naked people embracing each other is just too much.

So the Witch made up her mind to eliminate any goodwill she might have towards Tiamat, and gave a cold reply:

"Only one person can stay in the Bathroom; it can't accommodate two people."

"Oh... okay, Mom, I understand."

Although Tiamat was unhappy, she still acted relatively docile and obedient. "Then you go wash by yourself, I'll come wash later, Novia."

Novia nodded and headed towards the Bathroom.

Immediately afterwards, both of them exuded an unusual aura in the living room. One person quietly sipped Black Tea and read a book, while the other sat obediently on the Sofa.

"Alice cares a lot about Novia, and Mom is very happy."

"Huh?"

Addressing the earnest girl, Alice tried her best to appear indifferent and said, "That's not true."

"No, Mom, I know very well what you looked at and how you acted when you saw Novia. And another thing, you were reading the book to hide your expression, weren't you?"

"That's not true."

Tiamat smiled when she heard Alice say that.

"I see. I've done something similar; it was just simple observation. Because it's someone you like, you want to know everything about them."

The frank remarks made Alice lower her head and hide her face behind the book.

"Very good, very good. Mom likes children like this, but of course, she also likes children who aren't like this."

Upon arriving in the Fr World, Tiamat finally realized that what Novia had told her was true and that she hadn't been deceived.

So, this body will be used for creation. But there's no Sorrow, because after meeting, there was no rejection, and it remained as warm as ever.

"There probably won't be a reprimand meeting this time..."

After she finished murmuring this softly, she lowered her head just like Alice had done before, "So, where will Novia and I sleep, Alice?"

"... Oh, you and he need to sleep separately."

Why can't we sleep together?

Tiamat pouted, "We've already slept together, don't separate."

Um?

Aoko Aozaki froze for a moment.

Therefore, after Novia finished washing up and Tiamat went in, Alice went straight to Novia without saying a word. She stopped in front of the silver-haired youth in the dimly lit living room, Witch gaze seemingly asking, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"

"... Is there anything else you'd like to ask, Alice?"

Alice knew that her relationship with him wasn't that close; it was merely an accidental encounter where she became his Master Servant. The possession wasn't anything special either, and Eri had been with Erice before her. This budding affection felt like Alice to the much older Yuzhu, and it was incredibly annoying.

Yumina's descendants should not act this way.

But when she heard Tiamat say those words, she felt a long-forgotten pain in her chest.

"... After all that, why did you come back?"

That?

Novia fell into deep thought. Alice referring to the fact that he hadn't seen her for five years? Although it happened suddenly, he really didn't want it to happen; it was just an accident.

However, the fact remains that they suddenly disappeared, and that cannot be changed.

"Yes, it's normal to get angry, but I will solve this problem. It's okay to stay angry, because I believe I can solve it. So it's okay if people hate me or are angry with me until then. Although it's lonely, I think it's the right thing to do."

"..."

Alice was too shocked to speak and could only stare blankly at Novia.

It may be lonely, but it's the right thing to do.

The reverse is also true.

It's true, but it's lonely.

Just like Aoko Aozaki became completely different every day after embarking on her Magecraft journey at birth, she can never go back—she can only tightly embrace the self she can never return to in the depths of her heart.

Even if I stay angry about this all the time, can you accept it?

"Yes, if that's the case."

Novia answered with a smile, then left the living room and headed to the Guest Room.

As she watched him leave, Alice's face grew increasingly dark. She thought Novia meant that everyone should stay together.

Therefore, dressed in black, she swayed solemnly with her body, stretched out her hand, looked at the three bright red Command Spell on the back of her hand, and only put it down after a long time.

Then, that lovely face made a cold expression.

"... Shameless."

Chapter 512 To be honest, I don't like you.

That happened shortly after the Demon King disappeared.

One evening.

A very unexpected visitor arrives at the Kuonji Estate where Erice lives.

Manazuru Chitose – Utsumi Erice's maternal Grandmother.

This was her first visit to the room since Erice left Shinjuku.

When Erice saw a person in Black Sailor Uniform looking up at the camera on the surveillance screen installed in the outer passageway in Alice, she rubbed her eyes, wondering if it was some kind of clever trap, since the train should have stopped running long ago at this hour.

"I'm going back soon, but there's something I want you to know."

"..."

No matter how much Erice denied it, the person who came was none other than the Manazuru Chitose.

She completely disregarded the Magecraft security devices and the Bounded Field used to repel people that Aoko Aozaki set up, and walked into the room as if it were nothing.

This immediately made Erice had been feeling down for a long time, tense up.

Because if there were any instructions, a text message or verbal relay through Kuonji would have sufficed, but she came in person, which really puzzled her... And putting that aside, Erice and Chitose didn't get along very well to begin with.

It must be something related to the Demon King; there can't be any other reason.

Thinking this Erice sat on the bed, facing Chitose across the table. Before she could speak, Chitose looked at the floor at the other end of the spacious room and said, "Oh... that Pistol Model, so it Erice with you, Eri. It brings back so many memories."

"... Um."

What a huge mistake; the timing was absolutely terrible.

Because that was one of the few things that Erice brought from her hometown in Shinjuku.

It was a pink-painted Pistol Model. It was also a keepsake from the person Erice's dearest memory.

"And then? Is there anything else?"

Erice got straight to the point; she already knew what they were going to talk about, so she didn't want to drag things out any longer.

She didn't want to see Chitose.

"Hey, you two—you haven't seen each other in so long, at least catch up on how you've been?"

At this moment, Lucius, wearing Suit vest, interjected, leaning against the wall some distance away from the two of them, gazing at them with a steady gaze.

"Lucius... sir. Good evening."

"Goodnight, Erice —there are so many tea-making tools here! May I make myself a cup of tea? I'm a little thirsty."

"Hmm, sure, but... it might be a bit old."

Not long after moving in, Erice enthusiastically bought some Black Tea, intending to drink it with the Demon King, but since there was plenty of Black Tea in the Kuonji residence, she didn't touch it much.

"Oh, right. If possible, I hope you won't call me 'Mr.' anymore, just call me Lucius like before. Don't you think it's a bit unfair that you only call Chitose by his first name as always?"

"Okay, okay."

In contrast to Erice's nervous demeanor, Chitose sighed and said with a hint of caution:

"Isn't it normal for young women to keep their distance from adult men? Please be careful not to be too intimate and annoy them."

"Haha, you're right. I'll be careful."

Looking at the harmonious pair, Erice sighed and asked again, "What's wrong—"

"I hope you can take a break from your work for a while."

Chitose, dressed in Black Sailor Uniform, lightly stroked the teacup with her pale fingertips as she spoke.

In that instant, Erice felt a little dizzy, as if her brain was being roasted by flames, and her mind went completely blank.

She rushed from the bed to the table, slammed her fist on the table, and demanded an explanation from Chitose.

"No! I absolutely won't! What right do you have to do this—"

At this Erice Chitose to be deliberately displaying a disappointed expression, quietly sipping her Black Tea.

"... I've already spoken to the City AI."

This seemingly obvious decision from Manazuru Chitose is now irreversible. Erice understands that although her Grandmother often jokes, she has never said anything carelessly. Since her Grandmother has said so, it is equivalent to the Holy Grail reaching this conclusion in Marseille Mosaic City.

... But even so, her Wrath could not be quelled.

They want to steal my job? Then why did I run away from home in the first place?

Why am I hated like a 'Death God' by Servant, and why do they continue to exclude me?

The Black-Haired Girl barely managed to suppress her rapid breathing, calming her heaving shoulders, before asking:

"Is it because of the Demon King? Why?! I can still complete my quests without him! Tell me why! Why should I?!"

Manazuru Chitose nodded silently, as if she were merely answering Erice's first question.

"... So, how long is 'a while'?"

"At least three months."

This prompted Erice to look at Lucius, who was sitting on the ground, with pleading eyes, but the man only frowned slightly and gave her a wry smile.

This was Lucius's advice to Erice, and as her Servant, he naturally understood that trying to find out the reason from Chitose was a waste of time.

Afterwards, Chitose asked a few more questions about her health, but Erice was completely distracted and couldn't even remember what she answered. Hearing that Chitose was asking some trivial questions, Erice realized once again that Manazuru Chitose couldn't possibly care about her, and that she was just a form of entertainment, only able to satisfy their philanthropic feelings or temporarily relieve their boredom.

After the two left, Utsumi Erice still stared at the teacup they had used.

I don't care if they don't let me be Night Watch, but why am I the only one they single out?

The person Erice could ask is no longer in this world, so she can only lie in bed hugging her pillow, asking and answering herself over and over again, repeating it millions of times.

If Chitose and she weren't biological grandmother and granddaughter, the girl wouldn't be so Wrath; if they were, the girl would definitely be filled with fighting spirit, determined to break free from the shackles imposed on her, and then retaliate... But she couldn't do it, she simply couldn't do it without the Demon King.

The city is already wailing, playing a symphony of contradictions and hypocrisy. If that's the case... then we must unleash a massacre.

We must wipe out all those evil Servant and Phantasmal Species, exterminate them completely, leaving no one alive.

The girl eventually started talking to herself.

"The war... cannot end, nor should it end..."

But there is no more war in the New World, just as there are no more airplanes flying in the sky. It was the Holy Grail that transformed the world into this.

At the same time, outside the Kuonji residence.

The clear stream cascading down the mountain carried a chilly scent, complementing the darkness of the night, as if proclaiming that it was a place where humans should never set foot.

Looking at Manazuru Chitose figure ahead, and recalling Erice's attitude, Lucius couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Despite being grandparents and grandchildren, their relationship is terrible... Is it because of the selfish nature of Magecraft? But that doesn't seem right. There are basically no Magecraft like that in the New World anymore, and only Erice like that. Chitose seems to be quite gentle to everyone else, after all, she even asked the City AI to run a train for her late at night. Sigh, family problems are so troublesome.

Lucius looked up at the sky.

It was as if I wanted to disappear into a star-filled night, similar to those of many years ago, and relax a little.

"I really like Erice. In any case, since she was born here, she should be blessed. Although much of her technology is in vain. The waste of so many resources cannot be ignored."

The Chitose's murmur mingled with the breeze, as if she had noticed Lucius's expression, "But she herself is worthy of praise, worthy of my love."