By the time Arthur returned to Caesar Manor with Miss "Anna," dawn was just moments away.
Malinda had not gone to sleep.
She had changed into casual clothes and sat reading the notes and books Geppetto had left behind.
Previously, she had only skimmed them. If she wanted to turn their contents into knowledge of her own, she certainly could not stop there.
In fact, to keep pace with Arthur, she had already rearranged her schedule. Besides drawing up an additional reading plan for the next two months, she had increased her daily reading time from three hours to four.
Knowledge was power!
On the mystical side, this was the truest of maxims.
There was nothing false about it.
Moreover, Malinda was reflecting on the path she had chosen before-
There was nothing wrong with building up her forces, but putting that above improving her own strength was putting the cart before the horse.
Take Creados, hidden away in South Los, for example.
Not only had they refrained from expanding their forces, they had concealed and disbanded the ones they already had. Yet when they needed them, they had assembled their own troops in no time.
Why?
Because of strength.
Real strength that belonged entirely to them.
Back then, I only founded the so-called Lady of the Long Night's Salon to improve my own strength and make it easier to find the base materials needed for rituals.
But when did the Lady of the Long Night's Salon become more important than improving my strength?
Why did I make such a basic mistake?
She questioned herself.
Then, naturally, she recalled the satisfaction that had welled up from the bottom of her heart when others looked at her with utmost deference and a trace of fear.
That satisfaction had made her lose