Chapter 71
Gremory quickly dashed toward Etna, who was writhing in pain, and grabbed her by the throat.
“Ugh… urk!”
Etna’s face turned bright red like it was about to burst. Just when it looked like her neck might snap—
Rumble—! The ballroom began to collapse.
“…What?!”
Gremory was caught off guard in surprise. That’s when Etna kicked her hard in the stomach and broke free.
“Hah! I can control the magic circle with just my toes!”
As Gremory groaned from the blow to her gut, Etna quickly spread her wings and flew away.
Grinding her teeth, Gremory groaned. She had to make a choice now—should she chase Etna, or stay behind to save the people in the collapsing ballroom?
Cheshion and Kurhen wouldn’t die so easily from a mere collapse. The real problem was the ordinary nobles with no power at all. And of all things, it had to be Catherine who invited so many of them here.
‘Damn it. These nobles are all high-ranking. If they die, the Empire won’t be able to function properly.’
For the peace of the Empire and the human world, Gremory chose to protect the ballroom. But she couldn’t just let Etna go. At the very least, she’d land a shot before parting ways.
Gremory summoned a black bow. As she drew the string, a bright red arrow formed.
Creeeak—! The eerie-sounding arrow flew and pierced straight into Etna’s waist.
“Argh! Damn you, Gremory!”
Now Etna wouldn’t be able to use magic for a while. The arrow was laced with magic-sealing power. After scoffing once, Gremory rushed back into the crumbling ballroom.
The inside of the ballroom was a disaster.
“Aaaah! I don’t want to die!”
“My love, I truly loved you…!”
In the middle of the chaos, the people’s fear gathered into a huge dark force. Using that fear as fuel, Gremory raised both hands and summoned a massive shield.
A crimson-black barrier flashed. The terrified people only screamed more.
“Ahh! What is that?!”
“A witch! A witch has appeared!”
Cheshion shouted at the crowd.
“She’s not a witch! Can’t you see? She’s a mage, and she’s putting up a shield! Hurry and get out while you can!”
Thanks to his shout, the nobles were able to escape safely from the ballroom.
Later…
After the situation was under control, Gremory and Cheshion checked the damage.
Only the ballroom had collapsed. The Ortega mansion was completely fine. Rich nobles usually had layers of protective magic on their estates, just in case of disasters.
But people still blamed the Duke of Ortega.
“Why was the protective magic only on the mansion?! You should’ve put it on the ballroom too—it’s where the guests gathered!”
“I did cast it! I hired a famous mage for a high price! What else do you want me to do?!”
“Well, you should’ve had it maintained properly! Looks like it cracked!”
Passing by the argument, Gremory and Cheshion said nothing. There was no point revealing a witch had purposely broken the protection spells.
Kurhen stepped in to calm the angry crowd.
“Everyone, calm down. This isn’t the time to argue. That was a powerful earthquake. If the protected ballroom suffered this much damage, imagine how bad it is for the commoners.”
The Duke groaned and carefully brushed his few remaining hairs. Gremory clicked her tongue and handed him a watermelon-sized black mana stone.
“Here. Take it. I hope it helps with the recovery efforts.”
“Thank you… But how did you make such a massive shield? Even a powerful mage couldn’t do that so easily.”
“It was the mana stone. If used well, it can amplify magical power.”
“I see… Either way, I’m very grateful. If not for your shield, everyone would’ve died.”
The Duke hugged the mana stone with gratitude and bowed his head. Following his lead, other nobles also expressed their thanks.
“Thank you. You saved our lives.”
“We owe you so much… Thank you, Lady Mori.”
Gremory looked proud. Cheshion watched her closely. She looked adorable.
“Mori, you did great.”
For once, when Cheshion praised her, Gremory blushed a little—something she never did with others’ compliments.
Cheshion was thrilled. She only reacted that way to his compliments. He wanted to hug and kiss her right then and there, but there was something more important.
“By the way, what happened to the ‘beautiful one’?”
He used a code word in case someone was listening.
“She got away. Kicked me in the stomach and escaped.”
“What?!”
“But I didn’t let her go for free. I hit her with a magic-sealing arrow. She won’t be using any powers for a while.”
“Your stomach—is it okay? Let me see. Let’s go to your room right now.”
Cheshion panicked and grabbed her hand. She had already healed herself, but she let him lead her—it was because she made eye contact with Catherine.
“My shoulder hurts too, Cheshion. I think I got hit by debris when the ballroom collapsed.”
“What?! Oh no! Mori, get on my back—now!”
Cheshion’s brain went into full panic mode. Had Mori ever said she was hurt before? If even her healing magic didn’t work, it must be serious.
Gremory smirked at Catherine while riding on Cheshion’s back. Catherine trembled, clutching her dusty skirt.
Seeing his daughter like that, the Duke of Ortega cleared his throat and spoke.
“Everyone, return to your rooms. The injured should visit a healer. I’ll go assess the damage around the estate. Catherine, go to bed now.”
“…Yes.”
Catherine trudged away, tears falling down her cheeks. The ball was completely ruined. And to make it worse, a disaster had struck. Even worse, she had to be saved by that damned Gremory. It felt like even the gods had abandoned her.
She was hurt—both in body and heart.
Cheshion and Gremory stayed behind to help with repairs. Since the earthquake happened while they were there, they felt somewhat responsible—though it was really Etna’s fault.
Gremory somehow kept bringing more black mana stones and claimed they had rebuilding power. She used them to restore broken houses and buildings at incredible speed.
The Duke was truly thankful. When they returned to the mansion after finishing for the day, he greeted them politely.
“I didn’t know mana stones could be used for rebuilding. Truly, thank you.”
“I’m just doing what’s right.”
“You’re too modest. No noble has ever been so active in helping another territory. You’ve probably used a lot of those precious stones, so let’s forget about the relic rental fee. Use them as much as you need and return them when you’re done.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll go rest now.”
“I hope you rest well, Lady Mori. But actually, a guest has arrived.”
“A guest?”
“Yes. They arrived quietly, so I was surprised too. They’ve asked to speak with you and His Grace. Please go to the parlor.”
The Duke personally escorted them to the parlor. Waiting there, sipping tea, was Ibelia. She waved as they walked in.
“I came because I heard of the great disaster and wanted to help. But it looks like you two already solved everything. Duke Ortega, may we speak privately?”
“Of course. Take your time.”
After he left and the door closed, Ibelia’s expression turned serious.
“You two, listen closely. Until now, I planned to let fate play out. But I can’t sit still anymore.”
“…What?”
“I’m going to tell you how to end this quickly and peacefully. I’ll tell you how to kill the Demon God.”
