Sword of Salvation-Chapter 56: - Plans and Dr. Lergen (3)

—Capital City Norania, Neiracia Empire—

Celinee returned to the inn where she and Mariel were staying after distributing money to the underprivileged citizens.

Out of the 6,750,000 escal she had withdrawn from Ultores branch, she had only put 50 platinum coins (10,000 escal) into her bag. The remaining 33,700 platinum coins had been distributed to over five thousand residents.

Celinee had become a small star in the city for half the day. Fortunately, she wore a mask. If not, posters of her face would probably have appeared on the walls of buildings soon. If Rhemea saw that, she would definitely send her colleagues from Serenity to hunt down Celinee. Rhemea might accuse her of being a traitor, making her despised by the others.

Initially, Celinee had not planned to distribute the money. However, seeing 33,750 platinum coins made her realize that Lasyana had paid her handsomely. Ultores staff even confirmed that Lasyana’s payment was the largest in the past decade.

Celinee couldn’t carry all those coins to the inn, nor did she want to store them in the bank – she didn’t want to deal with them. So, she decided to distribute it to those in need. Ultores staff happily assisted her, and the ninja didn’t regret her actions.

The joy Celinee had experienced from distributing the money instantly vanished when she found Mariel absent from their room.

The ninja frowned.

She had expected Mariel to wait for her here. Celinee had purposely stayed at a different inn to show that she was still upset about what Mariel had done yesterday. She wanted the young man to understand that he had gone too far. However, Mariel wasn’t here, and Celinee couldn’t sense his presence.

"Did he decide to leave first?"

Celinee immediately shook her head to dismiss her own question. Mariel wouldn’t do that. If he had left first—which was highly unlikely—he would have left a note saying he was waiting in Mangolla. But Celinee found no note anywhere, so that possibility could be ruled out entirely.

"Is he looking for me?"

The possibility was quite high. Mariel was annoying and manipulative, but he wasn’t that bad. If the venomous words he had spoken yesterday reflected what he truly believed, he must be searching for Celinee. However, if he really had been searching, he would have found her by now.

"Could he have gone back to the palace?"

Celinee didn’t understand how she felt when she imagined this scenario. She also didn’t understand why she felt this way. All she knew was that she didn’t like what her mind was picturing. Thinking of the boy enjoying his time with the empress annoyed Celinee. The atmosphere—

Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted when a dimensional portal suddenly appeared. From within it, Mariel stepped out. The calm expression on his face was immediately replaced by relief when he saw Celinee sitting on the chair.

"Celinee, I thought you’d left; I couldn’t find you anywhere. I was planning to leave the city after returning the inn key. But thank goodness you’re still here."

Celinee crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the boy. "Were you really looking for me?" she asked sharply—she needed to observe every detail of Mariel’s body language to determine if he was lying.

"Of course, Celinee. What makes you doubt me?" Mariel didn’t wait for an answer. "When I woke up and you still weren’t back," he continued, "I thought you had purposely left early for Mangolla because you were still upset. So, I immediately left the city and headed northwest to look for you."

’So that’s why he didn’t find me?’ Celinee wondered internally, but she didn’t immediately accept it as the truth.

Mariel was highly skilled at lying: he could present falsehoods as truth. That boy wasn’t someone who could be trusted easily. His words almost always had ulterior motives.

"Then, why did you come back?" the ninja asked again—her eyes still sharp as she scrutinized any potential lies in Mariel’s expressions and body language.

"On the way, I realized you wouldn’t do something foolish just because you were upset. So, I figured you wouldn’t have gone there alone. Without thinking twice, I came back here, thinking you might still be hiding at one of the inns." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Celinee rolled her eyes, showing her boredom. "You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?" she asked.

Mariel sighed deeply. His expression showed exhaustion, but it could just as easily be an act. Celinee found it difficult to dismiss the possibility that Mariel had just returned from the palace.

"Listen, Celinee," the boy said with a serious face. "I know I was wrong. My joke yesterday went too far. I enjoy teasing and messing with you, but I shouldn’t have gone overboard. I should’ve considered your feelings. I was wrong. I’m sorry for that. You’re not going to hold it against me, are you?"

Celinee blinked. This felt strange. Mariel... apologizing? That was very unusual. And his words were accompanied by a sincere expression. It was truly odd. Celinee became even more suspicious of Mariel. Did he have a plan? What was his motive for doing this?

"I don’t believe you," Celinee said bluntly. "What’s your motive? What are you planning? Are you hiding something from me again?"

"What should I do to make you believe I’m not joking or hiding any ulterior motives?"

Mariel asked a question Celinee hadn’t anticipated, but it didn’t surprise her. It only proved that Mariel did have an ulterior motive. Heh, Celinee scoffed internally. Do you think I’ll be fooled? Too bad, Mariel—you’ll need more effort to trick me.

Still, Celinee wasn’t going to say that her distrust was absolute. Instead of stating it outright, she decided to take advantage of the situation. She would let Mariel think his efforts were working, while in reality, he’d be dancing in a game she orchestrated.

"If you’re that serious," Celinee said, "I’ll believe and forgive you if you agree to three of my conditions."

"No problem. Name them."

"First, from now on, I’m in charge of our journey. You can’t make suggestions unless I ask for your opinion."

"That’s not a problem."

"Second, you’ll handle everything during our travels. You’ll book our lodging, order the food, and if we camp outdoors, you’ll prepare the meals. In short, you’ll be my servant for the next month. Deal?"

"It would be an honor to serve you, my lady. Hm, would my lady also like her back scrubbed during baths? I can also help wash your hair. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind assisting you in changing clothes."

"...Forget my second condition. Pretend it never existed. I never said it."

"Oh, okay."

"This is the last condition," Celinee said quickly—restraining herself from sighing and rubbing her forehead. "From now on, you’re not allowed to talk to any other woman in a private place without me present."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I-I’m not saying this with any hidden motives or anything like that. A-And I’m not acting like a possessive, jealous woman or anything, okay?!"

"..."

"Arghhhh!" Celinee immediately grabbed her head with both hands, her expression one of shock and disbelief. "Forget it! Forget what I just said. You didn’t hear it; I never said it. Understand?!"

"..."

"Say something, Mariel!"

"So, basically, you only have one condition?"

"Exactly. I didn’t say anything after mentioning the first condition." Celinee nodded to affirm her own statement. Then, she folded her arms again, wearing a serious expression. "So, do you agree?"

"Of course. If it’ll make you forgive me, I don’t mind."

"Good." Celinee immediately stood and exhaled. "Now it’s time for us to leave this city. We don’t know how long Dr. Lergen will be in Mangolla. We need to head to that country now."

Mariel didn’t say anything. He nodded and gave a small smile, matching her pace. Celinee felt that something was off, but she didn’t know what it was. The ninja ignored it and quickened her steps.

She couldn’t let the chance to catch Dr. Lergen slip away.

—Capital City Iresvilea, Mangolla Kingdom—

The sound of explosions echoed in one corner of the capital. Buildings lay in ruins. Screams of pain pierced through the rumble of destruction. Smoke and dust billowed. Flames erupted, consuming everything around them.

Lergen observed the scene before him with a wide grin. In contrast, King Maggio looked on in despair. Livera—standing beside both of them—let out a long sigh at what was unfolding. Yet, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction. The spectacle before their eyes was truly magnificent.

"I warned you, King Maggio. My assistant also explained the worst-case scenario. But you didn’t listen. You even assured me there was nothing to worry about. And now?"

Livera smiled in amusement. Her boss was merciless. Not only was the king devastated by the sight of his daughter turned into a murderous monster, but Lergen was also attacking his spirit. Like rubbing salt into an open wound, that was exactly what Dr. Lergen did to King Maggio.

"Look, King Maggio. Your beloved daughter—the one known for her gentleness and innocence—has transformed into a murderous monster. She’s destroying buildings and killing innocent civilians. And do you know who’s to blame for all this, King Maggio?"

"This is all your fault, Your Majesty." Lergen didn’t allow the king to interrupt. "You cause all this destruction," he continued—this time with a flat tone and calm expression. "If only you had heeded our warnings, none of this would have happened. Your decisions have brought ruin to this city. Your decisions have taken the lives of those who should not have died. And do you know the most tragic part?"

"..." The king was too shocked to utter a single word.

"Your decision has robbed your daughter of her own future," Lergen continued as he turned away. "Perhaps one day, your daughter will be able to control herself. But when that day comes, she will realize that she had become a monster that destroyed the city and killed innocent people. And do you know what she will feel when she realizes she became a monster because of you?"

"Mi-Milly..."

"Kukuku. You’re a disappointing king, King Maggio. How could you be so cruel to your own daughter? Kukuku. Let’s go, Livera. There’s nothing more we can do here."

Lergen immediately began walking away, not glancing back even once. Livera said nothing and quickly matched her pace with the doctor’s.

"WAIT!" the king shouted after a few seconds, causing both Lergen and Livera to stop in their tracks. "Whatever it takes, I’ll do anything, give anything—anything! But, Doctor, please save my daughter! I don’t want her to suffer any longer. Please, Doctor!"

Livera glanced back; the king was kneeling with his head bowed.

"’If your daughter loses control and goes on a rampage, destroying everything in sight, I will wash my hands of it. I won’t take any responsibility. I won’t stop her, and I won’t help you.’ You haven’t forgotten my words, have you, King Maggio?"

Lergen resumed walking after saying that. There was no pity, no compassion. The doctor was utterly ruthless. All hope within the king vanished. He had been completely consumed by despair.

Ah... what a pitiful king, Livera thought with an amused smile. Watching someone fall into the abyss of despair was always satisfying. This was why she followed Dr. Lergen. This man was truly merciless.

"What do you think, Livera? Do you think you can defeat that monster?"

Livera immediately turned her attention to the doctor’s voice. She quickened her steps until they were walking side by side again.

"I don’t know, Doctor," Livera answered honestly. "That monster... I can’t gauge its strength. What I do know is that it’s stronger than any Super Demon I’ve ever faced. If I could, I’d avoid fighting it altogether."

"Kukuku."

"Which lab are we heading to now, Doctor?" Livera asked, completely ignoring the doctor’s odd laughter.

"The nearest one? Kukuku. Yes, let’s go to the nearest lab."