Chapter 731
Lete was sleeping downstairs with Anna.
From the perspective of the Dark Alliance, the most threatening existence, the Saint, was right here in Leshill.
‘This is different from the time of the Dark Emperor!’
An unauthorized intrusion across the border.
It was a situation where, if a battle broke out immediately and Neftis took Lete’s life, there would be nothing to say in protest.
They had to respond, somehow, before a tragedy happened without a chance to intervene.
After thinking for a moment, Simon suddenly shouted in a loud voice.
“Ahahaha! Lady Neftis! It’s! Been! So long!”
His voice, hurled with all his strength, rang throughout the entire house. Simon glanced back and opened his mouth as wide as he could.
“Lady Neftis! I’m so glad to see you! What brings you! To my home!”
Speaking firmly and clearly, he prayed desperately in his heart.
Please.
Please notice.
Crash!
Had she heard Simon’s signal? A commotion rose from the room below.
“Hm? I’m not deaf, Simon!”
Neftis said, planting her tiny fists on both sides of her waist.
“You don’t have to speak so loudly since I’m close by.”
“Ahaha! I was just so happy to see you that I couldn’t help it….”
“Richard and Anna are downstairs too, right?”
As Neftis tried to pass by, Simon quickly blocked her path.
“Lady Neftis! Actually, there’s something important I wanted to consult with you about!”
He had to buy time, somehow, until Lete could escape.
Without running it through his brain, he spewed out whatever words came to mind.
“It’s about the Bone Dragon you gave me before! Recently, while practicing with the Bone Dragon, I secured an ancient species, a Drake, but it hasn’t been easy to both wield dragon magic and simultaneously control undead through willpower. Especially since Professor Aron said that….”
But Simon’s eyes widened in dismay.
Neftis was gone.
“We’ll talk about that problem later!”
She had already slipped past Simon and out of the room. With a light jump, she perched on the handrail of the stairs.
“Kyaahahahaha! Richard! Anna!”
Then she slid down like on a slide.
‘Missed her!’
Simon’s face turned ashen.
Luckily, Richard, who had been sleeping in the living room, stumbled out with messy hair.
“Y-yes, Lady Neftis? What brings you here without notice…!”
“Hii! Richard!”
Right after, Anna burst out from the master bedroom.
“Oh my, hello~ Lady Neftis!”
“Hi Anna!”
Richard and Anna’s eyes wavered uneasily. Judging from their reaction, it seemed Lete hadn’t escaped yet.
Anna clasped her hands together and forced a gentle smile.
“You must be hungry from such a long trip, I’ll prepare some food right away!”
“Hm? No need! I’d feel bad for disturbing you at dawn!”
“Then how about dessert? Some cookies and ice cream?”
“Ice cream! I want ice cream!”
At the mention of ice cream, Neftis’ eyes sparkled, as if reacting on pure reflex.
Successfully catching her attention, Anna guided Neftis toward the kitchen.
“Please sit here for a moment, I’ll get it ready right away.”
“Excuse me, Lady Neftis.”
Richard quickly pulled out a chair, slipped his hands under Neftis’ armpits, and lifted her onto the seat.
Anna bustled in the kitchen, pulling out whatever she could, cookies or otherwise.
“Hmhmhm.”
Neftis tapped her feet on the floor, waiting for the ice cream. Simon, who was coming down the stairs, caught sight of Lete quietly opening the wardrobe door in the master bedroom. She had completely erased her presence and holiness, creeping step by step.
‘Out through the window, now!’
Simon gestured urgently. Lete carefully moved toward the open window, about to climb out, when—
Sniff—
Seated in the kitchen, Neftis made a sniffing sound.
Then, again, sniff— and finally,
“Achoo!”
She sneezed loudly.
The whole house shook as if it might collapse, and everything with doors or latches in the kitchen—shelves, cupboards—swung wide open.
Clang!
Rattle!
Meanwhile, every window in the house slammed shut with a resounding crash. Lete, just about to slip outside, froze in place.
“Sniff, must be a cold.”
Neftis rubbed her nose with a congested voice.
“I’ll eat ice cream later, I’m tired, I’m going to bed.”
Jumping down from the chair, she rubbed her sleepy eyes. Richard quickly blocked her path, gesturing to the side.
“You must be exhausted, having come at such an hour. Please, take the guest room, I’ll lay out fresh bedding at once.”
“Hm? It’s fine, Richard.”
Yawning widely, Neftis waddled toward the master bedroom.
“I’ll just use that big bed. I’m small, so I won’t take up much space….”
‘This is bad!’
This time, Simon jumped out and spoke.
“Lady Neftis! As Keyzen’s Student Council President, I have something to say regarding the Ballack incident…!”
But she slipped right past him. With a small wiggle through Simon’s legs, Neftis crawled out, yawned, and leapt onto the bed.
“I’m sleepy, let’s talk later, later.”
Thump!
She flopped onto the bed, slipped into the blankets leaving only her face peeking out, and lay flat on her back with drowsy eyes.
‘We’re doomed.’
There was no predicting Neftis’ behavior.
Fortunately, it seemed Lete had returned to the wardrobe before Neftis arrived, but the situation was still on a knife’s edge.
While Simon and Richard stood stiff with tension, Anna stepped forward.
“Oh my, Lady Neftis, I’ve prepared a light snack.”
“I’ll eat it tomorrow, Anna, mm, mm.”
“You must be very tired. It can’t be helped then.”
Setting the tray down, Anna walked to the master bedroom and lay down beside Neftis. Neftis blinked, half-asleep, her breathing heavy and slow.
“Shall I sing you a lullaby?”
At the suggestion, Neftis gave a small nod. Anna patted her belly gently.
“Our Lady Neftis sleeps so well, snore snore, she sleeps so well.”
Neftis’ eyes slowly closed, and soon she let out soft, even breaths. Simon and Richard exhaled in relief, looking at each other.
It looked like she had fallen asleep, but they could never let their guard down.
It would be harsh on Lete, but until dawn came and Neftis left, it seemed best for her to keep hiding in the wardrobe.
“Uuugh.”
At that moment, Neftis tossed and turned, as though her bed was uncomfortable. Then, rubbing her nose with her eyes closed, she opened her mouth.
“Achooo—!”
She sneezed loudly.
Clunk!
Click!
Every drawer and wardrobe in the bedroom flew open. And then—
“!”
The wardrobe Lete was hiding in also opened. Wedged tightly in the blankets, she was flung out as the door swung wide, collapsing onto the floor.
“Hm? Who’s that?”
As if waiting for this moment, Neftis rose from the bed.
Lete staggered back against the wardrobe, while Neftis curved her lips into a sly grin.
“Ah! You’re the Saint of Stars I saw during the Dark Emperor’s time, aren’t you? What a treat!”
Neftis instantly unleashed a vast Darkness. Subspaces tore open in every direction, and black coffins with eyes burst out.
“At this moment, I think it would be fine to execute you!”
“Wait, Lady Neftis!”
Simon raised both arms high, standing in front of Lete.
“I will…!”
“We will explain the circumstances.”
Before Simon, Richard and Anna stepped forward.
“The children are not at fault, this is only….”
“Step aside.”
Fwaaah—!
This time, Lete raised her holiness, standing tall. She touched the necklace around her neck, releasing its seal, and a clear star-shaped mark appeared in her eyes.
“This has nothing to do with you, this is my problem.”
“Lete!”
Drawing a line with the Follentia family, she coldly declared as she prepared to summon the power of the stars.
“I won’t die so easily, Witch of Death.”
“Hmm—”
Watching them leap forward one after another to block each other, Neftis smiled strangely.
Then she snapped her fingers, and the eye-covered coffins vanished.
“Simon Follentia, Lete Chardena.”
Her silver hair fluttered as she hopped lightly down from the bed.
“I have something to say to just the two of you. Will you come with me?”
And with that, she strode out.
Simon looked to Richard, who nodded grimly.
“…It seems she knew from the start. There shouldn’t be any major problem, so go with her.”
* * *
Simon and Lete followed after Neftis.
Lete still kept her guard up, while Simon was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to explain things.
Then Neftis turned back.
“Hehe, no need to be so tense! I’m not here to interrogate you.”
“…Then why bring us here?”
At Lete’s words, she smiled brightly and added,
“Because I want to give you a mission!”
“…A mission?”
“Actually, this is even better! I was only going to entrust it to Simon, but if you both go together, the chances of success will be even higher!”
In an open clearing, Neftis stopped walking.
She closed her eyes, spread her arms, and cast a spell.
Fwaaaaaah!
Golden light flashed in every direction. Neftis was manifesting not black magic, but an “ability”.
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick!
The identity of her ability was “time”.
The sound of clock hands filled the air. Magic circles and clocks, embodiments of her ability, spread everywhere. Simon thought it felt like he had entered a golden hall.
“Have you ever—”
Turning back to the two of them, Neftis spoke in a low voice.
“—traveled through time?”
Time travel.
At those words, both their faces stiffened strangely.
“Uh, no, never.”
Simon answered in a bewildered voice.
“Time travel? Isn’t that something out of fairy tales?”
Lete crossed her arms, unimpressed.
“Time travel exists, it’s even possible.”
Neftis walked slowly, tapping the floating magic circles as if tuning them. Each touch changed the speed of the clock hands, and other clocks shifted in response.
“Then, the mission you want to entrust to us, is it… time travel?”
“That’s right!”
Neftis nodded. But Lete still frowned suspiciously.
“You expect us to believe that nonsense?”
“Lete, now that I think about it.”
Simon, sweating, turned to her.
“…It might not have been full time travel, but I do remember doing something similar.”
“What?”
First semester, first year.
That infamous Saint incident.
At that time, the “Saint of Purification” had disguised herself as a Keyzen assistant and schemed to throw Keyzen into crisis.
Simon had witnessed her plan succeed, seen Keyzen engulfed in flames—but then, by Neftis’ time artifact activating, he had been pulled back into the past and prevented Plema’s plan.
Hearing Simon’s story, Lete’s face turned pale with shock.
“Then this time too…!”
“You remembered? Ah, but of course, going back just a few hours then and now will be worlds apart.”
Neftis tapped a magic circle.
“From this moment, twenty-two years ago.”
“!”
“If you accept this mission, I’ll send you to a timeline before you were even born. Right there.”
Her eyes gleamed.
“Find Richard and Anna.”
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