Crimson light fell on Liora's face as she sat silently in the mansion's courtyard, holding a long paintbrush whose tip was made of unknown fur.
In front of her, a canvas was placed, supported by two wooden beams on either side.
On the canvas, a beautiful, colorful garden was painted, filled with exotic flowers and lush green grass.
This garden was exactly the same as the one she sat in, making the source of her inspiration abundantly clear.
That's right.
Even though only a few days had passed since the mansion's invasion, the courtyard had already begun to regain its former radiance.
With Alpha's hard work and the strong vitality of the Demon World, restoring it had been fairly easy.
Still, Liora greatly appreciated Alpha's efficiency.
Clasping the paintbrush, she lightly traced its tip over the canvas, slowly filling in the painting's gaps.
"Don't you think that this scene is much better than before?", she asked without turning her head, addressing Alpha, who stood only a few meters behind her.
In response, Alpha's expression remained unchanged.
"Lord, beauty is merely an illusion. Whether it is the beautiful flowers or the 'ugly' Devil corpses, there's no inherent difference between them. They're both made out of the same materials.", she answered flatly, without giving the question much thought.
Liora's movements paused briefly before she continued. She didn't blame her for her answer.
She felt that it was her own fault for trying to discuss philosophy with a simpleton.
Ignoring her, she returned to painting.
Minutes slowly passed as colors began to cover the entire canvas.
When the painting was finally completed, a radiant garden with two figures standing in it was unveiled.
One of the figures was a red-haired woman with fiery eyes facing the crimson sky, while the other one was a maid with long hair and an indifferent expression standing a few steps behind her.
The two figures strongly contrasted yet complemented each other, like two sides of the same coin, or like a Yin and a Yang.
Looking at the eye-catching scene before her, Liora placed her hand on the canvas, channeling her demonic energy to dry the fresh paint off.
Once done, she removed the canvas from its support and carefully set it aside.
She did so carefully, having a hunch that this painting might be the final proof of the mansion's existence, which she would most likely not see again.
Not because she was planning to leave, but because she had sensed the changes stirring within the city.
Although the City of Embers seemed calm, the many undercurrents surging beneath its surface did not go unnoticed by her.
Coupled with the contents of the recent Devil gathering and her intuition warning her, she understood that the time was coming.
It wouldn't take long for the ranked Devil to arrive and for chaos to follow.
"Have the preparations been completed?", Liora shifted her gaze toward Alpha and asked, earning an affirmative nod in response.
"Most of the valuable items in the mansion have been taken away, while the traces of Devil Runes and Arrays have been wiped out."
"Good.", Liora praised.
"After a while, you should leave the city while there's still time. Make sure no one tracks you.", she ordered.
She had no intention of keeping Alpha with her during the chaos.
With her limited strength, she would not only not be of help, but would instead become a burden.
Rather than keeping her here, it would be better to take advantage of the time before the ranked Devil arrived and send her away.
Possessing the Arrays she had given, surviving in the wasteland outside the city should not be too difficult.
Of course, if Alpha were unlucky enough to meet a powerful Devil and perish as a result, she would only have her luck to blame.
--
A few hours later, Liora sat in the quiet mansion, playing with the various souls that were dancing in her palm.
These souls were the spoils of the previous fight, and although not enough for her strength to undergo a massive change, it was still a substantial wealth that she could not ignore.
Just when she was wondering whether to devour them and strengthen herself or keep them for later, Liora's Void Instinct automatically activated, letting her know that someone was approaching.
She didn't panic and calmly placed the souls away before turning to face the open window.
A few seconds later, a figure leaped into the mansion and landed on the ground, revealing its rat-like, sneaky appearance.
It was Scurry, the always-excited, lively Devil.
"Crimson, I've finally found you.", his squeaky voice reached Liora's ears, who didn't greet him back, but went straight to the topic.
"Have you gotten the things I asked you for?", she questioned.
Facing her cold attitude, Scurry didn't show any signs of anger.
He nodded continuously and struggled to respond.
"Tha—that's right. Everything is here.", his whiskers trembled while he spoke as he took out a bunch of items and placed them before her.
These items were not many, but there was a large variety of them, ranging from rare ores and broken weapons to things like blood, flesh, and even skulls.
"Using my connections, I gathered everything together. Crimson, it would have been impossible to get these things if you hadn't met me.", Scurry spoke and raised his head in pride.
Liora ignored him, turning her attention to the items.
After she confirmed that they were indeed what she had requested, she put them away and waved her hand.
A dazzling light reflected in her eyes as a small Array composed of exquisite Devil Runes appeared and flew straight into Scurry's hands.
"This is the Concealment Array you asked for. With it to hide your traces, you should have no problem leaving the city.", she explained.
Scurry's face brightened, and he clutched the Array like a treasure.
He understood the value of this thing best.
Although the Concealment Array was relatively simple, the fact that it could be transported and used continuously made it quite rare—and as a result—valuable.
Scurry had only heard of such Arrays before and had never actually come into contact with one.
"Thank you, thank you.", he expressed his gratitude repeatedly as he put up what he considered to be a grateful expression.
Unfortunately, he didn't know that in Liora's eyes, he looked like a sewer rat trying to act cute.
"Crimson, are you sure you're going to stay in the city? You know, there's nothing stopping us from leaving."
"Whether it's the ranked Devil targeting the city, the Inn Keeper, or even the City Lord, they must have their own plans.", Scurry tried to advise Liora, his tone surprisingly sincere.
But in response, Liora shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. Don't all the Devils who attended the gathering know that it's dangerous?", she asked a question of her own before answering it herself:
"Of course, they know it. It's just that they also know that this is an opportunity—an opportunity to profit amid the chaos."
"How can one become powerful in the Demon World without taking risks?"