Roswaal's mansion, drawing room.
After Shendu signed the alliance with Crusch and, along the way, turned Felix into a cat-eared girl, they spent some time celebrating with red wine.
During that time, Crusch also asked Shendu about her preferences, going into great detail. The cat-eared girl listening at the side wore a face full of envy—but not jealousy.
After all, it was thanks to Shendu's attention that she had become a cat-eared girl. Because of that, she felt deeply grateful toward the silver-haired young woman.
This also meant that when serving Crusch in certain situations, she no longer needed to feel awkward about anything. In a way, it was a convenient advantage of her identity.
They chatted from morning until noon, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Shendu was an exceptionally knowledgeable person. She drew upon knowledge from another world and explained how to change the current state of the kingdom. Crusch listened with open admiration, her fondness steadily increasing.
After sharing a meal together, the iron-blooded young woman finally bid them farewell, though with obvious reluctance.
"Then let's leave it here for today. I'll visit Lady Shendu again another time. Until we meet again!"
Crusch gazed directly into Shendu's eyes without looking away, anticipation shining in her expression.
"No problem, Crusch. Until next time."
Shendu waved her hand. Crusch cast her one last lingering look before boarding the dragon carriage together with Felix and the others.
Accompanied by the deep roar of the earth dragon, the carriage carrying Crusch gradually disappeared from their sight.
Back inside the carriage, Crusch poured herself another glass of red wine. Her cheeks were flushed. Recalling the time she had spent with Shendu, she savored each memory slowly.
"Lady Crusch, your decision today was truly wise, nya. You gave up the chance to compete for the throne, but in return, you gained an incredibly powerful ally, nya!"
Felix looked at Crusch and offered her praise.
"Yes. Sometimes in life, one must make a choice. I merely made the correct one."
Crusch continued drinking. After finishing two more glasses, her small face grew even redder, as if she were slightly drunk.
"That's true. I will fully support Lady Crusch, nya."
Felix leaned closer to Crusch and could not resist teasing her.
"With Lady Crusch's beauty, Lady Shendu will surely take a few more glances at you. There seem to be quite a few girls around her. Lady Crusch might consider making some... special preparations."
Felix spoke meaningfully, implying that Crusch should take the initiative and not allow Emilia to monopolize too much of Shendu's affection.
Hearing Felix's words, Crusch did not respond immediately. Instead, she thoughtfully considered the possibility. In the end, she gave a silent nod.
She decided she would occasionally seek out Shendu and spend more time conversing with the silver-haired, red-eyed young woman. Rather than feeling pressure, she found the thought filled her with joy.
It was difficult to believe that Shendu, merely a traveler, possessed such vast knowledge.
If the kingdom followed her methods, Lugunica could rise completely even after losing the Divine Dragon's protection and sweep across all directions.
"Lady Shendu... truly my guiding light. She has given me a new goal."
Crusch lifted the carriage curtain and felt the warm sunlight on her face, sensing the possibility of stepping toward a brighter tomorrow.
As for Wilhelm, acting as her retainer, he quietly observed the distant scenery, contemplating how to deal with the Witch Cult.
It was well known that the Witch Cult was a thoroughly detestable organization, devoted to destruction from beginning to end.
Thanks to Shendu's intelligence, Wilhelm had gained a clearer understanding of the Witch Cult's strength. That knowledge alone prevented him from acting rashly.
If they provoked the Witch Cult recklessly, the entire kingdom could very well be destroyed. Their direct power was immense, and their influence even more so. It required careful, long-term planning.
"I will never forget the vengeance for my wife."
Wilhelm looked into the distance. A gust of wind swept past, yet his sharp aura did not waver—instead, it grew even more cutting.
After Crusch and her party departed, Geuse stepped in from outside, a trace of joy on his face, as if surprised.
"Lady Emilia, I didn't expect Betty to be here as well. Four hundred years have already passed, yet she still remains in the great library. I never imagined she would honor that promise so faithfully."
After entering, Geuse spoke with clear astonishment in his tone.
Four hundred years ago, Geuse had received an invitation from the Witch of Greed, Echidna, to teach her daughter, Beatrice. He agreed.
Even though Beatrice did not like him, Geuse still taught her what he believed to be proper etiquette, ensuring that, despite her dislike, she calmly learned her lessons.
"Yes. Beatrice has always been waiting for that person. But it seems that person is about to appear."
Emilia understood Shendu quite well, and a faint smile curved her lips as she looked at the young woman before her.
"Emilia, are you getting mischievous again?"
Hearing the suggestive tone in Emilia's words, Shendu stepped forward and pinched her cheek.
"It's wonderful... that things from the past still remain. If Fortuna could be revived as well, then I would have even more courage to move toward tomorrow."
Geuse sighed with deep emotion. In the current situation, only if those he cherished could live again would he truly be able to let go of the past.
"She will be," Emilia said firmly.
Geuse fell silent for a few seconds before lifting his head to look at Shendu thoughtfully.
"Lady Shendu, since you know the Witch Cult is preparing to act, what are your plans?"
Eradicating the Witch Cult had become Geuse's obsession. He wanted to see what plans the silver-haired girl before him had in mind.
"Now is not the time to eliminate the Witch Cult. We still need to wait. Emilia must first travel to the Sanctuary and properly undergo the trials. At the same time, we will eliminate another witchbeast."
Shendu considered her plans carefully.
Among the Three Great Witchbeasts, the Great Rabbit was not as individually powerful as the White Whale. However, it could split endlessly and reproduce without limit.
They would swarm densely in overwhelming numbers, yet share a single consciousness. But if even one managed to escape, the consequences would be disastrous.
"The Great Rabbit, correct?"
Before reforming himself, Geuse had once been a Sin Archbishop. Naturally, he had knowledge of the witchbeasts' distribution.
Aside from the frozen Black Serpent, the Great Rabbit lurked near the Sanctuary. Once that place was liberated, it would be time to confront it.
"We must reduce the Witch Cult's advantages step by step. We cannot be reckless, nor can we take anything for granted. First, eliminate the Three Great Witchbeasts. Then the Sin Archbishops. And finally—the Witch of Vainglory."
Shendu spoke slowly. Geuse listened intently, committing every word to memory. Emilia and Rem did not interrupt, quietly absorbing the plan.
The Witch Cult was the foundation of the Witch of Vainglory. With her subordinates acting as her enforcers, she could create opportunities to alter everything. That would never change.
The Witch Pandora was undeniably powerful, and her Authority extraordinarily peculiar—but peculiar was all it was. Once every obstacle was cleared away, it would be time to deal with her personally.
"I understand, Lady Shendu. We will wait for the right moment to create the opportunity to change everything. That is my wish as well."
Geuse spoke respectfully. Determination gradually filled his eyes as if he finally understood what he needed to do.
"Emilia, do not grow complacent during this time. Study diligently. When you become queen in the future, there will be responsibilities you must bear."
Shendu looked at Emilia and reminded her seriously, hoping the girl would strive even harder.
"Yes, Sister Shendu."
Receiving Shendu's instruction, Emilia readily agreed without the slightest intention of refusal.
After all, Shendu was sincerely helping her. No one else would go to such lengths.
...
Night fell. In the mansion's corridor, Shendu strolled through the empty hallways at an unhurried pace, eventually arriving before a certain door.
Creak...
Just as Shendu was about to open a spatial gate to connect to the library, the door unexpectedly swung open on its own, a trace of surprise flickering through her crimson eyes.
"Is this your way of welcoming me, Beatrice?"
Sensing the familiar presence within, Shendu did not hesitate and stepped inside.
As the door opened fully, rows upon rows of neatly arranged magic books came into view. These were part of Echidna's accumulated wealth of knowledge—annotations on all kinds of magic in this world.
Standing within, Shendu felt as though an ocean of knowledge rushed toward her. Any single volume taken from here would surely spark fierce competition among countless factions.
Over the years, Beatrice had met many people—but none of them were the one she had been waiting for.
As Beatrice's mother, Echidna had left the final choice to her daughter, wanting to see how she would select that person. It was, in its own way, a test from a mother.
If one were to ask whether Echidna felt anything for Beatrice, Shendu believed there was a little—but not much.
Echidna's emotions were primarily embodied in her thirst for knowledge. She delighted in seeing different outcomes arise from her own designs. That, too, was one aspect of the Witch of Greed.
Upon entering the library, Shendu spotted the golden-haired girl sitting quietly with a book in hand. Though she had read these volumes countless times, she had no choice but to reread them to pass the endless hours.
"Yo, long time no see, Beatrice. I'm back."
Shendu waved in greeting.
"You're far too slow, Big Sister! I've been waiting here for so long. I even thought you were going to break your promise."
Hearing Shendu's voice, Beatrice's small face revealed a faint trace of displeasure. She had waited for so long—every moment longing to leave.
The golden-haired girl was somewhat angry that Shendu had arrived so late. She had clearly come to the mansion on the very first day, yet never came to see her.
Instead, she had spent time with other women. That made Beatrice particularly unhappy, as if her Shendu had grown fickle.
That was why her attitude seemed so poor—her emotions anything but cheerful.
Even so, what she truly cared about was Shendu's response.
"A promise? I'm someone who keeps her promises best. You can absolutely trust me on that."
Shendu spoke calmly. She had indeed come as promised.
Hearing this, joy flickered through Beatrice's eyes. On the table lay a book—Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti's Gospel.
Shendu casually picked it up and flipped through it, only to find that no words appeared upon its pages, as if it were a blank scripture.
"So Petelgeuse gave you the Gospel? How rare. It seems he's truly prepared to bid farewell to his past."
Shendu tossed the Gospel back onto the table. She had not expected their earlier conversation to have concluded so smoothly.
Petelgeuse had completely washed away his former self, abandoning his past and gaining a new life.
"Yes. Petelgeuse has changed a great deal. He's freed himself from being a Witch Cultist. How did you manage that, Big Sister?"
Beatrice's eyes were filled with curiosity. Petelgeuse had once been brainwashed by Pandora. It should have been impossible for him to regain his sanity.
For Shendu to grant him rebirth, she must have used some other method. Otherwise, such a result would have been inconceivable.
As she spoke, Beatrice brewed a cup of black tea and placed it before Shendu, her gaze brimming with curiosity. She truly wanted to know what secrets this silver-haired girl possessed.
Among all the books in the magical library, there was not a single spell capable of dividing good and evil into separate entities. It must have been a form of otherworldly magic beyond her understanding.
"It's simple," Shendu explained. "Humans have both light and shadow within them. Personalities contain malice and kindness. My power is somewhat special—I can split those balanced forces apart, turning them into two different individuals. But it can't last too long."
Beatrice grasped perhaps half of the explanation, relying on her vast knowledge to comprehend a portion of the principle.
"Big Sister is truly amazing. I've stayed here for four hundred years. It's been a long time since I've met someone as extraordinary as you."
After a brief exchange, Beatrice began chatting casually in the role of a younger sister.
As memories of the past surfaced, a sense of loneliness washed over her.
Since her creation, aside from one friend at the very beginning, she had had no others. That friend still remained within the Sanctuary—yet had not awakened.
Shendu was the only truly special person she had encountered in four hundred years—a traveler through time and space. In Beatrice's eyes, she was the one who could save her, the one she had waited four centuries for.
"Such a lonely girl. Would you tell me your story? I want to know everything about you."
Rather than immediately forming a contract with Beatrice, Shendu chose instead to listen—to understand the girl before her.
Feeling the depth of her solitude, Shendu sat beside her, watching her quietly and waiting for her answer.
"All right. Then listen carefully to my story."
Beatrice took a deep breath and began.
Four hundred years ago, an artificial spirit was born. She had golden hair styled in drill-like curls—an exceptionally rare spirit in this world.
Her mother was the erudite Witch of Greed, Echidna—one of the legendary Seven Witches, endlessly pursuing knowledge and devoted to magical experimentation.
Overall, that pursuit was not inherently evil. So long as the Witch of Greed's quest for knowledge did not endanger the world, there was no true problem.
Under Echidna's guidance, Beatrice gradually learned how to interact with others. However, her personality remained prideful, and she disliked interacting with humans.
In Echidna's eyes, Beatrice was simply a tsundere girl who needed someone to care for her. By chance, a young elf girl secretly observed her and eventually became her friend.
During that time, Roswaal's ancestor suffered from mana poisoning and was saved by Echidna. In the years that followed, Roswaal became her disciple.
They all lived within the Sanctuary, originally a place inhabited by elves and half-elves. It also served as Echidna's experimental ground.
As Beatrice spoke, Shendu noticed her eyes gradually growing sorrowful. A good story often began brightly, only to end in tragedy.
Such was reality—not a fairy tale.
After a period of peaceful days, the Sanctuary welcomed a terrifying enemy—a Warlock of Melancholy who wielded a peculiar Authority.
Roswaal fought with all his strength but was no match for that being. Even powerful magic could not contend with an Authority.
In the end, Echidna had no choice but to activate the Sanctuary experiment, formally setting it into motion. Beatrice's dear friend became the core of the barrier, sealed within a crystal.
As for Beatrice, she followed her mother's prior instructions and remained in the library as its guardian. She waited and waited—so long that she no longer knew how much time had passed.
When all her patience had been worn away and she nearly gave up on living, Shendu suddenly appeared. The Gospel began to change once more.
Hope reignited in Beatrice's eyes.
No matter what, Shendu was her final hope. She did not want to give up. She did not want to remain trapped in the library any longer.
She wanted freedom.
She wanted, like her big brother, to walk among blooming flowers, to feel the breath of liberty, and to truly be free.