Episode 307 – You Called for Us
“Huh? Where did everyone go?”
Lily, distracted by the party, only just realized her companions had disappeared.
She saw the Leaf Union members mesmerized by the bard in the center.
Since they weren’t her concern to begin with, she ignored them.
“Arthur? Karmel?”
She looked around, calling their names, but the only one in sight was Lochter.
He was talking with a man wearing a golden mask, but instead of focusing on him, Lochter was glancing in her direction.
Lily frowned slightly at the look.
“Keros, Lochter’s looking at me, right?”
“Woof?”
“Sigh, what now? Another lecture?”
Lily quickly slipped away from Lochter and moved toward the crowd.
Among the Hunt members, she found Lochter the most difficult to deal with—or more accurately, annoying.
Unlike the others, who would laugh things off when she slacked, Lochter criticized her laziness and nagged her incessantly.
They couldn’t even hold a proper conversation.
In Lily’s mind, Lochter was just a serious and boring old man.
“I don’t even want to associate with a training maniac.”
She couldn’t understand Lochter, who repeated the same movements all day.
Couldn’t he just watch and learn a few times?
The gap between her natural talent and his obsessive effort made any real closeness between them impossible.
“Are you enjoying the party?”
“Huh?”
Lifting her head, she saw a golden mask approaching and greeting her politely.
Lily blinked, looking between this mask and the one beside Lochter.
“They’re the same mask.”
“Haha. The Lord’s attendants all wear the same mask.”
“Is that mask real gold?”
“Y-yes, it is.”
Maybe it was because she was a witch, but the golden mask found Lily’s conversation style a bit strange. He glanced around before whispering.
“There’s a rare treat prepared. Would you be interested?”
“A treat?”
“Yes, something exquisite that you won’t find anywhere else.”
“Great!”
Lily nodded without hesitation and followed him eagerly.
The golden mask froze momentarily at how easily she fell for it.
He’d been instructed by the Lord to tempt her with food, and his previous worries about failure now seemed laughable.
“Let’s go, Keros!”
Lily followed the guide away from the party.
Only one person noticed her disappearing through the crowd.
Lochter Felice, who had been keeping an eye on her the whole time.
Arthur had asked him to look after her before leaving.
Lochter gazed in the direction she had gone.
As he looked away, the golden mask continued speaking with a soft laugh.
“It’s the Lord’s personal training ground. I thought you might be interested, so I got permission. Will you not go take a look?”
“The Lord’s training ground… now that does intrigue me.”
“It’s right across the way. You may use it all night if you like.”
It was an enticing offer for someone so committed to training, but instead of responding, Lochter kept staring at where Lily had been.
Despite some time passing, she hadn’t returned.
“Could you get me some water?”
“What kind of water would you like? May I recommend a fine wine instead?”
Was he stalling or hiding something?
The golden mask wouldn’t stop talking.
Lochter pointed to a pitcher on the table.
“That will do.”
“Understood. Please wait here.”
The golden mask walked away at a measured pace.
Looking around, he saw that Lochter was the only target still remaining at the party.
Per the Lord’s orders, all subordinates were currently keeping the World Tree Union distracted.
For Lochter, the plan had been to bait him with the training ground.
While he seemed interested, he hadn’t moved at all.
‘Troublesome. How do I lure him?’
He grabbed the pitcher and turned—
“…What?”
The man who had been his target had vanished.
Lochter was gone.
Meanwhile, the scent of food was incredible.
Lily’s eyes sparkled as she stepped into the room.
Just like the golden mask had said, an assortment of rare delicacies was laid out on the table.
No one else was around, but that didn’t stop her from sitting down and digging in eagerly.
She wasn’t sure when it started, but ever since leaving the Ordor Forest, she’d developed a strong love for good food.
Her main goals were enjoying gourmet meals and staying full.
When full, she felt drowsy and could sleep well.
It was a behavior pattern brought on by the Curse of Sloth.
“Tastes good, right, Keros?”
“Woof!”
“Let’s share this bread. I’ll divide it.”
“Woof woof!”
“One for me. One for Keros. One for me. And another for me. One for Keros. One for me…”
The unfair bread distribution was happening fast.
As she hummed and ate with Keros, the candles illuminating the table suddenly went out.
“Huh?”
Darkness fell.
She summoned a glow with her magic, and a massive shadow appeared before her.
Looking up, she saw a familiar face grinning wickedly, baring his teeth.
“We meet again.”
Lily blinked, trying to recall the man’s name.
But thanks to Arthur’s request, she’d already memorized his spiritual signature, so that came to mind first.
[Richard Volpent – Weapon Collector (Obsession)]
[Fear Resistance]
[Ghost Blades (4)]
[Collector of Ancient Weapon Artifacts]
[Chief of the Hell Grime Cleaners Special Division (4)]
“Huh? What are you doing here, mister?”
“I came because I have business with you.”
“Hmm, I mean, I am pretty, but you’re not my type. Sorry.”
“That’s a shame. You’re exactly my type, you see.”
Richard's eyes gleamed with lust and obsession as he spoke theatrically.
“I want your eyes. Strange, isn’t it? They’re not weapons, but I feel the urge to collect them.”
“My eyes are pretty. But looking is free.”
“I’m looking for Zarakan. Where is he?”
“Don’t know.”
“Guess I’ll have to get serious then. I know what kind of torture witches hate most.”
Witch torture.
Lily’s eyes turned sharp.
Bzzzt!
A jolt of lightning surged down Richard’s arm, and a bright yellow sword appeared in his hand.
Thunder Blade – Thunderer.
“The signal’s come. That means I can do what I want with you.”
Flash!
A bolt of lightning crashed down toward Lily.
A vicious slash tore across her chest, but a black shadow rose to intercept the attack.
The small figure that blocked the blow rapidly expanded in size.
KRAAAAHH—!
Keros, now beastified, roared with jaws wide open.
“So, you weren’t just a regular mutt, huh?”
Richard stepped back and drew a second sword, this one earthy brown.
Wood Vine Sword – India.
He assumed a dual-wield stance, and roots sprang from the ground to bind Keros.
At the same time—
Bzzzt!
KRAAAAHH!
Lightning surged over the tangled roots, pinning Keros down.
Lightning Prison.
As Keros staggered from the electric shock, Richard charged with ferocious speed, aiming to pierce the forehead.
But suddenly, the prison melted away like snow.
Turning, he saw Lily with glowing eyes, swinging her staff.
Her specialty: Spell Nullification.
“This is why I hate witches. Too many wild cards.”
“Shut up!”
BOOM!
Richard body-slammed Keros, sending him flying. Lily, eyes blazing, pointed her staff forward.
Tat tat tat tatang—!
Richard moved like a dancer, spinning his dual blades.
Dozens of crescent-moon-shaped energy blades shot forward.
As the storm of attacks intensified, his eyes turned pitch black, and a third sword appeared in midair.
A massive shadow greatsword—Ghost Blade – Oras.
Assessing the situation, Richard activated a part of his skill.
‘Start with two.’
From Ghost Blades (4), he chose (2), and two shadow arms extended from his back, each grabbing a Ghost Blade and slashing wildly.
Instead of wind—
KYAHAHAHAK—!
“…Ugh!”
A hideous scream burst from the blades, disrupting Lily’s magic.
The Ghost Blades screamed as they cut through the air, while the Thunder Blade and Wood Vine Sword pressured Lily simultaneously.
“Ugh!”
A vine struck Lily mid-spell, slamming her to the floor.
Grinning savagely, Richard pointed a Ghost Blade at her.
“Witches hate this sound. This blade has drunk the most witch blood. It’s made for hunting witches.”
Lily covered her ears, groaning. The blade's scream, filled with lingering resentment, disrupted her spiritual power and spells.
Flash!
Richard disappeared—his speed astonishing.
KRAAAHH!
Black flames from Keros surged forward, but the Wood Vine Sword blocked them with a wall of roots.
The fire scorched the roots instantly, but Richard was no longer there.
Slash!
Keros stumbled. One paw had been cut by a Ghost Blade.
As the blade screamed, Keros’ beast form trembled violently and began to fade.
The Ghost Blade was lethal to spiritual beast bodies created by magic.
Thud!
Keros collapsed. Lily rushed to restore his energy—
Bzzzt!
“AAAAH!”
Vines wrapped around her ankle, shocking her painfully.
She fell, scorched black, while Richard slowly approached.
Lily looked up with a twisted expression.
Had she ever been this thoroughly overwhelmed since leaving the forest?
This wasn’t an opponent she could hope to beat.
“A greenhouse flower, huh? Your fighting is clumsy.”
Cleaner combat was optimized for real battle. Any tactic was permitted—as long as it led to victory.
As Lily looked toward the tightly sealed door, Richard smirked.
“Why do you think I lured you here?”
“No one outside can hear the fighting. The entire building is sealed with a barrier.”
“You’re lying.”
“You walked in without question. Who’s the fool now?”
“Those eyes of yours begging for help—I like them even more now. No one’s coming here. So…”
Richard drew a dagger.
“I’ll be taking those eyes of yours.”
Just as the blade gleamed dangerously, Richard grinned and turned his head—then slashed with a Ghost Blade.
“K-Keros!”
Lily, squeezing out her last bit of strength, attempted a surprise attack, but Keros was hit again, crying out as he rolled across the ground.
His body flickered—fading and reappearing.
“No, no!”
To grow in the real world, a spiritual beast needed a special energy.
Keros was fueled by Lily’s moonlight-infused power and supplemented by Arthur’s sacred power.
Sacred power helped stabilize his form, but—
The Ghost Blade scattered that vital energy.
For a witch, this was the worst possible weapon.
KYAHAHHH!
“AAAGHHH!”
The blade’s scream replaced wind itself.
Lily clutched her ears and curled up. Blood streamed from them.
For the first time since leaving the forest—she felt fear.
Help me…!
Lily wasn’t a fool.
She just never imagined this would happen at a party.
She’d grown complacent after too many peaceful days.
She desperately prayed for help, trembling.
Wooosh!
A chilling gust.
Lily clenched her eyes shut, bracing for pain.
KKAANG—!
…?
A metallic clash rang out.
As the wind passed, she cautiously opened her eyes.
A broad back came into view.
Someone was pressing back Richard’s twin blades with twin swords of their own.
A familiar figure.
“Lo-Lochter!”
KWAANG—!
Lochter pushed Richard back with crossed blades, then turned to Lily.
“Are you alright?”
“H-how…?”
“Didn’t you call us?”
“……???”
“Friend.”
[Cerberus and Hunt are my friends.]
“You called for us.”
He meant Hunt.