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Chapter 182: Overdoing the Role of the Adopted Daughter

Ersa breathed heavily.

“What makes you so desperate? I was scared, even though we’re comrades.”

In front of Ersa lay a massive ‘Corrupted Yeti’ sprawled on the ground. The sword plunged into its heart belonged to Ersa.

She had indeed defeated the corrupted yeti with the skill befitting of a Sword Demon.

Even she felt intimidated by Zeno’s presence. Reality hit Zeno as he suddenly surveyed his surroundings at Ersa’s words.

The ground was a messy mix of melted snow and blood.

“It’s been a while since I felt excited. Sorry, Ersa.”

Zeno sheathed his sword. “I’ve never seen that side of Butler Zeno before.”

“Someone called me a monster.”

“Can’t say it’s unwarranted.”

Having slain all the yetis and faced the corrupted beast without fear, Ersa declared, “If Butler Zeno hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the corrupted yeti.”

The corrupted yeti was indeed formidable, far beyond what a typical yeti could contend with.

“I feel the same way. Thank you for fighting alongside me.”

“Ultimately, we’re just people executing orders.”

“Is that all there is to it?”

Zeno’s red-tinted eyes returned to their original purple hue. Slowly, he regained his breath.

“Is that really all?”

“Did you come all this way just to carry out Princess Hela’s orders?”

Ersa hesitated for a moment. “It seems there’s more to it than that.”

“Oh really?”

A glimmer of anticipation flickered in Zeno’s eyes. “It was for Princess Viola.”

“Why would Hela’s butler move for my princess?”

“What do you want to hear?”

“Just that.”

Before long, the snowstorm subsided. Since humanity discovered the yeti village, the igloos that had never melted began to thaw, and the bodies of the yetis were vanishing along with the snow.

“It’s just that I’m curious about what your princess means to you.”

“Princess Viola is someone who has been a source of comfort to me.”

Once, Viola had comforted her. “Your daughter was happy. The existence of a mother who loves you is the most reassuring thing in the world.”

“Your daughter must have felt fear and loneliness, but more than that, she was likely happy and joyful. That’s what I think.”

Those words revived Ersa. “And she’s also someone my princess relies on and loves.”

Ersa had lost her daughter. After that, she met Hela and decided to serve her.

To Ersa, Hela was both a master and another daughter.

“My princess, who is incredibly sensitive during sleep, can only sleep deeply next to Princess Viola.”

“You’re talking about the time we were heading to the Parah Viscountcy, right?”

“Exactly.”

At that time, Ersa had made a vow. To achieve that, Princess Viola needed to stand firmly at that high point. “I will support Princess Viola.”

Ersa declared.

“I decided to stand by Princess Viola.”

“That’s quite fortunate.”

“Excuse me?”

“I didn’t want to kill you.”

In an instant, cold sweat ran down Ersa’s back. The chill that had enveloped her unnoticed dissipated.

“What just happened?”

“I’m someone who can do anything for Princess Viola.”

Zeno too had been significantly influenced by Tundra. He honed his skills by interacting with Sheilan, the exceptional assassin from the Eastern Continent.

He had grown much stronger than the Zeno depicted in [The Shadow of Bellatu].

“So I’ve even picked up some assassination techniques.”

Zeno thought. Let’s eliminate any obstacles that hinder my princess.

“If you interfere with my princess’s future, I would’ve killed you here.”

This place was the Place Where the Eye Shines. Killing here would leave no evidence.

“However, it doesn’t seem necessary.”

“………”

“Are you perhaps angry?”

“No.”

Ersa wasn’t angry. “I just thought you were a reliable butler.”

Viola flapped her wings, and that wind spurred Zeno’s growth. Ersa also felt motivated by Zeno’s transformation.

“I need to learn and strive harder.”

Seeing the much stronger Zeno than before, Ersa felt a great surge of inspiration. Unbeknownst to Viola, those around her were becoming stronger.

*

Tundra didn’t let go of Viola’s hand.

He instinctively knew. The moment he let go of Viola’s hand, he would lose her forever.

Thinking about that made his vision dark and filled with dread.

“Wacchum is dead, so ‘Heat Wind’ will reveal itself.”

The yetis were crucial members of the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors.’ Among them, Wacchum, the priest, was a key.

If Wacchum died, the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors’ would crumble, and the essence of Heat Wind would come into view.

“What does it mean for Heat Wind to reveal itself?”

As far as Tundra understood, ‘Heat Wind’ was an organization. It was hard to comprehend what it meant for the ‘essence of the organization to come forth.’

The blizzard stopped, and the surrounding disturbances began to fade away.

A barren, desolate land appeared.

“Heat Wind isn’t an organization created by humans.”

Viola wouldn’t understand this until later in the story. Though appearing as an organization, Heat Wind wasn’t one. “The Evil Spirit King, Bahakarun, carved his heart into pieces just before being sealed by heroes.”

Each piece contained Bahakarun’s will. It was a ‘pure evil’ intent on plunging the world into despair.

“Those pieces influence humans.”

Sometimes in the form of sculptures, other times as jewels or dolls, “those affected would become followers of Heat Wind. Moreover, the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors’ is where the largest heart fragment lies dormant.”

Just then, a voice echoed.

“You know well. How on earth do you know this?”

A freckled woman appeared before them. With yellow hair and amber eyes, her lips were exceptionally red.

The outer fabric was red.

The lining was black.

Intricate, colorful patterns embroidered with gold threads.

She looked just like the Heidi described in the novel.

“The dress depicted in the novel was something I obtained.”

Viola wore a purple version of that dress. Originally, it belonged to Heidi.

‘Even if I didn’t get Louis Varten’s dress, our tastes seem to align.’

Heidi approached.

‘The fact that I have this dress while she wears the same means some parameters have remained intact.’

She had grown in a place where Viola’s ‘butterfly effect’ didn’t reach. This likely meant that Heidi had made a pact with a ‘Water Spirit’ as well. “Pongpong made a contract with me.”

Then which spirit did she join with? Water spray encased her body. “I seem to have made my appearance here for a reason.”

Heidi grinned. “Are you Kelberon’s contractor?”

“Yeah.”

The water spray enveloping Heidi turned a faint red. “I wanted to kill Kelberon’s contractor anyway. I missed my chance last time.”

From that, Viola realized who the spirit contracted with Heidi was. “Long time no see, Blood.”

* In [The Shadow of Bellatu], two ‘Spirit Kings of Blood’ exist.

One is Kelberon, who contracted with Heidi, and the other is the spirit known as ‘Blood.’

‘Why didn’t I think of Blood?’

Blood was a spirit born with the ‘Killing Star.’ The attributes and the contractor remained unknown, but it was referred to as the ‘Spirit King.’

A cruel spirit king obsessed with slaughtering and driving humans insane.

‘Everything… aligns too perfectly with Bahakarun’s motives.’

In other words, Blood was a ‘Corrupted Spirit.’ ‘It wasn’t just humans that were corrupted. The original story didn’t feature Blood’s contractor. It merely mentioned the existence of the Spirit King known as Blood.

Viola had already encountered this ‘Blood.’

Zeno intentionally absorbed Blood, and Blood had tried to dominate Zeno’s consciousness to kill Viola.

That incident had been a disaster for Viola, akin to a natural catastrophe.

“Just ask for help. I’ll prevent your natural disaster.”

The person who prevented that incident was Medea. “If it weren’t for that bothersome woman, I could’ve killed you and tasted your blood.”

Heidi and Blood seemed almost like the same entity. Their synchronization was so high that Heidi was about to become Blood and vice versa.

“Well, I was able to contract with Blood thanks to the substantial blow I received back then.”

In reality, Heidi’s ‘Spirit Affinity’ hadn’t been enough to contract with Blood. But Blood, having failed to dominate Zeno, had sustained a significant injury and lost some of its power to Zeno. This was when Zeno acquired the complete mastery of the Killing Star.

Through that process, Blood was weakened, allowing Heidi to contract with it. “Even now, I feel like I could kill you. I’m curious about the taste of your blood.”

“I’m relieved too.”

Viola genuinely thought that. “Sorry, Heidi. I can’t protect you any longer.”

“As a price for giving you up, I will accept annihilation.”

Kelberon (Pongpong) never wanted to become the Spirit King of Blood. “This isn’t what I wanted.”

“I wanted to be a warm spirit.”

Pongpong was, in fact, a warm-hearted spirit.

It yearned to water the flower field, a kind-hearted spirit.

“I can no longer dream.”

When he decided to no longer protect Heidi and accepted annihilation, Pongpong asked.

“I don’t blame you. But if the first person I met had been someone else and not you, would my life have changed?”

And the Heidi from the novel answered, “Destiny doesn’t change, Kelberon.”

But Viola knew. Destiny could change.

Many had already transformed and were living different lives. Destiny was alterable and would change today as well.

Pongpong met Viola, and Viola would change Pongpong’s life.

They decided that. “What’s the fortunate part?”

“That the child I love won’t be hurt.”

She resolved to prove it. “Right, Pongpong?”

Water spray began to rise from Viola’s body. Tundra almost let go of Viola’s hand.

‘What is this energy?’

He felt an overwhelmingly powerful spirit force he’d never encountered before. The ominous aura emitted by Blood felt insignificant against this power.

It was on a different level.

The strength was incomparable to Blood. The water spray erupted and began to take on the shape of a human.

“Long time no see, Viola.”

With blue hair and blue eyes, a beautiful man appeared.