Vol 4 Chapter 33: Of Divinity and Magic

"Haa… haa… haa…"

Again… I have that dream again…

Of that witch destroying our city—her monstrous plants swallowing everything…

Father… Mother… no one survives…

Not even me…

Once again, Lilian Treble woke up in the middle of the night, sweat soaking her nightgown to the point that it stuck to her skin.

She gripped her stomach with her right hand—the same stomach that Marina just pierced in her dream.

Marina Greenwood. The Verdant Witch of Death. A mage so powerful she could triumph against an entire army.

At first, she thought nothing of her, that her reputation was just an exaggeration. Rumors tend to grow bigger and bigger the further it spread after all. An estranged granddaughter of an earl long past his prime—she couldn't be an obstacle to her plan whatsoever.

All that changed when she met her at that ball.

The sharp look she had in her eyes… frankly, it both terrified and annoyed her.

To put it in an odd way, It was the eyes of an arrogant divine beast, judging down on the lesser mortals that surrounded her. It was cold and unbending, like the sharp cold edge of a dagger pressed at your throat.

She saw how swiftly she grabbed the attention of the prince. He was her fiancee yet he danced more with her that night.

And then, she was personally appointed the right hand woman of the court magician by the king himself. Apparently it was under the recommendation of said court magician. How and why could that happen—she had no idea.

She was quickly climbing up the ladder of power, far quicker than she liked.

The final straw was her gleeful slaughter of her father's partner's trading caravan. She stole the slaves and made them work her farms.

Such a brazen display of power. She's either a fool or she's powerful enough to give the elite knights of the kingdom pause.

Unfortunately, with the nightmares she had been having lately, she leaned towards the latter.

It all went the same, with the mage summoning a sky high plant monstrosity in the middle of her city. With it, she would pulverize the town without pause, destroying everything she knew and cared about.

Once, twice, or thrice—she would just blame it on stress. But straightforward for a full month, it could only be something else. She secretly asked one of her maids about it, and she said it might be a premonition. After all, the Saint used to have those in the dozen when she lived.

Now, ignoring the fact that she was no holy woman, she couldn't help but think there was some truth in her superstitious words.

If only there was a way she could keep a closer eye on her…

No, asking her father was off the table. She would never cooperate with that disgusting man. She wanted to be the prince's wife in the first place only to be rid of him. With her womanly charms, she would make the future king banish him to some cottage on the kingdom's edges, far from her sight. No, she should think higher. She wanted him to be executed for being a traitor. That was what he deserved for abusing her poor mother.

He's going to the capital to force the king's hand. If that doesn't work…

Refusing to finish that thought, the young lady returned back to her sleep, burying her face inside the pillow she was hugging.

Only to enter yet another dream.

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She found herself in a place unfamiliar to her. She was now standing on a large circular platform, with clouds stretching on to infinity beyond it. Both of them were golden. In fact, the whole place looked as if it was made of gold.

Looking down, she was wearing the same nightgown she wore to sleep.

W-what is this place? Is this… another dream of mine?

She gave her cheek a good pinch, yet nothing happened. How odd. Usually that would work. This couldn't be reality, could it?

"Welcome, my child."

Right in front of her was a golden throne, radiating with gentle light. Golden chains wrapped the structure, attached to the eight stakes placed around it. However, one of the stakes had been lifted from its hole, leaving only seven to secure the chains in place. The unsecured chain ended up on what looked like a curved piece of golden metal, about the size of a human mouth.

Her eyes traveled upward…

And she froze.

"Please, do not be afraid. In fact, you should rejoice. For you have been chosen by me, the True Goddess."

The soothing voice came from the woman sitting on it. Chains were wrapped all around her body, binding her arms and legs together. Her face, however, was obscured by blinding light. No matter what angle she gazed towards her in, she couldn't see how she looked.

"The True… Goddess?"

"Yes. I am the creator of this world. You, my dear, are included. I created your soul myself."

The young lady paused, placing a hand on her chest.

She was right. She could feel it, deep inside her.

She was her Creator. She was her Mother.

She was her Goddess.

"See?" A youthful giggle escaped the goddess's lips. "My child, I have a task for you to do."

"A-a task?"

"This is for your own good as well. Your nightmares—I was the one who sent them, you see. They are your future, if you let Marina Greenwood run around unchecked. Even now, she's devising a spell that can destroy this kingdom with ease. She's a power-hungry genius that will not stop for anything in search of power. Before you know it, she'll become too strong for even the knights of the kingdom to defeat. And when that happens…"

Lilian froze, her mind returning once more to her nightmares.

And then, the sight of her mother's body being torn to shreds by Marina.

"I-I'll do it! I'll do anything to keep Mother safe!"

She didn't care what happened to her father. He could be plant food for all she cared. But her mother, and all the city folk that would greet her with a smile whenever she passed by them… that… she wanted to protect, whatever the cost.

"Wonderful." The woman laughed. "Rejoice! For you shall be my apostle—the Chosen of the One True Goddess."

"H-huh? Apostle? I don't…"

"I shall grant you the strength you'll need to face against the she-devil. However, you shall keep that strength hidden from anyone else. And you shall not mention Me as well. The False God and his thralls cannot hear about our arrangement."

"T-the False God?"

The woman chuckled. "He calls himself the Heavenly Dragon. I'm sure you are familiar with that name?"

"T-the Church?! But you're… you're the Goddess! They should be all worshiping you instead!"

Lilian paused, covering her mouth with her hand. W-what? Why did I say that?

"Very good." The woman smiled. "I see that the Veil has been lifted out of your mind. But, no doubt it would suppress your memory once more when you return to the waking world. So, before that happens, I shall tell you everything you need to know about the power you shall receive."

Lilian nodded. She barely understood anything the woman said.

And yet, she knew—She was telling the truth. Without a shred of a doubt in her mind.

After all, she was her Creator. She was her Mother.

She could entrust everything to Her.

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Meanwhile, back at the Relfatia Estate…

“WHAT? WHERE DID SHE—WHERE DID SHE GO? AND WHAT WAS THAT BLASTED LIGHT?”

Graham Bartholomeous was positively fuming. Here he was ready to give the girl that stole from him a good beating, only for her to suddenly vanish into thin air right in front of his very eyes.

...Oh dear, that was a teleportation spell, wasn't it? How fascinating. To think such a spell actually exists…

The Demon Lord was there too, of course, as she was the one who brought the elf there in the first place.

As for Victoria's father, he had left the room after hearing her report. He was not a sadist like his friend and he found his hobby to be distasteful to him.

Let him do whatever he wanted with the elf in that room.

Who would come to her rescue though? The remaining two shouldn't be able to do something like this. And I've killed Hugo Greenwood and his lover… Hmm, curiouser and curiouser…

"Hey, don't just stand there! Chase after her, you worthless woman!"

"..."

The Demon Lord gave a long look at the merchant before taking her hood off, revealing her ears to his eyes.

"You… you're a demon?"

"Yes. A Demon Lord, to be precise."

"A-A Demon Lord? You think you can lie to—"

His speech was cut short as his head flew off to the distance

Unfortunately for him, she was quite in a bad mood right now. She liked outwitting people, not being outwitted like this.

As the headless corpse collapsed, pouring blood to the carpeted floor, the Demon Lord came to a realization.

"The World Dungeon… a place that brims with ancient magic. Was it the Dungeon's doing? If teleportation magic exists, only those with the knowledge of the ancients are capable of casting it.

"...Hmm. Why don't I check the place out? I'm bored anyway. There's still time before the invasion begins."

With a puff of smoke, the demoness disappeared.

And she didn't even bother to hide the corpse.

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Marina

"You've done it… you've actually gone and did it…"

The Earl nursed his temples. A headache was inevitable, not after he heard what his granddaughter just did.

"I've instructed Reinhard to organize the slaves. For now, I had made a temporary shelter for them at the outskirts of town."

Marina had returned from her little trip, bringing with her around 100 slaves. A lot of them were of the non-human races, from elves, beastfolks, lizardmen, and other demon races.

"Ooh, how would I ever explain this to the court?"

"You don't need to, Grandfather. I'll do it. Leave everything to me."

The door to the study bursted open. Without warning, Emma strode into the room, walked up towards Marina—

—and slapped her right on her face.

"YOU WITCH! HOW COULD YOU?" She grabbed her by her collar. "Reinhard told me everything! You're—you're dragging him and everyone else to your mess! You think the king is going to let this slide?! It won't just be you whose head will be on the gallows! Reinhard will share the blame as well!

She ended her rant by shoving Marina back on her chair.

"Do not worry," Marina replied, still retaining her neutral expression. "I promise, with my power, I can protect you all."

"Protect?! Do you mean to start a war with the capital?! Are you insane? No matter how strong you are, you can't contend against their griffin knights! They have killed a dragon on their own before! A dragon!"

To the woman, and any other ordinary people out there, killing a dragon was something only heroes and entire armies do. For just a handful of knights to take on one, and winning, it was an extraordinary display of strength.

"When their letter comes, demanding an explanation for your slaughter, I expect you to personally apologize to the king. Tell him that Reinhard has nothing to do with it, got it?"

"Of course. I will not shy away from my full responsibility for this incident. In fact, I shall depart to the capital once my business here is finished. I have a need to visit the court mage as well." Looking back at her grandfather, she asked, "Would that be alright with you, Grandfather?"

To her surprise, he suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

"...No. I won't let you do anything silly as scapegoating yourself. I'll come with you. I'll explain your views to the court. I am not fond of slavers either. In that aspect, we are in agreement."

He then placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm done losing my family to my negligence. As my granddaughter, you have my full support."

"F-Father!" Emma interrupted. "You can't just—Urghhh! You'd promised to make Reinhard your successor! Now you're letting her handle the reins!" She pointed at Marina.

"Emma, dear, please, compose yourself."

"No! No more! I won't tolerate anymore of this—this tomfoolery! My husband deserves better and you know it!" She slammed her hands on the table as well, even harder than him.

"Enough!" The Earl yelled. "Marina has done so much to this city ever since she arrived years ago! If I'm going to make her my successor, I am within my right to do so!"

Emma froze, her eyes wide in disbelief. Slowly, she took a few steps backwards.

"You—you're serious, aren't you? You're going to just abandon Reinhard? After all he did for you?!" Her voice shook and her eyes began to water.

"Abandon him? It's the opposite. He's the one who said to me that he wanted to hand his seat to Marina. And you, as his wife, should support his decision. Not going on this mindless tirade against his wish. You slapping Marina like that—I could punish you for it. And I would be justified in doing so."

Emma couldn't reply.

He was right. Her slapping a future countess when you're merely a daughter of a baron—she could be hanged for it.

And so, she ran away instead.

"Wait! Emma!" Marina yelled.

Too late. She already slammed the door behind her.

"I'm going after her," she said to the Earl. "Grandfather, you shouldn't have said that to her." She gave him a sharp look. "I might be currently pushing my selfishness to this household but that doesn't mean I wish to replace Reinhard. He'll be in charge once I'm gone."

"Marina, you choosing this decision means you're already using my authority as the Earl." He sighed. "Deciding who gets to enter your land, and punishing them with death—if you weren't my granddaughter you would be a criminal."

The old man then stood up, walking over his table to place a hand on Marina's shoulder.

"With your conviction, I believe you're ready to take the reins of this territory and become the new Countess of Granfort. If you're going to fight for your ideals, then do it as a Countess."

"...Then, you shouldn't accompany me to the capital. I shall tell them that I have received your seat."

"No." He shook his head. "Even if you don't want me defending you, I will still come. Think of me as an advisor." He smiled, patting her shoulder.

Marina grabbed his hand and smiled back. "Fine. I understand. You can go with me, Grandfather. Though for now, we should focus on taking care of the slaves first. As a Countess, I wish for them to be free men once more, and so, I believe we should employ them officially as farmhands. We can use their help to expand our farming capacity even further."

"Do as you must." He nodded. "But I advise you to study our budget first with Elise."

"Of course, Grandfather. I'll speak to her later. But for now, I have someone to comfort first. You really should've been nicer to her."

---------

On her way to Emma's bedroom, however…

"Sis! You're back!"

Erika was there, blocking her path. She was wearing her usual white dress and she was clutching a large book with her small arms.

Marina knew that book. It was her rune book. Ever since she began to learn runecrafting, she would rarely, if ever, be seen without said book.

"D-did something happen? Everyone seems to be in an uproar…"

Smiling, Marina knelt down and placed her hands on her little shoulders.

"Nothing. Your sister just… took care of some bad guys, that's all."

"Bad guys?" She tilted her head.

"People that tried to kidnap you and them—they were of the same kind. As the granddaughter of this region's Earl, I could not let them pass through our territory."

"Y-you mean… slavers?" A flash of fear entered her eyes for a short moment before she composed herself. "G-good riddance! They deserve a good spanking by you, Sis!" She smiled.

"Thank you, Erika." Marina smiled back. "Rest assured, for as long as I live, I'll never let horrible people like them get away scot-free." Standing up, Marina then said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be going."

"Oh, oh, please wait! I wanna tell you that I've just made something really cool!"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Marina lowered herself again, resting her hands on her knees.

"Here!" The young girl giggled. She opened her book to a certain page before invoking the rune drawn in it.

"Wait, hold on, we're inside the house now, you can't just—"

"Don't worry! It'll be fine, Sis! Look!"

As the light receded from the book, an object appeared on top of the page. It was just an ordinary teddy bear, however. No, what's special was the spell used to summon it.

"Dimensional Storage Rune! I can keep objects inside my book now!" She grinned.

Marina blinked, quite surprised by what she just saw.

"That's… that's amazing! I can never draw that rune back when I was studying in the Magocracy! You're amazing, Erika!"

Marina lifted her little sister and spun her around.

"Hehehe! Really? I worked hard on it, Sis! I wasted so many pages of my book to draw it!"

Putting Erika down, Marina caressed her head once more.

"Keep working on it, alright?"

"Of course, Sis! You don't have to tell me that!" She laughed.

As she watched her big sister walk off to the distance, a certain feeling of warmth blossomed in her chest.

Big Sis praised me… I did something even she cannot do…

...This is it! With my runes, I can finally be useful to her!

I have to study even more! And before she knows it, I'll be able to come along with her on her trips! She won't be so busy that she can't play with me anymore!

With a spring on her steps, the young girl bounced back to her room.

She still had a lot more runes she needed to master.

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"Emma? Are you in there? It's me, Marina. I want to talk."

"Go away, you wicked witch!"

Marina paused, letting out a sigh. The door was locked and it seemed no amount of knocking was going to make the upset lady open it.

And so, she took the initiative. She used her magic to grow a tiny bramble that inserted itself into the keyhole. And then…

*Click*

"I'm coming in!"

Marina opened the door, only to find Emma standing on the other side of the room with her hands on her waist.

"What do you want? If you think you can justify yourself to me, think again!"

Closing the door behind her, Marina replied, "I do not wish for that. You're free to think however you wish of me. Just know that I have no plans to supplant your husband's position in this household."

"But you did! You going out of your way to cause conflict with another noble household and Father just letting you get away with it — you might as well just take his job! Be the Countess of Granfort, just like Father wanted you to be!"

"Even if I were to become a Countess, that doesn't mean I would have no need for your husband. He, you, Rina, and Roland, and Veronica — you all can stay here. I won't kick you out. I won't denigrate you either. You'll have the same privileges as always."

"That's not the point! I… I want him to be the next Earl! Not you!"

Emma walked forward and pressed her index finger to her chest.

"I was even willing to let him marry you! But you're just too good for him, aren't you? Even though you're a pervert who pleasures herself almost every night!”

...Naturally, this was Marina’s only weak spot.

Her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks began to turn crimson.

S-she… she knew?

Emma now had a victorious grin on her face. “Oh yes, I know! We all know! Even Father! But we just pretended not to. You want a man to penetrate you so badly you’d do it with a toy instead! How pathetic! I, on the other hand, can hold it like a proper woman until my darling Reinhard is around.”

"That's… that's not true." Marina now had a scowl on her face. "I heard your moans even when he's away. You have a habit of pleasuring yourself as well." It was now her turn to press her index finger into her chest.

"Y-you… you're eavesdropping?" Emma blushed. "How dare you! You insolent, perverted—"

"I'm not finished." Taking out her wand from her pocket, Marina waved it in the air."

"What? What are you—"

Vines burst forth from the wooden floor and they began to spread through the entire room.

"Stop this! Stop this now!"

Marina refused. She opened every drawer and every wardrobe in the room with her vines.

She was right. It didn't take long until one of the vines pulled out a drawer filled with all sorts of sexual toys.

"Oh, what's this?" It was Marina's turn to smirk as she walked over to the drawer. "You're a pervert yourself, aren't you?" She took out one of them and lifted them up in the air. "And you even have cuffs here. Quite kinky, are you not?"

"Grrhhh, that's it! You have no right to—kyaahh!"

Emma tripped at one of the vines, crashing right on top of Marina, taking her down as well.

When the dust settled, the young lady's face was between Marina's legs.

Pressed right into Marina’s panty-covered womanhood.

“Hmppph! Hmmpppphhh!”

“A-ahn, don’t move! Don’t breathe!”

Right when they were in that compromising position, the door burst open.

“Emma! I'm back!"

It was Rina. She had just returned from a shopping trip to the town.

"Emma, I'm—o-oh my…"

There, she saw them, being engaged in something that was obviously sexual. Not to mention the drawer filled with Emma's toys beside them.

"I-I'm sorry!"

Before either of them could say anything, Rina already slammed the door closed.

S-since when Emma has—has that kind of a relationship with Miss Marina?

N-no, Rina! You should be happy! They're getting along at last!

B-but Reinhard… i-isn't Emma cheating on him by doing this? B-but I heard men like watching women do that kind of thing… Maybe he can watch and then it'll be okay?

Naturally, after this, it took quite some time for them both to convince Rina that it was all just a misunderstanding.

ForestDweller

And she finally makes her appearance. To be honest, I should've foreshadowed her existence way sooner, which is why I added those little speeches on Vol 1 recently. I only decided to commit on taking this plot route recently, unfortunately, even though I already had the idea for her a long time ago.

But then again, even without those foreshadowings, this plot point is still valid, due to something that will be explained later. Ultimately, this story is written from Hugo's perspective, so there's a lot of things he doesn't — and won't — know about.

And in my Patreon chapter,

Hugo no longer forgets about her.