CH 71

Giovanne grinned and swept his chin as if it were a familiar question.

How many Nephilim have asked him for help? Even though it was a trivial reaction, she realized once again that the man in front of her was a great being who could take place in the history of people around the world.

“How similar and different do you think the devil and humans are?”

Catherine came up with a universal answer.

“The longer the devil lives, the more similar it will be to a human.”

“That’s right. So, all the devils that leave descendants are devils that have lived for a long time. The stronger the devil, the longer it lives. The stronger the devil, the higher the probability of leaving descendants.”

Races that are born with powerful magical powers, like devils and dragons, can’t reproduce with their own kind.

They are born in chaos, not a reproduction. In a place where humans dare not reach, it is born naturally as if fruits are produced on trees.

They were also able to reproduce with humans. This was also the part where devils and dragons inevitably had to be associated with humans.

“Even devils do what is called love. It’s not a relationship of interest, but a pure kindness towards each other, and children are born. But there are not many cases like this among the Nephilim. Most Nephilim wizards are protected and raised safely by the state while both of their parents are still alive.” 

According to him, Catherine’s mother didn’t give birth to her out of love.

Maybe the air was too stuffy, so Giovanne opened a huge glass window. He leaned narrowly against the window frame and lit a cigarette. 

“Second, if you want to leave a legacy. This is where most of the Nephilim cases are.”

Whoo. White smoke that he lightly blew away went out the window.

“One of the reasons powerful devils become closer to humans is because they have the time to do it. They enjoy everything in their spare time and eventually get tired of life. That doesn’t mean they lose their narcissism. Rather, they say that they are very proud of themselves. More than humans in some ways.”

“That’s right. Why were the Nephilim born with strong magical powers? It’s because they inherited the powers of the devil. They give birth to children, and when their children grow up, they return to chaos and die. Leaving only the power, they possessed in the world.”

Giovanne shook the ashtray from the cigarette with a smile on his face.

“That’s why the Nephilim have lost their parents since childhood. Just like the Young Lady and I.”

There was a flame. The cigarette dangling between his fingers was gone with a slight flaming sound. Giovanne asked a question to Catherine.

“Are you sad?”

Catherine expressed her honest feelings.

“It’s not good, but it doesn’t make me sad. To be honest, I kind of expected it.”

Her father used to blame his mother whenever he drank. For her, they’re just part of her puppet show. He is afraid that she’ll look like that woman. 

Now she could fully understand the meaning of the drunkenness.

‘Then, was my mother’s love for me close to narcissism?’

Evidence of life. The successor by the name of the child.

Suddenly, she wondered if Cesare would meet such an end someday.

As she imagined how he had created his family, she got more upset and shut her mind off.

“Teaching young Nephilim is very beneficial. These days, there aren’t many friends who ask me directly. So now…”

Giovanne lifted his finger. A glass with a drink that had been lying on the table flew gently towards him. Giovanne emptied the wine from the glass and continued.

“Shall we talk about the request the Young Lady made of me? About that unique request to be a teacher.”

The woman standing behind him filled the empty glass with wine. Staring at the rising red wine, Giovanne lowered his voice as if he were talking to himself. 

“I have high expectations for Lady. Since I first saw you, I’ve known that you’ve inherited a great power.”

Giovanne seems to have gotten the wrong idea about her power, which is the power of Cesare, the Great Devil.

“You know what? Beings who have transcended a certain state can know what level the other has reached just by recognizing each other.”

His words made her think of when she met Percyville in Beaton Blue. The night when she realized that each other was a contractor for the Great Devil just by making eye contact.

“Busperfield is full of Nephilim with devil-like talents. Itherana Empire is not something to be proud of within such magic.”

“Are you bragging again?” 

Giovanne laughed in vain, which was filled with slight irritation.

“Look, Lady. Can you listen to the end? I’m not bragging about it. I’m talking about the Lady as a very special gemstone.” 

“That’s typical Casanova’s way of talking. I’m sorry, but I know I’m a gemstone.” 

Damian, who was sitting next to her, gave her an irritated look. The more she does this, the less she cares about what people think of her. 

Giovanne put down his glass of wine and pointed his forehead when he heard her answer. And unlike before, he spoke with a weakly intense voice. 

“It’s frustrating, it’s frustrating! Casanova or not, what does that matter now? I’m talking about the Lady right now. Your talent is insanely lovely! My heart races like I’ve met a woman I love at first sight! Even like this! Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”

Damian whispered softly to Catherine.

“Isn’t that right? Like an abnormal sexist… with some mental illness…”

“Shh. So what I want to say is.”

Giovanni’s teaspoon hit the table hard. Then, the endless food disappeared instantly, and only a vase full of roses was left on the yellow tablecloth.

“Come to Busperfield, Lady.”

“I don’t want to.” 

It was a rejection without hesitation, but Giovanne didn’t give up. Instead, he persuaded Catherine with a look of anticipation.

“I will definitely raise the Lady to the level of transcendent. Hmm?”

“I have no desire to live that long.”

“Look, it’s a request, so can’t you think about it seriously?  Should I let you enjoy wealth and power as much as the royal family?”

“I don’t need power, I already enjoy my wealth.”

Giovanne put a cigarette in his mouth. He did not show any discomfort in Catherine’s continued refusal. Rather, he held his chin without losing his relaxed smile.

“Didn’t the Lady come to ask me a request? If you refuse this and that, how will you come in as my disciple?”

“If anyone hears it, they will think you gave me a lot of opportunities. The one thing I turned down was that I wasn’t going to be Busperfield’s people.” 

“Okay, then I’ll make another suggestion.”

As Giovanne snapped his fingers, the back and forth of one of his walls began to flip over slowly.

He hung a large bulletin board with dozens or even hundreds of articles on the upside-down wall. Although it wasn’t possible to confirm each article hung there, it seemed that she could fully understand what Giovanne’s intentions were.

Most of the articles hanging there would be articles linking her to Cesare.

“Please cut off ties with Grand Duke Cesare. I have no intention of raising a Nephilim who receives the touch of a wizard other than myself.”

She thought Giovanni’s character wall would be high, but even if it is high, it is still too high. 

All of his suggestions were something that Catherine couldn’t even consider. As a member of Busperfield, she would be against the Marquis of Phanya, who was a close friend of Shagweed II, and it was impossible to cut ties with Cesare in the first place.

The rejection of the two proposals required different conditions to be met.

‘A deal that the Commander-in-Chief of Busperfield would be interested in.’

“Old man, do you know what the root of the transition is?”

“I know.”

“I’m the owner of the root.”

Giovanne’s forehead wrinkled for the first time. He responded to Catherine’s words a beat late.

“Lady, were you not a Nephilim but a devil?”

“No. It’s a Nephilim, but it sounds like a mutant.”

Giovanni shook his head in disbelief.

“Your imagination was pretty good, but that can’t happen. Transition is a root that only devils born out of chaos can have. Devils with those roots have more magical power than devils with other roots. However, it also consumes more lifespan—”

“I wasn’t asking the definition of that root. It was my root.”

Catherine grabbed the rose to prove her point. 

“I don’t think I can believe it…”

She knows for sure how to identify the roots now. The feeling of mana running through her veins and spreading throughout her body. She just has to convey that feeling into the petals.

“I’ll show you directly.” 

Whoo.

At the same time, the red roses and the vase exploded like fireworks. Black ash rises from the ceiling and falls as a drizzle. As soon as he saw the scene, Giovanne jumped up from his seat. And he asked Catherine.

“Do other wizards know about it?”

“Only Grand Duke Cesare knows this.”

He proposed to Catherine in a most determined voice. It was the most serious and determined look she had ever seen on his face.

“I’ll make you the best wizard of the next generation. Instead, let me analyze Lady’s roots here. I won’t ever hurt your body or do anything bad to you.”

“Okay, old man.” 

Giovanne narrowed his eyes and nagged.

“How long are you going to call me, old man? You should call me ‘Teacher’ from now on.” 

That kind of request can, of course, be met. Giovanne’s eyes gleamed with greed, exploration, passion and excitement typical of wizards.

If it had been another wizard, she would have been worried that she would be cut up, but she wasn’t as worried since he was her opponent.

‘It could be a good thing.’

It seems that Cesare lived a long time that was too long to imagine, and the desire for knowledge itself was small.

He was the man Catherine would keep by her side, even if she were an earthworm wizard. What does it matter to him whether her roots are transition or otherwise? If the secret were revealed at this opportunity, Catherine’s frustration would be relieved.

‘The problem is Cesare—’

How should it be conveyed? She had no intention of hiding it. But she was afraid he might think she didn’t trust him. Even tomorrow, he would know that she came here alone.

Feeling better, Giovanni ordered people to bring dessert again.