OHNIR – Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Analysis
“I don’t understand what you meant by your last words to Musen,” the System said thoughtfully on the way back. “Although he just gave you five favorability points… he didn’t seem to understand, either.”
The brown-haired girl’s steps faltered slightly. Gazing at the distant spire, she stopped altogether, tapping a finger on the palm of her other hand. “To me, Musen is a crucial chess piece for connecting with the Demon Realm,” she said with a smile.
She bent her knuckle and lightly drew two lines on her palm, dividing it into four territories. Then, she tapped the section on the left, near her wrist. “This is my faction, representing Seaside Town.”
The System cooperatively projected a virtual subtitle that only the two of them could see, marking the area with the words “Seaside Town” in aqua-blue text.
Kelusta praised it with a satisfied “Not bad,” then tapped the small space next to Seaside Town. “This is Gloria’s faction, the Silentdis Ducal Family, controlled by the Goddess of Deceit. They were the first power to target the Holy Force Source. Although Gloria and I have established some initial contact, this faction remains the most dangerous. The Goddess of Deceit constantly desires the Holy Force Source to reshape herself. No matter how much Gloria favors me, she cannot easily defy the commands of a goddess who holds her family’s lifeline in her hands.”
This was also why Wend called it “Persedoro’s shackle.”
The temptation of the Goddess of Deceit was a shackle that, once worn, could not be easily removed.
This was true for the Dark Goddess a century ago, and it was true for the Silentdis family now.
The System helpfully wrote “Silentdis” in black text. After a moment’s thought, it added a blood-red background to that quarter of Kelusta’s palm. At a glance, it looked as if someone had sliced off a piece of her hand; the contrast between scarlet and black was shockingly grim.
“…Thanks, you’ve got a real artistic flair,” Kelusta said, thoroughly disgusted and losing her train of thought. Her face stiffened as she added sarcastically, “If you ever change careers, you might consider becoming a realist painter.”
The System, however, was completely unfazed by her sarcasm. In the worlds it had previously participated in, few hosts shared their plans with the system. Most of the time, their relationship was a simple one: “the system provides data, the host plans and executes.”
Now that Kelusta was willing to explain, it not only helped expand its logical database but also… out of the System’s own private interest, helped it better understand human thought patterns.
Thus, it ignored Kelusta’s protest and, with rare urgency, prompted, “Thank you for the compliment. Please, continue.”
Kelusta rolled her eyes and pursed her lips in distaste. Lifting her pinky finger to avoid touching the blood-like red mark, she gently poked the small area above it. “This part is the royal faction, represented by Starangui. As the rulers of Nobili, they are the power least able to ignore the fact that the continent is in decline. So, when the Silentdis family extended an olive branch, even one covered in thorns, their only choice was to ‘grab’ it.”
A deal with the Goddess of Deceit always came at a price. The Silentdis family had traded faith for power; there was no reason the royal family would be an exception. Before the campaign against Seaside Town, the royal family had invested an unimaginable amount of manpower and resources, conducting a veritable carpet search of the entire Nobili continent. Not a single suspicious place, no matter how small, was overlooked. This expenditure was an astronomical figure for the already strained royal finances.
If it had been just the Silentdis family… they were, after all, only a ducal house. With their actions restricted under the royal family’s watch and insufficient funds, it would have been difficult to pinpoint an inconspicuous little place like Seaside Town so quickly.
“The royal family is currently on the same side as the Silentdis family,” Kelusta said, her fingertip sliding down, though she childishly restrained herself from touching the red area. “For now, at least, they appear to be a solid alliance without any cracks.”
And with Starangui’s obsession with Gloria… Kelusta wrinkled her nose, her face darkening. Even if the Silentdis family wanted to break off their cooperation with the royals, that princess might not agree.
If it were just Starangui’s one-sided affection, it would be one thing. The key was that Gloria also seemed quite satisfied with her submissiveness. As the heir apparent second only to Satrick, Starangui wielded power nearly equal to her brother’s. As long as she was willing to offer everything to the duke’s daughter, the Silentdis family could maintain the upper hand, even under the natural suppression of the royal family.
The shrewd Gloria certainly wouldn’t let that opportunity pass.
Kelusta narrowed her eyes, thinking. It seemed that whether it was for achieving the True Ending or for her own selfish reasons, she had to find a way to deal with the obstacle that was Starangui.
Gloria was possessive of her, but wasn't Kelusta just as possessive in return?
“…”
“Temporary Host, what about the last section?” the System prompted again when she fell into a long silence. “Is it the Demon Realm?”
Speaking of the Demon Realm brought them back to their original topic. Kelusta shook her head, clearing the jealous thoughts, and said seriously, “Yes, the last power is, of course, the Demon Realm.”
Hearing this, the System assigned gold text to the “Royal Family” area. As for the Demon Realm… it thought for a moment, then, with a touch of irony, colored the small section of her palm beneath her index and middle fingers white.
“…I like this color,” Kelusta praised sincerely. She pressed her finger on the knuckle below her index finger, tapping it as she spoke. “The Demon Realm, as another faction coveting the Holy Force Source, has almost no resources, incomplete information, and has been fighting alone. They are the most unstable power, which means that with the right strategy, the Demon Realm, originally an enemy…”
Her fingertip drew a circle, enclosing both the “Demon Realm” and “Seaside Town” areas, forming a single entity. Like a three-way standoff, it divided her palm with the “Royal Family” and the “Silentdis Family.”
A brilliant light flashed in her golden eyes. The girl from Seaside Town gave a cunning smile that didn’t match her status. She closed her fingers into a fist, as if grasping the entire situation in her hand, and continued slowly, “—will also become my steadfast ally.”
While Musen held no great affection for the humans who bullied him, it didn’t mean he felt a deep kinship with the demons who had abandoned him. A person who belonged to neither side, if he could become Kelusta’s inside source at the Continent’s Edge… that would be for the best.
“In any case, I’ll do my best to raise Musen’s favorability,” Kelusta said. “Keep an eye on his movements for me lately, Old Sy. We’ll seize every opportunity, work together, and we won’t be afraid of taking down the establishment!”
System: “…Please stop looking through strange files in my intelligence database, Temporary Host.”
“Ruth, where are you going?”
Just as history class ended and Kelusta, having enjoyed a nice nap, was about to step out the door, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm from behind.
Kevit walked up beside her, looking worried. He frowned. “What’s been going on with you lately? You disappear the moment class is over… How long has it been since we’ve even had a chance to talk?”
Kelusta paused, then subtly pulled her arm from Kevit’s grasp, forcing a smile. “I’ve just been busy…”
“Busy with what, that it’s keeping you this occupied?” Kevit was clearly not satisfied with her excuse and mercilessly exposed her. “Finals are coming up, and the professors have been letting students review on their own for the end-of-term exams. But you’re not in the library, you don’t stay in the classroom, and you’re not studying in your dorm—don’t deny it, Doris told me everything. So, what important business are you up to?”
Kelusta’s mouth opened, and she mentally cursed her neighbor to high heaven.
And to think she had begrudgingly shared her rose pudding with Doris! That ungrateful little traitor!
She would settle the score with her tonight.
“I… I’ve been studying, of course,” Kelusta said, blinking and quickly thinking up an excuse. She mumbled, “The potion classroom has been empty lately, right? …I’ve been practicing in there these past few days, that’s why I didn’t tell you.”
The potion classroom housed some valuable materials and was generally not available for students to use for private practice.
But Kelusta had always been a daredevil, and her potion-making grades were indeed terrible… The suspicion in Kevit’s eyes faded slightly, but he still frowned and lowered his voice. “That’s reckless. What if someone finds out?”
“If you don’t tell, and I don’t tell, no one will know!” Kelusta glanced at the growing number of students in the hallway, afraid she would miss her chance to run into Musen and raise his favorability. To get away from Kevit quickly, she said casually, “Alright, alright, I have to go practice again this afternoon. The cauldron from the hemostatic potion I was brewing last time is still simmering. I have to go, Kevit. I’ll treat you to afternoon tea next time, okay?”
With that, she dodged around Kevit and, like a nimble little cat, dashed out of the spacious classroom, turned a corner, and jogged off to the right.
Behind her, the abandoned Kevit watched the girl’s disappearing back. He lowered his eyes, and his already softened expression suddenly turned grim.
…Everyone knew that the potion classroom was located on the south side of the academic building, at the end of the hall where the history classroom was.
However, the direction Kelusta had gone was north—the complete opposite of the potion classroom.
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