Chapter 212 Night of the Festival (7)

[…Does that guy have a younger sister?!]

That can’t be true.

There is no woman in that guy’s household. No daughter was born.

Since the only daughter vanished a long time ago, it appeared that the family was cursed and lost its daughter as if under a spell.

[But who is the girl in front of me now?]

A female student dressed as a witch.

Fair skin, a refined nose, a veil-like jawline, deep eyes, and lush eyelashes. Add a slightly twisted expression, truly showcasing the pinnacle of decadence.

And with black hair like the night sky and ruby-like sparkling red eyes, it felt as if HE had come back to life.

…If it weren’t for the fact that she was a woman, she might have actually believed it.

[Blood relation? But if it’s not that, it doesn’t make sense…]

The Corpse Queen muttered softly.

Certainly, she severed all connections to everything in the world from a certain ‘day’ onward.

To dive deep into the abyss of black magic, she had to cut all the strings connecting her to the world.

So, she didn’t know. Information related to ‘that day’ and what followed, related to that guy.

Moreover,

‘Stop thinking about it.’

An existence in her mind was preventing her to think further about it.

…Zik!

The Corpse Queen was momentarily thrown off balance by the shock, as if a thick and large needle had pierced through her skull.

If she tried to think deeply, her brain would blow apart in pain.

A terrible headache was kicking and stomping on her brain, which was half dead and half alive.

‘Stop thinking about those painful thoughts now. I’ll take care of such things for you.’

The demon’s whisper echoed in her ears. It tempted her to discard complicated thoughts and worries and respond only to the simple stimuli in front of her.

Ugh!

The Corpse Queen bit her lip.

[…I’m not a mere corpse. I can have independent thoughts and judgments. I’m not just a puppet moving according to your will.]

The voice in her ear momentarily stopped at that statement. ‘That thing’ shut its mouth.

‘….’

The Corpse Queen closed her ears, biting down on the ache.

[I clearly said, only half a day will be handed over to you.]

‘….’

[And to fulfill the terms of our contract, I have to go to that cafe right now. Don’t forget the reason I made a contract with you.]

Then ‘that thing’ whispered once again in its sweet voice.

‘Of course. So I found your sister for you, using my ‘ability.”

The Corpse Queen looked away, focusing on something else.

Gerento. The mage who was transformed into a lich. The girl who would have turned sixteen this year if she were still alive.

The Corpse Queen spoke.

[You know well, your ability. The mysterious power that ‘lets you meet the person you want to meet.’ But… aside from my sister, you know there’s one more person I was looking for, right?]

‘….’

[The main reason I accepted your contract was to find that guy’s body. But you never found it, even though you searched every nook and cranny of the red and black mountain for the past two years.]

‘….’

[And now, whether it’s thanks to your power or whether it’s my fate, I’ve once again caught a clue about that guy. Going there, it feels like I might be able to know everything.]‘….’

[So don’t stop me.]

For the first time, the Corpse Queen resisted ‘that thing’s’ voice.

It was possible because the relationship between the Corpse Queen and ‘it’ was not a master-servant relationship or a one-sided contractual relationship, but rather a mutually beneficial contractual relationship. This was quite different from usual demons, who would contract with an almost dead human, completely taking over their body.

However, ‘it’ continued to speak to the Corpse Queen.

“Danger. I smell danger.”

[…What?]

“There’s a sinister aura coming from that cafe. The disgusting scent typical of a demon hunter is emanating from it.”

It seemed that Gerento, who was standing beside the Corpse Queen, also sensed it.

The Corpse Queen hesitated for a moment when she saw Gerento nodding.

[But why would demon hunters be here at this moment? What in the world is happening while I’m sleeping half of the day?]

‘It’ continued to dissuade the Corpse Queen.

While the Corpse Queen only lived half of the day, ‘it’ also lived only half of the day. The Corpse Queen bit her lip.

——————

[I came prepared. Your unease is probably because of Night Hound. I’ll personally unveil their face if I go meet them. And also, the identity of that woman.]

However, ‘it’ continued to resist the Corpse Queen.

When the Corpse Queen was about to take a step forward, thinking that ‘it’ had given up, ‘it’ spoke again.

“There isn’t much time left.”

“It’s almost midnight. After midnight, this body will be mine…”

[…That’s enough.]

The Corpse Queen interrupted.

[If that’s the case, shut up for now.]

Perhaps ‘it’ also deemed further conversation meaningless, as ‘it’ fell silent.

Caw!

A crow made a sinister sound and flew through the cherry blossom petals of the festival.

[…]

The Corpse Queen’s eyes gradually settled calmly. She gave up on complex thoughts and moved instinctively.

Now was the time to clarify all the confusion.

Just as the Corpse Queen was about to take a step forward…

“Wowww! Sister, you’re so beautiful!”

“Who is this witch?”

“It’s not sister! It’s a brother!”

“Kyaaah! Sister, just look at me once!”

“Witch! Please cast a spell on me too!”

“I love you! Just give me one glass of alcohol!”

A multitude of people suddenly rushed toward the cafe of the Newspaper Club.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Mana screenshots exploded from all directions.

The Corpse Queen found herself squeezed in the midst of the crowd.

She was so forcefully pressed that the bones protruding from her skull mask were about to pop out.

[…What are they…]

The Corpse Queen slowly pulled up her mana.

She intended to clear away all the annoying things in front of her and move forward..However,

…Tuk!

The Corpse Queen sense the signs of change? Someone was blocking her path.

“Stop.”

It was Bianca.

Clack—

The Corpse Queen’s eyebrows moved.

‘Isn’t this the girl who couldn’t even properly apologise before?’

How dare this girl block her way?

However, even with a trembling body, Bianca persistently blocked the Corpse Queen’s path.

“I understand your feelings, but this is going too far.”

[?]

Understand her feelings? What audacity did this girl have to claim that she understood?

As the Corpse Queen was about to speak, Bianca spoke first.

“Fangirling has its limits. We need to maintain some decency.”

[??]

“No matter how pretty a girl is, is it right to raise mana like that? There are normal people around you, not mana users. Please be mindful.”

[???]

The Corpse Queen momentarily showed a blank expression behind her mask.

Then, another face popped up next to Bianca.

A girl with white hair. It was Sinclaire.

“That’s right. Only our staff is allowed to talk to the Witch.”

The Corpse Queen couldn’t understand what these chicks were saying.

[…Are these brats insane?]

“Uhh- Brats? Just by looking, it seems like we’re from the same age group, but she’s talking as if she’s a person who came out of a prison.”

“Sister, please stop here. Or wait after taking a numbered ticket.”

Bianca and Sinclaire joined forces to block the Corpse Queen.

In the end, the Corpse Queen had no choice but to reveal her strength.

Tsutsutsu—

When she emitted a dark aura, the expressions of Bianca and Claire changed dramatically.

‘Black mage!’

Classified as a level 1 hazard even in the Empire.

Black mages, who are subjects of special management, usually move under the control of the country, and their identities are well-known.

However, the woman in front of them wearing a skull mask was suspicious to anyone’s eyes.

Perhaps… Perhaps, the numerous bones covering her face and body might not just be simple cosplay.

[…!]

[…!]

Bianca and Claire’s faces turned pale.

Even though they represented the elite of the Cold Department and the Hot Department, they were just freshmen who had finished their midterms.

Dealing with the momentum of the Corpse Queen was beyond their capacity.

Then, at that moment…

Tuk!

Another foot stepped forward to block the Corpse Queen.

A black coat, studded boots, chains draped over the body, and, crucially, a plague doctor raven mask covering the face.

“…Who are you to cause a scene in someone else’s establishment?”

It was someone in the Night Hound costume.