"Mmm…"
Mia awoke with a strange sensation—only to realize that her body was floating in midair.
"Ack…! What is this?!"
"Awake now? I see my house was quite comfortable. You were sleeping so soundly."
A familiar voice came from below.
When Mia turned her head to look down, she saw the demon god standing with his arms crossed, watching her.
"What are you doing?! Why am I—"
She remembered the moment in his underground treasure vault when she had put on the ring.
A strange smoke and scent had risen from the ring…
And then—nothing.
Could it be that this so-called treasure had some kind of sleeping spell cast on it?!
"Why? To send you back to your country, of course."
"W-wait a minute! Why did I suddenly fall asleep? And how does this ring work? It's not a treasure—it's a weapon!"
The demon god gave her a look of sheer disbelief.
"You're firing off so many questions I'd barely consider answering even one…"
His red eyes gleamed once again. Mia, sensing danger, quickly put on her most pitiful expression.
"O great and kind and cool and powerful Demon Lord… since you've given this back to me, could you maybe explain how to use it, pretty please…?"
The demon god let out a dry chuckle and said,
"I don't waste words on shameless, brazen women. And as for the ring—
it simply woke up after a long slumber.
You couldn't handle its energy, so you collapsed. Don't go getting strange ideas."
His last words faded away, barely audible.
In the blink of an eye, Mia found herself standing in the royal garden of Sibareth's palace.
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
"Oh my! Lady Mia!"
Maidservants who had been passing nearby gasped and rushed over to her.
"You've returned safely—heavens above!"
They stared at her in awe, as if unable to believe their eyes. Mia dusted herself off and silently began walking toward her room.
But one of the maids stopped her.
"Um, your room is currently under renovation, so we'll need to take you somewhere else. Please allow us to guide you. You—go let everyone know that Lady Mia has returned!"
The maids scattered in different directions. Mia followed the one guiding her and discreetly tucked the ring from the demon god into her robes.
She was still upset about losing the ancient sword and shield, but at least she'd managed to walk away with this.
She had no idea how to use it, but for now, she would keep it safe.
Mia was shown to a new room and given a fresh change of clothes. The maid told her to rest well and that someone would come to escort her later, then quietly closed the door.
Left alone in the unfamiliar room, Mia sank into thought.
Why was the room changed so suddenly?
They must have assumed I wouldn't come back.
Of course.
She glanced down at the demon god's ring on her hand. A rusted silver band with a large, ruby-colored gem.
From the outside, it looked completely ordinary—no trace of mana at all.
Mia rummaged through the wardrobe and the accessory box. Then she found some old thread, looped it through the ring, and wore it around her neck like a necklace, carefully hiding it under her clothes.
At that moment—
Knock knock.
Someone tapped on the door.
"Lady Mia, are you inside?"
It was the voice of the maid who had brought her earlier. When Mia opened the door, the maid was standing there with a tray of steaming, luxurious food.
And behind her…
Two of the Twelve Elders from the Council—faces Mia recognized from the grand chamber—were standing there.
They smiled awkwardly and spoke.
"Congratulations on your return. We knew you'd succeed."
"…Ah. Thank you."
Mia was curious why they had come to her room in person. She had assumed she would be summoned to the council chamber.
Sensing her discomfort, one of the elders cleared his throat and said,
"As you know, we are currently at war. His Grace the Grand Duke and the rest of the council members are all preoccupied with their own matters, and a proper formal reception is not possible at the moment.
So we had no choice but to come to you like this, though it may be a bit unorthodox."
"…I understand."
"So, did you obtain an ancient treasure from the demon god?"
At that, Mia reached into her robe and pulled out a small copper goblet.
It was adorned with a relief carving of a bearded goat's face.
"When I asked the demon god, he gave me this."
In truth, she had secretly swiped it from his treasure vault—for this very purpose.
"Ohh! Is that so?"
The two elders took the goblet and turned it over in their hands with evident delight.
Then they gave her a look of forced generosity and said,
"You've truly endured so much. You are, without a doubt, a worthy future queen! Now rest well and eat plenty to recover from your journey."
With that, the elders turned and scurried away.
The maid came into the room, laid out the dishes, and exited. The meal was far more extravagant than what Mia usually ate in the dining hall.
Roasted turkey glazed with honey and butter,
pie filled with apples and lemons,
rice cooked with orange blossom water, saffron, and assorted nuts,
an array of fresh fruits—
and even a rainbow-colored drink she had never seen before, its scent sweet and tantalizing.
But Mia's head was a storm of thoughts. She was worried about Leca, who was still imprisoned—and uncertain how long the elders would continue to be fooled by the fake artifact she had given them.
With all that on her mind, her stomach churned with unease.
Mia took just two or three bites of the food, then sipped the drink.
Despite its beautiful appearance, the drink had a slightly bitter taste—like alcohol.
After one or two more sips, she set the glass down.
Once her hunger was somewhat eased, Mia sent a mind-transfer message.
—Leca, it's me. I'm back. Can you hear me?
But there was no reply from Leca.
Leca waited inside the vase for the women's laughter and chatter to fade into the distance.
At last, their giggles and babbling grew faint. Leca cautiously peeked out.
No one in sight.
"Phew... that was cramped."
He slipped out of the vase. But then—what?!
Leca looked around in confusion. This wasn't the demon god's palace—it was the royal palace of Sibareth.
The familiar corridors and walls—he recognized them instantly. There was no doubt.
His eyes widened in shock.
But I was just in the demon god's domain…?!
Suddenly, a low, commanding voice rang inside his head.
—Hey, red-haired spirit. I don't like sobfests in my house—I'm way too jealous for that. Take your black knight drama back to your own turf.
—W-Who…?
Leca stammered in his mind.
—Who else? The owner of the place you just barged into. Anyway, I've already sent your master back unharmed. So consider us even. If you bother me again, don't expect this kind of mercy.
The voice faded from his thoughts.
I don't know how he pulled it off, but... Lady Mia is safe.
In that case…!
Leca transformed into a lizard and rushed toward the temple.
There had been talk of a list of twelve names—and Mia's name being among them. He had to find out what kind of ritual this was.
It was deep into the night. Yet the temple was ablaze with torchlight as bright as day.
Figures cloaked in black robes moved busily back and forth.
Something was definitely happening. Could the ritual be taking place tonight?
Leca stayed hidden in the shadows and watched the figures in black.
After a few minutes, a group emerged from within the temple. This time, they were dressed entirely in white robes.
Following them—
Twelve boys and girls in white garments and ornate floral crowns.
They looked to be around thirteen to fifteen years old, their faces drowsy and unfocused.
Clearly, they were children who worked at the temple. Leca even recognized a few of them.
At the end of the group was a golden cart adorned with flowers. Lying motionless atop it—like she were dead—was Mia.
She, too, wore a crown of flowers like the other children. Behind her followed another line of white-robed attendants.
It was a bizarre procession.
First came the black-robed figures. Then the white-robed ones. Then the twelve flower-crowned children and Mia on the cart.
And finally, another group of white-robed followers.
Where on earth are they going, and what are they doing?
Leca's eyes fell on Mia's neck. There, fastened around it, was a mana suppression collar—one very much like the one that had once been forced on him.
The presence of that collar could only mean one thing—something was very wrong.
Cautiously, Leca moved to the end of the procession, keeping some distance as he began to follow them.
They walked for a long time. Leaving the palace behind, they entered a secluded mountain path.
The children kept yawning, and at one point, someone in the group snapped at them sharply.
The silence of night stretched thick and heavy. The moon was full and bright, and still, the procession continued endlessly forward.
Leca had no clue where they were headed—or what they intended to do.
After walking for hours, the group finally stopped. They had arrived at Mount Hata, on the border between Sibareth and Naizman.
From across the meadow, a few nomads dressed like shepherds appeared—
leading a massive herd of Kepala.
Kepala were hybrid beasts, born of fiends and Naizman mountain goats—
specially bred for climbing steep mountain paths while carrying human riders.
A mountain trail that would take a full day on foot could be crossed in just an hour or two on a Kepala.
Don't tell me… we're climbing? At this hour?
The enormous Kepala snorted clouds of steam from their nostrils as they were mounted three at a time. Each one carried a black-robed figure, a temple child, and a white-robed attendant.
The cart carrying Mia was harnessed to the sturdiest of the Kepala.
A black-robed elder rode on its back.
Leca quickly climbed onto one of the beasts, sticking close against its massive body.
The creature didn't seem to notice the tiny lizard clinging to it—it was far too large to care.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud…
Under a star-filled sky so bright it looked ready to burst, the herd of Kepala rumbled up the rocky mountain.
Dozens of hooves pounded in unison, and Mount Hata shook like it was about to split in two.