Ugh… my head… I feel sick…
Mia opened her eyes, roused by the jostling motion of her body.
The first thing she saw was the star-filled night sky, pitch-black and vast.
What... What's going on?
She was lying down—but her limbs were bound, rendering her immobile. She could feel something tight and heavy locked around her neck.
Her mouth had been gagged—she couldn't speak. And she was being carried rapidly, somewhere, against her will.
Snort, snort…
The rough snorts of some beast rumbled around her, and her body shook again, harshly.
Though she couldn't move, she could still glance around.
Massive creatures—something between buffalo and rams—were racing forward, each carrying three people on its back.
All around her: barren stones, steep cliffs. Undoubtedly a mountain trail.
Why the hell are we climbing a mountain in the middle of the night?
Mia struggled to rise, but the shackles binding her limbs left her completely trapped.
She tried sending a mind-transfer message to Leca—but with a sharp clang, her magic was repelled.
This is just like in the demon god's domain…!
Is this another magic-restricted zone?
Panic froze her.
So many people, all riding beasts through the dead of night—
Mia forced herself to focus, desperate to make sense of the situation.
Normally, I'm not a heavy sleeper—and ever since the fairy transformation, my senses have grown even sharper.
There's no way I could've slept through this on my own.
Either I was drugged or enchanted.
I lost consciousness after eating—that food must've been laced with something.
Mia bit her lip. Was the ring the demon god gave her still with her?
She was still wearing the same clothes the maid had brought earlier—so they hadn't changed her outfit.
Hopefully… they didn't search my body either.
Despite the crowd, not a single person spoke. Only the eerie night sounds echoed around them—the distant howling of wolves, the haunting hoots of owls.
And the thunderous pounding of the great beasts' hooves, stirring up clouds of dust.
After some time, the cart carrying Mia finally came to a stop. She looked around—They had arrived in a wide clearing.
Now she could hear murmurs here and there. People were bustling about, setting up black and white statues in a circle around the clearing.
It was disturbing.
Mia noticed four men in black robes approaching her. They began removing the shackles binding her limbs.
Sensing an opportunity, she thrashed in an attempt to escape—but without her magic, there was no way she could overpower four grown men.
"Behave. Try anything stupid, and we'll throw you into the fire pit while you're still alive."
One of the men whispered threateningly. Anything stupid—as if she had any options.
But… what were they planning to do?
Mia had no choice but to follow where they led. Earlier it had been too dark to see, but now—
Splash… splash…
The humid air.
A lake?
A massive black lake lay before her. Its depth was impossible to guess.
A lake atop a mountain…What on earth are they planning here?
"We have arrived at Pandemonium."
Someone declared in a solemn voice.
Looking to the side, Mia saw that several of the white-robed children were also being held by the black-robed men—just like her.
A tall figure in a white robe stepped forward and addressed the group in a booming voice.
"We stand now at Pandemonium, the sacred lake.
This place predates even the founding of Sibareth—it is the cradle of this continent's origin."
A soft sob came from one of the children. The speaker turned sharply toward the sound, visibly annoyed.
The sobbing ceased immediately.
"This majestic lake has always watched over Sibareth.
And yet we, the people of Sibareth, have neglected to honor the god of this place.
Today, we offer up our pure children and a sacred human—
To atone for our sins, and beg once more for Pandemonium's mercy."
So that's what this is…
I had my suspicions.
And of course—I was right.
Mia scanned her surroundings. The other children were completely vacant—
their eyes glassy, unfocused.
Clearly, they'd been drugged or magically dazed.
Am I the only one still conscious?
The only adult?
Or…
Suddenly, flames flared to life in the hands of the black and white-robed figures.
Dozens of torches lit up the clearing like midday.
The dark waters of the lake looked even more sinister under their light.
That black lake… could I survive underwater if I tried to hold my breath?
As if mocking her thoughts, the robed figures began attaching heavy iron shackles to the children's ankles.
Then they came and clamped the same weight onto Mia's feet.
Her mind went blank. Her thoughts spiraled.
Images flashed by—Her dreams of sudden wealth. Being tricked by a fairy.
Everything that had brought her here.
Was death the price?
What had she done so wrong? Was it a crime to dream beyond her means?
To fall for a scam? To gamble for happiness?
Was this the end of her foolishness? Not returning empty-handed, but dying?
I never imagined it would end like this…
The tall man in the white robe began to speak again, his voice filled with self-righteous gravity.
"O Pandemonium of Mount Hata, guardian of Sibareth for all eternity!
We offer you these thirteen sacred humans—
Accept them, and return your divine mercy upon us!
Twelve of them are pure children who have served the temple,
And the final one is a virgin—destined, fated,
the one who arrived alongside the red-tailed comet.
We who wield mana have grown arrogant before the gods,
But these innocent, harmless souls are your most loyal servants!"
As the speech ended, both the black-robed and white-robed figures bowed their heads in unison.
"Now, bring forth the first offering."
The man who had just finished speaking approached Mia. She studied him carefully.
He wore a robe marked with a silver magic circle on the chest. Someone she had never seen before.
Not Roland. Not one of the Twelve Elders from the bloodlines.
His icy blue eyes stared down at her with a glacial chill.
Mia resisted with all her might, refusing to move—but the four men surrounding her overpowered her easily, dragging her to the edge of the shimmering black lake.
Just as they were about to lift her up—
"Stop! What madness is this?!"
A shout rang through the air—and from the skies, a Pegasus descended.
A winged white horse, wings flaring wide as it landed before them all.
Julius.
But his condition was dire.
His body was covered in wounds, and his leg was wrapped in thick bandages.
"How dare you do this without my permission?! Have you lost your minds?!"
With his words, Julius drew his sword and cut down the four men holding Mia—one after another.
Blood spurted from their chests, splashing onto Mia.
She was soaked in their blood. Julius hoisted the trembling Mia onto the Pegasus behind him and shouted,
"All of you shall pay with your lives! You will answer for this atrocity!"
At that moment—An arrow struck Julius in the arm.
"Gah…!"
He let out a cry of pain, his face contorted in agony.
Damn it… The accumulated fatigue from the war is worse than I thought.
To think I couldn't even block such a simple attack…
He bit down hard on his lip. Worse yet—the arrow wasn't ordinary.
Where it struck, Julius's arm began to blacken, the flesh rotting from within.
"Wh-What is this…?"
As he tried to lift his other arm to cast a healing spell—another arrow pierced that arm as well.
Then, the robed man with the silver magic circle walked slowly toward him and said:
"Have you forgotten that you are not yet king? Our ruler remains His Majesty Minophon, though bedridden. You, Grand Duke, are not sovereign."
Julius clenched his teeth, eyes blazing with fury as he fought through the pain.
"Convenient excuse…So in the name of an unconscious king, you act however you please? You think I won't uncover your identity…?"
The man smirked and raised one hand, chanting a spell. Julius's body bent backward violently—and he collapsed from his Pegasus, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Startled, the Pegasus reared with a cry and took off into the air.
"Kyaaah!"
Mia tumbled from the horse, groaning as she hit the ground. The pain was so intense, she couldn't move.
The tall white-robed man approached the fallen Julius, checked something,
then turned to the others and announced:
"There's no need for alarm. His Grace the Grand Duke has merely fainted.
He will soon be given a silence spell to erase his memory.
He had no business meddling in Council affairs while he should have been on the battlefield."
Leca had watched the entire scene unfold from atop a Kepala, still in lizard form.
He was confused. Part of him—deep down—was screaming:
Turn into a wyvern now. Burn them all.
Fly away with Lady Mia.
Show her your love.
Show her your loyalty.
Isn't that why you've come this far?
Leca had believed that was what he would do.
But that feeling faded like a dying flame—And his cold, emotionless logic took over.
—Don't ruin everything with foolish heroics. Think of the most efficient way to resolve this.
Love? What nonsense. You are just a spirit—never forget that.
Then…
Leca calmly scanned the area. There were twelve children. If he pushed his mana to the limit—
Maybe… just maybe… he could pull it off.
He could feel the wind brushing through the hole in his chest. The memory of kissing Mia's lips,
The jealousy he had felt toward Julius—
All of it now felt like some distant, past life. The fire inside him… had gone cold.
Just then—
The man who had attacked Julius walked over to Mia, still lying on the ground.
He yanked her upright. Mia groaned in pain.
"A virgin from another world, bearing fairy blood! Sibareth shall never forget your sacrifice!"
He twisted her arm behind her back and proclaimed it loud for all to hear.