"Oh? Since you're so eager to see me… then I'll grant your wish."
Accompanied by the shrill screams of the two maids, the once-solid floor suddenly collapsed from below. Amid the rising cloud of dust and debris, a figure slowly emerged.
"Ren, that fat guy who looks like some kind of pig-bear hybrid is the one who reeks the most," Aqua said with a grimace. "Judging by how strong the stench is, I'm certain he's had recent contact with a demon."
Staring at the greasy, potbellied middle-aged man who was still shamelessly pawing at a maid in his arms, Aqua felt a wave of revulsion wash over her.He was somehow even more disgusting than Kazuma.
Especially the thick demonic odor clinging to him—it amplified her nausea severalfold. To Aqua, the man before her felt like nothing more than a walking mass of filth and corruption.
"In that case," Ren said calmly, "this pig-bear-looking uncle must be our esteemed lord."
When Ren and Aqua suddenly burst up through the floor and appeared inside his room, Aldarp's mind went completely blank.
But after a brief moment of shock, he began shouting frantically for the guards of his mansion. Unfortunately for him, no matter how loudly he screamed, the only response was silence. Not a single soldier came to protect him.
"I'm afraid your guards will be sleeping at least until tomorrow morning," Ren said lightly."So, Lord Aldarp, could you tell me now—what exactly was the purpose of inviting me here before?And while we're at it, perhaps you'd also like to explain what's been happening in Axel this time?"
Overcome with fear, Aldarp shoved the maid in his arms forward as a human shield and then fled in blind panic.
"What a complete piece of trash," Aqua spat, watching him run. "Using a woman as a shield? Ren, are we really just going to let him go? I'm absolutely sure the stench on him is connected to a demon."
Her face twisted with disgust as she stood up, ready to chase after him and purify such human garbage—but Ren grabbed her arm.
"The moment I saw Aldarp, I could tell," Ren said quietly. "He's utterly worthless—worse than an average adventurer.Someone like him couldn't possibly wield a power that affects everyone, including Wiz.Since you say he's connected to a demon… where do you think he's running to right now?"
All the guards in Aldarp's mansion had already been knocked unconscious by Ren. Now completely isolated, the only place Aldarp could think of—and the only being he could rely on—was Maxwell in the underground chamber.
At present, Aldarp only knew that Maxwell possessed the power to manipulate causality and twist reality itself. But regardless, Maxwell was an existence even higher than an upper-class demon. No matter how one looked at it, he should be far stronger than Aldarp himself.
Panting heavily, Aldarp bolted toward the underground space, his bloated belly wobbling as he ran. Every few steps, he glanced back nervously to see whether Ren and Aqua were gaining on him.
To be honest, Aldarp had never imagined that Ren would come after him personally.
Based on previous experiences, Maxwell's power should have affected everyone—Ren included.
That meant the "truth" that Aldarp had slain a Demon King general, and that Ren Kuroda was a spy of the Demon King's army, should have been firmly etched into everyone's mind—even Ren's own.
In other words, Ren's memories should also align with that fabricated reality. So why would a mere "traitor" come looking for trouble with a so-called "hero"?
In Ren's altered memories, Aldarp was someone who had defeated a Demon King general. Faced with such a being, shouldn't a traitor be hiding like a rat in the sewers?
And yet, judging from what Ren had said earlier, Aldarp had the unsettling feeling that Ren hadn't been affected by Maxwell's power at all.
But that should've been impossible.
After all, once Maxwell had twisted reality according to Aldarp's script, Aldarp had even gone out of his way to confirm it with the two maids earlier. Their expressions of pure admiration toward the "truth" of him defeating the Demon King's army had seemed utterly genuine.
"Maxwell! Maxwell!" Aldarp roared as he burst through the door to the underground chamber. "You bastard, did you trick me?!Why didn't your power work?! Why did that guy chase me all the way to my mansion?!"
Overwhelmed by rage, Aldarp began cursing the moment he entered, his former fear of demons completely swept away.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… isn't this Aldarp?" Maxwell drawled lazily. "Coming to see me twice in such a short time—how unusual.And now that I sense you more closely… you're giving off quite an intoxicating aroma.Hmm, compared to last time, there's still anger—but there's also a delightful amount of fear mixed in now. Such exquisite nourishment for us.Though… besides all those delicious negative emotions, why do I also sense a trace of something holy on you?"
As usual, Maxwell looked utterly slothful. Only when Aldarp drew close did he lift his head, greedily sniffing the negative emotions pouring off him.
But soon enough, mixed in with those delectable feelings, Maxwell sensed a holy aura—one that filled him with instinctive dread.
"Damn it, you're still asking me what's going on? I'm the one who should be asking you!" Aldarp shouted."Did you deliberately screw me over? You didn't twist everyone's memories like I told you to!That arrogant adventurer has already broken into my mansion, and he's completely unaffected by your power! He's about to kill me!"
Seeing Maxwell's detached attitude, Aldarp's fury flared even hotter. In his mind, this had to be deliberate—after all, Maxwell had never failed before.
"Even simpler than I expected," Ren's voice echoed calmly. "I thought this would take more effort, but it seems I overestimated you.You really led us straight here without the slightest hesitation. Well, that works out nicely. I'm not very confident in my interrogation skills, and with how weak you are, if I hit too hard and you died before answering anything, that'd be a real headache."
Not long after Aldarp entered the underground chamber, two figures followed him inside at an unhurried pace.
The instant Ren and Aqua stepped into the underground space, the laziness vanished from Maxwell's face, replaced by a solemn expression.
There was no other reason—he could tell immediately that neither of the two newcomers was someone to be trifled with.
The female adventurer looked… frankly, not very bright. But the aura she radiated made even Maxwell feel a sense of dread—and an intense, instinctive disgust.
As for the male adventurer, although his raw magical power didn't seem as overwhelming as the woman's, Maxwell's instincts screamed at him that this man was far, far more dangerous.
"It's them! Those two bastards!" Aldarp shrieked. "Maxwell, hurry up and kill them!Didn't you say you're one of the Seven Archdukes of Hell? A demon even stronger than upper-class demons!Taking care of two measly adventurers should be easy for you, right?Don't forget—we have a contract! You're supposed to help me become the most powerful man in this kingdom!"
Seeing Ren and Aqua catch up, Aldarp's fear once again overwhelmed his anger. Desperate, he clung to Maxwell as his last lifeline.
In truth, Maxwell was the only being in the entire mansion with any real combat power left. Aldarp knew his own limits well enough. No matter how unwilling he was, the demon before him was the only thing he could depend on now.
"So there really is a demon here," Aqua said, eyes lighting up. "And a demon archduke, no less.In that case, I, Goddess Aqua, absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing."
The moment Maxwell saw Ren and Aqua, he already knew his odds weren't good. He was just about to say something—
When Aqua's purification spell slammed down on him without warning.
A pillar of white holy light erupted skyward from Maxwell's body, and in an instant, the sacred radiance swept away the thick demonic aura filling the underground chamber.
Normally, the Purification skill was used to remove negative status effects. But against undead and demons, its holy energy was like lethal poison, possessing extraordinary offensive power when used on such beings.
For an ordinary High Priestess, using purification on a demon of one of the Seven Archdukes' caliber would be utterly pointless.
But Aqua was no ordinary High Priestess—she was a bona fide goddess.
And so, Maxwell suffered.
As the white holy light gradually faded, Maxwell reappeared before Ren and Aqua.
Despite taking Aqua's purification head-on, he was still standing—though thick white steam poured off his body, as if he'd just endured an intense sauna.
"He's a demon, but purification didn't work at all?" Aqua gasped."Ren, I'll leave him to you! I'm a High Priestess—I specialize in support, not combat!"
The moment she saw that Maxwell was still standing, Aqua's earlier bravado vanished without a trace. She immediately hid behind Ren, her words leaving him utterly speechless.
But Ren could tell.
Calling that purification "ineffective" was absurd.
Maxwell might look tough on the surface, but Ren could clearly sense it—after taking that single purification spell, Maxwell's aura had weakened significantly.