When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 944: Chapter 310: It’s More Like a Gift

However…

Aleister was gently stroking the restless little crow while squinting his eyes, lost in his thoughts.

If it was true that Anna Kingsford was behind Alfonso’s schemes, and he was killed by the Night Fiend’s power… could it also imply that Lady Kingsford has some sort of connection with the Night Fiend?

“I am terribly sorry, my dear boss…”

At that moment, an overlapping chorus of voices suddenly resonated. It was as if four or five people with similar voices were speaking the same sentence with slightly different rhythms.

The voice emerged from the shattered mirrors in the midst of explosions. Though the ceiling and floor had already disintegrated into voids, the mirror that Aiwass and the Night Fiend used for protection was only shattered by the blast wave, turning into a heap of broken pieces.

Now, within these tattered fragments, multiple images of the Mirror Demon were reflected simultaneously.

Since each remaining piece of broken mirror was too small to contain its existence, the Mirror Demon divided himself into several parts in order to provide a quick reassurance, creating a voice that sounded like several recordings pieced together.

“That was an onslaught from the Night Fiend. For a poor little demon like me, it seemed far too fierce…”

“—Alright, stop talking.”

Before the Mirror Demon could say something irreversible, Aleister quickly interrupted it.

The Mirror Demon, however, showed no displeasure.

Instead, it began a second wave of flattery, incredibly smoothly: “It’s just like you, truly understanding the nature of us demons. This way I can rest assured—you at least won’t encounter danger due to other demons’ slander.”

…Truly professional.

After being interrupted by Aleister, it immediately declared that if it had done something wrong, it was the instinct of its race and not its own fault; it also expressed its resolution to stand firmly with Aleister no matter what; followed by a subtle indication saying “other demons aren’t as good as me”… This could be considered a kind-hearted concern for Aleister’s safety or a covert jab at the Night Fiend—after all, she belongs to “other demons.”

Aleister hissed, finding it hard to maintain his composure.

—Damn Count Dorn, what have you turned your demons into?

How could these demons be tainted with worldly impurities… Well, that sounds weird…

…But it doesn’t seem too strange either.

The Phantom Demons of the Dream Realm are ultimately molded from the souls of the Material Realm. According to the customs of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, he usually brands only those individuals adaptable to the Path of Transcendence with the Mark of Sin—these souls don’t take the usual route into the The River of the Dream Realm, but are directly transformed into demons.

This action is like intercepting supplies on the roadside, stopping the supply vehicles that are on their way to the destination, and taking the supplies for oneself.

And many demons were actually humans transformed during the Imperial Era of the Helasal Empire. That is, they are the “ancients” from 500 or even 1000 years ago.

—Ancients weren’t as bad as modern people!

As human society and civilization progressed, the human Heart of Transcendence grew stronger, and the Path of Decline continuously advanced. The Transcenders selected by the Fallen Celestial Marshal five or six hundred years ago may now seem like well-behaved children to Him…

It seemed the Mirror Demon, which had newly signed a temporary contract with Aleister due to his other role as the “Eternal Pope,” was becoming extremely enthusiastic. Originally it was thinking of fleeing for a vacation, but now it seemed less anxious.

Seeing that Aleister did not pick up the conversation, the Mirror Demon smoothly changed the topic without feeling the slightest embarrassment: “Who do you think is the real culprit behind this incident?”

Seeing that the Mirror Demon for once spoke seriously—mostly because it wouldn’t upset the little crow—Aleister also turned solemn, and swiftly shifted the conversation: “If you ask me, it was Lady Kingsford who made the move.”

“But this is the ‘Kiss of Betrayal’.”

Mirror Demon openly stated the name of this move: “As I know, Lady Kingsford is a witch. Although she belongs to the Path of Love, this should not be her doing.”

“That might not necessarily be the case.”

Aleister said meaningfully: “After all, it is the Path of Love… I would not be surprised by whatever they do.”

That is, after all, the power of the “Creation” Source River.

Although both the Beast’s Path and the Path of Love have somewhat deviated, this does not shake the fact that today, the Path of Love is the most capable of active operations.

Compared to the Mirror Demon, Vinesse understood Aleister’s implications: “Does the master mean that Lady Kingsford wants to do something else?”

“I ask you,” Aleister did not answer but instead counter-asked, “If this was done by Kingsford, then what do you think—what kind of behavior is this?”

“I think, this is an assassination of Alfonso von Pilotti.”

The Mirror Demon answered without hesitation, clearly having thought about this answer for quite a while: “Because the ritual he performed was taught to him by Lady Kingsford, and it can even be said that the ritual itself is closely related to Lady Kingsford’s interests. To destroy the evidence, Lady Kingsford rushed to silence Mr. Pilotti right after getting the information…

“—But I think, this is just a wrong answer, a vulgar deduction that I formed based on incorrect information. I believe the boss might have a different view on this, and I am eager to hear your wise reflections.”

Its tone shifted, smoothly presenting a completely opposite statement.

It was like Mouri Kogoro, who was just pricked by Conan, denying his previously quite reasonable inference.

“It’s simple. Because whether it was the Night Fiend or Anna who made a move, both came from the Path of Love—and the Curse is also a skill mastered by the Path of Love.

“The question now is—can people from the Path of Love be this normal? Or, would she really care about the so-called ‘truth’ and ‘silencing’?”

Although Aleister’s words sounded a bit argumentative, upon reflection, she was right.

—Since Aleister could directly bypass many interfering factors and focus on Alfonso, who definitely did not have the strength to perform this ritual, it meant that he had sufficient evidence. Since Aleister already knew that Anna was the manipulator behind Alfonso, then Anna making this kind of blatant assassination and silencing behavior…

…Doesn’t it seem a bit unnecessary?

“Rather than silencing, it might be said that this act she staged further solidified the impression that ‘she was the mastermind behind the scenes.’ But if it were to say this was a framing, that also seems meaningless—unless you tell me, the news about this matter being related to Lady Kingsford is false.”

“—Impossible, boss!”

The Mirror Demon yelled without hesitation: “I would never engage in such actions of lies and deception!”

“I believe you.”

Aleister answered unequivocally: “So there’s only one other possibility left.

“The opposing party—let’s temporarily call them ‘the opposing party’—her actions were completed under the condition that I was protected by the Night Fiend.

“Look, although the explosion was powerful, it did not cause significant physical damage. After the billowing black smoke dispersed, the broken walls could still barely maintain an outline; and the ground-shaking explosion did not even completely shatter a mirror blocked by me…

“As I was completely shielded from the explosion’s power by the Night Fiend, not even a single hair was out of place. If this was an assassination attempt on me, doesn’t it seem a bit too dismissive? After all, I am still the one who could silently kill Count Dorn.”

“So, you mean…”

The Mirror Demon spoke softly and slowly: “This might just be a test?”

“I’d rather call it a ‘gift’.”

Aleister narrowed his eyes, his crimson pupils glowing like lamps in the vast grey smoke: “Just like the firecrackers pulled when a friend enters the door, or the salute fired when an honored guest arrives.”

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