I told her everything, from how the demoness separated us from the rest of the group without us realizing, to how she tricked me with her illusions, resulting in me killing her before I was killed myself.

No lies, no omissions. Just the plain hard truth.

I then told her about the hooded elf, who somehow managed restore us back from the brink of death.

"And that's how you and I are still alive. All thanks to her, no thanks to me."

I smiled grimly, followed by a sigh.

"I messed up. Badly. When I saw your lifeless, headless body... I would've killed myself if she hadn't done it first. I don't think I can live after that big of a blunder."

Even though I only survived after that moment for a short time, I would never forget that feeling for the rest of my life.

Despair, homelessness, the tightness in my chest, the realization that I had done something terribly wrong..

It was just like when Alan and Renee died to protect me. Only ten times worse. For I did the deed myself.

The wand I held… was the weapon that killed her. The magic that bludgeoned her head into chunks of flesh… it was my spell.

There was no coming back from that.

…

Oh great. I can feel it—my eyes watering again. Quickly, I wiped it with my sleeve.

"I won't ask for forgiveness. I could only imagine the pain and dread you felt when you saw me aiming my wand at you. Your life, flashing before your eyes, done away by the man you love. Even if it's because of an illusion, there's no excuse. I could've accepted her demand. Instead, I had to satisfy my ego and fight her instead."

I averted my gaze away from her, looking down at my feet instead.

"I told you before, all those months ago, that you're always free to leave me whenever you want. I won't lie, I really enjoy your company these past months. It hasn't even been a full year yet it's like you've been by my side all this time. And not just because I'm a pervert and you're a hot chick who lets me grope your breasts." I forced a chuckle. "With you by my side, my loneliness disappears into the wind."

I walked closer to her and placed my hands on top of hers, forcing a smile in the process.

"I'll give you half of our money. You should go to the south and—"

She threw her staff away and jumped right at me, hugging me as tightly as she could.

"Stop! Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!

To my surprise, she was the one to break down in tears first.

"I'm so happy that you're safe, Milord! A Demon Lord… not even you can handle such an opponent! So please! Don't be so harsh on yourself!"

As usual, she pressed her breasts onto my face in the process. But, instead of having my usual lewd thoughts, I only felt warmth. Warmth and comfort.

"I don't care if I die as long as you survive! I owe you my life, ever since you saved me that day! I'll be with you until the end!"

I looked up and saw her smiling through her tears.

Tears of happiness. Just like when I saw her being saved.

…

I really am a bad judge of character.

Of course Felicia will refuse to leave.

Just like how Marina was not even mad with me for my failure to bring my parents back.

I've been projecting my own ugly insecurities onto them.

No wonder there's a saying that you can't love someone else before loving yourself.

"You idiot." I grinned. "That's my line. As your future husband, I've promised to protect you, even if it costs my own life."

She let out a small giggle, sniffling in the process. She then slowly leaned closer to me, our lips closing together...

"Are you two finished?"

…

I glanced at the elf and saw that now she had an impatient frown on her face.

Well, thanks for ruining the moment.

"I'll use the Observatorium's ability of teleportation to bring your friend to you. In exchange, I want you to immediately resume your exploration."

"Wait, you can do that?"

"It is within the capability of the Cradle. For now, it shall be the safest place for you to be at."

I let out a sigh of relief. Oh thank God I don't actually have to fight her again.

...Yeah, a month or two should be enough to make her leave. I have a feeling she's the type to easily get bored with things. Maybe she agreed to kill me because I'm now well-known as the strongest adventurer in Arborea.

Aahh, I want Myrilla to notice me but I get a Demon Lord instead. Really, what is up with my luck?

"How about Theo and Tama, Milord?" Felicia spoke. "We should contact them as well."

"You're right, we should. They can come into the dungeon as well."

"Hey, Miss Administrator." I smiled at the elf. "Can you teleport them in as well?"

Sighing, she replied, "Might as well."

"And one more thing."

I walked up and held her hands, giving her the largest grin I could muster.

"Thank you, Miss Xaela, for everything. I still don't know what you want with me, but I promise, I'll reach the 600th floor like you want me too. It's the least I can do to repay you."

"You… remember my name?"

"Of course. It's the least I can do for my savior." Even though she mentioned it only once on our first meeting a month ago, somehow it just stuck in my mind, even though I often referred to her as the Administrator instead.

...Oh? What's this? Her cheeks are reddening.

"I-it's only my duty to aid you, Unchained One." She averted her gaze.

Heh, that trope really is true. No matter how old a lady elf is, she'll remain as cute as she was in her youth.

Even if her chest is as flat as a washboard.

--------

We made it back to the Observatorium without incident. The Demon Lord must have thought we were really dead, which worked greatly to our advantage. And even if she realized it now, it would already be too late since we were now safe inside its walls.

Xaela instructed us to enter the teleporter immediately before disappearing, promising that she'd bring Tira and the others once we were inside.

Well, let's just hope she isn't lying.

...Nah. That girl just isn't the type to lie.

I was quickly proven right. The moment we re-entered the fourth stratum, there they were—Theo, Tama, and Tira—all bewildered and confused by their teleportation.

"Master Hugo! You're here!"

Theo, being Theo, promptly rushed to me and gave me a big hug while all teary eyed.

"Y-you just disappeared! I… we were looking all over for you and Miss Felicia! And then Mother disappeared too! A-and then, all of a sudden, we're here!"

"Yeah, it's a long story." I patted his head. "Where do I even start? But before that." I pushed him gently off me. "Tira, are you alright? Did she harm you in any way?"

"N-no, she didn't." She stuttered, looking away. "She just knocked me unconscious. When I came to, I was back at the mansion, with Mr. Bartholomeous right in front of me. And he…"

She didn't need to say anything. I saw it—the large slap mark on her cheeks.

"There was another man there as well—a scary-looking one. He told me I was a murderous thief and my punishment was to be a slave. And then, just before he could give me the brand, I was brought here."

I sighed in relief, thanking Xaela for her assist once more. Really, she was the hero in this mess. I was powerless to do anything.

"They found out, didn't he? On how we murdered the phony alchemist?"

"Yes." She nodded. "He thought I was the mastermind and you two did the act because of me."

"Hmph, that's not it. That's not why they wanted you." Felicia spoke. "That master of yours wanted your body. It's as simple as that. Do you know what that brand does?" She shook her head. "That brand robs you out of your free will. It's a dark magic forbidden in the Holy Continent."

"Wait, there's a spell like that?" I asked.

"Yes, unfortunately." Felicia smiled wryly. "To be precise, it's runic enchantment augmented by dark mana. Demons created the branding rod used to brand the slaves then they would sell them to humans. If I am not mistaken, it's the specialization of the Nerthusia Race."

Nerthusia? Have I heard that word before?

…

Wait! That's Myrilla's race! She's a Nerthusia!

Felicia didn't know about it since I neglected to mention it to her. She only knew she's a demoness, not a mind-reading slave-branding villain.

Well, I don't believe she's part of any of that. Other Nerthusians might be doing it—doesn't mean she does as well. Father won't stand a woman who actively takes other people's free will like that.

Should I tell her now?

No, I'll tell her later. For now, we should just focus on the dungeon.

"Mother! I'm so happy you're safe!"

It was Tira's turn to be hugged by Theo next.

I let them talk it out for a bit—give the pair a moment of their own.

And, once they were finished, it was time for us to go.

Onward! To the fifth stratum!

---------

----------

Marina

"Marina? Marina? Ooi, Earth to Marina?"

"...Hmm?"

"Geez, Marina. It's not like you to space out like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that… I have this sudden terrible feeling in my chest."

Snapping out of my reverie, I realized that Sophie had been calling my name for a good while. How embarrassing.

We were now in the middle of our inspection. We wished to see how much our crops had grown since I gave the seeds to the farmers a while back. And so, we were now surrounded by fields and fields of farmlands. However, instead of the usual wheat, it was instead filled with medicinal herbs—bushes and bushes of it.

My seed was growing terrifically well.

"Terrible feeling? You mean, like something is amiss?"

"Yes, something like that."

"Hmm, don't tell me—you forgot to wear panties?"

"W-what?! Where did that come from?"

"Joking! It's a joke! You're too uptight for your own good, Marina!"

As I saw the hobbit giggling and smiling, I couldn't help but feel a spark of annoyance inside me. She doesn't know how it feels, worrying about your little brother who's now on the side of the world.

That terrible feeling… What if it's a premonition? What if something terrible has happened to him? With me here, I can't do anything to help him.

I've asked her to provide me with another Dream Orb but she refused my request. She said it was an ultra rare item that even she can't get easily. Her getting her hands on it was nothing short of a miracle.

Oh Hugo, you'll be alright, won't you?

"Miss Marina! Miss Marina!"

My thoughts were interrupted by an old mustached man running towards me. Before I could say anything, he grabbed my left hand and shook it vigorously.

"Oh, Miss Marina! You were right! Your seeds really do work! Look at all these crops! I've never seen a yield as big as this! And you say your little friend there will buy them for one silver per bush? I'll be rich overnight!"

I remembered him. He was one of the naysayers who doubted me when I proposed my plan to the Farmers' Guild.

"I'm glad to hear that." I smiled. "As long as you grow them the way I instructed you to, then there should be no problem."

"Truly you are a blessing to our town, Miss! Aahh, what a fool I was to ever doubt you!"

His reaction was not the only one. Other farmers would thank me as well. Seeing their smiles… giving all those hours creating the seeds truly was worth it.

And this way, Grandfather can have more funds for his budget. This region can be developed further.

I suppose I could switch full-time in developing my Grandmaster-level spell.

--------

After giving my report to Grandfather, I departed the city.

I felt bad leaving Erika on her own yet again but I had no choice. I had to develop my spell away from the city, or else I might risk destroying it in the first place.

I had studied Cecilia's book on leylines and I believed I could combine the knowledge I gained from it to create a Yggdrasil spell that could borrow power from the leylines itself.

Cecilia was right. That book really was valuable.

However, my Yggdrasil's roots had yet to be able to reach that far deep into the earth. The issue was on the spell itself fundamentally. It was not designed to be used this way. It was supposed to just be a support/defensive spell. If I forced it to stretch its roots, it would only die.

Of course the Magocracy will hide the strong spells they have from the public. All the spells I was taught—there were intentional limitations baked into them, preventing us students from developing them beyond a certain limit. This I only learned from Cecilia. For some odd reason, that woman seems to know a lot about the inner workings of the Magocracy.

To become stronger, I must break free from that limit.

Once I can tap into that well of strength, I can create an unstoppable monstrosity worthy to be called a Grandmaster-level spell. Its branches could wipe a city clean with a single swipe and its wood would be harder than mithril. Even with a thousand fire spells, it shall never be defeated as it will also have an endless regeneration capability.

I do not know how strong Cecilia and the Griffin Knights are. But with this spell, I should be able to fend them off if they ever turn on me.

Selendia Brine once destroyed a country with a single Grandmaster-level spell. I should be able to the same.

I was now standing inside a pine forest, not too far away from the city.

It was the perfect place to train my magic.

"Grrrr…. Grrrr…"

Wolves… I am now surrounded by them.

I sighed. I have to clean up first, it seems.

-----------

A month had passed since then. Summer had come in full force and the harvest of my crops had been going swimmingly.

Sophie had gone back to the south to deliver the goods along with her two entourages. I never really got a chance to talk for long with the two lizardmen but I knew they were originally slaves Sophie purchased. And now, she employed them like proper employees, paying them a salary every month. They were no longer slaves. They were her assistants. So I had no problem with them.

However, this news I was hearing from Grandfather—I did have a problem with it.

"Absolutely not. Tell them to turn back and take another route."

"Please, my dear, you must understand. We can't just do that without incurring the wrath of the Duke Treble."

"So what? This is our territory, is it not? We have the right to decide who gets to pass or not."

"Yes, that's true, but what will you do if the Duke responds by banning all of our exports to his territory? That's within his authority. And to be honest, we need the trade more than he does."

Our argument started by the news that an entire caravan of slaves would cross our territory from the north. I was asked by Grandfather to escort them to the south until they reached the territory of the Duke. It was his business. As the biggest slave trading region in the kingdom, he would import slaves from all over.

Of course, I could not let that pass. Not when I still remembered that day, when Erika was almost turned into a slave because of my negligence.

"...No, it doesn't matter. We can trade with Amereria instead."

"But you have to pass through the Duke's territory to transport the goods there!"

"Not if you take the eastern route."

"Eastern route? You mean through the Algernon Jungle? Have you forgotten how dangerous that place is? No sane merchants would take that route with all the monsters infesting it."

He was right. Ever since that kingdom mysteriously destroyed itself overnight around five hundred years ago, it had been a no man's land. There were no clear records on the how and why. Some say it was destroyed by a foreign mage. Another story says it's a magic experiment gone wrong.

In short, magic is to the blame.

I wouldn't blame their prejudice. Magic truly is capable of such a thing after all.

"What if I carve a path through the jungle? It can be the start for you claiming the region for your own, Grandfather. The land there is much more fertile than here."

"No no no, I'm too old for such an ambitious project. Not to mention the capital won't like it if I make such a sudden move. Do you know just how many whispers there are about me supposedly planning a rebellion with you? Too many to count."

He took a deep sigh. "I appreciate you taking the initiative to improve this territory, Marina. Your project with the hobbit has been a great success and we shall have no problem repaying the debt we owed to the other noble houses. However, in this matter, I would like you to do as I asked of you. Nothing more. Nothing less."

I fell silent. We exchanged stares for what seemed like an eternity, until I spoke.

"No. I am going to rescue those slaves. Whether you like it or not, Grandfather.

"If they try anything, I'll make mincemeat out of their soldiers. After all, I am the Verdant Witch of Death, am I not?"

I gave him a wry smile before leaving the room, ignoring his yelling for me to stay.

Don't worry, Grandfather. Your granddaughter is only getting stronger and stronger every day.

My Perfect Yggdrasil is nearing its final stage. Once it's finished…

I'll be as strong as Vera herself.

-----------

In the end, Marina did as she said she would.

She came to the caravan and spoke with the merchants there. There were two of them, one lanky and the other pudgy—both middle-aged men. They were brothers and they had started their business ever since they were in their youth. They climbed their way up the ladder of wealth with their tricks. After striking it big by selling fake jewelry to unsuspecting wealthy ladies, they moved to a more legitimate business of selling slaves. And now, here they were, one of the most prominent slave traders in the Northern Duchies, with reach going all the way to the Holy Land across the sea.

They received Marina courteously, having been informed by their business partner that the local lord would send an elite mage to guard their cargo. However, their smiles soon disappeared once they heard her demand.

"Leave this land. And leave the slaves behind."

Marina might have been content to let them go if Duke Treble had not taunted her by "asking" her Grandfather to make her guard this caravan. In his letter, he actually opened by apologizing how he had misjudged her and how he now had learned the truth. He gave his empty sympathies on Erika's kidnapping while not-so-subtly saying how it was Marina's fault and how he hoped she would not repeat the same "youth-infused rampage", as he put in, again.

And, right after that, he requested her to guard the caravan while reminding his grandfather that he had yet to send him the fertilizers Grandfather had requested. Unfortunately, due to the barrenness of the land, they were necessary for the long term continuation of Marina's agricultural plan. Marina couldn't feed the land with her  mana forever after all.

He cited the excuse of bandits and monsters. But she knew those merchants would have their own mercenaries to handle those.

It was all a ploy for him to mock her and her grandfather—to make them know their place in the totem pole.

Marina knew if she were to do this, she would ruin her own plans. And she would drag the entire region with her.

But, she couldn't just stand by. Not when she saw the faces of those slaves, caged like animals in a circus.

She felt sick to her stomach. All she could think was Erika being with them, all thin and ragged and afraid.

And so, when the brothers refused, thinking it was just an unfunny joke from her, she killed them in an instant.

What happened next was a massacre.

The mercenaries stood no chance against her. Marina summoned her three summons, ordering them to kill every single one of them. There were mages with them but it didn't matter. Marina was too swift—too powerful for them to handle.

She let one person live though. One man who begged for his life.

She didn't care to hide her deed. For she was the Verdant Witch of Death, one who held the forest in her fingertips.

As for the slaves, she told them she could go wherever they wanted. But, if they had no place to go, they could stay here in her land. They would be given their own farmlands to tilt and sow and their status would be just like the other citizens of the Earldom.

The news didn't take long to spread. Whispers of the brutality of the Verdant Witch covered the land, reaching the ears of every drunk that frequented any tavern inside the kingdom. It reached the ears of the capital as well. The king thought it was an amusing incident (“Finally! Something interesting is going on!”) while Cecilia could only let out a sigh, shaking her hand at the stupidity of her right hand woman. “She did exactly what I told her not to do.” She mumbled under her breath.

When it reached the ears of Duke Treble, however, he almost jumped with joy, as he just earned the perfect bullet to take down the Earl once and for all. He hurriedly made a trip to the capital, ready with a speech to the king to make him bring her and her grandfather for questioning.

For the Duke’s daughter, however…

It was another story entirely.

-----------------

A/N:

Feels weird to have a Marina chapter combined with a Hugo one, but eh.

As for my Patreon chapter, I finally get to write about Renee's past.