"Alright, let’s discuss serious matters then,” Eleanor's expression became solemn.

Sera nodded as she took the teapot and poured some tea into two cups with measured precision. She extended one cup towards Eleanor, who accepted it graciously. Meanwhile, Sera moved a plate of night snacks, including honey-glazed nuts and small savory tarts, towards her. As Eleanor enjoyed the tea, Sera lifted her own cup, bringing it to her lips for a delicate sip.

After relishing the flavor of the tea, Eleanor asked in a solemn tone, " Are you serious, when you said that you will allow Tia to come with us?"

“Is that the first thing you could think of?”

"Don't mince your words. You understand the gravity of this, don't you?"

Sera took a sip of her tea, then, with a meaningful gaze, she said, “Yes, I am serious. I made a promise to Liora, didn't I? And you know I always keep my word.”

Eleanor became visibly elated and was about to say something, but Sera interjected, “But remember my words clearly. It happens only if Tia wholeheartedly agrees.”

“Yes, yes, I know. We will only take her if she agrees.” Eleanor seemed extremely excited. But Sera’s next words poured a bucket of cold water on her.

“But I don’t think it is possible.”

“Why?” Eleanor asked with apprehension.

“I can’t confirm it yet since they are still not of age, but I think there is a high possibility that Vina and Tia have a similar condition to me.”

Eleanor’s mouth opened, and she blanked out momentarily, “Are you serious?”

“As I said, I can’t confirm it.” Sera sipped her tea.

Eleanor clutched her head with both hands and screamed, “Aaah! Why is it like that? It's such a waste.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth, “This doesn’t make any sense. You know, after you left, I tried to investigate our ancestry, and a case like yours had never been recorded. This has never happened before. Just what went wrong with you?”

Sera shook her head, suggesting that she has no idea.

“If it is as you say, then our bloodline will be a curse to them as it has been for you.”

Sera remained silent.

“Sister, you should just come with me along with Vina and Tia. You can’t keep this up for long.”

Sera shook her head.

"Sister, you can’t rely on that Lamia’s Embrace haath phool forever. Those old hags will not allow you to keep that for long. You can't find other opportunities to gain credits large enough to possess the item. It is already a big deal that they allowed you to take it away for a few years. How much more time did they allow you to borrow it?"

"Calculating my recent contributions, another 2 years."

"2 years? That is too short. Tia and Vina may not reach adulthood by then," Eleanor said with a worried expression.

“I know. That is why it is imperative for me to accomplish what I had previously instructed in our correspondence.”

Eleanor took a deep breath to compose herself, “Since you ascended to the position of Baroness and commenced dispatching letters under the guise of diplomacy, secretly guiding me on the necessary actions, everything has been proceeding seamlessly. I had Mother convey your request to Count Adrian a few years past. Discreetly, he dispatched an adept to Malachi to impart lessons in the dark arts. Upon completing his tutelage, this agent maintained covert communication with Malachi. Periodically, we fed information through him to influence Malachi’s maneuvers. Additionally, he assists Malachi in cover his trails from the Marquess.

"With this newfound knowledge, he ensnared his brother Ethan in his schemes and began forming his own cult, recruiting underlings and causing it to grow in size day by day.

“As expected from their personalities. They are power-hungry, lack self-control, and have become corrupted by demonic energies. Currently, Malachi and Ethan are slowly losing control. Two years ago, they conducted a ritual to collect human blood essence in our territory. I did not expect them to choose my territory for that. They sacrificed an entire village.

“And those muscle heads didn't even try to hide their tracks and black magic traces. They are becoming reckless. The man sent by Count Adrian came to me, seeking assistance in covering up their mess. He had lured in monsters from the forest, and I sent requests to adventurers to clear the monsters. Thus, disguising the sacrifice of the village as a monster attack.

“According to your instructions, I sent someone to anonymously inform the church about the traces of black magic.

“Currently, they are lying low, but they are apparently preparing some kind of ritual that is passed down through their ancestry. I think they collected the essence for that purpose.”

“If that is the case, then they might soon need another village for their ritual.” Sera pondered.

“Where do you want me to lure them?”

“Raven’s Crest,” Sera said calmly while sipping her tea.

“...”

“Come again?”

“I asked you to lure them to this village.”

“Are you mad? No matter how much of brainless fools they are, you don’t have what it takes to fight their entire group head-on. I don’t know what they are planning, but if they are successful, this village will be the first sacrifice.”

“I know the risks.”

“Then why?”

“Because of Priest Benedict.”

“…who?” Eleanor is confused.

"Priest Benedict, whom you met this morning, was also present at the discussions."

“That old man?”

“Yes.”

“…”

After some contemplation, Eleanor asked, “I never asked you any questions, and it wasn’t appropriate to discuss these details through letters. What do you want to do exactly? Just what is it that you want to achieve?”

Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved. 

Sera placed her cup on the table and looked up at the sky, gazing at the moon while reminiscing, “Eight years ago, I made a deal with those old hags at home, allowing me to temporarily possess the Lamia's Embrace for ten years. To achieve that, I chose to come to Raven's Crest with two objectives: first, to become the Baroness of Ravencrest, and second, to elevate a family member to the position of a count.”

Sera retracted her gaze from the moon and looked at Eleanor. “You clearly know what benefits this had brought to our family.”

Eleanor nodded.

"My initial plan only extended this far. My original intention was for me to use the artifact to achieve these objectives and later, possess the artifact for ten years after the countess's ascension. However, after the countess's ascension, those sly old foxes sent me a message, stating that the ten-year period started right from the time I was given the artifact, not from the time of my achievement."

Eleanor widened her eyes, understanding what Sera meant. She clenched her fist. "Damn those old hags. Why didn't you complain to Mother?"

"Even if it were Mother, she would not be able to convince those ugly bitches if they are serious."

"Tch, so what now?" Eleanor clicked her tongue.

“At that time, I will not have any other choice but to return to the family once the loan period is complete. They informed me that I had to return the bracelet within the period or achieve something similar to earn another decade.”

“Those greedy bitches. That item is of no use to any of them. Can’t they just give it to you? At least they can allow you to have it for a few more years.”

“Nah, they know I need the artifact, so they hold the upper hand in the negotiations. They just don’t want to let go of me and my kids, who are of direct lineage.”

“I was originally infuriated and even made plans to burn them at the stake. But after pondering on what I can do, I suddenly remembered about Priest Benedict. So, I came up with a new idea. I sent a letter detailing a new plan.”

“And what is it?”

“It is to make Count Adrian the new Marquess, replacing the current one.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened as she became enlightened. “You want to repeat your achievement from 5 years ago.”

Sera smiled. “Yes. Even though he is not from our bloodline, he is a decent person, has good influence, and is also strong. If we were to try and get the position of the Marquess, we might not be able to hold on to it for long. It might even backfire at us. But this way, Count Adrian, who has remained an old noble for a long time with a good reputation, will have a high success rate at becoming Marquess. He will owe us big time and will become our backer as a Marquess. Previously, I achieved it by using the empire’s army. This time, I want to use the church.”

“But sister, it is too risky,” Eleanor said worriedly.

“I know. But I don’t have any other option for now. I need the artifact.”

Eleanor took a deep breath to calm down, “What bad luck. I understand what you want to do. So, tell me how you want to do it?”

“It's simple. Send information to Malachi and his brother, stating that there is a chance to obtain nobility by marrying Sera Ravencrest. Recently, some of the nobles and wealthy merchants started to court the Baroness of Ravencrest, who had lost her husband, and anyone who marries her will obtain the title of the Baron.

“Since they are power-hungry, they should find it very appealing to get their hands on noble peerage, especially as they are not the direct successors of the Marquess. They will also need a place to hide and conduct their shady rituals. So, a backward area like this will be a good find. I think they will take the bait.”

“But, how will you deal with them? Even with Lamia’s Embrace, you won’t be able to take all of them in that group on your own. You can’t expect to fight them using the normal village guards.”

“That’s where Priest Benedict will step in.”

“Is he powerful?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“When I first came to the village, I had explored the entire village to familiarize myself with it. That’s when I met Priest Benedict.

“I was surprised. He might seem like an ordinary old man initially, and most of the villagers don’t suspect anything. But he gave off an oppressive feeling. To confirm this, I requested him to teach me reading and writing. In my observations, he seemed rough and not like a noble, the way he carries himself, the feeling he gives off, it is that of a man who went through battles. He definitely had the aura of a warrior. He had concealed it well. So, I asked Mother to inquire about him. Turns out, he is quite a powerful and influential individual. I don’t know why he is in this kind of place. But I thought I could use this to my advantage.

“The demon kin and demonic cults are the church’s adversaries. The Marquess and his family are inheritors of the demon race bloodline. If this is discovered by the church, they will exert every effort to eradicate their entire lineage.”

“Then why don’t we just inform them of this anonymously?”

“It will not suffice. Do you believe the church refrained from conducting covert investigations on the Marquess during all the years he reigned as a noble? They will require concrete evidence.

“That's why I arranged for someone to teach black magic to those mindless individuals. Now all we need to do is to ensure that Malachi meets Priest Benedict. The seasoned priest will undoubtedly sense that something is amiss as Malachi is gradually losing control. Then, after apprehending and interrogating them, it can be easily discerned that they are blood relatives of the Marquess. Thus, it will provide the church with enough time and advantage to take action against the Marquess.

“We must ensure that Malachi and Ethan's actions remain concealed from the Marquess until the church takes action. If he detects anything amiss with them, he will likely eliminate them immediately and become vigilant. We must avoid any direct links that could implicate our involvement; otherwise, it will be our family facing eradication. Therefore, everything must transpire as if by coincidence. As long as the church discovers the Marquess, regardless of the outcome—even if they manage to escape—his family will lose their noble status, and their seat will be vacant. If all goes according to plan, we might even be able to rid ourselves of him.

“At that point, it will present an opportunity for Count Adrian. He is already laying the foundations to position himself as the temporary overseer of the territory.

“Given his accomplishments, it is highly probable that he will be appointed as the next Marquess.”

Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved. 

“But sister, will that old man alone be sufficient?”

“I don’t know. I can only gamble with what I have. That is why I had asked you to inform the church anonymously about the black magic traces in the village. This way, the church might send someone to investigate, leading them to those brothers and then to the Marquess. This will be our backup plan. But it will take a long time and has high risk as Malachi’s and Ethan's loss of control can be discovered by the Marquess, disrupting our plans.”

“Also, if anyone inquiries about my hometown, arrange for someone to say that the destroyed village was my hometown and everyone in my family were dead. This should close all the plot holes in my background story.”

“Okay, I will take care of it.”

“Instruct everyone to stay on alert and be careful of their activities. The church need not send priests; they might send someone disguised as servants or merchants or as anyone.”

“Oi, oi, if that is the case, they might already be onto us,” Eleanor panicked.

“That is why I said you need to be more cautious.” Sera pointed out.

“Haaa, I guess there will not be any night parties for some time,” Eleanor said depressed.

Sera chuckled, “You don’t need to cancel them. You just need to conduct them in a secret area, where only our trusted people are allowed.”

“I see, that’s a good idea. I will inform Mother and the other sisters.”

Sera nodded.

“But sister, this kind of major incident may not happen again. No matter how greedy those old bags are, they will also not allow you to take this kind of risk with the church again. This might be the last time you could achieve something of this magnitude.”

“Despite all the risks you take, other than another decade of time, you may not gain anything else. It will still not solve your problem.”

“Time.

“Time for Vina and Tia to grow up. Time to allow them to choose their path in life. Time to search for a solution to our condition. Right now, time is what I need the most.”

---

Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved. 

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