A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 70

This number of soldiers far exceeds that of normal times. Located on the ring mountain, the Grand Duchy, which was originally the defensive line of the Lorian Empire and a buffer zone around the capital Partington, has now become a sharp "dagger" that has to be disposed of, treasonous with the enemy and piercing the heart of the empire.

At the Grand Duke's residence and at various intersections along the streets, separating the residences of the citizens, were barricades made of barbed wire, thorns, and roadblocks, behind which stood fully armed soldiers.

The death of the Finance Minister raised the level of martial law here to the highest level.

"Miss Gin..."

Alessia felt a pang of conscience. While Grand Duke Osvid, who had colluded with the demons, was certainly guilty, she was unwilling to let the Osvid family's legacy be destroyed by her.

"Alessia, if you were to persuade your father, would Grand Duke Osvid abandon his alliance with the demons?"

"I can't guarantee that."

"My stance is on the side of the Empire. In terms of politics, besides His Majesty the Emperor, the only person willing to stand on the side of the country and its people is Lord Bridges of the Dreiser family."

Fortunately, the Minister of Military Affairs was upright, and the Dreiser family was dedicated to protecting the Lorian Empire; otherwise, the empire would have long since collapsed and disintegrated.

"I can't deny it."

Even Alessia, who frequents brothels, is aware of the current political situation.

"I promise I will try my best not to harm Archduke Osvid, but simply capture him and put him in prison."

"But what about legal judgment..."

“I assure you, the Grand Duchy will not be destroyed, but reborn. As long as you become the new Grand Duke and stand on the side of Ernest XV, I, Grand Duke Auschwitz, will advise His Majesty the Emperor.”

"If I can save my life..."

Alessia finally nodded.

So, the two slender figures walked towards the heavily guarded area.

"who!"

The overlapping weapons naturally blocked their path.

"it's me."

Alessia lowered her hood, and her long silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Today, she wasn't wearing a ponytail, and her pale gold eyes were calm and serene.

"Your Majesty the Little Duke!"

The soldier's expression immediately turned respectful. He saluted and, with a hint of obsequiousness, let them pass.

It is a well-known fact that Archduke Auschwitz only had Alessia as his heir.

"You...you suddenly returned? I'll go inform His Majesty the Duke."

"Please tell my father."

Alessia did not refuse. Although it was her own home, she still followed the usual procedures.

"Also, I brought a friend home."

……

That evening, Santa Karina was warmly received as a friend of Alessia.

This was the first time Alessia had brought friends home, and given Archduke Auschwitz's doting affection for Alessia, hosting such a small, family-style dinner was perfectly normal.

Saint Karina, seated on the throne, though it's unclear how Grand Duke Osvid viewed her, looked at her with the same gaze one would give a daughter to her future wife.

It might seem strange, but is the relationship between a father and daughter in a noble family really that harmonious? Saint Karina didn't even reveal her identity as a saint, but instead disguised herself as a commoner, yet she wasn't harassed by Grand Duke Osvid?

“Miss Gin, you can order whatever you like. My father doesn’t mind.”

"Thank you."

Symbolically, Saint Karina responded.

The atmosphere at dinner was still unsettling. St. Karina felt extremely uncomfortable eating while being watched like that. Dining alone or with people she got along well with was alright, but being stared at by the Grand Duke's eyes felt like being stared at by some kind of cold, sticky gaze.

The Grand Duke was a shrewd man, privately known as the "benevolent viper." The "benevolence" referred to his appearance, demeanor, and behavior. Grand Duke Auschwitz had a very approachable face, like a kind uncle you could find anywhere on the street.

People often judge others by their appearance, making mistakes because someone looks kind. Grand Duke Osvid had an innate ability to make people go astray; if Saint Karina hadn't been a discerning person, she would have been deceived by that seemingly kind face.

From the moment she entered the hall, Santa Karina had the illusion that she was being watched from behind.

The other person was clearly sitting right across from her, and they could make eye contact at any moment, yet the feeling still lingered. Whenever she used her magic to sense whether there were supernatural forces or creatures lurking behind her, the feeling of being watched would temporarily disappear.

As far as she knew, Grand Duke Osvid did not possess the aptitude for magic, and therefore could not use it. Moreover, the aura floating in the air was not human, but that of a demon.

This outrageously luxurious mansion is hiding a monster...

Not only are there demonic creatures, but there are many of them, and their auras are very mixed. Clerics with low magical cultivation can sense the auras of the demonic creatures, but they cannot distinguish their number or strength. The higher one's cultivation level and the stronger one's intuition, the more quickly one can judge the scale of the enemy.

In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, Saint Karina sensed hundreds of different auras.

Does Alessia know what her father is doing? Or does she know but is just pretending not to?

Saint Karina never readily places her trust in anyone, not even her bedmate. If it weren't for the Holy Sword Contract, proving Alessia hadn't deceived her, she would never have dared to let her guard down.

She hadn't originally intended to stay for the meal, but now she was intrigued by the mansion and wanted to find out what the Grand Duke was up to. Her intelligence indicated that this seemingly amiable man had been plotting against her since Ernest XIV's reign, frequently engaging in clandestine activities.

After the old emperor passed away, his actions became increasingly obvious, with frequent instances of arms trading within his territory.

Engaging in private arms deals violates imperial law, and serious offenders are subject to the death penalty and confiscation of property. The amount of arms that Grand Duke Osvid has bought and sold is enough to wipe out his entire family several generations in one lifetime, but he shows no sign of stopping.

Buying and selling arms is not for the sake of fighting for the country; it is forming cliques for personal gain.

Saint Karina was distracted while waiting for her meal. The Grand Duke seemed to be chatting with his daughter about everyday matters, but his eyes kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

The two avoided eye contact, for a moment that would ignite a fierce, almost hostile, exchange. They were still in a phase of testing each other, neither daring to make a rash move lest they alert the other.

A few minutes later, several servants pushed a food cart full of food into the hall, temporarily easing the strange atmosphere.

132. Fighting

"Please eat, Miss Gin."

Grand Duke Osvid remained as affable as ever, gesturing to Saint Karina at the table laden with a dazzling array of dishes.

The dishes were all delicious, but Santa Karina didn't touch her chopsticks or her knife and fork.

“Grand Duke Osvid, there’s no need for us to keep up the pretense. You’ve seen me before, haven’t you? Besides, white hair isn’t common in the Lorian Empire, so you should have already confirmed my identity.”

"I never expected we would meet in this way, Your Excellency."

Even after being exposed, Archduke Osvid did not seem angry.

"What a pity, this family dinner was specially prepared for you."

"Sorry, I have no intention of eating my last meal before I'm executed."

Saint Karina scoffed, showing absolutely no interest in any of the food on the table.

She wasn't so arrogant as to venture deep into enemy territory and eat what the enemy had prepared; who knew if the enemy had poisoned the food?

"Why did my daughter bring you here, Your Excellency the Holy Maiden?"

“If you, Archduke Osvid, could capture me, perhaps you would know the reason…”

Saint Karina is playing a silent game.

"If you can't catch me, then it'll be my turn to arrest you."

“Your Excellency, I admit you were indeed very strong before, but your aura is far weaker now. I have been observing you ever since you stepped into the mansion. Your aura is not even one-tenth of what it was when you repelled the demons. Are you that confident?”

"Whether you have confidence or not, you can try it."

"Give it a try."

Black, ominous demonic energy began to surge into Grand Duke Osvid's body, and he quickly transformed from a handsome, silver-haired man into a man with the face of a demon king.

This is not simply demonic energy, but rather the purest demonic energy he directly extracted from the demons he kept in his mansion, which would instantly transform humans beyond recognition.

"Alessia, step back behind me. The rest of the battle is none of your business."

"Yes, I understand."

Alessia did not hesitate. Although she was also shocked by her father's appearance, as it was the first time she had seen him like this, surprisingly, after calming down, she did not find it strange.

Since Saint Karina had told her that her father was colluding with the demons, and considering the strange stares she had felt since childhood, and how she deliberately pretended to be a playboy and went to brothels to escape those "eyes," she was not surprised that her father had become like this.

His entire body was enveloped in black demonic armor, with black demonic energy crawling under his blood vessels like insects. His blue veins bulged, still a terrifying black, and his face was abnormally distorted, making him look like a monster.

Soon, Grand Duke Osvid's body began to swell, and then black tentacles stretched out in all directions, advancing with inhuman force and unstoppable momentum.

"Your Holiness... Hehehe, do you still think you can subject me to imprisonment?"

He laughed like a villain, his cheerful tone smug and extremely unpleasant to hear.

"You're welcome to come at me."

Saint Karina directly provoked him, indicating that Grand Duke Osvid could make the first move.

Thus, the provoked Archduke Oswald, after transforming into this appearance, was clearly not in a good mood. His rationality and sanity were about to drop, and he attacked without any martial spirit.

"Clang—Buzz..."

It was a sound of teeth aching as it flicked away the tentacles with a sword.

It was a very heavy blow; each tentacle could rival the full power unleashed by a master swordsman.

Fortunately, this guy still cared about his daughter Alessia. His doting on her wasn't just for show. Even though he knew his daughter might be aiding the enemy and joining Saint Karina, he didn't harm her.

Otherwise, it would be extremely tiring for Saint Karina to fight while also protecting Alessia.

The contract between the two is not an equal one, and even if Saint Karina dies, it will affect Alessia, but Saint Karina does not want to lose her beloved toy.

Using girls as punching bags to shield themselves from injury is not Saint Karina's style...

"God said, 'Breath of frost, power of extreme cold, freeze!'"

She was muttering incantations, trying to completely block Grand Duke Osvid's movements.

Facing an enemy with such a terrifying amount of demonic energy is like facing a berserker in a state of burning blood; no matter how much damage you inflict, the enemy will regenerate to recover.

Therefore, the best way is to freeze him so that he cannot move.

Then, wave after wave of ice spears rained down. If it were ordinary magic, the effect and visuals would be no different, but Saint Karina's Word of Power was different; it contained the power of the gods.

Although it was borrowed, it cannot be denied that the Word of Power was still effective after her resurrection.

As the ice spear pierced the tentacles, the contained, frigid air exploded and froze the enemy's body. With the tentacles no longer moving, close-quarters combat became much easier.

"God said, secondly, the Holy Flame of God protects the Holy Sword of the Nation, and the treacherous Ni Xiao will surely be slain by my sword!"

Without the protective flames of divinity, Saint Karina wouldn't even be able to inflict any significant damage on Grand Duke Osvid.

Moreover, against such a heavyweight opponent, the mere act of swinging the sword would weaken the flames wrapped around it.

"Foolish! Naive!"

After transforming into a black, swollen mass, a voice that pierced eardrums cursed, conveying his thoughts.

Perhaps it was because their values ​​were at odds; in Saint Karina's eyes, it was even more foolish for Grand Duke Osvid to become that kind of person in pursuit of power.

The oversized ice spear pierced through the body of the black, swollen mass. However, it was devoured before the power of ice could be unleashed, and there was no way to freeze it from the inside.

What exactly is the structure inside?

Saint Karina couldn't help but think that perhaps, in some sense, the other party had already become a true monster. In any case, it was very dangerous.

Saint Karina dodged the regenerating tentacles to the side while observing Grand Duke Osvid's condition.

The power of the Holy Flame, which suppresses demonic energy, covered the sword. The flames, ignoring the sword's durability, caused the sword to burn fiercely.

"Anyway... the Holy Sword can't be burned."

Saint Karina murmured to herself.

The Holy Sword is indeed indestructible and unbreakable at times, fighting valiantly and growing stronger with each battle.

Therefore, Saint Karina seized the opportunity and hurled the sword forward with all her might. The sword pierced the mass like an arrow, but was then swallowed up.

Archduke Oswald seemed completely unaffected.

"Alessia, don't go near that. After all, even a sword wrapped in purifying flames met the same fate. If you blindly approach, you'll be swallowed up too."

As for the Holy Sword being devoured, that's easy to solve. The Holy Sword isn't a purely material object; it can simply be summoned again.

"...I understand. So, how do we defeat that?"

Perhaps Alessia wanted to say "monster," but considering that it was her father, she didn't say the last two words.