Chapter 437: Conquest [5]


    ?


    "Combining the two Concepts?"


    Julien tilted his head. From his expression, one could see he was confused by the suggestion. "....Is that even possible?"


    And rightfully so.


    How could two Concepts be merged? While the thought did cross his mind before, it was only for a vague moment. He didn''t really think it was possible.


    And yet...


    Here he was, sitting in front of one of the strongest humans in the world, asking him if he ever thought about merging the two.


    Could it really be possible?


    "I don''t know."


    Delh shrugged her shoulder, dampening all of Julien''s previous thoughts.


    His face grew ck for a moment.


    "Then why did you...?"


    "I was curious."


    Indeed, it was all curiosity on her part. She was curious.


    Curious to see if it was possible to merge two Concepts. Was it possible? Delh had no idea since there were no real precedents in the past. No one stated it was impossible, hence why she gave the suggestion.


    Julien''s ''Concepts'' were already quite powerful.


    She wanted to see what would happen if he tried to merge his two Concepts.


    Just how powerful would he be?


    "Hmm."


    Julien''s face tightened into a frown as he lowered his head, a faint ripple of energy stirring in the air. Delh''s fingers paused mid-movement.


    Lifting her brow, she stared intently at Julien.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''He''s trying.''


    It was a pity that she couldn''t see what was going on in his mind.


    Delh was quite curious to see the merging process.


    She could only settle for the subtle changes that were currently happening around him. They weren''t anything major, but Delh knew that he was trying something.


    And so...


    She sat in silence while watching him.


    ||


    From the subtle changes in his expressions to the faint pulses he would asionally let out. Delh imprinted all the changes in her mind.


    At first, nothing changed.


    It all seemed quiet.


    Delh''s expression remained unchanged as she looked at him.


    She was waiting.


    Waiting for him to do something, and she didn''t have to wait for long.


    Swoosh-


    A faint breeze drifted through the room, sending the curtains billowing gently. Julien''s hair shifted slightly, and his clothes stirred in the soft gust.


    The changes were subtle, but Delh could pick them up.


    A strange mana pulse traced the office room. One that faded rather quickly alongside the breeze.


    11


    ......


    The world grew eerily still shortly after that. Enough to make Delh frown.


    Is this it? Did he fail?


    Yes, it would make sense if he fai-


    Then, Julien''s eyes opened.


    The moment he did, Delh stopped her breath.


    His gaze.


    There was something about that gaze... orck thereof.


    It was empty.


    As if she was looking at an empty vessel.


    It was so hollow that Delh felt like she was staring at a mirror. The surroundings felt extremely suffocating, as if tworge hands pressed down against her throat, squeezing tightly.


    Of course, this was merely her imagination.


    Julien was still too weak to do anything to her.


    ...But the sensation was there. And that was enough for Delh.


    ''He''s caught a glimpse of something.''


    How much? She didn''t know.


    However, lowering her head to stare at the small hole that appeared as a result of her forceful tap, Delh found herself pursing her lips.


    ''Not bad...''


    Julien''s face pale considerably a few seconds after opening his eyes. His gaze, which appeared empty a few moments ago, regained its usual spark and after a couple of deep breaths, he managed to collect himself.


    Delh felt the corner of her lips pull.


    "So?"


    She asked, her tone soft.


    "What did you see?"


    "....H-ha."


    Julien didn''t answer immediately.


    Holding onto his chest, he licked his lips and shook his head.


    "I don''t know."


    He answered honestly.


    "...It was empty."


    He couldn''t find the right words to describe what he saw besides ''emptiness''. Right, because


    that was all he felt and saw.


    It was a suffocating emptiness that pulled him down.


    One that...


    "Okay, that''s enough."


    Delh pressed her hand against the table, snapping Julien out of his thoughts. When Julien raised his head, he saw her standing up.


    "Let''s go."


    "....Go?"


    "Yes."


    Julien cocked his head, evidently confused. Weren''t they just...? However, before he even had time to understand, Delh''s body shrank by a few centimeters. She now looked to be about


    his age.


    What in the...?


    Julien''s confusion only grew when she opened the door of the office.


    "Let''s go."


    "What, where?"


    Julien stood up and Delh paused, turning her head back to look at him. With a serious


    expression, she answered,


    "....Collect what you stole from me."


    "????"


    ***


    "Hahaha. I knew you''d understand me, Leon."


    Aoife cheerfully said as she smacked her bottle against Leon''s.


    "I thought you didn''t like drinking. What prompted the sudden change?"


    "Well, you know... With how things are looking up right now, I thought we could celebrate a


    bit."


    "Weird, but okay."


    With unfocused eyes, Aoife smacked her bottle against the couch. A bit of the liquid spilled


    out from the can, sshing against the surface of the couch.


    "Haaaa! I needed this!"


    "..."


    Unbeknownst to her, peeking through the narrow gap in the door that separated the kitchen


    from the living room was a lonesome figure. Watching everything with a cold gaze. Go on. Drink. More. Fall. Theresa had lost count of the many times she had cursed her.


    She didn''t have to curse for very long. Within a couple of minutes, Aoife''s demeanor started


    to change.


    "L,Leon?"


    "Yes...?"


    "Why are there two of... Hic! Y,you?"


    Smack-!


    Aoife pushed her hand forward, identally pping Leon''s face in the process.


    "Uah!? What was that for?"


    "Oh? Ah!? Hihihihihihihi."


    Smack-!


    She smacked him again.


    "That''s enough!"


    "Hihihihihihihi."


    "Damn it... I''m starting to regret this."


    "Ah? Why?"


    "Just take a look at yourself."


    It''s time.


    Theresa took a deep breath. Her heart was thumping madly, but she knew it wasn''t time for


    her to be nervous. She then fixed her clothes and took her first step.


    "Hihihih. L,Leon, why are there three of you?"


    "Eh... no? Get away from me!" "Hmm? Theresa? What are you doing h,here?"


    Theresa took another deep breath. Debuff or not, the third Demon King was as terrifying as


    theye. Just a glimpse of her gaze made her legs feel like jello... the beautiful, squishy, and


    bouncy jello...


    "Slurp."


    Theresa wiped away the saliva that dripped from the corner of her lips. Her mind had


    wandered away for a moment.


    She red at the Demon King.


    What powerful bewitchment.


    "Theresa...?"


    Unfolding the paper in her pocket, she handed it to Aoife.


    "Sign."


    "What''s... Hic! this?"


    "Sign. Make me happy."


    "Oh?"


    Aoife cocked her head as she carefully studied the paper in her hand. Flipping it sideways, she


    cocked her head once more.


    Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!


    Theresa could feel her own heart beating unsteadily as she rigidly stood on her spot. Would


    this method work? Would she sign it? Will she finally get her freedom back...? All sorts of


    thoughts ran through the child''s mind at that moment.


    And...


    "Ha. Sure. Sign. Why not?"


    Aoife looked around.


    "Pen... where can I get a p-"


    "Here."


    Theresa beat her to it as she swiftly handed her a pen with trembling fingers. She then pointed


    at the exact area she wanted her to sign.


    "Sign."


    Could this finally be...?


    "Oh... Hic."


    The pen pressed against the paper.


    Theresa licked her lips which had gone dry. She stared as the pen left a small mark on the


    paper. Her toes curled inward at the sight.


    Go on.


    Just a little more.


    Just a little...


    "Bleergh!"


    "...Uh, ah?"


    Time seemed to have stopped at that moment.


    It all happened so suddenly and so unexpectedly that Thersa barely had any time to process


    what had happened.


    No.


    Even if she had the time, she probably wouldn''t have been able to.


    "Bleergh!"


    Blink. Blink.


    || ||


    Her little mind seemed to have gone in overdrive as Aoife hunched over and...


    "Bleeergh!"


    Puked all over the sacred quest paper.


    "Ah, I''m suddenly regretting doing this. Aoife, puke over here."


    Leon rushed over with a small bucket which Aoife quickly took before puking her heart out.


    "Bleeeeeeargh!"


    The world looked bleak at that moment. Lowering her head and staring at her paper which


    was covered in vomit, Theresa opened her mouth.


    ||||


    But no words came out.


    Life had finally hit the young girl''s heart.


    "Come here. Let me bring you to your room. Ugh. Off we go."


    It wasn''t long before she was standing in themon room by herself.


    "Hick... Hick..."


    She made noises but no tears came out of her eyes. Aoife''s previous words had traumatized


    the young girl''s heart.


    And then...


    Click.


    The door opened.


    When she raised her head, Theresa found a familiar figure entering the apartment.


    "What''s going on here... what the..."


    It was fake daddy. The man corrupted by evil. He looked around in utter bewilderment.


    Beside him was a tall young girl with long ck hair. The sight of her caused the Henchman''s expression to grow stiff.


    "What''s with all the mess here, and why are you here by yourself?"


    Walking toward Theresa, Julien bent down on one knee, meeting her gaze. Theresa''s nose


    scrunched up as she pointed at her paper.


    "...That..."


    "Hm?"


    Julien casually looked in the direction where she pointed before finding the paper.


    "Is that...?"


    "...Um."


    "Why is it like that?"


    ||||


    With a pair of hollow eyes, Theresa lowered her head. What she didn''t notice was the abrupt


    shift in Delh''s expression as she looked at Julien. "Did you teach her?"


    "What? Ah, no. That''s..."


    He scratched his head. ''How am I going to exin this?'' he muttered silently to himself.


    "I''ve only just learned it myself. How can I teach it to her?"


    "...Really?"


    "Why is this even a question?"


    "She looked just like you..."


    "Haa. I think I know what''s going on. Let me see. Oh?"


    Julien blinked, his eyes hovering above the paper which was covered in vomit.


    "You''ve managed to get everyone to sign?"


    "...Un."


    Theresa lifelessly nodded her head. Holding her back as if she were an old man, she sat down


    on the floor, reminiscing about the past when she was oh so close to defeating the three


    Demon Kings.


    "...the good old days..."


    Julien and Delh exchanged nces. She whispered to him,


    ''You really didn''t teach her?''


    ''I don''t think so...''


    Even he was starting to doubt it.


    "Well..."


    Riiip-!


    "?"


    "Let''s change the rules of the game. How about this."


    Julien turned his head and pointed his thumb at Delh.


    "If you can get her to sign, you''re good to go. How about it?"


    Theresa epted the piece of paper with a vacant look. Her mind seemed to race through all


    sorts of thoughts before her face bloomed into arge smile.


    Seeing her reaction, Julien turned to face Delh and was prepared to fill her up on the


    situation when...


    "She spends a lot of time watching the-"


    "I ept.


    "1


    He barely got a word out before he caught sight of Theresa handing Delh a bar of chocte,


    the exchange suspiciously resembling a drug deal. One that was exchanged for a signature.


    "Done."


    Theresa stared at the paper with shining eyes. After staring at Theresa for a couple of seconds,


    Julien raised his head to look at Delh.


    "You, this isn''t the first time you''ve met her is it?"


    "...Um?"


    Delh cocked her head, opening the bar and taking a bite. Blinking herrge eyes she shook


    her head.


    "No."


    "What? When did you...?"


    "Aoife came to me."


    "She did?"


    "Yes."


    "Ah." It all made sense.


    No wait.


    "Then why didn''t you tell them she was not human?"


    "I thought they knew."


    "Ehh..."


    ''She has a point'', Julien mumbled to himself.


    "...Couldn''t you have at least struggled a little?" "Hm? Why?"


    "No, never mind."


    "Here."


    With the shine remaining in her eyes, Theresa tapped on the fake daddy''s leg.


    "Missionplete."


    And held onto the paper up high. As if to show off her achievement.


    "Yes. I saw."


    "...So?"


    "Well, it''ste now."


    "But..."


    "Go to sleep for now. Starting tomorrow, you''ll be allowed to watch Justice Man again, is that


    okay?"


    Pinching her chin with her hand, Theresa relented.


    "Well, fine."


    She rolled the paper and gently caressed it. She could concede this much. After all, she was


    indeed feeling a little tired.


    "Alright, go to bed."


    "Um."


    Trotting back to her room, Theresa suddenly paused. Thinking for a moment, her little legs


    trotted back to where the fake daddy was, and she nudged at his clothes.


    "Yes?"


    "Thank, you."


    Theresa bowed her head.


    "Hmm."


    Then, as if that wasn''t enough, Theresa recalled something and bowed even more.


    "Thank you... fucker."


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