“Will the gods agree to such a request?”
Catherine was the first to step forward and question.
As a witch, uncovering the veil shrouding the gods had always been their ultimate goal.
Even the most devout Church Kingdom had seen their blessings weaken in recent years.
It was hard to imagine these gods would help the Magical Kingdom.
“At least we have to try. As a last resort, we’ll send troops. At least wait until after the Festival of Light.”
“That’s one way to handle it.”
The meeting ended there.
Except for Catherine and the Demon King heading south to set up a barrier, everyone else returned home.
Being alone with the Demon King felt awkward.
Was this what it felt like to be with a rival in love?
Catherine kept feeling like she might be taken out in this desolate wilderness.
“This spot is good.”
They stopped at the deepest part of the forest.
The Teleportation Circle could be activated at any time, so there was no worry about getting back.
In the worst case, the Demon King could fly them back directly.
Besides, they were witches—they had flying broomsticks.
While busy setting up the barrier, Catherine couldn’t hold back and started a conversation with the Demon King.
“Aren’t you afraid that if your wish succeeds, you’ll end up with split personality or something?”
“I’ll just lock myself up when that happens.”
“Will that really work? It’s only a temporary fix.”
“Then what else can I do? Jump off a cliff and entrust Sephine to you?”
“Ahem. I’m not pursuing a romantic relationship.”
“Do you have a solution? Miss Great Witch should be able to do anything, right?”
“Well… that’s hard to say.”
Personality changes were well documented in history—the previous Demon King, the one before that, and the one before that one.
It was almost an inevitable outcome.
A new Demon King always defeated the old one, never dying of old age and passing the throne legitimately.
Part of it might be due to the Demon King’s long lifespan, but the main reason was the change in personality.
“If you die, Sephine will be sad.”
“I won’t die anytime soon.”
“You’re the boss. You call the shots.”
Since the Demon King wasn’t interested in continuing this topic, Catherine didn’t press further.
She was just displaying a trait common to all witches—curiosity about the unknown.
“Still, I think you might die before me.”
“What makes you say that? The longest recorded witch lifespan is three thousand years.”
“And has any witch ever died of old age? They’ve all been killed by their own curiosity. Don’t get too obsessed with the gods’ secrets.”
“That doesn’t sound like you. I thought you were fearless.”
“Focus on your Magic Tools. Make some more interesting little gadgets, and I’ll allocate funds for you.”
“How dare you say that?! You destroyed most of my research!”
“I didn’t mean to. Didn’t I find you a new research lab? Just do your job.”
The barrier was completed.
The monsters from the Monster Nation would be blocked here, and the barrier also had some autonomous attack capabilities, helping to deal with many enemies.
Catherine opened a portal on the spot, and she and the Demon King stepped inside.
In an instant, they were back at the Imperial Palace gate.
“The portal is still a bit unstable. Maybe the Magic Power isn’t enough—the landing position was off.”
“Hey, is this thing reliable?”
“Don’t joke around. I’m the most reliable inventor among the witches! If you get a chance, try the stuff from other witches. You’ll see. Oh, in a few days, a merchant caravan from the Elf Kingdom will arrive. There will be many inventions from the Elven Witches in it. Go ahead and use them. You’ll use them without a peep.”
Catherine didn’t have time to waste on the Demon King.
This Demon King had a screw loose—arguing with her was pointless.
She had dinner plans with Freyja tonight and needed to go.
The Demon King was tired too.
Physical exhaustion was nothing compared to mental fatigue.
There was too much to deal with every day.
She probably couldn’t sneak off to see Sephine for a few days.
She’d have to wait for a chance to pass by the tavern.
Despondent.
“Demon King!”
The maids saw the Demon King return and helped her change clothes.
They noticed no one else was following the Demon King today; everyone felt a little disappointed.
The maids were the closest people to the Demon King.
Though their status was low, they were always the first to sense the Demon King’s moods.
Ever since Sephine left, the Demon King had been in a slump, listless every day.
“Prepare my clothes for tomorrow. I won’t be going to the kitchen in the morning.”
“Did something happen?” asked the Head Maid.
She was the only one who dared to speak directly to the Demon King; the other maids kept their distance.
“The Monster Nation declared war. Those brainless monsters only cause trouble.”
Honestly, the rage inside the Demon King was slowly taking over her reason.
She increasingly wanted to just go and wipe out those damned monsters herself.
But she held back.
She didn’t want to be replaced by the one lurking inside her.
Keeping her emotions in check was the most important thing.
She still couldn’t understand.
Since the gods gave her power, why did they add this restriction?
Was it just for fun?
Were those gods just children who liked watching cricket fights?
The Demon King’s interest in the gods was no less than Catherine’s, but she understood their power better than Catherine.
They could replace these mortals anytime.
With a sigh, the Demon King sat on the sofa and stared blankly.
Compared to the troubled Demon King, Sephine was much more relaxed.
The children hadn’t pestered her for stories tonight; instead, they obediently lay in bed, waiting for her to join them.
Sephine considered whether to let them sleep on their own.
But these two little ones were barely a month old—it was normal for them to cling to their mother.
After her bath, Seilin dried her hair and lay down in bed.
She was a bit tired today.
The physical work she hadn’t done in a while made Sephine’s eyelids heavy.
“Mother, when can we go to school?” asked Karin.
“What’s wrong? It’s still too early.”
“Aunt Aglis said school is fun, so I want to go.”
“You can go when you’re a little older.”