Swallowing the pastries one bite at a time, she contentedly stroked her stomach, as if settling into a post-meal relaxation.
Lilith, who had been quietly waiting beside her, watched in silence. Only after Betty finished her pastries did she finally speak.
“Are you full?”
“I’m full, ugh… Don’t think you can buy me off with food. I won’t say anything.”
Betty had almost forgotten where she was. Her previously relaxed nerves instantly tightened once more, making her anticipate the wild treatment from the demon race after her moment of indulgence.
“You can sleep soundly at night from now on. We won’t harm you.”
However, the words Lena uttered the next second struck Betty as utterly absurd. Lena had captured her, yet now she claimed she wouldn’t harm her. Did they intend to pamper her?
“If you won’t harm me, then why don’t you let me go?”
“Because you’re a hostage. The Hero Guild was deceived and made a wrong decision. We can only make the other heroes in the guild hesitate by holding you as a hostage, can’t we?”
“Heh, how remarkably straightforward.”
Betty was truly despicable.
Just thinking about how her presence would cause so much trouble for the guild’s operations, Betty felt a pang of self-reproach. If only she had known, she would have jumped out the window and escaped the moment Lena entered the study last night.
But perhaps it would have been too late even then. She should have fled the study the moment she heard footsteps.
Ultimately, she had been too complacent. Her past actions searching for Joiy had never been discovered, which led her to gradually underestimate Joiy, believing she would never be caught.
Now she realized her mistake, but it was already too late.
She even suspected that the reason her previous missions had gone so smoothly was perhaps orchestrated by the woman before her, with the sole purpose of making her drop her guard.
“Straightforward? I’m just worried that the heroes and Joiy will suffer mutual losses, allowing that petty person who provoked them to achieve their goal.”
Lena watched Betty from above, her arms crossed. Upon hearing the words ‘petty person,’ the young woman’s brows furrowed. After seemingly weighing the pros and cons, she exclaimed, “Silverbloom Senior is no petty person!”
The mention of that name caused Lena to freeze, momentarily believing she had misheard. Lilith, standing behind her, was equally stunned, her pretty face etched with disbelief.
“Silverbloom Senior? Are you referring to the Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
Uncertain, Lilith stared at Betty and asked. Betty snorted in response, retorting, “Besides her, who else could be called Silverbloom Senior?”
Hearing Betty’s words, Lena’s mouth twitched. She became even more convinced that this ‘Silverbloom Senior’ had intricate ties to the demon race traitor.
Before coming to the military camp, there had been many conjectures about the ‘Senior’ Betty spoke of. Lena had thought she might be a hero of great renown, or perhaps a senator who had vanished from public eye. She had never once considered it could be herself.
The Silverbloom Sword Princess? If that were true, then who was Lena?
In contrast to Lena’s reaction, Lilith’s face was a picture of conflict, finding it hard to ascertain if this Silverbloom Sword Princess was real.
“Why would she come to Saint Saël?” she inquired.
“Hmph, well, it’s not a very important secret anyway, so I’ll tell you the truth.”
Betty deliberated for a few seconds before making her decision, revealing what she knew about the Silverbloom Sword Princess: “Silverbloom Senior told us that Joiy was colluding with the demon race. She only recently arrived in Saint Saël.”
“Her purpose in coming to Saint Saël was for that. If you inquire at the guild, you might even hear rumors about her now.”
“I know it’s hard for you to believe what I’m saying, and you might not understand why the Silverbloom Sword Princess, who disappeared for so long, would reappear. But the truth is, she never died in the Demon King’s City.”
At this, she paused, a strange pride surfacing on her face. She then glanced at Lena and Lilith, letting out a cold snort.
“I wonder if you’ve heard of Vidona’s Calamity. It’s said that the eighth-tier demon there was eradicated by Silverbloom Senior. So, I advise you to release me sooner rather than later, or by the time Silverbloom Senior comes looking for me, it will be too late.”
“You don’t have the strength to contend with her.”
No matter how powerful Joiy’s forces were, they couldn’t compare to Silverbloom Senior, who could defeat an eighth-tier demon. If she decided to act, Joiy would undoubtedly be finished.
Given her personality, knowing Betty had been captured by Joiy, she should come to rescue her, right?
This meant she wouldn’t be trapped in prison for long?
Suddenly, this dungeon didn’t seem so terrifying after all.
“Impossible…”
Lilith murmured, still unable to believe that the Silverbloom Sword Princess would appear in Saint Saël.
“Heh, that’s just how it is. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
“How are you certain she is the Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
“Please, some of the guild’s elders have seen Silverbloom Senior before. How could they not recognize her?”
Betty felt a surge of annoyance at Lilith’s skepticism. “Her magic tier is eighth-tier, and she carries that Holy Sword with her. If she isn’t Silverbloom Senior, then who is?”
The atmosphere in the dungeon quieted considerably after she spoke. Only the dripping sound of water remained in the air. Lilith’s mind was in turmoil, unable to discern the authenticity of the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
Just then, Lena abruptly spoke. “She’s fake.”
Her tone was exceptionally firm, as if she had long known this ‘Silverbloom.’ This reignited Betty’s slightly abated anger.
However, she also knew that the two women before her wouldn’t believe Silverbloom’s appearance, so she said no more, merely snorting. “Even so, you still choose to deceive yourselves?”
In her eyes, this was a sign of Lena’s cowardice; they dared not believe Silverbloom’s arrival, nor that their collusion with the demon race had been exposed.
After all, in the face of Silverbloom, all their current struggles were futile.
“If she truly is the Silverbloom Sword Princess, and so certain of Joiy’s collusion with the demon race, then why doesn’t she act herself? Why does she make you search for evidence instead? Joiy couldn’t possibly stop an eighth-tier expert, could they?”
Contrary to Betty’s expectations, Lena not only showed no fear but instead posed an extremely sharp question. Lilith, who had been listening intently, paused slightly, then also noticed this suspicious point.
Betty, on the other hand, opened her mouth but found herself speechless.
Since Silverbloom Senior knew of Joiy’s collusion with the demon race, why hadn’t she acted? With her strength, resolving the matter wouldn’t require much effort.
After hearing Lena’s question, even Betty herself felt this confusion. However, out of admiration for Silverbloom Senior, she subconsciously believed that she wouldn’t deceive her, so she began to find excuses for her in her mind.
“Um… perhaps Senior is quite busy…”
After much thought, she could only come up with this clumsy excuse, one that even she herself found hard to believe.
Hearing this, Lena calmly explained, “Because she’s fake. Eighth-tier demonic magic cannot be disguised. That Holy Sword is merely a fake with a similar appearance.”
“The real Silverbloom Sword Princess doesn’t possess eighth-tier strength right now, and the Holy Sword Megaphas is nothing but a pathetic hilt.”
“Nonsense! Senior has a reason for not coming to investigate personally. In any case, she can’t be fake!”
Seeing that she couldn’t convince Betty, Lena didn’t press the matter. She had already obtained the information she wanted, and continuing to question would yield no further results.
So, as she turned and walked towards the prison door, she left a final remark: “You’ll have to endure a few more days here, Miss Betty. Meals will be provided three times a day.”
After a glance at Betty, Lilith and Aelin followed Lena’s steps, preparing to leave the prison together. The entire dungeon soon held only Betty.
She once again huddled in the corner, hugging herself, and muttered softly, “Hmph, my companions will come to save me, and Silverbloom Senior will too.”
****
Exiting the dungeon, Lena once again chanted a spell. With a resounding boom, the dungeon entrance sealed shut. Having completed this, she pondered for a moment before deciding to leave Joiy’s mansion and head to the Hero Guild.
As Betty had mentioned, the Hero Guild clearly knew more about the Silverbloom Sword Princess. Perhaps she could find many clues there.
The demon race traitor was most likely connected to this fake Silverbloom; otherwise, it would be inexplicable how she knew Joiy’s private matters.
“Lena, is that Silverbloom Sword Princess truly an impostor?”
As they walked out of the back garden, Lilith, who had been silently following behind her, spoke again, seeking a more definitive answer.
Lena naturally didn’t disappoint her. She revealed the details she hadn’t mentioned in the dungeon earlier: “Of course. There are too many suspicious points about her. Carrying the Holy Sword with her, for example, is clearly a deliberate act, intended to make others believe she is the Silverbloom Sword Princess.”
“Hm?”
Lilith tilted her head, not understanding her meaning.
“What’s wrong with letting people know she’s Silverbloom?”
Not knowing what Lilith was thinking, Lena patiently explained, “The real Silverbloom Sword Princess would never carry the Holy Sword with her. Moreover, an eighth-tier Silverbloom Sword Princess wouldn’t appear so pathetic.”
As Silverbloom, she deeply understood this suffering.
The greater one’s fame, the more they would be surrounded wherever they went, making a normal life impossible most of the time. Therefore, when going out, she always concealed her face.
It wasn’t just her; many renowned heroes did the same. Only heroes whose names had gradually faded from public memory dared to move about with their true faces.
Chiling was one such example.
So, carrying the Holy Sword with her? This was practically an act of fearing others wouldn’t recognize her. How could Silverbloom possibly do such a thing?
Lilith let out an ‘oh’ and finally understood completely. She had initially thought carrying a Holy Sword was something a hero should do, never realizing such details lay within.
“You seem very familiar with the Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
She looked at Lena, her beautiful eyes instantly filled with a hint of surprise and joy. It seemed that having someone familiar with Silverbloom nearby made them happy.
“Somewhat, I suppose? Actually, these are common troubles for famous heroes. We all know a little about them.”
“What will you do next?”
“Of course, I’m going to the Hero Guild to inquire about the Silverbloom Sword Princess. Perhaps I can find many useful clues.”
“Inquire? Lena is going to the Hero Guild to inquire about Silverbloom’s news. Lilith—”
“I’ll go with you.”
Aelin, who had been silent, instantly changed her expression, looking somewhat troubled.
“Eh? Miss, that might not be a good idea…”
“What’s wrong?”
“That’s the heroes’ stronghold. Moreover, they must already know that Joiy captured Betty. If you go to the Hero Guild now, Miss, I’m afraid you’ll be in danger.”
Aelin covered her chest with one hand, her gaze filled with worry as she looked at Lilith. “The Hero Guild is not a good place. They would absolutely do something to harm you, Miss. Lena is much safer than you, as not many people know Lena is Joiy’s elder.”
Joiy had only revealed Lena’s identity in front of the mansion’s servants. Even if they secretly spread the news, many people had never seen Lena’s appearance and couldn’t connect her to Joiy’s elder.
Lilith, however, was different. She had been in Saint Saël for some time; everything that needed to be known was already known. Going to the Hero Guild now would certainly be dangerous.
Lilith also knew Aelin’s concerns were valid, so she lowered her gaze, thought for a few seconds, and then said, “Then I’ll find a place to hide near the guild and wait for Lena to come out.”
“Miss, shouldn’t you just leave such matters to Lena?”
Aelin didn’t quite understand why her young mistress insisted on going to the guild. Lilith, hearing this, narrowed her eyes, her long black hair subtly flashing with a red gleam, and her entire aura became dangerous.
“I want to catch that fake Silverbloom. To dare impersonate her and use her identity to act, that person has immense courage.”
Aelin blinked in confusion, seeing Lilith in this manner for the first time. Lena, however, merely nodded, agreeing, as she understood Lilith had recently suffered a blow and was eager to catch the fake Silverbloom to prove herself.
“That works too. Let’s go together then.”
Lilith’s dangerous aura vanished instantly without a trace. The corners of her mouth curved slightly upward, and she reverted to her usual calm self, tinged with a hint of charm.
However, she quickly remembered something, her slender finger gently tapping her red lips, and called out to Lena, who was about to leave the mansion.
“Oh, Lena.”
“Hm?”
“Do you happen to have any more of those pastries from earlier? They looked delicious.”
Lilith’s small tongue licked her thin lips. She had felt a bit hungry when she saw Betty eating the pastries earlier, but due to the circumstances, she hadn’t spoken up.
Seeing her eager expression, Lena couldn’t help but think of Isha. However, unlike that little glutton, Lilith appeared more elegant and reserved.
“I’ll make some more.”
“Thank you.”
Seeing Lena about to make more pastries, Lilith’s smile grew even brighter. At the same time, she delicately pinched the corners of her skirt, performing a demon race’s curtsy towards her.
But just as Lena was heading to the kitchen, she felt a longing gaze from behind. Stopping, she turned her head to see Aelin, behind Lilith, with wide, glistening eyes, her face filled with pitiful pleading.
With a helpless smile, Lena’s heart softened.
“I’ll make some for you too.”
“Hehe, Lena is the best!”
Aelin’s affection for her surged once again in that moment.