Chapter 47
“Oh? This is quite a show to behold. I didn’t expect the two of them to think of using each other as test subjects for the potion. It’s truly fascinating what’s unfolding~”
Chris’s face broke into a faint smile as she watched Lisbeth and Staros confront each other on the screen.
She then remarked softly, “Though both of them are quite foolish, their character, at least, doesn’t seem bad.”
“Indeed,”
Hilda nodded in agreement, a smile gracing her lips after hearing Chris’s words.
She continued, “Leaving Staros aside for a moment, Lisbeth, honestly, is full of mysteries. Yet, my sixth sense tells me she’s truly not a bad person. Moreover, I can see how deeply she cares for you, my Demon Lord.”
“Mhm, I’ve actually noticed that too,” Chris murmured.
“You know I possess a skill that allows me to vaguely perceive a person’s current mood and emotions. And whenever Lisbeth faces me, it’s always… that kind of feeling…”
“That kind of feeling? What kind of feeling is that?”
Seeing Chris’s face flush slightly, Hilda tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her expression.
Meanwhile, Olivia, who had been standing by, seemed to grasp the meaning immediately. She chuckled, “My Demon Lord, do you mean Lisbeth has feelings for you?”
“Ah… no… I…”
Upon hearing Olivia’s words, Chris’s face turned even redder.
Nevertheless, she nodded gently. “Yes, that’s essentially what I meant. Still, I can’t understand why she holds such strong affection for me when we’ve never even met before.”
“That, I don’t know,” Olivia replied.
“At the very least, if the former Human Hero doesn’t become our enemy, then there shouldn’t be any issues. However, if the Human realm is missing a Hero, surely they’ll choose a new one soon, won’t they?”
Olivia’s observation brought a moment of silence upon Chris and Hilda. It was indeed improbable for the Human realm to allow the Hero’s position to remain vacant indefinitely.
However, Chris quickly shook her head. “No news has come from the Human realm yet, so we can set that matter aside for now. More importantly, why haven’t those two moved since they finished talking?”
“Hm? You’re right.”
****
‘What, what should I do? Although I said I’d use her to test the potion, how exactly am I supposed to do it?’
This was Lisbeth’s most immediate thought, and coincidentally, it was also what Staros was pondering at that very moment.
Since the other party already knew they would be used as a test subject, no one, unless they were foolish, would willingly drink the potion from the bottle in their hand.
Given the four-hour time limit, using force was the most straightforward way to quickly decide a victor.
However, the instant Staros had used her illumination magic, Lisbeth had realized that Staros’s magic usage restrictions must have been lifted.
After the thrilling events of yesterday, Olivia surely understood that restricting Staros’s magic was pointless; it could even lead to more severe consequences if something went wrong.
Thus, facing an opponent capable of using magic, Lisbeth knew she couldn’t act rashly.
“What’s wrong? Not making a move? Or are you simply too afraid to act?”
“Hmph, you’re one to talk. You can clearly use magic, yet you’re not making a move either?”
Observing each other’s bluffs, Lisbeth and Staros realized that continuing this standoff was futile.
They both collectively sighed in resignation, with Staros speaking first. “Lisbeth, I believe you understand the current situation. You also know it wouldn’t be good if we were to fight here and accidentally harm innocent people. So, let’s resolve this in a more peaceful manner.”
“Hmph, ‘harming innocent people,’ indeed. I think you’re just afraid of damaging the Demon Lord’s Castle corridors with your magic and having the old hag come after you, aren’t you?”
“But fine, I genuinely don’t want to resort to force right now. Let’s just talk this through calmly, shall we?”
Hearing Lisbeth’s words, Staros chuckled softly.
She then stepped forward, extending her right hand to Lisbeth. “As a token of peace, how about we shake hands first?”
“Alright then~”
Witnessing this, Lisbeth took a step forward and slowly extended her own hand.
However, before her hand could even touch Staros’s, Staros suddenly shouted, “Tier Two Magic—Bind!”
“What?!”
The moment Staros’s words fell, two white luminous rings instantly coiled around Lisbeth’s body.
Seeing her ploy succeed, Staros’s face twisted into a malicious grin. “Hahaha, Lisbeth, you’re still too naive! In this situation, besides using force to instantly decide the victor, what other way is there for us to test these potions on each other?”
“Damn it! You despicable scoundrel!”
“Say whatever you want! My chest absolutely must grow, no matter what, and I’m doing this for the Demon Lord! So just quietly become our stepping stone!”
As if victory were already assured, Staros casually opened a bottle of potion, intending to force it down Lisbeth’s throat.
But before she could act, Lisbeth uttered two chilling words.
“Aura!”
“Wh-?!”
The moment Lisbeth spoke, a cyan-blue light shot skyward like a piercing sword.
Simultaneously, the luminous rings that had bound Lisbeth shattered instantly. While Staros was still reeling in shock, Lisbeth took a swift step forward and delivered a punch directly to Staros’s stomach.
“Ugh!!”
The sudden, heavy blow to her stomach sent Staros’s petite body flying back several meters.
She collapsed to the ground, utterly still.
“Heh, Staros, did you truly think I wouldn’t understand your intentions? It’s true that fighting here and potentially damaging something in the Demon Lord’s Castle is no laughing matter.”
“However, if the outcome can be decided in a single, swift strike, then there’s absolutely no problem at all.”
“Cough… cough, cough… You despicable scoundrel, to trick me like that…”
“You idiot! You just tried to do the exact same thing, and you have the nerve to call me that?!”
Upon seeing Staros’s expression, Lisbeth unhesitatingly uncorked the potion in her hand.
She strode directly to Staros and forcibly pried open her mouth. But the instant Lisbeth touched Staros’s body, Staros, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly sneered, and in less than a second, transformed into a puddle of water.
“What?!”
“Tier Five Magic—Water Seal!”
Though the source of Staros’s voice was unknown, the moment her words ended, the puddle of water that had been Staros suddenly reformed and coiled around Lisbeth’s body.
Then, with a snap,
the space before Lisbeth suddenly tore open, creating a large rift. In the next instant, Staros stepped out from within it.
Witnessing this, Lisbeth stared at Staros, utterly shocked. “That’s long-lost spatial magic!? Who exactly are you?”
“Hmph, mere spatial magic is child’s play to me,” Staros scoffed.
“While I may not develop magical artifacts, when it comes to the actual use of magic, I am, without a doubt, the strongest mage currently alive.”
“The strongest currently alive… Who are you, truly?”
Despite only a few brief exchanges, the shock Staros delivered to Lisbeth was immense.
Spatial magic, after all, had vanished thousands of years ago, and even the lowest-tier displacement spells were considered powerful magic of Tier Nine or higher. Yet, Staros had cast such a spell instantaneously, leaving Lisbeth utterly dumbfounded.
Soon, however, Lisbeth regained her composure and spoke slowly. “I see. No wonder Olivia sealed away all your magic. I suppose you can only use less than a tenth of your original magical power now, can’t you? Otherwise, that Tier Five spell would have been far too weak.”
“Tsk, so I couldn’t fool you, after all?”
The moment Lisbeth finished speaking, the magic coiling around her instantly broke apart.
Since Lisbeth had already figured it out, Staros simply nodded. “That’s right. My current magic capacity isn’t even a tenth of what it was at my peak. Even using a simple spatial magic like that consumed a significant amount of my power, so if we truly fought, I wouldn’t have any advantage.”
“But, if I hide within space, you’ll never be able to catch me. That would be meaningless, wouldn’t it?”
“Indeed, you’re right. So, let’s not resort to force anymore,” Lisbeth conceded.
“After all, our commotion has already been quite substantial. It wouldn’t be fun if we attracted the Demon Lord’s Castle guards, would it?”
After hearing Lisbeth, Staros nodded as well, then softly stated, “Yes, I was thinking the same thing. But I doubt either of us will be so kind as to just let the other test the potion, right?”
“Exactly. So, let’s decide this another way here. How about whoever wins gets the right to make the other test the potion?”
“Oh? What do you want to compete in? But let’s be clear upfront: I’m not competing in something like arm wrestling.”