"What?!" His eyes widened as he looked at us with more attention.

Alya's legs behind him, thick thighs that were about to explode from how tight her pants were, my shirt revealing half my upper chest because the buttons just couldn't be closed.

His body stiffened. An invisible weight lifted off my chest when I realized he had believed me.

"Then Ren…" He sniffed audibly, extending himself closer to me.

"If you're talking about a cute dog girl with a long, fluffy black tail who was captured as a slave… We should be on good terms!" I flashed a cheeky grin.

"Was she a slave on your side?" Alya asked curiously, to which I nodded.

His entire body convulsed with complex emotions in Alya's grip. Most apparent was joy.

"Is she fine? How was she? Was she depressed?" He hit me with a barrage of questions, all hostility vanishing from his eyes.

I couldn't help but be surprised by his trustworthiness. I could just be lying, you know… But this confirmed it. They were related to Ren.

"Yes, she seemed fine! But… She is in incredible danger at this moment." I pointed toward the stairway's direction again.

…

After explaining to him all the details on the matter that mattered, I motioned Alya, who released the man and crouched close to the blonde girl named Zhenny, inserting her entire index finger in her stomach.

Her eyes were fully shut, her body rather cold as she lay lifelessly on the ground. One would assume she had died if not for the sound of a heart beating dangerously low.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Alya slowly stood up, nodding. The next second, Zhenny's throat, which had shrunk and twisted against itself, slowly started to become normal, the sound of her breathing growing much more stable.

The old man's face brightened with every second of watching it happen.

"I am not worthy to even ask for this, but… Can you please forgive our ignorance?" He knelt fully on his knees, his head touching the cold, black stone ground, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Don't worry about it! It's good." I shrugged. All in all, it wasn't really his fault.

Alya cutely raised both her hands; caught off guard, she shook her head repeatedly. I couldn't believe this was the same girl who was pulling those combos.

"You can't be serious, boss! You saved Ren's life. You forgave Zhenny and even healed her when she tried to kill you two like that! And now you're also forgiving me? I am forever indebted to you… Ask for my help with anything… Even if it costs me my soul and life, I will pay it!" He yelled without lifting his eyes, his gaze unwavering.

Boss? I couldn't help but cringe.

With a soft smile, I sighed with a nod. "Okay, okay! I will keep that in mind. Now stand up."

Alya coughed lightly, covering her mouth before schooling her expression.

"Truly, don't ever hesitate… I am so gratef—"

"How long does this illusion affect us?" Alya asked, cutting him off rudely.

But I could understand; there were only a handful of civilians left around us. Then, the guards would be done with the evacuation. Many of them were already just keeping watch. Something like this illusion could greatly lessen the threat now.

"Twenty minutes! I can have it extended if you need to." He answered immediately.

She turned back to me. "We need to leave then, Luci. It would be very convenient if it's just as he said and no one at even Saint level can sense us," she said, rubbing her chin.

"You'd better keep your word." She glared at the old man who was still trying to get up. "Don't be a complete leech and take advantage of Luci's kindness."

"…Yes, I will not disappoint!" The poor guy lowered his head at her sudden tone change, replying respectfully.

"What are we waiting for, then?" I nodded in approval to my tsundere, perfect wife. "Let's leave!"

But just as Alya took the first step, "Y–You can't…" Zhenny's weak whimper rang. Her sluggish eyes had barely opened, her body still incapable of moving. Now what? I turned back; she was looking pleadingly at us.

"You don't tell us what we can or cannot." Alya's face immediately turned cold. She must have guessed Zhenny was still hostile since she was unconscious during my explanation.

"No… That ain't it… I understand the situation, but… Captains…" She slowly turned to the old man, her voice filled with urgency. "I dreamt of him… He showed me everything happening outside. Fourteen church captains surround Mari Swan!"

The old man's pupils dilated, his face losing all its color.

"Fou–Fourteen Captains?" Alya stammered before shaking her head in denial. "That's impossible… That much force is enough to overthrow a small kingdom…" She frowned.

"And they are split in vastly different areas… There's no way they will all group up just for some prison escapees." She was saying it more to herself than to us. But with her ability, confirming lies was easy. So the way she was reacting sent a chill down my spine.

Fourteen people with Vanitas's strength?! That thought alone was enough to cover my entire back in sweat. Wait, who is this "him" she's talking about? The old man knew what she meant and then clearly believed her words.

"What's their purpose?!" He cried out, grabbing the trying-to-get-up Zhenny by her shoulders.

"Uh…" She turned to me, her green eyes scanning me for a few seconds in silence. "They are here for Lucien Bloodborne… A powerful Vampire who managed to survive it."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.