At the same time, in the Schneider Duke’s mansion.

“I didn’t expect Your Highness the Prince to personally come here.”

Duke Schneider.

With his outstanding abilities, he greatly contributed to the development of the territory and was an object of admiration and respect among the people.

Once a swordsman who wielded a sword, he had a fine appearance as he looked down at Siegfried and spoke.

“With the empire in turmoil due to the demons’ invasion, there must be a reason for your visit.”

To this, Siegfried replied with a serious face.

“Your prediction is correct, Duke. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Could you dismiss the servants?”

The duke was reluctant at the prince’s request, but he could not show disrespect in front of royalty.

As he gestured lightly, the servants in the reception room all left.

Siegfried watched this and spoke leisurely.

“I heard the first place the demons targeted for invasion was your territory. I surveyed the surroundings today, and it seems intact despite the invasion.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Her Highness Princess Veronica put a lot of effort into restoring the territory after the invasion.”

“It is fortunate that my sister is capable.”

Although the words uttered were clearly praise, Siegfried’s eyes somehow gleamed coldly.

Even though the duke sensed an unusual atmosphere, he thought it was a misunderstanding and changed the subject.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Ah, right. I was forgetting to convey the most important news.”

Siegfried paused for a moment and whispered in a small voice that would never be heard outside.

“…I received information that the demons will target this place again.”

“What? Really? Where did you get such information…!”

Duke Schneider hurriedly tried to stand up from his seat.

He had prepared countermeasures for the people in case the demons attacked again, but if they could evacuate before the invasion began, they could minimize the damage even further.

But that’s when it happened.

Siegfried was grinning in a way that seemed inhuman and eerie.

“Where did I get the information… I just decided it would be so.”

Despite not being an insensitive person, the duke couldn’t easily understand Siegfried’s words.

The moment he tried to ask what it meant, an explosion was heard outside the window.

The duke hurried to the window to look outside.

The place he was in now was the reception room on the highest floor.

Through the wide-open windows, he could see the entire territory, often taking in the scenery and finding peace, but today was different.

Everything happening outside the window was reflected in the duke’s eyes.

The black pupils were dyed in a violent red light.

The territory, which had been peaceful until Siegfried’s arrival, was now burning fiercely.

In the distance, the blurry figure of a human-shaped abomination caught his eye.

A demon. That thing was a demon.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, the duke hurriedly tried to leave the reception room.

“Your Highness, please evacuate quickly. The demons have already invaded. I will call the knights…!”

There was much to be done.

Starting with giving orders to the family’s knights, he also had to inform his eldest son, Demian, who was currently in this mansion.

Siegfried grabbed the duke, who was about to rush out at any moment.

“Duke Schneider, calm down first. It’s no use going out now.”

“There’s no time for this. We need to evacuate people as soon as possible.”

The duke forcibly detached himself from the prince and ran towards the door.

But a moment later…

Poof.

“What is this…”

Cough. The duke coughed up blood.

In unspeakable pain, he shifted his gaze to the area near his heart.

He saw something that looked like a blade piercing through his body.

It was Siegfried’s hand, transformed into the shape of a sword.

“I told you it’s no use.”

An eerie low voice.

Duke Schneider used his last strength to look back at the prince standing behind him.

A face that looked no different from a human. However, the deep malice in his eyes revealed that he was a demon.

“Vivian, are you alright? Are you conscious?”

My head felt hazy as if it was spinning, but I carefully opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was Melphis.

He had a look of unspeakable worry on his face, as if a precious being had been hurt.

“Ugh…”

As I managed to answer in a hoarse voice, he firmly grasped my hand.

“Are you feeling okay? Do you recognize me? Does anything hurt?”

As I hesitated slightly to answer the countless questions, the Dragon Lord pulled Melphis away from me.

“I told you to wait patiently without making a fuss. You never listen to me when it comes to this child.”

Despite the Lord’s words, Melphis tried to stay by my side, but he was stopped again.

Thanks to that, the surroundings became quiet, and my mind started to clear up little by little.

Seeing me lost in thought, the Lord asked in a gentle tone, contrasting with his previous manner.

“Did you… see the memories properly?”

“Yes, I have fully received everything he left for me.”

The experience was so surreal that it felt like a dream.

But I could strongly believe that everything I saw was not a lie, but the truth.

I recalled the scenes I had seen in the dream.

‘The reason I possessed Vivian’s body was to confront Siegfried…’

I found it suspicious that I was given powers along with the memories of my past life, but I never imagined it was because I had to face the final boss of the original story.

So at first, I planned to successfully kidnap only Callys and then let go of the original story…

‘I had no idea there was such a hidden story behind it. …It’s rather fortunate that the kidnapping plan failed.’

I thought I was doing something outside of my fate every time I faced demons or monsters, but it turns out this was my fate from the beginning.

‘I foolishly tried to escape the flow of the original story without knowing that.’

A slightly self-mocking smile unknowingly escaped my lips.

But the fortunate thing is that the direction I need to go is now clear.

I picked up the holy sword lying next to me and headed back to the altar.

“What are you doing?”

Putting aside Melphis’ curious question for a moment, I first placed the holy sword back on the altar.

Just like its original appearance.

Maybe it was my imagination, but the purple gem embedded in the hilt seemed to emit a faint light.

Melphis, who had been watching my actions with a puzzled look, asked again.

“Didn’t you come all the way here to get that sword?”

Just as I was about to answer calmly, the Dragon Lord spoke first.

“It’s not that she’s not taking it, but that she can’t take it.”

“What do you mean…”

The Lord passed by his great-grandson and stood right next to the holy sword.

His vertically split pupils, resembling those of a reptile, flickered.

“Can’t you see it with your eyes? The seal that prevents the contained divine power from escaping.”

I nodded at the Lord’s words.

A new fact I learned through the god’s memories. It was the seal on the holy sword.

The god was worried. That after his disappearance, the divine power stored in the holy sword would leak out.

So he purposely blocked the leakage with a seal and set it to be released at an appropriate time.

In the original story, Ludovica and Ren obtained the holy sword after the seal was released, so there was no mention of this in the novel.

However, I arrived here much earlier than them, so the current holy sword was still sealed.

“The seal won’t be released until a specific time.”

When I first arrived here, I couldn’t see anything like Melphis.

But after inheriting the god’s memories, my senses related to divine power suddenly became sensitive.

Thanks to that, I could clearly feel the seal the god had placed.

“It seems we’ll have to wait a few more days for the seal to be released.”

As I explained the contents I heard from the god’s memories to Melphis, he finally understood.

“Then what do you plan to do, Vivian?”

It was also a part I was contemplating.

There was less than a week left until the seal would be released.

This was a very short period, so waiting itself wasn’t difficult.

The problem was that a day here was similar to a month in the human world.

If I simply waited for the holy sword’s seal to be released, the human world might fall into the hands of demons in the meantime.

‘I’m also worried about them…’

The faces of my friends who would be struggling to protect their homes came to mind.

If it were up to me, I would return to the human world now and come back to get the holy sword when the seal is released, but…

‘It would take another two months to get here.’

It took more than two days in this world’s time just to get from the human world to the dragon village.

I closed my eyes for a moment and fell into deep thought. Then I quickly reached a conclusion. There was only one option from the beginning.

Even if it takes a long time, it’s to take the holy sword and return with certainty.

‘Although I’m worried about those in the human world… I have to trust them.’

When I told Melphis my decision, he also fell into deep thought.

“Vivian.”

“Hm?”

“Instead of that, how about returning to the human world?”

“But the sword…”

“You said earlier that when the seal on the holy sword is released, the gem in the center will glow, right?”

“That’s… right.”

It seemed Melphis overheard me muttering to myself while thinking alone.

“When the seal is released, I’ll bring it to you. To where you are, Vivian. I’ll also look into whether there’s a way to release the seal faster.”

“…Are you serious?”

“You want to go back, don’t you? To the human world. I want to help you, Vivian.”

“…”

I couldn’t even sense how to express my gratitude, and I felt sorry.

As if sensing my feelings, Melphis gently replied.

There was no hint of his usual mischievousness.

“If you’re grateful, smile for me. I like your smile, Vivian.”

“Huh?”

“That’s enough as a reward.”

I tilted my head, not quite understanding how that could be a reward.