Chapter 138 : Meaning
Chapter 138: Meaning
Lilia took a deep breath and puffed out her chest—which didn’t have much to begin with—trying not to lose in terms of presence.
“What’s wrong with being human?”
“I… I entered legally!”
“And you—who are you? Standing here posing like some kind of figurine?”
As she spoke, Lilia subtly took half a step back, preparing to activate 【Time Stop】 and run at any moment.
The man didn’t get angry at Lilia’s rudeness.
He merely shook his head with a faint smile.
“Interesting.”
“A human, yet carrying such a dense aura of the Demon race.”
Lilia didn’t bother listening to his rambling and shot back:
“Who are you?”
The man didn’t answer her question.
The greatsword in his hand lifted slightly, its tip pointing toward the ground.
With just that one motion—
Lilia felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on her like a tidal wave.
For someone like her, who had already developed resistance within the Palace of Eternal Night, even being thoroughly “marinated” in Hera’s magic—
This kind of holy power felt like sulfuric acid scorching her.
“Little girl.”
The man’s tone turned serious.
The playful smile vanished, replaced by an unquestionable sense of judgment.
“Tell me.”
“You are a human—why would you willingly become a lackey of the Demon race and appear in such a filthy place?”
“And…”
“What exactly are you here for?”
“What am I here for?”
Lilia acted as if she had heard the greatest joke in the world.
She tilted her head, raised her right hand—which was swollen like a freshly steamed bun—and blew on it a couple of times in a rather comical manner.
It really hurt.
That punch earlier hadn’t shattered the damned core—instead, it injured her delicate “maid physique.”
The guy in front of her, glowing with holy light from head to toe, was even more irritating than Hera’s obsessive tendencies.
This was the depths of the Abyss.
All around them were writhing flesh walls resembling internal organs, and the air was filled with evil particles that could instantly mutate a normal human.
Yet this guy’s plate armor was still spotless and gleaming—not a speck of dirt on it.
Show-off.
Definitely the kind of narcissist who’d spend half an hour in front of the mirror before going out, spraying half a bottle of hair gel.
Lilia even suspected that the reason he hadn’t spoken earlier was simply because he hadn’t decided on the most stylish pose for his entrance.
“Drop that holier-than-thou expression, old man.”
Lilia rolled her eyes and spun her twin daggers in her hands.
Even though her hand hurt like hell, she absolutely couldn’t lose in terms of momentum.
Lose the person, not the stance.
If Hera found out she embarrassed the Palace of Eternal Night out here, she might not even get to keep these hands.
“As for who I am?”
Lilia straightened her back, lifted her chin slightly, and spoke in an extremely punchable tone:
“Stand still and listen carefully.”
“I am the personal maid of the master of the Palace of Eternal Night, the ruler of the Abyss, the one who makes all demons tremble—Her Majesty Hera!”
“Also concurrently serving as the Palace’s Chief Financial Officer, Head of the Document Audit Department, and… the commander-in-chief of this demolition operation!”
A string of titles slammed out.
Lilia was very satisfied to see the “canned man’s” expression stiffen for a brief moment.
Using borrowed authority like this might be a bit embarrassing.
But—
It felt really good.
Especially seeing those self-proclaimed righteous types make expressions like they just swallowed a fly—the satisfaction was almost bursting out of her skull.
“Hera…”
The man didn’t react with rage or immediately charge at her as Lilia expected.
Instead—
At the moment he heard that name, a terrifying light burst from his deep blue eyes.
It wasn’t fear.
It was more like the greed and frenzy of a hunter discovering the ultimate prey.
“I see.”
The man muttered to himself.
The greatsword in his hand slowly lifted, golden runes flowing along its blade, emitting a low humming sound.
The surrounding flesh walls seemed to sense the threat, their contractions growing more rapid.
“I didn’t expect that the legendary Demon Queen would have such… unique tastes.”
His gaze swept over Lilia, finally stopping on the faintly glowing necklace at her neck.
A teasing smile curled at the corner of his lips.
“Keeping a human as a pet?”
“Interesting.”
Lilia’s heart skipped.
That look wasn’t right.
The way he looked at her wasn’t like an enemy—it was more like examining a rare piece of equipment with hidden attributes.
“But since you belong to that Demon Queen, things are even simpler.”
The man flicked his wrist.
Buzz——！！！
A visible white shockwave exploded outward from him.
That sacred, vast, yet highly aggressive aura instantly filled the entire space.
Lilia felt as if her chest had been struck by a hammer, her breathing stalling.
So strong.
This was definitely not an ordinary knight or adventurer.
Even in the human world, this level of holy power would be exceedingly rare.
“I am Garrod, Commander of the Third Holy Knight Order of the Holy Church.”
The man held his sword in one hand, its tip touching the ground, assuming a flawless starting stance.
“And one of the seeded candidates of this ‘Hero Trial.’”
Hero?
Lilia froze.
What kind of nonsense plot development was this?
Shouldn’t a hero start in a beginner village, killing slimes, leveling up step by step, then eventually forming a party to challenge the Demon Queen’s Castle?
Why had this one skipped all the prerequisites and come straight to this godforsaken abyssal underground at the very beginning?
And…
What did he just say?
Hero Trial?
Lilia’s mind raced.
She glanced at the still-beating “Old God” embryo core behind her, then at the righteous-looking “pre-hero” in front of her.
An absurd yet strangely logical guess formed in her mind.
“Wait…”
Lilia narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting between Garrod and the black heart.
“You’re a hero, yet instead of killing monsters and saving people outside, you came all the way here to strike poses with me in the core area…”
“You’re not telling me…”
She pointed at the massive black heart behind her.
“You left this thing alive on purpose, didn’t you?”
A flash of surprise crossed Garrod’s handsome face.
He clearly hadn’t expected this seemingly useless little maid to figure it out so quickly.
“Quite clever.”
He didn’t deny it, nodding openly.
“That’s right.”
“What’s the meaning of that?” Lilia looked at him like he was an idiot.
“Meaning? Killing a few insignificant rats, purifying a few underdeveloped abominations—how much glory would that add to my record?”
“The Church needs a hero who can slay a ‘god.’”
“The people need an epic victory.”
Garrod stared at the beating black heart, the fervor in his eyes growing more intense.
“So, I wait.”
“I wait for it to hatch.”
“I wait for it to devour the thousands of sacrifices outside and evolve into its complete form, possessing that despair-inducing power…”
“Then I will strike—and slay it beneath my blade.”
“That—”
“—is the proper way for a hero to make his entrance.”