Chapter 31 : Farewell to the Homeland
Hearing Lonis's question, Elucia's expression showed no ripples at all, just calmly replying:
"You could say they're virtually created, or you could say they truly exist... And stop being clever—that counts as two questions."
"Wuu?"
"What lies sleeping under the tombstones are only their physical bodies. Their souls were brought back by me to the Land of Ends for fusion."
"What... what does that mean?"
"In other words, those NPCs you saw are all living people. The system erased part of their memories, letting them live in the dream world with their previous identities until their wishes are fulfilled."
"!"
"And their wish was to repel the demons and return the world to peace."
At this point, the black-haired girl suddenly stared at Lonis, emotions seeming to brew in her eyes:
"So after you completed the task of saving the world and repelling the demons, the wish was achieved, and that world naturally couldn't continue."
"So that's... how it is? Then... then those demons I repelled when I was a hero..."
"Of course not. In fact, many fallen demons who once invaded the Snow Kingdom are still alive and well, like that Trickster Demon Lord..."
Mentioning the Trickster Demon Lord's name, Elucia's tone also became several degrees colder: "However, the dream world was originally a training space created to train humans, so the knowledge you experienced will be useful someday."
"I understand!"
Lonis gasped and said: "So the dream world was equivalent to a drill, and our real mission is to save the world and defeat the Trickster Demon Lord and other dark existences?"
"Wrong."
"Ah?"
"My mission is to save the world. Your mission is just to assist me in saving the world, warm my bed, and act cute."
"How... how can this be..."
Hearing about acting cute and warming beds, Lonis's cheeks turned completely red.
"Also, I remind you, it's best not to try disobedient behavior. Because this is written in the contract, until death do us part."
"Con... contract... what does that mean?"
"You can understand it as a magical contract. Once violated, you'll suffer terrible punishment. The foundation of the contract lies in the equivalent exchange principle I mentioned."
"Can you... explain equivalent exchange to me?"
When she was a hero, Lonis felt her brain was quite smart. But now, she felt like she had truly become a ditzy soft girl, only able to be led around by Elucia.
"It means that in order to let the souls of the Snow Kingdom rest in peace (and get revenge), I must take on the responsibility of saving the world. And as the price of rebirth, you must become my companion."
"!"
"Originally though? You should have been the brave and invincible hero, going with me to eliminate enemies. But unexpectedly, you actually like being a girl so much, and that kind wearing a light, fluttery white dress and long stockings, a masochistic maid. So I can only be the master and keep bullying you~"
"I... I don't like it! I told you, that was a misunderstanding. I originally..."
"Originally wanted me to become like that? Heh heh~~"
Lonis was about to argue, but hearing Elucia's cold snort, she instinctively shrank back and no longer dared say she wanted to "be the master."
"Then, for saving the world, what specifically do we need to do?"
"There's a lot to do, but currently, collecting the other seven weapons is most important."
"Seven weapons...?"
"Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple—there are seven Rainbow Temples in total in this world. The Flame Abyss we just visited is one of them. Each of these seven temples has different powers. Some are still being worshipped, while others like the Flame Abyss have been sealed away."
"Oh, so there are seven weapons like the Red Lotus Hammer! Yellow Lotus Hammer and Green Lotus Hammer?"
"How stupid. There are swords, spears, bows too! Have you ever seen anyone go to battle with seven hammers?"
"Ah ah, no wonder, heh heh..."
Lonis laughed foolishly. At this point, the questions in her heart had been basically explained.
Only the last one remained, about herself.
However, seeing Lonis's curious expression, Elucia smiled sweetly: "Masochistic maid, are you so eager to be bullied by me?"
"Eh...?"
"You just asked me 9 questions, so you also have to actively let your master tease and bully you 9 times."
"Wait! The... the later ones count too?"
Lonis was dumbfounded. She had been asking enthusiastically and completely forgot about the price of being teased.
"Of course they count. So let's start the first time here?"
"Now?!"
"Heh heh, I've wanted to see this scene for a long time."
The black-haired girl approached Lonis step by step with a sinister smile.
So...
"Dear people of the past, please... please rest peacefully? The former hero, I have now... already returned successfully as Lonis."
Standing at the highest point of the cemetery, Lonis was holding a piece of paper and reading aloud.
Just looking at this behavior, Lonis looked very much like a devout priest comforting the dead, but considering her outfit, it wasn't so.
Her legs were tightly bound together with rope, she wore a collar around her neck, and her light, fluttery white dress and chest that trembled with her breathing made it look more like some strange shameful play.
The later speech was the same:
"Please... please don't worry, everyone. That Princess is currently very healthy... and I... I have also become her exclusive... maid, serving her forever like this. Wear... wearing little dresses, for her..."
These words, one by one, pierced Lonis's heart like nails hammered into it.
It was really too shameful. If there really were souls in the tombstones, seeing her in this shameful state, what expressions would they have?
(Look, the former hero is actually willing to be a slave maid!)
(And wearing such a shameful little dress with white thigh-high stockings—how embarrassing!)
(This person, could she actually want to be a girl and deliberately want to be bullied by the princess?)
......
These words involuntarily came to Lonis's mind.
But Elucia showed no mercy and tugged the collar around her neck: "You fool, what were you just reciting?"
"Eh..."
"It's exclusive slave maid, not exclusive maid. Did you eat those two words 'slave'?"
"Wuu..."
"Read it again."
"No... no way?"
"If you keep dawdling, read it twice."
"Wuu wuu!"
Being in this situation with no choice, no matter how shameful or embarrassed Lonis felt, she could only continue reciting under Elucia's command.
......
......