"Glug, glug."
Baron Aaron was chugging red wine directly from the bottle. He rarely drank, but this time he was exceptionally distressed.
"Haa... how did I not see it before? That guy is so stubborn. Hmph, stubborn, just like a human."
Already slightly tipsy, he slammed the bottle, which still held some dregs, heavily onto the table. Aaron leaned back in his chair, his bald head flushing slightly red.
"You have unexpectedly low alcohol tolerance, huh."
A familiar voice suddenly came from the doorway, and Aaron froze instantly.
Pure white, silky hair draped down. Although stained with a few drops of fresh blood, it possessed a strange beauty. Her black robe was covered in bloodstains on the front. Nanoda leaned against the doorframe as if nothing had happened, her two pale arms crossed, her gray eyes looking at Baron Aaron slumped in the chair.
"Nanoda? Am I hallucinating? Did you come back from hell to find me, wanting to take my life?"
Baron Aaron squinted, looking at Nanoda who had appeared silently before him, his voice trembling slightly.
"Are you drunk, or is your brain broken? When did I go to hell?"
Nanoda looked at Aaron's flushed bald head, speaking quite speechlessly.
"Didn't you... get into a fight with the Hero?"
"Yeah. Let's just say we fought to a shallow draw."
"Huh?"
Fought to a draw. Hearing this, Baron Aaron bounced up from his chair in excitement, his eyes slowly widening.
"You fought that guy to a draw? What about the Hero? Where is the Hero now?"
"He left. Did you expect him to keep company with a Demon like me?"
"Heavens, are you that strong?"
Baron Aaron stroked his hot head, somewhat in disbelief.
After a moment of silence, Nanoda spoke.
"Aaron, I'm leaving soon."
"Leaving? Where are you going?"
"If I continue to stay here, I'll bring trouble to this place. If the Northern Empire discovers you're colluding with the Demon Race, it will trigger a war, right?"
Hearing these words, Baron Aaron opened his mouth, then fell silent again.
Seeing he didn't answer, Nanoda continued to voice her thoughts.
"Besides, just staying in this place and having good relations with the people here won't truly eliminate the hatred between Humans and Demons. Even if you accept us, the Empire won't. So I decided I want to go out and travel, to go out and find a way to truly coexist peacefully with humans."
Nanoda's tone was flat, but Aaron could feel her firm determination. Sighing, Aaron nodded.
"Is there anything you want before you go? I can satisfy your requests as best I can."
"I'll just go to the armory to get some weapons for self-defense. Oh, right, where did Yuna go? I also want to say a proper goodbye to her. After all, she counts as my first disciple in name."
"She tried to block the Hero for you and got knocked out. The servants already reported to me; she wasn't injured. I arranged for her to rest well in her own room."
"Truly a foolish girl."
Nanoda frowned, while Baron Aaron shrugged his shoulders.
"However, she was really brave. I'll go see her first then. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be leaving tomorrow."
"Heh, alright then. Seeing you return safe and sound, she will definitely be very happy."
Nanoda was about to leave when Baron Aaron suddenly called out to her again.
"Wait, go take a bath and change your clothes first. You reek of blood."
"Oh, oh, I forgot."
————
Not far from the Gaderia Territory.
"Go back, don't go back, go back, don't go back, go back, don't go back, go back!"
"No, no, one more flower!"
Aura was picking at a wildflower in her hands. She was currently very conflicted.
Having witnessed Nanoda's strength, Aura realized that staying by Nanoda's side felt much safer than hiding and wandering around alone. But she was under the Magic of Obedience; if Nanoda ordered her around at will again, where would her dignity as one of the Seven Sages of Destruction be?
"...Why is it 'go back' again?!"
She threw away the bald wildflower in her hand. Aura hesitated for a moment, then grabbed another one from the side.
Wildflowers: Do we have a grudge against you?
————
The Lord's Manor's bathhouse was large; stuffing a few dozen people in wouldn't be a problem. At this moment, only Nanoda was enjoying it.
"Splash."
Soaking in the huge bath, Nanoda felt an unprecedented comfort. The fatigue from fighting the Hero was alleviated, and she narrowed her eyes in enjoyment.
After soaking for about a quarter of an hour, Nanoda, who was entirely buried in the water, slowly stood up to wipe herself dry.
"Mm, it should be bigger than Frieren's."
Looking at her own slightly undulating figure, Nanoda comforted herself.
The servants of the Lord's Manor sent her a black dress. It looked a bit like Frieren's, only with an extra layer of ruffles at the hem.
"Mm, it's quite comfortable."
In front of the mirror, lightly grinding her bare feet against the floor, Nanoda spun around, sizing herself up.
Pure white long hair drifted softly. Her skin was fair and smooth, glowing with a faint luster. With her left eye obscured by half a lock of hair, her golden vertical pupil was faintly visible. Paired with this black dress, her whole person revealed a mysterious, elegant beauty.
"Mm, is this really me?"
Compared to her usual self wrapped tightly in a black robe, it was a world of difference.
Shaking her head, Nanoda stopped thinking about it and picked up the pair of pitch-black broken horns from the ground.
She placed the broken horns against the break points on her head to compare; they fit seamlessly. If she used a bit of glue, it seemed they could be reattached.
"Ah, the original owner was really crazy. How did she snap these horns off..."
Putting the broken horns down, Nanoda conjured the leg bag again, stuffed them inside, and covered it with her skirt hem so they were invisible again.
Exiting the bathhouse, Nanoda walked straight toward Yuna's room.
Click, the door opened.
"Is it Uncle Aaron?"
Thinking it was Aaron coming to visit her again, Yuna looked curiously at the visitor.
When she saw Nanoda entering wearing a black dress, Yuna was stunned.
"Lady Angel...?"
"?"
"Ah no, Lady Nanoda, welcome back!"
Her eyes grew hot, and tears welled up from her sockets. Yuna's face, originally somewhat melancholic, finally revealed a smile.
"You, really. You're still a crybaby just like when we first met."
Nanoda smiled faintly, slowly stroking the girl's head.
"Woo woo... I'm just too happy."
"Alright, I came back to find you."
Gently wiping away Yuna's tears, at such close distance, Yuna's heart suddenly began to beat wildly. Looking at Nanoda's beautiful face, a blush climbed up Yuna's cheeks.
Heavens! Why is Lady Nanoda so beautiful today! She is simply my goddess!
Yuna's heart was screaming.
Before Yuna could be happy for too long, Nanoda told Yuna the fact and reason for her departure.
"Is there anything you want before I leave? I will try my best to satisfy you. After all, you are the first disciple I accepted."
Nanoda tried to keep her tone gentle because she saw the fleeting disappointment in Yuna's eyes.
Hearing this sentence, Yuna's eyes lit up again.
"Lady Nanoda, Yuna wants to go on a date with Lady Nanoda tomorrow for the whole day!"
"Huh?"
____
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