My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 148: First Act 19: Into the Climax

"What are you doing, Victoria?"

Siena questioned, her suspicion deepening with every step Victoria took towards her.

The air crackled with tension as the two women faced each other, the unsettling scene of the demonic cocoon providing a macabre backdrop to their encounter.

Despite Victoria's telekinetic magic binding Siena's hands, the skilled sword master could easily break through the restraints if she chose to.

The decision to hold back reflected a cautious uncertainty; disrupting the mana in the area could have unforeseen consequences, especially considering the dense energy behind Victoria's binding magic.

The suspiciously demonic cocoon loomed in the background, adding an extra layer of complexity to the situation.

As such Siena can't act recklessly at then moment.

"Calm down, Siena," urged Victoria, her calm demeanor standing in stark contrast to the disturbing scene unfolding before them.

"Huh? Can't you see the demonic-looking thing in front of you, or did your old age get to you?"

Siena retorted, her words carrying a hint of skepticism.

The mention of age was a deliberate choice, a subtle jab at Victoria's known sensitivity about the passing of time.

"...."

Victoria remained silent, her expression unreadable. Instead of engaging in a verbal exchange, she continued to approach Siena and Mila with an air of indifference.

Their bewildered looks, especially Siena's, painted a picture of confusion.

Siena, well aware of Victoria's sensitivity regarding her age, was surprised by her old friend's seemingly nonchalant reaction to the ominous presence in the dungeon as well as her joke.

'She would usually scream at me right now'

Siena thought, reflecting on the usual dynamics of her interactions with Victoria.

While not particularly close, the two had a shared history from their adventuring days, having once formed a small party together.

Those memories felt distant now, buried beneath the weight of time and changing circumstances.

"It looks like you haven't harmed it yet," observed Victoria, her gaze focused on the grotesque cocoon.

"Well, you stopped me"

Siena retorted, a hint of irritation in her voice. The interruption had left her in a state of uncertain readiness, caught between the desire to investigate and the caution urged by the principal's presence.

"I know... it's just, considering your reckless personality, who knows if you've already cut through it. After all, nobody in this academy can probably see your sword," Victoria remarked, acknowledging Siena's unparalleled mastery of sword skills. The compliment, though true, was met with Siena's characteristic defiance.

"What do you mean by reckless? Don't you mean daring? And stop it with the weird compliments; you're not normally one to give me a moment of your appreciation. So, hurry up and tell us what this is?" Siena demanded; her impatience evident.

"Oh, and remove your magic, or I'll break it."

Victoria responded by opening her arms, dispelling the strong bind that had prevented Siena's movements.

The sudden freedom of her arms allowed Siena to regain control, her fingers instinctively reaching for the hilt of her sword.

Behind the two perplexed women, Victoria approached the edge of the cliff, gazing down at the unfolding scene below.

The cocoon, pulsating with dark energy, seemed to be fulfilling its sinister purpose, and the feeder demons carried out their tasks dutifully.

Internally relieved that the reckless woman behind her hadn't damaged it yet, Victoria maintained her composed exterior.

"So, she's that Victoria? One of the only legendary mages who has achieved the rank of Archmage? The one who is considered to reach the top of magic and even rival the Dragon Lord with time?"

Mila's voice grew more excited and louder with each word, revealing a deep admiration for the renowned principal.

"The one and only... Though something seems off about her," Siena remarked, her gaze fixed on Victoria.

The Victoria she knew was known for cracking jokes, exuding an easygoing air, and often attempting to insult Siena or revisit old wounds.

However, the current Victoria seemed unusually quiet, out of focus, and lacking her usual flair.

"Malevolent womb," Victoria's words resonated, casting an unsettling shadow over the minds of Siena and Mila. The name itself carried an air of darkness, hinting at the ominous nature of the cocoon.

"That is its name. It might seem dangerous and rather demonic, which it is, but please don't kill it, as it's rather important for the upcoming dungeon exams," Victoria explained, her voice calm and measured.

"Huh? What the heck are you talking about? Since when were demons okay in an exam?" Siena exclaimed; her disbelief evident.

She couldn't fathom Victoria's nonchalant attitude towards incorporating demons into an academic evaluation.

"I don't know if you forgot, but rankings between magical beasts and monsters may be similar to those of demons, but their strengths and kits are entirely different. Based on what I can feel from that thing, whatever is inside of it will surely wipe out all the students here."

Siena's frustration and concern spilled into her words as she tried to make Victoria understand the gravity of the situation. Demons, unlike other creatures that might populate a dungeon, posed a unique threat.

They were not only dangerous to the students themselves but also to the delicate balance of nature.

The demonic miasma emitted by demons had the potential to drive individuals to madness with just a whiff, and destroys natural energy with just a touch, creating a perilous environment for both human and natural life.

"And where exactly did you get this thing? Why is it here? Start from the beginning, you goofy-ass bitch!" Siena demanded, her frustration boiling over as she pointed her sword directly at Victoria.

The atmosphere in the dungeon became charged with tension as the confrontation escalated.

There was an inherent danger associated with demons, a danger that even high-ranking priests and paladins avoided in direct confrontations.

The malevolent aura surrounding demons made them the epitome of evil in the world.

Based on what Siena could sense from the demon brewing inside the cocoon, it wasn't a mere possession; this was a full-born demon, a genuine malevolent entity raised within the academy's grounds.

This wasn't the same pathetic possessed demonic elves she met at the Kaksan forest this was the real deal a creature made out of negative spiritual nature.

"Fighting the possessed and actual demons are two entirely different things," Siena mused, her thoughts echoing the dangers that lay ahead.

The students, unfamiliar with the intricacies of battling demons, would find themselves at a severe disadvantage.

Precise control of their auras and mana would be essential, a skill set that only a few possessed.

"Students would need precise control of their auras and mana to even have hope of damaging the demon. So, unless you're quite skilled in handling your core energy or have natural divine power in your body, you're basically screwed when fighting demons."

"And as far as I could tell nobody here at the academy has those specific set of skills except for my disciple…!"

Siena's words underscored the gravity of the situation. The malevolent womb harbored a genuine demon, and the academy's decision to include it in the upcoming dungeon exams posed a significant risk to the students and to make matters worse everything felt like a set up for her disciple for some reason.

Siena, despite her frustration, understood Victoria's character well. She knew that, beneath the goofy exterior, Victoria cared deeply for the staff and students at Estelle Academy.

There had to be a reason behind allowing the malevolent womb to nurture within the academy's confines.

Despite Victoria's occasional irresponsibility, when it came to matters regarding the lives of those within the academy, Siena knew Victoria would be the first to act.

"Like I said, calm down, Siena. Why are you so agitated?" Victoria spoke calmly, her gaze still fixed gently on the malevolent womb.

"Huh!? Calm down? This woman is really spouting nonsense now? You expect me to be calm after seeing that? And not only that, you're acting suspicious as heck right now. If I didn't consider you a friend, your limbs would've been separated from your body as I ask you questions" Siena retorted, her frustration evident as she kept her sword pointed at Victoria.

"It may seem dangerous, but it's really not. This thing is quite important for the test, you see..." Victoria began to explain, attempting to ease the tension in the air.

"Stop messing around and speaking in riddles. Explain it to me directly," demanded Siena, her impatience growing.

"The thing inside it, as you can tell, is a demon, but it's not really one?"

"What do you mean?" Mila interjected, seeking clarification from Victoria.

Victoria turned her attention towards Mila, her eyes widening in surprise at the considerable amount of magic the young girl possessed.

"Who are you?"

Victoria inquired, realizing that this was the first time she had encountered Mila. The girl had managed to elude her notice for quite some time, often hiding behind Siena whenever they moved.

"I'm Mila. It's nice to finally meet you, Archon Victoria. I'm Boss's partner and number one subordinate," Mila introduced herself proudly, attempting to contain her excitement as she spoke to one of her idols.

"I see, so she's the one you keep speaking of, Siena? She truly does possess quite the unnatural set of talents," Victoria remarked as she looked at Mila quite closely, acknowledging Mila's capabilities. It wasn't every day that she could encounter a mage similar to her in strength.

"Yeah," Siena responded, gently patting Mila's head from her side. "If only she wasn't quite so rowdy, she'd be perfect." Despite Mila shooting an angry look at Siena, the latter chose to ignore her

"Back to your question, Miss Mila, you're both correct in guessing that this thing is a demon, but it isn't exactly one in a conventional sense. As you both know, there are a number of ways to call demons into our world, but there are only three that are known to be effective. One is to summon the demon directly through sacrifices and ritual, two is through open possessions, and lastly is to open the gates of hell itself, which is downright impossible for us mortals. But this thing here doesn't belong to any of those categories; in fact, it doesn't belong to any at all," explained Victoria, unraveling the nature of the malevolent womb.

Mila pondered Victoria's words for a moment before understanding the implications.

It didn't make sense that it didn't belong to any established categories.

Demonic summoning always followed rules and procedures. If someone was bypassing or creating new methods, it could only mean one thing—they had enough knowledge to do so.

"Don't tell me this is—" Mila began, her eyes widening with realization.

"Yes, it's an artificial one," Siena affirmed, smiling as she looked at Mila, appreciating her quick mind.

"So, it was actually possible? How? If you knew of this, why didn't you report it to the Magic Tower? This is a discovery that will be talked about for centuries..." Mila expressed her surprise and curiosity.

Mila's reaction mirrored the profound implications of their discovery.

The creation of an artificial demon was a groundbreaking revelation, a discovery that could reshape the understanding of demons, magical beasts, and mythical creatures.

Demons, in particular, were elusive and perilous beings, making them challenging to study.

The knowledge of how to artificially create them represented a significant advancement, surpassing the value of any material wealth.

Mila's inquiry raised valid questions.

The Magic Tower, an institution dedicated to the study and regulation of magic, would undoubtedly be interested in such a monumental breakthrough.

However, Victoria's decision to keep this information within the confines of Estelle Academy hinted at a complex motive.

'If she truly follows the code of mages, she should've had shared her knowledge right away'

"Serioulsy, you filthy mages just casually accepting things that would destroy the environment all for just a speck of knowledge!" screamed Siena in frustration. "And you, Mila, stop admiring what this woman has done. She's basically admitting to demonic summoning. If you get involved with her, the church would come after you like me."

"You don't understand, boss. This is a discovery of the century. With this, we can have deeper knowledge about demons in general—" Mila attempted to explain.

"Oh, shut it, Mila. I don't want to hear anymore. Demons are demons, artificial or not. This one is still dangerous. Can't you feel the amount of demonic energy coming off of that thing? The moment that thing comes out, this dungeon is screwed," Siena retorted in annoyance as she proceeded to grab the handle of her sword.

The tension in the air escalated as conflicting perspectives collided.

Siena's frustration stemmed from her inherent mistrust of anything related to demons especially after what happened back at the forest as she also encountered an unknown demon there that gave her the chills, her natural hatred towards demons was a sentiment shared by many due to their malevolent nature.

Mila, on the other hand, saw the potential for knowledge and advancement in the discovery, blurring the lines between the pursuit of understanding and the potential risks involved.

"Wait, like I said, calm down, Siena," Victoria urged, attempting to diffuse the escalating tension.

"I am calm, BITCH!!!" Siena retorted, her frustration boiling over.

"Sure... But even if you destroy it here, it would cause more problems than solve it. The moment you destroy this at its infant stage, the bundle of demonic energy inside it would spread everywhere, corrupting this very dungeon. It could produce an abundance of demonic creatures that would be much more dangerous and troublesome to deal with than one demon, especially for the students."

"Are you saying we should just let it be?" Siena questioned; her skepticism evident.

"Yes, like I told you, this thing is quite important, Siena. Aren't you curious as to why the church isn't chasing you around as usual, Siena? Normally, you would get a visit from one or two templar assassins every week, but now you're relatively peaceful," Victoria explained.

"What does the church have to do with your shady activities?" Siena retorted; suspicion etched on her face.

Suddenly, Victoria threw a letter at Siena. "Read that, and I'm sure you would understand the whole situation. It's a letter the Pope personally gave me. I wasn't supposed to show it to anybody else, but considering how suspicious I look right now, I'll give it to you."

Siena stared at the letter, recognizing that its length hinted at the gravity of its contents. Whatever was inside was significant enough for Victoria to break protocol.

"Trust me, Siena. Do you think I would put anything here randomly that could personally endanger the lives of the students? And besides, I'm quite sure whatever the result of this experiment is, it would help out the students in the long run. So just trust me, okay?" Victoria implored, smiling gently at Siena.

"S-she's right, boss. I didn't notice it at first, but there's an abundance of hidden magical defenses here and there surrounding this whole dungeon. I can even see some celestial magic circles in the mix," Mila exclaimed, in awe of the intricate magical defenses scattered throughout the area.

Siena surveyed the surroundings, acknowledging the presence of the concealed magical safeguards.

After a moment of contemplation, she sighed, releasing her grip on her sword's handle. Glancing at the letter once more, she decided to postpone reading it for now.

Instead, she directed her gaze back at Victoria, reassessing the situation. Siena knew Victoria well enough to trust that there was more to the story than met the eye.

"I'll leave it alone for now, but... I have a condition," Siena declared.

"Sure" Victoria replied, willingly accepting whatever conditions Siena might propose.

With that, the nightly visit of the two unexpected variables came to an end.

Siena watched the two-disappearing figures in the distance and sighed in relief.

...

"Good job, my disciple. Your ways of speaking lies are truly becoming better and better with each day," praised a boy floating above Victoria, gently patting her head.

"Yes... thank you, Master Loki," replied Victoria, a hint of obedience in her voice.

Loki, grinned down at Victoria, his eyes filled with a playful glint.

"With this, the players are set. I can't wait for this initial play's climax next week. Hehehe."