"Since you saw it… Elsa—the woman with the dagger, the one with vampire traits—could she be resurrected?"
"Resurrect the dead…"
Echidna muttered, then asked rhetorically, "Do you think it's possible?"
"You are said to know all knowledge. Even if I think it impossible, I came hoping 'Echidna might have a way,' right?"
"Though your trust moves me but…"
Lillian tensed at her "but"—in any world, "but" rarely leads to good news.
"… it is possible."
"What did you say?"
Lillian, prepared for the worst, felt a sudden surge of hope at her words.
Echidna laughed softly, reclining gracefully in her chair, hands folded on her lap. "Her body is destroyed. So is mine. Yet here we are, conversing at this tea party."
Lillian understood immediately—she could intervene despite their corporeal states.
"You mean… her soul still exists?"
Indeed, at present, Echidna herself was merely a soul—her physical body had long been destroyed by the Witch of Envy. If she could exist in such a state, then perhaps Elsa could as well…
"Her soul has not perished," Echidna replied. Her gaze, which had been resting on Lillian's face, slowly shifted downward. "As for where it is… can't you guess?"
On… me?
Seeing her look at him, Lillian instinctively thought so. But the next moment, he realized she was likely hinting at the gospel book on his body.
"In… the gospel book Beatrice holds?"
At the time, the closest gospel book had been Beatrice's. If Echidna had used that book to absorb Elsa's soul…
"Correct."
The Witch of Greed confirmed it. Lillian's mood instantly brightened—but her next words caused his brows to knit tightly.
"Her soul was damaged. Even I cannot determine how long she must sleep. Moreover… unlike me, she has no body to anchor her soul. Even if she awakens, only destruction awaits her."
"…You should have a solution, right?"
Echidna blinked lightly. "It is said that the blood of the Divine Dragon Volcanica possesses miraculous effects—so great that even reconstructing a body is possible."
"…"
The Divine Dragon Volcanica's blood.
Are you trying to push me down Roswaal's path… Echidna?
Lillian looked at the faintly smiling witch, utterly unable to tell whether her words were true. Blindly trusting her would be reckless—but if he did not, she was currently his only hope.
"What? Do you also worship the 'Divine Dragon'?" Echidna asked.
"No," Lillian replied. "I have no faith."
"Is that so? How strange," Echidna said. "Most people possess faith—it serves as the foundation of their actions and the source of their strength."
"Perhaps. But I don't need such a thing."
"How interesting."
Lillian truly had no faith. There were people he admired, yes—but admiration never rose to the level of belief. He understood that everyone had many sides: one might inspire reverence, while another could provoke disgust. As for "gods," even less so. After everything he had experienced, he clearly understood that even a god was merely a unique and powerful form of life. Compared to humans, they might easily destroy them, but there was no inherent superiority or inferiority between them.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" Echidna asked with great interest. "Does that woman named Elsa matter enough to you that you would set your sights on the Divine Dragon? You should know—it could annihilate you effortlessly, both body and soul."
"… "
Since arriving in this world, Lillian had heard the words "Divine Dragon" countless times. Yet no matter how often he heard them, he felt no reverence.
In his view, even the dragon's protection of the Kingdom of Lugunica could not be without cost, nor could its actions be called "justice."
There were countless nations across the continent, with four major kingdoms constantly at war. Why, then, did the Divine Dragon aid only Lugunica? Why did it use its immense power to repel invaders whenever Lugunica was attacked?
Was everything Lugunica did more "just" than the actions of other nations? Clearly not. Therefore, Lillian believed that this protection must come at a price—that some form of transaction existed.
Otherwise, a truly "just" god would do nothing at all.
It would help no one and interfere with no one. The moment it favored any side, it ceased to be just. In fact, only a being without desire or position could truly be called a god—any intervention in human conflicts would merely amount to taking sides.
Thus, although Lugunica revered the Divine Dragon nationwide—even calling itself the "Dragon Kingdom"—other nations did not hold such fervent devotion. Believers existed elsewhere, of course, but neither their numbers nor their zeal compared to those of Lugunica.
To treat such a being as an object of faith would, to Lillian, be sheer absurdity.
As for "setting his sights" on it—
Lillian did not think in the confrontational manner Echidna suggested.
Why assume conflict? Why think only in terms of: I want what you have, so I'll take it by force? Why not instead think: I want what you have, and I'll offer something you lack in exchange?
The Divine Dragon possessed intelligence and maintained an alliance with Lugunica. That meant if Lillian could find it, he could negotiate to achieve his goal.
"I want some of your blood. It's precious, of course. In exchange, I can offer something—what would you desire?"
Wouldn't such negotiation work? There was no need to fight a battle or forcibly "slay the dragon"—unless, of course, the dragon refused any negotiation.
"If dragon blood truly works, then I'll find a way to obtain some," Lillian said calmly, without hesitation, as if stating a simple fact.
"How confident you are. You still don't know what you would be facing."
"It doesn't matter what it is. But if what you've told me is a lie, you understand that there will be consequences."
Echidna's expression shifted repeatedly, as if she had just heard the most outrageous words imaginable. "In this situation… are you threatening a witch?"
"Yes."
"…"
It took her quite some time to recover. She raised a hand to her forehead, looking troubled.
"Honestly… as a being pursued and feared by the world, this is the first time I've been treated like this." Even her troubled expression was exquisitely beautiful. Resting her cheek in her palm, she tilted her head slightly and asked, "Then tell me—if I were lying, how would you take revenge? I'm already dead, after all. You cannot kill me again."
"Then I'll destroy this dream."
"Can you really?"
The moment Echidna spoke, her expression changed drastically. She stared at the wisp of golden flame ignited at the tip of Lillian's right index finger. Just that single strand caused the space around him to warp slightly.
"If I amplify this a hundredfold, that should be enough."
Lillian curled his finger, and the golden flame vanished. Its suppressive power over this mental realm was extraordinarily obvious, and by revealing it, he made it clear that his threat was no empty boast.
Echidna's reaction, however, came as something of a surprise to Lillian. The expression on her face was not so much worry or fear as it was curiosity and delight. The light filling her dark pupils clearly conveyed one thing—an intense thirst for knowledge.
"Golden mana, taking the form of flame…" As the Witch of Greed, Echidna's pursuit of knowledge never ceased. "It even carries a trace of spiritual power—an energy I have never seen before."