"Mr. Akira, it's time to take your medicine."
"Ah~"
Ivsha gently pinched the alluring succubus candy between her fingertips and placed it into Kurose Akira's mouth. Threads of magic slowly rippled through the candy, seeping in and gradually restoring his depleted mana.
Strictly speaking, the succubus candy itself—being one of Ivsha's advancement materials—did not possess any innate mana-restoration properties.
However—
Ivsha's magical fluids contained an astonishing concentration of mana.
Through delicate control of her own power, she skillfully transferred that mana to Akira, easing the exhaustion caused by the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly's relentless draining.
This unique method of mana replenishment was undoubtedly Ivsha's specialty—and her favorite thing to do.
Of course, Akira had to pay a certain price for it.
His holy light… was still flickering deep within Ivsha's soul.
And just as Akira was gradually sinking under Ivsha's influence, a voice suddenly echoed within his mind.
"This succubus… she's merely a special individual split from primordial lust mana, yet her desire is this intense? As expected of something born from the Demon Mother—"
The voice of the Vampire Progenitor, Canlutiya, rang out in Akira's consciousness, instantly drawing his attention.
Primordial lust mana?
Although Akira already knew that Ivsha was a fragment differentiated from Idis, the term "primordial lust mana" was completely new to him.
And more importantly—
Why did Canlutiya stop halfway through her sentence?!
Could you finish your thought already?!
The Demon Mother's what, exactly?!
Forget it!
No time for this right now!
I'll just release a Holy Light Bloom later and interrogate her properly!
...
Two hours later, Ivsha left Akira's room looking thoroughly satisfied.
With her help, Akira's mana exhaustion had been alleviated. Although his legs still trembled slightly, he was at least able to struggle into a seated position on the bed.
Just as Ivsha stepped out, a slender figure silently appeared at the doorway, cold eyes fixed on Akira's weakened form.
A chill crept over Akira. He turned his head—only to find Lucia staring at him with her gold-red eyes.
"Lucia? When did you get here?" Akira asked, instinctively pulling the blanket up to cover the exhausted holy light.
"When you were about to take your medicine," Lucia replied coolly.
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the messy bed. The lingering traces of holy light made her frown slightly, her heart filling with confusion—and unwillingness.
She had personally experienced the power of that holy light.
It had been nearly unbearable.
And yet Ivsha could reduce it to this state…
Wait.
What am I even thinking?
Am I—the Pope—seriously comparing myself to a succubus?
Ridiculous.
Lucia's gold-red eyes flickered faintly as she forcefully banished the absurd thought.
Meanwhile, upon hearing her answer, an inexplicable sense of panic welled up in Akira's chest.
He didn't even know what he was panicking about—only that it felt uncomfortably like being caught in the act.
Still, he quickly regained his composure.
Calmly, he said, "I need to change my clothes. Could you close the door for me?"
"..."
Lucia gave him a cold glance, then gently shut the door.
"Haa…"
The moment the door closed, Akira let out a long sigh of relief. The enclosed space gave him a peculiar sense of safety.
After getting dressed, he began tidying up the slightly chaotic room.
The sheer amount of holy light residue surprised him.
Ivsha had been unusually careless today—she'd really made a mess of things.
Once everything was cleaned up, Akira finally stepped out, satisfied.
It was already evening—around six o'clock.
Lucia and the others were seated in the guild hall, discussing something. When Akira appeared, everyone's gaze turned toward him almost simultaneously.
"What are you all talking about?"
Akira walked over and asked Lucia.
"Miss Lucia received some intelligence regarding the current situation in the Stellar Kingdom," Loserine explained.
"The Stellar Kingdom's situation?" Akira turned to Lucia, curiosity surfacing on his face.
"Mmm."
Lucia nodded lightly, lifted her teacup with elegant composure, and took a small sip before speaking.
"The Church of Light has confirmed that Princess Vivian of the Stellar Kingdom intends to initiate the highest-level Stellar Ritual—to seek power beyond that of a demigod."
"Power beyond a demigod?"
Akira narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The Stellar Ritual is the foundation upon which the Stellar Kingdom maintains its strength," Loserine continued. "It requires an enormous investment of manpower and resources. As one of the weaker human kingdoms, the Stellar Kingdom currently relies on a single demigod-rank Stellar Knight to preserve peace and order. But with demon activity surging, and the kingdom positioned on the front lines, that level of strength is no longer sufficient to contend with the abyssal demons."
"Thus," she concluded, "Princess Vivian hopes to enhance the kingdom's military power by activating the highest-level Stellar Ritual—to safeguard national security."
Akira fell silent for a moment.
He already possessed a basic understanding of the Magic Continent and the history of the Stellar Kingdom.
The reason the kingdom contained so many demon lairs was because its territory lay along the edge of the continent's earliest battlefield against the Abyss.
During that primordial war, a great sage deeply versed in stellar studies sacrificed his own life to summon seven Valkyries from the divine realm.
With their aid, the Magic Continent successfully repelled the Abyss. Later generations built a nation upon the foundation of the Seven Valkyrie Flowers they left behind.
Over a thousand years, the Stellar Kingdom gradually evolved into its present form.
Whenever large-scale demon invasions occurred, the Stellar Kingdom always stood at the very front.
Naturally, other kingdoms would immediately send reinforcements—an understanding forged through countless wars against demonkind.
From a continental perspective, the Stellar Kingdom seemed to suffer the most, playing the role of a vanguard.
Yet the Seven Valkyrie Flowers it possessed were unmatched by any other nation.
Their power was so formidable that even the Sun Theocracy treated them with caution.
And then there was the Stellar Ritual left behind by the great sage—allowing the royal family to commune with stellar power.
Despite being one of the youngest kingdoms, the Stellar Kingdom consistently ranked third among human nations.
"To activate the highest-level Stellar Ritual," Lucia added, "requires an immense amount of mana."
"That's why Stellar Kingdom soldiers are actively collecting demon corpses. These bodies contain vast quantities of mana—but it's impure and must be purified before being used as sacrificial fuel."
"So that's how it is…"
Akira nodded lightly, understanding dawning on him.
As for why Princess Vivian was so desperate for power—
It was likely due to the resurgence of demon lairs. After centuries of dormancy, they seemed ready to launch another invasion of the Magic Continent.
As the king's most favored daughter—and a possible future monarch—Vivian naturally felt compelled to act.
"However…"
Lucia frowned slightly, her voice soft but heavy.
"The current situation within the Stellar Kingdom is already extremely chaotic. The king's life is hanging by a thread, and every prince and duke is eyeing the throne. Under such circumstances, Princess Vivian's chances of successfully conducting the Stellar Ritual are almost nonexistent."
"Mm."
Akira nodded in agreement. The internal turmoil of the Stellar Kingdom was clearly far more severe than it appeared on the surface.
On top of that, demon infiltrators were lurking within the nation.
Vivian would not ascend the throne easily.
"Aren't you on good terms with that baroness?" Lucia glanced at Akira and suggested calmly. "Perhaps you could speak with her. She should have a deeper understanding of the situation."
"…You're right."
Akira nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in thought.