“Carla. Lie down here.”
“Yes, Master.”
Carla quickly positioned herself on the sunbed, completely laid flat.
While she could tan her front side by herself, she couldn’t reach her back, so I decided to apply the lotion for her.
A decision with a hint of mutual interest.
As I took out the tanning cream, Carla slowly laid down.
Her spotless white back, graceful limbs, and the side of her face peeking out, looking at me intently.
All of this together made Carla exude a delicate, almost fragile aura, like a well-crafted piece of art–beautiful to the point that you want to touch it but are afraid it might break.
However, this only fueled my desire to hold her even more.“I’m lying down, Master!”
Well, these days, she mostly just acts like a well-behaved dog rather than maintaining that delicate aura.
I chuckled and patted Carla’s back.
“I know. I was just admiring the view for a moment.”
“Admiring what? Me?”
“Yeah. More precisely, you in the swimsuit I picked out for you.”
No matter how many times I saw it, I knew I made a good choice.
Carla nodded silently, then smiled bashfully.
“Are you just going to look?”
“Of course not. I’m going to untie the strap now, so don’t move.”
“Okay.”
Feeling like unwrapping a gift, I untied the knot of her bikini on her back.
With a soft rustle, the strap fell to the side, revealing the side of her breast. Without taking my eyes off, I opened the tanning cream I had prepared.
“Oh…”
The lid opened, releasing a perfect blend of vanilla and strawberry scent.
Even though I had smelled it before, it still amazed me.
Both the fruit-flavored potion and this cream showed Faye’s knack for creating flavors and scents.
There was a tear-jerking story behind it, where, before receiving sponsorship, she didn’t have money for jam and used these potions on bread.
Smiling, I spread the tanning cream evenly on my palm. The texture sticking to the skin felt oddly pleasant.
“Can you handle the rest if I only do your back?”
“I’d prefer if you did everywhere, but since there are others around, it can’t be helped.”
I placed my hand on Carla’s back as she laughed.
“Eek!”
Carla flinched with a smiling face. The sensation under my fingertips made me chuckle.
“Is it cold?”
“You knew that and still put it on right away…?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see you squirm like that.”
“…Master, you’re cute but sometimes quite mischievous.”
“I don’t think I’m cute.”
“Well, you look that way to me.”
Was this similar to how I found Iris, who was 500 years older than me, cute?
Tilting my head, I started to move my hand on Carla’s back in earnest.
Her pouty face quickly relaxed.
The soft skin and smooth cream’s texture. The warmth of her body rising and falling with her breath asserted Carla’s presence.
Her slender neck, gently curved shoulder blades, and the hollow of her back. When my hand reached her waist, I finally spoke.
“Carla.”
“Yes, cute Master?”
She sounded quite pleased. But the conversation was about to turn serious.
“Your father. Theodore Lindelheit, I mean.”
“…Yes.”
The suddenly turned traitor, the great magician, who sought the knowledge of Evil Gods to reach the realm of the divine. The last head of the magical Lindelheit family.
And the reason Carla became a slave.
At the mention of Theodore’s name, Carla’s previously bright voice dropped.
A topic we had avoided until now. But it was time to talk about it.
“Do you really think he became a follower of an Evil God?”
“……”
Carla remained silent. Sometimes, silence itself is an answer.
“You don’t think so, right?”
“M-Master, I…”
“It’s okay. I don’t think so either.”
Carla, who was about to say something, shut her mouth. Her ruby-red eyes widened in surprise.
I gently pressed Carla back down as she tried to get up and continued speaking.
“It sounds plausible when you just listen. Those who seek power often become obsessed and fall. It happens often.”
There’s always a shortcut. It might look like a shortcut at first glance, and seem like it bypasses a solid wall….
There’s a reason such followers don’t become mainstream.
Magic or aura… they’re ultimately controlled by will. A trick to break through the wall just brings a bigger wall, and eventually, it consumes you.
Though I haven’t encountered them yet, there were cases in large dungeons managed by the state where you might encounter human enemies like cultists or looters, as well as the rare madman.
Mad magicians or knights who fled into the dungeon to escape pursuit or went mad fighting in the dungeon.
Some people even use this to forcefully elevate their status and use the madman’s traits for automatic combat. But…
It’s possible in games, but becoming such a madman in reality is undesirable.
The important point is that these madmen appear from time to time. And the higher the rank, the more frequently they appear.
A magician or knight who reaches a high level would naturally have a strong desire for improvement.
As a result, when they hit a wall, they can’t easily give up and tend to deviate.
Theodore was also treated as one of them.
Though rare, mad, great magicians do indeed exist.
The dimensional rift that triggered the War of the Gods was also an accident caused by the experiment of a half-mad great magician.
“The accusation that Theodore Lindelheit is a cultist… At first, no one believed it.”
“That’s right. I was comforted at the academy, thinking something must have gone wrong.”
“But when the evidence was presented, public opinion turned completely.”
Even the United Divine Orders, which had set out to verify it, nodded in agreement.
The evidence presented was substantial, with each piece containing decisive content.
“But it was all fabricated evidence.”
“What?”
I repeated to the astonished Carla.
“It was all a scam orchestrated by the Boiling Silence Church.”
“……”
Why was the Lindelheit family called the magical Lindelheit family?
Because every generation produced at least one great magician.
Even Iris, who lived for 500 years, was only at the end of being a high magician, yet every generation had at least one great magician.
The status of a great magician could only be reached if time, talent, and luck all aligned.
But the Lindelheit family was different. The dragon’s essence flowing through their blood, since their ancestor’s awakening, gave them talent that defied common sense.
All dragons naturally became great magicians as they aged, so those born with a dragon’s heart were no different.
Hence, they would have been a thorn in the side of the cultists.
Hiding in the shadows, amassing power, and now, with the liberation of the Evil Gods imminent, they wouldn’t leave such a family be.
“They must have put in a lot of effort.”
First, they planted a spy within the Lindelheit family. Raised as a servant from childhood, and eventually became the head butler who first accused Theodore.
The silent Servis was a follower of the Boiling Silence.
“Head Butler Servis?! That can’t be! My father said he took him in when he was less than seven years old…”
“That was also a disguise. He’s at least 20 years older than you know.”
Why could the Boiling Silence Church remain hidden until now, and why couldn’t they be completely rooted out even after my accusation?
The reason was simple. Their powers were well-suited to hiding their true nature.
They could even imitate divine power, so why not lie about their age?
Servis was a confirmed cultist and a mid-boss we would fight later on.
“Of course, he wasn’t the only one who infiltrated. But Servis was certainly the head of the spies in the Lindelheit family.”
There were others who infiltrated the United Divine Orders, the Levantin Empire’s officials, and even an apostle candidate hiding in the Imperial Family.
The Boiling Silence made every effort to bring down the Lindelheit family… and they succeeded.
“But why did my father accept execution quietly? If it was all false accusations, he should have fought back…”
“Because you were the hostage, Carla.”
“Oh.”
A great magician stands at the pinnacle of power. Political and physical pressures are of little use to such a transcendent being.
But Theodore Lindelheit was still human. A father who dearly loved his daughter.
“There was a spy at the academy too. I’m not sure now since they graduated, but… someone close to you was likely a follower of the Boiling Silence.”
“…So if my father caused trouble, they would have killed me immediately?”
“Exactly.”
The Boiling Silence Church was thoroughly hidden. Theodore chose to save his daughter rather than gamble against an unknown enemy.
He likely made a deal to accept execution quietly in exchange for sparing his daughter’s life.
A great magician capable of pulling off such schemes would certainly have no trouble framing Carla without any evidence.
Not that they couldn’t, but they chose not to.
And as promised, they ensured Carla’s safety by sentencing her to slavery instead of execution.
But with the magic suppressors weighing her down, fighting the swordmaster dispatched by the Levantin Empire was nearly impossible.
Theodore died before his daughter’s eyes, and Carla, who witnessed her father’s death, was sent to the slave market, leading to the present.
Even after applying the tanning cream, my hand lingered on her back.
After tying her swimsuit back, Carla finally got up.
“Did you know, Master?”
“Yes.”
“And you stayed quiet?”
“There was no other choice.”
At the time, I was just a treasure goblin without any power.
Even those much stronger than me, both politically and physically, were silently purged when they tried to defend Theodore. How could I step in?
“I’m sorry, Master. You’re right. There were people trying to help my father and me, but they all suddenly lost contact.”
Carla bowed her head and then raised it again. But her ruby eyes still shone with dark gloom.
“Why are you telling me this now? It would have been better if I didn’t know…”
“Because I’m different now.”
“Huh?”
Now, I had some power and gained fame and achievements by crushing several cultists.
Moreover, with Saintess Helena, the first in 300 years, backing me, I had the unconditional support of the Church of Righteous Radiance.
“At least I have a voice now.”
Of course, it was difficult right now. Whatever I say, the Boiling Silence Church would erase or fabricate evidence.
“But one day, we’ll clear your father’s name. When all the Evil Gods are dead, the cultist church will fall too.”
We can’t turn back time. But we can restore honor.
And… we can achieve revenge.
Carla, who had been silently thinking for a long time, slowly opened her lips.
“Master…”
“Yes.”
“So you knew I was falsely accused and enslaved, and yet you treated me so roughly from the first day?”
“Is that important right now?!”
“It’s important to me!”
Though she laughed, I stammered.
“I’m kidding. I know nothing would have changed. I’m just glad I was sold to you. But take responsibility.”
“Responsibility…?”
“Even if everything works out and I’m no longer a slave, keep treating me with love, as you promised, Master.”
“Of course.”
“And make me your slave again.”
“???”
I stared in disbelief, but all I saw was Carla’s mischievous smile.
Right. She did go a bit crazy during her slave training.
So many conflicting feelings.
After applying cream to Elisha, Iris, Faye, and Iona in turn, we all enjoyed sunbathing together before returning to the church.
“The Righteous Radiance has awakened, Brother Yandel.”
Helena said, with lion ears made of light appearing on her head.
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