"The ability to disguise."
"And a Teigu user?"
A glint flashed in Linde's eyes.
He used his penetrating ability to see through all disguises.
It was a tall girl with a youthful and pretty face, long, smooth, silky pink hair extending to her hips, and the aura of a girl next door.
Her collar was slightly open, revealing a hint of cleavage.
Her waist was slender, further accentuating the perfect curve of her full chest.
Below her black pleated skirt, a pair of black thigh-high socks encased her legs.
As she moved, one could faintly glimpse the scenery beneath her skirt.
It really was her.
After clearly seeing her face, a smile appeared on Linde's lips.
He was just worrying about the last piece of the Night Raid puzzle.
And she delivered herself right to him.
When luck strikes, there's no stopping it.
Noticing Linde's gaze, Chelsea's eyes also flickered slightly.
"Did I expose myself?"
"No, impossible."
"The disguise ability of [Transformation Gaian Foundation] should be flawless."
"Regardless, I can't hesitate anymore."
"This person should be the true power behind the Empire."
"He has no guards around him right now."
"As long as I assassinate him, the Revolutionary Army can turn the tide."
"This distance is perfect."
The next moment, an almost imperceptible steel needle was thrown by Chelsea.
Whoosh!
The air was pierced as the needle flew at extreme speed straight towards Linde's heart.
Just as it was about to succeed, the steel needle was gently pinched between two fingers as white as jade.
Crack!
Numerous cracks appeared, and the steel needle turned into powder.
"Chelsea, you think you can kill me with just this?"
Linde looked at Chelsea, speaking with a half-smile.
"I really was exposed."
Chelsea's face changed drastically, and she retreated rapidly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
But just as she moved, Linde merely flicked his finger, and a visible wind bullet was already upon her.
"What kind of power is this?"
Horror appeared in her eyes, and Chelsea instinctively crossed her arms to defend.
Almost instantly, the wind bullet crashed down.
Bang!
Terrifying power erupted suddenly.
The wind bullet directly exploded, its substantial force raging over Chelsea's body.
Her Teigu's disguise vanished in an instant, and her pale, smooth skin showed visible indentations.
"Ah!"
Accompanied by a painful groan, Chelsea was sent flying, sliding dozens of meters like a rolling gourd.
Snap!
Linde snapped his fingers, and purple-red chains already bound Chelsea securely.
"The last piece of the Night Raid puzzle is mine."
Dragging the unconscious Chelsea over, Linde turned to look at the battlefield.
At this point, the battle was winding down.
The Revolutionary Army's million-strong army was already in disarray.
Everyone's morale had been shattered by Shiho Miyano and the others.
But killing them all was impossible.
After all, even a million pigs...
Running all over the mountains, it would take who knows how long just to catch them.
"In that case, everything should end now."
Linde stood up from his throne, looking down.
He slightly raised one hand, and the Demon Gun appeared in it.
"This time it's quite a delicate operation; I wonder what extent I can achieve."
Muttering softly to himself, Linde's magic power was already gathering within the Demon Gun.
"Devil's Spear Infinite Magic Bullet."
As his words fell, countless magic bullets appeared in the void.
They scattered in all directions like raindrops, in an orderly fashion.
A terrifying sense of oppression instantly permeated the entire battlefield.
Shiho Miyano and the others, who were fighting, all froze in place.
Under their gaze, the sky-darkening magic bullets completely enveloped all the fleeing soldiers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening roars echoed through the sky.
The entire battlefield showed visible ripples.
The whistling air transformed into substantial shockwaves, rolling in all directions.
All the surrounding mountains rumbled, and countless flowers, plants, and trees were shattered.
The originally flat ground had collapsed and sunken, with countless shocking deep pits forming a continuous expanse.
"This is Master's power."
Shiho Miyano and the others were all utterly shocked by this scene.
This was the first time they had so directly experienced Linde's power.
"Essence 5"
"Essence 11"
"Essence 16"
Countless text messages appeared on the panel.
Linde, however, merely glanced over them.
There were still some strong individuals within the Revolutionary Army.
But to him, they were just slightly stronger ants.
The extra experience gained wasn't even as much as what his Retainers had just provided.
If it weren't to cut the weeds and pull out the roots, he wouldn't even bother to act.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A moment later, Esdeath and the others had all returned to the city wall.
When they saw Chelsea hanging next to Linde, they were a bit confused.
What's going on?
Fighting, killing people...
And someone just delivered a beautiful girl gift package to Master?
Clap clap clap!
Linde clapped his hands, smiling as he looked at everyone, and said, "Everyone performed well this time, and you'll all receive rewards."
As soon as he said this, everyone immediately took a few steps back, looking as if they couldn't bear it.
They were already tired enough in the restaurant yesterday, and today they had been killing for almost an entire night.
Even Esdeath was struggling to keep it together.
"..."
Was he being disliked?
He was diligently working to improve their strength.
Yet he was treated this way.
They truly didn't understand their Master's heart.
However, it was good that there were other gains.
Looking at Chelsea beside him, a smile curled on Linde's lips.
Inside the palace.
Chelsea was suspended high by chains.
Linde sat on the throne, looking at the girl in front of him who was clearly awake but pretending to be asleep.
"Stop pretending."
To be honest, Linde didn't hesitate to slap her, leaving a deep handprint on her body.
"Ah!"
In pain, Chelsea couldn't help but scream and began to struggle forcefully.
But the harder she struggled, the tighter the chains wrapped around her, and the pleated skirt was squeezed into visible wrinkles.
"Mmm..."
She suddenly widened her eyes, and her legs instinctively clamped together.
Chains... how could this be?
Chelsea glared at Linde, both ashamed and angry.
"Don't think that just because you won this battle, you can rule this country."
"The Revolutionary Army will surely regroup and overthrow your rule."
Linde smiled, gently lifted her chin, and looked at her fair, jade-like face.
He calmly said, "Oh, you didn't see it just now, but the Revolutionary Army's million-strong army has already been completely annihilated."
"You, what did you say?"
Chelsea's voice trembled.
She didn't want to believe it.
But her intuition told her that all of this was true.
Linde's words directly plunged her into an abyss.
"It's over, the Revolutionary Army is finished, this country is finished..."
"Your idea of changing this world is not wrong, but why trust those parasites in the Revolutionary Army?"
"Following me, you can achieve this ideal more easily."
"Look at these things, perhaps you will change your mind."
As his voice fell, the chains disappeared into thin air.
Letters were placed in front of Chelsea.
Looking at the familiar handwriting on them, Chelsea's beautiful eyes trembled uncontrollably: "These are..."
Linde said indifferently, "These are letters from the higher-ups of the Revolutionary Army, contacting me."
"Those guys actually want to exchange the lives of everyone under their command for their own wealth and glory."
"Admit it, the Revolutionary Army you are loyal to is nothing more than another minister."
"No... impossible..."
She instinctively refuted, but the content of the letters completely changed Chelsea's expression.
After a long while, her bloodshot eyes looked at Linde.
"You just said that if I follow you, I can achieve my ideal?"
"That's right, by my side are people who share your aspirations: Najenda, Akame, Leone... you must have heard of their names, right?"
Linde's lips curved, and golden blood seeped from his index finger.
"You can build this country with them, on the condition that you become my Retainer."
As long as there are conditions for conquest, he prefers people to willingly submit.
Although she didn't know exactly what a Retainer was, Chelsea generally understood the meaning.
She nodded and said, "Okay, as long as I can achieve my ideal, I can give everything, even my soul."
"But if I find out you lied to me, I will assassinate you without hesitation."
She also gave the choice to Linde.
It was also a test.
If Linde had something to hide, he naturally wouldn't agree.
"Of course."
Linde shrugged and said, "Then let's perform the ritual. Take off your clothes."
Chelsea blinked, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Take, take off her clothes?
She was a bit dumbfounded.
After confirming she hadn't misheard, she began to act.
Her curves, freed from restraint, immediately bounced forward several times.
Hmm.
You couldn't tell from her appearance, but she had quite the assets.
Linde's index finger moved, and without any hesitation, he directly dripped the fresh blood.
Buzz!
Mysterious characters flashed and disappeared.
A heart-shaped pattern began to emerge.
"Ugh..."
Chelsea's eyes widened.
It was as if power was gushing out from within her body.
And.
Her skin wriggled.
Two wings unfurled from her back.
A tail with a heart-shaped tip even emerged from her pleated skirt.
"This...?"
Surprise filled Chelsea's eyes.
"Didn't I tell you? As a demon, my Retainers are naturally also demons."
"Huh?"
Chelsea's brain crashed.
Ignoring her, Linde was attracted by the attribute information.
[Chelsea]
[Race: Demon]
[Master: Linde Lucifergus]
[Level: LV26]
[skill: Stealth]
[Stealth: Reduces one's sense of presence, perfectly eliminating one's aura and traces.]
This skill.
It's quite suitable for Chelsea.
Linde stroked his chin, nodding secretly.
It was also useful to him.
This type of skill was also appearing for the first time.
After transcribing the attribute information, Linde patted Chelsea's shoulder and said, "Don't just stand there, it's just becoming a demon."
"For you, who dedicates herself to an ideal, it's not a big deal, is it?"
Chelsea's expression was still a bit dazed.
She... had become a demon from legend.
However.
Her body seemed to have become several times stronger.
And there was a strange energy within her.
Was this the power of a demon?
Then!
A piece of paper appeared in front of her.
"This is?"
"Your attribute information, take a look for yourself."
Linde briefly explained the attribute information.
Hearing this, a look of realization flashed in Chelsea's eyes.
She subconsciously crumpled the paper in her hand, her gaze becoming complex.
She wanted to change this country, and she was willing to give everything.
She didn't expect.
To actually encounter a demon.
But this demon seemed different from the ones in legends.
She had gained stronger power, a long lifespan, and eternal youth.
And... she looked at her attribute information, gently pursing her lips.
This was simply an immense gift.
If before.
She had only been half-believing Linde's assurance.
Now, she truly believed him.
Because someone as powerful as him had no need to deceive her.
Since Lord Linde had shown sincerity.
Then, regarding her earlier offense, she also had to show something.
Whoosh!
A cold gleam flashed, and Chelsea pulled out a steel needle.
"???"
Linde's eyes showed surprise.
What was happening?
Was she going to attack him?
But that wasn't right.
If so, the contract should react.
Pfft!
Blood splattered as Chelsea directly pierced her own palm. The intense pain made Chelsea shed tears.
"Master, this is my apology to you."
Saying this, Chelsea pulled out the steel needle and, without hesitation, stabbed it in again.
Linde grabbed the steel needle and sighed, "You don't have to do this. There are other ways to apologize."
"Please, Master, tell me."
"Whatever it is, I will do it."
Linde was speechless, only taking out a drop of the tears of the phoenix.
Of course, these weren't his own; he had collected them when Levia was crying bitterly.
He watched the wound heal, and directly set up the potion manufacturing device.
"Chelsea, if you truly wish to atone, then become stronger."
"I need powerful Retainers to fight for me."
She swallowed, her cheeks flushed, and her pupils visibly trembled.
Chelsea clenched her fists, her breathing growing heavy.
"If this is my Master's will, I will naturally obey."
"This is the price and responsibility I must bear."
Her heart pounded, and her face was already leaning in close.
Looking at the determined Chelsea, Linde revealed a faint smile.
"Good, Chelsea, let me see your resolve."
Linde gently pressed her head, his thumb caressing her soft, beautiful hair.
Seeing her tears fall again, Linde said sternly, "Show me your will."
"Mmm..."
Chelsea nodded, her toes curling.
"All of this is to achieve my ideal."
As the last thought flashed, a strong emotional Impact already filled her mind.
Who was she, and why was she here?
Her mind was already a blank slate.
Now she only knew that she had taken a solid step towards her ideal.
To change this country, she would forever follow her Master.
She felt every cell in her body rapidly changing.
Burning.
Hardening.
Constantly breaking through her level limit...