The process of dragon transformation went even more smoothly than expected.
With the combined effects of the Dragon Crystal and Wild Magic, Sephis easily broke through the limitations of his race.
At this moment, every aspect of his attributes was rising.
Magic power, bloodline, resistances, and more surged rapidly, only beginning to slow once they approached a certain threshold.
Yet Sephis could clearly tell this wasn't his limit.
The now slightly smaller Dragon Crystal shimmered within his body.
A pure, inexhaustible flow of Dragon Power spread through him.
A vast current of magic surged endlessly, while a new Dragon Crystal, glowing with a deep blue light, slowly took shape.
This newly formed Dragon Crystal shone like the brightest star in the night sky, its radiance utterly mesmerizing.
Each flicker pulsed like a heartbeat, resonating in perfect sync with Sephis's body.
Two streams of Dragon Power surged within him like a raging torrent, and with every breath came a swell of magic.
An indescribable urge rose within him.
Lightning crackled across his body, triggering violent changes in the surrounding environment.
Gales howled around him, thunderclouds churned beneath his feet. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt.
It was as if, with a single thought, he could spread his wings, transform into a dragon, and soar through the skies, unleashing that overwhelming power at will.
But Sephis forcibly suppressed the impulse.
As a guardian of the Eighth Floor, he couldn't break the rules, especially not here in Victim's residence.
The reason his transformation had progressed so quickly was in no small part due to the Tree of Life.
Not to mention those special beings slumbering beneath it.
Thinking of this, Sephis let out a long breath.
He pushed open the sealed door, preparing to report his awakening.
But when he saw the two figures before him, he stopped.
Two pale-skinned young women came into view.
One of them held a white mask, dressed in a long pure-white gown embroidered with silver, with crystal-like high heels on her feet.
She also wore a necklace, earrings, and various other exquisite accessories that only the daughters of great nobles would typically possess.
"Hmm… Shalltear?"
Sephis paused slightly, confusion flickering across his face.
He was a bit surprised by Shalltear's appearance.
After all, she usually favored a gothic lolita style. This was his first time seeing her dressed so formally.
"What's wrong? Disappointed that it's me greeting you instead of that shorty~?"
Shalltear teased lightly.
Her voice rang clear like a silver bell, yet carried a subtle, alluring charm that seemed to melt into one's bones.
Against the backdrop of her pristine white gown, she shed her usual cuteness, instead exuding a noble air with a hint of mysterious allure.
The contrast was striking, leaving a quietly stunning impression.
"Sorry, I was just surprised by your outfit."
"I'm genuinely glad to see you."
Sephis smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Hmph, at least you know how to talk. Not a waste of my time waiting here for so long."
"As for this outfit, it's to suppress the Blood Frenzy. I wouldn't want to disappoint my beloved Supreme Ones."
Shalltear let out a soft snort as she explained.
The outfit she wore had been created by her maker, the Supreme Being, Peroroncino-sama.
It carried a special effect that suppressed Blood Frenzy.
Ever since being warned by the Supreme Being, Shalltear now wore this dress under normal circumstances.
Sephis simply smiled and said nothing more.
He understood Shalltear's personality well enough. As long as she was satisfied, there was no need for him to comment.
His gaze shifted to the other girl, who had been silently watching the entire exchange.
"N-nice to meet you! My name is Keno Fasris Invern!"
Noticing both of their gazes turn toward her, Keno snapped out of her daze and hurriedly introduced herself.
The tension on her face was obvious.
Just managing to say those words had already drained nearly all of her courage.
A wave of unease rose within her.
The figure before her was outstanding in both presence and appearance. It really did make one think they lived up to being father and son. Even as Dragonoids, their personalities were unexpectedly gentle.
The only thing left was… how would he see her?
"Hello, Mother-sama… it's an honor to meet you."
"Hmm?"
Keno: ???
Keno blinked in confusion, clearly not quite processing what she had just heard.
But it only took a moment for it to sink in.
"Ugh—!"
She let out a strange, muffled sound, immediately covering her face with both hands as her lips tightened in distress.
This is bad!
Being called "Mother" right off the bat… she hadn't anticipated that at all. Everything she had prepared to say instantly fell apart.
Wah, what am I supposed to do now?!
Should I respond?
And if I do… what do I even call him?
This is way too complicated, my brain's going to explode!
Keno froze completely, her small body going stiff as she slipped into a blank, stunned state…
Keno.exe has stopped responding.
"Huh, Mother-sama?"
Even Shalltear, who had been watching for amusement, was left staring in disbelief.
She hadn't expected him to casually drop something that outrageous.
Hey, hey, this is completely different from what I imagined!
How can he say that with such a straight face?
Calling someone half his height "Mother"… doesn't he feel even a little embarrassed?
Tch… damn it, I kind of want to be called that too!
"What's the problem?"
"Since she's come to Nazarick, it means Father has already made his choice. As his child, calling her Mother is only natural, isn't it?"
Sephis replied calmly.
At the same time, he gave Shalltear a puzzled look, as if genuinely wondering what the issue was.
"N-no… no problem…"
Shalltear forced the words out through gritted teeth, feeling thoroughly irritated.
Part of it was because she had underestimated Sephis's personality.
The other part was something she had just realized.
Her creator was Peroroncino-sama, while that shorty's creator was Bukubukuchagama-sama.
The two Supreme Ones were siblings. And since Naohara-sama had also been involved in creating the shorty's younger brother, Mare, that meant there was a connection to Naohara-sama as well.
So, in a sense…
Did that make her and Sephis cousins? Or something like that?
If that's the case…
Then with Sephis calling Keno "Mother," doesn't that mean I've suddenly dropped a whole generation?!
What kind of nonsense is this… trying to mess with others and ending up embarrassing myself instead?
I wanted to watch Sephis and that shorty make fools of themselves, and now I'm the one who looks like a joke.
So I'm the clown here?
At that thought, Shalltear almost lost her composure, yet at the same time, a strange sense of excitement welled up within her.
As the masterpiece of Peroroncino-sama, a being shaped from the culmination of countless eroge settings…
It could only be said that Shalltear's tastes knew no bounds. There was nothing she couldn't enjoy, only things others couldn't imagine.
"So, what are you planning next? Want to grab a drink?"
Shalltear asked, sounding a bit sulky. With her emotions all over the place, she just wanted a drink.
"I'll report in first. After that, I'll probably head to Carne Village, so I'll have to pass, Shalltear."
Sephis shook his head and declined.
Before entering seclusion, he had gone to Carne Village and given Enri some human blood. He had no idea how things had progressed since then, so as her mentor, he needed to check on her.
"Fine, fine."
"Hmph, it's not like I care if you don't come."
Shalltear waved dismissively, about to leave with the still-frozen Keno. But just then, the sound of approaching footsteps made her stop.
The newcomer had a peculiar scar running across the center of her face, as if it had been cut open and stitched back together. Her appearance resembled a dog-headed humanoid, and she wore a specially tailored maid outfit.
"Pestonya? What is she doing here?"
A hint of confusion flashed in Shalltear's eyes.
Pestonya, whose full name was Pestonya S. Wanko, served as the head maid responsible for managing the forty-one regular maids.
She was a high-ranking priest and a powerful user of healing magic.
In Sebas's absence, she would temporarily oversee the operations of the Ninth and Tenth Floors.
"Good afternoon, Shalltear-sama, Sephis-sama, and Keno-sama. Woof!"
Pestonya wagged her tail as she greeted them politely.
"Pestonya, what brings you here?"
Sephis asked, slightly surprised.
Because of her settings, she intentionally added "woof" to the end of her sentences, though she sometimes forgot.
When she remembered afterward, she would hurriedly add it back, even barking repeatedly to make up for it. Despite her somewhat fierce appearance, her personality was exceptionally gentle.
Pestonya was one of Nazarick's kindest individuals, and she got along quite well with Sephis, who also had positive karma.
"Sephis-sama, Albedo-sama would like to invite you to a tea party at the Sorcerer Kingdom Orphanage. Pandora-sama has already gone ahead. Woof!"
Pestonya spoke quickly.
Recently, she had been running back and forth between the Sorcerer Kingdom Orphanage and Nazarick. This time, she had come to find Sephis at Albedo's request.
After all, she was currently "on vacation." Without permission from the Supreme One, she wouldn't be able to return to Nazarick for the time being.
"Albedo… I understand."
"Thank you for the trouble, Pestonya. I'll head over right away."
Sephis's gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke. He knew that Albedo was most likely planning to probe him again about his stance on the "Supreme Search Squad."
After all this time testing the waters, she was probably ready to lay everything out in the open.
All he and Pandora needed to do was play their respective roles and wait for Father-sama's next instructions.
However, just as Sephis was about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him like a phantom.
It was Shalltear. Her eyes were ice-cold, like a frozen abyss.
"Sephis, what do you think you're doing!"
"You said you didn't have time for my invitation, yet the moment Albedo—that gorilla—invites you, you're rushing over without hesitation."
"Do you think I'm inferior to her?"
Shalltear's tone was sharp and accusatory.
She was clearly in a foul mood, her gaze toward Sephis filled with hostility. That irritating feeling of being inexplicably overshadowed gnawed at her.
"No, Shalltear. These two things are different."
Sephis shook his head and replied seriously.
"Then explain it. How exactly are they different?"
"Well…"
Sephis paused.
He couldn't reveal the real reason. The fewer people who knew about the Supreme Search Squad, the better.
With that in mind, he chose to remain silent.
But that silence only made Shalltear even more irritated.
"Hah. Can't explain it, can you?"
Seeing him refuse to respond, Shalltear's temper finally snapped. What had started as annoyance now turned into genuine anger.
She shot him a cold glance, then turned on her heel and returned to her Floor without another word.
Keno and Pestonya, who had been standing nearby, watched the whole scene with confused expressions, still trying to process what had just happened.
"Sephis-sama…"
Pestonya spoke hesitantly, as if wanting to ask what had happened.
Keno also looked like she wanted to say something but held back.
"Sorry for making a scene."
Sephis let out a quiet sigh.
"Um… if there's a misunderstanding, it's better to clear it up as soon as possible."
After a brief hesitation, Keno finally spoke.
She could sense there was some kind of misunderstanding between them, and if it wasn't resolved quickly, it would only grow worse.
"I…"
Sephis hesitated, clearly troubled. He knew it was a misunderstanding, and he wanted to clear it up, but he simply didn't know how.
If he had made up an excuse earlier, it might have been fine. But instead, he had chosen to stay silent, and in a way, that silence had already served as an answer.
Just as Sephis was struggling with what to do, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"It's not that complicated. At the end of the day, Shalltear is just upset. All you need to do is show her your attitude."
Naohara had appeared behind them at some point, letting out a soft chuckle.
"Father-sama."
"Naohara-sama."
A hint of relief flashed across Sephis's eyes as he and Pestonya quickly bowed.
"No need to be so formal."
Naohara waved his hand casually, signaling for them to relax.
He had actually arrived some time ago, but hadn't revealed himself, quietly observing their conversation instead.
After all, the Dragon Crystal that drove Sephis's transformation came from him. Because of that, he could easily sense Sephis's condition and had come to the Eighth Floor just before he awakened.
"My attitude… I understand now. Sorry for making a fool of myself, Father-sama."
After a brief moment of thought, Sephis came to a realization.
He really had been overthinking things.
With Shalltear's personality, she wouldn't dwell on something like that. What she cared about was simply his attitude.
It was no different from a child throwing a tantrum. A bit of coaxing would be enough.
Naohara nodded, then shifted his gaze to Pestonya.
"Pestonya, how is the work at the orphanage? If it's too much, I can have some maids sent over to assist you."
"It's alright, woof."
"Nigredo-sama has already arranged everything properly. And with Albedo-sama and Prime Minister Renner helping as well, there's absolutely no problem at all, woof."
Pestonya clasped her hands together, a gentle, motherly smile appearing on her face.
With her soft nature, she genuinely loved children. While she wasn't as extreme as Nigredo, she wasn't far off either.
She even possessed the resolve to protect children, even at the risk of disobeying orders.
Seeing this, Naohara didn't insist further.
Unless it was a direct order from the Supreme One, the maids of Nazarick rarely went out into the outside world.
To them, cleaning Nazarick, the creation of the Supreme One, was like believers worshipping their god. It was the highest honor.
After chatting for a while longer, Sephis and Pestonya took their leave first.
"What do you think?"
Naohara then turned to Keno, who had remained silent the entire time, and asked softly.
"Hmm… he's a very good child…"
Keno answered hesitantly, still not fully recovered from being called "mother" earlier.
However, Naohara's presence had already steadied her heart. A sense of calm naturally rose within her, like finding shelter from a raging storm.
"That's good."
"By the way, Keno, you seem to be acquainted with the Platinum Dragon Lord, aren't you?"
Naohara nodded before casually shifting the topic.
"The Platinum Dragon Lord… I wouldn't call us old acquaintances. We were companions for a time, so we're fairly familiar with each other."
Keno frowned slightly, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.
Back when the Thirteen Heroes fought against the Demon Gods, the Platinum Dragon Lord had controlled the Platinum Armor and traveled with them. At the time, however, none of them knew his true identity.
Later, that very matter had caused a major argument within the group.
"I see… Then how about accompanying me to meet the Platinum Dragon Lord sometime?"