r18novel Page 87
Page 87
Not seeing Kuonji Yuzu, Kenneth didn't mind. After silently issuing a lockdown order to the mansion, Kenneth picked up the obviously freshly brewed teapot and poured himself a cup. While planning how to deal with Meryl, Kenneth closed his eyes and enjoyed the sunlight streaming through the window.
Chapter 223 Arrested
At this moment, Mary, who had transformed into her fairy form, was in a panic. Although she knew that the two were related, Mary really did not expect that the fairies here were all created by Kenneth. If Mary could not see through this, she would not be so slippery.
When she met Kenneth's gaze, Mary, with nowhere to run, gave up. She ran away when she was caught peeping; she ran away when Morgan caught her; and today she was cornered by Kenneth at the door. Now Mary didn't want to run anymore. She stretched out her neck, revealing a scar the size of a bowl. She didn't believe Kenneth could still eat her up.
Squeezing aside the flying fairies, feeling there was nothing left to fear, Mary buried her face in her teacup and took a few sips. Right in front of Kenneth, she picked up the tea and snacks on the table and started eating them, looking like she was about to be executed.
"This fairy is completely different from the other little ones."
Picking up Meryl, who was eating on the table, and after drying her hair and changing into casual clothes, Kuonji Yuzu introduced Meryl to Kenneth with some embarrassment. To be honest, Kuonji Yuzu still couldn't figure out which fairy tale the fairy in her hand came from.
"Yes, she is indeed different. She is fundamentally different from those fairies."
Instead of immediately exposing Meryl's disguise, Kenneth picked up Meryl's wing with one hand and shook it repeatedly. Looking at the scumbag baring its teeth at him, Kenneth continued:
"She's no ordinary demon. If we're talking about kinship, she could be classified as a nightmare. Judging from your appearance, you've been quite affected by her lately."
Kenneth's words were like a wake-up call, directly resolving the doubts in Kuonji Arisu's mind. Her pale face flushed red, and even Kuonji Arisu, who had a great fondness for fairytale creatures, felt annoyed.
"Is this the nightmare I'm thinking of?!"
Based on her own unusual behavior and the timing of Meryl's appearance, Kuonji Yuzu believed Kenneth's words to the point of being 90%. Seeing Kenneth nod, Kuonji Yuzu immediately summoned the Nap Mirror to lock Meryl up.
Although it was unclear what exactly had happened to Kuonji Aratsu, Kenneth could roughly guess the gist of it based on the fairytale witch's reaction and the scoundrel's personality. Using the Third Method to leave a mark on Meryl's soul, Kenneth then placed Meryl into the Nap Mirror.
“I’ve also examined those little guys, and they’re also related to the Nightmare in your hands.”
Enraged, Kuonji Yuzu, seeing Meryl in the magic mirror, frantically shook the mirror in her hand, filled with shame and indignation. Once she had vented her anger, Kuonji Yuzu looked at Kenneth again.
Is there any way to mitigate her impact?
Before her pretense was exposed, Kuonji Aratsu, who had an innate fondness for fairytale creatures, sought a solution from Kenneth. Perhaps even she herself didn't realize that she had subconsciously begun to trust the man before her.
"Unfortunately, no. Nightmares are her talent, and entering dreams is her instinct. Unless you are aware that you are dreaming, no one can interfere with the dreams created by Nightmares."
When it comes to dreams, no one dares to claim to be second to none. Even Merlin probably can't compare to a dream-mastered Merlin. As a magician, even Kenneth fell for Merlin's tricks, let alone Kuonji Yuuka, who is just an ordinary magician.
Exhaling, Kuonji Arisa, overwhelmed by her indecisiveness, selectively tossed the Nap Mirror aside. A sound reached her ears, and she looked up at Kenneth, who had just stood up.
"Um... your house is still under reconstruction... you can stay here temporarily..."
Before she could finish her plea to stay, she met Kenneth's gaze and, even though she herself didn't know why she had asked him to stay, Kuonji Aratsumi immediately explained:
"Her abilities are a bit tricky; I'd like to try and create a magic spell to reduce her influence..."
Seeing that Meryl had completely given up struggling because of Kuonji Yuzu's words, Kenneth, who had long wanted to study the nightmare, took the opportunity to pull Meryl out of the mirror. Sensing Kenneth's ill intentions, Meryl, who was no longer able to move, realized that she really had to tie Q up.
"Then I'll take my leave of you for the time being, and also Miss Nightmare, please take good care of me from now on!"
Just as Mary was about to send it, the group of people who had finished their day's work stood in front of the ruins of the house, looking at each other in dismay. They watched King Arthur and Mordred, each in a different color, clearing away the ruins with shovels. Although they already knew what was going on, the tragic scene before them finally silenced them.
"Please follow me, everyone. The rooms in the side courtyard are ready."
As the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, Chris led everyone toward the side residence. It was at this time that the day was not yet over. Kuonji Yuzu, who had long been sleepy from being tormented by Meryl, decided to go back to her room to rest early. She swatted away Meryl, who was trying to follow her, and looked at Kenneth, who was no different from the one in her memory.
"The room's contents have been changed and cleaned; you can stay here for the time being."
Looking at Kenneth holding Meryl in her hands, Kuonji Yuzu reiterated that Kenneth could stay before closing the fairy tale book. Facing Meryl's starry-eyed attack on her pitiful act, Kuonji Yuzu paused slightly before softly saying:
"Please teach her a lesson; her personality is getting a bit awful."
"Don't worry, I'll teach her a lesson. Let's have a good talk tonight, Miss Nightmare."
After receiving Kenneth's assurance, Kuonji Yuzu walked towards the stairs without looking back. With a click, the bedroom door closed, extinguishing Meryl's last hope. Seeing Kenneth's increasingly strange expression, the figure-sized Meryl trembled like a leaf.
It was the same guest room, with the furnishings exactly the same as when Kenneth left. As Kenneth let go, Mary, who had transformed into a fairy, returned to her original form with a "biu" sound. She gripped her wand tightly and shrank into the corner, looking at Kenneth as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Take this!... The Sword of Victory!"
Suddenly pulling out a sword from who-knows-where, Mary raised her hand and threw it at Kenneth. Kenneth let the sword hit him, and quietly watched as Lady Avalon performed her amazing feat of banging her head against the wall.
"Don't bother, I've already sealed off this place. I think it's more likely to persuade me while I still have the patience than to run away."
Kenneth pinned Mary, who was trying to create a mud-brick barrier, to the ground, then crossed his legs, giving her a "let the show begin" look. Mary, whose eyes darted around a few times and who knows what she was up to, finally sat down opposite Kenneth.
"What do you want to do? That kind of thing is not allowed. Lady Avalon is a forever pure maiden."
Seeing the despicable person who was still trying to act cute even when facing death, Kenneth's eyes suddenly turned into beastly eyes. Under such gazes, Mary, whose body instantly stiffened, finally shut her mouth obediently.
"I'll ask the questions, and you answer them. Do you understand?"
Locked on by the Beast's malicious intent, Mary, no longer daring to be cheeky, tapped her head at the same frequency as a timer.
"Very well, you came to this world for the original species of the Beast 666, right?"
Merry: Mm (nods).
"The original species of the Sixth Beast has died, so there should be four, right?"
Although it was a question, Kenneth's tone was full of certainty. Feeling a little uneasy under Kenneth's beastly gaze, Mary still nodded obediently. After a slight probe, Mary's honesty exceeded Kenneth's expectations. Looking at this scheming scoundrel, Kenneth continued with his question:
"As far as I know, King Arthur has been searching for the individual forms of the Sixth Beast: the Fragrance and the Miasma, the Beast of Sodom and the Beast of Gomorrah. How much do you know about them?"
"I don't know, I really don't know. Ms. Avalon is just a poor working woman and knows absolutely nothing about anything related to the Beast."
Her face practically screamed sincerity. Meryl's large, bright eyes pierced Kenneth's skepticism. The woman's emotional control was so impeccable that Kenneth couldn't detect the slightest abnormality in her expression or demeanor. But just as trouble needs no reason, Kenneth didn't believe the woman before him needed any either. A ball of light, radiating a dark aura, floated in his hand, and Kenneth looked at Meryl, who was sweating profusely, with ill intent.
"You really don't know? This is something I prepared especially for you. I think you, who feed on emotions, will really like it."
Meryl's pupils constricted instantly. Sensing the aura of the short whip in Kenneth's hand, Meryl's expression turned horrified, as if she had seen the world. What Kenneth had taken out was not some defective product like the evil of this world; it was something condensed from the evil of a mature human. No matter how carefree she usually was, Meryl knew that if she were truly corrupted by this thing, she would really be ruined from the inside out.
Chapter 224 Research Materials
The calm interrogation continued, and just as Kenneth was trying to get information out of Mary, in the ruins of the El-Melloi house, a certain golden retriever was bewildered without being notified. Where was the house? How could such a big house be gone? She had even made a copy of the key. Where was the door? The sound of shoveling sand and gravel came from the darkness. Lydel, who thought she had kept her actions a secret from those around her, instinctively felt guilty.
Just as the Coal Witch was preparing to take tactical cover, Mordred's very irritated voice rang out from the darkness.
"That guy lives in the mansion in the back now, so get out of here!"
Facing the ruins and with her back to the sky, Mordred worked tirelessly day and night to clean up the mess left by her two fathers. Morgan's punishment of Artoria was just a formality; the real beating was for Mordred. After being accused by Morgan of cheering her on, Mordred, the lowest-ranking member of the Pendragon family, took the blame for everything.
"Huh? He's living in Yuzhu's place now!"
"Why are you making such a fuss! If you're not going to leave, then move your feet. Can't you see I'm busy?"
In a foul mood, Mordred gave Lydell a cold shoulder. Lydell's loud shout instantly shattered the Coal Witch's confidence. Only after confirming that no one had noticed did Lydell discover Mordred wielding a shovel in the darkness.
"Fine, don't talk then! Why are you yelling so loudly?! Who said I came here to see that bastard? I came here to see Alice!"
Instinctively spouting a few defiant words, Lydel suddenly became defiant and stormed towards the Western-style mansion of Kuonji. Watching the Coal Witch gradually walk away, Mordred spat in annoyance.
"They're all such troublesome women!"
Returning to the mansion, as the ball of light in Kenneth's hand drew ever closer, the overwhelming malice stirred Meryl's soul, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. Such a pure thing was beyond Meryl's ability to process; once affected, Meryl could imagine herself making a peace sign with her eyes rolled back, leaping into the air, spinning, and bending over in one fluid motion.
"I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
A three-part apology routine—as a scoundrel who hasn't been caught red-handed for so many years, Mary is extremely skilled at this process. Regardless of whether she's right or wrong, admitting her mistake is always the safest bet, and then seizing the opportunity to slip away and run away. Mary is a professional; a mere barrier is nothing compared to her ability to traverse the world. Why would she be afraid of a mere barrier?
"Wrong? Tell me, what did you do wrong this time?"
Kenneth withdrew the orb of light, enough to corrupt Artoria hundreds of times. Looking at Meryl, whose ear tips twitched from time to time, Kenneth was eager to see what tricks this scoundrel could pull this time. Just as Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times in ancient times, Kenneth wanted to see how many times he would have to capture this nightmare before she would behave.
"Well... well... about Beast, actually... I do know a little bit."
As if deliberately teasing, after hesitating for a while, Mary's wand struck the ground, petals bloomed, and Tiamat appeared before Kenneth's eyes, sleeping in darkness.
"She is the Beast of Sodom, currently severely injured and in a deep sleep. Your power is practically made to counter her. I can send you there, and Miss Merry will provide remote support..."
One nonsense after another, Mary was so nonsensical that if Kenneth hadn't recognized her as Tiamat, she would have been completely fooled by this scoundrel. Leading her to Tiamat, this scoundrel really wasn't afraid of waking Tiamat up early and having the biosphere reenacted, huh?
"Oh, really? Then what kind of evil does she represent? I think you, who are tracking the Sixth Beast, must know something about it."
"The evil it represents is, of course, the path to depravity! Look at her figure, it just makes you want to degenerate, doesn't it? You might not be able to see it clearly from this angle, let me zoom in for you..."
Seeing that Kenneth's attention was completely drawn to Tiamat in the projection, Merlin, who had already stalled for enough time, suddenly struck her wand, which burst into a blinding white light. The next second, Merlin, wearing headphones and speaking in a high-pitched voice, appeared in front of Kenneth.
"You didn't expect that, did you? This is my escape route! Merlin, it's an honor and responsibility for an older brother to take the blame for his sister. I will always remember you~"
The lingering aura of the figure still echoed, but Merlin had already escaped the mansion by using magic to switch places with him. Looking at the still-unresponsive Fou spirit, Kenneth casually opened a passage and threw Merlin inside.
"Using existing similarities to achieve spatial transfer? You have to bear the consequences of your own mistakes."
Merlin possessed the ability to traverse space, as did Kenneth. Moreover, Kenneth's ability to manifest gently and his second method of traversing space far surpassed Merlin's. Without much preparation, after kicking Merlin back to Avalon, Kenneth's hand reached into the void, following the mark left on Merlin's soul. The next second, Merlin, who was still fleeing in the Inner Sea of Stars, felt a large hand grab her by the back of the neck. In a dizzying moment, Merlin, who had just been free for a few seconds, was back in the mansion.
The smile froze on her face, and the defiant Mary vanished again in the blink of an eye. This time, Kenneth even made Mary run around a little longer before reaching out his hand. He repeated this several times, and then Kenneth looked at Mary, whom he was holding in his hand, with a very kind expression.
"Don't run away?"
"Putting that kind of thing into a girl's body? Are you a pervert?! Even if you invade my body, you'll never win Miss Mary's heart. Miss Mary will always love cute boys!"
Having realized that Kenneth was just toying with her, and unable to resolve the mark left on her soul, Mary gave up struggling. Rather than running around aimlessly, Mary thought it would be better to think of other ways. Since she couldn't resist, she might as well enjoy it. To be honest, as the shame of Nightmare (Succubus), she was quite curious about what it felt like to do that kind of thing.
Listening to the defeated princess's speech, Kenneth looked Meryl up and down as she posed and flirted in front of him. Kenneth let go of her hand with a lot of annoyance. To be honest, Kenneth had a bit of a headache. As expected of the woman known as the Grand Poisonous Woman, Meryl was really troublesome.
Through the perception of the Third Law, Kenneth was certain that no matter how eccentric she appeared on the surface, Meryl's soul remained largely undisturbed. Although her emotions fluctuated, Meryl genuinely didn't care about Kenneth's methods. In other words, no matter what Kenneth did, Meryl would enjoy it and cooperate, because this scoundrel was not afraid of death at all. In a sense, Meryl's defense had reached an impenetrable level.
Realizing that he couldn't get this scoundrel to talk anytime soon, Kenneth decided to put the matter aside for the time being. But even if he put it aside, Kenneth wouldn't let this scoundrel off easy. Since Mary liked being a fairy, Kenneth would let her be one to her heart's content. With the surge of the Third Magic, Mary, whose magic was sealed by most of it, shrank rapidly and fell to the ground. Picking up the figurine-sized Mary, Kenneth, like a goose that takes every feather, tied this scoundrel to the experimental table and began to study the characteristics of Nightmare.
Chapter 225 Meryl
If Merlin accepted his human side and became a half-nightmare, then Merlin, who insisted on the attitude of "humans are humans, and I am me," took a completely different path from Merlin. It can be said that Merlin fundamentally defined herself as an anomaly in the human world. Although her final behavior was despicable, Merlin, who chose not to be human, often acted more extremely when faced with the same situation.
For example, when guiding King Arthur, Merlin would earnestly offer his advice based on what he believed to be correct, while Merry, who always insisted that 'fun is more important than the big picture,' would abandon her work to disrupt fate in order to satisfy her own interests. Another example is that Merlin would help Gudako because he was watching a TV series, but Merry wouldn't; to make things more interesting, the scoundrel Merry would only make things worse for her own amusement.
With a clear sense of self, Meryl took the initiative to separate herself from Merlin. It was this choice that made Meryl different from Merlin. Meryl, who accepted her non-human identity, was the real nightmare, the last nightmare to exist on this planet.
"A nightmare with a physical form, retaining all the characteristics of a nightmare while possessing a fairy-like appearance, being both a spiritual life and a material being. Lady Avalon, your existence truly surprises me."
By studying the figure-sized Merry with an academic attitude, Kenneth gained some understanding of the legendary Nightmare. Nightmares, as spiritual beings from different material worlds, construct dreams using illusion magic and exploit loopholes in those dreams to drain magical energy.
Unlike traditional nightmares who can only traverse dreams with limited power, Merlin and Merly's illusions, enhanced by their physical bodies, have reached the point of interfering with the world, blurring the lines between illusion and reality. The superposition of nightmares and humans creates an enhancement that cannot be described as a simple addition.
Having thoroughly satisfied his curiosity, Kenneth, who was practically dissecting Meryl, finally withdrew his hand. With a snap, the restraints were released, and Meryl, disheveled, burst into tears like a helpless girl being bullied by a bully. Kenneth would give her a 9 out of 10 for her acting skills.
"Did you have fun? Or rather, did you find me funny, Ms. Avalon?"
After this period of contact, Kenneth has come to see the nightmare before him clearly. Perhaps Meryl's initial purpose was to monitor him, but now Kenneth is certain that the scum in front of him only came to this world because he found it interesting. The job of monitoring the Sixth Beast has probably been forgotten long ago. Meryl is now purely here to satisfy her own interests.
Seeing that Meryl was still putting on an act, Kenneth, in order to verify his guess, released the seal and erased the mark left on Meryl's soul. Under Meryl's frozen expression, Kenneth casually waved his hand.
"You've paid for it for free, you can leave now."
"You're just letting me go like that? Then I'll leave?"
With a tap of his wand, the passage opened. Unsure of Kenneth's intentions, Mary disappeared into the passage without looking back. Without any reaction to Mary's departure, the feeling of being spied on grew increasingly blatant. Kenneth simply lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
A teacup fell to the ground, but Kenneth ignored it. A wall clock fell, but Kenneth continued to ignore it. Gradually, the strange noises around him grew louder, and some random things even flew towards Kenneth, isolating the space around him. Lying on the bed, Kenneth simply ignored the strange movements around him.
Seemingly angered by Kenneth's attitude, the spatial passage opened, and Lydel, who had just slipped into the mansion, crashed directly into Kenneth. Unexplained emotions surged into her brain. Just as the Coal Witch was being read as Nightmare and written as Succubus, and hearts appeared in the eyes of Meryl, Kenneth dispelled Meryl's control and directly put Lydel into a deep sleep.
No matter how much Mary provoked him, Kenneth dealt with each of his provocations and then ignored Mary, who was hiding nearby. After a while, the spatial passage opened, and Mary, who was practically courting death, raised her wand and tapped Kenneth before turning around and darting back inside.
A few seconds passed, and the expected capture did not occur. Completely ignored by Kenneth, Mary simply opened a passage in front of him, picked up her wand, and poked the space that Kenneth had blocked. At this point, Kenneth was certain that this scoundrel wanted to provoke him, perhaps without even a reason, simply wanting to play a cat-and-mouse game.
The more Kenneth reacted to Meryl's actions, the more excited the scoundrel became. Given the current situation, even if Kenneth threw Meryl out of this world, the scoundrel would probably run back on his own. Realizing this, Kenneth shut himself off from external distractions and fell asleep.
She kept banging on the barrier covering Kenneth until he fell asleep inside. Completely ignored, Meryl relentlessly invaded Kenneth's dream. Her Nightmare talent activated, and before Meryl could even weave a dream, Kenneth, whose mental strength far surpassed Meryl's, kicked the scoundrel out as soon as he realized Meryl's intrusion. Her interaction requests were repeatedly rejected, and for the first time in her life, Meryl felt a sense of unease.
"Ugh! I need to see what you're doing!"
With her nightmare abilities at their maximum, Meryl controlled her aura, attempting to silently infiltrate Kenneth's dream. However, as if on purpose, whenever Meryl broke through the defenses, Kenneth's subconscious would always expel the anomaly. What you can't have always stirs up trouble. Meryl, who had no idea what Kenneth was dreaming about, only felt ants crawling all over her body.
After several unsuccessful attempts, realizing that Kenneth's mind had already identified her as a virus, the despicable Meryl pondered for a long time before casting a malicious glance at Lydell, who was also in a deep sleep. Meryl suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Since she couldn't invade Kenneth's dream, she would invade other people's dreams and then link those dreams to Kenneth's mind.
"Hmph, let me show you the power of the Flower Magician!"
The wand stopped in front of Lydel's forehead. After observing the blush-inducing, R-rated scene up close, Mary pulled up her pants and exited the dream filled with erotic imagery. She glanced regretfully at the witch who was still dreaming about those little games, and then looked away with a sigh.
"Forget it, let's find someone else..."
With her mental energy spreading, Meryl captured the few dreams around her. Artoria was eating in all sorts of creative ways, while the dreams of the few humans were particularly bland. Mordred was still digging up the ground. After thinking it over, Meryl set her sights on Kuonji Yuzu.
After being tormented by Meryl for several days, Kuonji Yuzu, who had fallen into a deep sleep, did not dream. But this was exactly what Meryl wanted. An unpainted canvas is the most perfect stage. If Kenneth would discover the dream she wove, then this time she would not take action. The dream was built by Kuonji Yuzu herself, and she would interfere slightly from behind the scenes. As long as she could invade Kenneth's remaining power, Meryl felt that it was okay to suffer a little and eat a little less.
The nightmare begins, dreams are grafted, and Kuonji Yuzu, who rarely gets a good night's sleep, is once again trapped in a dream under the influence of Meryl. After the torment of the past few days, the fairy tale in Kuonji Yuzu's subconscious has long been distorted. Even without Meryl's interference, all sorts of bizarre plots are actively woven by Kuonji Yuzu.
Chapter 226 The Sealed World
At dawn, upon opening her eyes, the unusual feel of her undergarments reminded the fairytale witch of her dream from the previous night. Grabbing the clothes she had prepared the night before, Kuonji Yuzu expertly headed for the bathroom. Meanwhile, in the lobby on the first floor, Kenneth saw Mary, who had transformed into a fairy and infiltrated the mansion. Kenneth realized that this scoundrel had latched onto him. Noticing Kenneth watching her, Mary, no longer intending to pretend, swaggered directly to Kenneth's side.
Kenneth would never believe that last night's dream had nothing to do with Meryl. Kenneth sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered the dream, but he still couldn't find Meryl, who was secretly observing him, even after the person who was going to punish him became someone Kenneth couldn't afford to offend. Just as Kenneth was thinking about what methods Meryl had used, footsteps came down from the second floor, and Kuonji Yuzu, whose hair was still damp, appeared in the hall.
Upon seeing Merry flapping her wings, Kuonji Yuzu's face instantly fell. Watching Kuonji Yuzu frantically shake Merry inside the Nap Mirror, Kenneth felt he had discovered the truth.
After venting for a while, Kuonji Aratsu stopped shaking her hands when she noticed Kenneth's gaze. Still feeling unsatisfied, Kuonji Aratsu ordered the robin to throw the scumbag out of the room.