Chapter 48

As the dust and debris gradually cleared, a voice scolded them, "Couldn't you have been a bit more careful? Your little display nearly hit me!" The voice had a distinctly youthful and feminine tone. Once the dust settled, the group was taken aback by the sight that met their eyes. Before them stood a young girl, who appeared no older than 13. She had vibrant pink hair with red tips, and her eyes were heterochromatic – left blue and right red. Her expression was one of annoyance, arms crossed in disapproval.

The room where they found the girl had the grim ambiance of a cell, devoid of any windows and furnished with only the most basic necessities – a simple bed, a toilet, and an dog bowl filled with some form of food. Upon discovering the young girl in this desolate place, Zee's compassionate nature took over. She approached and embraced the child while offering comforting words, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

The girl, however, reacted with surprise, exclaiming, "Wha-what are you doing!? Let go!" She squirmed within Zee's embrace but abruptly ceased her resistance when her gaze fell upon Lennix, who appeared shocked. "You! You're the brother of that cow!" the girl cried out, to which Lennix, equally astounded, responded, "You're alive? I thought sister killed you." Causing confusion among the others.

"Who the heck is she?" Xain inquired, casting a curious glance towards Lennix. "That's Victoria Evarick, the former mayor of Moonveil," Lennix clarified.

Upon hearing this, Zee couldn't help but look at the childlike Victoria, who was still trying to escape her hold. "The mayor is a child?" she exclaimed, voicing the bewilderment shared by everyone in the room.

"I'm not a child!" Victoria protested as she successfully broke free from Zee's grasp. "I'm 37 years old, which makes me older than..." Victoria's sentence faltered as she observed that Zee was an elf. "Alright, perhaps not older than you, but still," she conceded.

Larkin, his brow furrowed, joined the conversation, saying, "Wait a minute, hold on. Are you saying you're nearly as old as me?"

"I think we overlooked something important here. Are you saying you're the former mayor?" Xain questioned, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Victoria responded with a hint of exasperation, "NO! I'm not the former mayor. I am the current one! That cow is not the mayor!" She cast a sharp glare at Lennix, who found himself at a loss for words. Ercale's voice resonated in Xain's head, *she reminds me of someone I used to know, a fellow Demon Lord actually.* Xain contemplated what a Demon Lord with her temperament would be like.

Larkin tried to defuse the situation by raising his hand in a calming gesture, "Hold on there, miss. Lennix is genuinely trying to stop his sister."

Victoria, however, couldn't help but roll her eyes at Larkin's explanation. "Right, that's what they all say. He's just waiting for the perfect moment to betray you all. I should blast him away right now," she retorted, a hint of frustration in her voice.

Zee, puzzled by the ongoing argument, inquired, "Can you use magic?" Victoria responded with a mix of indignation and incredulity, "Can I use magic? Of course, I can! I'm a wizard, for crying out loud!" Her volume and irritation caused Zee to instinctively cover her ears.

Ercale couldn't help but click his tongue at Victoria's words. *Now her attitude makes sense – she's a wizard,* Ercale commented in Xain's head. *Is she different from you, Zee, and Larkin?* Xain asked. Ercale's response was filled with clear disdain, *Don't compare me to your friends, and never ever compare me to a fucking wizard.* It was evident that Ercale harbored a certain aversion to wizards.

Larkin, attempting to maintain a civil atmosphere, voiced his surprise, "A wizard? Here? So close to Ironhelm?"

Victoria's confrontational nature remained unabated as she retorted, "Yeah, got a problem with that?" Larkin, wise enough not to provoke a wizard, quickly shook his head to dispel any tension.

Lennix took a step forward, attempting to bridge the gap between them. "Listen, Victoria, I understand if you don't trust me, but I genuinely want to stop my sister. We could really use your help. Can't you assist us?" he implored, a plea that caught everyone off guard.

Clarissa couldn't help but think, *Master Lennix has a brain after all.* Lennix, for some reason, felt a twinge of insult, but he knew that setting aside his pride was necessary. He had to do this if he wanted to put an end to his sister's plans and continue his enjoyment of fighting. With this in mind, he decided to make the request, even though he hoped Victoria would heed his plea.

The room fell into tense silence as they all awaited Victoria's response. Finally, she opened her mouth and let out a sigh before yelling, "Go fuck yourself! I won't help you!"

Lennix was taken aback by Victoria's resolute refusal. "Damn it, I thought that would work!" he exclaimed in frustration, then turned to Clarissa, hoping for her support. However, Clarissa, despite having an emotionless face looked disappointed "Never mind, Master Lennix. I shouldn't have expected you to display even a basic level of intellect," she deadpanned.

Lennix clutched his non-beating heart in response, saying, "I'm undead, and that still stung right here." Clarissa, unfazed by his remark, approached Victoria, who shot her an exasperated look and said, "What? You already know my answer."

Clarissa, unfazed by the mayor's retort, responded with a very simple, logical statement. "If you refuse to help us, your entire city and its people will be lost, leaving you with nothing. But then again, expecting common sense from a politician might be too much." Her words held no trace of emotion.

Victoria gawked at Clarissa, her mouth agape, and stammered, "Wha-wha-how dare you!" Clarissa maintained her composure as she continued, "Assist us, or prepare to lose everything. Your choice is nonexistent, Miss Mayor. And, if I may be candid, you've surpassed even Master Lennix in the realm of intellectual prowess. Take pride in that."

Lennix, sounding drained and impassive, added, "You could have spared her that last part, you know?"

Xain marveled at Clarissa's ability to deconstruct the mayor's arguments with simple logic. He thought, *Good goddess, she just verbally destroyed her with simple logic.* Ercale seemed to share his sentiment, noting, *She's intelligent, or should I say she possesses common sense. Nevertheless, I still don't like her.*

Victoria, although visibly rattled by Clarissa's words, reluctantly surrendered, admitting, "I suppose I have no choice but to assist you. Ha ha ha." Larkin, meanwhile, whispered to Zee, "Remind me not to banter with her."

Clarissa maintained her usual stoic demeanor and remarked, "I overheard that, dear guest," causing Larkin to straightened up.

Victoria continued, voicing her dissatisfaction, "I don't relish the idea of working with him." She pointed accusingly at Lennix before continuing, "However, it appears I have no alternative. But first, we'll need to retrieve some of my personal belongings before we can pursue her."

The group silently agreed to the plan, acknowledging that it was better than having no plan at all. Lennix affirmed, "Lead the way." 

Victoria turned toward the room's exit but stopped short, noticing the gaping hole they had entered through. Somewhat embarrassed, she turned back to the group, "I'm afraid one of you will need to carry me." Most of the group collectively groaned at her request.