Lifting the curse

After we both entered the igloo, she insisted that we eat first before our discussion.

I took the stag and since Aunt isn't awake I... hesitated a bit before proceeded to skin it...

About two bloody hours passed before I finally finished doing whatever I can and finished cooking the deer meat, Kirllia just sighed again and again as she slumped over her near the tunnel. I was about to tell her that food's about ready when she suddenly asked a question.

"What do you think about me?"

What's with the question? Is she asking me if I like her? But we're like more than ten years apart, right?

Just checking out how she would react, and I don't really mind if it's just a hypothetical question, I decided to answer truthfully.

"I don't hate you, so it can only mean that I like you."

She turned around her head towards me and looked from the side, her eyes almost bulging.

"Kids nowadays... really, can you still be so dense after all that happened?"

"What do you mean?" ...Hey did I just got counter rejected!?

"You've seen how I healed that fast, you've seen me interact with them differently, and there's also my red colored energy. Sometimes, you still think like your age unexpectedly."

Fast healing... Interacting with... them who? Red colored lights of energy...

Familiar red magic circles with unknown characters...

"You trust me that much?" After saying that, her eyes turned into shades of red, her skin paled a bit, and two red orbs floated above her.

If she's not a demon, then what is she?

I've had a bit of suspicion from the moment she showed her magical power that was colored red, but I can't just assume anything with that. Also, there's not much proof but...

"You've seen the man earlier, right? He was a childhood friend. He came to warn me about something."

There are all sorts of things I wanted to ask, but knowing that she's a demon, there's only one thing that came to my mind.

"Do you know how to dispel curses?"

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she gave a frown.

"Why aren't you mad at me? I-I'm... I AM a demon!"

"That doesn't matter. We're friends, right? So, do you know how to dispel curses?"

I don't know why you feel agitated to admitting about being a demon right now, as that's not really an important matter at all. She got stunned with my words though, and paused for a bit before continuing.

"Don't you know that humans and demons are enemies?"

I made an Origin Screw and spun it as fast as a spinning fan, just enough to make a few winds to gather; then I pointed it towards her. She doesn't move at her place, and she only furrowed her brows further, then sweat started to form on her temples.

"If you were my enemy, then you would've killed us already."

I recalled back the Origin that I used and saw that the bonfire was put out from the winds so I reignited it once more. I also took out the few sticks of deer barbeque and waved it in front of me.

"If we're enemies... *munch* just go away then."

Her eyes seem to follow the barbeque so I didn't hesitate to wave it again once more, wafting the aroma towards her on purpose.

"Do you know how to dispel curses?" I repeated.

Her face blushed as she sucked in her almost dripping saliva on the side of her mouth before she stared at me and held her hand in front of her.

"Gimme. Then I'll tell you about curses."

***

As her mood got better, I also told her to revert to her previous form of looking a bit less demon-like so that Aunt won't have to just suddenly attack her out of the blue. She made her pale skin gain more color, then her eyes turned into its previous color. I only realize now that her eye color was disguised as amber.

She pouted after that and there was a bit of silence before she deeply inhaled and exhaled.

"First of all, what do you know about curses?"

Not exactly knowing anything about Dad's curse, I could only say that my knowledge about curses was that I know that they existed.

"Why are you so intent on learning about them?"

"It's because of my father. He has this curse that's placed by the Void Demoness."

After the words got out of my mouth, her eyes almost bulged when I mentioned the words 'Void Demoness' and immediately stood. She paced around the igloo as I sat and waited, her hand on chin while her expression looking worried.

"I don't know of any curses that the Void Demoness possess, but all I'm sure is that if it's been placed by her, it could only be removed by her."

Hearing that information doesn't really help a lot, but at least there's still hope. If we can't lift the curse on Dad, then what have we travelled for? Is our journey towards here pointless?

"But... Regardless of any curse, they can be removed by someone stronger by the caster...generally. Wait, let me think."

With that, she continued to murmur to herself with more words I can't understand. It reminded me of how we first met, she also did that a lot.

"Sorry, Kaff."

"Aunt!"

I quickly went near her side and touched her face and forehead... she's not as cold as before now. There was still a hint of paleness to her whole body and her lips.

"You should rest a bit more, we're safe here."

"Where is this? Are we at Labbi?"

"No, the kid just knew how to make an ice-house."

"Ice-house?"

"Aunt, here." I handed over a warm deer barbeque and she slowly ate it, until she got faster as she finished her food. I handed more to her and she gobbled them within minutes.

"She can sure eat." Kirllia said at the side, her hands on her hips.

After Aunt ate six sticks, she let out a loud burp before patting her belly, then I handed her a recently cooled, filtered, and boiled ice water. If that wasn't good enough to remove the impurities, then I'm not sure I can replicate osmosis from my previous world just to make a better drinkable water.

Golden light gathered on my hands as I held Aunt's, and I channeled more of Origin towards her. She doesn't looks like she needs more, but just in case it works like a dextrose, then that's good.

"Aunt, sleep more. We'll take care of you."

"Tch. Just because I got trashed more than you've been doesn't mean that I'm weaker than you."

"Fine, fine. Just go to sleep already."

Aunt stared at Kirllia for a bit more before she finally turned away and lied down at the stacked stuff that served as insulator where I placed her.

"Don't worry too much Kaff, you'll get old fast."

Eh, but you were on the verge of death not long ago!

Also, as if I wasn't old based on my original age already.

"I heard you discuss about your Dad. You should focus on that more."

After she let out those words, I could only hear her softly snore. Aunt, if you really wanted to fake your sleep, just stop snoring. I know you don't do that.

"Back to the matter at hand, I've got an idea, but I'm not sure it would work, as it's a curse placed by a Grandmaster-level."

"Better have a method instead of having none. Let's hear it."

***

Meanwhile back at the massive bridge that connected the two forts...

This time, the combined units at the southern fort lined up and started to march towards the bridge. The number of soldiers on land weren't badly decimated, as they looked like as if only a few hundred had fallen from the previous battle.

Half of them however, remained on the fort, wielding their weapons, and made patrols.

"Still no signs of beasts being teleported?" The knight Enjil asked the group of twelve Vates floating in a circle above the fort.

"None. It's as if the Void Demoness has no intentions of appearing, or she's just biding time for a good moment to make a surprise attack."

"There were a few signs of energy pulses from the distance towards the northwest, but it's too far for our other forces to have made it there. It's probably the beasts trying to escape from their control, or they've already acquired additional beasts to release a second wave," the other Vates within the circle replied.

Enjil then flew away and entered one of the buildings that housed a lot of soldiers, then went towards the centermost part of the building after passing through a few corridors.

"Sir, based from the gathered reports, we still haven't found any signs of the Void Demoness."

The general sat on a chair with a desk in front of him, and there were a few humanoid clay models on the side, but there are only two that were standing.

"It's like they're toying with us, don't you think?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Look how we rushed this war. How they just sent out beast waves without a particular pattern. It feels like I'm missing something big here."

The general stood and went silent for a while, then he continued.

"We gathered men for a year, then trained then for three months. The only exception were those that were personally scouted by me, and so far a lot of them are missing. The blizzard was highly likely a natural calamity, but the way they disappeared one by one within the heavy snowstorm doesn't look like coincidence to me."

His eyes widened as if realizing something important and immediately called for William and Virol.

A few minutes pass before the two went in, only to find the general already completely wearing signature golden armor. He also destroyed every figurine on the desk before telling the two that just came in.

"We've probably been had by that Demoness! We'll go back at that blizzard at this instant!"

"General, calm down and tell us what you've concluded first before you go rushing somewhere."

The general hesitated for a bit before he finally sat down again at his chair, then started to narrate the thoughts that he had.

First, there was the random attacks all over and around the cities nearby Phione, creating chaos and decimating a lot of the human and beast population within the past two years. The main reason for this is possibly just to instigate war, but there might be another reason.

Next, the current enemy units at the fort was far lesser than what was estimated, but he also accounted for the fact that the Void Demoness may also teleport their units at Phione so there are three thousand units left there. The last batch of two thousand units were currently still travelling towards the fort, and the advanced units right here right now were numbered near four thousand.

But he didn't consider that the Void Demoness might have increased her power within the short time, nor the fact that she may be able to teleport her allies over the other towns, inside the fort, and within Phione, all at the same time. But it didn't mean that they may not be able to defend against her, as they have enough manpower to defend all the places at the same time too.

Lastly, the enemies residing at the place where the blizzard tore through them was probably their actual base that was located somewhere, and are currently hidden. This means that a lot of elite units must have been ambushed there by the Void Demoness herself.

He hadn't considered that the enemies might have went ahead of time already and have passed the fort. It's likely possible.

"Then, there are the Void Emperor's words... We can't say that it doesn't mean anything," William mentioned as he wiped the sweat on his forehead.

"Sending us three over here, you also probably assumed that the Void Emperor only plans to escape after we conquer the fort, is that right?" Virol asked towards the general; his feather between his foreheads slowly flashing.

"Not only that. I bet the other two Void Demons beside him would also just buy us time before the Void Demoness actually finishes what may possibly the worst case scenario."

"But there's still one thing, why is he searching for the Fastest Swordsman?" Enjil asked.

All of them went silent with that question, but they could only look downwards in loss before deciding to move towards the central area of the fort, summoning all the mage-level combatants, before flying away towards further southwest where a steady blizzard was in place.

The ones left in the fort were only commanded to stand and guard the place, and there were a lot of confused people as to why the higher level units were joined along retreating towards the south.