Laianne was still conscious, just barely. Her eyes were half closing, while her mouth was agape, desperately fishing for air. Hot blood gushed out of the palm-sized circular hole on her abdomen. Her body spasmed every and each second, while the pain delivered constant trembling on her as a whole. I crouched down, and Alrod looked at me, gritting his teeth audibly while pain glinted in his carbon eyes.

“Quick, what does she need?” I asked.

“We need to open the gateway—”

“—We don't have time to walk through a forest for hours. We need to treat her right now.” I cut him off. “What about injecting her with Aster?”

Alrod looked down. His eyes met Laianne's.

“A wound this severe requires enormous amounts of Aster, nothing less will suffice. It will require many healers, that's why we have to go back to Artrud.”

“And I'm telling you we don't have the luxury of opening a portal!”

“But it would require at least three healers!” He shouted back at me for the first time ever. “And I don't have any power left!”

“I still have some energy,” I said. “though I don't know how so you will have to teach me.” I covered her wound with my hand.

“You can't do that Lord Alrion!” He said, panic distorting his aged face. “You're a being made from pure Aster! In your current state, before you can make even a difference, you will most certainly perish!”

“We don't know that.” I said.

He looked at Laianne's eyes, then at her wound, and back at me.

“But!”

“That's an order, Alrod. Don't make me repeat myself.” My gaze fell down Laianne's figure.

Inordinate amounts of sweat covered Laianne's face down to her neck. Tears sparkled in her eyes as her view alternated between me and Alrod. She wanted to say something and was holding my arm, but she was busy taking in air and the best she could form were breathy groans. We didn't have much time.

“... Understood.” He casted down his gaze to her daughter.

Laianne shook her head frantically, but Alrod ignored it.

“You, you call Aster in your hands and you let it flow from your hand to the wound using your will and control.”

“What the hell? Then you should've just told me how easy it was from the get go!” I said and focused on my splayed hand and her gaping wound.

Like that time with the rope I willed the flames to existence. A spark. Flames erupted from the back of my hand, though unlike the last time, it looked more... Dark? Instead of violet and white its main body became black, while only the serrated edges were purple. It looked more intimidating to say the least.

I pushed my palm harder against her hot and bloodied skin. As the pressure heightened, the nerves beneath my left arm's skin became increasingly apparent. The veins twitched, and I could feel something inside them getting sucked out to my palm.

Laianne gasped for air. Her back arched outward and her fingers dug into my wrist as the skin started to regrow anew from the edges of the wound inward.

It was working, but it was too slow, and Laianne wouldn't hold still. I guess regeneration hurts more than the wound itself.

I nodded at Alrod. He picked up the meaning and held down Laianne's waist.

I pressed my palm harder against her flesh, strengthening our connection and thus, speeding up the process at the great expense of my energy. Laianne released an ear-piercing scream.

As the wound closed, my limbs became increasingly numb and black stars plagued my vision. My black right arm began crumbling to ashes from the claws up.

[A destroyer sacrificing himself for a mortal? How foolish.] The voice finally rang inside my head.

Not quite. I answered. I'm not planning on sacrificing myself. I don't know who you are, but I knew you'd come back.

[Pushing your luck, are you? What makes you think I won't let you die this time?]

Because you need me. You can't have me dead, can you?

The voice didn't answer.

Laianne quieted down and limped in her father's arms. The hole was no more. Her father wept in joy, while my eyes seized their hard-earned rest.

---

I opened my eyes. A purple rhombus crystal was embedded on the black stone ceiling, shedding light of the same hue. It was a good start for a day since for the first time, a face didn't greet me. My right arm, my normal right arm, was also back, but I didn't get the chance to thank myself for being a God that can regrow limbs,

Because there was another arm over my chest, and it wasn't mine.

The arm was sleek, white, smooth, and most of all, warm. When I traced where it came from, it brought me to a naked girl sleeping on my left.

It was Laianne, and it seemed like she wasn't wearing anything under the black blanket.

Her face was also just inches away from mine.

Now that I have plenty of time to look at her close, I had concluded that she didn't look bad at all. The opposite was true, even. Her thin brows were beautiful when they weren't curved inward from sarcasm. She had quaint pink lips as well, which I never noticed since she always talks, and usually not in a good way. She had high cheekbones, defined bridge, and silky black hair.

All in all she looked like an angel when asleep. Oh how I wish she would stay asleep.

But isn't the fact that she's beside me naked completely weird? And oh, it seemed like her one leg was over mine as well, but I couldn't see it under the blanket.

Thank the God of blankets. I almost put up the sexual content warning.

The door creaked open. It was Alrod with his usual collected demeanor and calm stare.

“Lord Alrion.” He bowed. “Are you feeling well now? You've been out for two days.”

“Think so.” I said, but I was still too lazy to get up. “Hey Alrod.”

“What is it?”

“Isn't this your daughter?”

“Yes my lord. What about it?”

“Oh nothing, really.” I said. “I just thought you'd want to be the stereotypical father right now and yell something like ‘What are you doing with my daughter!’ all while throwing a machete, or pointing a shotgun at me or something.”

He shut his eyes and stifled a chuckle. “Well, nothing happened between you and Laianne so I don't have a reason to be furious, my lord.”

“But isn't she naked right now?” I asked.

“Yes, only because she can't sleep with clothes on.” He said.

“And because of that, this is supposed to be fine? Why is she here anyway?”

“Well, she insisted that she wanted to take care of you.”

“She did what?”

That didn't sound like her at all.

I couldn't help but turn to the side, where her carefree face was. She was even faintly snoring? This girl is so unpredictable. One day she's being a bitch then the next she's an adorable sheep.

Though that remains to be seen, she was still sleeping. Who knows how she'll be when she wakes up. Like I said, unpredictable.

“Yes, she even kicked Senea out of the room.” He heaved a sigh. “Though back at the issue at hand, in the event that something does happen between you two, I'm sure that you, Lord Alrion, will be more than worthy to take her and make her your second spouse.”

My eyes narrowed on him. Just what the hell kind of father is this guy?

On top of Laianne being roughly my great great great granddaughter, there's also Nariad who's sure to crush my balls under her heels when she sees this. If that doesn't sound bad then I don't know what is.

And why am I even considering Laianne as a partner? That doesn't make sense. I don't want a bitchy wife.

Alrod bowed down and turn his back. Halfway out the door, he stopped.

“In any case, I will take my leave now. If you wish to talk to me I will just be a level downstairs, in my desk, Lord Alrion.”

The door creaked shut.

Asteria never disappoints.

Okay, what to do now...

Well do I even have anything to do? Aside from checking on the human girl, and thinking of how to get rid of the ‘spy’... Actually that's a lot of work isn't it? So why am I even trying to find more?

I put aside Laianne's embracing arm and sat up. Now, to think of the real serious stuff. That Darius, although he was fucking demented and all with his joker laugh, he made a point. We were this close to dying because of a planted mole.

If holes are poked, there's even a chance that the spy he was talking about was the one who hit me with that Arkos beam back at the chamber. But what are the odds? It's pretty much obvious that Asterians can't wield Arkos. That's light you know. Then that would make the attacker not an Asterian.

But there's only one human here, and she's a former counter girl who doesn't even know kung-fu, let alone how to cast a legendary spell that can injure a God.

So that would mean we're down to the fact that the spy and the assailant are different individuals of different races. Right now, for the peace of mind, I will assume that the assailant had already escaped. Then the only immediate problem would be the spy.

Well, there are hundreds of ‘government employees’ here inside the castle so I don't think it'll be easy but, at least I have a list of people that absolutely can't be spies. One of course, is Alrod. He's too loyal to the point that he's willing to trade his own daughter's life for me.

Next would be Laianne, since she's almost always with me so unless there's a way to share information in this world, or rather, universe, using telepathy, then she's definitely not the culprit.

And last would be, yeah, the counter girl. Do I even need to elaborate? She couldn't even handle seeing someone die.

But then again, that's not a lot of info to go on. Is being a Dark Lord really this stressful?

With a sigh, my head dropped back to the leather pillow. I didn't feel like playing whack-a-mole. A real mole, though not necessarily the animal.

A cute groan sounded beside me. Laianne's carbon eyes flashed open.

“Oh... Good morning.” I said.

“Hmm... Morning? Asteria doesn't have mornings, or daytime.” She said with a soft voice as she turned to the black-curtained window behind her.

“At least, not until the sky heals. Or so father says.” She yawned. It was cute.

“Is that so? Come to think of it, I haven't seen the sky brighten yet.”

“That's because Asteria originally didn't have a day. But since Nariad is your spouse, she blessed this world with light. Though for some reason it only works when you're healthy...” She said, her eyes only half-open. “Coupled with the fact that you spent most of your time unconscious...”

“That's right isn't it? Within such a short span of time, I already fainted enough times to last a lifetime.”

“Ho...” Laianne stared at me with her deadpan expression. “This is the first time I've seen you smile.”

“Oh, I'm smiling?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“Weird...” I turned away.

An awkward silence.

“By the way, Laianne.”

“What.” She looked at me, morning haze apparent in her eyes.

“You're naked right now, you know that?” I said.

“So?” She asked, uninterested. “Don't tell me this is the first time you've seen a naked woman?”

“No, but it's my first time seeing a naked girl.”

“Gentleman.” She muttered under her breath. “Well, what do you want to do now?”

“Is that really the question here? Isn't it ‘When are you planning on putting on clothes’?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Her pink lips curved into a mischievous grin. “When are you planning on wearing clothes?”

What? I looked down.

Oh. I didn't notice.

---

We were navigating a black corridor, lit by an endless row of Aster lamps hanging on the wall on fixed intervals. Rows of doors decorated both side walls, and later on one of them would lead to Alrod's office. We were walking on a steady pace then, until Laianne threw me a question about what she was wearing.

“But still, why do I have to wear a robe.

Can't I wear a blouse and skirt?” She asked with a sullen look.

“In where we're going, a blouse and a skirt will be too breezy.” I said.

“But aren't I cuter on a skirt?”

“In where we're going, your cuteness probably doesn't have a use.”

She peered at my face, her brows knitted in irritation. “Where are you planning on going, anyway?”

“I have the best plan in the world, but I don't know exactly where we're going.” I said and faced her. “Ask me things all you want, but not before we're out of Artrud.”

“Why?”

“I said don't ask.”

She clicked her tongue and shot me a death glare from below. “What's with you?”

I didn't answer. But then again ignoring the obnoxious girl isn't the most effective way of getting rid of her.

Laianne gasped. “Don't tell me... Don't tell me you're mad because nothing happened between us?!”

“Ha?”

She stacked her hands on her chest and faked a cute blushing face. “... D-don't worry, Lord Alrion, I'll be sure to sleep with you again next time. Then I'll let you do umm... naughty things to me when that happens.”

What the hell is she saying? This girl.

“Cut it with the crap, Laianne.” I scolded her. “First off, you're a lady, or wait, a girl, so start acting like one...”

“Ho... Fishy.” Her eyes bore holes on my jaw, but I did my best to ignore it.

“Second. I'm not mad.” I said. “There are just things I simply can't tell you or anyone right now. Not until we're far from here, anyway.”

She finally picked up the meaning. Laianne got off my face and nodded. “So father is into this as well, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“We're already past his office, though.”

“What?” I looked back.

Laianne pointed to a door one meter behind us that had a stone plate. Six characters from ancient Asterian script was carved on the plate. It looked like sanskrit with those arbitrary curves and lines.

It roughly read as ‘Governor's Desk’.

“Oh, so Alrod's a governor?” I asked as we walked back.

“You mean you just noticed?” She pulled the door open.

Inside the room was Alrod, sitting before a pale-brown wooden desk, reading a black hard-bound book that most likely came from the great bookshelf at one corner of the room. When he saw us by the doorstep, he clapped the book close and told us to come in.

It was a nice room that was more spacious than it seemed at first. There was a counter to the right corner that had a steel tea set on it, along with a dozen matching cups turned upside-down. There was a conference of brown leather couches in the middle of the room, surrounding a quaint coffee table made of that common pale-brown wood. I wonder, just how much power does a governor hold?

“What do you need of me, Lord Alrion?” He asked with a smile as he walked up to me.

“Hmmmm... I want you to pack things for travel.” I said. “I'd like it if you can prepare tents, clothes, medicine that one might need for a long trek. We're leaving Artrud for a while, us three.”

“Understood my lord.” He bowed. “Though if you don't mind me asking, for what reason?”

“I really want to tell you but right now, I can't.” I said.

“I see...” He nodded. “I'll get on with it, then.”

“Thanks.” I smiled.

“Since you mentioned travel, I wonder if you would like me to prepare a dragon for us?”

“No, I don't think riding a big dragon will give us anything but disadvantage. It might come in handy some other time, but not for this one. We're going on foot.” I said.

A drawled sound of protest erupted behind me after I said ‘on foot’.

“Why do I have to go too?” She glared at me.

“Hmm... Because you owe me one for saving you.”

Laianne's face contorted as if she was chewing a bitter bug.

“Ugh... Fine.” She consented, although reluctantly.

“Great. Thanks Laianne.” I said.

She said nothing more and looked away with a 'hmph'. What a kid. I turned to Alrod.

“Once you're done preparing things, just find me upstairs. I'll be visiting the human girl at least before we set off.”

Alrod bowed down, marking my exit.