For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

As soon as Iris explained the mask’s ability, a scene began to play out in my mind.

A dark underground. A cult’s secret base. Kidnapped people. A horrific altar.

But just as the evil ritual was about to commence, lightning suddenly struck, shattering the altar.

The cultists raising blasphemous prayers, the victims whimpering in fear—all fall silent, enveloped in a strange stillness.

Where, who, and how?

As questions filled their minds, faint footsteps were heard from somewhere.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The approaching steps suddenly stop.

And then, out of thin air, a mysterious figure appeared.

A simple-designed robe and mask, black and purple. One cultist sensed it immediately—this person was the disruptor of the ritual.

The questions turned into anger, taking the form of a shout.

“Who are you?!”

But the response wasn’t words, just an odd, oppressive feeling.

Their anger quickly faded, replaced by fear.

The masked man remained silent, but it was clear that he dominated the area now.

Imagining this, I let out an involuntary sigh.

“Haah…!”

Then, I smugly lifted Iris by the armpits, hoisting her up.

“Ma-Master? What’s this all of a sudden… Did I displease you?”

“Of course not! I’m just curious. Can you show me how to use this ‘intimidation’?”

“Ah, if that’s what you want, it’s certainly possible.”

Iris nodded and brought the mask to her small face.

Pak.

The mask, with no apparent fastening, clung perfectly to Iris’s face, even adjusting to fit perfectly.

“The principle is complex, but the usage is simple. The necessary incantations are already embedded, so just infuse it with mana.”

As she infused mana, a strange pressure emanated from Iris.

“Depending on the amount of mana injected, the power can be adjusted… but I can’t do anything harmful to you, Master, so this is the best I can do right now.”

“So at full power, it’s much stronger, right?”

“Exactly. What do you think? Does this satisfy you?”

Iris, seeking approval, was brimming with confidence.

But the mask was indeed worth it.

“It’s perfect! Make four more just like this!”

“Hmm. Seeing Master so pleased makes me proud. Understood. I’ll proceed as such.”

Was this the power of experience? Iris knew her stuff.

Unable to contain my joy, I shook Iris up and down, playing airplane.

“Woahhh!!”

“Master! I must say it again! I am not a child!”

“So cool!!!”

“Eek! Eeek! What is this in front of my student…?!”

Iris struggled fiercely to escape my grasp…

But after realizing I wouldn’t let go, she eventually relaxed, limply dropping her arms and legs.

After shaking her for a while longer, I carefully sat her on a chair, and Faye, who had been blankly watching, spoke up in a flat tone.

“Junior…? What’s with the robe and mask that you like so much?”

“Ah, that’s…uhm….”

I realized I hadn’t told Faye about it yet.

But now, Faye was practically in the same boat as us.

I needed to start fabricating stories about the source of my knowledge. There was a lot I planned to have Faye do in the future.

“It’s about time I told you, Senior Faye. This is how it happened…”

As I internally deliberated how to explain, pondering where to start,

Clatter!

Suddenly, Carla raised her hand, and her ruby-colored eyes sparkled.

“Master! May I explain it to Faye?”

“Huh? I don’t mind, but… why so sudden?”

“I want to take this opportunity to have a conversation with Faye about you, Master.”

“Oh? I feel the same. Since it’s going to be a long story, leave it to us. You should comfort the teacher.”

“Iris…? Ah.”

Glancing sideways, I saw Iris, apparently still upset about earlier, had covered herself with a blanket again.

Did I tease her too much, even though she did well?

Only her face was peeping out; her cheeks puffed up in apparent annoyance.

I gently caressed Iris’s ears.

“…Eep!“

She twitched, yet didn’t release the air from her cheeks.

It seemed like she was really upset.

I smiled wryly and nodded.

“Okay. Then please explain it well to Senior Faye.”

“Leave it to me, Master! Let’s see… Faye, have you ever wondered where the Master learned all this from?”

“Mm. I’ve been curious since we first met.”

“There’s a reason for everything. The Master always deflects and doesn’t explain properly, but the thing is….”

This and that, here and there, twist and turn.

“And that’s how it is!”

“Wow… Junior… So that’s why you once brought a recipe, knowing only the ingredients, not the proportions.”

Faye nodded, finally understanding.

In H&A, having only the ingredients meant you could create items with just a press of a button, without knowing the exact method.

I had given her a request with just the ingredients and the expected outcome… She must still remember that incident.

It wasn’t long ago, just before our dungeon practice.

“Say, Junior. So your goal is to eradicate the cultists?”

“Ah, I never mentioned that part before, did I?”

I had always talked about immediate actions and general directions, never detailing the ultimate goal.

Since everyone here was likely to stick with me to the end, it was okay to share.

“My goal… in a way, as Senior Faye said, might be to eradicate the cultists.”

Considering this an important topic, I glanced around at the attentive ladies before continuing.

“To defeat all the Evil Gods. That’s my ultimate goal.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Perhaps the scale of my statement was too grand, as everyone suddenly fell silent.

The silence was broken first by Iris, who was eating dessert to control her anger.

“Master. When you say defeating the Evil Gods, do you mean to kill them?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm…”

As if contemplating what to say, Iris made a gulping sound, then swallowed the tart she was eating before speaking.

“About 300 years ago. I participated in the Great War waged by the Gods.”

“That makes sense.”

Given that Iris was over 500 years old.

“Back then, I was only a mid-level magician, so I couldn’t be on the front lines. Nevertheless, I am well aware of the Evil Gods’ atrocities. Naturally, I saw them firsthand.”

“Teacher, have you ever seen an Evil God in person?”

“Yes, my student. As you said, I saw one from a distance.”

Recalling that memory, Iris shivered.

“The God of Tainted Unity… was a massive mass of flesh, bigger than a mountain. Its body, made by combining countless creatures, simultaneously resembles a land, sea, and air creature, yet paradoxically, it was none of those.”

Ah. So she had seen the God of Tainted Unity.

Nowadays, that entity is just grinding its teeth against me, but during its prime, it was truly formidable.

In terms of pure combat power, it was among the top three among the Evil Gods.

“Every step it took devoured everything in its path. Watching it consume both the strikes of a Sword Master and the spells of a Grand Magician made me realize that Evil Gods are Gods too.”

“But aren’t they all sealed now, Teacher?”

“Yes. They were sealed by the hero Rahim and the power of the Good Gods. But that was only possible thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime genius hero and the direct descent of Gods.”

After kindly answering Elisha’s question, Iris turned her gaze to me.

“Master. Given your origin, I understand your intent. Surely, Evil Gods must be eradicated.”

Then, with a calm gaze, she continued.

“But honestly, it seems impossible. Even during the last Great War, unless the Good Gods descend to earth again, humans alone cannot handle the Evil Gods.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“Then, instead of defeating the Evil Gods, wouldn’t it be better to consistently subdue the cultists and maintain the seals? Having experienced the Great War myself, I believe this to be a more realistic approach… Of course, I will follow if you command otherwise.”

Realizing she might have overreacted, Iris added her words cautiously.

I nodded, conveying my approval.

“I get what you’re saying. I’d like to do that too.”

Really. I sincerely wished for that.

“…If only it were possible.”

“What do you mean…?”

To the puzzled Iris, and to Carla, Elisha, and Faye, I shared a secret I hadn’t told anyone before.

“The seal. It’s going to break within a few years.”

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