"This task shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Hel released Nikki's tail. The flustered beastgirl immediately shrank back into the corner, face red, gently smoothing down the messy fur on her tail with pitiful focus.
Hel, meanwhile, brought the insect girl over to a nearby operating table and had her lie down on her stomach.
What Hel was about to perform was a simple chip implantation surgery.
The newest generation of chips not only carried the basic functions of communication and soul-linking,
but also included additional features Hel had personally added — remote self-destruction, soul-invasion countermeasures, and a mental firewall.
Practically every threat a field agent might encounter had been considered.
"All done," Hel said. "With this, you'll be able to contact me anytime.
The task I want you to handle isn't difficult either — I just need you to travel to the beastmen territories and deliver something for me."
"What kind of thing?"
The insect girl touched the back of her head — the wound had already completely healed, not even leaving a scar.
"This."
Hel flipped her hand, and a tiny golden insect, about the size of a soybean, appeared on her palm.
"I need you to control your swarm and deliver this to a specific location I'll designate."
"No problem," the insect girl said readily. "But, if it's within the Aira or Aivorite Courts, that's fine —if it's in the Luxuria Court, though, my insects might get detected."
She took the golden bug, sensing it carefully — yet to her surprise, she couldn't feel a trace of any insect-like aura from it.
It was as if this "bug" weren't even alive.
"No need to send it that far. My target area is mainly the Bloodstained Plains.
Once the production of these things ramps up later, I'll consider expanding the deployment."
"Understood. Please rest assured, Master — you can leave it to me."
"Good. Then change your clothes. I'll send you to the beastman territory."
"So soon?"
The insect girl looked a bit reluctant. Her gaze shifted between Nikki — sitting there pitifully — and the tiny, adorable Hel before her.
Then, half-joking, she blurted out,
"Master, are you going to… train Lady Nikki? Can't I stay to watch before I leave?"
"Say another word and I'll hit you."
"Really?"
Hel: "…"
She was convinced her fate was to attract perverts.
"Enough. The sooner the better."
With that, Hel sealed the insect girl back into the Training Space.
A moment later, in an underground cave beyond the Wall of Vigilance, a small magic automaton waved its hand, releasing the insect girl back into the world.
"Alright, let's begin. I'll leave this clone here for now.
If you need anything, you can contact me directly through it.
And once you finish deploying all those special insects I placed in your spatial ring…
you can return and enjoy a vacation with your dear Lady Nikki."
"Yes, Master! I'll complete the mission, I promise!"
The insect girl's eyes lit up instantly — clearly, Hel's "promise" had motivated her perfectly.
After settling that, Hel turned toward Nikki, who had been curled into a ball the entire time.
Unlike the insect girl, whose loyalty came from the Word System,
Nikki's obedience came from the Divine Slave Mark — a contract-based seal.
In other words, though Hel had complete control over her, she couldn't directly alter Nikki's feelings.
That was easily fixable — all she had to do was graft a Loyalty Word taken from someone else.
But…
Hel looked at the pitiful beastgirl, lips curling into a mischievous smile.
After all, what could be more entertaining than turning a proud little wolf into an obedient little pup?
"Niv, come here a moment."
Hel opened her communication panel and summoned Niv.
When the girl appeared — looking nearly identical to Hel herself — Nikki froze.
She stared at Niv's familiar expression, realization dawning.
The puppet that had "trained" her last night… it hadn't carried the aura of a contract.
Could it be that the one who had really handled her last night was—!?
Before she could finish the thought, Hel confirmed it outright.
"Niv, she's yours to train. Make her obedient — but she can't leave this place yet."
"Understood, Master! Don't worry — by tonight, I'll have her perfectly shaped into your image."
"No need for that."
Hel rubbed Niv's head with an exasperated sigh — but seeing her eager expression,
she could only relent with a helpless, "Do as you like."
Then Hel turned and left.
As soon as she was gone, Niv's eyes gleamed. She looked at the trembling Nikki with excitement, pulling out from her ring a delicate, handmade lingerie set.
"As a formal rite of joining Master's retinue, you'll need to put this on first."
"D-do I… have to?"
Nikki stared at the outfit — or rather, the few scraps of fabric that made it up —
and swallowed nervously.
"What do you think?"
…
Meanwhile, Hel had just exited the Undead Space when a meeting request from Vitt appeared.
She entered the familiar pure-white space, and as soon as they met, Witt spoke gravely:
"Little Lord, the beastman army has begun its retreat."
"Oh? That soon?"
Hel wasn't surprised. After all, the War Witch had been captured, and her own strike had annihilated 180,000 of their elite troops.
Even if the old King Aira managed to conquer the Mandrake Principality, he'd still suffer immense losses.
And now that the Mandrake Pass had been destroyed, there was little point in holding that territory anyway.
"Why the long face, then? Shouldn't you be happy they're retreating?" Hel asked, puzzled by Witt's worried look.
"It's like this, Little Lord. Though the beastmen are withdrawing, I've received another report.
The plague that had been spreading across the continent — with the warming weather — has grown even worse.
According to the Church's official explanation, this epidemic was created through a magical ritual devised by two witches: the Witch of Disease, who created it, and the Witch of Beasts, who spread it.
Once this plague fully erupts, it's estimated that nearly half the population of the continent could perish.
And more troubling still— the Witch of Disease may use this ritual
to take the final step beyond transcendence—to become a god."