"Is that so?"
Hel sounded doubtful, taking two cautious steps back — her guard clearly up.
"I don't believe a word of that," she muttered, turning to leave the room.
But not long after, she returned, muttering under her breath as she walked back in.
"Almost forgot — I actually came back for something important. Niv, what are you staring at? Hurry up and get that thing attached. I've got questions for Nikki."
"O-oh, right!"
Niv was still a little dazed, but her hands moved on instinct.
And the completely unprepared Nikki, who thought she'd escaped her ordeal, was caught completely off guard — ambushed before she could even react.
A shriek, far louder and more pitiful than before, echoed through the chamber.
Limping and teary-eyed, Nikki was half-dragged, half-carried by Hel into a nearby rest room.
"War Witch Nikki, I have questions for you."
"D-Death Lady, I was wrong! Please, please don't send me back into that place again!"
Her tear-streaked face trembled pitifully — the fierce and defiant woman from before was nowhere to be seen.
"What place? What are you even talking about? Relax — since you've signed a contract with me, I won't mistreat you."
"R-really?"
"Of course. I have an impeccable reputation."
"…If you say so."
"Alright, tell me — do you know anything about the Beast Witch?"
"The Beast Witch? Does Lady Death want to find her?"
Hearing the question, Nikki stiffened, thinking Hel was bringing up old grudges. Nervously, she began confessing everything she knew.
"I only met her once. She was brought by the Witch of Disease.
"At that time, I needed a beast tamer to help spread the insect girl's moths to search for… d–death— no, for other witches.
"So, the Witch of Disease introduced her to me."
"How strong is she? Where is she now? Any affiliations or allies?"
The moment Nikki admitted to meeting the Beast Witch, Hel grabbed her shoulders, eyes sparkling like stars.
Nikki froze, terrified, instinctively trying to curl up — but Hel held her firmly in place on the sofa.
"I-I don't know much about her," Nikki stammered. "I only know she was stronger than me — but not as terrifying as the Witch of Disease.
"As for what faction she's joined or who she knows… I'm not sure."
Hel loosened her grip, lost in thought as she rubbed her chin.
Peak sixth-tier… maybe early seventh-tier.
If it was the former, it'd be manageable — but if she really was at seventh-tier strength… that was trouble.
Looks like I'm still too weak.
"Um…" Nikki ventured carefully, seeing Hel lost in thought. "I… actually noticed something strange about her."
"Strange?"
"Yes," Nikki said with a nod. "Her eyes were lifeless. She looked like she was sleepwalking — as if someone was controlling her."
"Controlled?" Hel muttered. "Both death-type and corruption-type witches have ways to manipulate others.
"If she was under someone's control, that would explain why she was cooperating with the Church's people."
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
"The Witch of Disease, huh… A peak Saint-tier monster, the one who unleashed a plague across the continent…
"Someone who could become a demigod at any time."
Hel grimaced. "That's not someone I want to provoke."
But the Beast Witch's divinity was too important to her future path — she couldn't ignore it either.
Looks like I'll need to adjust the insect girl's assignment area…
Hel lifted her hand and sent a message to the insect girl.
Originally, the worms being planted beneath the Bloodstained Plains were meant to harvest the lingering souls of the dead.
But now that she had a lead on the Beast Witch, she needed to refocus the deployment.
"By the way," Hel asked, "do you know where the Witch of Disease usually stays?"
"Huh? Oh — she's the Demon King of the Luxuria Court," Nikki explained. "She usually resides in the Demon King's Palace there.
"But according to our previous agreement, she should currently be at the Wall of Vigilance — confronting the human Saints."
"I see. Then maybe the Beast Witch is imprisoned in her palace."
Hel sighed. "But Luxuria's too far from here. Even if I knew the Beast Witch's exact location, I might not be able to bring her back."
Taking a deep breath, Hel hopped off the sofa.
Forget it. I'm still young. There's no rush. Better to take this slowly and safely.
"Alright," she said at last, "go find Niv — she'll handle things from here."
As Hel headed for the door, she found Niv already waiting outside, a worried look on her face.
"Master, are you… planning to go after the Witch of Disease? Isn't it too soon? We're still too weak."
"Relax, I'm not that reckless."
Hel ruffled Niv's soft hair fondly and reassured her:
"To deal with someone like her, I'll need at least a Saint-tier subordinate. Until then, we'll bide our time."
"Yes, Master," Niv said softly.
"Oh, and find some clothes for Nikki, will you? She can't exactly walk around in her underwear."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, in the beastman encampment on the Bloodstained Plains…
The Witch of Disease sat silently, her face as emotionless as a mask, as she addressed the hooded figure beside her.
"It seems your plan has failed."
"But your plan succeeded, did it not?" the hooded man replied with a sycophantic bow. "No one could've imagined that, even after the authority of Plague returned to its rightful place, someone could still unleash a contagion of such magnitude across the continent."
The Witch of Disease showed no expression, her voice flat as ever.
"Enough flattery. Tell me — what's your next plan? Don't tell me you still intend to rescue the War Witch.
"The Holy Knights are holding the Wall of Vigilance. No Saint can cross it.
"And without a Saint, anyone who faces that Death Witch is walking straight into their grave."
"No," the hooded figure said softly. "You're mistaken about one thing. Our plan… did not fail."
"Oh?" Her tone sharpened slightly. "What do you mean?"
The man slowly reached into his cloak and drew out a rolled parchment, laying it on the table before her.
"That little butterfly from Luxuria may not have succeeded in her primary mission… but she did manage to locate the positions of several other witches."