"A stone tablet engraved with Ithys's likeness?"
Kurose Akira frowned slightly, confusion welling up in his chest.
He stared at the tablet in his hand, unable to comprehend why it bore her image.
Ithys had once been a succubus—yes—but she had long since severed all ties with the demon race. By all logic, she should have had nothing to do with this.
"…This is strange. Why would my image be carved onto something like this?" Ivsha voiced the same confusion, surprise and bewilderment filling her gaze.
This stone tablet clearly hadn't been created out of reverence. On the contrary, it felt more like something born of hatred.
Ivsha could sense it—a thick, oppressive malice seeping from deep within the tablet. Like a festering grudge. An indescribable resentment.
"Don't worry. I'll look into this," Akira said softly, placing a reassuring hand on Ivsha's shoulder to calm her unease.
He then stored the tablet in his inventory. This matter clearly ran deep, and he intended to investigate it thoroughly—to uncover the truth and give Ivsha answers.
"…Mm." Ivsha nodded lightly, a subtle sense of security blooming in her heart at Akira's words.
After giving a few brief instructions, everyone rested in the guild hall to recover their stamina.
Akira sat back on the sofa, his eyes settling on the final E+ rank mission listed on the quest panel.
[Mission Objective: Capture a fugitive follower of the Moon God.][Mission Reward: 50 silver coins, 5,000 EXP]
"A runaway Moon God follower…" Akira murmured, contemplating the mission.
Completing it wouldn't just unlock the special promotion quest to advance the guild to D-rank—it would also incidentally trigger Alice's third-stage character quest.
He checked the time. It was only four in the afternoon.
There was enough time to head to the mission area and gather preliminary information.
Rising to his feet, Akira surveyed the condition of the guild members. After a moment's thought, he decided to bring Loserine and Alice along with him to the Moon God Empire.
Light flashed.
Akira and his companions were teleported to the Moon God Empire. However, the moment they stepped out of the teleportation circle, they were stopped by two figures—a man and a woman clad in moon-white robes, both wearing masks.
"Are you the adventurers who accepted the commission?" the man asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Akira replied, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.
Due to the Moon God Empire's laws, adventurers weren't allowed to teleport directly to mission sites. They first had to arrive at an official transit station, apply for a pass, and only then could they proceed.
"Please follow us."
The two attendants led Akira's group to process their passes. Along the way, they encountered several other players within the empire, yet everyone remained quiet—as if raising one's voice here was taboo.
Akira also noticed something peculiar.
Everyone in this country wore a mask.
Most were crescent-moon shaped, covering half the face. Even ordinary citizens wore them—only simpler, more unadorned versions.
Soon, the formalities were complete. They received their passes, along with a wanted notice detailing the fugitive follower they were meant to capture.
Akira asked what crime the follower had committed.
The attendants only replied that the sinner had committed an unforgivable transgression.
With the pass in hand, Akira now had permission to move freely within the Moon God Empire—but only for seven days.
That meant he had to complete the capture within that time frame.
Fortunately, the empire didn't offer many places to hide. Capturing the fugitive shouldn't be too difficult.
That said, certain areas were forbidden even to the empire's own personnel—places where only adventurers could tread.
"Let's head to the Moonlight Witch's palace first," Akira suggested.
"Lady Moonlight Witch…" Alice froze for a moment when she heard the destination—her former home.
But almost immediately, her face bloomed into a smile like a flower.
"Okay!"
She happily looped her arm around Akira's, anticipation shining in her eyes at the thought of returning to where she once lived.
Akira gently patted her head, then asked passersby for directions as they searched for the palace the Moonlight Witch had once inhabited.
Alice had lived inside the palace for so long that she never needed to learn the surrounding routes.
Finally, before sunset, they arrived.
And fell into silence.
The once-magnificent palace of the Moonlight Witch now stood in ruins—broken walls and shattered stone stretching before them, desolate and abandoned.
"How… could this happen…"
Alice looked around, the barren wasteland weighing heavily on her heart. Her eyes grew moist.
She had believed she might see the witch who created her again.
Instead, only ruin remained.
Akira frowned slightly.
The sight confirmed his earlier suspicions—the Moonlight Witch hadn't left Alice of her own will.
She had been forced to.
"Let's go home," Akira said softly, resting a hand on Alice's shoulder to steady her emotions.
"…Okay, Master." Alice wiped the corner of her eye and forced herself to calm down.
But at that very moment—
A snow-white curved blade came flying toward them.
"Watch out!"
Clang!
Loserine's sword flashed, knocking the blade out of the air. In the same instant, a razor-sharp sword arc tore through the distance toward the attacker.
"Ahhh!"
A scream rang out.
A woman wearing a crescent mask appeared before them.
Her chest had been cleaved by Loserine's sword aura, a deep, bloody gash carved across her body.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, she showed no sign of pain.
Instead, she fixed her gaze on Alice, eyes brimming with hatred, and burst into manic laughter.
"Hahahaha! That's right—it's you! You carry her scent on you!"
Akira frowned slightly.
Only then did he realize—
Wasn't this woman his mission target? The fugitive follower?
Why was she here, of all places?
"What's wrong with her…?" Alice shrank behind Akira, fear in her voice. That malicious laughter made no sense to her.
Before her words had fully faded, the woman pulled a dagger from her robe and shouted:
"You hypocritical blasphemer of the Moon God—one day you'll be dragged down from your false pedestal! I'll be waiting for you in hell!"
Stab.
She plunged the dagger straight into her own heart.
A few seconds later, all signs of life vanished.
"..."
Akira stared at the corpse, utterly baffled.
A hypocritical blasphemer of the Moon God?
Was she talking about the Moonlight Witch?
There was far too little information.
[Alice's Third-Stage Quest Unlocked!][Stage Three: Please Say It—Master!][Quest Description: Help Alice recover what she has lost!][Quest Reward: Unlock a new form for one Soul Weapon! (Current Soul Weapons: 2)][Bonus Reward: Alice's Ascension Materials! Trait +1!]
Akira stared at Alice's third-stage quest, puzzled.
What exactly had Alice lost?
Was it connected to the Moonlight Witch—or something else entirely?
As he pondered, a strange voice suddenly whispered into his ear.
"Come here~"
"…?"
Akira frowned sharply. Who was that?
At that moment, a beam of moonlight poured down from the sky, illuminating a section of the ruins—as if guiding him.
Akira walked quickly toward the moonlit spot. Beneath the loosened ground, something seemed to be buried.
He pushed aside the rubble and uncovered a small, exquisitely crafted iron box.
Inside lay a note and a silver bell.
He unfolded the note. Only a few words were written:
[Please take good care of that child for me.]
She was nearby.
Akira instantly understood—the Moonlight Witch was close. But for some reason, she didn't want to show herself, nor meet Alice.
If she refused to appear, then no matter how capable he was, Akira couldn't track her down.
His gaze shifted to the silver bell.
[Moonlight Silver Bell (Epic): A gift from the Moonlight Witch to Alice.The bell stores magic under moonlight. When fully charged, it can unleash high-tier magic—Eternal Descent of Moonlight!]
"A gift… from the Moonlight Witch to Alice."
Understanding dawned on him.
Akira grasped the bell and walked over to Alice.
"Alice."
"…Master." She replied softly, her thoughts still lingering on the vanished palace and her worries about the witch's safety.
Akira handed her the silver bell. "This is for you."
Alice took it, eyes wide. "This is…?" She could clearly feel the Moonlight Witch's aura within it.
Akira explained gently, "It's a gift from her. She asked me to take good care of you. When she has time… she'll come see you."
"Really?! That's wonderful!" Alice's face immediately lit up with joy.
Akira smiled and rubbed her head. "Come on. Let me put it on you."
He carefully prepared to fasten the bell around her wrist. Under the moonlight, it shimmered softly, as if whispering of the bond between it and its rightful owner.
"No!"
"…?"
Akira paused, confused by her refusal, and looked at her expectantly.
Alice spoke in a soft, almost shy voice. "Master… can you put it on my ankle instead? Wearing it on my wrist feels uncomfortable."
"Your ankle?" Akira lowered his gaze to the delicate foot wrapped in white stockings and smiled. "Sure. I'll put it on for you."
He gently held Alice's right foot and removed her small leather shoe.
Her perfect foot shape made it hard for him to let go—white stockings really were something else.
When his fingers brushed lightly against her sole, the ticklish sensation made Alice let out a soft sound.
"Mm… Master~"
Hearing her voice, Akira nearly forgot what he was supposed to be doing. He coughed awkwardly—when had he started playing around?
As he fastened the bell around Alice's ankle and helped her put her shoe back on, a notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Alice has found her purpose in life and has resolved to serve you with eternal loyalty!][Third-Stage Quest Completed!]