Volume 11 Chapter 11 Interlude – Livia Returned
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The stale, ancient air of the imperial castle pressed harshly against Livia’s frayed nerves, indifferent and unrelenting.
”Damn it… what time is this supposed to be…?”
She had awakened inside her private chamber in the Quvarian Empire. Turning Heavens—her Skill—was meant to allow her to choose the exact moment she returned to. But in that state, bleeding out and half-decapitated, she hadn’t been able to steer it properly.
Her hand instinctively touched her neck. The sensation of Asakura Chinatsu’s blade biting into her throat replayed vividly, too raw, too fresh.
She had triggered Turning Heavens at the very brink of death, which was nothing unusual for her. And yet, the humiliation still burned, precisely because it had been so long since she’d tasted defeat in such a degrading fashion.
[Turning Heavens Skill activation confirmed.]
[Side effects will trigger depending on the chosen return period.]
[2.6% of humanity lost.]
[Mental poison injected.]
[Remaining humanity: 1%.]
[Critical threshold reached.]
[Side effect canceled.]
[Converting mental poison into Poison Magic Skill.]
”…So noisy. I can hear you just fine…”
She shook the intrusive messages from her mind and pushed herself to her feet. Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to center herself again.
”Ahh… damn Sanada. Damn Asakura. Damn Nasu. I’ll kill them, kill them all. No—no, not so easily. Not those three. I’ll hack off their arms, their eyes, their ears, their noses… let them crawl, abandoned, and keep them alive for years, until I’ve wrung every scream from them.”
Spitting venom steadied her balance, oddly enough. After a few more breaths, she opened the door just as a Royal Guard happened by.
”You there. A moment?”
”Yes, Livia-sama. What do you require?”
The knight bowed with proper solemnity toward the imperial court witch of the Quvarian Empire. In this version of time, Livia had kept her mask firmly in place, playing the part of the dutiful and decorous witch.
”I was just wondering what gift might suit His Majesty’s birthday. Embarrassing as it is, I… forgot how old he will be.”
”Ah. That would be thirty-eight this year.”
”Thank you.”
”It is no trouble.”
The knight began to leave, then paused, turning back to her with a faintly conspiratorial air.
”There are rumors of strange upheaval in the Dragon Kingdom of Enied. It seems Vice-Captain Weed-dono has abandoned his homeland.”
”Oh? Now that is… unexpected.”
Livia gave an idle nod, though her thoughts already whirled. Judging from the side effect numbers and the season outside, she had landed about two and a half years in the past.
”The reason, though… it is rather odd.”
”Out with it, knight. Don’t hide your laughter—tell me.”
”Apparently… he refused a marriage proposal from none other than Princess Mesugo Rira, Ranking Sixth.”
She nearly choked holding back her laughter. That name—an obscenely tasteless pun only a Japanese would understand—was her own little prank, a misuse of her godlike powers to slip in a joke. To see it bearing fruit now was almost too much.
”Still, losing Weed-dono, even if he’s only ranked in the double digits, will wound our country.”
”Yes… especially with the Eastern Front depending on Dragon Kingdom of Enied’s support.”
As the knight’s footsteps faded, Livia’s mind spun on.
”At this point in time, Flavia isn’t married yet… Maribel’s brainwashing hasn’t been completed. Floria should be nearing the final stages… ah, right, the trip to the Burghan Theocracy is coming soon. Pity to delay McGaref… but carving off Funakoshi-san’s breasts in front of Nasu-kun? That’ll make the perfect dessert.”
And so, she would set off to the Burghan Theocracy, one of the Four Great Nations, under the guise of diplomacy. McGaref could suffer for a while; she would deal with him eventually.
But what Livia failed to notice was how fatal this small decision truly was. Unlike her previous uses of Turning Heavens, this time Nasu Takumi and the others… Sheryl, in particular… would retain their memories. That revelation would come only later.
Notes:
• Livia – 8th-ranked imperial witch, heir of Cartera and friend of Lilus (Neige’s sister), whose death drove her to hate Quvar. Austere, sharp, and feared, she opposed the Ghost Army and toppled Emperor by using then betraying Gritch, secretly backing Princess Sheryl. First appears v9c3. Reminder: Brilliant witch who twists loyalties to save the world.
• Quvarian Empire – Ruling kingdom. Harsh world, restricted freedom.
• Chinatsu – White Wall — Black hair, B-cup. Adventurous, masochistic, Takumi’s first slave & lover. Master of Asakura-ryu Iaijutsu, wields cursed sword Chisame (blood-powered). 12th-ranked fighter, close to Hikari. First appears in v1c1 Prologue.
• Dragon Kingdom of Enied – It is Weed’s homeland, appeared as part of his introduction, notable for its elite Guardian Knights.
• Weed – He is a retired knight and martial arts master, appeared as a sword seller, known for his bloodthirsty grin and elite ‘Sword Master’ skill.
• Rira – A classmate and one of Takumi-kun’s harem members. She has J-cup breasts and short black hair, which she plans to dye blue. Rira enjoys playful and creative expressions of intimacy, including cosplay and affectionate physical affection. Rira is also known for her ‘Intuition’ skill, which has been evolving into something more advanced. She is a key figure in Takumi-kun’s life, offering both emotional and physical support. First appearance in v1c15.
• McGaref – Fortress city, adventurer hub.
• Sheryl – Second Princess of the Quvarian Empire, a striking beauty with red hair. Initially appears as a diplomatic envoy, but she is a reformer within the empire, seeking to atone for Quvar’s past betrayals, particularly the destruction of the Northern Kingdom. Sheryl is highly intelligent and politically savvy, using her position to gather secrets and undermine the empire’s plans to destroy McGaref. She is also a slave to Takumi, bound by enslavement magic, and tasked with sowing chaos within Quvar. Despite her circumstances, she maintains a sense of duty and hopes to bring about change. First appears in v6c26.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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