Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Perhaps soon, the four great demon-slaying families will change positions.

It's better to come early than to come by chance.

"Finally, it was the Goda Church... that committed suicide..."

Kuonji Yuju paused for a moment, then answered somewhat uncertainly.

"Those priests and nuns have been very enthusiastic about missionary work lately. I heard that the Goda Church is going to hold a grand Mass in Misaki City in a few days, and the priest will be a special person from the Vatican, whose identity is very mysterious..."

As the witch pondered, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she solemnly spoke, informing her superior of some strange clues she had discovered during her few rare outings.

"In addition, many unfamiliar foreign faces have recently appeared in Misaki City. I've noticed that most of them are wearing crosses, which is very likely related to that mysterious high priest!"

Cross... foreigners...

Could he be an agent of the burial agency, or a knight-errant of the Inquisition?

Samael placed his right hand on the coffee table and tapped it rhythmically, a thoughtful look on his face.

Churches, associations, and local exorcists...

This is really quite lively.

Tsk tsk, it seems that humans are currently the most powerful biological group on this planet. Those scattered mutated little guys probably can't compete with these terrifying upright apes.

In other words, what I'm looking for is mostly in their hands.

"By the way, there's another strange thing. Recently, the [eyes] I've released have been inexplicably losing contact when they pass by a hillside on the outskirts of Misaki City."

Kuonji Yuzu slightly beckoned with her finger, and a black storage box engraved with peculiar patterns in the corner clicked open. Several chocolate-colored starlings flew out and danced around their owner.

This is one of the fairy tale monsters in her hands, created by combining cocoa liquor, cocoa powder, and bone powder, and comes from the "Sixpence Song" in Mother Goose Rhymes.

These gray starling familiars have zero combat power; they are ordinary fairy tale monsters that can be shot down with a gun.

There are 24 of them in total, mainly responsible for monitoring Misaki City, searching for criminals, etc., and serving as the eyes of this shut-in witch.

Most of the information about the various movements of the major forces came from these gray starling familiars.

"If I hadn't been so busy, I originally planned to go and check out the scene of the incident. Yes, that's right..."

A certain shut-in witch blinked, seemingly trying to convince herself.

Samael believed the first sentence.

As for the second sentence, he looked around and saw the lunchboxes that were about to spill out of the garbage bags outside, and he was very skeptical.

After the meeting ended and a brief silence followed, Kuonji Yuju gave a serious reply.

"That's about all I know..."

"Yes, your information was very helpful, thanks."

Samael smiled gently.

As the man bowed slightly, a cup of black tea, which had been brewed at some point, was placed in front of Kuonji Yuju. The rising steam and the pervasive aroma made this avid tea lover close his eyes and take a deep breath, his mouth watering.

Soon, unable to resist the temptation, Kuonji Yuju picked up her teacup, took small sips, and her tense face relaxed.

Meanwhile, the witch glanced at the person patiently brewing tea out of the corner of her eye, and muttered to herself.

This guy isn't so bad after all...

After fully releasing the lingering aroma of the pot of black tea, Samael clapped his hands in contemplation, then rose from the table, leaning on the table for support.

"Alright, thank you for your hospitality. I've troubled you for quite some time, and it's about time for me to take my leave."

"Wait, aren't you staying?"

Kuonji Yuju paused for a moment, hesitated, and then quietly reminded him.

"I don't know why, but I feel like the atmosphere in Misaki City has been a bit strange lately. I'm afraid things might not be peaceful..."

"Thank you for your kindness, but there are some things I need to take care of on my own outside."

Samael stretched lazily, turned around and smiled casually.

"You should stay here and wait for the parliament to escort you; otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety!"

Kuonji Yuju was slightly displeased with this target who wouldn't listen to advice, and her tone became more serious.

"It seems they didn't tell you that besides being an intelligence officer, I'm also a combatant."

Samael blinked and spoke, half-jokingly.

"Don't worry, I can handle this kind of thing."

With that, the ancient snake prepared to leave the Kuonji residence and head to the safe house to meet up with Orange and consider the next phase of their operation.

However, as soon as he stood up, his arm was grabbed by Kuonji Yuju, whose delicate face was full of stubbornness and rigidity.

"My orders are to ensure your safety. If you disobey, I can theoretically take coercive measures to restrict your movements."

Tsk, so stubborn, trying to keep me as a sugar daddy? I knew I didn't beat him enough earlier...

Samael, who was forcibly persuaded to stay, twitched at the corner of his mouth and secretly grumbled to himself.

"What are you doing?"

Just then, Aozaki Aoko, rubbing the back of her neck, pushed open the guest bedroom door and stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly at her best friend who had been shouting and killing the outsider a moment ago, but now clung to the man's arm like a wronged woman who had been abandoned.

"Qingzi, let me explain, it's not what you think!"

Instantly, as if electrocuted, Kuonji Yuju released the man's arm and withdrew her fingers. Under the strange gaze of her best friend, her delicate face turned bright red from the blood in her mouth. She coughed repeatedly and tried to explain, attempting to salvage her image as a reserved and elegant teacher.

However, the witch clearly overestimated her ability to organize her thoughts.

Because the incident happened so suddenly, coupled with her poor communication skills and the many secrets that couldn't be spoken, Kuonji Yuju's mind was in complete chaos, and she kept stumbling over her words, not knowing where to begin.

"Um...this...I..."

Finally, under Aozaki Aoko's increasingly strange gaze, and with her best friend secretly pulling the male victim behind her for protection and keeping a wary distance from her, Kuonji Arisu, in desperation, asked for help from the other party involved.

"Samael, say something!"

Upon hearing this, Samael took out a crumpled Yanlong brand cigarette from his pocket, lit it slowly, took a deep drag, and looked at the witch in front of him with solemnity and pity.

"You can imprison my body, but you can't lock my heart. Youzhu, I won't stay. Give up."

At the same time, the ancient snake secretly clenched its other hand beside it.

"No! You can't leave! What will I do if you leave?!"

In an instant, triggered by her instinctive reaction, Kuonji Yuzu instinctively retorted.

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Aozaki Aoko, who had unknowingly retreated to the doorway, looked horrified. Without saying a word, she grabbed Samael and turned to run away.

Something seems off...

The belatedly aware Kuonji stood there in a daze for a moment, seemingly realizing something. He stiffly looked up and stared at the man and woman who had kicked open the door as if escaping from a den of demons, and was utterly bewildered.

Things aren't really as you think...

Chapter 89 Listen to Me, Thank You (4.3k)

"Phew, finally escaped! I didn't expect Yuzhu to have this kind of hobby. I really need to stay away from that weird aunt from now on!"

In a secluded alley, Aozaki Aoko leaned against the wall, cautiously peeking out to look back. Only after confirming that no one was following her did she breathe a sigh of relief and mutter to herself.

"Uh-huh!"

The cunning Samael was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, sparing no effort to smear Kuonji Yuju.

"Never mind, let's not talk about that. Teacher, when are you going back to Misaki City?"

"I……"

Just as the ancient snake was about to speak, it suddenly stopped, its face showing surprise, and looked up at Aozaki Aoko, who seemed to know it very well.

"Teacher? Aoko, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

"When I was little, you applied for a tutor position at the Aozaki family and even taught me yourself. Have you forgotten?"

"That's not right, I only recently arrived in Misaki City."

"Stop pretending! My grandfather already told me that you are a magician, and your identity and appearance during the job interview were fake. Don't think you can fool me now that you've changed your face using disguise magic!"

Aozaki Aoko curled her lip in disdain, cornered Samael against the wall, and kneaded his face with both hands. The tangible sensation made the girl feel as if she had discovered a new continent, her eyes sparkling as she couldn't help but mutter as she leaned closer to observe.

"Teacher, so this is what you really look like? You're actually quite pretty."

"Qingzi, you've really mistaken me for someone else..."

Samael, whose facial features kept changing shape in the girl's hands, was both amused and exasperated, and had no choice but to reiterate his point.

However, Aozaki Aoko remained unmoved, pointing confidently at the man's chest with a disdainful look in her eyes.

"Still trying to lie to me? We just met, how do you know my name? Besides, I even helped you find the materials at home and we made this brooch together."

brooch?

I was wondering why you were defending me when we'd never met before; it turns out you mistook me for someone else.

Samael recalled the scene when he had previously sought refuge in the Kuonji mansion, and how Aozaki Aoko, who had no connection with him, insisted on protecting him despite the pressure from Kuonji Arisu. He suddenly realized what had happened.

"Don't try to deny it! I even secretly engraved a mark on the back of the brooch. Here it is, look!"

As she spoke, the girl reached out and rummaged through Samael's clothes, revealing three shallow scratches on the side of the brooch, which she proudly pointed out to someone.

Samael lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the evidence on his chest. The image of a woman who had chased him for eight blocks flashed before his eyes, and a thunderbolt struck his mind, causing his lips to twitch violently.

Now, he finally knows his nemesis's real name—Shuse Ritsuka.

In my memory, this woman was a spy for the Mage's Association, used to monitor the magical research of the Aozaki family. She possessed superb disguise skills, and even the old man Aozaki, who was a mage, might not be able to see through her disguise completely.

Given her exceptional infiltration skills, she accepted a commission from the Magic Association to come to the Aozaki family when Aoko was very young, disguise herself as a man, and serve as Aoko's tutor. During this time, she won Aoko's heart and became her secret crush.

However, according to the established course of history, this woman should have been caught in the disguise magic trick by Aoko when she left office, revealing her female identity. How come this is different from what he remembered?

The current anomaly left the ancient serpent completely baffled.

In reality, what Samael didn't know was that during the Eminmego Island incident years ago, he, the mastermind behind the Dark Council, casually dealt with the pursuers from the Mage's Association. Coupled with the appearance of the Church's living saint, as well as the three progenitors, Roya, White Princess, and Black Princess, such a grand scene naturally attracted the tension and attention of the Mage's Association.

In an instant, the dispatched agents who were skilled in infiltration and intelligence gathering were recalled one after another, as the Clock Tower intended to find out what was going on.

Ritsuka Shuse, who possessed a special skill, was urgently summoned at that time, ending his tutoring career ahead of schedule. He left without giving Aoko Aozaki a chance to say goodbye.

Therefore, Aozaki Aoko's first love fantasy escaped unscathed, and Shuse Ritsuka's identity as a conman in love was not exposed.

However, later, Gemstone Onzel Richie intervened and halted the Mage Association's major operation, and Ritsuka Shuse was sent back to Misaki City to continue monitoring the Aozaki family.

Having lost his position as a tutor, Ritsuka Shuse is unable to return to the Aozaki family, so he chooses to go into hiding in the shopping street near the school.

She never expected that she would encounter two scoundrels who skipped out on their bills so soon after starting a proper job.

Moreover, one of the bastards was actually a fellow detective novel enthusiast with whom she had a very good rapport.

To this end, Ritsuka Shuse even personally gave that beastly guy a small trinket that he owned and that held great sentimental and collectible value.

Even more coincidentally, that brooch held special significance for Aozaki Aoko, who was involved in its creation.

Because the place where you wear a brooch is closest to your heart.

In short, all these coincidences prove the saying that if you do too many bad things, you will eventually suffer the consequences.

Although Samael did not know the full story, he deeply agreed with this statement.

He wasn't sure if the woman would be in trouble if he exposed Zhou Se Ritsuka right now, but at least his own situation would probably be quite bad.

But after much deliberation, Samael ultimately decided that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one.

After all, if I confess now, at worst I'll get a beating from her anger. But if I let things go and the misunderstanding deepens, I might end up being hunted down by Aozaki Aoko all over the world.

"Qingzi, listen to me, you have to hold on, actually this thing is Zhou Se..."

Aozaki Aoko, who was pushed against the wall by the shoulder by a childhood fantasy, looked up at the man with a pained expression and felt a sudden unease.

"What are you doing?!"

However, before Samael could finish speaking, a cold snort came from behind him, and at the same time, a figure with orange hair and orange eyes appeared at the entrance of the alley, looking at the two people in the corner with an unfriendly expression.

"Orange, listen to me..."

But as soon as the ancient snake opened its mouth, Aozaki Touko turned around and left without saying a word.

Samael instinctively chased after him to prove his innocence.