“In the past, mana poisoning retty straightforward. Everyone would get cursed just by ing into tact with it. So, how do you trol the target?”

  “Just like normal magic, it’s safe to say that corrupt mana has also evolved over the st 500 years. If whoever was studying it took their time, they could probably learn to trol it,” they replied.

  “Without turning into a demon?”

  Man sighed as she listeo the mythical creatures trying to make sense of it all. She had the same debate in her mind the moment she realized it was corrupted mana.

  “The idea of a curse is closely tied to magic, but it es with some serious side effects. It makes seo assume there’s a new Demon Lord on the way,” Man said.

  Everyouro her, and she tinued with a question, “Does anyone here know of any suspicious activity happening around the world? We need clues.”

  “Your Holiness, most of us live in a very secluded unity. I imagihey are more active in human society, as it would be easier for them to manipute humans through other humans,” Wekkoun replied.

  “That’s a fair point, but even I have some es in human society. Nothing seemed off i 500 years,” Man tered.

  Tashr shook her head. “Your Holiness, the es you mentioned were through the Edensworn Royal Family. They…”

  “But even if they couldn’t see anything before their unfortunate end…” Man paused. “…Veryon?”

  A flicker of realization sparked in Man’s eyes, but just as quickly, she dismissed the thought with a shake of her head.

  “I still o iigate further. Anyway, there’s an order ency,” Man said, notig Burn approag them.

  He looked visibly pissed as he re-ehe assembly hall. Turning to Isaiah the dragon, he asked, “Should we go now?”

  “Yes, verily. Pray, allow me to behold these young dragons forthwith,” Isaiah decred, turning his attention to the trio onlings—Nayanika, Undagi, and Rinai—two of whom were blissfully unscious while the other looked like she had just survived a natural disaster.

  Nayanika protested, “I just—want to join the fun! AAAAH!”

  She screamed as Isaiah grabbed her horn and yanked her out of the assembly hall.

  “Let’s try to make Shorof take over the direct care of the world tree. Exposure to abundant holy magid pure mana might help. We already know how to make purifying elixirs too. And if Master Eos agrees, her recovery be accelerated,” Man suggested.

  Tashr and Eos nodded.

  “Thank you, Your Holiness,” Tashr said.

  Eos the Ali chimed in, nodding his single horned equine head, “I’ll be gd to help.”

  Mauro Vd and his daughter, who had been quieter than a librarian in a ghost towire time. She smiled, and the vampire smiled too.

  “We debated what kind of person you are, even guessing that you are like Edw*rd C*ll*n. But holy, you look more like Bel Sw*n,” Man quipped, clearly enjoying the look of fusion on her face.

  “COUGH!” Burn and Wekkoun nearly choked on their breathing.

  Salsabel gasped, her excitement at an all-time high. “Oh! I know the reference!” she excimed. “And my name is Bel too!”

  Burn and Wekkoun turned sideways, their lips twitg in a desperate attempt to suppress ughter while Grumbletoe stood behind the dwarf king, quietly residering his career choices.

  “I’ve always been a huge fan, Your Holiness,” Salsabel decred. “I am deeply inspired by your serial child rapist hu two hundred years ago.”

  “Ooht. Who doesn’t bond over charming aes like that?” Burn muttered, and Wekkoun’s spit entered his lungs.

  Man raised her eyebrows, her expression still warm and kind, but pretty clearly bewildered. “My what?”

  Salsabel unched into her recolle. “That oime you asked Father to hunt a child rapist using his mind-reading magic, but then he discovered there was a veritable buffet of them, and you enlisted the vampires to capture them all for aire year?”

  “Ah, that,” Man sighed dramatically. “What a wonderful memory.”

  “I’m sure it is!” Salsabel chuckled. "It's too bad I wasn't bor!"

  Man g Vd, who shook his head tiredly.

  "That’s why I carried on my oist hunt! I’ve expahe target to include not only child rapists but alsur rapists,” she smiled brightly, showing her fangs to everyone present.

  Man raised her eyebrows. “Did you learn the mind-reading spell too?”

  Salsabel nodded, “Yes. Ah, I don’t knounishment you gave the rapists you captured two hundred years ago, but I created my own!"

  The other mythical unity leaders, who were chatting with themselves started to turn in her dire, intrigued by the topic.

  "If I tell you how I punish those rapists now, will you tell me iail how you puhem in the past?" Salsabel asked.

  “Sure, I’ll tell you,” Man answered.

  The young woman with brown hair and red eyes beamed, “I threateo amputate their fingers, toes, and limbs one by one and made them watch as their body parts were ed by pigs, uhey fucked those pigs before an agreed-upon time ran out, ‘Bl*ck M*rror’ style!”

  The hall fell silent.

  The vampire looked straight at Man, her eyes excited, expeg praise.

  “Hmm,” Man nodded. “I uand the reference.”

  “That’s all yoing to say?” Burn interjected.

  “I mean, why would you abuse those pigs?” Man smiled in disappoi. “You should’ve used goblins, not pigs. Those little demons raid vilges and rape women as well.”

  Salsabel gasped. "I-is that how you puhem 200 years ago?"

  Man shook her head. "200 years ago, I still had a simir mio yours. I created a spherical vacuum around their assholes with magid put a rat inside. I heated the vacuum and agitated the rat, f it to dig its way out through their assholes."

  "Oh, like rats in a heated bucket, but with magic?" Salsabel asked gleefully.

  "Yes. After that, though, I felt bad for the rats and used zombified rats I found in corrupted nds instead," Man said with a smile. "Let’s not use pure animals for this kind of thing again."

  "Yes, Your Holiness! I won’t use i animals anymore!" Salsabel vowed.

  The people in the assembly were speechless, pletely oblivious to the fact that Isaiah had returned and was eavesdropping on this ridiculous exge.

  The dragon ambled over to Tashr and whispered, “We ought to raise our young ones with greater care—like unto Miss Salsabel. Thy daughters and mine own younglings truly should take heed from her example.”

  Tashr flinched, realizing that, among the youths, only Vd’s daughter had garnered Man’s precious approval, while her own daughter, Nahwu, was busy being a pawn for their foes, and Nayanika?

  Well, she just wao win the award for 'Best Mischief Maker.'

  “You are absolutely right, Lord Isaiah,” Tashr replied in agreement.

  Burn sharply turo them, eyes narrow. “No, you definitely shouldn’t use Miss Bel as a role model.”

  .

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  --------------------------------------------

  It really had been uedly busy these days. My parents called me bae for some family matters, and in addition to the 5-hour train ride, my motorbike suddenly came off in the middle of the busy road when I was going to the train station. I kinda almost died. Thankfully, it didn't snap yet—

  I hitchhiked to the station, caught the train, and got home safely. Maybe God wants me to finish this novel after all!