93.Chapter 93 – Talia’s change of heart towards Ranchi

Chapter 93 – Talia’s Change of Heart about Ranchy

As the twilight deepened, the world outside the window began to be engulfed by the night, the stars began to twinkle in the night sky of Icrypta, the full moon was hung high, emitting a soft light, and the street lamps on the streets were gradually lit up, illuminating the night of the king’s capital.

Until the points of light on the glass of the bedroom windows slowly disappeared, as if the whole world had fallen into dreamland.

Seeing that Ranch had fallen asleep due to the exhaustion of his mana, Talia knew that she couldn’t wake him up even if she wanted to in a short period of time, so she simply left him at the table and left him alone.

After dealing with the duties she had promised Ranchi, she finally took out the [Shadow World Record Program].

She had long wanted to watch it for the first time.

Even compared to going to dinner, she felt this was more important.

In fact, aside from the contents of the Shadow World recorded in it, Talia was more concerned about the silver-haired, amber-pupiled half-demon girl who had joined Ranch in the challenge.

She took out a magic projector that she had modified from the bottom compartment of her nightstand, put the [Shadow World Recording Program] inside, turned the sound down to the minimum that wouldn’t wake Ranchi, and then went to turn off the lights in the room.

Immediately, images began to be projected on the dimly lit wall facing the bed.

The room was completely dominated by darkness, and the only source of brightness was the quietly running magic projector.

Talia sat on the bed and watched silently with her hands clasped around her knees like she was watching a movie late at night.

The dull light of the picture was reflected on her face, bright or dark, changing rapidly, as Ranch and Huberian voices from the Shadow World video echoed through the room.

Talia grew immersed in the story, as if cut off from the world, staring at the young girl’s figure in the picture as if she were nostalgic for her closest demons.

“Ivatia, is she your daughter ……”

I don’t know how long it took, but Talia murmured a faintly unrecognizable sound.

Although the resemblance wasn’t divine, the hair color and pupil color were too similar.

Watching the second half of the Shadow World live the day before yesterday until the very end, when Talia witnessed the cultists shouting out that this Duchess was a half-demon, only then did she deeply begin to suspect that this Duchess could, indeed, be her own sister’s daughter.

If she could see Huberian with her own eyes, Talia might be able to perceive if there was really a bloodline connection between them.

However, Talia wasn’t too good at contacting this Duke Miss who was on the cusp of the storm in a crowded place.

Talia only felt that the more she looked, the more she looked alike.

In the future, she might have to find a way to ask Ranch to bring this duchess to meet with herself in private.

Thinking this way, Talia also saw in the picture Ranchi’s tactics of treating the demons inappropriately and brutally in the Demon Examination Center.

It gradually made her frown.

Though spending a long time with Ranchi gradually made her familiar with him.

But it was also at this moment that she would feel the hatred and rejection between humans and demons more and more intensely as if she had come to her senses.

It was impossible for humans to coexist amicably with demons after all.

And the only reason why Ranch could now get along well with her like this and keep making deals was because he didn’t know that he was a bit of an archdemon.

The day he knew the truth, he would surely cast a gaze full of malice at himself as well.

Projection screen.

Ranch and Huberian have just left the Demon Exam Room and are marching down the cloisters following the Demon students.

Huberian runs as if she has hesitated for a long time, and finally lowers her voice to ask Ranch tentatively:

“Ranch, what do you think about demons?”

Ranch flinched slightly at the words, then replied:

“They live for a long time and look like teenagers even after hundreds of years.”

“……!”

Talia in the bedroom instantly glanced at the sleeping Ranch at the table.

She wasn’t sure if Ranch had done it on purpose or not.

But she thought it was damned enough that Ranch would think that way anyway.

And, Ranchi answered like that.

It was also still full of prejudice against the Demons as those humans, treating them as monsters.

The audio-visual on the screen continued-

“Then, if you encountered a demon in the present world, would you do the same as you did just now?”

Huberian, still in a slightly apprehensive mood, asked Ranch a follow-up question.

Ranch looked at her without saying a word and seemed to be speechless for a while.

Finally, he opened his mouth and asked rhetorically:

“Do you think I’m an old man eating arsenic, too long to live?”

Talia took in Ranchi’s reaction on the screen.

It only felt like he was getting more and more annoying.

Soon after, Ranchi gave another heartfelt advice to Huberian:
“Let’s not talk about whether or not it’s dangerous to mess with the Demon Race, the Demon Race might have some good guys too, Huberian you shouldn’t discriminate against the Demon Race.”

Hearing this, Talia froze.

Until, after a long time.

Only then did she look at the sleeping human teenager again.

Just looking at him, no one knew what she was thinking deep within her golden pupils.

“……”

A cool breeze blew through the half-open window gently patting and caressing Ranch’s body.

Seemingly sensing a wave of sight, a slight chill ran through Ranchi’s body and his eyes unconsciously opened.

What attracted his attention was not the cozy wooden furniture in the dimly lit room, but a pair of golden eyes, and that beautiful face not far away.

The cool and noble pupils could not hide a little confusion, emotion, and bewilderment.

Like wanting to reject people outside of a thousand miles at the same time but also want to explore a little bit more.

Ranchi raised his hand and touched his face. He assumed it was because he had gotten something on his face while he was asleep that Talia was staring at him like that.

“Uh …… Tata? Sorry I fell asleep, what time is it?”

Ranch asked tentatively, wondering if his drowsiness would make Talia mad.

“Just after twelve.”

Talia answered him as she glanced at the clock.

Ranch breathed a slight sigh of relief; it seemed Talia wasn’t angry.

If she was angry, she would have choked herself instead of answering herself.

“Ah, you’re reading the Shadow World content now ah.”

He quickly noticed the only source of light in the bedroom.

“……”

Talia shifted her eyes to the screen once more, silent until a few moments passed before she spoke again, and
“What do you think of Miss Duke, the one you challenged the Shadow World with?”

“Very nice.”

Ranch replied decisively, knowing that Talia was trying to pry into her fellow clan members.

Rancic had been prepared to introduce Huberian to Talia, once the company was established.

The old demon Talia, who was far stronger than Huberian, should be able to tell Huberian’s half-demon identity at a glance, but Huberian had almost no way to see through Talia’s subtle disguise.

At the moment Ranch thought.

“Don’t bully her, Demons are very murderous, I may not always be in time to protect you in case you make her angry.”

Talia just said this calmly.

The words seemed to be just carrying out her duty to protect Ranch, not showing Ranch that she wanted to favor Huberian in the slightest.

“What kind of person do you think I am! It’s not like I’m a school bully, I’m a good student with good character and good grades!”

Ranch whined incredulously, clutching his head.

He wouldn’t bully an honest person like Huberian.

And Huberian had such a gentle personality, nothing like Talia, a twisted, murderous old woman!
“…… Sorry.”

Talia was sure Ranch was telling the truth.

At that time, while watching from the open-air giant plaza of the Ichorite Academy, she could clearly feel that the students didn’t treat the Duke-sama with demonic blood very well.

But Ranch’s entire Shadow World had, to the very end, sincerely regarded Huberian as a worthy companion.

Until she learned of Huberian’s identity, this sincerity did not waver.

“Huh, Tata what did you just say?”

Ranchton’s eyes widened and he put his hand to his ear and turned his head sideways, as if he suspected something was wrong with his ears.

“Didn’t say anything.”

Talia was feeling a little annoyed with the guy again.

And he seemed to be mentally active again just now!
“Don’t worry Tata, I won’t allow discrimination against kind students like this to happen in the academy!”

Ranch said to Talia with a grin.

As she fell silent, Ranchi happily gave a scissor hand:
“My purpose is to love all living beings equally!”

“……”

Talia didn’t reply.

She was sure this guy’s “love” was a bit scary, especially to those who messed with him.

But accordingly, if it was a friendly being, even if it was a demon, he would treat it with sincerity.

After Talia’s decades-long travels through the human kingdom, she had been convinced that there would be no such human who could treat demons without prejudice.

–until she witnessed after witnessing Ranch’s attitude towards Huberian.

She’d seen the first one.

Right in front of her eyes.

No one spoke in the dimly lit room, and it went on like that for a little while.

There was only the sound of the shallow breeze across the curtains in the silent night of the kingdom.

“Are you hungry?”

Talia asked.

“So hungry.”

Ranch rubbed his stomach, feeling the full force of his hunger come up as soon as the sleepiness he’d just woken up from dissipated.

“Let’s go get dinner, I’m buying today.”

Talia’s tone was inaudible, stepping off the bed and taking steps on the soft carpet.

Human teachers were rumored to reward their students for good behavior, so it shouldn’t be a problem to treat him to a better imitation of a human.

It was also to make him more loyal to himself.

“Eh? Tata are you going to treat me to dinner?”

Ranchi pointed at himself in surprise, his expression a bit incredulous.

“Ask again and it’s gone.”

Talia glanced at him and walked out of the room without looking back.

Thanks to Pseudo-Denigo’s silver alliance, I’ll try to add more shifts in the next few days!

(End of chapter)