47 Manifesting destiny

Vaeloria took the opportunity to enter the Demon King's office. She respectfully kneeled before him and said, "I've come to make a report."

Acknowledging her, the Demon King waved his hand, signaling Vaeloria to stand up. He remained focused on his paperwork.

Standing, Vaeloria began her detailed report. "With Lorenzo's assistance, we have successfully infiltrated four different human nations. Our plans are proceeding smoothly, but there's an issue that might pose a problem in the future."

"And that is?"

We have discovered the Witch of Alorea residing in the human nation Veridiania," Vaeloria revealed. "However, she has yet to make any move."

Upon hearing the Witch's name, the Demon King's attention shifted slightly. "The Witch of Alorea..." he muttered. "Have you infiltrated the nation of Alorea?"

"Yes." Vaeloria nodded. "Without any problems."

The Demon King, contemplating the situation, issued a direct order, "If anything goes wrong, leave Veridiania immediately."

Vaeloria was momentarily taken aback by this command. "Yes?" she responded, her confusion apparent. However, she quickly composed herself and agreed, "I understand."

Just as Vaeloria was about to leave, the Demon King added a final remark that made her pause. "And I hope that you will not take the conversation that you heard into heart."

"Of course," Vaeloria spoke before stepping out.

...

"Eh...?" Harpe and Ragnarok both spoke in confusion.

"It might sound shameless, but I want to obtain my human form," Ragnarok admitted earnestly, with Harpe bouncing in agreement, indicating her similar wishes.

Lilith, however, had to deliver disappointing news. "Ah, we can't," she said, shaking her head in regret.

Ragnarok and Harpe, taken aback, responded in unison, their voices tinged with disappointment, "What? Why not?!"

"There's nothing to hunt here."

"Ah..." both Ragnarok and Harpe sighed.

Seeking to lift their spirits, Lilith quickly added, "Don't worry. I'll make sure we do something exciting." 

Lilith then quickly changed into a causal pair of clothes before walking down the street.

Harpe's fascination with the modern world was evident in her reaction to the car. "Wow...! That thing can move?" she asked, her eyes wide with wonder at seeing a car in motion, something she had apparently seen before but never in action.

"Yes, it's called a car," Lilith explained. "It doesn't use magic but uses something like gasoline. I can get us one if you want," 

Harpe, still captivated by the car, responded with enthusiasm, "Yeah...! But I want my human form first!"

Lilith couldn't help but smile at Harpe's adorable demeanor.

Meanwhile, Ragnarok, seeking to orient herself, asked, "By the way, where are we?"

Lilith had brought them to a gas station, but not for the usual reasons like snacks or a drink. Instead, she was there to play the lottery. 

Lilith had thought of several different ways to make money.

First was by making use of her magic and creating either diamonds or gold. But with this method, it would take too long to sell them.

The second method was to make counterfeit bills that were no different than the real ones but she could only make use of these bills before the IRS got suspicious.

So the fastest way Lilith thought of was to simply win the lottery. She only needed a new identity and Veda had already taken care of that.

Using a twenty dollar bill she bought a ticket. Receiving the ticket a sly smile came across her face.

'What the... Is she right in her head?' The gas station employee asked himself as he caught Lilith laughing to herself even harder as she saw the prize pool for the lottery. 

<<To think a goddess pickpocketed for twenty dollars and used it on the lottery.>> Veda muttered.

"It's fine...! I even left a pretty big diamond in his pocket so it's fine." Lilith justified. 

However, as Lilith was about to leave the gas station her attention was momentarily drawn to an individual purchasing a pack of cigarettes at the gas station which got her thinking.

Back then, she had made a conscious decision to quit smoking, fearing that the reason she might die on the battlefield was that she couldn't make the last five meters to cover because of lungs and die dog death.

However, her current existence as a divine being, a goddess, prompted Lilith to reconsider her stance on smoking. In her divine form, the usual health detriments associated with smoking, such as addiction to nicotine or lung damage, seemed irrelevant. As a goddess, she was presumably immune to such mortal concerns.

Author's note: PLEASE DO NOT SMOKE!!! LILITH IS SPECIAL!!!

Caught in this contemplation, Lilith was suddenly interrupted by Veda's plea, <<Master... please don't.>>

Author's note: LISTEN TO TO VEDA!!! DONT SMOKE!!!

Lilith found herself in a moral dilemma, her thoughts about falling into temptation. 'B-but it's fine now, isn't it?' she reasoned internally

Lilith waddled her way to the register at the gas station, her decision made. The employee behind the counter, noticing her approach, wondered what she might want.

"A pack of Marlboro, please. The gold one," Lilith requested, her expression serious.

The employee, taken aback by her request responded cautiously, "Ummm... even if this is a gas station, I can't sell cigarettes to minors..."

"What?! I'm reaching thirty!" Lilith exclaimed.

"I would need some form of ID," the employee stated.

With a smile, Lilith produced an ID she had created with magic and Veda's assistance. The employee examined the ID, comparing it to Lilith's appearance. "This does look real..." he muttered, still a bit unsure but ultimately convinced. He turned around to get her the requested pack of cigarettes.

"Do you need a lighter?" he asked, his tone suggesting he thought it might be her first time smoking.

"No," Lilith politely refused, walking out of the station.

Outside the gas station, Lilith resorted to her magical abilities, creating a small flame at the tip of her index finger to light the cigarette she held. With a deep inhale, she let out a sigh of relief as she exhaled a cloud of smoke, reconnecting with a habit she had abandoned years ago.

However, her moment of indulgence was briefly interrupted by the passing comment of an elderly gentleman who walked by. "Ha... kids these days," he remarked, casting a disapproving glance at her. 

Lilith found herself momentarily speechless, the man's comment prompting her to take a closer look at her appearance. She observed the single sword hanging from her waist, the cigarette in her mouth, and her slightly revealing clothes. 

Caught in a moment, Lilith could only continue to draw on her cigarette, savoring the taste she had missed for so long. 

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...

"Master..." Almace, deeply affected by the recent events, was isolated in a corner of a room within the royal palace, muttering to herself in a state of distress.

Sivel, concerned about Almace's well-being, turned to Galena and asked, "How long has she been like that...?"

Galena, with a sigh that conveyed her own worry, replied, "For the whole night..."

Looking towards Azriel, Galena pressed him for action. "Aren't you going to do something?" she asked.

Azriel, however, seemed unsure of what could be done. "What do you want me to do?" he questioned.

Sivel noted Azriel's demeanor, "You seem rather calm," she commented.

Azriel confidently responded, "Of course... my lady is fine. She must be enjoying her time as of right now."

However, as Azriel glanced back at Galena, he noticed a hesitation in her, as if she was holding back something important. "Is there something wrong?" he probed, sensing her unease.

Galena, with a small chuckle, seemed to find the courage to reveal her observation. "I don't know why I haven't said it until now but I'll say it... right before the incident, I saw time slow down to the point where nothing was moving... it was then I saw her grace move behind me..."

Azriel, taken aback by this revelation, asked, "What?"

"Hey... doesn't this have to do something about being Lilith's disciple?" Sivel whispered into Galena's ear.

Galena, pondering the possibility, replied, "It might. But I still don't know why time slowed down like that..."

"Manifesting destiny..." Azriel muttered. "The world is giving my lady a chance to change destiny, but from what I have seen, if my lady herself changes this destiny then she would be sealed away for an unknown amount of time."

Galena, now beginning to understand, added, "Then the reason why I also saw time slow down was because I was her grace's disciple..." 

"Yes, but the reason why you weren't able to move was that you were the subject of manifesting destiny," Azriel elaborated.

Sivel, seeking to understand her own position in this scenario, then asked, "But why didn't time slow down for me?"

"That would be because you weren't near the site," Azriel explained then pointed at both Sivel and Galena. "You two are essentially my lady's extra pair of hands... capable of manifesting destiny."