When everything finished, I found Rose looking at me with an astonished expression and Katherine asleep in my arms.
"It was you…" Rose said with an astonished expression. "These two times, it was you…"
As expected of the hero. So she felt the punishment of the Universe's laws, huh.
I smiled without answering and checked Katherine's situation.
This time, the process of sharing my Immortality with her was much faster than with Safelia. After all, I had already done it once, so the second time was easier.
Moreover, I strengthened Katherine's body and cultivation before putting her soul back in her body, so she should recover sooner than Safelia.
According to my calculation, she should wake up one hour later.
And when she wakes up, she will be a fifteenth-layer mage with a powerful body.
Well, she lacks combat experience, so she will be probably a bit weaker than a true fifteenth-layer practitioner; but even so, it will be more than enough if she just wants to put an array around the fort.
Actually, I could have made the array myself, but I had promised Katherine that I would help her to become stronger, so I decided to make her my second dependent and leave the array to her.
Just at that moment, Rose seemed to notice Katherine's change.
Immediately, her eyes opened wide.
"Impossible! How is that possible!?"
"Surprised?"
Rose looked at me agape.
"T-That, that… C-Claus, w-why does she feel so strong? What is her current cultivation?"
"At the fifteenth layer," I replied with a smile.
Rose gulped down a mouthful of saliva with a stiff expression.
"… I must be dreaming."
"Nope, you are not."
"Yes, I'm dreaming. There is no way senior Katherine can become a fifteenth-layer practitioner just like that."
"There is, I just did it."
"I wonder when I fell asleep. Was it during the meeting?"
"My beautiful Rose, although I think it's cute seeing you deny reality, it's not good for your health."
Rose was speechless. She looked at me for several seconds before holding her head and groaning.
"AHhhhh! It's unfair! Claus, I want it as well!"
"Sure."
"Really? Will you help me?" Rose's eyes brightened immediately.
"Of course," I nodded smilingly. "Anyway, I created this technique for my future wives."
Rose froze immediately.
She then looked at me with a stiff expression before gritting her teeth angrily.
"Dammit! You will see, I swear I'll surpass you soon!"
She then stormed out of the room with a determined expression.
This girl…
I should find an opportunity to take her down soon.
Chuckling, I looked at Katherine who was still asleep in my arms. Her breathing was even, and there was a small smile on her face.
Involuntarily, I started to stroke her beautiful green hair.
She was the second person that I made my dependent.
From today onwards, we are destined to spend eternity together.
Just at that moment, I felt a small fluctuation in the laws in the room.
In the next second, Ysnay appeared in front of me with a complicated expression.
She looked at the sleeping Katherine and sighed.
"… So you used it again, huh."
"That was the reason I created it in the first place."
"You are right." Ysnay smiled bitterly. "I must say, it feels more painful than I thought."
"Is it so?"
"It is." She said with a self-deprecating smile. "Before this, they were just mortals, so I unconsciously did not care too much about them… But now, even if it's because they are your dependents, they can be considered Immortals as us… I can't help but feel that you are going farther and farther from me."
I did not reply and just continue stroking Katherine's hair silently.
Seeing that, Ysnay's smile became even bitter. She then shook her head and waved her hand, disappearing from the room.
I heaved a soft sigh. It looks like the day to put an end to our long and painful relationship is very close.
I could not help but feel complicated when I thought about that.
Eventually, one hour passed, and Katherine's eyelashes trembled.
She then opened her eyes, her blue pupils looking straight towards my eyes.
"Claus…" Katherine muttered sweetly.
I smiled in answer and put a kiss on her forehead.
Immediately, I felt her soul shivering in joy. At the same time, our souls resonated, creating an incredible feeling that briefly overwhelmed us.
Familiarity, closeness, love…
"This is…" Katherine opened her eyes wide.
I chuckled softly and put my forehead against hers.
"I told you, didn't I? From today onwards, nothing will be able to separate you from me."
Katherine was stunned. But then, her lips curved up in a beautiful smile.
"The same goes for you. From today onwards, nothing will be able to separate you from me."
Then, the green-haired girl connected her lips with mine, kissing me softly.
I returned the kiss and hugged her soft body. Before long, we were throwing our clothes away and searching for each other's bodies passionately.
Not even one minute later, Katherine's moans were resounding in the room.
…
At the same time.
A black-haired woman walked slowly, approaching a cliff on the elven lands.
The cliff was the place where a certain golden-haired fox girl was sealed.
Even though her love never revealed this location to her, she did not need it. With her abilities, locating this place could not be simpler.
With an indifferent expression, the black-haired woman stopped just before reaching the edge of the cliff. Then, she took another step forward, and the scenery around her changed completely.
With that step, she had entered the alternate space that her love created.
Once she was inside, the woman saw the fox girl chained in the center of the white space.
At the same time, the fox girl noticed her.
"Bitch. What are you doing here?"
"Don't you know the answer already?" The woman replied with a sigh. "You should have felt it as well, right?"
The fox girl fell silent.
For several seconds, her blood-red eyes showed a complicated look before she sighed.
"Did dad succeed?"
"He did."
"Is it so?" The fox girl put on a bitter expression. "As expected of dad. It was faster than I thought."
"We can do nothing about that now, Emilia. Instead, I came to propose something."
Emilia's eyes narrowed. But surprisingly, she did not refuse.
"An alliance, huh?"
"Yes." The black-haired woman, Ysnay, nodded. "I'll help you to escape, and then, you will help me in my plan to recover Willian."
Emilia's expression twisted in displeasure immediately.
"Don't call him like that, traitor. And why should I help you? Do you think I don't know what you are thinking?"
"Because this is also your last opportunity." Ysnay chuckled softly. "You know it, right?"
Emilia fell silent.
Seeing that, Ysnay asked a second time.
"Then, are you going to help me or not?"
This time, Emilia did not refuse.
Instead, she put on a pensive expression.
"Tell me about your plan."