My Hidden Heresy Skill Forged an SSS-Ranked Harem for Infinite Points

Ophelia remained in thought for a few seconds, as if she were trying to remember the exact words that those notes said.

Ryan maintained his firm and relaxed posture, allowing the demon queen to organize her thoughts without interrupting.

"The general of those borderlands, who in turn was Liz’s biological father."

Ophelia began her tale with a fluid and continuous voice, narrating the past events like a chronicler detailing the inevitable fall of a distant empire.

"He was an infernal-level demon, someone with a destructive power so massive that his mere presence could change the course of any confrontation, but he had suddenly deserted the battlefield and returned to his home."

"When the demon king went personally to look for him and make him return to the ranks, since on previous occasions people were sent for him and never returned, he encountered a disturbing scenario."

"Upon arriving, he discovered that all the demon inhabitants in the town were gathered in a sort of trance, serving as a cult dedicated exclusively to the orders of that infernal general."

"They had built a massive and grotesque altar to venerate and feed the deity that was controlling them from the shadows."

"And high atop that stone structure, they were preparing everything to offer a blood sacrifice."

"Everyone present in the area, from the most hardened soldiers to the simple civilian demons, was being mentally controlled like simple puppets without a will by that deity."

"The sacrifice consisted of something very specific and twisted."

Ophelia continued without stopping the rhythm of her narration, keeping her hands still upon her lap.

"The ceremony dictated that by killing little Zelyn directly upon that altar, the deity would use the spilling of her blood to implant the girl’s power into Liz’s body."

"And through that dark process of magical transmutation, Liz would be reborn, assuming a new form with the potential to become a demon king."

"There was absolutely no way to make anyone in that cursed town listen to reason." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"The level of fanaticism and brainwashing was irreversible, so the demon king waged a frontal battle to the death against the general, and finally killed him."

"Even so, even with the main leader of the cult dead, neither Liz nor the rest of the inhabitants managed to wake up from that mental control that bound them."

"The demon king was left with no other option than to eliminate them all using his intense destructive fire."

"Both the general’s bloody corpse, as well as Liz herself, and every single one of the inhabitants who were part of that town."

"Every single one of them was mercilessly reduced to a simple pile of smoking ashes to prevent the deity’s infection from spreading to other territories."

"The only survivor of that entire unilateral and devastating massacre was Zelyn."

"The reason why she didn’t burn was because she was tied up at the very top of the altar watching all the chaos, and the demon king’s ravaging flames did not manage to reach that stone elevation."

"The demon king seriously thought about killing her right then and there to eradicate any residual risk."

"But upon realizing that the girl wasn’t being controlled in the slightest by the deity, he decided to let her live and took her with him back to the castle."

Ryan did not interrupt her at any moment during that extensive exposition of the historical events.

He was trying to discern internally if there was anything in that story that justified the nature of the enormous power that controlled those demons.

"Did he take Zelyn with him because he felt love for her?" the human asked the demon queen with total coldness in his voice.

"Not at all, at least what the demon king said at the time was that, for him."

Ophelia responded with a direct, sharp tone, completely devoid of any romantic illusion that could soften the harsh reality of her species.

"Zelyn is nothing more than a simple trophy that constantly reminds him of the unhinged plans those deities are capable of carrying out. I wonder if that is actually true..." Ophelia murmured to herself, staring intently at the heavy wooden door of the cabin.

’A trophy, huh? I wonder if that is truly the case. I doubt someone with such power would keep useless or inherently dangerous pieces on their game board unless they had a hidden value that others couldn’t see.’ Ryan thought after analyzing every piece of information that Ophelia had provided him.

"But then, he let Zelyn live and keeps her under surveillance in the castle?" Ryan asked.

"That is exactly what I wanted to get to." Ophelia said, focusing all of her profound attention and her bright eyes once again on the human sitting in front of her.

"A little over a month ago, Demon Queen Flare, who is Rohan’s current and legitimate wife, attacked the girl. In a fit of pure violence, she ripped her horns out by the roots and tried to kill her completely."

"I know from a very reliable source that the girl fled alongside her personal servant from Rohan’s lands, and so far her whereabouts have not been found." Ophelia added.

Then, Ryan, after having remained seated for so long, finally stood up.

"I see, I suppose she is a very cruel stepmother, but exactly how old is that girl right now?"

Ophelia remained in thought for a moment before responding.

"Hmm, she must be between six or seven years old right now."

When she confirmed the girl’s age, Ryan’s suspicions were confirmed regarding the girl’s identity, connecting it to a situation he had experienced in the past while he was on the mission to collect materials for the guild in Erhes Valley.

’And she says she fled from her territory alongside her servant? Then... those two were the ones who suddenly teleported me and Karol to the demonic continent some time ago. Of course, I even clearly remember Solaris mentioning in a derogatory manner that that hornless freak was not his sister...’

After that thought, he formulated a question for Ophelia, looking directly at her.

"Then, do you believe that Rigal currently has that girl under his custody?"

Ophelia paused, and then let out a heavy sigh.

"Listen Ryan. There is one thing that I am sure of..."