"S-Stay away, you demon! There is no way you are a human after all you did! I-I will report you to the temple and then-"

Count Pablo stepped back in fear as he felt Mary approaching him. His heart skipped more than a few beats as he faced the demoness casting such a large shadow on top of him.

He wanted to scare Mary so she would think twice before cornering him, but Mary looked unbothered even with all these threats being leveled against her.

"Oh my! Do you think the temple would be enough to scare me away? I did not realize that you were more naive than I expected. Who do you think sent me here in the first place and helped us carry out this purification?"

Mary asked, twisting what happened to suit her narrative better.

Doubt flashed across the Count's eyes as soon as Mary mentioned purification. Only the temple and someone with enough divine energy could carry it out. But surely, the temple would not have fallen so low as to get involved with a demon.

"Stop playing around, Mary. We do not have time to waste on toys. If you are not going to kill this man, then lock him up and throw him somewhere else from where you can retrieve him later."

Layla ordered, and the Count turned his attention to the child instead.

Unlike Mary, Layla looked and felt human. She had a human stamina and aura around her. But the gaze in her eyes was one no six-year-old should ever have. It told the court that he was dead and that this girl would be the reason behind his execution.

"D-Don't do this! Hey! I said - don't do this! Y-You don't know what kind of person you are making an enemy out of-"

"Yeah, I hear you. But do you think you are the only influential one left in this world? Don't worry! We will bury the news of what happened to you so deep that no one would be able to find it."

No one wants to investigate once they hear that Duke Lockhart's people were involved in this case.

The Duke's name was a blessing that Layla was happy to use whenever she could get away with it.

"Miss, don't worry about a thing! I will take over from here. You should just sit back and relax now."

Mary lightly massaged Layla's shoulders when she said that. It was all to hide the sadistic glee she felt at the thought of getting to play with a human who was alive and had been handed over to her.

Layla said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes about her permission. Mary happily dragged the Count out, and Layla was alone in the Mayor's house.

The mayor left where he had been hiding once he realized it was safe to come out. He looked grateful when his eyes fell on Layla, and he coughed to hide his nervousness in front of the child.

"Thank you for all your help. Purifying this place could not have been easy. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to repay you."

The mayor looked injured but not badly enough to need medical attention.

Not that Layla was bothered about him or wanted to help him. She had enough on her plate to keep herself busy.

Still, seeing the mayor like this was not a feeling Layla particularly enjoyed.

"Get yourself treated and meet me back once you are steadier. I will wait for you outside. I will likely leave you in charge of this dungeon and all the accommodations we need to make for it. Make sure you are ready for it."

Layla dropped this bomb on the mayor's head, and he stuttered in shock.

"E-Excuse me, but what did you say-?"

The mayor asked in a frightened voice as his eyes widened in shock. He seemed to be having difficulty coming up with what to say next.

But Layla did not bother speaking to him about this again. She just turned around and decided to leave, leaving the Mayor to pick up his consciousness and run after him.

The mine was completely dried out of monsters and any other dangerous substances. It was all calm, but Layla did not go far into it.

"People will start arriving from the day after to prepare this mine for extraction. Anyone from the local village who wants to work can approach the head and get employed. They will be paid well and have medical care as well."

Layla promised, and her words sounded tempting to the mayor. He had never thought that his village would get this opportunity.

This was the break his people had been asking him about all his life, and he could not believe God had finally listened to him.

"I understand! I will make sure to inform everyone about this. We will likely have an answer by the end of the week, so if you can wait that long…"

The mayor seemed to need a lot of time, but the week was about to end in two days.

Ideally, Layla would like to be on the road already and start heading back. But Raziel needed rest, so she extended her stay in that village for another day.

"Fine! I will give you that time. Meanwhile, I will be with my guards, so come and find me once you decide. I will be waiting."

Layla turned and walked back toward the village.

Only after she was out of sight did the mayor realize he had made another deal with a six-year-old kid.

When Layla spoke in front of them, it was easy to forget that she was six years old. The air of maturity around her made her look older than Layla was.

"Wow, there are all kinds of people in this world. A kid who feels more mature than most adults I have met. What else will I see before my time is up?"