Parallel Memory

Chapter 732: A Visitor from the Countryside

The human capital was far larger than Lilith had imagined.

Even after entering the city gates hours ago, she still hadn’t reached her destination. Endless streets stretched in every direction, filled with merchants shouting advertisements, carriages rattling across stone roads, and adventurers showing off their weapons to anyone willing to listen.

For someone who had spent most of her life inside the Devil Kingdom, the city felt like an entirely different world.

Lilith stood in the middle of a crowded intersection, clutching the piece of paper Zero had given her with the address written on it.

"Tech Genesis..."

She looked up.

And froze.

Towering before her stood an enormous eleven-story building of black glass and silver stone. Sunlight reflected off its surface like a mirror, making it seem almost unreal.

People entered and exited through giant glass doors while carts loaded with strange metal boxes arrived one after another.

Above the entrance, giant silver letters read:

TECH GENESIS

Lilith blinked several times.

Then she looked down at the paper.

Then back at the building.

Then down at the paper again.

"...I’m definitely lost."

There was simply no way this gigantic fortress belonged to Zero.

The Zero she knew wore the same black coat for days, slept on the ground without complaint, and barely cared whether people praised him or not.

How could someone like him own a place like this?

A group of office workers brushed past her.

One of them accidentally bumped into her shoulder.

"Sorry."

Lilith quickly stepped aside.

"No—it’s fine."

She looked up once more.

The building looked less like a company headquarters and more like a royal palace.

"Maybe humans worship merchants."

For several minutes, Lilith simply stood there, staring.

Meanwhile, dozens of employees entering the building stole curious glances at the strange girl standing outside.

She looked young, perhaps around eighteen, yet her clothes made her appear like someone’s grandmother from the countryside.

Her cloak was oversized, her boots were dusty from traveling, and the bag hanging from her shoulder looked as though it had survived a war.

Two receptionists standing behind the glass doors whispered among themselves.

"Is she lost?"

"I think she’s been standing there for ten minutes."

"Maybe she’s waiting for someone."

One of them squinted.

"Or maybe she’s homeless."

Lilith finally gathered her courage and stepped through the entrance.

The moment she entered, cold air washed over her face.

Her eyes widened.

The interior was unlike anything she had ever seen.

Bright chandeliers illuminated the enormous lobby. Marble floors stretched beneath her feet, polished so perfectly that she could almost see her reflection.

Employees hurried from desk to desk carrying stacks of documents while others sat around strange glowing screens.

Lilith slowly turned in circles.

"How much money does Zero actually have?"

Before she could think further, something beside her suddenly moved.

A metallic box opened with a soft sound.

Three people stepped out.

Lilith immediately jumped backward.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Then, to her utter disbelief, two more people casually walked inside the metal box.

The doors closed.

And they disappeared.

Lilith stared.

For a long time.

"...It’s eating people."

The receptionist nearest to her blinked.

"What?"

Lilith pointed toward the elevator.

"That thing."

The receptionist followed her finger.

"The elevator?"

Lilith nodded seriously.

"People go inside and disappear."

The receptionist stared at her for several seconds before realizing she wasn’t joking.

"...It just takes people upstairs."

Lilith looked unconvinced.

"Alive?"

"Yes."

"All of them?"

"Hopefully."

Lilith took two cautious steps backward.

Human technology was terrifying.

In the Devil Kingdom, the only things that swallowed people whole were giant monsters.

Meanwhile, several employees nearby had started laughing quietly.

One young man whispered to his friend,

"She really is from the countryside."

His friend nodded.

"I’ve never seen anyone scared of an elevator before."

Lilith pretended not to hear them.

She marched toward the reception desk, trying to preserve what little dignity she had left.

The receptionist smiled politely.

"Welcome to Tech Genesis. How may I help you?"

Lilith placed both hands on the counter.

"I’m looking for Zero."

The receptionist tilted her head.

"Mr. Zero?"

Lilith nodded.

"Yes."

The receptionist frowned.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Lilith blinked.

"...Do relatives need appointments?"

The receptionist immediately straightened.

"You’re related to Mr. Zero?"

Lilith nodded without hesitation.

"From his hometown."

Technically, she wasn’t lying.

Zero had spent plenty of time in the Devil Kingdom.

That counted.

Probably.

The receptionist quickly exchanged glances with her colleague.

Everyone in Tech Genesis knew one thing:

Never disrespect anyone related to Zero.

The problem was that nobody actually knew who Zero’s relatives were.

The second receptionist smiled awkwardly.

"May I ask your name?"

Lilith panicked for a moment.

She couldn’t exactly introduce herself as the Queen of the Devil Kingdom.

"...Lily."

The receptionist wrote something down.

"And your relationship?"

Lilith thought for a few seconds.

"Cousin."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow.

"Cousin?"

Lilith nodded confidently.

"Very distant cousin."

At that exact moment, two S-rank guards standing nearby glanced toward her.

Both men wore black uniforms embroidered with the Tech Genesis symbol.

One of them whispered,

"Country girl?"

The other shrugged.

"Looks like it."

"Poor sense of fashion."

"Definitely new in the city."

Lilith almost wanted to argue, but she remembered she was wearing clothes borrowed from an elderly servant in the palace.

The guards approached the desk.

"Everything alright?"

The receptionist nodded.

"She says she’s Mr. Zero’s cousin."

Both guards examined Lilith from head to toe.

One scratched his head.

"...Really?"

Lilith crossed her arms.

"Do I not look related?"

The guard hesitated.

"No, it’s just..."

He stopped himself before saying you dress like an eighty-year-old grandmother.

The second guard coughed awkwardly.

"You look... unique."

Lilith smiled proudly.

"Thank you."

The guard looked at his partner.

"That wasn’t a compliment."

Before the conversation could become more awkward, the receptionist finally spoke.

"We’ll have to contact Managing Director Aiden."

Lilith froze.

"Aiden himself?"

The receptionist nodded.

"Only he can confirm whether you’re actually related."

Lilith suddenly regretted everything.

Ten minutes later, the entire lobby erupted into chaos.

Employees straightened their backs.

The guards immediately stood at attention.

Even the receptionists became nervous.

The elevator doors opened.

Out stepped Aiden.

Behind him followed four S-rank guards.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

"Why did he bring an army?"

The employees began whispering among themselves.

"Why is the Managing Director personally coming down?"

"Who is that girl?"

"Is she some noble?"

"She looks like she got lost on the way to a farm."

Aiden ignored the whispers and walked straight toward Lilith.

The guards studied her curiously.

To them, she looked completely ordinary.

No mana.

No pressure.

Nothing.

Just an awkward country girl standing in the middle of the lobby.

Aiden stopped in front of her.

For several seconds, he stared silently.

Then realization flashed across his eyes.

"Miss Lil—"

Lilith immediately stepped on his foot.

Hard.

Aiden winced.

She smiled innocently.

"Lily."

Aiden quickly understood.

"Ah, yes. Miss Lily."

He coughed.

"Welcome."

The entire lobby fell silent.

Employees nearly dropped their documents.

The Managing Director himself was welcoming this strange girl?

Personally?

One of the guards whispered,

"She’s actually important?"

The other guard looked horrified.

"I called her a country bumpkin."

The receptionist’s face turned pale.

Lilith smiled awkwardly.

"I told you I was family."

The receptionists bowed repeatedly.

"We sincerely apologize!"

Lilith waved her hands.

"No, no, it’s alright."

Aiden suppressed a laugh.

He had never imagined that the future queen of the Devil Kingdom would be mistaken for a lost villager.

"Miss Lily, please follow me."

Lilith nodded and followed him toward the elevator.

Unfortunately, she immediately stopped.

Aiden blinked.

"Is something wrong?"

Lilith pointed accusingly at the elevator.

"It eats people."

The four S-rank guards turned away to hide their laughter.

Aiden rubbed his forehead.

"...It’s perfectly safe."

"Are you sure?"

"I’ve used it every day for years."

Lilith narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You’re not trapped inside?"

Aiden stared at her.

"Clearly not."

After a full minute of hesitation, Lilith slowly stepped inside.

The doors closed.

The elevator moved.

Lilith grabbed Aiden’s sleeve with both hands.

"We’re floating."

Aiden sighed.

"Yes."

"This is terrifying."

"It’s really not."

One of the guards burst out laughing.

Lilith glared at him.

"How are humans not afraid of this?"

The guard shrugged.

"We’re more afraid of the stairs."

The elevator finally stopped.

The doors opened.

Lilith rushed outside as though she had escaped certain death.

Aiden chuckled.

"First time?"

Lilith adjusted her clothes.

"I prefer walking."

Ahead of them stretched a luxurious hallway leading toward Zero’s private quarters.

As they walked, Aiden lowered his voice.

"He’s been expecting you."

Lilith looked up.

"Really?"

Aiden nodded.

"He said that if someone strange claiming to be his relative ever appeared..."

Lilith blinked.

"...Then what?"

Aiden smiled.

"’Don’t ask questions. Just bring her to me.’"

For the first time since leaving the Devil Kingdom, Lilith laughed.

Because somehow, despite the distance, despite the politics, despite the war—

Zero had still managed to predict this disaster.

And somewhere beyond those doors, the only person who could stop two worlds from tearing themselves apart was waiting.