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It took me 10 seconds to open my mouth after seeing her face.

It wasn’t that I was lost for words, but rather a myriad of thoughts crossed my mind.

Eventually, feeling that pondering was futile, I asked straightforwardly.

“What is it?”

In response to my brief and concise question, she replied with unfocused, dark eyes.

“You look like someone who has encountered a person who should be interrogated in the palace dungeons.”

Well said.

Although she probably hadn’t undergone torture, I still thought her mind wouldn’t be entirely intact.

Luna Rainriver.

She should have been in the palace’s underground interrogation chambers, yet here she was, facing me with a plate of steaming food between us.

“Please, have a seat. You should eat.”

Of all the seats, it had to be directly facing hers.

I couldn’t just stand there, so I sat down.

“You seem curious why I’m here?”

“If you know, just say it. Are you here because you escaped or something?”

“Yes.”

“Cough!”

Suddenly, Emily and Brian, startled, began coughing.

“It’s a joke.”

I didn’t believe her at all.

If she had really escaped, it wouldn’t be this quiet around here.

“Don’t worry; I’ve received all the necessary investigations and have been officially cleared. Our Garam Magic Society has been confirmed to have no connection to this incident.”

That’s highly unlikely, isn’t it?

The current 1st Prince faction holds all the power in resolving this crisis.

They weren’t the kind to foolishly release us like this.

“You don’t seem particularly happy.”

She puffed up slightly, as if offended.

“It doesn’t seem like a time to be happy, does it? Is it really over safely? Anyway, it’s a fact that the Daze Stone came from your side, isn’t it?”

“True, our members brought it, but they have no connection with the Society. One person orchestrated everything, and no one else knew about it.”

“Did the Empire acknowledge that?”

“For now, they decided to focus on investigating that suspect. They can investigate us later if they want. But…”

Luna continued with an unchanged expression.

“She’s dead. It seems she bit her tongue and committed suicide.”

I burst out laughing incredulously upon hearing that.

Was she even subjected to tail-cutting?

If so, the Garam Magic Society would feel even more aggrieved.

Essentially, the prime suspect who could reveal everything was forced to remain silent by taking her own life.

“But how was the suspicion cleared? In such a situation, wouldn’t you receive even more intense scrutiny?”

“I’m not sure, but I heard that there was a royal decree to exonerate us. They promised not to discuss this incident publicly, whether it’s the Empire or the Kingdom.”

A royal decree to exonerate them?

There’s no way the 1st Prince, who holds all the power, would issue such an order.

If there’s anyone who could, they would undoubtedly be someone higher than the 1st Prince and probably the only one in the entire empire.

If what she said was true, then it was Empress Dionne who brought this incident to an end.

“So I was released. I came to see you as soon as I was freed.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“I just had a feeling that if it was you, you’d be having a meal with your maid and knight. So I blindly looked for a restaurant in the Imperial City. Luckily, I found it quickly.”

Quite relaxed, that little one.

It wouldn’t be weird for her to be fleeing back to her homeland like a bolt of lightning, but she still came to see my face.

It was a mental strength I couldn’t quite understand.

“I should leave now before Society members come looking for me. Enjoy your meal, Senior.”

As she rose from her seat, with a short gesture, she turned and left.

Contrary to her appearance, she didn’t seem to have a particularly squishy personality.

“Young master~?”

Emily stared intently at me as I sat firmly in my seat.

Awkward smile and unstable gaze.

It was clear what she wanted to say.

She wanted me to see her off.

Quite bothersome.

Nonetheless, I naturally got up.

“…?”

The moment we stepped outside, her half-closed eyes widened by about 0.5cm.

Was she genuinely surprised?

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just a simple farewell.”

I walked about 300 steps with her.

“That should do. Thanks for seeing me off, Senior.”

She sounded genuinely pleased about being seen off.

“Okay, take care…!”

Just as I was about to bid farewell, she suddenly hugged me.

“Your wounds… seem to be okay.”

As she cautiously touched my shoulder wound.

I gently pushed Luna Rainriver away as if clearing luggage.

“Don’t worry about the wounds. No need to check them like this.”

“But you hugged me so tightly before…”

She expressed some inexplicable discontent, lips pursed.

“I’ll really go now. See you at the Academy, Senior.”

With a brief farewell, I simply waved my hand, and soon Luna Rainriver completely disappeared from my sight.

[Whew~]

As she left, Kaeram’s mischievous whistle could be heard.

[Isn’t there a prince on a white horse? If this is the case, shouldn’t you thank me twice?]

It was so absurd that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Whoever heard it would think everything had gone as planned.

[Regardless, you’ve thwarted the plans of the guy you despise so much, right? In the end, they gained nothing, didn’t they?]

“That’s right. Perhaps by now, they’re furrowing their brows.”

It’s a pity I couldn’t see that face myself.

[But aside from that, what kind of power does that prince have to use a marionette? It’s not a magic that just anyone can easily wield, no matter how exceptional they are, right?]

“The prince didn’t do it. And it wasn’t Aschel either.”

[Then who was it?]

“There was someone. Unlike me, who was doing dirty deeds behind the scenes, it was the greatest minion of the devil who ruled everything from the front…”

I momentarily forgot.

At this time, it was probably about this far.

Summoning, necromancy, black magic, and more.

The pinnacle of all magic that can be reached by human hands, mastered by the strongest black mage.

“Boris Ruchelheim…”

He would be by Aschel’s side right now.

* * *

The Imperial Palace, a space permitted to only one person, the Emperor’s office.

In the Emperor’s eyes, filled with agony, a multitude of emotions could be seen.

Despite the dozens of documents scattered haphazardly on the desk, there seemed to be no intention to tidy them up.

*Thud, thud.*

Approaching slowly to such an office was one person.

Judging by the swift pace of his steps, it seemed urgent.

The Emperor paid no heed, not even glancing at the person who entered.

“I heard that His Majesty pardoned the members of the Garam Magic Society.”

“……”

“Why was that? They have insulted the empire, dared to cause unrest in the presence of His Majesty at the Imperial Palace, and are prominent suspects!”

The Emperor still did not respond.

“Even if the Garam Magic Society itself was not involved, this will serve as an important political leverage against the Garam Kingdom in the future…”

“Louisnel.”

In an atmosphere so heavy that even the air seemed to settle, Crown Prince Louisnel found himself at a loss for words.

The name was called, but the Emperor still did not speak.

Louisnel had no choice but to wait silently until the Emperor decided to speak again.

“I won’t ask why you did it. Nor will I ask how you did it.”

“W-What do you mean?”

Cold sweat dripped from Louisnel’s cheek.

“This is the final warning. Do not disturb the Imperial Family, or rather, the empire, with your actions any further.”

“…..!”

Louisnel struggled to maintain his composure, to control the flicker of his eyes.

“I don’t understand what His Majesty is trying to convey.”

“Let go of any thoughts of deceiving me. Even if you can deceive everyone in the palace, you can’t deceive me.”

“Are you trying to frame me with baseless suspicions?”

“Sometimes the feelings are so clear that you have no choice but to ask.”

With a dark expression, the Emperor continued to speak.

“Louisnel, you have many abilities. You have the leadership to guide others and strong determination. You have more than enough qualifications to become the next Emperor. But there’s one thing you lack.”

“W-What is it?”

“It’s inclusiveness.”

The furrow on the prince’s forehead deepened significantly at the weight of the Emperor’s words.

“You tend to favor capable individuals endlessly, but at the same time, you have a tendency to dismiss and reject those you deem worthless. Don’t you agree?”

Louisnel couldn’t respond.

“Employing talents is good. However, a ruler who does not embrace and accept those beyond that circle will ultimately not be recognized by anyone and will perish.”

As the Emperor and also his father, this was the only advice he could offer.

“Even if the rumors from Nepelis continue, it doesn’t matter. My position will definitely pass to you. So, do not reject and embrace them. That is the virtue of a ruler.”

In a situation where the Emperor promised his succession directly to him, there was not a trace of joy on Louisnel’s bowed face.

“I hope my current feelings will continue in the future.”

For a moment, as his fists trembled incessantly, Louisnel, with a calm expression, accepted the Emperor’s advice.

“…I will engrave His Majesty’s words deeply into my heart.”

From the office to the east annex where his room was, Louisnel suppressed his surging emotions firmly.

And finally, as he reached his room and closed the door,

*Bang!*

The patience he had been holding back finally exploded as he fiercely pounded the desk with his fist.

“Hoo, hoo…”

Louisnel repeated only rough breaths, with no words, and his eyes were filled with an eerie murderous look.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aschel’s eyes, meditating while sitting on a chair, carefully opened.

Instead of his servant Kellen, another man was seated beside him.

“How is the Crown Prince?”

“There seems to have been an intense moment during the conversation with His Majesty the Emperor. He has instructed not to disturb him for a while and remains locked in his room.”

With a vacant gaze, Aschel stared endlessly at the ceiling.

“Marionette and summoned creatures have been annihilated by an unknown presence, the plan to use the Daze Stone to kill my brother and the Fifth Princess has failed, and the plan to pass everything onto the Garam Magic Society has all gone down the drain under the Emperor’s command, so indeed, nothing has been accomplished…”

It was almost surreal how his life hung by a thread.

Aschel felt utterly ashamed, experiencing the taste of failure for the first time in his life.

“The plan may have clearly failed, but I’ve discovered an interesting fact.”

“An interesting fact?”

“Would you care to look at this?”

The man retrieved a small orb from his pocket and presented it to Aschel.

“While analyzing Marionette’s corpse, I sensed a strange aura and quickly captured it within this orb.”

After he flicked the orb with his finger a couple of times, the transparent glass-like orb soon turned black, emitting an unknown black smoke from within.

Aschel eyed it suspiciously.

“What kind of aura is this? It’s not magic, and certainly not the aura of a demon, is it?”

It felt like witnessing the eerie power of a spiritual entity.

One thing he could be certain of was that it was definitely not a force that could be produced by humans.

“This is the aura of a demonic sword.”

Aschel’s doubts didn’t last long.

“What do you mean? A demonic sword?”

“The spiritual weapon endowed with the power of fallen gods. Both the Marionette and Hellhound I summoned lost their strength due to this aura.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

The orb made it evident that it was no mere boast; it was so vile and dark that only something as atrocious as a demonic sword could produce it.

Aschel could easily acknowledge it.

“So, the owner of the demonic sword was in the palace at the time. That’s how we can conclude it.”

“Any suspicions as to who it might be?”

With his arms folded, Aschel fell into contemplation once again.

It wasn’t unthinkable that it might be someone attending the banquet.

If so, it could even be a noble.

But who would dare bring such a malignancy into the sacred palace?

“Perhaps, is there a correlation between the conditions required to control the demonic sword and its elemental attributes?”

“Of course. Given the nature of the demonic sword, there’s a high probability it’s associated with the darkness attribute.”

At this, Aschel smiled meaningfully.

“Boris.”

“Yes, Aschel.”

“How about paying a visit to the academy?”