-All the truth will be revealed as soon as you set foot on the upper floors. -


    The first answer Shadow gave me was when I asked him about their links with me.


    That''s why I have to go to earth! The ce where the key is located to ess the upper floor and discover what it hides.


    "Do you want to go to earth?" Reha suddenly asks this question with confused eyes.


    And instead of answering her directly, he momentarily stared at Shadow, then nodded after noticing thetter''s answer.


    "Yes, and during the trip, we mustply with the natural rules of this as long as the situation does not require it." He also added with dark eyes.


    ''The most suitable ce for a peaceful conversation is, of course, where all magic is abolished. And as it is an area is not belong to her directly, it makes this the most suitable ce for any significant alteration or influence on her part.


    -If she tries anything, I will know immediately and act ordingly. Of course, as she''s more potent than Shadow and Heepha themselves, my strength is nothingpared to hers. But in theory, I would still have enough time to withdraw. After all, my goal is, above all, to get the key to be able to ess the upper floor of the shadow castle. It''s already a good situation, even if it''s frustrating.''


    "... All right, in this case, let''s not waste any more time!"


    -?! While Alvine heard her say these words, his environment suddenly changed from an average temperature to an Arctic cold.


    And when he looked around, he realized that he was in an icy desert as far as the eye could see. Apart from the penguins and the frozen ocean nearby, he could not see other things around him except those.


    But just before he asked himself more questions, he also saw a woman with long ck hair and emerald eyes five meters behind him, dressed in a purple sundress despite the freezing cold.


    ''Hm?! This ce?! This atmosphere ting corrupt, and these little creatures!! Am I-- am I really on this?!'' He shouted in his thoughts with eyes that were both nostalgic and suspicious.


    "Did you need to do this so suddenly?" He frowns while asking this question to none other than Reha.


    Even if her appearance differed, it was not enough to mislead him.


    "What do you want to exchange for what you owe me?" Instead of answering him, she went straight to the point with the firm intention of starting them to talk.


    "... It''s not as simple. Have you forgotten my third condition? Without this, I can''t say anything with certainty." He also made this reminder when he saw Reha''s nd expression.


    ''Does she even have emotions? She looks like a puppet that is only programmed to imitate humans.'' He whispered to himself, looking at his empty and unemotional eyes.


    "I remember it. But since you seem to have considered all this, what is the point of wasting time? Tell me what you are looking for, and I will find it for you so that you can give me back what belongs to me and honor our old deal!"


    "A deal?!"


    "Why would I lie to you?" She frowned when she saw the suspicion in the look that Alvine threw at her.


    "Why would I make a deal with-- Anyway, let''s first find what I''m looking for. Then we will know more about your usations."


    ''Perhaps one of the reasons that prevented her from attacking me. But why would I agree with a person as powerful as her?! What do I have to offer her?! Damn it! My head is spinning just thinking about it.'' He swore in his thoughts while continuing to stare at Reha with suspicion.


    As for Reha, hearing Alvine''s words, she frowns only slightly.


    "... Do you think you can save enough time by getting me here?"


    "... Sigh, think what you want. But I didn''te here for a summer vacation. And also know that I don''t intend to believe in what you say until I''m sure that what you''re saying is true." He retorted with frustration.


    "I heard what you want, but how do you n to find it? And how long would it take?!" She insisted, despite Alvine''s annoyment


    "...I don''t know. But when I''m nearby, I''m sure I can feel its aura. As for how long it would take, the more you continue to put me under pressure, the more time we will lose enough time. And above all, what you are doing now is only a waste of time since I don''t even know what you''re talking about. Wait for the end before asking for anything." While retorting these words, he touched the snow on the ground while closing his eyes.


    Reha, for her part, did not ask any other questions. But instead, she continued to look at his actions with curiosity without cing a word.


    [Manifest yourselves!] The next moment, she heard Alvine whisper these words as his eyes became darker than they were now.


    -Swhhhhh


    And almost instantly, Greed, Luna, Zakiel, and Darka appeared before him.


    "I thought we had to respect the natural norms andws of this ce. Why--


    "Think again; the shadow is part of everything. It is in no way supernatural or defying the divinews of this." Alvine stopped her before she finished her sentence.


    "Contrast what you think; I didn''t use magical energy to change anything. It''s as natural as using my legs to walk or my hands to catch an object. And you had only designated Shadow and Heepha and not the others." He continued with a vicious smile.


    "...That''s right. But add this man to the list." She replied by pointing to Zakiel.


    "...Zakiel, join Sahdow and Heepha with others and help them in the event of an attack." He ordered briefly after a brief hesitation.


    "Satisfied?!" He retorted after Zakiel''s disappearance.


    "..."


    Seeing her silence and empty look, he shakes his head with a nd air before focusing on the others.


    "There''s something I want to find on this. It looks like a jewel of ruby the size of one of these jewels on my ring. Finally, let me know when you feel energy familiar to us. And onest thing, don''t let yourself be spotted by anyone!"


    "It will be done ording to your wishes."


    "Greed! Did I make myself understood?!"


    "Yes, my lord."


    "Are you sure you understood what I just said?! No appearance, nor anything, just a research mission. And above all, you should under no circumstances make victims; is that clear?!"


    "Affirmative, my lord!"


    ''?!? Why am I not reassured by his words? Sigh, the best thing will be to put him aside before he no longer gives me a problem than I currently have. Argh, but he is the mostpetent when ites to feeling the flows of magic.''


    After a war between his thoughts, he finally sighed and looked at Darka.


    "Darka, you will stay with him to prevent him from making idiocies."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I would do my best, my lord."


    "..."


    Upon hearing Darka''s words, Alvine realized that it was not only him that Greed was a problem.


    "In short, even if it''s a little moreplicated task than the mission itself, keep an eye on this idiot throughout; now you can start the research."


    -Swhhhh!!!


    "Sigh, this guy is only good at killing and destroying everything in his path; he is really a disguised curse." He whispered with an ironic smile.


    "Aren''t they as your effigy?"


    "Hm?"


    "I''m talking about your shadows. Aren''t they in your effigy?"


    His smile stiffens following Reha''s assertions.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. They have their wills independent of mine. That is what makes them beings in their own right. But it''s just that they have not yet reached a level high enough to have a mature mind." He murmured soberly, knowing very well what Reha was talking about.


    "Don''t pretend to ignore what I''m talking about. Just as I created my monarchs and the sheltering creatures in my domain, these shadows are part of you. Their actions, their personalities, and everything that defines theme from you; it''s something you can''t deny." She says casually.


    "... I guess you''re right. But does this mean that you can also exercise the same power as me? On your creations, I mean."


    "I''ll let you guess." She replied almost instantly with a mocking smile, unlike her usual mood.


    -?!


    Finally seeing a mischievous smile on her lips, Alvine couldn''t help but stare at her.


    ''So, can she have expressions other than tness on her face?'' He whispered to himself with a dense air.


    And this brief moment of inattention on his part allows Reha to get close enough to him.


    And without even realizing it, Reha''s handnded on his shoulder.


    "?! What are you?-


    Before he finished his sentence, his environment changed once again, and he found himself in the middle of a tropical forest.


    "Huh? What exactly are you ying?!"


    "Can you feel what you''re looking for?" She immediately asked, making Alvine more frustrated about her hasty actions.


    "I guess it''s no." She continued seeing Alvine''s annoyance.


    But just when she wanted to teleport again, Alvine cleared her hand on his shoulder.


    "Don''t touch me! And stop acting like...that!" He fulminates these words with dark eyes.


    "What are youining about? I''m just speeding up what you came for here."


    Hearing her say these words so casually, Alvine''s frown was entuated.


    ''Something is wrong with this girl. No, she''s not normal, in the good sense of the word. In addition to being boring to death, she''s impossible to read to know what she thinks or intends to do exactly.'' He whispered to himself with suspicious eyes.


    "Stop acting like a--Sigh, let''s first find a suitable ce to have a serious conversation about the research procedure and your strange actions."


    "Hm? Is this ce not suitable? I have already ordered the stray animals not to approach us. In addition to that, if we start with less lively ces, it would save us enough time before going to the cities. This ce is unpleasant, especially the corrupt aura, and barely exists."


    "... No, let''s go to one of the cities."


    "Why? There it''s noisier than here. You should know what you really want. We don''t have enough time ahead of us."


    ''Fucking bad luck! She will drive me crazy if she continues!'' While shouting these words in his thoughts, he no longer tried to resonate with Reha.


    His shadow wavered under his feet and formed two enormous dark draconian wings on his back before he flew into the air to the West at a reasonable speed, yet faster than any divine magi.


    And when he looked to his right, unsurprisingly, Reha was flying by his side with the same white wings as Sylvia''s.


    Seeing her silence, Alvine sighed with relief.


    "You know, I didn''te here only to find the pearl that will allow me to know more about myself but also to face my past that I had ignored initially."


    "It is not by wanting to forget your past that it will erase your crimes."


    "...I''m not talking about this past, of which I have no idea, but about my life on this."


    "You have never lived here before. But given your obsession, I will let you know for yourself. It will be pleasant to watch."


    "...I will act as if I haven''t heard anything. As strong and powerful as you are today, do not forget the day you were just like these frail and weak creatures that you look at with so much disdain. No one is born omnipotent; everyone started somewhere with a starting point and history. You are no different from us." He retorted with a nd air that seemed to be his daily life.


    "It''s ironic to hear you say these words. But no matter what you say, it will never change your already corrupt soul that my vital essence could not even purify. You are not--


    "We are there!" He suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere above the sea.


    Reha, who had just been interrupted in the middle of her sentence, did not take this to heart, but despite everything, her skeptical look was still present on her face.


    "The Labrador Sea; ording to our geographical trajectory."


    "How can you be sure that this is the name of this ce?"


    "Hm? I don''t base myself on my knowledge, but on the memories I got with Sofia. If I''m not mistaken, she was an explorer at the time and lived in Newfounnd and Labrador. And since our ce of appearance was entirely made up of snow as far as the eye can see, coupled with the fact that you had teleported us about a thousand kilometers away into a forest that was not far from the ocean, I, therefore, believe that this ce is probably the East of the secondrgest continent on this; it is also here that I will begin my research."