ã€ŠHow to Raise a Villainessã€‹


 Aux Chapter, Ancient language translations.

    Aux Chapter, Ancientnguage trantions.

    Main words.

    Elemental Staar.

    Azui=Ice.

    Eras=Fire.

    Tarak=Earth.

    Arais=Air.

    Katush=water.

    Uvaish=Nature

    Waraya=Strength.

    Divine Star

    Karas=Darkness.

    G=Light.

    Diverta=Divine.

    Akasha=Demon.

    Fusion Words.

    Fire+Air=Lightning=Iras.

    Ice+earth=Metal=Lagor.

    Earth+Fire=Lava=Makar.

    Nature+Earth=Poison=Javal.

    Fire+Water=Steam=Mg.

    Earth+Air=Gravity=Duvak.

    Water+Nature=Blood=Anak.

    Water+Ice=Erosion/Decay=Natar

    Minor words.

    Co=Keep. Ras=Cold. Dai=Release. Motak=Heat. Kandar=Activate. Karc=Crackle. Dilu=Store. Veck=Release. Vash=Whip. Veras=Harden. Takt=Mask. D=hide Ka=Me. Taki=Mark. Tava=notify. Aset=switch. Kardur=Remove. Hatau=Magnify. Kut=Arms. Lagu=Bind. Haral=Them. Vara=Move. Devak=Burst.

 Chapter 1: What the hell is going on?

    Chapter 1: What the hell is going on?

    Dark wooden beams supporting a mess of nks that barely maintained a triangr shape, cobwebs dangling from the corners while moss crept along the middle-section of the beams. Dark patches dotted with small gleaming stars were barely visible through some of the holes in the mess of nks. A ceiling. Yes, that thing right there most certainly fit the definition of a ceiling.

    But, a ceiling? Here? Well, how was probably a better question than here.

    "Right. Let¡¯s think cl¡­ Eh?"

    The voice that piped up in the darkness sounded almost like a squeaky toy, the surprised exmation cutting off his own words. Two hands rose towards the holes in the ceiling, he had to rely on the thin rays of pale silver light that shone down from there to see them properly.

    "Eh? Eh?"

    Squeak squeak, he sounded like a broken doll as he dumbfoundedly questioned the empty air.

    Small hands, barelyrge enough to fit a little five-year old kid. Equally small scars that dotted the rough skin around the knuckles, dirty and cracked nails that had already be a speckled yellow. But above any of that¡­

    "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten¡­ Whoa, ten whole fingers."

    Where there should only be seven, there were actually ten. It wasn¡¯t eight, it wasn¡¯t nine, it was actually ten, a whole and full ten. He couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he still had all ten of them. The shock of that alone was almost enough to make him forget about how small his hands were, they should be at least twice as big, if not a bitrger even.

    "A look, gotta¡­ Eh? No, stop that. Gotta get a look."

    That sted squeaky voice almost distracted him again, it was like a mouse lingering around his heels, cutely begging for attention. But he managed to push down the errant thought and sit up straight, he had to get a proper look.

    "Hmmm, back hurts less than I expected. And there¡­ Yup, still got two legs."

    Now that he sat properly, he could see his own lower body. Once again, the legs were far smaller than they should be, smaller than they had any right to be even. Just how long would it take if you wanted to walk anywhere with legs as stumpy as these?

    "And¡­ Not alone I see. Doesn¡¯t seem like a hospital ward though."

    His gaze slid up from his legs and drifted through the room as he muttered to himself, his thoughts almost drifting thanks to the squeaky tone. He was sleeping on a simple mat. Just a mat, there wasn¡¯t even any straw packed into it. And around him were about 10 or so children, all of them huddled up on the same dirty green mats as they slept. They all looked quite young, their hands in as rough shape as his own. But he was quite certain, he had never seen any of these kids before. Hell, they¡¯d probably have run from him if they saw him.

    The room was practically empty, well, save for the bunched up kids at least. Forget a mirror, there wasn¡¯t even a bucket of water here.

    "Wait, no, a puddle technically counts."

    He could just barely spy it through the darkness, a small puddle of somewhat dirty water that had already formed a small basin in the wooden floor. Looking at its position, it seemed to be caused by water dripping through one of the holes in the ceiling.

    He tried to stand up so that he could head over, it was right beneath a ray of light so there should be at least some level of visibility, right? But just as he moved his legs¡­

    "Gawk!¡­ Eh?"

    A sound unlike anything he¡¯d ever made in thest fifteen or so years of his life slipped from his lips as he fell forward, barely catching himself. His feet tingled. Like the static on an old TV, it crept up his feet and had a merry old time in his knees.

    "Sore, holy¡­ How does something so small get so sore?"

    He couldn¡¯t help but squeak out aint as he rubbed his feet. His legs were tiny so what right did they have to be this sore? Hell, he hadn¡¯t been this sore even after they were forced to march for nigh on two days straight just to cross the desert.

    "Ah, what a pain¡­"

    The static kept messing with his legs so he had no choice but to crawl forward. The kids didn¡¯t wake up even after he made such a racket so it seemed like they were deep sleepers, or perhaps they were just that exhausted. Whatever the case was, it had little to do with him as he reached the puddle of water, his own reflection just barely greeting him in the shallow water.

    "What the fuck¡­"

    Frankly, it would be a bit of a lie if he said he hadn¡¯t expected it after seeing the hands and legs, not to mention the squeaky voice. But the fact that greeted him in the puddle¡­ It was as unfamiliar as all the kids that were sprawled out around him.

    A small face that would only look at home if it was on a kid that had barely passed his fourth or fifth birthday. Sunken in cheeks as well as rough and tanned skin covered in dust. His hair seemed to be a silvery-white, but it was so dirty and muddy that it was hard to properly tell. His eyes were mostly hidden behind his bangs, but they were quite colourful and pretty, and not just because they were extremely bloodshot.

    Violet, his pupils were a deep violet, somewhat akin to the wolfsbane his father made him grow as a kid. Well, the colour was a bit hard to spot because of the dark bags underneath his eyes, he looked worse than the time he couldn¡¯t get a wink of sleep for half a week.

    "No brown¡­ No ck¡­"

    ck hair, brown eyes, he should be as standard as they came, as dull as humans could get. But there was no trace of such a thing on his reflection. Well, luckily there were also no traces of the scar that went down across his left eye or the mangled mess that remained of his upper lip, that was probably why the other kids could sleep in the same room as him.

    No matter how he looked at it, the reflection that greeted him was a kid, a young and thin child who looked as if he had worked far too many days in his short life.

    But the problem was, he wasn¡¯t a kid. He hadn¡¯t been a child for many a year already, there shouldn¡¯t be the smallest mote of childishness left in him, be it mentally or physical. After all, would a kid do what he did?

    "Right¡­ That."

    It struck him now that he thought about it. The thing he did, thest memory he had. It almost felt like it had slipped away as he was inspecting himself, was he just that distracted by the absurdity of the situation? It was a bit blurry so he had to close his eyes to think back, to clutch at the reality he left behind.

    "Let¡¯s see. I walked up the stairs, yes I remember that clearly. The door was a bit heavy because the hinges had rusted, but a swift kick got it open easily enough."

    The memories came rushing in now that he took a moment to properly grasp at his reality. A damp staircase, a door that had been locked for too many years, a lone man.

    "There was snow on the roof, some was even falling as I walked there. It was cold, I think?"

    He couldn¡¯t quite remember how he felt at that moment. The chill of winter, the cold snow around his naked feet, did any of them even reach him as he moved? The memory eluded him, the sensation slipping away into a hazy fog. But he still remembered what he did.

    "The snow almost covered the edge despite its raised position. They really couldn¡¯t be bothered to maintain it, could they? It was strangely quiet, wasn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t think it was toote so there should have been a lot of cars outside, and yet, it was quiet."

    The hustle of cars, the constant droning of electricity. An unconscious flinch each time a vehicle raced past him from behind. He remembered it well now that he thought about it, that empty world. And then¡­

    "And then¡­"

    And then he jumped.

    "And then I jumped."

    He nearly slipped as he did, he recalled it now. The snow on the edge had gotten so packed that it became slippery. And then there was the ashen grey mixed with pale white that approached him as he fell. A dull colour.

    At the time, was his mind as nk as the rapidly approaching ground? He hadn¡¯t even bothered making up any thoughts, there were no memories shing past his mind as he fell. And if there was talk of regrets then it would be that he wouldn¡¯t get to see the final season of the show his sister made him watch before they parted.

    "Whoa, just gets worse the more I think about it¡­"

    The walk up the stairs, the snow that he couldn¡¯t even properly feel. He¡¯d walked with an empty mind, and then he jumped with that same mind. And thus, a young man only a handful of years away from his thirties departed from this world. The more he thought about it at this moment, the more distant it felt.

    "Right, right, that should be the case."

    His eyes opened again as he nodded his head. Right, he jumped, he saw the ground right there. So what was this? Really, seriously, what was this? His head tilted upwards as if he wanted to question the sky, and that was when he saw it. Looming over them, just barely visible through the holes in the ceiling, were numbers.

    They stretched beyond the holes so he couldn¡¯t tell exactly how high it was, but there were undoubtedly numbers hanging in the sky, seeming increasing and decreasing at random intervals. As he opened his mouth to utter a remark, one of the kids behind him stirred, a voice just as squeaky as his own calling out to him as he muttered.

    "Tuesday Five? Come on¡­ you have to sleep, teacher will be mad at you if you wake upte."

    "Really, what the hell is going on?"

 Chapter 2: vritara.

    Chapter 2: vritara.

    "Tuesday Five! Teacher says that you have to be faster, we won¡¯t get dinner otherwise!"

    A voice called to him from amid the bushes that towered around him, a cucumber hitting the back of his head. Most people would turn when they got hit like that, and he too was obviously no exception.

    Standing behind him was a little girl with mud brown hair held together by a bit of straw. Freckles dotted her face, especially prominent beneath her green eyes. In one hand she held the cucumber she had hit him with and in the other she tightly clutched a bundle of smaller cucumbers.

    She was the one who first called out to him as he inspected himself in the puddle of water. Sunday, another one of the children that lived in this orphanage.

    Right, she was an orphan picked up on a sunday, so she was Sunday, or Sunday Two to the kids. And he too was an orphan, found here on a tuesday, so he became Tuesday, or Tuesday Five.

    After he finished inspecting himself three days ago and got the chance to digest the situation a bit more calmly, the memories started to slowlye back. Not his own, but the memories of this body that he now found himself in.

    Tuesday, left on the doorstep of this unmarked orphanage seven winters ago. He¡¯s never heard anything about his parents or how he ended up here, all he has ever known is the work that needed to be done here.

    Right, work. Calling this ce an orphanage was probably a bit generous, especially if hepared it to the standards he was used to.

    Firstly, it waspletely unmarked so there was no way of telling that it was actually an orphanage. Secondly, it was extremely remote. If he climbed up to the edge of the wooden fence that surrounded this plot ofnd he could just barely spot a city in the distance, but it was simply too far away, who woulde out here to pick up orphans?

    Thirdly, the work that needed to be done. Farming vegetables, makingpost for fertiliser, weaving baskets and rope, patching up clothes. There was always something to do, always too much to do, especially for kids as young as this. Worse yet, none of the kids here got to eat any of the vegetables they harvested. The food they got was mostly bread that carried the familiar taste of sawdust and watery soup.

    It¡¯d be strange if you managed to eat that and not ended up malnourished. That was why he originally felt that the face and hands he saw belonged to a five-year old kid, two years of growth had been cut away due tock of nourishment.

    And this, coincidentally, was the fourth odd thing he had noticed about this ce in the now three days he had spent here. The people working here barely cared for the kids they took in. The food was horrible, they gave them names based on days so several ended up with the same name, and more than a few of the kids received some amount of abuse.

    Strikes if you locked eyes with the caretakers. Beatings if you argued with them. Solitary confinement if you cursed at them. Denied food if they judged that you didn¡¯t work hard enough. Forced to sleep outside next to thepost pile if you were a repeat offender.

    "Really, there should be a limit to how despicable you can be to kids."

    He couldn¡¯t even call it spartan and try tough it off. He wouldn¡¯t consider himself especially virtuous, but this was no way to raise kids. The world could be as it pleased, but the kids at the very least should be allowed to grow up healthily and happily.

    "No, bad Tuesday Five! If teacher hears you say that then you¡¯ll be locked up in the shed again!"

    A cucumber hit the back of his head again as Sunday corrected him. The owner of this body had already been locked in the shed, solitary confinement, more than once in the past. Well, he¡¯d gotten to experience all the possible punishments to be fair, he was quite a rebellious rascal.

    That was probably why he thought the legs were incredibly sore when he first woke up in this body. He¡¯d received a particrly vicious beating the day before, most of the focus had been on his legs because he dared to kick the so-called ¡®teacher¡¯.

    "Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry, Sunday Two. Look, I¡¯m already picking up the pace so we¡¯ll definitely finish on time."

    He could only stand up to appease Sunday, quickly plucking some of the slightly green tomatoes that hung around him. He was used to working, most of his past life had been nothing but hard work after all.

    Besides, what would he gain fromining? Would he return to his own world if he sat down and refused to work? Would he suddenly find his apartment if he snuck past the fence and ran into the forest? No, he would just go hungry and then he would die again. Right now, he was Tuesday, so he had to live as Tuesday while he figured out exactly what had happened to him and where he was.

    "And then there¡¯s that¡­"

    His gaze rose slightly as a mutter escaped his lips. The numbers he sawst night weren¡¯t just a hallucination, they still lingered in the sky, stretching across the blue expanse. He¡¯d brought it up to Sunday, but she just asked him if he was still sleeping so it seemed like she couldn¡¯t see it.

    "It really is stupidlyrge."

    "The tomato? No, that one actually looks a bit small."

    He masterfully ignored Sunday¡¯s retort to hisment, violet eyes sweeping over the ridiculouslyrge number in the sky.

    116,000,308,0. One billion one hundred million. The number rose or sank at random intervals, but it lingered around that general area at most times. When a number was that stupidlyrge it was hard to think of anything it could be rted to, he couldn¡¯t even think of it as seconds since it rose and sank as it pleased.

    "Children! Everyone gather in front of the main entrance, NOW!"

    A voice thundered across the grounds, Sunday dropping the vegetables she was holding because of how loud it was. Even Tuesday had to cover his ears, that damn overseer really had a voice that was way too loud.

    "Come on, we have to go!"

    Sunday ignored the cucumbers she had dropped and quickly grabbed hold of Tuesday¡¯s hand. The overseer was the one in charge of this orphanage, her words trumped everything else so it was customary to drop whatever you were doing when she called for you.

    The two scurried through the vegetable bushes, two other kids emerging a bit further down the bushes. The vegetable garden was located behind the orphanage itself, which quite frankly reminded Tuesday of a kindergarten.

    One two-storied central building with a small clock tower on the top, and spreading out in a horseshoe shape at its side were rectangr buildings that reminded him of the ¡®temporary¡¯ ssrooms that he so often saw getting set up at his school.

    Vegetable garden directly behind the orphanage,post pile at the northeastern corner that was furthest from the entrance, a wheat field at the northwestern edge, and a patch of straws at the southeastern edge. The entrance was at the southern tip so that left only the southwestern edge, but the kids were forbidden from going there so the owner of this body had no idea what could be found there.

    "You¡¯re all here, good. But you, your group was the slowest so your dinner will be reduced today. Engrave the importance of hasty obedience into your bones."

    The overseer was an elegant woman approaching her fifties. Light brown hair that was slowly starting to get a few grey streaks, cut short and neat so that it hung just past the top of her ears. She had light green eyes with crow¡¯s feet that were more than a bit noticeable, a stern scowl hanging on her face more often than not.

    "Tch."

    A quiet click of his tongue. The overseer reminded him of some of the superiors he had in the past. No matter how well you did, it would never be good enough, someone always had to get punished for them to establish their own position. It was one thing to do it to adults, it was almost expected in his line of business. But kids? Come on, that was just messed up.

    p

    "Line up, there¡¯s important news."

    She drew everyone¡¯s attention with a simple p, narrowed eyes sweeping over everyone present as she held an opened letter in one hand. The corners of her lips were turned up into a kind smile, but the kids here knew better than to trust that. So 21 kids stood there with straight backs, awaiting what could only be bad news.

 Chapter 3: Vritara. (2)

    Chapter 3: Vritara. (2)

    "We¡¯ve received word that someone will soon arrive to adopt a handful of you. When they arrive, just do exactly as you¡¯ve been taught. No, actually, keep your heads even lower. Don¡¯t say a word, don¡¯t look at them, just pray that you are one of the lucky ones."

    Adoption. Digging through the memories of this body, Tuesday couldn¡¯t recall a single time that anyone hade here to adopt kids. And who would, this was just an unmarked plot ofnd as far away from the nearest city as possible.

    But now someone wasing, how could it be anything but suspicious? But even so, what could the children do?

    "Turn around and remain lined up, those who move needlessly will have to skip dinner."

    The overseer pped her hands again, but her sweeping gaze made it clear that she also included the other workers at the orphanage. They hid it well, but Tuesday noticed that some of them had some nervous ticks. Sweat on the back of the neck, fingers rubbing against each other, and judging by the movement in their shoes it seemed like they were fiddling with their toes as well.

    And so, nervous kids and adults alike proceeded to wait, the noon sun hanging directly above them. The minutes started to tick, and tick, and tick¡­

    "Soon my ass¡­"

    Tuesday grumbled. The sun had already moved a fair bit since they first lined up. He couldn¡¯t turn to look at the clock tower, but his instincts told him that somewhere around three hours should have already passed. Forget about the kids, some of the adults were already finding it hard to just stand there at attention.

    But eventually, the wooden gates embedded in the fence slid open to signify the arrival of their esteemed guest. They weren¡¯t waiting outside the gate, instead, Tuesday could see them approaching a bit in the distance.

    His eyebrows twitched momentarily as he sneakily looked up. Those weren¡¯t cars, they weren¡¯t even bikes. No, what approached from the distance were horses and carriages, ones you would nowadays only see in historical dramas or during renaissance fairs.

    No wait, nowadays applied to his past life, he didn¡¯t actually know where this was, much less when. But having memories of a past life was strange enough, trying to include time travel in the mixture sounded a bit far-fetched, right?

    "Then again, isn¡¯t this alone already far-fetched?"

    He couldn¡¯t help but quietly correct his own thoughts. When things were already strange and absurd, it didn¡¯t matter if you added another strange thing on top. Absurd didn¡¯t stack, it simply remained absurd.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the carriages finally reached the gates of the orphanage, spreading out slightly so that they had more space. Two carriages, one ornate ck one decorated with golden lines and leaves and one that was just a in ck, clearly of inferior quality. Each carriage was drawn by two horses, and a total of eight people followed the carriages, mounted on horses.

    If he had to use a word for those people then it would be knight. Their heads were uncovered, but they were otherwise d in tight-fitting armour that had been neatly polished, a few tufts of silver fur sticking out around the armpits and neck, a ck cape draped over their backs.

    The adults seemed to tremble for a moment as they looked at the carriages, or more specifically, the emblem carved into the ornate one. They quickly dropped to their knees, even the overseer dropped down so fast and far that she scraped her forehead against the dirt.

    "Our lowly selves greet the ducal Vritara household!"

    The eyes of the overseer, now bloodshot, quickly red at the children from her prostrating position, quietly telling them all to get down. Naturally, with the adults leading, how could the kids dare to defy?

    "What the fuck¡­"

    Tuesday was on his knees as well, in situations like this it was best to follow suite until you had enough information. But his gaze was focused sharply, the mutter that escaped him more disbelieving than confused.

    Vritara. It was a strange name that didn¡¯t really belong in the country he used toe from, there also weren¡¯t any dukes in his country. But even so, he was familiar with the Vritara duchy, quite so even. But it was because he was familiar with it that he couldn¡¯t quite believe hearing about it.

    "So, this is the orphanage. I do hope everyone is already lined up, I do not wish to spend long here."

    An elegant voice came from the ornate carriage, a detached coldness lingering in its tone. The door to the carriage didn¡¯t open, the one who spoke seeming to have no interest in actually setting foot on the dirt.

    "Choose a handful of them, but make it quick."

    A simple and dismissive order, clearly not given to any of the prostrating people. The sound of a door opening could be heard, a soft sound following it. The others didn¡¯t dare to raise their heads, but Tuesday did, slowly inching his eyes up so that he could confirm it.

    "No way¡­"

    He saw it, engraved into the side of the ornate carriage, a family emblem, a coat of arms. Five swords crossed behind a pointed shield, two serpentine dragons with leathery wings and silver water dripping from their mouths coiling around the shield and each other as they rose skyward and pierced through the bottom of an ornate crown.

    We were, We are, We will be.

    "Fuck¡­"

    That was the only word he could think of when he saw the coat of arms and the family motto. Vritara, one of the three ducal families of the Earhart empire, the dragons that guarded the throne and the crown.

    There was just one problem with this family. They were fictional. Yes, this ducal household didn¡¯t exist in the real world, it only existed in the drama he watched because his sister made him do so.

    Throne of the Golden Rose.

    It was a TV-show, a romance drama set in a historical fantasy world where things like dragons, magic, and even spirits and gods actually existed. It was an ambitious piece of media, the first season actually focusing entirely on building the world itself. Only in the second season were you introduced to the leading characters and their journey. And even more special, it didn¡¯t contain a single actor.

    Everything was animated in 3D CGI, even the voices of the characters wereputer generated, it was as if they wanted as few people as possible to touch it. And yet, it was immensely popr across the globe, it was to the point where it actually managed to beat Baywatch in viewers.

    "Baywatch¡­"

    A thought struck Tuesday at that point. The number in the sky, that ridiculously high number that constantly changed. At its peak, Baywatch reached around one billion and a hundred million weekly viewers, setting a record. And that record, was broken by Throne of the Golden Rose. It apparently wasn¡¯t by too much, but it was beaten nheless. So that number¡­ could it be viewers?

    "Umm¡­ Hello¡­"

    A low and somewhat ufortable voice piped up as Tuesday was reeling from the information and the realisation that was slowly setting in. Right, if this really was that show, and this really was the Vritara household, then that person would have to be here. His gaze quickly slid sideways, onto the little girl who so shyly greeted everyone.

    She should just have finished celebrating her seventh birthday, a simple blue dress with a puffy skirt covering her body. If he recalled correctly then his sister called it a bouffant dress, just one step abovemoner clothing. She was always fond of clothing so she gushed over everything she saw before they parted.

    She was fiddling with her small hands, her head slightly lowered. But he could still see her small upturned nose, thin downward-turned lips, and stark crimson eyes that were awkwardly trying to look strong. The curled hair that hung down to her shoulders was a dark purple, as if wolfsbane had been turned into strands to adorn her.

    Alice De Vritara, the illegitimate child of the Vritara family and the final viin of the story. This young child was the one, in the future, would spew all the poison of the world and light the empire on fire, starting the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen, all because of her jealousy.

 Chapter 4: Vritara. (3)

    Chapter 4: Vritara. (3)

    Tuesday never got to finish the show, he jumped before he got to see the final season. But while he may not have seen just what sort of end Alice De Vritara would face, guessing it wasn¡¯t too hard if he looked at other pieces of fiction that followed a simr plot. A twisted and cruel monster that would meet a bloody end, that was her story.

    At the very least, that was the story of her future. But the current Alice was just a small girl, barely older than Tuesday, too shy to raise her head in front of so many people. It was hard to imagine that those fiddling hands would be stained with the blood of thousands in the future. But then again, such was life, an unpredictable mess.

    Bump

    "Ah!"

    One of the knights had gotten off his horse and bumped the end of his sheath against the young girl¡¯s back, forcing her to stumble forward. He didn¡¯t say anything, but the glint in the eyes tucked away beneath those thick eyebrows, even if he wasn¡¯t actually looking at her, was unmistakable.

    Get a move on.

    She crumpled slightly when faced with that re, the fiddling getting worse as she hurriedly turned away. She quickly drew in a few rushed breaths as she faced the children, she looked a bit relieved that they had their heads lowered and thus couldn¡¯t see her. Well, Tuesday saw it, but she didn¡¯t notice that so ignorance was bliss.

    "Excuse me¡­ Do you want to be my maid?"

    When Tuesday saw Alice step up to one of the prostrating orphans, he understood. Ah, so this was what was going on, what this ce was. She was an illegitimate child, but Alice was still a Vritara so they couldn¡¯t have her do everything on her own, they needed to at least put on an act.

    But clearly, they didn¡¯t want to give her any of the actual maids or workers in their estate. After all, she was just a mixed blood, how could she deserve that? So they brought her to this orphanage so that she could pick up her own workers, childish and useless workers for an unwee child.

    And this orphanage¡­ Tuesday now understood why it was unmarked and so far away. There was a throw-away remark about Alice in the middle-part of the second season.

    By the time she reached fifteen, she had already gone through three sets of servants.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly specified, but the dark tone of the speaker made it clear what the fate of those servants was. And where did those servantse from? Here, an unmarked orphanage ced far out of sight, none would question what happened to the children here. None woulde looking for them, none would mourn them.

    "¡­"

    Perhaps it was to be expected, but the child that was questioned didn¡¯t dare to utter a response. Hell, she didn¡¯t even dare to raise her head to look at the one who spoke to her. The adults were so terrified that they were scraping their foreheads against the ground, and that fear was only magnified within the children.

    "Excuse me¡­ Do you want to be my maid?"

    Had Alice already expected the oue? She simply moved on to the next young girl and asked her the same question. It was formted as a question, but the children didn¡¯t really have a choice, their fates were set the moment Alice stopped in front of them.

    "¡­"

    "Excuse me, do you want to be my maid?"

    "¡­"

    "Excuse me, do you want to be my maid?"

    "¡­"

    The only sound that could be heard across this plot ofnd was the quiet treading and low voice of one girl. She kept asking, but there was never anyone to answer her question, never anyone to look at her as she spoke. She¡¯d already picked out four people, and if he went by what he saw in the second season then she would usually pick out five servants, four maids and a knight, four girls and one boy.

    "Excuse me¡­"

    The voice came from directly in front of him, a pair of green loafers with slight marks of patching stopping at the edge of his vision. Ah, what are the odds. There were nine other boys in this orphanage but she ended up choosing him. With this, no matter what he did, it would be impossible to avoid getting tangled up in the downfall of the viiness.

    For those who saw the things she did in the story, those who knew what would happen to those that followed her, there was probably no greater nightmare than this. But for Tuesday, well¡­

    "Ah!"

    The little girl instinctively took a step back, a shocked exmation slipping from her lips. Tuesday had raised his head and was looking straight at her, the first person all day to even spare her a nce.

    Curled violet hair and crimson eyes, the poisonous marks of the viiness, the curse of the Earhart empire. She was vicious and cruel, cold and deranged, merciless and evil. But this viin, who the fans oh-so loved seeing beaten back and humiliated, Tuesday had never been able to hate her.

    Whenever he watched a new episode, he just found her pitiful. She loved, but wasn¡¯t loved in return. She gave and gave, but was never gifted in return. Everything she did was mocked and spat on, everything she tried to get her hands on was stolen, and everything she tried to protect was crushed.

    She was twisted, so she was the viiness. But to begin with, this world was twisted, her life was twisted, so she had no choice but to be twisted.

    She was already fifteen by the time she was introduced in the second season, she was already starting to show signs of the twisting. The story never went into too much detail about her past, she was just a viiness after all, an obstacle for the main characters to ovee. But looking at how even a knight could treat her with such disregard, it was easy to see where the twisting started.

    "Will you¡­ Can you be my knight?"

    A slight stutter marred her voice. The fiddling had gotten a bit worse, so could it be that she was a touch more nervous now that someone was actually looking at her? She looked fragile, scared almost if the look in her eyes was anything to go by.

    She just wanted someone to look at her, someone to answer her. And so, Tuesday looked at this pitiful viiness. And so, he answered the little child that would dye the world red.

    "It would be an honour, My Lady."

 Chapter 5: Gabriel.

    Chapter 5: Gabriel.

    Tuesday dug through his memories of the show until he found what he was looking for. He had to straighten his posture a little, ending up as the only person from the orphanage on his knees rather than on his stomach. And then, before Alice could catch up with the situation, he took hold of her hand and nted a light kiss just below her knuckles.

    "Awawa¡­"

    The little girl failed to form proper words, her fingers iling erratically. A kiss on the hand was a gesture of courtesy and extreme politeness, devotion even. Fordies belong to a ducal household, it wouldn¡¯t be rare to be greeted like this. But for the viiness? This was perhaps the first time anyone had ever shown her such respect.

    "Knight Tuesday greets thedy of Vritara."

    A proper greeting had to be followed by a proper introduction. Well, if a name like Tuesday could even be used in a greeting. But, when looking at the scene from an outside perspective, there was perhaps only one thing people would do.

    "Pfft!"

    Someone quickly choked down a bout ofughter, the expression the little girl quickly darkening as she pulled back her hand in embarrassment. Right, the two people present were just a little orphaned brat and an illegitimate child with no rights, they were as far from being a knight and thedy of Vritara as possible.

    Tuesday¡¯s gaze slid to the side for a second, sneakily casting a nce at the knight that stifled hisughter. Broad shoulders, dark brown hair, bushy eyebrows and a full beard that included neatly trimmed sideburns. He was the one who had bumped Alice earlier, his brown eyes still carrying that glint.

    If his memory served him correctly then this man, his name eluded him for the moment, was one of the knights serving one of Alice¡¯s older brothers. Leonardo De Vritara, third young master of the Vritara ducal household, and probably the man hidden within the ornate carriage.

    He was just the third young master so he had almost no chance of inheriting the duchy unless he truly excelled and surpassed his older brother and sister. But he had never made an effort to do so, and by the time the second season of the show rolled around he was nothing but a petty minor antagonist that was killed before the third season even began. His older siblings however¡­ they were a tougher nut to crack.

    "Have you picked out your servants yet? If so, get them on the carriage, I want to go home already."

    The disinterested voice came from the ornate carriage once more, he¡¯d probably listened and counted how many times Alice had spoken up. The little girl spun around with some panic, stumbling forward a few steps before she quickly bowed politely.

    "Yesh, I¡¯m sorry, Older Brother, we can leave right now!"

    Not only did she stumble in her steps, she fumbled over her words for a second as well. The bushy-browed knight gave the other knights a nce and conveyed a silent order, two of them dismounting. The knights didn¡¯t bother putting on a kind facade, almost stomping towards the prostrating children.

    As was expected, the children Alice had question were all picked up, each knight carrying one under each arm as if they were sacks of potatoes. Tuesday naturally had no interest in being treated like that so he stood up on his own and walked up behind Alice.

    "Shall we go, My Lady?"

    Normal adoption procedures were naturally a bit different from this. A contract would be written up, the new parent would be informed of some responsibilities they had and the various peculiarities of the child in question. If the adopted had any items then they would all be packed up and brought along so that the child could have at least a little of their past to bring to the future.

    Here? Here the kid was just taken away, forget even asking if they had anyone to say goodbye to or anything to bring along. In the end, they were just nameless things, tools to some and ythings to others. As far as the world was concerned, every child who set foot in this orphanage was already dead.

    "Ah¡­ Do you not need to¡­ say goodbye?"

    The little girl¡¯s gaze quickly went between Tuesday and the other children, who were still too scared to get up from their prostrating stance. Was it nervousness, or fear that he saw in those pupils? He only knew the Alice who had already suffered and gotten twisted, he knew nigh on nothing about the Alice who had just barely put her feet onto that road. But it seemed like she was at least quite kind, which only made her future ruination all the more pitiful.

    "No. We¡¯ll see each other again eventually so goodbyes are pointless."

    Tuesday¡¯s head turned slightly, surveying the cowering children, and especially the prostrating adults. They were just kids, that alone meant that they deserved better than these roaches pretending to be adults. He¡¯d be back eventually to fix that, although that may not be in person.

    "O¡­kay. Then please follow me¡­"

    A slight tilt of her head, she probably didn¡¯t understand what he meant when he said that he would be back. He was already adopted, why would he go back to an orphanage? A thought seemed to strike her at that moment as she shrunk down somewhat, but the bushy-browed knight spoke up before she got the chance to voice her thoughts.

    "¡¯Knight¡¯ Tuesday,e here!"

    Tuesday wanted to roll his eyes at the mocking tone that the knight didn¡¯t even try to hide. Alice looked too scared to say anything so he had no choice but to march up to the mounted knight, who towered above him thanks in part to his own height and the size of his horse.

    Thump

    The ground shook slightly as the knight jumped off his horse, one hand on his sheath and the other on his waist. He looked down upon Tuesday, quite literally in this case, and unfastened his sheath from his belt. He held the covered sword with one hand and then casually swung it sideways, smashing it into the side of Tuesday¡¯s knee so that he crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.

    "As you are just an ignorant servant who doesn¡¯t know better, I will let you off with just this for now. In the future, do not forget your position, never allow anyone in the Vritara household to address you so formally."

    He snorted like a bull as he spoke, not sparing the little boy another nce. Tuesday grit his teeth, one hand clutching the knee that was just hit. Ah, that was it, he just wanted to show off his position while reminding the neers of how little they were worth. Yes, this was definitely someone who worked for such a minor antagonist.

    "Thank you for your lesson, Sir. I will make sure to take it to heart."

    He spat out the words after sucking in a sharp breath and mbering to his feet, throwing up a salute. The knight looked strangely at the gesture for a second but then returned to ignoring the orphan as he climbed back on his horse.

    Tuesday also turned around and ignored the knight, at least for now, the future would be a different matter. He tried to walk over to Alice, but as expected, he was having some issues with his knee thanks to the hit, leaving him no choice but to limp over.

    "Well then, My Lady, please lead the way."

    Right hand pressed horizontally across the abdomen, left hand held out from the body. He wanted to draw back his right leg toplete the bow properly, but due to the hit he just took he had to abandon that idea. Still, it was the most polite bow Alice had ever received. Her eyes quickly surveyed the surroundings as she lowered her voice, making sure that no one could hear her.

    "Awawa¡­ I¡¯m so¡­"

    Tuesday¡¯s arm rose quickly before she could finish her sentence, her body recoiling slightly as she flinched. Tuesday¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly at her panicked reaction to him just raising his hand, but he ignored it for now as he cut her off.

    "Don¡¯t apologise. You did nothing wrong. There are many ts to living as a good person, and that is the first one, don¡¯t apologise for things that aren¡¯t your fault."

    Living was easy. Anybody could live. But living as a good person, in his experience, was hard. There were so many things you had to keep in mind, so many things to watch out for. As for if it was worth it¡­ Personally he felt that it was. It made things hard, yes, but there was a certain satisfaction that could be gained from it.

    "But I¡¯m so¡­"

    "Please lead the way, My Lady."

    He cut her off again, he really had no interest in hearing a child apologising just for existing, just for choosing him. The little girl¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times, but the words wouldn¡¯te out so in the end she could only lead him towards the undecorated carriage she came in.

    The four other children had already been thrown into that very same carriage and were now huddled together on one side, upying one of the two benches. And benches really was the right word, there wasn¡¯t a single inch of fabric draped across the wooden seats to dampen the impact of the ride.

    A member of the Vritara family, of the direct lineage no less, riding in a carriage like this? And not only that, they made her ride in the same carriage as the orphans they had just taken in to be her servants. The only way they could make their disdain more apparent than this was by directly spitting on her.

    "This¡­ you can sit here¡­"

    Alice sat down first and then gave the cold wood next to her a somewhat uncertain pat. The other bench waspletely taken so he would have to sit there if he didn¡¯t want to sit on the floor. But judging by the look in her eyes, she was afraid that he would be too scared, or perhaps angry, to sit next to her.

    Naturally, Tuesday wasn¡¯t that petty and sat down next to her, the window on this carriage was so small that it was almost impossible to look in or out without squeezing your face up to the ss so it was unlikely that anyone would see it. The little girl tried to hide the sigh of relief she spat out, but he sat right next to her so that was nigh on impossible.

    "¡­Hello, I¡¯m Alice¡­ De Vritara, what are your names?"

    She mustered up her courage and spoke to the others in the carriage, a trace of sadness flitting through her eyes as she hesitated to speak her ownst name. But, while she had mustered up her courage, the other kids simply couldn¡¯t do the same, especially after they had been treated like sacks of potatoes. Thus, once again, it was only Tuesday who could answer her.

    "I¡¯ve already introduced myself, but since you asked, I¡¯ll do it again. I was found here on a tuesday, so the overseer named me Tuesday. I look forward to serving as your knight."

    Repetition, it was all just repetition. But from the looks of things, this little girl didn¡¯t really have anyone to talk to, anyone to answer her. So perhaps repetition was exactly what she needed, someone to respond to her, even if he just said the same thing over and over again. Just a voice to answer, to prove that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    Alice looked at him as he bowed from his seated position, her crimson eyes flickering slightly as she seemed to be thinking. Whatever was running through her mind, she seemed to reach a conclusion before long.

    "Then¡­ Since I¡¯m not allowed to apologise¡­ can I give you a proper name?"

    Her voice trailed as she spoke, the light in her eyes wavering with each word. Really, what a rotten life she must have lived to be this fearful at such a young age.

    "If you would, then it would be an honour."

    The girl practically lit up when Tuesday nodded his head. What a tiny right it was, yet it made her this happy. Was it because she had gotten control over something? Was it because she had finally been allowed to do something? Or was it just because someone was finally talking to her? A pitiful child who would be a pitiful viin.

    "Then I¡¯ll call you Gabriel! I once read in a book that there was a trumpet blowing angel with the same name!"

    Just like that, the man who jumped from a roof had died and be Tuesday, and just like that, Tuesday died and became Gabriel.

 Chapter 6: Gabriel. (2)

    Chapter 6: Gabriel. (2)

    "Gabriel¡­"

    He let the name hang on his lips for a moment. It was definitely better than something as careless as Tuesday, although he couldn¡¯t quite agree on that angel part. As for how it stacked up against his previous name¡­

    "Eh?"

    He grasped at it, but it slipped from his mind. It was right there, at the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn¡¯t recall it. The name, the core and origin of who he was, it slipped further away with each step he took closer. He dug deeper, plunged into the haze, but the only thing that resulted in was a headache.

    It felt as if a jackhammer was going wild on his head, he could feel his skull rumble and crumble. He dug for his own name, but the deeper he went the worse the rumbling got, he could swear that he felt his own head cracking apart.

    "Is it no good after all¡­?"

    Suddenly, a voice cut through the rumbling and it stopped as abruptly as it started. He was still sitting in the ufortable carriage, he wasn¡¯t even lurched forward. For a moment, it seemed as if that splitting headache had been nothing but an illusion.

    But it was too vivid, the memory of that crumbling sensation was practically seared into his memories now, he doubted whether or not he could forget it even if he tried. It was strange, something was definitely going on. But who around him could give him answers now? Something like this had never even happened in the show so he didn¡¯t even have a minor clue totch onto. So, he had no other choice but to put it aside for now.

    "Not at all, My Lady, I quite like it. I just needed a moment to memorise it."

    The pitiful viiness next to him. Just the thought that he would reject the name she gave him made her look as if she was about to crumble again. How starved she must be for such a small thing to dictate her mood. She smiled happily when Tue¡­ Gabriel, epted the name, perhaps she didn¡¯t even know how pitiful she was.

    "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! You¡¯re the first servant I¡¯ve gotten to name so I¡¯m d you like it!"

    Naming servants wasn¡¯t exactlymon so it was a strange thing to be happy about. After all, most noble families would only hire adults and the like, more often than not people from minor noble families or richmoners. Who would want to take in orphans that they couldn¡¯t trust and would then have to train?

    Well, the answer was actually sitting right in front of him. The illegitimate children, the kids that had no home even in their own house, the ones that didn¡¯t have a chair at the dinner table. The ck sheep of the family, the one that would eventually get cast out, who would willingly want to work for them, who would want to bear that risk?

    "Ah, we¡¯re going to reach the portal soon! You need to block your nose and hold your breath, otherwise you¡¯ll go barf barf!"

    The little girl obviously couldn¡¯t read into Gabriel¡¯s thoughts, quickly speaking up as if she just remembered something. One hand pinched her nose while the other held her mouth shut, her cheeks puffed out as she straightened her back.

    "Portal¡­?"

    Gabriel¡¯s thoughtsgged behind for a moment before he remembered. Right, that thing, a marvellous magic invention that allowed you to cross through space. He blocked his nose and held his breath, but he didn¡¯t hold too much hope. Portals were a goodedic break for the show so the creator made it a point that no one ever found a foolproof method to counteract the nauseating sensation. The best you could do was get used to it and then tough it out.

    He couldn¡¯t see the portal due to how small the window was, but he certainly felt it as they passed through. First, every part of him started to feel heavier. His head, his face, his heart, his blood, everything felt as if it was sagging downwards. Then it shot upwards, then down again, then back up, then deeper down than before.

    And then he felt squeezed, as if hands were pressing on him from all sides. For a moment, he was the y that the gods first used to form humanity. And by how rough it felt, he could only be called a bad first draft that was quickly discarded.

    It felt as if he was flying a high speed jet while also going deepsea diving, he could certainly understand why it was described as a horribly nauseating sensation in the show. But if there was one good thing about it then it was how fast it was. All it took was a second of difort and hundreds of kilometres could be crossed.

    Retch.

    But the price had to be paid once that second was over. The four orphans that would be maids, Gabriel, Alice, all of them keeled over and emptied their stomachs. The carriage was already cramped so the smell only got worse, assaulting them all.

    "What¡¯s that?! Elder Brother said that this was a sure-fire way to avoid the barf barf!"

    Alice barked out aint in-between each retch, the foul smell and stinging sensation in her throat bringing tears to her eyes. But she, nor the rest of them, were allowed to ¡®enjoy¡¯ their time for very long as the door to the carriage was flung open.

    "We¡¯ve arrived, everyone out. Little girl, you can clean yourself first."

    The bushy-browed knight stood beside the carriage, using a simple thumb gesture to chase everyone out of the carriage. Gone was the drynd of the orphanage front, what reced it was a neatly paved road, pale grey bricks neatly stacked and lined up without a single one of the resulting lines out of order.

    A bit behind them was arge silver gate, each door forming one half of the Vritara crest. Once closed they became a shield that protected the estate, thend of the Dragon Duke.

    And estate really was the only word for it. The road that went from the gate to the actual main building stretched on for at least 10 kilometres, and that was only ounting for that one straight line. To the right of the road was a carefully maintained orchard while to the left was a man-madeke with a fishing cabin. Further down the road and to the left was even a small vige, the homes of the carpenters and sculptors, those that worked for the duchy.

    To reach the dwellings used by less important servants they would have to go beyond the main mansion of the duchy. The main mansion itself looked somewhat like Buckingham pce, except it had a few more towers and spires attached. Beyond this mansion there would be a sprawling forest for at least three or so kilometres, and only beyond there would they find the lower servant dwellings, tucked away out of sight.

    "The new maids can report to Madame Myrna, the ¡®knight¡¯ can report to Knight Trainer Lawrence. They hate waiting so go there immediately. And little girl, your elder brother wants to talk to you so you just head directly to him once you reach the mansion."

    The knight spat out orders like he owned the ce, casting a sideways sneer at the mess in the carriage before he walked away. Gabriel and the other orphans obviously had no choice but to dismount, Alice quickly following them after she cleaned herself as best she could.

    Once they were all out, the carriage took off, following the ornate carriage that was already going on ahead. And thus, only the young children were left on the empty road.

    "We have to go, we can¡¯t spend too long on walking. Gabriel, the training ground for the knights is to the right, a bit in front of the mansion so you¡¯ll have to split up. The rest of you¡­ Um¡­ I can take you to Madame Myrna¡­"

    The little girl spoke a bit more fluently to Gabriel than the rest, probably because the rest were still too scared to even look directly at her. At the same time, she started walking as if this wasmonce for her.

    "Do you always have to walk from the gate?"

    Naturally, Gabriel and the others followed her, it wasn¡¯t like there was anywhere else for them to go. Gabriel took the chance to question her as they walked, judging the distance with his eyes.

    It looked to be around 10 kilometres, at a nce at least, so if he had to hazard a guess using their current speed then it would take them two hours to get there. But since five of them were malnourished orphans it would probably take a bit longer.

    "Yup! Eldest Brother said that a proper Vritara must be in excellent shape so I should walk as much as possible before I grow up!"

    She swung her arms as she spoke, a wide grin on her face. For a second, Gabriel saw in her the future viiness she was bound to be. She loved, but she was not loved in return.

 Chapter 7: Gabriel. (3)

    Chapter 7: Gabriel. (3)

    "I see. Yes, it¡¯s good to be healthy and strong."

    Ha, it was justughable. A little girl who was probably barely seven or so years old, walking two or so hours every time she left the house and wanted to go home? If she spoke of her eldest brother then it had to be the second young master of the Vritara Duchy, Francis De Vritara, another person who served as a minor viin in the story.

    A petty family that spawned petty viins, the eldest brother was just as bad as his younger brother. Their older sister was a different case however, but that only made her a worse match for Alice.

    "You have to be careful if you want to sneak into the orchard, some of the roots stick up. I once tripped and broke my nose so I got scolded for bruising the tree that they worked so hard to raise."

    "Ah, and over there you also have to be careful when it rains! The ground is soft so it will form a puddle that is much much deeper than it looks, justst year it went all the way up to my stomach when I tried to jump in it and Elder Brother got angry because he had to buy me a new pair of pants!"

    "The earth over there gets all muddy during the rainy season so you have to be careful, I once got stuck in it for over an hour! I even lost my shoes and got scolded because they had to buy me new ones!"

    "The man living in that building over there makes pretty statues, he once turned a collection of logs into a carving that looked like a reaaaally big tree. Oh, I know, I¡¯ll show you one day! We just have to be quiet, Elder Brother will get angry if he sees us around it."

    Alice spoke without pause as they walked, it was as if she wanted to make up for the years of silence. She spoke of the things she had seen, the things she had done, the things she had learned not to do because she got punished for it.

    She cramped her entire life into two hours, just so that she could speak as much as possible before Gabriel had to go to the training grounds. But time was never as slow as you wanted it to be, so the time to split up came.

    "Ah¡­ If you follow that hallway then you¡¯ll get to the training ground where Uncle Lawrence should be. There will be a guard at the entrance, he¡¯ll give you a sword if you say that you were sent for me¡­"

    Her words trailed off as she pointed at the building to their right, a hexagonal building topped by arge dome that seemed to be made from crystalline ss. There were multiple entrances, door-less arches that led to straight stone hallways. She looked a bit hesitant to let him go now that she finally got to talk a little, but in the end, neither of them had a choice.

    "I see, thank you, My Lady. I wille find youter."

    The slight hesitation on her face was broken when he referred to her as My Lady again, the corners of her lips twitching and curling up happily. So simple, it really was a bit sad how simple it was to make her happy.

    She brought away the four other girls, silence descending over the group as she mped up awkwardly, clutching at the hem of her skirt. Gabriel, in the meanwhile, entered the hallway, which was lit up by fist-sized white rocks that were embedded into the wall.

    The hallway didn¡¯t go on for too long, only a handful of closed doors along the way. And indeed, there was a guard standing at the very end of the hallway, right in front of arge round room that had several circr patches of dirt prepared as separate training grounds. He saw a few weapon stands even before entering the hall so there were probably quite a few more.

    "I¡¯m here to start training to be Lady Alice De Vritara¡¯s knight, I was told toe find Knight Trainer Lawrence."

    He prepared himself as he spoke. Looking at how people were treating Alice so far, he could already form a guess as to how things would pan out here.

    "First weapon rack to the left. Take only one, you¡¯ll lose your hand if you take a second. Lawrence is the one with a grey beard."

    Curt and short, simple directions. The guard stepped aside and Gabriel quickly found the weapon rack. And indeed, just as he expected, the things on this rack couldn¡¯t even be called weapons. Hell, they couldn¡¯t even be called training swords. The ones used for kendo where he came from would probably be stronger than this, maybe even sharper. The ¡®swords¡¯ here were barely better than branches.

    But still, he had no choice but to grab one and ept it, turning his head to look for Lawrence. Most of the people here were young, so finding the man with the grey beard wasn¡¯t hard, he was currently shouting something at a group of younger knights.

    Lawrence. A neatly trimmed grey beard without a moustache, equally grey hair that was cut so short it resembled an army cut. His left eye had arge scar going across it, rendering the entire eye a pale and useless white, his other eye was a dark blue. He was d in simple leather armour, a bit of metal going around the top of his chest and his shoulders. He held a sword, the tip pierced into the ground as he stood there to give orders, but the edge seemed to be blunt.

    The bits and pieces of his body that weren¡¯t shielded by armour were covered in smaller scars and bruises. He was missing two fingers and his palms, which were revealed asionally as he gestured, were covered in callouses. He was a warrior, a battle-hardened knight. Yes, Gabriel had seen people like this before, his instincts wouldn¡¯t be wrong. This man had seen, and delivered, more than his fair share of death.

    "I havee to receive training to be Lady Alice De Vritara¡¯s knight."

    Gabriel stopped in front of Lawrence and those he was currently training, cing the tip of his wooden sword against the ground while resting his hands on it. Naturally, the other people training cast him a few snickering nces. He was just a malnourished kid who looked as if he couldn¡¯t even hold the stick he was carrying, not to mention that his clothes were still stained with vomit. Lawrence gave him a one-over with his eyes, a heavy sigh escaping him.

    "Oh for¡­ You all are dismissed, find sparring partners and engage in at least two fights."

    The handful of younger knights quickly scurried away, Lawrence casting a sharp re after them. They looked quite rxed and at ease, not a one of them showing any signs of starting any sparring matches. Lawrence probably realized the same thing, sighing once more.

    "I weep for the duchy."

    He muttered quietly, clearly trying to make it so that Gabriel couldn¡¯t hear him. He then turned his gaze back onto the child, scrutinizing him once more before sighing.

    "Really, what exactly are they expecting me to do? You clearly haven¡¯t even rested yet they want to start training immediately. Are they looking to get you killed?"

    He shook his head with a bitter expression. Lawrence Cadbury, he was a character that was mentioned but never showed up in the story. The reason was simple, he taught the young Alice some swordsmanship, but he was executed by Leonardo De Vritara before the second season started. Who he was as a person, what he fought for, what he believed in, Gabriel knew none of it. But judging by his sighs, he at least seemed better than the Vritara brothers.

    "There¡¯s a good chance that¡¯s the aim. But what¡¯s there to do about it? I¡¯m expendable."

    Gabriel didn¡¯t deny it, there was a good chance that the bushy-browed knight, or perhaps even Leonardo, were aiming for him to die during the training. And if he didn¡¯t die, then just scaring him enough to give up also worked. Something simr would probably happen to the new maids as well.

    "Give me the sword, kid."

    Lawrence only snorted in response to Gabriel¡¯s assertion, stretching out a rough hand and gesturing for the stick he was holding. He weighed the wooden sword for a second and then raised it, quickly bringing it down again, right on top of Gabriel¡¯s head.

    Thwack!

    "No one is expendable kid, don¡¯t go around saying such sad things."

    He stabbed the wooden stick into the ground in front of Gabriel as he spoke, thetter busy rubbing his head after getting hit. It was simr to what the bushy-browed knight had done, but this hit felt gentler. Lawrence didn¡¯t gesture for Gabriel to pick up the sword again, he instead chose to be honest and tell the kid exactly what was up, leaving the choice, and his fate, in his own hands

    "Now then. The knight of Young Lady Alice¡­ That¡¯s a rough path kid, I¡¯ll be honest with you. This training won¡¯t be thest piece of harassment you¡¯ll get. If you just give up straight away then they¡¯ll at least treat you a bit better, less hostile. So I have to ask, are you sure you want to do this?"

 Chapter 8: Gabriel. (4)

    Chapter 8: Gabriel. (4)

    Gabriel rubbed his head. Goddamn, the old man had a nasty arm on him. Sure, the hit felt gentler than what the bushy-browed knight had done, but he still felt his brain bounce around within his skull. If this world had anything like a drill instructor then it would have to be this man.

    "Jesus H¡­"

    He muttered half a curse as he looked at the wooden sword that was pierced into the ground. It was already a bit dirty from before, only getting worse after it struck him. A few blotches of blood had appeared along the edge, slowly sliding down. Christ, and to think he felt that the hit was gentler than the one delivered by the bushy-knight.

    He stretched out his hand and clutched the weapon, giving it a few tugs. But the damn thing wasn¡¯t moving.

    "Good lord, didn¡¯t have to go that hard¡­"

    He muttered a few more curses as he continued to tug at the stick, eventually resorting to using both hands. He looked like an oaf, an old man trying to pick a turnip out of the ground. But for now, this was his weapon, thus he had to draw it. And after a great deal of exertion, or perhaps it just felt like that because his current body was so weak, he managed to draw the sword out of the ground.

    "Is that your choice, little knight?"

    Lawrence loomed over him, looking down at the young child that was gasping for breath. A few small drops of blood ran out from his dirty hair and slid down his face, causing the old man to wince slightly. He¡¯d hit him too hard, he would have to apologise for that. Gabriel spat out a heavy breath, he couldn¡¯t even feel the trace amount of blood on his face thanks to the sheer amount of sweat that was leaking out from this weak body.

    "The world¡¯s a hostile ce, no use in running from it."

    Hostility, he didn¡¯t think that there was a single world where that word couldn¡¯t be used to describe the state of things. In his past life, the world had been hostile to the poor and the weak who got hold of more than they could protect. Well, that was technically true for this world as well if he looked back at the story, perhaps he could just attribute it to a fact of life at that point.

    Lawrence looked¡­ dumbfounded. Should he called the kid they brought in to torment realistic? Or should he just be honest and call him stoic, if not depressing? For god¡¯s sake, he looked like a little kid that had barely celebrated his fifth birthday, he should be more concerned with drinking enough milk to grow taller.

    "Haah, I weep for this duchy."

    He could only reiterate his earlier words, for a different reason this time. How lucky it would be if there was only a single adult knight who could have at least a halfway simr mindset. Oh well, it wasn¡¯t as if things would change if heined about it.

    "You probably already know, but I¡¯m Lawrence Cadbury, I¡¯m the one in charge of training the young blood thates here. And I¡¯ll say this, I apologise for hitting you like that, I did not adequately control my strength, please forgive me for that."

    Lawrence finally drew his own sword out of the ground, holding it at his side as he tilted forward and lowered his head. From the looks of things, he was a simple person, sincere even. It made sense that Leonardo had him executed, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who would let himself get controlled.

    "I¡¯ve been given the name Gabriel by Lady Alice. And there is no need to apologise, the trainer is allowed to treat his students however he sees fit, all that matters is that there are results."

    He held out his hand with a shake of his head. Cursing about it was one thing, but in the end, Lawrence was still fully justified. Besides, it was just a hit, Gabriel had received so many of those that he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to count them. In the end, they too were just a part of life.

    "I am the one who decides what I am allowed, and I have decided that I¡¯ve crossed the line. That is all there is to it. Now, hold your sword properly."

    Lawrence ignored the little child and finished his bow before straightening his back and stabbing his sword back into the ground. He had lived this long without regrets by adhering to his principles, he was not about to go back on them now.

    The moment the tip of Lawrence¡¯s de struck the ground, the air around him changed. Gabriel sensed it, he was sensitive to it. If the previous Lawrence was a sturdy wall that protected the house then the current Lawrence was a panther stalking the forest. Death followed him, both to take him and to reap what he sowed. His grasp on the wooden sword unconsciously tightened, Lawrence¡¯s one eye seemingly piercing into him.

    "They may call me the Knight Trainer, but I cannot teach you the swordy of a knight, be it one from the royal family, from the duchy, or even from a minor noble house. A knight is grace, elegance, etiquette, the way of the knight is the way of honour even in the face of defeat."

    Knights were more often than not one of the greatest weapons of the noble families, sometimes even their face and pride. Competitions were frequent and praises flew non-stop about the houses that had the best knights. To be a knight for a noble family was something you could take pride in even in your next life so it was something many people dreamt of. But Lawrence could not, and would not feed that dream. And just by looking at the air around him, Gabriel understood why.

    "What I will teach you is to kill. To take the head of those who aim for yourdy, to sever the arms of those who would take up arms against her. A knight will fight and die honourably, even if his carriage is surrounded by bandits. But you, you will not. You will cheat, you willunch low-blows, you will exploit weaknesses, you will throw dirt, you will roll around in shit, you will take hostages if need be. Raise your sword, Gabriel, I will teach you how to survive and how to kill."

    Gabriel¡¯s grip tightened further. As it was in his past life, so it would be in this it seemed. But the weapons had changed so he would have to learn anew. And thus, he raised his sword and listened to the panther.

 Chapter 9: Gabriel. (5)

    Chapter 9: Gabriel. (5)

    "From now on,e here an hour before dawn. You¡¯ll do physical training for three hours, you¡¯ll get a break after that, but you must return again four hours before the sun sets, then you¡¯ll receive swordsmanship training for a further five hours."

    Gabriel¡¯s entire body ached as Lawrence spoke. The training session just now had onlysted for a few hours, but it reminded him of his entire stay in boot camp. It seemed as if all teachers who were going to teach you how to kill thought the same thing, teach by engraving the lessons into the student¡¯s body.

    Each strike was delivered with the intent to kill, each attack pried at even the smallest opening and continued without end. Only when Gabriel was about to fall over would Lawrence hold back and give him time to correct his stance.

    But even so, there was really only one result that one could expect from this training. Gabriel was battered and bruised while Lawrence didn¡¯t have a single scratch on him. Well, a new scratch at least. He struck the legs, the elbows, the wrists, the groin, the inside of the thighs. ces that knights would hesitate to strike, ces you would be shamed for attacking. He struck them all in session and pointed them out without missing a single one, those were the ces you should strike if you aimed to kill someone.

    "Take this with you. You¡¯ll need plenty of energy to keep up."

    Lawrence walked over to a sack that had been ced next to the training ground, undoing the knot and pulling out two sandwiches as well as a ss bottle that seemed to be filled with milk. The side of the ss bottle was engraved with a circr image of intertwining lines. It was a bit hard to see if you weren¡¯t looking for it, but those lines were actually letters, a sentence turned into an image.

    Azui Co-ras.

    The ancientnguage, from a time before recorded history. If his memory served correctly then it should trante to Ice, Keep Cold. And indeed, the ss bottle thatnded in his hand was still cool and refreshing.

    That was magic, one of the most powerful tools in this world. But not everyone could use magic. First, you needed to have a body that had an affinity for one or more of the elements. Then you needed to learn the appropriate phrases in the ancientnguage. Then you needed to form those phrases into an image like this which you would then fill with mana. The filling had to be done in order, from the first letter to thest, otherwise the spell could change erratically.

    Naturally, if you were skilled enough, you could make tools like this bottle. They would onlyst for as long as there was mana in them, but more than a few people were willing to pay for a temporary luxury.

    "You can eat the sandwiches at your leisure, but I need the bottle back so you¡¯ll have to drink it all here."

    As expected, trinkets like this were never cheap, mages were far too proud of themselves to sell their creations cheaply. But looking at the bottle, Gabriel was reminded of something.

    "Right¡­ I¡¯ll have to write down the words¡­"

    Azui, the ancient word for Ice, it preceded every spell that belonged to the Ice-family, from the Common-ss to the Cataclysm-ss. But was Ice the only element? No, of course not, there were multiple others. And in this estate, he knew of a Little Lady who would use magic none had ever seen before. He¡¯d have to write down the words and phrases he still remembered so that he could teach them to herter on.

    In the story, Alice didn¡¯t discover her talent for magic until the middle of the third season, when she had already celebrated her 24th birthday. It had been thanks to a groundbreaking discovery that altered magic as they knew it. But even then, discovering and learning the appropriate ancient words took another full season, she was already approaching her thirties at that point. If he could speed things up this time around then she would stand a better chance at protecting herself.

    But just imagine, the viiness that burned the empire was already on her way to her thirties when she first discovered her actual prowess. If that wasn¡¯t a testament of her talent then he had no idea what would be.

    "Ah, right, thank you."

    He didn¡¯t forget to give his gratitude after receiving the sandwiches and the milk, quickly downing the entire bottle. He¡¯d drank milk a lot in his past life, but it would be the first time this body had milk so he was a bit curious if it could handle it. If he turned out to bectose-intolerant then it would be a bit of a shame.

    With the milk downed, he started on the sandwiches. They didn¡¯t have the same luxury as the bottle so they were quite warm and damp after being stuck in the sack, the ham was almost unbearablepared to his past life. Butpared to what he had eaten in this life it was basically heaven so he had no intentions ofining, ravenously devouring everything.

    "Good, people need to eat well to live well. You should scurry away after this, it¡¯s gettingte so I imagine the Young Lady will start getting concerned if you don¡¯t show your face. The eastern side of the vige that lies beyond the mansion, the dwelling assigned to the Young Lady are all there."

    The hand he stretched out was rough, Gabriel could feel every crack and crevice in its dry and bumpy skin. He¡¯d lived a hard life, his body was a testament to that fact. But he lived well it seemed, he wasn¡¯t someone the world had been able to break.

    "¡­I wonder."

    Had he lived for longer, would things have gone differently for Alice? He seemed as if he was someone who would be able to treat her as she needed to be treated, perhaps she too would have gotten a happier ending if he had lived longer.

    But then again, there was rarely space for Buts and what-ifs. He died, she became a viin and died. That had been the truth of the world. Well, with Gabriel here, things might change a little. At the very least, he didn¡¯t feel like Lawrence was someone who deserved to die at Leonardo¡¯s hands.

    "Then I will see you tomorrow, Teacher."

    He picked up the wooden sword, as a trainee ¡®knight¡¯ he was allowed to bring the weapon that was assigned to him should the need ever arise. He retraced his steps and left the training grounds, dark orange and red hues greeting him as the sun made its way towards the horizon.

    The sun set behind the grand mansion of the Vritara household so the colours reflected off of the pure white marble, the buildinging alive with colours as it turned into a seemingly living piece of art. They were one of only three ducal households, second only to the crown, so it only made sense that they would turn even their home into something so decadent.

    Gabriel took to the road and started walking, following the small side path that led to quite the roundabout detour that would take him behind the mansion. It was pointlessly long, but it was made so that the people of the ducal household wouldn¡¯t have to see the lower servants whenever they went or came from their dwellings.

    Luckily, the path wasn¡¯t as long as the road from the gate to the training grounds was so he didn¡¯t have to walk for another two hours. Still, he had to walk for a little over one hour before he finally crossed the forest that hid away the vige prepared for the lower servants.

    The buildings weren¡¯t actually that shabby. They were simple, sure, but they weren¡¯t shabby or leaky, far better than the orphanage. Simple wooden houses, often no more than two or three rooms, nted ceilings so that the water didn¡¯t pool, and thick windows so that the wind didn¡¯t sneak through. No matter how lowly their position, they were still people working for the Vritara duchy, they had to at least make it look good from the outside.

    He followed Lawrence¡¯s directions and walked into the eastern section of the vige. And indeed, he immediately noticed that this ce should belong to Alice De Vritara. Why? Simple, this part of the vige was almost entirely deserted, there wasn¡¯t a single soul wandering about. There were about 30 or so houses prepared, but there was only a single three-room house that actually had the lights on.

    Naturally, this was the first house he decided to check.

    "Good evening, is anyone here?"

    The door was slightly ajar so he walked straight in after knocking, a room that was a mixture between a kitchen and a living-room greeting him. The light was on, but there was no one there. He heard some chatter from the room to the left however so that¡¯s where they seemed to be.

    A te had been put on the table that stood in the living-room section, a note with rather curly and unstable handwriting ced next to it.

    I snuck away some food from the kitchen, don¡¯t tell Elder Brother!

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he shouldugh or cry as he read the note. From what he had seen so far, there was no way that Alice was getting treated well by just about anyone in this estate, it was to the point that he doubted if they were feeding her properly. And yet there she was, stealing food so that her new servants could have something proper to eat on their first day. Good intentions and a good heart, but the world didn¡¯t allow her to maintain them. How twisted.

    "Ah, Tuesday Five? You¡¯re back!"

    A voice came from the door that led to the next room, one of the four girls that had been brought along standing in the entrance. She had probably heard him call out and came to check who it was.

    He could just barely see a bedroom behind the girl, four sets of two-story beds ced about, one in each corner. Two of the other girls also popped up behind her as she spoke, all three of them d in very simple patchwork maid uniforms. But there were only three of them.

    "Where is Monday One?"

    Four maids were brought in, but only three were in the house. Looking at how it was already getting dark, Alice should have already gone to bed so there should be no need for a maid to stay by her side. The girls fiddled slightly, exchanging nces for a moment before leaning forward so that they could whisper to Gabriel.

    "Don¡¯t tell Alice that we told you this, but Monday One was called in by a servant of the Second Young Master earlier. He said that it wouldn¡¯t take long so she should be back before long."

    The girl spoke with a mixture of hope and conviction. After all, why would they lie to them? But Gabriel had a guess, and time proved him right. The girl had yet to return by the time the sun started to rise. They¡¯d barely arrived there, but the older brothers were already starting to iste their younger sister again.

 Chapter 10: Tenets.

    Chapter 10: Ts.

    "So one of the little kids that came with you has disappeared?"

    Lawrence¡¯s sword came down upon Gabriel¡¯s leg. It originally aimed for his head, only striking his leg because he did his best to dodge. But this sted body was so weak and frail that there were times where it just couldn¡¯t respond as quickly as he needed it to.

    The sword Lawrence used was blunt, but it was still a piece of metal so it was inevitable that a dull pain would shoot up Gabriel¡¯s leg. In turn, that dull pain caused him to stumble before he could catch himself, allowing Lawrence to rest his de on his shoulder.

    "Correct. She was supposed to return yesterday but never did. And frankly, I doubt she¡¯ll return in the future."

    Gabriel swat the blunt weapon aside and stood up, putting as little weight as possible on his left leg. Monday One had yet to return by the time he woke up to head out to the physical training that Lawrence had prepared for him. He didn¡¯t see her during the walk to the training grounds either so things weren¡¯t looking good for her return.

    "You think one of the Young Masters would actually go out of their way to kill a little maid?"

    Lawrence tossed Gabriel a waterskin, a slightly incredulous look on his scarred face. He wasn¡¯t exactly trying to lower his voice, but they were alone here anyway so it didn¡¯t really matter. As for why they were alone, it wasn¡¯t like the other knights needed physical training, they were already adults or close to it so they were strong enough. Gabriel however¡­ well, he definitely needed it.

    "No, I doubt it. It¡¯s not impossible that one of their cronies would do something like that, but for a situation like this it¡¯s just excessive. It¡¯s not like it¡¯d be hard for them to pull her away from Alice, she¡¯d have to be a fool to stay."

    There hadn¡¯t been a single moment where Gabriel thought that Monday One would be dead. The second and third young masters of the Vritara n were definitely viins in the story, but at this point in time they still considered themselves nobles at heart.

    Leonardo didn¡¯t even want to set foot outside of his carriage when they were at the orphanage, dealing withmoners was beneath his kind. Rather than killing a littlemoner and staining their honour, why not just offer her a better job and have her willingly leave her ¡®master¡¯? It would him a new servant, even if she could only be used to carry rags, and the humiliation suffered by Alice would be that much worse. It was easy, it wasn¡¯t illegal or shameful, and above all, it was noble to help amoner live a better life. Truly, he was acting as a Vritara should.

    "Hmm, true. Young Lady Alice is, quite frankly, in a terrible spot. Just about any offer is better than working for her, I¡¯m sure even kids like them will have noticed it by now."

    Lawrence was obviously not blind, even the lowest-ranked workers here could feel the disdain the younger masters had for Alice. The only reason she hadn¡¯t already been cast out or killed by them was thatst name that she bore. Vritara. To kill one of their own bearing that name, no matter how much they hated them, it was the greatest sin.

    "Why do I feel like that statement is excluding me?"

    Gabriel finished off the water and handed back the waterskin. There was something about the way Lawrence spoke, a disconnect between Gabriel and the four others he hade with. But surely he didn¡¯t seem that different from the other kids, right? In a world as harsh as this, shouldn¡¯t it be normal for even children, especially orphans to grow up fast? His actions and thoughts should be expected, right?

    "Because you¡¯re too bleak. The things you say, the rational way you look at things, the world¡¯s already twisted you to a state where I can¡¯t call you a kid."

    Sadly, Gabriel was anything but understanding of what kids should be like. But how could he help it, he barely got to be a kid when he was a child in hisst life. His understanding of what was and wasn¡¯t a kid was just too skewed. Well, at least others would say that.

    "I wouldn¡¯t go quite that far, I¡¯d say I¡¯m a bit too normal to be considered twisted."

    It was an assessment he couldn¡¯t quite get behind. He¡¯d been with and had been surrounded by a lot of people who had gotten twisted by the world, some had ended up worse than the Alice he saw in the show. Compared to those people he waspletely normal, there was no way he was someone who fit the definition of twisted.

    "Keep believing that, kid, I hope it¡¯ll keep you going and let you get better."

    Lawrence could only shake his head. Sparring was a vital part of the physical training, and naturally, when they sparred it wasmon for Gabriel to get hit. But the only reaction he had to the pain would be some groaning and mutteredints. He was just a kid, he was supposed to cry and wail when he got hurt. Looking at him¡­ it was just sad.

    Caraw! Caraw!

    The shrill squeaking of a bird cut through the training grounds as Lawrence was putting away the waterskin. His gaze rose and pierced through the crystalline dome above them, observing the position of the sun.

    "Already that time. Alright, you¡¯re dismissed for now, kid,e back four hours before sunset for swordsmanship training."

    Lawrence slung the sack over his shoulder. It was barely two hours past dawn so the rest of the estate would start waking up around now, the actual training of the knights wouldn¡¯t start for another five or so hours. He wasn¡¯t so free that he¡¯d be willing to spend all that time here alone, so naturally he would also leave after sending Gabriel away. Looking at the little kid putting away the heavy metal rod he used during this sparring and picking up the shabby wooden sword he was assigned, he couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    "In a month, my granddaughter will celebrate her eighth birthday. I¡¯ll pick you up for it, it should do you some good to hang out with children your age."

    His eyes. Those deep violet eyes, he couldn¡¯t get over them, couldn¡¯t look at them. That thing was too sad to be called a child. But it had to be a child, it would be too sad if the world was such a ce that kids couldn¡¯t even stay as kids.

    "Eh?"

    Gabriel could only give a dumbfounded exmation as Lawrence started to walk away. Invited to a birthday? The two barely knew each other so why would he do that? But Lawrence left without exining further, leaving Gabriel alone in the empty training grounds.

    "Alright then."

    His voice echoed slightly, his shoulders rolling in a shrug as he held his wooden sword at his side. He wasn¡¯t given a sheath for it so he had to carry it in his hand at all times. It was cumbersome, but he had been trained to never leave behind all his weapons so he had no choice but to carry it with him.

    He left the training grounds, the sun already slowly starting its ascent towards its apex. He had a fair bit of time on his hands right now, time that would sadly end up a bit wasted. But it couldn¡¯t be helped, this body was just too weak, a measly three hours of training was enough to bring it to the brink of copse. In this state, the only thing he could do was go home and get something to eat before resting.

    The path back to the building they had been given really was too long. Forget thetter half, he had to drag his feet practically the entire way, barely scraping his way through the door. In this moment, when he thought about how he would have to make his own food, he could only weep that this world didn¡¯t have frozen pizzas.

    I managed to sneak away a bit more when they came with my breakfast! You have to eat a lot to train properly!

    He almost felt like weeping tears of joy when he saw the note and the sandwiches ced on the table. This was better than delivery or drive-through, he didn¡¯t even need to order, the food just found him when he needed it.

    "Others¡­ Not here."

    He grabbed the te of food and slumped down on the bed he had picked for himself. The room waspletely empty so the others were probably at their own jobs, as maids they had to do a lot more minor jobs than him, especially in the mornings and evenings. Well, some peace was nice so he unwrapped one of the sandwiches and took a bite.

    "Geh, they feed her this?"

    He immediately grimaced as the food touched his tongue. It was subtle, but the food was definitely off. They weren¡¯t going overboard and giving her bread covered in mold, but the slices were definitely stale and old, just the faintest taste of mold settling at the back of his throat. The ham was much the same, the taste and slimy sensation was only felt at the very back of his throat. The sd was soggy, the tomato was practically disintegrated, the cucumber was mush, and rather than dressing it seemed as if they had just sprinkled some salt on the bread.

    "Man, it really is a joke."

    The Vritara family was one of only three ducal households in this empire. There were only four other families on par with them in this entire vast empire, the Imperial Family at the centre, the ducal household to the north, the ducal household to the west, and the slightly special family that guarded the border at the east. Together with the Vritara household, these five families held the entire wealth of this empire, they nevercked anything. To feed their Young Lady something like this? The servant would be fired, if not executed, if it happened in any other family.

    "Probably ought to teach her a thing or two about cooking if I get the chance."

    He mused to himself as he kept eating the food despite its poor quality. The girls luckily weren¡¯t here, otherwise they¡¯d look at him strangely for talking to himself. But he couldn¡¯t help it, it had been a habit for a majority of his previous life. While out on missions, it was rare to have anyone to talk to so he had no choice but to talk to himself, it helped keep him sane.

    He swiftly finished off the three sandwiches and thenid down, the straw that filled his pillow tickling his neck. But it beat sleeping on the ground so he was still able to close his eyes and get some rest, his weary muscles thanking him.

    He woke up a bit before it was time for the next round of training, a bit groggy because it had been a while since he slept that long. But even as he rubbed his eyes, he saw that the others had returned and were making food. But the group that started out as four had shrunk to two, another maid gone.

    He questioned them, but he could guess the answer even before they opened their mouths. Another one gone.

    He went to the training and spent some time with Lawrence, and by the time he got back the two remaining maids were already asleep. They had left some food for him so he got to eat that before going to bed. The next day, he went to his early training and repeated the previous day, eating some food that Alice had snuck in there for him before going to bed.

    And when he awoke for the evening training, the previous day once again repeated. Two had be one. Another maid gone.

    Training, food left by thest maid, sleep. Morning training, food left by Alice, sleep. And when he awoke again for the evening training, he was alone. No smell of food, no sound of chattering, no lights. Thest maid was gone.

    Still, he went to the evening training, but this time he had to make his own food when he returned. Eat, sleep until morning training. But this time, as he prepared to leave, there was a knock on the door.

    A young man, a neat ck suit, a white shirt, a dark blue bowtie. His hair was parted to the left and neatlybed, the scent of soap made it clear that it was recently washed.

    "Greetings. The Young Lord wishes to invite you, please follow me."

    They hade for the rest, now they hade for him.

 Chapter 11: Tenets. (2)

    Chapter 11: Ts. (2)

    Gabriel observed the butler that hade to pick him up. Young Lord, it was technically a title that should only be used for the one who would inherit the duke¡¯s title. But Gabriel knew for a fact that the family current didn¡¯t have a designated inheritor, not even Alice¡¯s older sister, the eldest child, had acquired that seat. She also didn¡¯t dare to go by that title, she was too upright for that.

    So, one of the brothers was calling for him, a petty viin making a petty move. He couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing this butler in the show so he either didn¡¯t live long enough to appear or just wasn¡¯t important enough to hover around either of the brothers. Still, even if it was petty, even if this unimportant man came this early and interrupted his training, there was only one thing Gabriel could do.

    "It would be my honour, please lead the way."

    He held his right hand to his chest but didn¡¯t bow, the servant¡¯s brows crinkling slightly due to theck of respect. But there was nothing wrong with what Gabriel said, and he wasn¡¯t actually required to bow to him, so there was nothing he could nitpick.

    "Excellent. Let us make haste, the Young Lord will eat breakfast soon and does not enjoy being disturbed while he dines."

    The servant straightened his brows with a subdued clearing of his throat, ushering Gabriel out of his own house as he took the lead. Gabriel, naturally, followed.

    The servant quickly moved through the vige, a clear wrinkle between his eyebrows as he kept his gaze straight ahead. He was probably from the main mansion and wasn¡¯t used to entering this ce, he probably considered himself above mingling with lower servants. Hell, depending on how close he was with the young master he might even feel insulted that he had toe here just to pick up Gabriel.

    "You may take this route now, but you¡¯d best not get caught taking it in the future. Have I made myself clear?"

    The servant spoke up again as he guided Gabriel to a route different from the one he usually took. Normally he would go in a wide arch around the mansion to reach the vige, but now they were going down a small path that led directly from the vige to one of the back entrances to the mansion.

    "Of course, you won¡¯t see me on this path ever again."

    Gabriel spoke nonchntly, barely maintaining the base level of politeness. He¡¯d watched the show so of course he knew about this path, it would cut at least half an hour of his walk if he used it to get to the training grounds. But this path¡­ it was ¡®reserved¡¯ for the people of the main mansion when they had to get to the vige. To walk it meant running into the people who worked there, the people who twisted a little girl into a monster.

    "How sickening¡­"

    He muttered again, just quietly for the servant to not catch his words.

    "What was that?"

    "Nothing, I was just amazed by the grandeur of the mansion."

    It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. The mansion towered above him now that they had gotten so close, marble pirs engraved with soaring dragons decorating the doors and certain support points along the wall. Well, he at least guessed that they were support points, they were actually ced so randomly that he would believe it if someone told him that they were just there to look good.

    "Naturally, the main estate of the Vritara duchy does in no way fall short of even the Imperial Family, much less the other duchies. We were, We are, We will be. That motto is the oath sworn by the first Vritara, it is no mere wordy. No matter what befalls the empire, the Vritara have always been and will always be. A dragon never falls, never forget that."

    The servant¡¯s chest puffed out proudly as he spoke. The Vritara duchy had been around even before the Earhart Empire was formed, granted, they weren¡¯t a duchy back then. Then they helped form the empire and were granted thisnd as a reward, only that family to the east had a history longer than the Vritara duchy. But the Vritara family far eclipsed the eastern family in wealth and reputation so they were able to somewhat ignore that fact.

    "Once inside, stay right behind me and don¡¯t wander off. Once we get to the Young Lord, you will keep your head lowered and never speak unless spoken to first. Do not speak a single word out of line and always maintain the highest level of respect and politeness, this is the future duke so act ordingly."

    They stopped for a minute in front of the twin doors, each one engraved with one half of a dragon¡¯s skull. This was the maw of the dragon, and to enter the mansion was to surrender to the dragon. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t just symbolic, the Vritara Duchy¡¯s bloodline was one of their greatest sources of pride. Vritra, the Great Dragon of Water was their progenitor, her blood was still strong in their veins.

    The first thing that greeted Gabriel as the doors were opened was the smell, a soft floral scent reminiscent of budding petals hung in the air. Was it orchids, or perhapsvender? The floor was entirely covered by a deep blue carpet, golden lines dancing about as they formed their patterns. Vases filled with blooming flowers of various colours were scattered about along the hallway, as were delicate sculptures of beasts and people. A few paintings were hung up on the walls, but none of them were portraits, just scenery and historic moments.

    "Follow me, we shall head to the northern wing."

    Northern wing, that meant that they would be going to the third Young Master, Leonardo. The Vritara family was the ducal household that ruled the temperate south, so they took the south as their most important direction. Thus, the southern wing was where Alice¡¯s elder sister lived, the west was where Francis lived, and the north was where Leonardo lived.

    Conversely, this empire took the east to be the direction of misfortune. That was where thend border of the empire was, and where the eastern family was constantly fighting against the the encroaching forces. So naturally, Alice would reside in the eastern wing of the mansion.

    Gabriel followed closely behind the servant as they moved through the mansion, it was still before dawn so there weren¡¯t too many people out. There was a bit of hubbub as they moved past the kitchen, preparing breakfast took time so they started work quite early.

    He took the chance to peek in, spotting a familiar face amidst the scurrying kitchen staff. Monday One. She was d in a simple maid¡¯s uniform and sat in a corner, diligently peeling potatoes. There were a few band-aids on her fingers so was probably struggling a little with the sharp peeler.

    She happened to catch his gaze as she looked up, a smile flitting past her face as she waved at him. It was natural. She was definitely getting treated better here than she did when she worked for Alice.

    "I hope you end up happy."

    He mouthed the words as he moved past the entrance. She was just a little orphaned girl who knew nothing, her life was hard enough as it was. She couldn¡¯t be med for doing what she could to move towards a better life, she just wanted to live well.

    They kept moving for a bit, but Gabriel didn¡¯t see any of the other maids that came with him, they were probably stationed at different posts throughout the mansion. And finally, before long, they reached a set of closed doors at the end of a hallway, each door engraved with arge feathery wing.

    "Your head, lower it."

    The servant spoke sternly before knocking on the doors, the sound echoing throughout the hallway.

    "My Lord, I¡¯ve arrived with the servant known as Tuesday."

    The servant didn¡¯t lower his head after knocking, Gabriel could feel him look over, probably gloating over his position. If that was all he had to gloat over then he really had a sad life.

    "You may enter."

    The voice that came from beyond the door was the same as the voice that came from the carriage back at the orphanage, cold and somewhat distant, dignified and majestic. The servant hurriedly pushed open the door and brought Gabriel in, one hand resting on the back of his head so that Gabriel didn¡¯t needlessly raise it on his own.

    "So you are Tuesday."

    Leonardo spoke up again as Gabriel was brought forward, stopping a few steps away from what seemed to be a desk. There was a small sound of pping and then light tapping, a dark brown eagle with beady ck eyesnding on the ground in front of Gabriel and hopping over to him, curiously inspecting him.

    It looked normal, but Gabriel knew better. Leonardo belonged to a noble family, so when he turned seven he was allowed to step into the Spirit Pond, a special body of water that made it easier to contact spirits. This eagle was the one that Leonardo had signed a contract with, an air spirit.

    "This one greets the Third Young Master of the Vritara."

    Right hand pressed horizontally across the abdomen, left hand held close to the body, a slight tilt of his torso. A bow that was just barely polite enough to be deemed eptable. The servant¡¯s brows crinkled again, but it seemed like Leonardo waved his hand to stop him.

    "I¡¯ve heard from Knight Trainer Lawrence that you are a very straightforward and mature child, hence I will not y with words. I will provide you with a job in this mansion, my older sister or elder brother most certainly need a few more servants for misceneous work. Naturally, this means that you must stop working for the red-eyed one. Do you ept?"

    Leonardo was speaking directly to him, but Gabriel almost felt as if he was directing his words to the carpet beneath him, what an odd sensation it was. But really, he certainly stuck to his word and wasn¡¯t shy about his intentions. Good grief, he didn¡¯t even refer to Alice by name or position.

    "Before I answer that question, Third Young Master, may I ask why the Young Lady is so despised within this household?"

    Gabriel could practically feel the servant¡¯s gaze drilling into his skull at this point. First it was base-level respect and now he even dared to ask questions, the servant would likely have struck him if Leonardo wasn¡¯t here. He did however re up, but was quickly shut down by Leonardo.

    "How dare¡­!"

    "Enough. It is no secret and most are already aware of it, it makes no difference to tell one more person. Servant Tuesday, what do you think the most important quality of a noble is?"

    Leonardo¡¯s voice remained the same despite being questioned. Naturally, he was a noble after all, what amoner servant thought or did was beneath his notice. Even if he questioned him then he would just attribute it to the foolishness of themoner, that poor soul simply didn¡¯t know better because of his humble upbringings. That thought seemed to pervade into this question, as he answered himself shortly after posing it.

    "The answer is loyalty. A noble must be loyal to the crown, to the empire, and above all, to the family. And within the family, there is no rtionship more holy than that of husband and wife, the leaders of the family. If they decay then so will the rest of the family, thus they must be perfect at all times."

    The eagle that was looking up at Gabriel tilted its head a few times, its feathers bristling as its ws dug into the carpet. A spirit, especially those of a ¡®lower¡¯ ss, would generally mimic their contractors emotions.

    "Our Esteemed Father, is the image of loyalty. After he got married to the previous duchess of Vritara, he never once looked at another woman and gave his all to her, and this duchy. Our mother¡­ could not reciprocate that loyalty."

    Beady ck eyes turned crimson and ws grew longer, feathers swirling as the eagle drew in all the air within the office.

    "She had a tryst with a lowly servant, breaking the holy bond and vow she had made to our father. And worse yet, she fathered a bastard with that servant, perishing in the process so that she couldn¡¯t even be punished for her crimes. All that remains is that red-eyed thing, a stain on the family name, a mark of broken loyalty. That thing symbolises the ultimate failure of our family, so tell me, Servant Tuesday, how could we not despise it?"

    Gabriel wanted tough. No really, he did. This was a story that wasn¡¯t in the show, why would the creator bother going into the backstory of the viin? She was the illegitimate child that never got what she wanted or what she gave, she was evil, that was enough exnation.

    He¡¯d wondered asionally what made the great viin so despised by her family, what was the catalyst that twisted her so greatly. But that was it? She was born? Her mother had been unfaithful? What the hell was that? Was it Alice¡¯s fault that her mother had a tryst, was it her fault that she was born? Was it her fault that she inherited the traits of her father rather than her mother? What a joke, what a terrible, horrible joke. He wanted tough at it, but he couldn¡¯t, it was just that bad of a joke.

    "I see, thank you for exining it to me, Third Young Master."

    Gabriel raised his head as he spoke. The servant was fuming and tried to lower his head before he could fully raise it, but Gabriel moved faster.

    Arge office, bookshelves that lined the walls, potted nts and a self-portrait. An entire section of the wall was just a window, giving a perfect view of the northern section of the estate, a smallke resting peacefully in the distance. A desk in dark red wood that had several stacks of papers neatly lined up. And sitting behind it, Leonardo De Vritara.

    Dark blue hair that hung past his shoulders and shimmering golden eyes, the symbol of the Vritara family. Smooth features and neatly maintained eyebrows, he even wore lipstick that was just light enough to barely be noticed. A slim body covered by a clean white suit adorned with blue and gold, a pair of round sses resting on his nose. Handsome and delicate, definitely someone who could be praised as a member of the ducal household. The two locked eyes, Gabriel giving him a polite smile.

    "Now, to answer your request. I personally believe that in life, no matter which path you follow, there are ts you must follow. For example, if you wish to live a cruel life, then one t you must follow is to never show mercy. After all, how can you be cruel if you constantly show mercy?"

    Ts. Principles. Guidelines. They permeated everything, they dictated lives. Even those who were of a different persuasion could be someone else if they followed the ts of a different life-path. His master had personally proven this to Gabriel in his past life.

    "Now, I don¡¯t know about the Third Young Master, but I have decided to live the life of a Good Person, and thus adhere to its ts. And of those ts, the fifth one is quite simple; Don¡¯t bit the hand that feeds you."

    No one wanted to take in a rabid dog, no one wanted to raise a snake that wouldter poison them. Thus, the fifth t was a rather important one. And Gabriel, he had never forgotten it. So he held his right arm across his abdomen and tilted his torso slightly.

    "Now, please excuse me, Third Young Master, but My Lady has lost her maids so I must go and take care of her. I bid you farewell and wish you a good day."

    He spun around on his heels and immediately started to walk, his still dirty hair fluttering slightly thanks to the increasingly strong wind caused by the eagle. He could see the servant gawking, caught somewhere between fury and dumbfounded. But Gabriel ignored him, gave another semi-polite bow as he reached the door, and then shut it behind him in a soft manner. From start to finish, he had shown just enough politeness and respect to not be criticised.

 Chapter 12: Tenets. (3)

    Chapter 12: Ts. (3)

    After leaving the office, he walked through the carpeted hallways on his own, not even the sound of his footsteps following him. He was very familiar with theyout of this mansion due to the episodes focusing on the destruction of this mansion so finding the eastern wing wouldn¡¯t be hard.

    Along the way, he stopped in front of a statue that stood in the hallway, a marble dragon that stretched out for a bit over ten metres. His gaze trailed along the scales that went just beneath the spikes on its back, the shimmering blue colour that danced across them enchanting all who looked at it.

    "Later¡­ Let¡¯s use youter."

    He had seen the destruction of this mansion, he had seen the secrets it held, some lost to time and some hidden away from all but the one who held the title of duke. Should the need arise, and he had a feeling that it would eventually, he would use them all to his advantage.

    The change when he went from the northern wing to the eastern wing was subtle, but still noticeable. Cobwebs hiding in some corners, dust stacking up underneath lockers and around smaller pirs. The carpet was a bit dirty in some ces and the floor creaked asionally if you stepped on the wrong parts. At a nce, it looked the same as the rest, but once you looked closer you would see the signs. This ce was abandoned and barely received the base level of care to look presentable.

    Walking through the dim hallways, barely any of themps lit, he quietly traced his memories. asionally, there would be minor segments taking ce in the credits of each episode. Sometimes they focused on a noble as he went about his day, sometimes a small section of a battlefield, and sometimes, the viiness. They weren¡¯t technically part of the greater story, just minor glimpses into the world to fill the time while they rolled the credits.

    And during the glimpses into the viiness, there would asionally be visions of her nightmares. An empty room, a closed curtain, a bed that was toorge. A door with a small dent at the bottom, just high enough to look like someone repeatedly kicked it. In the show, that room was the first thing Alice destroyed when she brought down the mansion. It was her nightmare, it was her home. And she hated it.

    He walked the empty hallway, lighting themps one by one as he walked. People needed light, such dim hallways wouldn¡¯t be good for their eyes or their skin. And eventually, he reached the door, that small dent painfully visible when you first looked.

    Frustration. Again and again someone had kicked the door, unable to do anything else. That dent was a mark of sadness. It was small now, but in the future it would only grow bigger, eventually causing the entire empire to crumble.

    He didn¡¯t even knock, he just opened the door and walked in.

    The room was dark, the curtains were drawn and all the lights were turned off. The bed ced against the wall wasrge enough to house at least three adults, but now it house only a single little girl curled up in her nkets while clutching her pillows. A dresser with a mirror, a few toys that looked to old and worn to be new, a carpet with clear footprints, a basin filled with slightly murky water. This was the nightmare.

    Gabriel walked past the bed and to the curtains. Thick ck cloth, perfect for blotting out the light, perfect for hiding what was behind them. He tugged them strongly. They were put up shoddily so they crumbled down with little effort, even someone as weak as him could do it. If Alice wanted, she could have brought it down long ago. But if she could do that, then this wouldn¡¯t have been her nightmare.

    The outside wasn¡¯t bright by any means, a few orange and dark red rays streaking across the sky as the sun was starting to slowly rise above the horizon. The sun rose from the east so this window, which covered a good portion of the wall, was the perfect ce to see it.

    Gabriel stood there for a bit, allowing the rays to wash over him and bathe the room in their hue as the sun slowly rose. Before long, it seemed like they hit Alice, who stirred from her slumber.

    "Mugughu¡­ Who¡¯s there¡­?"

    She spoke groggily as she sat up rubbing eyes that were redder than the sunrise. Gabriel turned to look at her. Not only were her pupils red, even the sclera had taken on a slight scarlet hue thanks to the blood-vessels. The area around her eyes was also a bit flushed, some bags just barely visible beneath her eyes. She had been crying, either while she was sleeping or before she slept.

    "Good morning, My Lady."

    He smiled at her. The pitiful child who loved but wasn¡¯t loved, the one who gave but never received. The one that was hated just for being born, the one who found home and hate to be synonyms.

    "Eh? Gabriel? Eh? What are you¡­ doing here? Did my brother¡­not call for you?"

    She quickly woke from her groggy state when she saw him, stumbling over her words. So she knew that he had been called, or at least that he would be called. Then again, it only made sense, all of her other maids had left her one by one, it was natural that thest one would also follow. So why¡­ Why was he there?

    "No, he did call for me. He offered me a job in one of the other wings."

    He stepped away from the window and didn¡¯t hide the offer he received, his slow steps echoing throughout the room as he moved towards the bed. The rest of the mansion was quiet, but here the carpet was so worn that he could hear his steps. How sad. How pitiful.

    "Ah¡­ Then¡­ Are you leaving t¡­"

    Alice couldn¡¯t finish her words, clutching the covers she had curled into. She looked as if she was about to cry again, she probably would once he stepped out the door. But he stopped right by the bed, his body lowering as he dropped down to one knee, gently prying open one of the hands clutching the covers.

    "You are the one who gave me the name Gabriel, My Lady, so how could I possibly leave you?"

    This pitiful child so close to crying, this little thing so close to twisting. In one future, she burned the empire and brought forth an ocean of blood. But now, she was just a little girl who was all alone. That pitiful viin who had no one and got nothing, he could still save her.

    "Ah¡­ Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorr¡­"

    Her eyes were red as she struggled with her tears. Did she not want to cry in front of him, did she want to appear strong because she was a Vritara? A descendant of the dragon? It was fine, he¡¯d teach her how to bring down the dragon, those who are would be those who were, and nothing else. But before then, he had to teach her how to be a good person.

    "My Lady, do you remember when I told you about a t?"

    Ts. One he had mentioned to Leonardo and one he had mentioned to Alice when they first met. It was just a quick exnation back then, but it seemed like she memorised it well.

    "You said that the first t to living as a good person is to not apologise for things that aren¡¯t your fault."

    Many people spent their entire lives apologising, some people spent their entire lives repenting for things they had never done. Sad people, pitiful people, abused people. And to the pitiful person in front of him, Gabriel had only one thing to say.

    "Yes, I did. So don¡¯t apologise, my choice will never be your fault. Nor will the circumstances of your birth ever be your fault."

    Her eyes seemed to crack further, her struggle with her tears slowly failing. She had been berated for it her entire life, she had spent her entire life apologising for it. I¡¯m sorry that my mother cheated. I¡¯m sorry that I was born. I¡¯m sorry that she wasn¡¯t loyal. But time and time again she was told that it wasn¡¯t enough.

    "But¡­ But my brother, he off¡­"

    Her voice was cut off by Gabriel, gentling clenching her hand. It wasn¡¯t strange for her to bring up her brother¡¯s offer, she knew that she couldn¡¯t offer anything even close to what her brother could. All she could offer was abuse and humiliating words. The other maids were happier after leaving her¡­ surely, he too¡­ But rather than acknowledge the offer, Gabriel simply taught her a new lesson.

    "My Lady, let me tell you the second t to being a good person. If you have something that you treasure, never let anyone else take it from you, no matter who they are."

    People gave and gave, tearing away at their own flesh to please everyone around them. In the end, they wouldn¡¯t even be left with bones while those around them would simply turn away. Even their hearts, their most intimate part, their most important and treasured piece, was given away. Sad people. Pitiful people. And the girl in front of him, she was one such person.

    "¡­"

    She couldn¡¯t respond, the words only came out as a drawn out croak. The tears were winning and she was crumbling. He spoke to her, he spoke for her. He said it was fine, he said she didn¡¯t have to do it. She could keep what she wanted. But¡­ But¡­ Gabriel cut off her uncertainties.

    "And then there¡¯s the third t to being a good person. If there is something you want, then you must make sure to acquire it no matter what you have to do."

    Desires were human, wants were natural. But so many people ignored them, so many people abandoned them. I am not worthy so I should desire that. I did something bad so I shouldn¡¯t want that. I was born like this so I shouldn¡¯t ask for that. They gave up before they even tried, preventing themselves from recing the pieces they had already given away. Sad people. Pitiful people. This girl in front of him, was one such person. And so, he became the first person in the world to ask her, the first person in the world to give this future monster a hand.

    "So tell me, My Lady. What do you want?"

    Gentle eyes that she had never seen before, a warm touch that she had never felt before. The bed that was toorge, the room that was too dark, for the first time it felt a smidgenfortable.

    "I¡­ I¡­"

    A hoarse voice, words that were barely more than a croak. Red eyes that were turning wet.

    "Yes."

    A simple affirmation, from one child to another, from one twisted person to one who was supposed to be twisted. In the end, that was all it took to break the dam and for the tears to finally fall, some staining the sheets while somended on Gabriel¡¯s hand.

    "I¡­ I want someone to be by my side¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­"

    She cried. She desired. She hoped. The maids had abandoned her. Her family had abandoned her. In this dark house, she was all alone. And from this moment forward, she dared to hope that it truly would be just WAS.

    "Then you won¡¯t. I will be by your side and teach you what I know, and you will teach me what you know. And together, we can live as good people."

    My Lady. My Master. My pitiful viin. Let me give you a life better than what fate ordained, let me keep straight what should have been twisted. I who had nothing to live for, let me find a reason to not die in you.

    "¡­I also want a cake, I want to celebrate my birthday."

    She croaked out her desires as she cried. She was no longer alone, so she wanted to celebrate what no one else remembered before.

 Chapter 13: Belated birthday.

    Chapter 13: Bted birthday.

    "A cake¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll make you a cake. One for now, and as many as you want in the future. You¡¯ll have to show me the kitchen though."

    Really, what small desire it was. Just a cake, just someone to celebrate the birthday that had already passed. Once she¡¯d finished crying he would have to talk with her a bit more, it¡¯d be nice if she could find a desire that wouldst bit longer than just a cake. People needed proper ambition to live long lives, otherwise they¡¯d just end up like him and take the plunge for no good reason.

    "Okay, okay, I know the way."

    Alice still sniffled as she spoke and hopped down from the bed. She looked at Gabriel¡¯s arm with teary eyes for a moment, eventually deciding to hold onto his slightly tattered sleeves and tugging it quietly. Naturally, Gabriel decided to follow her out of the room. He knew where the kitchen was, but he couldn¡¯t really tell Alice that so he kept quiet about it.

    "Muh, it¡¯s bright¡­"

    Alice had to shield her eyes when she stepped out of the room. Gabriel had lit all themps in the hallway as he walked so it couldn¡¯t be helped that it was brighter than she was used to. But she would just have to get used to it, for he had no ns of stopping it in the future.

    "People should live bright lives. So, I¡¯ll turn on all themps for you, you just need to bask in the light."

    A dark life was the first step to a sad life. Since Gabriel had decided to help this pitiful viiness, he naturally couldn¡¯t let her life either of those lives.

    "¡­They¡¯re warm¡­"

    The little girl muttered to herself as they walked through the hallway. Themps that had been dim for so long, with all of them lit the usually cold hallway had be nice and warm. The added light also allowed her to see the colours better. While this meant that she could also see the signs of wear better, it was still like entering apletely new world, one she couldn¡¯t hate.

    "Here. With the new maids¡­ gone, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the kitchen¡­"

    The east wing of the mansion, dark and silent, not even the maids came here unless they had to. So this kitchen, the only people who had gotten to use it recently were the orphans that Alice had brought along with Gabriel. Mere children who never got to eat a proper meal, kids who barely knew what food was were suddenly put in charge of preparing meals for someone else. It must have been terrible, and it certainly exined the state of the sandwiches Gabriel got. Then again, as he inspected the kitchen, he realized that just getting those sandwiches was already good.

    "Christ¡­ Can¡¯t even call it barren."

    To call it a kitchen was almost an insult, there was practically nothing here. Vegetables, meat, dairy products, fruits, practically everything was scraped as clean as could be. What little remained was spoiling so it would be questionable to eat, only the things with a long shelf life such as flour, some sugar, a smidgen of butter, and simpler spices were left.

    "Right then¡­ Cake."

    Cake¡­ He had some experience with making food thanks to his sister, but making a cake from these scraps? It would definitely be a challenge.

    "¡­Is it impossible?"

    Alice was probably quite aware of the state of this kitchen. And this world,pared to his past world, was quite a few years behind in some regards. Cakes were a bit of a rarity here, not something only nobles would have, but not somethingmoners could have once a month either due to the expensive ingredients and skill needed to make them.

    "Few things are ever impossible. If I just change the definition of cake a little then I should be able to manage. Would you happen to know if there are any apples or pears in this estate?"

    It wouldn¡¯t technically be a cake, but his sister had neverined before so it should be fine right? He¡¯d just have to make a bit of an effort so that he could make a proper one next year. If it was a year¡­ there were a lot of things he could achieve in a year with the right knowledge and a bit of nning.

    "Apples¡­Apples¡­ If I ask the maid in Elder Brother¡¯s kitchen nicely then she¡¯ll give me some of the older ones! I¡¯ll be right back!"

    Alice¡¯s expression lit up before she bolted out of the kitchen, leaving Gabriel to wince on his own. What a joke it was, one of the children of the previous duchess actually had to ask a maid nicely just to get a few old apples.

    "Ah¡­ What to do, what to do¡­"

    He huffed out some air now that he was alone, meandering over to the stove to turn it on. There were two types of ovens in this world, the ones fuelled by wood thatmoners used, and the ones fuelled by magic that nobles used. The magic ones were somewhat simr to ovens of his world, the inside was filled with magic lines that would release heat, and there were three smaller magic formations on the outside that were attached to it.

    Eras Dai Motak.

    Ras.

    Motak.

    Kandar.

    The first one was the magic formation that would fuel the oven itself, tranted to the ancientnguage it should be Fire Release Heat. The two next ones should be to somewhat control the heat since Motak meant Heat and Ras meant Cold. Kandar if he recalled meant Activate so it was probably what was used to start the oven itself.

    He brushed away the thinyer of dust that covered the formations and activated them, they already contained mana so all it really took was a touch. The oven came alive, both the inside and the four tes atop it. There were no separate controls for those tes so this was probably an older model. Or had the ones that had separate controls for each te not yet been invented? The story didn¡¯t focus too much on these things so he couldn¡¯t be quite sure.

    "Right, now then¡­"

    With the oven heating up, he climbed onto a nearby chair so that he could lean against the table. His finger drummed the wood in a rhythmic fashion as his thoughts moved.

    "Leonardo shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­ But if she¡¯s too attached then it won¡¯t be good."

    Now that he¡¯d spent some time here, it was clear that her family was one of the key factors that led to Alice bing the future viiness. They, or at least Leonardo, he hadn¡¯t met the others yet, hated her on a fundamental level so it would be hard to alter his perception. Thus, dealing with Leonardo required a different tactic. That in and of itself would be rather easy with what Gabriel knew, the problem was Alice¡¯s feelings.

    If she was attached to them, if she loved them even though they didn¡¯t love her, then she would be sad if he handled them in his way. It would be easiest if she hated them, but he didn¡¯t want to push her into hating them against her will. Despising your own family¡­ It was a sad thing. Necessary at times, definitely, but still sad.

    "Gabriel! Gabriel! Look, she even gave me some peaches because I asked so nicely!"

    Alice came running into the room while he was pondering his future course of action, proudly holding up some bruised apples and mushy peaches. Looking at those fruits, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch. He definitely had to at least raise her expectations so that she wasn¡¯t overjoyed by things like this.

    "Alright, then I better get to work. Ah, but can you tell me the name of that maid and how she lookster? As your new butler, I should definitely go and thank her."

    There was nothing to do about the situation now so he could only take the fruits for now, making a mental note of the maid. Depending on what Alice decided, it may be necessary to remind that maid of who would be the future ruler of the Vritara duchy.

    "What kind of cake will you make?"

    Alice stuck close to Gabriel as he got to work, eagerly and curiously inspecting his work. As for Gabriel, he put two metal pans on the stovetop and picked out the sugar, butter, honey, flour and some cinnamon.

    "It would be called a peach and apple cobbler, but I don¡¯t have everything I need so I¡¯ll make a slightly simpler version."

    The apples were quarter and tossed into one of the pans along with some sugar and honey, the peaches cut into simr sizes and put aside. The butter was melted in the other pan while he mixed the sugar with the cinnamon that he had to crush first. Once the butter was melted, he poured it over the sugar and mixed it thoroughly before adding the flour, mixing it by hand until it formed slightly springy crumbs.

    He filled the bottom of another pan with some of the crumbs and then mixed the stewed apples with the peaches, cing the sweet mixture on top of the crumbs. All that was left at this point was to cover it all with the remaining crumbs and throw the pan in the oven, baking it for close to half an hour, Alice practically bouncing in the seat she had picked.

    "There we go, a cheating cobbler."

    He ced the desert on the table once it finished baking, but it really looked a mess. He didn¡¯t have any of the measuring tools he was used to so the crumbs were drier than he expected, and because of how mushy the peaches were and how bruised the apples were, the filling was too runny. Even his sister wouldugh at him if he ced this on the table.

    But still, there was one thing here that was runnier than the filling he made, Alice. Her nose was dripping and her eyes were already wet again as she looked at the unappetising decoction Gabriel had ced in front of her. The spoon she held shook even as her hand was resting on the table and her crimson eyes couldn¡¯t move away from the pan.

    "It should be eaten hot, just don¡¯t burn yourself. And Alice, happy bted birthday."

    She snapped back to reality when Gabriel spoke, the shaking spoon finally stretching out to scoop up some of the food. She brought it to her mouth, and before Gabriel could remind her to blow on it, stuck it in her mouth.

    She had just barely stopped crying by the time they first reached the kitchen, but now her tears were already flowing again. The food was fresh from the oven so her mouth was definitely too burnt to taste anything, and with the sobbing that interrupted her chewing it would be even harder to taste anything. But still she chewed, and still she cried.

    "It¡¯s delicious¡­ It¡¯s really delicious¡­"

 Chapter 14: Unparallelled.

    Chapter 14: Unparallelled.

    "Finished?"

    Gabriel looked at Alice, whose tears were finally starting to dry up. She¡¯d stuffed the entire pan of food into her mouth, forcing it down even after she looked ready to burst. As a result, her cheeks were bulging slightly and she had made a mess of both her face and the table.

    "It¡¯s fine to cry when you¡¯re happy, but if you cry too often then people will think that they can just take advantage of you so I rmend doing it in moderation in the future."

    He picked up a rag from the side as he spoke, wiping the sticky crumbs that clung to her cheeks. The soft touch made Alice¡¯s eyes well with tears again, but she swallowed heavily so that they didn¡¯t pour out this time, her lips pursing as she put on a strong front.

    "That¡¯s good. I can understand your desire to cry, but you¡¯ll have to get used to the feeling, living a good life means experiencing a lot more happiness so you can¡¯t well go crying every time."

    He lowered the rag after he finished with her face, starting on her hands, which were somehow even dirtier than her face. She was starting to calm down now, the reddish tint in her eyes receding as she pulled back her tears.

    "Tell me, Alice, what is it that you want? Beyond the cake for your birthday, beyond a friend who¡¯ll stay with you, what is it that you want?"

    He asked the important question. People¡­ They needed desires, ambition, things they wanted. They¡¯d end up hollow without them. He had been one such person, and thus he took the plunge in his past life. And thus hetched onto this pitiful viiness when he saw her and how she was treated. He didn¡¯t want her to end up hollow, nor did he want to be hollow again.

    "What I¡­ Want? Can there even be more?"

    Alice was, to say it simply, stumped by the question. Just earlier this day she thought of a birthday cake as an extravagant wish that she would likely never see fulfilled. But in just one day, she got both a friend and a birthday cake, how could there possibly be anything more she could want?

    "Of course, as long as people live there can and will always be more. If you¡¯re not sure, then just think about the future. Not tomorrow, not next week, but years ahead. Think about the possible futures. What if your Elder Brother takes over the household? What if your Eldest Brother takes over as the duke? Think about the futures that are likely toe to pass and then search your own feelings. How would you feel? What would you think? What would you do?"

    To Gabriel, in one way, desires were an easy thing to dig out. Think about the future, think about what is likely to happen, and then think about how you¡¯ll feel. Will you be happy with it? No? Then your desire would be to be someone who could change that future. It was easy, which made it all the sadder when someone ended up hollow.

    Naturally, the reason Gabriel mentioned her two brothers in the possible futures was to see how she would react. And luckily, if he could even be despicable enough to think that word in this situation, the response was favourable.

    "Elder and Eldest Brother¡­"

    Alice winced slightly, a bit of colour slowly fading from her face. She¡¯d shown signs of it at the orphanage, but it seemed as if she was in fact at least a bit afraid of her brothers. She was just a child, but she knew that her brothers had been the ones to snatch away her new maids, and she probably knew that they were the reason she was being treated like this.

    As for why she hadn¡¯t said or done anything, it had probably gone on for so long that she now considered it natural. Her mother had cheated so it was only fair that she was hated. She carried filthy blood so of course she should be hated. She didn¡¯t look like the rest of the family so she shouldn¡¯t expect to be loved. That was how she had been raised so of course she would think like that, of course she would ept it as natural.

    "I¡­ I¡­"

    She struggled with the words, uneasily looking around the empty kitchen, her eyes eventually settling on Gabriel. He simply smiled gently, not urging her towards any one answer and simply waiting for her to decide.

    "I¡­ Don¡¯t think I want my brothers to take over the duchy¡­ If they be the duke then I can¡¯t stop them from taking you away, and then I¡¯ll be all alone again¡­"

    Right now it was somewhat okay. The brothers had more authority than her, but they couldn¡¯t just outright order her servants to leave her. They could offer better positions or deal with them in underhanded ways, but that was it. But if one of them became the duke? A word would be all it took for them to separate her from her new friend, she¡¯d be powerless to stop them.

    "So what do you want to do with it then?"

    She¡¯d found something she didn¡¯t like, a future she didn¡¯t want toe to pass. That was step one, now she just had to figure out how she would stop it from happening. Once she did that, then she would have her desire. And how did you stop someone else from bing the duke? The answer was perfectly in and simple.

    "I¡­ I think I want to be the duke. Then I can eat cake whenever I want, I can get fresh fruits whenever I want. Then¡­ Then no one can take my friend away from me."

    Duke, duchess, ruler of Vritara. Never once had Alice thought about that position. That dark room, those closed curtains, that was all she knew, all she expected. She was alone, so it would be enough for someone like her. But now there was someone who would open the blinds for her, someone who would turn on the lights, someone who said he wanted to be by her side. She¡­ She didn¡¯t want to lose that.

    "Alright, then that¡¯s your desire. Alice De Vritara, you want to be the next duchess. You want it, so we must work towards it."

    The desire was born. In the show, despite being the final viin, Alice De Vritara never once actually tried to take over the duchy. From when she was first introduced until the second-tost season, she remained the illegitimate child of the Vritara family, not even after gaining strength and renown did she look at the seat of the duke.

    But now, now that story had been thrown for aplete loop. How would it affect the numbers that hovered in the sky? Would they rise, would they plummet? In the show, the viewership numbers on episodes where the viiness was tormented were always rather high, people loved watching a bad person get their just deserts.

    He was going to take that from them. The pitiful viiness, the torment, the suffering, the tears that the evildy shed. He¡¯d rob them of it all, he¡¯d not allow it to be that sort of story again.

    Alice hesitated somewhat in the face of Gabriel¡¯s words, her mouth opening and closing a few times. She didn¡¯t want to say it. She had just gotten a friend, someone who¡¯d even bake a delicious birthday cake for her. She didn¡¯t want to say it and ruin things, because surely, once he knew the truth, he too would leave her.

    But he had been kind, and when she thought about reciprocating that kindness with lies, she felt sick. So even if she had to bite her lips as she spoke, she needed to tell him the truth.

    "But¡­ But there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t be the duke. I have dirty blood in me so I can¡¯t inherit the title. And¡­ And¡­ And I can¡¯t use magic like the rest of the family so I can¡¯t protect the duchy¡­ I can never be the duke."

    She forced out the truth. The Vritara Duchy, the Dragon Duke that protected the empire. She only had half of his blood so she wasn¡¯t qualified to inherit the duchy whenpared to her siblings. And then there was the magic¡­ A dragon that couldn¡¯t use magic? How shameful was that, how humiliating? They would never let something like that sit on their throne.

    She was ready to get despised, a scornful look. But when she raised her head to face reality, all she saw was an unconcerned, and even gentle look.

    "Okay, and?"

    He didn¡¯t even look surprised. Was it because he didn¡¯t understand it? He seemed very mature, but he was just an orphan, could it be that he didn¡¯t know what it meant? But when she was going to exin it further, he stretched out a hand and ced the tip of his finger against her nose, pushing it slightly.

    "No one¡¯s blood is dirty, my Lady, I want you to know that. From the lowestmoner to the highest emperor, it¡¯s all just blood, it all flows red. And who said that an illegitimate child can¡¯t inherit the duchy? If you be stronger than your siblings, better than all of them put together, who¡¯s going to stop you from taking the title of Dragon Duchess?"

    It was just that ¡®easy.¡¯ Be stronger than Leonardo. Be stronger than Francis, be better than your sister and your father. Who would care about your blood at that point?

    "But¡­ my magic¡­"

    It was a nice thought, bing better than all of them. But they all had something she didn¡¯t, they had qualifications she didn¡¯t have. Without them, everything they spoke of here would just be a fleeting dream. But Gabriel maintained that gentle look, that soft poke on her nose as he tilted her head slightly upwards.

    "My Lady, I don¡¯t care what anyone else in the world has told you, nor should you. You are unparallelled. Not talented, not gifted. Unparallelled. Within you, you carry the capability to be the greatest person this world will ever know. So hold your head high, you have that right."

    Gabriel knew things no one else did, he had seen a future no one here would ever know of. So he knew what was sitting in front of him. It wasn¡¯t through wit that Alice had drowned the empire in blood and lit it ame, it was through sheer strength.

    Naturally, she hadn¡¯t seen that future so she had a hard time believing it. She wanted to, but she just couldn¡¯t. Once reality came setting in, wouldn¡¯t it just hurt that much more if she believed it? Gabriel saw it in her eyes, the darkness swimming within the crimson pupils.

    Really, what a shitty family, couldn¡¯t even make it so that she was able to believe in herself. Oh well, he was already nning to take the storyline and mess it up so it wasn¡¯t as if this wasn¡¯t within his ns.

    "Let me guess, when they took you to test your mana affinity, you first got a mish-mash of colours that eventually settled into an oily ck? And afterwards, no matter which of the ancient words they tried, you couldn¡¯t use any of them"

    The mana affinity test. It was something all nobles took, and something everymoner could take after they became ten. If you came up nk, you had no mana or affinity, if you got a colour then you had an affinity for that element. There would asionally be people with strange mixes of colours, and people like Alice, but they were never able to use magic no matter which of the ancient words they tried to use.

    Alice looked a bit shocked that Gabriel had been able to point it out that urately. She had indeede up as oily ck in the end, her family making her test every single one of the 11 types of magic. But as he said, none of them worked, not even the lowest ranked spell woulde out. She was a defect. Gabriel simply kept smiling.

    "I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? What if I told you that its simply because they used the wrong words? Eras, Arais, Waraya, Tarak, Azui, Katush, Uvaish. Even Karas, G, Diverta, and Akasha, you tried them all, didn¡¯t you? But they¡¯re still wrong, they¡¯re not for you. You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you that, right? So let¡¯s try it."

    He hopped down from his seat after reciting the 11 magic types. They had been around since before the founding of this empire even, they had been in use for thousands of years. But there was something he knew that no one else knew yet, there were more of them. Other than thest four types, which were solitary and didn¡¯t interact with any other types, the first 7 were reactive. Several of them could merge.

    He picked up some paper and a bit of coal, bringing it over to the table as he sat down again. Using the coal, he started to scribble on the first sheet of paper, drawing a formation on one side and words beneath.

    "Let¡¯s start with an easy one, Eras and Arais. Together they be Iras. And if youbine Iras with Karc then you have the lowest level spell. This is the formation, try it for yourself."

    Alice looked at the paper with some scepticism, she had never seen a formation like this, nor had she ever heard about mixing elements. But there was something about the way Gabriel spoke, the unbound confidence, she just couldn¡¯t treat it as a joke. She studied the formation he drew up and memorised it, linking it with the words.

    "Iras Karc."

    The second the words left her mouth, she felt a bit of energy within her body move. The mana she could sense but never had a use for, it was moving within her. It seeped out of her body and entered the air, a dark blue crackle of lightning sparking in the air in front of her. It crackled for a few seconds before vanishing, leaving a dumbfounded Alice.

    "Iras is lightning, and Karc is crackle, together they form a bit of crackling lightning. Not too useful, but pretty to look at."

    "Iras Karc."

    Alice muttered the words again as Gabriel spoke, a crackle of lightning lighting up her face. She looked dumbfounded.

    "Iras Karc."

    Again, a sh of light.

    "Iras Karc."

    Violet hair, like strands of wolfsbane woven together.

    "Iras Karc."

    Crimson eyes that seemed like a mixture between blood and roses, in the light of the lightning they seemed like a pair of blood moons that hung in the night sky.

    "Iras Karc."

    She kept going, even when she started to feel tired from using too much mana. This was a very small spell, but she was just a child, and she had never put too much focus on increasing her mana because she had no use for it so it was inevitable that she would get tired. But right now, those waves of weariness made her ecstatic.

    "You¡¯re crying again. But this is just the start, Alice. Arais and Tarak for Duvak, Eras and Tarak for Makar, Azui and Katush for Natar. There¡¯s even more than just those, and you can use all of them. I told you, you are unparallelled."

    His hand moved as he spoke, as he reassured her. He drew a diagram on the other side of the paper, writing down the elements and fusions that he knew, leaving out only the four non-reactive magic types of Darkness, Light, Divine, and Demonic.

 Chapter 15: Preparations.

    Chapter 15: Preparations.

    "There we go. Can¡¯t be a whole lot of tears left in there after all that."

    Gabriel once again wiped what remained of Alice¡¯s previous tears. She still looked at her own hands as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she had seen. She wanted to keep uttering the words, but she was all out of mana so nothing came out. Here eyes naturally slid down as Gabriel wiped her face, the chart ced neatly in front of her.

    "Waaahh¡­"

    The words she already knew, except for the four special ones, were all there, neatly marked in their own boxes. The foundations of the world, the magic that had carried humanity for hundreds, thousands of years. And then there were the lines. Words that she¡¯d never seen before, connections that no one had ever made. But they were there, all ready, all prepared for her.

    "How¡­ How do you know about all of these? It wasn¡¯t a book, right?"

    Alice, despite everything, wasn¡¯t an utter oaf. Thesebined words, these new elements¡­ if discovering them was as easy as just reading a book then they would have spread long ago. The most reasonable exnation was that he found them in some ruin that dated back to when the ancientnguage wasmon. But he was just an orphan, a little kid just like her, there was no way he would have the opportunity to do something like that.

    Gabriel had expected it. It was natural, something that upset themon sense of the world was just ced so casually on the table without exnation. Even the most brain-dead child would question where it came from, especially since it came from another child.

    So he¡¯d been ready for the question, it was bound toe after all. He could weave a tale, he could give her several excuses, he could even make himself out to be a prophet or a saint who heard the word of god. There were many excuses he could give her to keep her quiet. But in the end, he chose none of them.

    "The seventh t of a good person is to not lie to your allies, so I will never lie to you, my Lady. So for now, I will remain silent. One day I will tell you the truth, but it won¡¯t be today."

    Honesty was a virtue, and a foundational requirement for any rtionship. So he could not, would not, lie to Alice about how he knew thebined words. But nor would he tell her the truth.

    "Then¡­ When?"

    Luckily, it seemed as if Alice wasn¡¯t going to press him for answers after seeing his expression. Just as she had hesitated to tell him about her own state, it was clear that he had things he didn¡¯t want to talk about. He respected her boundaries, so she would have to respect his. Gabriel thought about the question for a second, he originally nned to just tell her everything at once at ater date, perhaps once she took over the duchy, but he thought of a better way.

    "Hmm¡­ Right, how about I give you one truth for each milestone? The day you be officially acknowledged by the duchy, the day you get acknowledged by the imperial family, the day you get your first title, the day of your marriage, and the day you take over the duchy. Every time you reach one, I will let you ask me any one question that I swear that I will answer with nothing but the truth. How does that sound?"

    She had just set the foundation for her desire to take over the duchy, but it didn¡¯t hurt to give her a little bit of motivation for the steps she would have to take to reach that day. It would also make it easier for her to focus, most tasks were easier if you split them into smaller problems after all.

    "Okay! You can¡¯t go back on your promise, okay?"

    Luckily, Alice blossomed into a smile upon the suggestion, it was probably easier for her to grasp these smaller steps than it would be to grasp some distant date or goal. Especially that first step, she felt that if she practised magic diligently then she wouldn¡¯t be too far away from it.

    "Of course not. The fourth t is to always stay true to your own words, sometimes they are all you have."

    Gabriel could only smile as he promised. His old master always said that a man was only as good as his words, because at the end of the day, those would be all he was left with. And yet¡­ that very same master couldn¡¯t stay true to theirst promise.

    "Then, pinky promise?"

    Alice¡¯s voice dragged him back to the present, her small hand stuck right up to his face, her pinky wiggling as if to urge him on. He blinked quickly a few times to dissipate what remained of the past, presenting his own pinky.

    "Alright, pinky promise."

    In two lives, this would be his first pinky promise, not even his own sister had ever been childish enough to utilise them. Well, that was probably something to be thankful for, this second life would be too sad if he only experienced and did the same things as his first life.

    "So if I can use all these new words, which ones can you use?"

    Once their hands separated, Alice¡¯s attention returned to the chart that Gabriel had drawn, renewed vigour bursting forth from her every pore. She knew a handful of minor ancient words, but if she wanted to utilise all these elements properly then she would have to study more than ever before, she¡¯d need words for every possible situation.

    "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have ess to a mana affinity tester, and I haven¡¯t managed to umte any mana yet so I haven¡¯t been able to test them one by one."

    A mana affinity tester would be the easiest to use, it would just let him see it straight away. But he would have to wait three more years if he wanted to use the public one. That was a bit too long for him so he had to go with the other option, gathering some mana and testing it on his own.

    He was busy enough as it was, but now he would have to serve as Alice¡¯s butler and help her with her magic studies so he would only get busier. He could gather a bit of mana while teaching Alice, there would probably be enough downtime. But as expected, he would have to pick up some things outside if he wanted to speed things up.

    "But that reminds me, my Lady, I have a request. I would like to be given leave every Thursday to go into the city. I would like to take advantage of the public library and some of the stores."

    This was the Vritara Duchy, they definitely had one of the best libraries in the world. But until Alice had a high enough position in the family he could forget about using it so he would have to settle for the public one. And then there was that one store¡­ Since he decided to act for the sake of making Alice the duchess, it seemed like he would have to make good use of it.

    "Leave? Of course, of course! I don¡¯t have much, but I¡¯ll give you some money before you leave, Eldest Sister said that its important to always properly pay people!"

    The little girl beat her chest to appear trustworthy, but Gabriel could already imagine how meagre her allowance was. To give some of that to him? She was already cutting into her own food just so that he could have some extra as he trained. She gave and gave. In the original, there was never anyone to give something back. He would change that. And step one would be a maid, a trustworthy one.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll have to ept your generosity at that time. But before then, I rmend that you start gathering more mana, otherwise it will be hard to practice the rest of thebined words. I have to go to Knight Trainer Lawrence and exin the situation, but I¡¯ll be back afterwards."

    Technically, Gabriel should be doing his daily strength training with Lawrence right about now. But with Leonardo calling him, and him going to Alice right after, those ns inevitably fell through. And until he could pick up that maid, he would have to tend to Alice in the morning and afternoon as well so he would have to exin the situation.

    "Okay, Okay! Apologise to Grandpa Lawrence for me, that way he won¡¯t be as angry at you."

    Perhaps it was because she had gotten to cry it out now, but Gabriel noticed that Alice wasn¡¯t dragging her words as much. There was less hesitation within each sentence and she seemed more bubbly, all she really needed all along was someone to give back for everything she gave.

    "Don¡¯t worry, my Lady, I will. Then, untilter."

    He shed her a smile and then bowed politely, Alice beaming at the sight and tone. He could still hear a bit of faintughter from the kitchen even as he moved through the hallway. The viiness that was always crying, now she wasughing. And he would ensure that it would stay like that, which naturally meant that there were some things he had to do.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Excuse me, is this the kitchen of the third Young Master?"

    Gabriel poked his head through the door, the kitchen already bustling as chefs and servants were rushing about to finish the food. Finding the kitchen was easy once you knew theyout, the question was just something he posed to look a bit more innocent, a naive expression on his face.

    "Eh, a new servant? Are you thest one of the servants that the red-eyed one brought in?"

    A slightly older woman was the one who responded to him, looking him up and down. Deep crow¡¯s feet by her eyes, pale lips covered up by lipstick, slicked back brown hair with a few grey strands, a sharp nose, and blue eyes with a few murky dots. She fit the description that Alice had given of the ¡®kind¡¯ servant who handed her the fruits she so politely asked for.

    "Yes, I am Gabriel and have recently been assigned as Lady Alice¡¯s knight, I¡¯ll also be her butler until a new maid is found. I came to thank Chef Lauri for the fruits that my Lady received earlier."

    A bright and cheery smile befitting a child of his age. At least for this moment, he truly looked like an orphan who had never even gotten to see fresh fruits before. The ageddy, Lauri, also returned the smile, truly the image of a caring grandmother.

    "Yes, that would be me. And oh please, no need to exaggerate it that much. It¡¯s important that the littledy eats well so isn¡¯t it just right that she gets some nice fruits? I¡¯m just happy that she got to enjoy some fresh delicacies."

    If snakes could talk, would they sound like her? Gabriel suddenly found himself beset by that thought. If the knife in your back had a voice then it would surely be hers. But well, that was just fine with him.

    "Yes, it really is important that my Lady gets to eat well, that is exactly why I came to thank you. I may not have much trust in my culinary abilities, but I am quite confident in making sweets, should the opportunity arise then I will definitely make it for you as well."

    An eager child, a grateful and overconfident one. That was what Lauri thought of the one in front of her. The littledy was happy with what he made because she didn¡¯t know what good food was so now he wanted to show it off a little. It would be cute if it wasn¡¯t to her he did it.

    "Ohoho, no need for that, I¡¯m not worthy of that much gratitude."

    She waved him aside with grace and elegance, mimicking what she had seen the young lord do at times. Yes, it was important to be elegant even when faced with overconfident children like this. .

    "Oh, but I think you are, so please let me repay you. But ah, I¡¯m only confident in my sweets so when the timees it¡¯ll be just deserts."

    As she looked at his smile, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that it warped slightly for a moment, those dark violet eyes stabbing directly into her. She blinked once and it was gone, but the sensation still lingered in the back of her mind as he continued to talk.

    "You won¡¯t mind, right?"

    He just kept looking straight at her, her own visage reflected in his purple eyes, drowning in the colour. She opened her mouth to respond, clearing her throat to retain her elegance. But the loud sound of a bell cut through the air before she could utter a word, the little child tilting his head slightly as he excused himself.

    "Ah, forgive me, but that is the morning bell, I must head to Knight Trainer Lawrence now. I look forward to seeing you again when the time to enjoy something sweetes."

 Chapter 16: Preparations. (2)

    Chapter 16: Preparations. (2)

    "A butler? You? And for the Young Lady no less?"

    Lawrence looked down at the kid beneath him with a dumbfounded expression. He was already training twice a day to be a knight and now he had to be a butler at the same time? How were you even supposed to get any sleep with a schedule like that?

    "Yes, things sort of ended up¡­ falling in ce like that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m¡­ afraid that I¡¯ll need to move the morning training and do it aler in the evening. I need to attend my Lady during the¡­ morning and afternoon from now on."

    Gabriel released a heavy breath with each sentence. He was currently bare-chested and on all fours, struggling to do push-ups. Normal push-ups were rtively easy, but Lawrence was standing over him and holding a cold metal pipe against his back. Every time Gabriel pushed back against the pipe and finished one set, Lawrence would put a little more force into it, continuing until he copsed.

    "That¡¯s true. In a situation like this, your duties towards your master will take precedence over your training. It¡¯ll be tiresome, but it seems like we have no choice but to do some strength training a few hours after the normal training. Since you should be allowed to sleep in the mansion now this will save you some time on the walk so we should be able to squeeze it in if we cut down the training time by an hour or so."

    Lawrence did the math in his head as he increased the power in his grasp, Gabriel finally copsing to the floor. Their eyes met as he looked down, the gaze he could only consider ufortable at times looking up at him.

    "Why do I feel like you just ignored me saying that I would do it alone? People need to sleep, especially geezers."

    Lawrence wasining that Gabriel wouldn¡¯t get much sleep, but Gabriel knew that Lawrence had it just as bad. He was in charge of training all the new knights, as well as overseeing the training of the other knights. This was one of only three duchies, the number of knights it had just on this estate alone was massive. Even if he didn¡¯t personally oversee every minute of training, just the number of reports he had to read and nning he had to do would take at least a couple of hours.

    "Because I did, in fact, ignore it, brat. If I leave you to do your own training then you¡¯ll be too stupid to know when to stop, and too stubborn to stop when you know you should. And don¡¯t go worrying about my beauty sleep, the old worry about the young, not the other way around."

    Lawrence snorted and kicked some dust at Gabriel before he could stand up. He¡¯d already helped Gabriel with his training for a handful of days so he was confident that he had a semnce of an understanding when it came to the kid. He looked a bit frivolous, but he was serious about the training and about improving, he¡¯d pushed himself to the limit without Lawrence doing anything on more than one asion.

    And that was why Lawrence was afraid. This kid, if he left him on his own, it wouldn¡¯t be too long before he broke himself. He already felt like a cracked mirror, a small push away from shattering into pieces that would never fit together again. So he couldn¡¯t leave him alone, too many small kids hade to the army with a dream, only to either leave as husks or never leave at all.

    "Your arms have given out, but your legs should still work. Get up and run."

    Lawrence kicked Gabriel¡¯s shin so that he would stand up faster, pping him on the back when he finally got to his feet. He remained in ce, his eyes following the young child as he ran around the training grounds.

    Run boy. Run for survival. Run for tomorrow. Just keep on running, only like that will you ever be able to leave.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "All tuckered out?"

    Lawrence almost smirked as he looked down at Gabriel, who was lying on his back while heaving, a bit of vomit mixing into the dusty dirt at his side. Arms, legs, back, chest, stomach, legs again, arms again. Lawrence helped him push the limit time and time again, and this state would always be his reward.

    "Don¡¯t even have the energy to flip me off, that¡¯s how you know it¡¯s done properly."

    He could see that Gabriel was trying to either curse at him or extend his finger, but he wouldn¡¯t have the energy to do even that before he got to catch his breath a bit. Seeing his chance, Lawrence walked to the edge of the training grounds and dug into his sack. He pulled out a package wrapped in paper and returned, dropping it at Gabriel¡¯s side.

    "You¡¯re the Young Lady¡¯s knight, you can¡¯t keeping here in the same old rags. Consider them a bted birthday gift if you don¡¯t want to ept them out of the blue. They¡¯re not up to the standard of a butler, but you¡¯ll have to buy your own uniform for that, my pockets are only so deep."

    Gabriel had been here for a bit already, but he hadn¡¯t actually received a new set of clothes yet. After all, he was just working for Alice, what point would there be in giving him anything? So he could only wear the same ragged shirt and pants he used in the orphanage, he really stuck out like a sore thumb even among the other servants.

    Gabriel caught his breath for a few minutes before he could finally turn over on his side and just barely sit up. The package was quite thick, a few sets of clothing revealing themselves as he unwrapped it.

    White shirts and jackets made out of leather so brown it was almost ck, buckles rather than buttons adorning the centre of the jacket to hold it together. ck pants made out of a simr sturdy leather-like material, a belt for a sheath on each one. The boots were also made out of leather, their right side adorned with buckles for when they were too loose. And finally, a couple of simple gloves that came in both white and ck.

    "A knight, no matter the age, should look the part if he has decided to protect someone."

    Lawrence couldn¡¯t hold back the small smile as he looked at Gabriel unpack the things. It had been a pain to find them in his size, but when he thought about how that ragged kid would look in them he felt that it would be worth it. It really was just a very standard knight uniform, but it was miles better than his rags, probably better than anything he had been given so far.

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head as he held up one of the jackets, it reminded him of the uniforms he asionally saw in his past life, whenever amercial for the yearly renaissance fair came on. He would be lying if he said that he hadn¡¯t thought about his clothes, he was just wearing what basically amounted to dirty rags after all.

    But he also knew the situation. He couldn¡¯t afford clothes, Alice couldn¡¯t afford clothes, and no one else in the Vritara family would give him clothes, simply because he worked for Alice. So he hade to terms with the fact that he would have to wear these rags for at least a little bit longer.

    But now¡­ this.

    "¡­"

    He was a bit speechless to be frank. Knight Trainer Lawrence, a man who never got to appear in the show because of his execution. When they first met, Gabriel had no idea what sort of person he would be, he had next to no information on him. But this, coupled with the previous days, made it clear what sort of person Lawrence was, it also made it clear why he was executed. Knight Trainer Lawrence, who was supposed to one day teach Alice a little bit of swordy, was a good person.

    "Thank you. I will treasure them."

    Gabriel took off his shirt and slipped on one of the new ones, following it up with one of the jackets and one of the pants. It was thick and sturdy. It wouldn¡¯t stop a de, but a knife should see some trouble with it. They were also a bit too big for him so it seemed like Lawrence also ounted for his future growth.

    "No need, they¡¯re just clothes. Just make sure to wear them with pride and keep your head up as you protect yourdy."

    Lawrence only snorted, rubbing his finger beneath his nose a few times when he was faced with Gabriel¡¯s gratitude. He then stretched out his arm, offering his hand as he helped Gabriel to his feet.

    "Follow me."

    He pat away some of the dust that clung to Gabriel¡¯s legs and then beckoned for him to follow along. The two made their way across the training grounds, weaving between the circr fields until they reached the outer walls where the weapon racks were neatly lined up.

    Lawrence scrutinised the weapons as they walked along the racks, his one eye sharply looking for something. In the end, his gaze settled on a sword that lookedpletely new, the edge without a single chip and the depletely clean. He drew the sword from the rack and gave it a closer inspection, eventually giving it a satisfied nod before he picked up its sheath. The sword entered the sheath and was then presented to Gabriel.

    "Any knight worth his salt needs a good weapon. Originally, you would have to wait until you¡¯re 15 before you can get your hands on a real weapon. But well, I¡¯m the Knight Trainer, I can make an exception here and there. Take it, may it serve you well."

    The weapon was a standard longsword, ck leather wrapped around the hilt. It looked to be a bit on the longer side, and when Gabriel grabbed it he realized that it was quite a bit heavier than what he read in his past life. With his current body, he could forget about swinging it as he pleased, it would be like trying to swing a dumbbell. Well, then again, that might be good training in its own right.

    He fiddled with the weapon a bit, trying to attach the sheath to the belt that came with the new pants. But it was quite a bit more difficult than he expected, he figured it would just be like buckling a belt. In the end, Lawrence had to intervene.

    "Here, let me show you."

    The aged knight bent down slightly and helped Gabriel fasten the sheath, tilting it more than usual so that the tip didn¡¯t end up dragging because of Gabriel¡¯s short stature.

    "There we go, now you¡¯re starting to look like a proper knight. The morning training has finished so you can go to your Lady now, show off to your hearts content and get some nice praise while you¡¯re at it."

    The old man pat Gabriel on the shoulder a few times as he spoke, a grin adorning his face. He¡¯d met more than a few soldiers who couldn¡¯t wait to run home and show off their uniforms. It would be nice if Gabriel could be childish enough to do that, but Lawrence had the sneaking suspicion that would sadly not be the case.

    "Alright. I¡¯ll see youter tonight, make sure you get your afternoon nap, old man."

    Lawrence had no idea how to respond to the way Gabriel spoke sometimes, it was more reminiscent of the soldiers who fought with him in the war than it was a kid. It wasfortable because it was familiar, but ufortable because it came from such a small kid.

    His gaze lingered on the kid¡¯s back as he walked away. There was a slight limp to his step, he was probably still sore from the training. But he was still going to head to his Lady, and then he woulde to do more trainingter. And then he would repeat it for days on end. Looking at him, Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but spit out a breath as he smiled, it seemed like there was finally someone who could make him say these words.

    "Thank you, Kiddo, for not abandoning the Young Lady."

 Chapter 17: Preparations. (3)

    Chapter 17: Preparations. (3)

    Wake Alice in the morning, help her with breakfast and picking out clothing for the day. Study magic and help her understand the various new words she had to learn as well as how to draw the appropriate formations. After studying magic for a few hours, it was time to do more normal studies such as history, territory management, etiquette, everything the heir to a duchy should know. Make lunch while studying and prepare a little for dinner, have a tea break and nap to recharge.

    After napping there would be a bit more studying, and then dinner. Once dinner was over, it would be time for Alice to meditate so that she could absorb more mana and work on increasing her capacity and control. While she did that, Gabriel went to the training grounds and spent a few hours training under Lawrence and some of the other knights, returning in time to help Alice get ready for bed.

    Once she fell asleep, he would have two hours to do his own meditation to gather some mana and then it was once again time to meet Lawrence on the training grounds. The nightly training was kept shorter than the original strength training they did, but as a result they had to go a little bit harder to make up for it. Once that training was over, he could go back and get four or five hours of sleep before he woke up again, slightly before the sun itself rose. He would then spend an hour gathering mana before waking Alice as the sun rose, repeating the day.

    It was monotonous, as if the same day was looping without end. But he enjoyed it while itsted, things would get hectic before long and the number of things he would need to oversee would increase by quite a bit. Originally, he intended to maintain this routine for three weeks while he gathered enough mana to test the various elements, kicking things into gear afterwards. But after just one week, Alice took those ns and crushed them splendidly.

    "Gabriel, Gabriel! Look, look what I got!"

    Gabriel had been in his room when Alice burst through the door with such gusto that it seemed as if she wanted to take it off its hinges. He had just finished training with Lawrence so he was washing off the sweat as she barged in, his top bare as he scrubbed it with a wet towel. But naturally, both of them were just children right now so neither of them even bat an eye, Alice rushing up to him and waving and item in front of his face.

    "Look! Look!"

    The item she almost pushed against his nose was a translucent orb resting on a pedestal. If he saw it in his old life then he would think that it was something bought off of a fortune teller. But in this world, this tacky thing was actually quite valuable and useful. A MAT-device, Mana Affinity Testing Device. Using this item, people would be able to save a great deal of time and mana as they didn¡¯t need to test every element.

    The reason it saved time was the phenomena that happened when you tried to cast a spell of an element that you didn¡¯t have an affinity for. The mana would flow out in ordance with the spell formation, but nothing woulde out of it. Worse yet, the mana used to activate the non-functioning formation would dissipate so you would have to gather it up again when you had time. It was an extreme hassle, especially when there were so many words you had to test.

    "This¡­ How did you get your sister to lend it to you?"

    Gabriel looked at the orb somewhat curiously. Within this estate, there were four such devices. The duke held one and each of his children, barring Alice, held one. That way they could all test their own people and work on building up their own force. Her brothers would never lend her theirs and she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet the duke even if she tried so the only one left belonged to her eldest sister.

    Said sister had no reason to lend it to Alice, but she also didn¡¯t have a reason to not lend it to her. But still, from what Gabriel had seen in the show, Alice would have to give a sufficiently valid excuse to make that girl hand it over. After all, Alice¡¯s older sister was just too simr to the duke, sticklers for rules that looked at the whole of the duchy rather than this family. They were good people who thought about what was best for the masses, but terrible family members in that regard.

    "I didn¡¯t, Eldest Sister wouldn¡¯t let me borrow it if I didn¡¯t have a valid excuse. I¡­ Borrowed¡­ this one from Elder Brother."

    Commoners had to be ten years of age before they could get tested by a MAT-device, that was the iron-d rule set down by the imperial family of the past. Gabriel was her servant, but with Alice¡¯s position in the family he was basically still just amoner, borrowing it to test him would not suffice as an excuse.

    "You¡­ ¡®Borrowed¡¯ it?"

    Gabriel tried to stop it, but his eyebrow still rose incredulously. This little girl, who previously stumbled just because said Elder Brother spoke to her from his carriage, had taken advantage of the time where Leonardo was out of the house to sneak into his room to ¡®borrow¡¯ his MAT-device?

    "Did¡­ Did I do something bad?"

    Seeing that she didn¡¯t get the overjoyed reaction that she was expecting, Alice couldn¡¯t help but shrink back. She had tried to listen to his advice, but had she gone wrong somewhere along the way? Luckily, it seemed as if that wasn¡¯t the case.

    "No? You found something you wanted and then did everything you could to get your hands on it, you followed the third t to a tee. And when you¡¯re doing it to a bad person, it can¡¯t really be considered bad. The only way to beat a bastard is by being a bigger bastard."

    By all ounts, Leonardo was a bastard. Ignoring his¡­ extracurricr activities, just the way he was treating his younger sister qualified him for that title. Don¡¯t hate the child just because the mother is no longer around to hate, that¡¯s just pathetic.

    "!That¡¯s great¡­"

    Alice let out a long breath of relief, mentally noting down everything Gabriel had said. Thisst week was probably the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. He was always there, gently guiding her forward, teaching her new things, learning alongside her, helping whenever she needed it. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could understand why people were so fond of the word ¡®friend¡¯. And perhaps, if she was lucky, they would be so close in the future that he could also teach her why people loved the word ¡®family.¡¯

    "Use it then, quickly! It stings at first, but you have to grit your teeth and bear it, otherwise the magic inside the orb will surge out and chew up your arm!"

    The little girl raised her hands above her head as if she was reciting a ghost story, her face dead-serious as she warned him. But what met her warning was a very small smile on Gabriel¡¯s face.

    "My Lady¡­ Whoever said that was lying to you, there¡¯s no way the Imperial Family would use such an item on their own members."

    True, the device would cause a bit of stinging pain, but the magic going wild and taking off your arm? That was just an old wives tale used to scare children into behaving in front of the officials when they got their affinity checked. As for how that story reached Alice, he didn¡¯t doubt that one of the brothers wanted to make her squirm by whispering it to her as the device activated.

    "¡­Muuh¡­"

    A light groan escaped the girl as a light shade of red spread on her cheeks. He was looking at her with the same expression he had when he was teaching her a particrly hard subject and she was having a hard time understanding it. There was a certain gentleness to that thin smile, but she still felt like an idiot whenever he shed it. Her cheeks puffed slightly, but Gabriel raised an arm before she could even say anything to retort.

    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll use it."

    She was getting a little better at talking back to him, nagging even, so if he let her go off now then they might sit here for a few more minutes. And since neither of them really knew when Leonardo would return, it would be best to not waste more time than they already had.

    Alice zipped her mouth shut and Gabriel ced his hand on the orb, flipping the small switch on the base that wouldplete the internal magic formation to power it. Tens, if not hundreds, of small barbs immediately rose from within the orb, digging into Gabriel¡¯s palm and drawing out his blood.

    But still, not a single drop stained the outside of the translucent orb. Each barb sucked in the blood around it and fuelled it into the orb, light starting to surface from within the orb.

    "Well, we¡¯ve got something at least."

    The fact that the orb lit up meant that his blood was conducive to mana and he thus had a body that could store, andter on produce when he reached the appropriate star, mana. He¡¯d already started gathering mana so he knew he could store it in his body, but looking at the rity of the light it seemed as if this body was a bit more talented in the magical aspect than he would have expected.

    The clear light was slowly overtaken by the crimson that came from his blood, a floating blob forming within the orb. All the light was drawn into the blob, its reddish colour washing away in favour of three new colours that were slowly starting to rise up.

    "Three, that¡¯s a lot better than expected. If I¡¯m lucky then I can probably also use somebined magic."

    Gabriel mused to himself as the colours slowly solidified. There were two ways to use thebined magic words like Iras and Duvak . The first was to be born with an affinity for them, like Alice. The second was to have the two elements that formed it. So a person born with affinity for Arais and Eras couldbine the two in a spell to form Iras.

    But sadly, the three colours separated as they formed, meaning that they weren¡¯t capable of meshing with each other. But looking at the three colours that now shone within the orb, that thought was as far away from his mind as possible.

    "This¡­ Is unexpected."

    Pitch ck, ashen grey, dirty yellow. Three separate colours, each taking a bit of distance from each other, floated within the orb. The dirty yellow was fine, it was a very normal element. Waraya, Strength. The two others however¡­ were a bit special. Both of them fell outside of the normal magic elements, generally referred to as the Elemental Star. No, these two elements belonged to the star focused entirely on solitary magic elements, the Divine Star.

    Pitch ck for Karas, Darkness and ashen grey for Akasha, Demon. They fell more in the umon range, all the elements in the Divine Star did. Well, in truth it was only called the Divine Star because it contained Diverta and Akasha, in truth it would be more fitting to just call it the Non-Reactive star.

    Naturally, the fact that they couldn¡¯t bebined with other elements didn¡¯t mean that they were weaker, it just meant that they were too unique to properly merge with the others. That was especially the case for that ashen grey light, it was one of the two more unique elements.

    Akasha. In the ancientnguage, it meant Demon. But in truth, it also had a secondary and a tertiary meaning, all depending on which text you took it from. Memorial and Memory. Some thought that this meant that Akasha was the memory of the world, a library of all things that had been.

    But in the end, it also meant demon, so it was a demonic library. And that was reflected in the magic it became as well. As it was right now, Gabriel would not be able to cast even the lowest-ranked Akasha spell. It wouldn¡¯t be because hecked the mana, it would be because hecked the required ingredient.

    Demons.

    Akasha magic required demons, be they beasts that broke through a fissure between worlds or monsters deformed by mana. A dragon, as an example, was a highest-grade Demon, a Cataclysm Demon. Should an Akasha user manage to kill or subdue a dragon and use their magic on it, they would be able to use their Akasha magic in the future to call upon the elements and might of said dragon.

    At the base-line, Akasha was the weakest element. But the growth potential it had was terrifying, only beneath Diverta, which drew power directly from the gods.

    "Alright, guess that one¡¯s on hold for now."

    Hunting demons? In his current state? He may as well just slit his own wrists to get it over with faster. Luckily, he still had Karas and Waraya, both would certainly be useful. Especially Karas, he was nning on doing a lot of things now that he knew what magic he had at his disposal, Karas would give him an extrayer of safety.

    "Waaahh¡­ That¡¯s Akasha, isn¡¯t it? It is, isn¡¯t it? And Karas too¡­ Awawawa, you¡¯re amazing!"

    Alice rubbed her eyes as she looked at the three colours, those two dull colours practically sparkling as they reflected in her crimson eyes. Two elements from the Divine Star, thest time something like this was recorded was around three thousand years ago, when the Sword Saint cut down thest king of demons, a Deicide-grade Demon.

    "My Lady, I must ask for a favour. Please do not tell anyone about this. If news of this spreads, there¡¯s a good chance that the duke, the Imperial Family, or the family to the east will take me away. So we need to keep it a secret, otherwise I don¡¯t think we can keep staying together."

    Gabriel had never seen Alice¡¯s mouth zip shut that quickly, for a second he was a bit worried that she would have cracked her teeth from how hurriedly she shut it. She nodded her head like a chicken to show that she understood it and quickly took the device from Gabriel, the lights within fading as she flipped the switch.

    "I won¡¯t tell anyone, I promise! So you can¡¯t leave me either, okay?"

    She held the device tight to her chest, her previous cheeriness slipping to give way to some worry. She knew her own position, and it had only be more apparent after Gabriel arrived. Forget her brothers, if the Imperial Family or the eastern family made him an offer then there wouldn¡¯t be anyone else in this world who could match it. And even if he rejected them, they could just force him, they had that authority.

    "I won¡¯t. I already promised that, and promises are made to be kept. But you should return that before it¡¯s toote, there¡¯s no telling what Leonardo will do if he finds out"

    Gabriel could only cate and distract the girl, who was just starting to understand how nice it was to have someone by her side and was thus extremely sensitive about losing it. Luckily, she didn¡¯t linger on the topic, remembering where she got the device from.

    "Yes, yes! I¡¯ll get rid of it right now! We never had it, nope, never even seen it!"

    She hurriedly stood up and darted out of the room as if she was holding hot coals. Gabriel was left alone again, still bare-chested with a wet towel over his shoulder. His gaze lowered to the wash-bin beneath him, his own face looking back at him. Silvery-white hair that hung a bit past his ears, violet pupils a shade so deep that you could get lost in them, tanned skin that was finally losing some of its roughness, and a pair of thin lips that were slowly pulling up into a smile.

    "Right then¡­ Leonardo, let¡¯s smash the back of your head a little."

    Oh yes. He had only waited with acting until he found out what magic he could use because it would change his ns. The expected three weeks became a measly one thanks to Alice, now it was time to start moving, it was time to make this estate where she could actually live with some modicum of peace.

 Chapter 18: The first gear.

    Chapter 18: The first gear.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t act immediately. He continued about his day as normal, which at this time really only meant helping Alice get ready for bed. He prepared her nightgown and had a bit of tea with her, spending a bit under an hour reading some stories so that she could unwind and fall asleep with rtive ease. Once he blew out thest candle in her room and stepped into the hallway, it was private time for him.

    "Right then, where exactly are you hiding?"

    Normally, Gabriel would spend the uing two hours gathering mana before he went to meet with Lawrence for their nightly training. But well, the opportunity he had been preparing for had snuck up on him like that so how could he not take advantage of it? So he held the candlestick and slowly moved through the dark hallway.

    "Karas Dilu."

    He muttered quietly and tapped into the mana he had managed to gather over the recent days, observing the candlestick. But it remainedpletely still, the me flickering quietly.

    "Karas Dilu."

    He tried again, his brows furrowing slightly. The mana moved and the words were spoken correctly. But there was still no movement around the candlestick.

    "Crud, figures that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy."

    "Karas Dilu."

    The magic formation, he was struggling a bit with the actual magic formation. The theory behind it was simple, mesh the words together into a circr magic formation and then fill in the letters one by one using your mana. But putting it to paper and doing it in practice were quite different. He could picture the magic formation required for the spell, but visualising it, especially as he slowly filled it with mana, proved troublesome.

    "Ah, to be a wizard in a TV-sho¡­"

    He was midint when his words suddenly halted, the mana he activated for his fourth attempt halting. Wait, there was something there, wasn¡¯t there?

    "¡­I can live with looking like a fool for a while. It¡¯s worth a shot."

    Wizards, witches, mages, whenever they appeared in shows, what was it they always did?

    "Karas Dilu."

    Gabriel¡¯s fingers moved. Like a conductor waving his stick, like a wizard brandishing his wand as he conjured his mes. The mana became the orchestra and his fingers the baton that directed the melody. Each finger was put in charge of a separate letter, each one carried a small strand of mana.

    It looked awkward. Each finger moved in a stocky manner, without any semnce of rhythm or smoothness. But as he said, he could live with looking like a fool. And sometimes, fools got results.

    The darkness that crept up Gabriel¡¯s arm beneath the candlestick wiggled for a moment before slithering up and covering the brass item. Once the entire item was covered, the darkness copsed, like a water pir that lost its support. The darkness returned to normal, but the candlestick was gone.

    "Karas Veck."

    Gabriel¡¯s fingers moved again, dancing to an awkward tune only he could hear. The copsed darkness rose again as the formation formed in his mind, the candlestick resting in his palm as the darkness receded.

    "¡­Ah, this body, I swear to god¡­"

    Gabriel looked at the candlestick as he cursed. Twoplete spells and three failed attempts that each took a third of the mana aplete one would. It was a pathetic number of spells, but that alone was enough to drain most of the mana he had. If he had to guess then he would have just barely enough for a single low-grade spell.

    "And those were just low-grade spells¡­ How the heck did Alice fling Cmity-grade spells like that in the show?"

    Spells were divided into several grades depending on their strength, demons and knights falling into the same grades. The first three were the standard ones, Low, General, and High. Most normal, emphasis on normal, people would never go past these three grades.

    But then there were the special cases. Disaster, Cmity, Cataclysm, Deicide. They existed outside the norm so they could not be ssified by the normal standards. Each one, be they knight, mage, or demon, who existed in one such ss, was the same as its namesake. A living catastrophe that could ruin cities, a country-ending threat, a continent-ending threat, and finally, a god-killer.

    "I don¡¯t even want to think about how annoying those formations must be¡­"

    There were two ways to decide the power of a spell, with the first and simplest one being the number of words it contained. Most low-grade spells contained two to three words while general grade spells ranged between four and six. The second way was much simpler, often dubbed the Simpleton Path or the Barbarian Path.

    And it really was simple, you just took the mana you would usually use in a six-word spell and packed it directly into a two-word spell. Naturally, controlling this process wasn¡¯t as simple as it sounded, as the sheer weight of the mana could be too much for the magic formation.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t as if either method was something Gabriel needed to worry about right now. He hadn¡¯t even formed the first of the four Core Stars so he could forget about putting out General-grade spells or packing excess power into low-grade spells. No, it would be best if he remained rooted in the present and what he could do right now.

    "Ah, there you are."

    His steps stopped in front of an engraving, or perhaps statue was the better word for it? It bulged out from the wall, but it was still part of the wall in the end so he wasn¡¯t sure which word to use for it. A marble dragon that stretched out for a bit over two metres leaned against the wall of the hallway, it was a perfect replica of the one he saw in the hallway after he was called in by Leonardo.

    In truth, there were quite a few statues like this spread out throughout the estate. And beyond that, there were many more minor parts that were simr, an eye, a scale, a piece of the wing, a whisker, a bit of the tail, a w. The dragon¡¯s image filled the entire mansion.

    "Later hase, time to be useful my friend."

    Gabriel murmured as he ced his hand on the statue, tracing some of the scales that ran along the spikes that rose on the statue¡¯s back. It seemed as if he touched them in a random order, hopping from scale to scale and even touching some multiple times. But before long, he felt it.

    The marble gave out beneath his hand, his arm sinking into it as if it was water. The corners of his lips turned up and he stepped forward, passing through the marble statue and into a dim and narrow hallway covered in cobwebs and dust. And behind him, the statue lookedpletely unaffected.

    "Ah, I really want to shake the architect¡¯s hand."

    This hallway was the skeleton of the mansion. It filled the entire building, prated every room and lead to every exit. It was the final card meant to ensure the life of the duke, a secret passage known only to the duke and the one who would inherit the title. With it, escaping the mansion was easy, it would also be easy to spy on everyone in the mansion to ensure that they were actually being loyal.

    Well, at least that was the intended purpose, for now it would serve as Gabriel¡¯s personal highway. No one other than the duke knew about it at this point in time so there was no way he would think that someone else was using it.

    "Right then. Leonardo."

    Gabriel¡¯s first target was already set so he didn¡¯t hesitate before he started to walk, navigating the cramped hallway. Well, calling it cramped wasn¡¯t exactly fair, it was wide and tall enough to amodate a full-grown man so Gabriel actually had more than enough space.

    After a short while, Gabriel reached his target. The hallway was lined with a multitude of ¡®windows¡¯, sections of the wall that werepletely transparent so that he could see the surroundings. And spreading out beyond the window in front of him was Leonardo¡¯s bedroom, which was currently empty because Leonardo had yet to return.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t move immediately, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and just watched. And watched. And watched. And watched. In the end, he stood there for nearly an hour and three quarters, it was almost time to meet up with Lawrence.

    Only then, after not having seen any movement for nearly two hours, hid he move. He pushed on the ¡®window¡¯ and stepped through it, walking out from the wall that held the carving of a dragon¡¯s scale.

    Leonardo¡¯s room really was pointlesslyrge, it was about as big as a normal house thanks to the conjoined rooms that were attached to it. But today, what Gabriel came for was quite important to Leonardo so he kept it in a ce where he could easily reach it, by his bed.

    Standing by the bed, which was covered in satin sheets and had silken drapes hanging from attachments in the ceiling, was a nightstand made from dark blue wood, a crystalmp standing atop it. He pulled out the one drawer it had and removed the books, utching the fake bottom to reveal the real treasure that Leonardo wanted to keep close.

    A ne. Beads made from white gold covered the cord, each one intricately engraved to depict various animals or nts. The centrepiece was a beautiful emerald that was nearly five centimetres wide and almost twice as wide, oval in shape and perfectly smooth in its rounding. Surrounding the emerald and attaching it to the beads was a faintly pink casing decorated to resemble the Vritara family¡¯s emblem, their motto engraved along its sides.

    "For someone who speaks so much of hate, you really have a hard time letting it go¡­"

    This ne was special to Leonardo, in the show it had been his dearest possession. But the problem was that he got it from his mother when he got his spirit awakened and became a General-grade mage in the past. He was supposed to hate his mother for her infidelity, and he probably did, but he wasn¡¯t able to rid himself of this ne.

    Gabriel held the ne in one hand and fixed up the nightstand, making sure that everything was just a centimetre or so off from how it used to be. This was the first thing he came for, there was however one more.

    He got down on the ground and crept under the bed, fiddling with the carpet until he found what he was looking for.

    Click.

    A soft sound came from beneath the carpet before a section of it slid away, revealing a secretpartment filled with logbooks that detailed his various business dealings. Gabriel removed them all and then started to fiddle with the sides of thepartment, his fingers quickly tracing the engraving he was looking for.

    Click.

    The wall slid open, revealing another hiddenpartment containing only a single logbook. This one was for Leonardo¡¯s more unsavoury businesses, and it would be the first thorn stabbed into his side. Gabriel would have chosen to not keep a log like this, but Leonardo had already lost a lot of money in the past because he hadn¡¯t kept proper track of everything so he chose to keep one to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

    Gabriel looked at the logbook, he had a general idea of the contents even without opening it. This thing, once this thing got out it would start everything. It would be the first step in getting Alice to the head of the family, the first gear to start a cascade.

    For but a moment, an inkling of a question shed by his mind. Why? Why go about things this way? Why not find another path to happiness? Why?

    But that question, it was squashed as soon as it rose. He didn¡¯t even need to think about it, his instincts crushed it for him. He was Gabriel, and the only path to happiness he was ever taught was to aim for the top.

    He closed thepartments behind him and crawled out from under the bed, straightening his clothes before he walked back to the wall and activated the entrance to the secret passage.

    He held the logbook in one hand and ced the ne on top of it, breaking off one of the beads and putting it aside for now.

    "Karas Dilu."

    The two items were swallowed by the darkness and vanished. Dilu meant store, the darkness would keep the items safe for him until he wanted it to Veck, Release them. That one bead still remained in his other hand though, he rolled it between his fingers as he walked.

    "So this is where you live."

    He stopped when he reached a ¡®window¡¯ that showed him the scenery he desired, the room of a certain female chef. She had to get up quite early so she was already asleep, snoozing away peacefully. Gabriel quietly stepped through the window and crouched down, rolling the bead beneath her bed before he stood up and stepped back into the wall.

    "Sweet dreams."

 Chapter 19: The first gear. (2)

    Chapter 19: The first gear. (2)

    "WHO DARES?!"

    A thunderous shout rocked the Vritara mansion before the sun even peeked across the horizon. Gabriel hadn¡¯t even gotten up to wake up Alice yet it was that early. Two days ago, he had taken something from Leonardo, and justst night, he finally returned from wherever he had been.

    "¡­You checked on it quite quickly, didn¡¯t you?"

    He groggily stood up from his bed, the sounds of bustling activity quickly spreading throughout the mansion. He sshed some lukewarm water from the basin that stood next to his bed onto his face so that he would wake up a bit faster. He then slipped into his uniform, fastening the buckles that held the jacket together one by one. It was slow and methodical, even the way he fastened the buttons on his sleeves was slow and careful.

    Today was Thursday. Per his agreement with Alice, this would be the one day of the week he got a day off. And thus, this was the day he would start getting to work on the outside. But really, to think that he stuck with this slow and methodical rhythm even now. It seemed like not even death could break the thing known as habits. He looked at his own reflection after he finished getting dressed, sweeping back his hair.

    "Alright, let¡¯s go get beaten."

    Leonardo was a¡­ reasonable man. He generally didn¡¯t resort to violence against others, especially using his own hands, and it was even rarer for him to use it againstmoners, he was a true-blue noble after all. But everything had an exception, and most people lost a fair bit of their morals and principles when they became enraged.

    "Mwhuuu¡­ What¡¯s going on?"

    Alice rubbed her eyes, already in the process of sitting up when Gabriel entered her room. She was surprised by the loud sound that rocked her awake, but otherwise she didn¡¯t think much of it. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t afraid, it would seem that this was the first time that Leonardo had something stolen from him. In the show, he would always me Alice first, storming at her in an unreasonable fury.

    Gabriel was the one who incited this fury, plucking away one of the three items that Leonardo held dearest. In such a state, Leonardo would inevitablye here to retrieve it, fists and magic swinging as he would try to physically beat the item out of her.

    Gabriel had chosen to help Alice be happy in this life, to help her avoid the fated future that the show had set up for her. As such, even if he wasn¡¯t the one who incited this fury, he would still be here to prevent her from getting beaten.

    "It seems to be your brother, Leonardo. And judging by the sounds, I¡¯d say they¡¯reing here."

    He helped Alice get out of bed as he spoke and found the change of clothes he¡¯d prepared before he put her to bed. He helped her slip out of her nightgown and into the dress, a rtively simple yellow summer dress.

    Truthfully, it probably wasn¡¯t proper for a boy to help a girl change like this. But she didn¡¯t have any maids at the moment so there was no one else to do it but him. Besides, they were both technically children, with one of them being an orphaned servant. Some noble families wouldn¡¯t even consider him a human at that point, he simply didn¡¯t have the value to fit that description.

    "Now then, please stay behind me, my Lady. And no matter what happens, don¡¯t use your magic. You must reveal it in a safe and controlled situation, a ce where you are in charge, otherwise they can take advantage of it and you. So please, wait patiently."

    He spoke calmly as he helped her get dressed, giving her simple attire the same methodical care he gave his own. And then he turned his back and stood in front of her, one hand resting on the scabbard that hung at his side.

    Alice was unparallelled in talent, Gabriel truly believed that. If she¡¯d just learned about her magic a bit earlier, if she¡¯d just grown but a bit more loved, at that point there would be nothing in this world that would be able to stop her. The Dead Lands, the World Fissures, perhaps even the gods themselves would end up being no problem.

    She¡¯d receive love in this live, she¡¯d receive teaching early on, discover her own talent early on. But a prerequisite to reaching the realm he knew she could was time to grow, the chance to life as she pleased and explore her own strengths. And to ensure that, she had to reveal her cards at suitable times.

    If she disyed new magic right here and now then there would be nothing they could do to stop the Vritara family from locking her up. The Magic Tower might buy her to dissect her and there would be nothing they could do, or she could be sent to the eastern family and fight the Dead Lands before she became strong enough. In the end, they would be unable to stop a single thing.

    "So please, my Lady, wait. Wait and grow strong, then you can do what you want."

    He heard a small gulp from behind him after he spoke. Did she understand what he was implying, or was she just infected by his air? If it was the Alice of the show he would bet on the first, but right now he couldn¡¯t be sure.

    The sounds got louder. Hurried and nervous shouts. Fuming roars and rushed breaths. Stomping and creaking of wood. And finally, the door being flung open.

    "YOU! It was you right, you filthy little envious thing?!"

    Golden eyes zing with fire and long dark blue hair that flung about wildly. Leonardo¡¯s features were twisted by his anger, a distorted expression forming wrinkles that connected into a tapestry of violence. He didn¡¯t even seem to see Gabriel at first, his fiery gaze locking onto the little girl that peeked out from behind him.

    "Uvaish Vash!"

    A nt rose from beneath Leonardo¡¯s feet, a vine breaking through the floor and flinging itself at Alice. Leonardo ordered nature to whip, and the nearest nt bent down to obey him. Alice flinched as the vine, a few beans already growing on it, whipped towards her. But Gabriel was there, and he had been ready.

    The hand on the scabbard moved and the sword was drawn. The weapon was heavy, and too long for his small body, it was something Lawrence had given as a gift for the man he would be in the future, not the man he was now. But a sword was still a weapon, and Gabriel had never been someone who didn¡¯t figure out how to use a weapon.

    A simple upwards sh relying on the motion of drawing the sword. The whip came down while the de went up so they inevitable met, a sensation akin to cutting through rushing water hitting Gabriel. The vine was harder than a normal nt, reinforced by mana, but it was still cut.

    And then, the sword that rose came back down again and cut away a bit more of the vine. It was simple, it was unadorned, it didn¡¯t hold a shred of elegance or grace. It was exactly what Lawrence was trying to teach Gabriel, a sword for killing.

    "You lowly ve, step aside!"

    Leonardo finally looked at Gabriel, his gaze practically swallowing him whole. More vines rose from the floorboards as he stood there, wriggling like snakes as they got ready to strike. But Gabriel simply stood his ground.

    "You, Third Young Master, were the one who spoke to me about the importance of loyalty. I am the knight, and she is my Lady. So here I must stand."

    Leonardo¡¯s entire face twitched when Gabriel spoke, the vines around him shrinking back for a second. The breath that fell from his lips was heavy, his chest heaving. His eyes darted about, constantly shifting between the steadfast little kid and the fearful young girl hiding behind him.

    "Good¡­Good¡­Good. So can I take that as you saying that you won¡¯t do anything as long I don¡¯t go for her? Even if I go for you instead?"

    Leonardo was a bit clever when he had to be so he understood the intent behind Gabriel¡¯s words. Knight. They moved to protect their master, they moved to protect their master¡¯s will. And they never moved for themselves no matter how bad things got.

    "Correct."

    Gabriel returned the sword to the scabbard, his hand still resting on the hilt as he looked straight at Leonardo. The two locked eyes, Leonardo¡¯s expression twisting momentarily before he turned his gaze back onto Alice.

    "You got lucky. There¡¯ll never be a second person in the world who¡¯ll care about you, there¡¯s no way the world would be so unfair as to give something like you more than that. So just watch, I¡¯ll beat him until you return what is mine."

    Leonardo sneered like an animal. Loyalty and care, it seemed like even a lowly thing like her would be blessed with something like that by the world, even if it was only once in her entire life.

    "Uvaish Vash."

    The vines moved. The face. The stomach. The right arm. The left leg. The left arm. The right leg. The back. The neck. The face again. The stomach. The left arm. The face again. The neck. The face. The face. The face. The face. The stomach. The face. The face.

    Leonardo did not deign to use his own hands on a servant and kept whipping him with the vines. At times they left cuts, at times the just left bruises, and at times they cut open the bruises due to repeated strikes. Strike after strikended on Gabriel, the uniform he had taken such great care to put on quickly getting torn and bloody.

    And all the while, Leonardo wasn¡¯t even looking at him. His gaze was locked onto the trembling little girl hiding behind her knight. He wanted her to beg. He wanted her to return what was his, crying as she begged him to stop.

    Come on, you were a dirty thing, born of broken trust and betrayed love. Come on, show your true self.

    But she never showed it. No, she never even looked at Leonardo. She was trembling and looked as if she was about to cry, but she never even spared him a nce. She could only look at the kid standing in front of her, his blood asionally sttering her. He faltered at times and stumbled at others, but he never fell, nor did he step away from his spot.

    Stay behind me.

    Wait and grow strong.

    Words were powerful, far more powerful than most would give them credit for. The right word at the right time could be a blessing, a gift that would elevate someone to a whole new realm. And in the same vein, words could be shackles that forever chained someone.

    And right now, what Gabriel had told her echoed within her. Each word flickering like a firefly, from the first time he held her hand until his most recent words. They burrowed into her from every corner, each drop of blood that sttered on her face digging them in deeper.

    Now, they would forever be a part of her, but only time would tell if they were to be a blessing or a curse.

    Knock Knock.

    As Leonardo was in the midst of delivering the beating, someone gave the entranceway a few gentle knocks. Leonardo had burst through the door like a raging bull so it was already wide open, but the person who knocked still remained outside.

    It was a servant, an old man with a slightly bent back. There was nary a spot on his face that didn¡¯t have wrinkles, his faded grey hair swept back in a neat manner. He had a thick and droopy moustache, his somewhat dim brown eyes half closed.

    "Good morning, gentlemen, littledy. Young Master Leonardo, Young Lady Alice, My Fair Lady has called the both of you to her office."

    Leonardo twitched for a second and then trembled for another two, the vines he was using to beat Gabriel withering. The Fair Lady, the person Gabriel had been waiting for.

    "You should go, My Lady. Don¡¯t worry about me, the wounds are superficial and will be healed in no time. So just go. But don¡¯t forget that today is thursday, so I will likely not be here when you return."

    Gabriel turned and spoke to Alice, who clutched his clothes so tightly that it felt like she would tear them off. Her eyes were bloodshot and a bit red, but from start to finish, she hadn¡¯t allowed herself to cry, especially now that Gabriel was looking at her.

    Crimson met violet as she looked at his eyes, staring at them even harder than Leonardo had looked at him earlier. She tugged at the covers to her bed while looking at him and used therge nket to wipe the blood off of his face, swallowing back her tears when she was done.

    "Okay¡­ Okay. But you have to be here again by tomorrow morning at thetest, understood?"

    "As you wish, my Lady."

 Chapter 20: The first gear. (3)

    Chapter 20: The first gear. (3)

    After Leonardo and Alice left the room, the old man gave Gabriel a courteous nod and then guided them away, leaving only the bleeding child. Gabriel held the bedsheets that were now stained by his blood, they were white so trying to get the blood out would be a massive pain.

    "Ah, I¡¯ll have to buy new ones for her."

    He muttered as he tore up the sheets and used them as makeshift bandages to cover the cuts left by the vines. This was Alice¡¯s only nket so if he didn¡¯t buy new ones today then he would have to ask one of the servants to give him a new one. And looking at how even a chef treated Alice, he could already imagine the derision the other servants would show if she ruined such a ¡®precious¡¯ set of bedsheets.

    There were a fair number of cuts on his face as well that he couldn¡¯t cover with the sheets, but they were rtively shallow so they stopped bleeding by the time he had finished changing into a clean uniform. His face looked rather haggard and messed up as a result of the many scars, but they would heal eventually so he would just have to look a bit messed up today. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if he was nning on showing his face that much.

    Properly dressed and cleaned up as best he could, he left the Vritara family¡¯s mansion, leaving behind his sword, and followed the path to the entrance. The silver gates mimicking the Vritara crest weren¡¯t pushed open for him, he was instead directed to a small door about a kilometre to the side of the gate. It was only natural, opening the main gates every time a servant wanted to leave would just be tiresome.

    A small meadow that tilted downwards stretched out beyond the small door, and at the bottom was a city. Vairasta, the capital of the duchy. The Vritara family was the king here, their estate built atop a man-made hill that loomed over the city.

    The buildings directly around the hill were mostly estates, mansions surrounded by gardens and patches ofnd that were neatly maintained. The noble district, home to the counts, marquises, and barons of the city, each one either trying to suck up to the Vritara or keeping an eye on them for the other families.

    Beyond the noble district was the rest of the city. Houses that stretched out as far as they eye could see, streets like spiderwebs as they spread out, dots of green, yellow, and red adorning the ¡®painting¡¯ in the form of trees. A few parks and zas were scattered about between the houses, small oases meant to provide a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

    "Alright, we¡¯ll start with a bit of good old fashioned investigating."

    Gabriel stretched a bit before he started to make his way down the hill. Thend beyond the door didn¡¯t even have a road to bring you down the hill, it was just grass and dirt. He could already imagine that more than a fair few of the estate¡¯s servants had slipped here over the years during the colder or wetter seasons. Luckily, summer was just starting now so it was easy enough to get down.

    Naturally, the path that awaited him at the bottom of the hill wasn¡¯t the main road of the noble district but rather a small side road that would keep him out of the nobles eyes. He navigated the streets, asionally stopping to inspect his surroundings. The show gave quite a few aerial shots of the cities, especially during their destruction, but shots that moved through the city were rarer. Most of them focused on the times the main characters went out on dates, and those would naturally not show these smaller alleys.

    "Speaking of¡­"

    The main characters¡­ Alice was currently seven so the female lead, the Crown Princess of the Imperial Family, should be about the same age. In just two or three years she would have her Spirit Awakening ceremony, her magic affinity would be tested at the same time. Both would be events that would rock the empire.

    And then there was the male lead¡­ Looking at the seasons, he should arrive in this world through a World Fissure within the next 6-8 months and get picked up by the eastern family. He¡¯d spend most of his time there, but would have to go to the capital for the Crown Princess¡¯ awakening ceremony, that would be where they first met.

    "¡­It¡¯s probably impossible for them to not interact."

    The Crown Princess, the one who would be the future leader of the eastern family, and the one Gabriel would help be the head of the Vritara family. Their positions were too high for them to never interact. In the show, Alice fell in love with the male lead during their first coincidental meeting and wanted to have him, but that male lead only had eyes for the Crown Princess. Alice, already twisted by the world, kicked off the downfall of the empire due to her envy.

    "Thatst part¡­ Should at least be able to avoid that."

    Perhaps it would be impossible to stop Alice from falling in love with the male lead, but he could at least stop her from getting twisted by the world. Besides, he had already started to change the story so there was no telling if he couldn¡¯t change it further. The Alice who grew up with some love and care, she may actually be able to move the male lead¡¯s heart this time around.

    "Oh, is it around here?"

    After walking for a few hours, Gabriel¡¯s feet finally stopped. A calm za spread out in front of him, a fountain with a spear-wielding statue serving as the centrepiece, water flowing out of the kneeling servant statues that surrounded it. A few maple trees were scattered about the za, gazebos set up so that people could sit down and enjoy a drink. As was natural with a ce like this, street vendors had set up their shops here to sell their craft.

    "Now¡­ which one¡¯s good?"

    Gabriel muttered to himself as he walked around the za, inspecting the red-tinted trees one by one. He inspected each tree, examined their surroundings as he walked about, sometimes he even left the za and looked at the buildings around it. He took his time. Slow. Methodical. All the way until he found his target.

    It was a tree like any other, a woodpecker having left more than a few holes in its trunk and branches. The branches were long and bent by the years, red leaves casting their shade as they almost formed a dome around the tree. His head moved about a little as he observed the surroundings. Yes, this one was situated quite nicely.

    Having found what he was looking for, he left the za and started making his way through the city again. A kid wandering on his own, especially one dressed decently, was a somewhat rare sight so he received a few looks. But he walked confidently so none called out to him to stop him, he simply looked like he belonged.

    He started to approach his actual target after a bit more walking so he dipped into one of the smaller alleys that asionally cropped up between the buildings.

    "Karas Veck."

    His fingers moved in tune with the spell, his hands sinking into the darkness of the alley. There was more than just one thing stored in the darkness now, that was why the spell changed slightly. When he pulled back his hand, he held a new set of clothes that he had stolen in thest few days. They were much simpler than his uniform, just a hooded shirt and some loose pants.

    He stripped and put on the new clothes, hiding his uniform among a bit of trash that had gathered up in the alley. He could store it in the darkness, but as it stood he could only cast about four low-grade spells before he ran out of mana. And for this day, he had already nned out which spells it would be and when.

    "Karas Veras Takt."

    He slid his hand along the wall after he finished changing, his fingers dancing along the cold stone, the darkness obeying his order and hardening into a mask in his grasp. The shape it took was reminiscent of a wolf, and when he slid it on it only revealed his eyes. Now, he only had to sweep back his hair and pull up the hood of his brown shirt to properly hide his features.

    He stepped out on the other end of the alley and walked in a roundabout manner before finally ending up in front of a one-story building. The wooden door was open, merry noises and warmth flowing out as an inviting light flickered on the inside.

 Chapter 21: The first gear. (4)

    Chapter 21: The first gear. (4)

    When Gabriel stepped through the open door, he found himself in a tavern, a long counter with three bartenders standing behind it. The walls were lined with various types of alcohol, a door amidst the liquor leading into the kitchen that prepared all the food. Even with all his walking, since he left before the sun even rose, it was only around the afternoon. But even so, there were already quite a few people here, sharing a meal as they chatted and drank.

    "Good day my friend, how can I help you cure your ails?"

    The bartender called out to him with a smile as he stopped in front of the counter, ignoring his small stature and suspicious appearance.

    "I¡¯d like a bottle of Kandar wine. It has to be at least 12 years old and mixed with dragon¡¯s blood of at least 25% purity, if its from a fire dragon then I¡¯ll pay extra. Put it in a chilled ss made from refined salt crystals and top it with five drops of Taran oil."

    The bartender¡¯s smile faltered for a second as Gabriel listed out his order, but he quickly managed to return to his normal facade. He opened the hatch next to him and gestured towards the kitchen.

    "Then it seems you¡¯ll have to pay extra, good sir. Please, go ahead and choose the blood you would like to use, consider it an extra service."

    Gabriel stepped past the hatch, which was closed behind him again, and entered the bustling kitchen. The people working the stations were all busy, but none of them nced at the foreign entity that entered the kitchen.

    Gabriel walked over to the open storage room located at the side of the kitchen and pushed aside the rug, pushing the wooden floor a bit with his foot. The wood gave way slightly and then slide aside, revealing a descending set of stairs.

    Following the stairs, the entrance closed behind him, the only bit of lighting from below. At the base of the stairs was a circr hall that was almostpletely empty, save for a table and two couches at the centre. Other than the stairs behind him, there were six other entrances scattered about the room.

    "¡­"

    Gabriel inspected the room. Compared to what it would look like in the future, it really was quite barren. The person in charge right now should be the father of the future ck Fox, it seemed like they had rather differing tastes.

    "Not going to take a seat?"

    A heavy voice echoed through the room as Gabriel was observing it, a figure descending from one of stairs and making its way towards one of the couches. The figure looked to be a male, their voice as well, a rather robust body covered in dark brown leather and a face obscured by a mask resembling a gori. The man sat down on one couch, Gabriel taking a seat on the other.

    "There¡¯s no one like you amongst the people who know the code, and I hardly think any of them are the kind to send a kid in their stead. You¡¯d best pay well, neer."

    Gabriel shed a small smile beneath the mask, locking gaze with a pair of blue eyes. The man didn¡¯t even ask where he learned the code or who he worked for, all he cared about was how much he would get paid. In that regard, his son would be a bit better in the future.

    "So. What do you need?"

    The man leaned back, hands crossed in front of his chest. He was the current leader of the fifthrgest information guild in this empire, there was almost nothing he couldn¡¯t get his hands on. They also worked closely with the assassination guilds so having them kill someone was easy. But today, Gabriel didn¡¯te to order an assassination.

    "Three tasks. One, I want a logbook delivered to the Golden Sparrow Jewelries. Two, I want a Spirit Sealing Bead, middle-grade at the lowest. Three, there¡¯s an unmarked orphanage located beyond the borders of the city, quite a bit in fact. I want it investigated, I want to know what the caretakers ate, shat, and dreamt in thest five years."

    A Spirit Sealing Bead was, exactly as the name suggested, a bead that temporarily sealed spirits of equivalent and lower grades. They were indispensable when it came to war and imprisonment of certain people.

    "Golden Sparrow¡­"

    The gori-masked man murmured for a bit, his thoughts moving behind his blue eyes. Golden Sparrow Jewelleries was something simr to the tavern above, a cover for something else entirely. But while this organization was independent, the one working within the Golden Sparrow was owned by a troublesome person, the eldest daughter of the Vritara family.

    "All three tasks can be done, but the bead will be expensive. How are you nning on paying?"

    In the end, it was luckily just delivering a report and not an assassination. But in the end, it all relied on the price. This child, would he even be able to pay?

    "Karas Veck"

    Gabriel¡¯s fingers traced the couch beneath him, the darkness moving. He saw the man¡¯s pupils contract as his gaze hardened. Yes, this was exactly why he waited until now with bringing the things out. He had to show that he was a mage, he had to show that he could use an element from the Divine Star, he had to make the man wary.

    His hand sank into the darkness and pulled out two things. The first was the logbook he stole from Leonardo¡¯s secretepartment, and the second was the ne he also stole from Leonardo, one bead still missing. Both were ced on the table, the hardened gaze of the masked man now locked onto that ornate ne.

    Gabriel could see the light in his eyes, the fire dancing in its depth. Ah, his son was never like this, his emotions never showed when he made a deal. No wonder he took over before he even became an adult.

    "There¡¯s a tree in the za adorned with the spearmaster. A woodpecker has punched eight holes into it, use number three from the bottom. You can put the bead in there immediately, include one of your contact points as well."

    Gabriel had finished his business so he stood up, he didn¡¯t even need to ask if the ne was enough. If the man sold it, especially to the right customer, he could easily get enough to buy at least five middle-grade Spirit Sealing Beads. The man quickly returned to reality when Gabriel spoke, the lips hidden behind his mask turning into a wide grin as he grabbed the two items.

    "Looking forward to doing more business with you in the future."

    Gabriel retraced his steps and returned to the tavern, leaving it without even looking at the bartenders or chefs. The streets outside were the same as when he entered, barely any time had passed after all. He continued to retrace his steps, his fingers dancing a bit through the air as he seemed to hum a low tune.

    But then, just as he was about to pass an alley, he stepped sideways and entered the shade of the buildings.

    "Karas D Ka."

    The spell waspleted because of his dancing fingers so the darkness immediately moved and obeyed. D wasn¡¯t just a word that sounded quite simr to the Dilu for Store, its function was quite simr, it Hid something using the shadows. Ka was the trantion for Me, so by using the three words together, the shadows rose up and swallowed him whole before they sank back into the ground.

    "Eh?"

    Not long after he vanished, two people peered into the alley, their figures hidden by loose robes. Information was the lifeblood of the gori-masked man¡¯s organization, the Night Pack. Naturally, he could not just let Gabriel leave without at least learning a bit about him.

    The two quickly searched the alley, but naturally could not find any traces of him. They rushed off somewhere, but Gabriel still didn¡¯t move. He remained in the darkness for another half hour until he finally heard the sound of light shuffling, barely audible footsteps sneaking away.

    Just to be on the safe side, he waited another half hour and only then left the shadows. He quickly scurried through the back alleys, hopping about seemingly at random until he finally returned to the alley where he hid his clothes.

    He removed the mask and changed back into his uniform, ditching both the old clothes and the mask in the heap of trash there. He had no more mana left so he couldn¡¯t store them.

    He left the alley and continued retracing his steps, eventually approaching the za with the agreed upon tree after a fair b it of time. He didn¡¯t enter it straight away and instead found a secluded spot away from the za. He ruffled his hair and smeared some dust into both his hair and onto his face, tugging at his uniform to loosen it so that it looked shabbier. He wasn¡¯t wearing his sword so now he looked the part of a homeless kid.

    He then stalked the outskirts of the za until he found what he was looking for, a duo of patrolling guards. They were chatting with each other quite casually so he ran up to them, stumbling as he did so.

    "Sir knight, Sir knight! I saw some strange men in the alley over by that building, they were climbing up to the roof! I wanted to ask what they were doing, but they chased me away and even kicked me! I think they had weapons!"

    He yed the part of a panicked kid, clinging to the guards with a death-grip as he pointed, with a trembling finger, at a building that was close to the tree he had found. The expression of the guards immediately hardened. Even if they thought this was just a kid¡¯s prank, they had to check it out, it was their job after all.

    "Kid, wait right here. Carto, let¡¯s go."

    The guards immediately darted off, drawing a fair bit of attention from the surrounding people. Gabriel watched their backs for a bit before he started to walk, the muffled sounds of a scuffle reaching him before long.

    He walked through the za and up to the tree, reaching into the specified hole. When he pulled his arm back, he was now holding a red bead covered in dark blue lines as well as a stud earring that was adorned by a transparent crystal. He stuffed the items into his pocket and turned his head slightly. The building he had pointed at was now almostpletely surrounded by people, onlookers trying to get a glimpse at what was going on.

    He hadn¡¯t done his preliminary inspection for nothing. This tree, due to its shape and location, the roof of that building was the only ce from which you could get a proper look at it from a distance. Certainly, if he had been the leader of the Night Pack, that was where he would have put his people to check who came to pick up the items.

    "Alright, let¡¯s go buy some sheets now."

    He casually strode away from the tree, heading in the opposite direction of the crowd.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Alice had her head somewhat lowered, Leonardo standing at her side with his head simrly lowered. She could hear his huffing breath so he was probably still angry. But he couldn¡¯t voice it, not in front of the girl sitting in front of them, sighing as she looked at them.

    "Really. Must you make such a pointless fuss so early in the morning?"

 Chapter 22: Kickstart.

    Chapter 22: Kickstart.

    Tap

    There was a soft tap to fill the silence. Even Leonardo¡¯s huffing breaths had to quiet down each time that soft tap repeated itself. Alice could feel it, their Elder Sister, Marion De Vritara, was looking at them, a crease between her brows.

    "Leonardo De Vritara."

    The voice was dignified but cold, traces of disappointment and annoyance lingering in each syble. He grit his teeth, Alice could almost hear it as she stood next to him.

    "You are a Vritara. On your back you carry the pride and dignity of the Earhart empire¡¯s noblest family. So why must you raise your voice so loudly and scream like a petnt child? Why must you throw a tantrum like that for all to see?"

    The quiet tapping continued as the voice bore down on Leonardo. It was a typical scolding. Truthfully, Alice had heard simr things many times whenever one of her elder brothers went overboard and she was brought along to listen.

    So why? Why did it sound so grating this time? Why did the words she had heard so often leave a sour taste in her mouth?

    "Don¡¯t you know how to handle things cleanly? Are you incapable of doing things quietly? Does your anger have to be heard by the world so that you can pretend that it has some importance and weight?"

    Ah. Hearing her sister scold Leonardo some more, she understood it. Marion was angry at Leonardo, but it was only because he made such a loud fuss that even the servants could hear it. Before long, news would spread about the Vritara who couldn¡¯t control his emotions even within his own walls. It was a stain on their name, So Marion was angry. And thus, she scolded Leonardo.

    But even with all her scolding and all her nagging, there was still something missing. Not one word was spoken about the servant he beat. Not one angry letter was uttered about the boy that was left bloody to quell Leonardo¡¯s anger.

    And that was the source of the sour taste. Alice was angry that Gabriel was beaten, but Marion never even mentioned it. No, perhaps it didn¡¯t even register in her mind.

    "Return to your quarters, I will have some servants search for your ne and notify you when it is found. So just stay quiet and don¡¯t kick up more of a fuss, we may just be able to still sweep this under the rug with a modicum of silence."

    Alice couldn¡¯t see it, but Marion was probably waving her hand in a dismissive manner. It was a habit of hers whenever she was annoyed, a quick wave to make all the problems go away. Leonardo clicked his tongue but still left, stomping through the hallway as he fumed.

    "Hmh? Not going?"

    Marion¡¯s gazended on Alice, who remained in ce. She knew. How could she not, this wasn¡¯t the first time she was dismissed without being addressed. She was supposed to leave with Leonardo, she always did. But her feet wouldn¡¯t move. Her hands balled up into fists and her feet felt like roots. She couldn¡¯t move, she wouldn¡¯t move.

    "Elder Sister¡­"

    She forced out the words with all her might. How many times hadn¡¯t she been here without being able to say a word? How many times hadn¡¯t she stood in front of her siblings, unable to raise neither head nor voice? But now that she actually opened her mouth, now that she had something to talk about, she found that the words came out so easily that she couldn¡¯t understand why she had kept quiet for so long.

    "Elder Brother Leonardo struck my knight. He beat Gabriel until blood flew. Beating a knight for no reason, outside of a duel, is prohibited. I want him to get punished."

    Gabriel had helped her study quite a bit, both etiquette and history. Thanks to him, she knew more about this empire and the world than she ever did before. Knights, despite their upation, were defended quite well, they were often the face of a family after all.

    It wasn¡¯t to the point of a death sentence, but beating the knight of someone else for no reason, especially a knight that didn¡¯t fight back, was prohibited by the first emperor and was thus punishable. In this case it would probably just be something like house arrest, but it was a punishment, and it was the best she could do for Gabriel right now.

    "That won¡¯t happen."

    But sadly, Marion shut her down almost instantly. Finally, it became too much for Alice to bear, her head raising on its own.

    "But why?!"

    Marion sat behind her desk, curled hair hanging down to just past her shoulders. The same dark blue hair and golden eyes as the rest of the Vritara family. In this house, only Alice was different, only she was marked by sin. She knew that. She was told it time and time again.

    But still¡­ Shouldn¡¯t her Elder Sister at least look at her while they were talking? Why was her head buried in papers? She shot down Alice¡¯s hopes, but couldn¡¯t even be bothered to raise her head to look at her as she did so?

    "Because he is not a knight. By all technical ounts, he is not even a servant, much less a knight. He has no contract, receives no sry, and has no documentation that even proves that he is alive. As such, he is ssified as a ve. Beating or even killing a ve is, by thew, not illegal. Thus, I cannot punish Leonardo."

    A sour taste spread through Alice¡¯s mouth. How could she say that? That boy had ced himself in front of her and taken the beating for her, his blood even sttering her face. He was the first one to celebrate her birthday with her, the first one to bother teaching her anything, the first one to make her feel like she had any worth. He was the first one to not leave her.

    "Ah¡­"

    As she thought about it, Alice realized it. He was the first. Always, in everything, he was her first, and he was always there. The happy memories you were supposed to share with your family, the peaceful and fun times you were supposed to share with friends. Other people had those memories spaced out across their entire childhoods, but for her, those memories only spanned a little over a week.

    The things she should have, the things she deserved, he had been the only one to share them with her, to give them to her. The brothers that should protect her, the sister that should teach her about the world, the father that should smile at her, she had none of it. Everything had toe from him, he was the only one who bothered to give it to her.

    "Ah¡­"

    Her chest hurt. Her breath felt like glue as it tried to escape her lungs. Her eyes and the back of her throat felt as if they were on fire.

    Gabriel had taught her a lot in the time they spent together. Magic, history, etiquette, manners, morals, math, literature. He always had something new to teach her, be it something major or something minor. But now she realized something he taught her without ever opening a book.

    She had been sad. The family that didn¡¯t care for her, the house that didn¡¯t wee her. Every day she spent there had been painful, she knew that now. She had been lonely all along, she finally understood that now as she looked at the Elder Sister that couldn¡¯t even be bothered to return her look.

    But¡­ But all that was in the past. She had been sad, she had been lonely, it had been painful. But no more. There was someone now who wouldn¡¯t make her sad. Someone who wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. Someone who wouldn¡¯t hurt her. And because of that, be it now or in the future, she could leave all those bleak things in the past.

    "Still here? I¡¯ve already said that I can¡¯t punish Leonardo so what else do you want?"

    Marion still didn¡¯t raise her head, brows creasing as she read through whatever papers she was holding. Alice wondered how she looked in their eyes in the past. The her standing there now and the her standing there a month ago, would they be able to tell the difference? She didn¡¯t know, and part of her whispered that she didn¡¯t care. They had never cared about her before so she couldn¡¯t care about them now, it would never be reciprocated and simply get wasted.

    "Want¡­"

    The word hung on the tip of her tongue and lingered in her mouth. Wants. Desires. Did she even have them in the past? She epted her situation, she knew that this was just how her life was. When you epted something like that, how could you possibly evere to want anything else?

    But now¡­ Now she felt like she had something that could make her grow desires, a reason to want.

    "I want him. I want Gabriel. I want him to be recognized as a knight, MY knight, not just by the family but by the entire empire. I want to punish Elde¡­ Leonardo for hurting him. I want to punish Francis for the things he¡¯s done to me over the years. I want to take over the Vritara family. I want to learn more from him. I want him to stay with me to make up for all the time no one else did."

    The words flowed so easily now. For each one she spoke, a new one was born. The things that had been bottled up for years prior were either discarded or aired out, the murky and clogged up air that filled her heart and chest finally cleared up. She finally spoke the truth, and in doing so, learned her own truth.

    "Fufu, Marion, it seems like I¡¯m quite greedy."

    Knight. She had spoken it lightly, but bing a knight was difficult. In this entire empire, there were only seven people who could grant someone the title of knight. The emperor, the three dukes, the leader of the eastern family, the crown princess, and the captain of the Royal Guards. Convincing any one of them to confer the title of knight to Gabriel would be extremely hard, especially at this point.

    But she would do it. He¡¯d taught her many things, his ts mixed in among them all. Number two and three were ones she made especially sure to keep in mind, and they were most certainly relevant now. He was hers, so she would never let anyone else take him. And she wanted to make him her knight, so she would do everything she could to make it a reality.

    She couldn¡¯t help but smile all of a sudden. Ah, how refreshed she suddenly felt. She ced a hand against her chest, and there she felt it.

    Thump

    Her heart was beating. Had it always been beating? It didn¡¯t feel like it in the past. But now she felt it oh so clearly. It was beating. She was alive. And as he had finally taught her, she had worth, she deserved to live.

    "Goodbye, Marion, I¡¯ll retreat to my quarters for now."

    She grabbed the hem of her simple dress and gave a polite bow before spinning on her heels, leaving the office with a smile. Only as she left, only after she spilled all of her desires, had Marion finally raised her head to look at her. But by then, all she could see was her back.

 Chapter 23: Kickstart. (2)

    Chapter 23: Kickstart. (2)

    "Yeah, figures that she wouldn¡¯t be here. Guess I was hoping for too much too quickly."

    Gabriel stood in front of a tattered building as he muttered to himself. The wooden shack had quite a few holes, most of them barely covered by some cloth that fluttered with every breeze. This wasn¡¯t a ce you could live, even the orphanage that Gabriel grew up in was better than this.

    But perhaps that was only to be expected, he was after all currently standing in what wouldmonly be called the slums. As far away from the noble district as possible, rows upon rows of houses stacked tightly together in front, as if to serve as a shield that blocked out the unsightly nature of this abandoned stretch ofnd.

    Most citizens could go their entire lives without ever setting foot in this part of the city, and none of them ever wanted to set foot here either. The undesirables, the wastes of space, those abandoned by the world, that¡¯s the kind of people that gathered here.

    "Guess I¡¯ll have toe back for her in the future, she¡¯s bound to end up here anyway. Altare however¡­ Still gives me a headache."

    Yes, thiswless stretch ofnd, one day it would be the home of someone he was looking for. A girl trying to protect her three brothers, a servant of unwavering determination and loyalty, to the point that she could drink a cup of poisoned tea for her master with a smile on her face.

    Teresa, the maid of the main character in the original show. In that show, she died for the main character due to one of Alice¡¯s schemes. But in this life, he wanted her as Alice¡¯s maid, she¡¯d be a good fit for that position.

    And then there was him¡­ Altare,ter given the surname De Viashin when he ascended to nobility. He was another person who died due to Alice¡¯s machinations, another person in the side of the main characters. In the story, he was an alchemist, mixing magic and natural ingredients to make potions and items with beneficial or detrimental effects. And he was damn good at it too, his aplishments in the field were what gained him his nobility.

    The problem was, Gabriel had no idea where to find Altare. Teresa¡¯s past was touched upon when the female main character first found her so that was why he knew that she¡¯d end up in these slums eventually. But Altare was never given that, he was the archetypal mysterious ally that the male main character met at some point in the capital. But Altare was already a wanderer at that point, constantly moving between cities as he drift from fleeting fancy to fleeting fancy. Nothing was mentioned of his time before he encountered the main character, and he had only been in the capital for a handful of days when they first met.

    "What a pain."

    The thing Gabriel wanted to make the most, a Mana Smoke Candle, was something Altare would invent in the future. It was a revolutionary item that made it between three and seven times easier and faster to absorb mana. The items needed to make it weren¡¯t too hard to get a hold of, but the way to make it wasn¡¯t described in excruciating detail in the show. As such, his best bet, after finding Altare of course, would be to tell him the rough description and hope that his sheer genius would grace him with a sh of inspiration. Even if he couldn¡¯t replicate the actual thing right away he should at least be able to make a weaker version.

    Gabriel strode through the slums, retracing his steps. The sun was already creeping towards the horizon so it was about time he started heading back. The new bedsheets he¡¯d bought were packed into a neat paper bag held beneath his arm. He didn¡¯t have a sry so the only money he could spend was what Alice had given him, money she had undoubtedly taken directly from her own savings.

    "Hmm, will it reach her next week? No, I paid quite well and then toyed around with his men so he¡¯ll probably rush it so that we can meet again. Tomorrow perhaps?"

    Gabriel mused to himself as he left the slums and made his way back home. The report he delivered to the Night Pack, it wasn¡¯t something he brought out just because he wanted to ckmail or hurt Leonardo. No, the report getting leaked was something that happened in the original show as well, it was just that there it happened quite a few yearster.

    In fact, it was a rather important event in the original story, it was one of the final straws that broke Alice. And at the same time, it gave her the strength to properly sink into the darkness and embrace the role of the viin. Well, perhaps it would be more urate to say that the things that happened in the aftermath were what affected Alice.

    It was quite simple really. With Leonardo¡¯s dirty deeds, especially his opium business, getting dragged to the light, he had to engage in several undercover meetings with his investors and co-operators. One such meeting was uncovered and an assassination attempt was made as he travelled there. He survived, but was hurt rather grievously and got disfigured, as a result he took out his anger on Alice, finally breaking herst dreams of family.

    And the power to sink into the darkness that followed that broken dream, came from the family she abandoned. They wanted to sweep it under the rug. They wanted to distract themoners from the opium business by giving them something else to talk about. And the thing they came up with was Alice¡¯s Spirit Awakening ceremony.

    They had put it off for years at this point but suddenly made a big deal of it, weing people from every corner of the empire to spectate it. Were they hoping that the Vritara bloodline would allow her to awaken a great spirit that could draw everyone¡¯s attention? Well, she seeded in that at least.

    As sheid there in the Spirit Pond, she cried and begged for the power to crush those who kept hurting her. She begged for something that could ease her pain. And a Cmity-grade fire spirit responded to her call, torching the entire pce that housed the pond. A bit over three hundred people died that day due to a ¡®malfunction in the magic formation that contained the spirit¡¯s energy¡¯. Alice got her first taste of power, and the Vritara family got a tragedy to distract everyone.

    "Hmm¡­ When to leak it¡­"

    That future, Gabriel was going to kick-start it. Well, parts of it at least. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let Leonardo take out his anger on Alice, and he most certainly wouldn¡¯t let her create a tragedy that the Vritara family could use as a distraction. He would have to tell her a bit more about spirits beforehand, just to make sure that she didn¡¯t summon one that would instantly go wild again.

    That second thing would be easy. People liked to think of spirits as these great and inexorable beings, but they were actually quite simple. They were just normal beings with their own preferences and desires, they were rather simr to humans in a lot of regards actually.

    That first thing to prevent however¡­ He was still debating on how to handle it. Taking the hits for Alice could only go so far, and he could only get hit so many times before it left a scar on her heart. He had a way in mind, the problem was just how Alice would react to it.

    "Ah, I really can¡¯t do anything but wait and see for now. Let¡¯s hope Leonardo isn¡¯t stupid enough to rush things straight away."

    He could only rub the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. He¡¯d prefer to move after figuring out how Alice would react, but if Leonardo was stupid enough to rush about when all eyes were on him then it may force Gabriel to act before he wanted to, just so that he could prevent things from leaving his control.

    Well, all that hinged on the hope that the Vritara family would act the same as they did in the show, even if the event took ce a bit earlier than it was supposed to. If they decided to change things¡­ well, he would have to figure something out then. He wasn¡¯t a genius with contingency ns for every situation, more often than not he would just have to react to things as they happened.

    "Ah, sorry, could I have two of those?"

    His feet momentarily stopped as he passed one of the vendors that had set up shop in the za he first stopped in. He wasn¡¯t selling anything spectacr, just wooden bottles filled with diluted fruit juice and ice. But Alice was someone who got excited even when she received apples and peaches that were already starting to rot so she would probably like something like this.

    He paid for the bottles with thest of the money that Alice had given him and continued his return, packing away one bottle while holding the other, taking a sip from time to time as he walked. He made his way up the hill and to the side entrance meant for servants, returning to the Vritara estate just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

    There was a bit of noise as he walked along the paved road that led to the mansion, it seemed as if the entire estate was buzzing slightly. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find out why.

    Approaching him from the mansion were two guards, a person walking a bit ahead of them with shaky steps. He saw them better as they got closer. Slicked back brown hair, murky blue eyes, pale lips, and finally a sharp nose. Chef Lauri, one of Leonardo¡¯s subordinates, and the one who kept giving Alice half-rotten food.

    She was being escorted out of the estate by the two guards behind her, and judging by the baggage she was dragging along, it was likely that it was for good. She was trembling, nearly stumbling with each step. Her face was as pale as snow, an expression close to delirious lingering on her face.

    She was lucky that Marion had intervened after Leonardo caused such a ruckus. She probably didn¡¯t want her brother to raise more of a fuss by killing one of their workers, it would look bad on the family. Well, being fired and noted as a thief, as well as getting saddled with debt she would never be able to pay in her lifetime may not be better. Before long she would probably end up in the slums.

    Her eyesnded on Gabriel, they were approaching each other so it was inevitable. She looked like a lost child with her vacant eyes, barely registering Gabriel¡¯s presence. He raised the wooden bottle he had bought for himself, he drank slowly so there was about a third of it left. As they passed each other, he ced the bottle on top of the luggage she was bringing along, his words brushing against her ears.

    "Here, the sweets I promised."

 Chapter 24: Kickstart. (3)

    Chapter 24: Kickstart. (3)

    When Gabriel entered the mansion, he could feel a slight tenseness in the air. The usual noise was absent, the unusual silence almost oppressive as it bore down on his shoulders.

    Marion had probably scolded Leonardo a fair bit, resulting in his already terrible mood dropping further. Chef Lauri had already been fired after having ¡®stolen¡¯ a ne, no one wanted to be the next to go because they identally disturbed Leonardo. Well, the eastern wing where Gabriel and Alice lived was always quiet so the change was hardly noticeable once he got there.

    It was ratherte now, normally they would be in the small office at this time to do a little bit of studying before preparing for bed. But seeing as Alice had probably gotten scolded, or at the very leastpletely ignored, by Marion today, he guessed that he was more likely to find her in her chambers.

    "My Lady, I have re¡­ Eh?"

    His words were cut off as he opened the door, his head tilting. Empty. The bed looked untouched, the basin was still filled with the same water from this morning so she hadn¡¯t washed up yet. The same tray from pre-sleep teatimest night so she hadn¡¯te by to put anything away either.

    He put down the bag with the new bedsheets, his eyes narrowing slightly. Was it by choice that she had yet to return, or had someone else done something? The story was already starting to change thanks to his actions so he wasn¡¯t able to lean too heavily towards either option.

    He picked up the wooden bottle that was tucked away with the bedsheets and made a quick stop by his room. He picked up his weapon and attached it to his waist again, one hand resting on the hilt as he started to move through the hallways, checking the most likely rooms one by one.

    The bath where she would often go to cry in the story. The empty kitchen where she had to make her own food. The y room that would be a torture chamber for her own bloodline in the future. The living room from which she could only see the eastern part of the estate. But she wasn¡¯t in any of the rooms that she had be so attached to in the show.

    "Why here?"

    No, the ce he eventually found her was the corner of the small library that was built into the eastern wing. The smell of old books, the light tinge of mould and stuffy air filled the entire room, dusty bookshelves neatly lined up as they formed rows. Thest time this library was used properly was many years ago, it hadn¡¯t seen people since the time of Alice¡¯s grandmother.

    But there she sat. She had picked out a decently sized table close to a window and lit a fewmps tobat the dark. More than a handful of books were strewn about on the table, most of them involving topics he wasn¡¯t nning on going through for at least another year or two. She was already having it hard enough with just getting by and being normal, trying to teach her things about leading kingdoms and handlingrger estates would only confuse her. But there she sat, reading away with such a focused gaze that she hadn¡¯t even noticed him yet.

    "You should move themps closer, reading in low light is bad for the eyes."

    "Fweh!"

    She jumped audibly as he put down the wooden bottle, the chair rattling as she almost fell back. Just a second ago she had been the picture of dignified focus and grace, but that image crumbled instantly thanks to her reaction. Well, she was still just a child so he much preferred to see a reaction like this, kids shouldn¡¯t be too stiff.

    "I¡¯ve returned, my Lady."

    He greeted her with a smile, pushing one of themps closer. He didn¡¯t know why she had retreated to the library to read up on things ahead of time, but since it seemed to be by her own choice he had no intentions of interfering. The light of themp washed over her face, pushing away the musty darkness of the library as her crimson irises gleamed like rubies.

    The flush that had settled on her face due to the surprise receded as she looked at Gabriel. Her face turned for a moment as she looked out the window, checking on the position of the sun, which had set not too long ago. She gave him until tomorrow morning, but he came back earlier than he had to.

    He returned to her. While she sat alone in the dim light, he came back, he cared for her. His hand was still on the hilt of his de, just as it had been when he blocked Leonardo for her. Even when he returned, the first thing he did was worry and take care of her. Once again, it was only him. Always only him.

    "Wee home, Gabriel."

    She smiled. How could she not? She knew. She knew that he¡¯d stay true to his word, he wouldn¡¯t abandon her. But it was still there, deep inside her, that dark and lonely room, the pain she only recently realized. So she felt happy when he came back. When he took a step closer to the dark room. Surely, there woulde a day when he got to open the closed door and pour some light into that room. On that day, she would probably understand the importance of the word ¡®family¡¯.

    "Yeah, I¡¯m back. So, will you tell me what brought on the reading?"

    He pulled up a nearby chair as he spoke, gesturing towards the stacked books as he sat down. The books didn¡¯t seem to have been picked at random, some topics had more books than others while some topics only had summaries or more basic descriptions that would be easier for new students to understand. And above all, they all followed the same baseline, how to manage a small city.

    Alice took her eyes away from him, her gaze sweeping across the books. A small city¡­ it was a far cry from the grand Vritara duchy, so small and insignificant that it couldn¡¯t bepared. But she had to start somewhere, otherwise she would never be able to make good on her words.

    "I¡­ I can¡¯t make you my knight."

    After drawing in a few breaths, Alice managed to squeeze out the truth. ¡®Can you be my knight?¡¯ Those were the first words they shared, the start of everything, the entire reason he hade with her at all. But she¡­ She could not aplish it. She could not currently give him what she ¡®promised,¡¯ she needed him to know that.

    She managed to raise her head after uttering the words, the truth she had to admit. But he still just sat there like usual, looking directly at her like usual, a thin and small smile like usual. Yes, of course. If she knew it then he too would obviously know it, he was the one who taught her after all. And yet, he still sat there. And thus, she had to say it.

    "But I will. I can¡¯t do it now, I can¡¯t do it next year, probably not within the next handful of years either, it may even take more than ten years. But I will make you a knight, Gabriel."

    She was still young, far too young in fact. Gaining enough influence to be the next duke, or to make her father knight someone on her behalf, they weren¡¯t things she could do quickly. It would take time, years. But eventually, she would seed, she had to.

    "I will make sure that Leonardo gets punished for hitting you. I will also make sure that you be a knight and lord above all others. So¡­ Will you wait for me, my knight?"

    Gabriel saw it in her eyes as she spoke to him. When he first taught her about desires and wants, her desire to take over the family in the future was small. It was just something totch onto, a desire for the sake of having one. But as she spoke now, her eyes were firm, strong, determined.

    And her words¡­ Leonardo, not Elder Brother like usual. She had made a cut, she had drawn the line. While he wasn¡¯t here, she had grown on her own, she had made a choice on her own. And the crimson eyes that reflected the light in the dim room shone all the more because of it.

    Ah really, it seemed like parts of this viiness were bound to never change.

    "Alright, if that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to be¡­"

    He muttered to himself as he pushed away the chair and stood up, moving around the table until he was right by Alice, who only had to turn to face him. He matched her look as he drew his sword, stabbing the tip into the wooden floor. His legs bent as he dropped to one knee, cing his forehead against the t side of the de. Usually you would ce it against the hilt, but he was too short for that so he had to make do.

    He¡¯d seen things like this many times when he watched the show. The number of people who performed this ceremony to the main characters wasn¡¯t small, they had to build up quite arge force to fight back against the viiness in front of him after all. But he had to say, he never thought that he¡¯d be performing it himself.

    "I will wait for you, my Lady. If you tell me to kill, I will swing my sword. If you tell me to protect, I will shield all you hold dear. If someone sullies your honour, I will defend it. From this breath and until myst, I will be your knight, and yours alone."

    The words differed from person to person, the oath unique to each knight. But the intent was the same for all of them, a bond that would connect them until their deaths. Gabriel had epted Alice¡¯s request to be her knight back when they first met, but this would be the first time he actually swore a knight¡¯s oath.

    "So I will wait for you, Alice. And I will make you a lord uncontested, an unparallelled ruler."

    Alice had made her stance clear and hardened her determination, so he could only do the same. So in that dim and musty library, they exchanged their oaths, a knighting ceremony for just the two of them. A viiness and her knight, sworn until death.

 Chapter 25: Spirit awakening.

    Chapter 25: Spirit awakening.

    Gabriel expected the Night Pack to move quickly because of how well he paid them, the information he gave them was also quite juicy so they were probably eager to use it straight away. But as it turned out, they were more patient than he thought. That, or they were just more thorough.

    "The information you requested has been gathered. The tree with eight holes, hole number five from the bottom."

    A little over a week after he put in the request, the stud earring he got from the Night Pack finally whirred to life. The message was short, the voice belonging to their gori-masked leader. It was already quitete when he got the message so he took the chance to leave his room and sneak into the hallway.

    He used the secret passages hidden in the walls to make his way through the mansion. If they finished one task then it likely meant that they had finished the other one at the same time, and in that case there should be a reaction right about now.

    Crack

    He heard the sound he hoped for before he even got close enough to see her room. When he finally reached a spot from which he could peek into Marion¡¯s room, the desk she usually would sit at was already broken. It was split down the middle, but there were several deep dents and cracks in both sections.

    She still sat on her chair, her nightgown covered by a silk robe. Someone who probably worked for her information agency stood in front of her, their head lowered slightly as a soft tremble ran through their body. Marion¡¯s gaze was transfixed on the logbook in her hand, the pages slowly turning as her grip on the book only tightened.

    "Is it verified?"

    "I¡¯m afraid so."

    The informant answered her question so quickly that they almost seemed afraid to be even a secondte. But honestly, it was probably justified in this case. The information in the logbook was tied directly to her brother, and it went against everything she stood for. Illegal selling of demons, kidnapping and selling of people in the slums, farming and distributing opium on arge scale.

    If this got out, and the information was actually verified by the imperial family, then Leonardo would not be able to escape the death sentence. Naturally, this all relied on the existence of proof, the proof she was holding in her hands. Marion knew this, so after sucking in a deep breath, she clutched the book tightly.

    "Round them all up. The farmers, the traders, the vers. Don¡¯t miss a single one, take their arms and legs if you must. But make it quiet, no one else must be allowed to learn of this. I¡¯ll request for an audience with the Emperor, if we present them all to him and are willing to make some sacrifices then we may be able to get Leonardo down from a death sentence to life in prison."

    The informant hurriedly nodded his head, Gabriel observing them both from his hiding spot with a slight curve of the lips. Yes, this was the kind of person Marion was, had to be. She could get rid of the evidence right here, but her conscience wouldn¡¯t allow that. No, Leonardo had to pay for what he had done, that was thew. The best she could do was alter the circumstances slightly, before the situation had the chance to blow up.

    The things she would do to him before she dragged him in front of the emperor, perhaps he would think death was preferable. That was why Alice and Marion couldn¡¯t get along in the show, Marion could not ept the viin that her sister became and thus fought against her with everything she had.

    "I must go meet with Father. Go, start straight away, involve the entire guild. And find out who delivered the information!"

    Marion spat out orders as she marched out of the room, Gabriel following her as she headed for the duke¡¯s office. But he didn¡¯t actually dare to enter the duke¡¯s office through the secret passageways. The duke was the only one here who knew about them, and if he tried to use magic to hide then there was a good chance that they would discover him. So he lingered just outside the office, just close enough to listen in on them.

    Things went about as he expected, Marion reported the situation and the duke listened grimly. He agreed with her decision to bring Leonardo in front of the emperor, they just couldn¡¯t let him go freely after this. But the duke thought a bit further ahead as well.

    "We¡¯ll need an event."

    Gabriel¡¯s ears perked up when he heard the weary sigh. This was what he had been waiting for.

    "You did the right thing when you tried to cover it up immediately, but the fact that the information was delivered to you means that someone else already has it in their hands. Even if you start acting now, there¡¯s probably an 80% chance that word of it will still spread. Even if it¡¯s nothing but unfounded rumours, it will still be a stain on the territory¡¯s name, people will whisper about it for as long as they can. We need an event to distract them, to lessen at least some of the whispering while we lock up Leonardo and talk with Arthas about a suitable excuse to give the public."

    Arthas De Earhart, Emperor of the Earhart Empire, only the dukes and the head of the eastern family could call him by his name.

    Even if they gave Leonardo the death sentence as thew dictated, people would still whisper about the things that went down in this territory, whisper about the ipetent Vritara. Some of those in the other ducal families would make sure of that. So they needed a distraction while they worked on an excuse that could somewhat lessen the whispering. And lessen really was the goal here. The duke knew that eliminating it was impossible, the damage was already done. He could only seek to minimise it as best he could.

    A short silence fell over the room, or at least it seemed so from what Gabriel could hear, the duke¡¯s voice eventually leaking into the secret passage again.

    "¡­The Crown Princess. Our Patricia is close in age to her is she not?"

    Gabriel¡¯s head couldn¡¯t help but tilt for a moment after the duke spoke. He searched through his memories, but he couldn¡¯t recall anyone rted to the Vritara family who went by the name of Patricia. But Marion cleared up his confusion.

    "Alice, yes. I believe there is about half a year difference between them. Are you nning on having them be ymates?"

    Gabriel wanted to click his tongue but decided against it, limiting the amount of noise he made here would be for the best. Marion¡¯s voice sounded a bit sceptical, a duke¡¯s child and the emperor¡¯s daughter bing ymates was just too normal of an event.

    "No. It¡¯s a secret, but Arthas has already tested his daughter¡¯s aptitude, she will definitely call forth and contract at least a Disaster-grade spirit. He originally wanted to wait longer before he did the ceremony, but I¡¯ll talk with him about pushing it forward, he shouldn¡¯t deny the request of a friend. We can use the excuse that I¡¯m so eager to see what sort of spirit Alicia will awaken that I can¡¯t wait, Arthas can then hop on and say that he¡¯ll bring along his own daughter so that Alicia won¡¯t feel too lonely. The subsequent awakening should remove at least a few of the whispers."

    The duke sounded tired. He also wasn¡¯t speaking the full truth. Not only would people talk about the crown princess awakening a great spirit, but they would alsopare her to Alice at the same time. So whether or not Alice awakened a higher or lower-grade spirit didn¡¯t actually matter. If it was a higher-ranked, good, people would talk about the attraction of the Vritara bloodline. If it was lower-ranked, still good, people would talk about Alice rather than Leonardo. After all, everyone loved talking down to someone who was worse off.

    Gabriel listened for a bit more, slowly making his way back to his room a bit after Marion left the office. The duke sounded a bit uncertain at times, but with the rtionship Gabriel had seen in the show it was basically guaranteed that the awakening ceremony would be pushed forward. He¡¯d already spent thest few days teaching Alice about Spirits so they should be able to avoid the worst case scenario of her summoning a spirit that would instantly go rampant.

    With that, one of the future events he kick-started fell into ce. But there was still one more event he needed to properly set up, for both Alice and Lawrence¡¯s sake. So he touched the stud earring and used a bit of mana to activate the magic formation inside it.

    "The news you sneakily read in the logbook, you can start spreading and selling it as you please after two weeks, especially in the northernnds. I won¡¯t ask for royalties on the information, but you can leave two Magic Enhancing pills in the same spot asst time. They need to contain enough mana for a General-grade spell each."

    He had never strictly forbidden the Night Pack from reading what was in Leonardo¡¯s logbook, but the unspoken rule in their line of business was to y it straight and never check the package. But that gori-masked man would definitely have read the logbook despite that standard, he¡¯d just go about using it very sneakily. That was the expected, and desired, oue, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t above getting some value out of it despite that.

    He received an affirmative reply and cut contact with the Night Pack. With that, all that was left was to wait for Leonardo to act as he should, and for the northern duchy to act as they should. He¡¯d take care of the rest, just as he always did. Until then, it was time to wait and sharpen his fangs, there was still plenty of training to do.

    He¡¯d made ns and prepared for the situations based on what he knew, he was as ready as he would be at the moment. But there was one variable he hadn¡¯t taken into ount, the ¡®viiness¡¯ he was helping, and how desperate the duke was to get his distraction. And because of that, he waspletely taken aback when she burst into his room five dayster, patting her chest triumphantly.

    "Gabriel, I was just called in by the duke! He¡¯s decided to push forward my spirit awakening ceremony, the emperor has apparently even agreed to let his daughter do his at the same time! But I managed to force him to ept a condition of mine, you have to get your own spirit awakening ceremony at the same time!"

 Chapter 26: Spirit awakening. (2)

    Chapter 26: Spirit awakening. (2)

    Gabriel had a headache as he made his way towards the city. He had just finished putting Alice to bed and cancelled tonights training with Lawrence. He didn¡¯t have a choice but to call off the training, today wasn¡¯t Thursday so it wasn¡¯t his one day off. But he had to get to the city today because of the bombshell Alice decided to drop on him just a while ago.

    He¡¯d have to join her to the Spirit Awakening ceremony and take it himself while there? Alice¡¯s awakening ceremony was the perfect opportunity, and perhaps even thest one, for Leonardo to get out and meet up with his coborators before he was dragged in front of the emperor. He wouldn¡¯t miss that chance, and Gabriel had intended to take advantage of it.

    But now¡­ Now the window of time he had to act was reduced drastically. Gabriel knew what would go down when Leonardo met with his coborators, if he allowed it to go through then they would be able to shift most of the me onto a scapegoat. At that time, dealing with Leonardo would be a lot more annoying.

    He quickly reached the tree where he made the Night Pack leave the things he requested, fishing out two oval pills and a single rolled up sheet of paper. He stuffed the drugs into his pocket and gave the rolled up report a quick read as he hurried back to the estate.

    The report was about the orphanage where he first woke up in this body, it was just too shady for him to leave it alone. But seeing that it was just one page in total, he couldn¡¯t get his hopes up. If the Night Pack failed to produce arger report then it generally meant one of three things, the backer was too great, the price paid was too low, or the information was just too hidden. And sadly, in this case, it seemed to belong to the first category.

    Owned by the Crown, investigation cancelled. Renumeration will be kept to pay for future requests.

    The crown. The unmarked orphanage was owned by the imperial family itself. That made it¡­ troublesome to deal with. It would make sense if the imperial family ran an orphanage to look for talented children for the future, but if that was the case then it wouldn¡¯t be so hidden away. They were nning something else, but it never came up in the story so he had no clue what.

    "Tch."

    He folded the paper with a slightly annoyed expression, stuffing it into his coat pocket. What a hassle, now he would have to drag out dealing with the orphanage for an unknown length of time. Rushing the thing with Leonardo, postponing the orphanage, things really weren¡¯t going his way today.

    He took a few deep breaths to restore his mind to its usual condition, quickly making his way back to the estate while he contacted the Night Pack through his earring.

    "Change of ns. You can start selling the information straight away. Send an express copy of it to the Pek Company in Kashmira city. With the copy you can also send a note that Leonardo De Vritara will be moving through Brightbloom forest tomorrow, probably around the afternoon. He¡¯ll move past Rockmoss canyon, it should be the perfect ce. Tell them that the messagees from the One-Eyed Golden Leopard."

    His expression contorted a little as he talked. This¡­ wasn¡¯t the way he wanted to go about it. It was definitely the fastest way, it would get all the actors to the ce they needed to be. But it cast too much focus on him. Giving the Night Pack all that information that should be hard to get for an outsider, giving the Pekpany that nickname, it was all too suspicious. And now that he had used it, it would never work again in the future.

    Pekpany was located in Kashmira city, which was the capital of the western duchy, but the truth was that they belonged to the northern duchy. They were a core piece of their informationwork, sending the information to them guaranteed that the northern duchy would get it and start moving to take down Leonardo. And because of the nickname he gave them, the secret codename of their duchy¡¯s Young Master, they would move immediately. But afterwards it would be apparent that the one who gave the order wasn¡¯t their young master. They¡¯d investigate, and it would make the Night Pack question him.

    It was uncertain. It was rushed. It was risky. It was not a way that Gabriel liked to work. If his position was even a bit more high-key then he would have to seriously ponder if it was worth it, but since he was currently someone inconsequential and worthless he decided to take the risk. Few people would think that a young ve that was recently brought in could know and provide all that information after all. At least, that was his hope.

    He received an affirmative reply from the Night Pack a bit before he returned to the estate, judging by their tone they would probably spring into action right away. It was good information, and the Pekpany was a good customer, a lot of money could be earned here.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t return directly to his room, first choosing to make his way to the stables. The horses were already sleeping, each carriage neatly parked aside so that they would be ready for tomorrow. The duke really hadn¡¯t given Alice a lot of time to prepare, and as such Gabriel had equally little time to prepare.

    He skulked along the carriages, moving past the luxurious ones marked with the family insignia and carefully inspecting the unmarked ones that could pass for normal carriages. Eventually, he found the specific one that was generally reserved for servants when they went out on business. Incidentally, this was also the one that Leonardo used when he had to sneak out for shady business. The others would just think that a servant went out on business so it was a good cover for him.

    "Karas Taki. Karas Tava Ka."

    He crouched down and traced his fingers along the underside of the carriage, there was a small nk suspended from the bottom to hold your luggage. A bit of the darkness moved as his fingers traced the air, his magic activating the spells as the darkness marked that particr spot.

    The first spell was rtively simple, it had the darkness leave a Taki, a Mark in that particr spot. On its own, it did nothing. Then the second spell came in, Darkness Notify Me. With this, once this mark was disturbed, he would be notified. That would be his que to make his move.

    "Now¡­ Now we can just wait."

    He stood up and muttered to himself as he left the stables, tomorrow would be the moment of truth. If Leonardo chose to not move, if he had to ride with someone else, if Leonardo took a different carriage, there were plenty of ways for his ns to go down the drain. That was the main reason he disliked working like this, too many ways for things to go wrong and not enough ways for him to make back-up ns.

    By the time he got back to his room, it had already be ratherte so he simply washed his face and went to bed to prepare for the day that was toe. Luckily, when the time to leave came, the apologetic expression on Alice¡¯s face gave him a bit of good news.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Gabriel. I wanted us to ride in the same carriage so that you didn¡¯t end up alone, but the duke and Marion insisted that I ride with them. But I snuck a few books into your carriage so you won¡¯t have to sit there and squeeze up against the window just to look out while you pass the time."

    The duke and Marion would obviously ride the finest carriage the estate had, and since Alice was supposed to be the ¡®main character¡¯ of today¡¯s ceremony she would have to ride with them. Gabriel on the other hand was only tacked on to appease Alice so he would have to ride the ufortable and small carriage that Alice had to use when she first came to the orphanage.

    Normally they would just use a gate to reach the capital, but they were trying to make this ceremony a big deal so the n was to ride the carriage the entire way. This way, as many people as possible would see them as the news, which they were intentionally scattering as much as possible, spread to the citizens.

    "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll see each other by the Spirit Pond anyway. You should take this moment to get to know the duke and your elder sister a bit more."

    Alice knew her older brothers quite well, they had abused her a fair bit over the years after all. But her older sister and the duke were almost wholly indifferent to her so they rarely interacted. She would have to spend some time with them if she wanted to figure out how she wanted to act towards them in the future.

    "Okay, I will! And I look forward to seeing what sort of spirit answers your call, you¡¯re not allowed to hide it from me!"

    Alice was full of energy, she looked ready to bounce around as she skipped over to the carriage that her sister directed her towards. Marion looked at Gabriel for a moment, thetter smiling at her calmly as he gave a polite bow. She gave him a small nod and then retracted her gaze, taking a seat in the carriage before she closed the door.

    Gabriel was left to enter his own carriage, ending up all alone once he closed the door. Well, there was a driver to control the horses, but he hadn¡¯t even looked at Gabriel once so he didn¡¯t seem to be the sociable type.

    The carriages started moving a handful of minutes after Gabriel sat down, somewhat slowly making their way out of the estate and into the city. Gabriel looked out the small window for a bit as they moved, but before long, the corners of his lips turned up.

    "Yes, that¡¯s good, Leonardo."

    The spell he cast had activated, something had disturbed the darkness. Judging by the sensations that flowed in through the spell, it seemed as if the carriage was moving rather quickly. Leonardo was in a hurry, of course he would be. But unlike Marion and the others, he could, or rather would, be using gates so he had a bit more leeway.

    Gabriel sat down in the seat and leaned back, fishing out the three items he had bought from the Night Pack. They had all been bought specifically for this day, this moment. It was a bit unfortunate that he would have to use the drugs, but that couldn¡¯t be helped with how weak he was right now.

 Chapter 27: Spirit awakening. (3)

    Chapter 27: Spirit awakening. (3)

    Magic Enhancing Pills. As the name suggested, they were pills that enhanced your magic. If taken by someone like him, they would allow him to use the same amount of mana as someone who had formed the first out of the four core stars, the Grass-root Star. The drawback here would be that the pill would turn his own lifeforce into mana he could use, the end-result being a slight reduction of his lifespan. But the spell he wanted to cast was only General-grade so it should only be a reduction of about 2-5 years, it was an eptable loss.

    As for what a core star was, it was what the people of this world used to ssify their mages. Unranked mages could only draw in mana from the surroundings, but when they gathered enough and packed it tightly enough around their heart, their body would eventually form a star. Well, it would be a lump of mana that constantly regenerated on its own rather than a star, they just liked their fancy name.

    From that point on, their body would naturally produce mana, and be able to store more thanks to the star, so they had a lot more leeway in what spells they could cast. The first star was called the Grass-root star, and as the name suggested, there were three more of these core stars. Once you formed all four, you would be ssified as a High-ranking mage.

    But if you wanted to go the cmity ranks and higher, you would need to form a connection between each star, a line of mana that constantly channelled the energy between the connected stars. The end-goal would be to connect all four core stars, as well as the Apex star you would have to form as a bncing point. The final thing would look like a drawing of a star, with mana serving as the paint and your body as the canvas.

    But no one had reached that level in many a year, people suspected that thest person to do so was the founder of the Earhart empire. The reason was simple actually, not even those who in the past managed to kill Deicide-rank Demons had reached that level, so it clearly surpassed it.

    Naturally, Gabriel was far away from anything like that so it didn¡¯t really matter to him, he only knew about it thanks to the show and due to what he was teaching Alice. What did matter to him, however, were the sensations that the mark he left constantly transmitted to him.

    He felt the carriage pass through a few gates as the minutes and hours passed, making it all the more likely for it to be Leonardo who was using it. The sensations got a bit bumpy after that, as if the carriage had left the pre-established roads. Gabriel took this as his sign and swallowed one of the pills, a sour and painful sensation surging up from his stomach as the drug dissolved and forcibly drew out mana from within him.

    And then he felt it. The mark shook violently, the rumbling so bad that it transmitted directly into Gabriel¡¯s bones and made him feel as if he was going to get torn apart. The sensation continued for a bit, another sensation akin to rolling apanying it before it calmed down. Once it stopped, Gabriel sucked in a deep breath and prepared.

    "Karas Taki Ka Aset."

    He tapped into the mana provided by the drug to activate the spell. Darkness Mark Me Switch. When it was actually tranted, it basically sounded like gibberish, it also became a problem when you tried to cast higher level spells because of how simple the sentence was, it made it hard to properly control the effect. But Gabriel already had the solution for that problem so it wouldn¡¯t bother him much when he reached it.

    The spell activated and did exactly what it said, it switched him and the mark he cast earlier. He vanished from the carriage with a slightly sickening sensation, it felt as if he was spinning uncontroble while sinking into a swamp.

    Luckily, said sensation didn¡¯tst for long before he found himself on a rocky patch of ground, a cloud of dust all around him. He felt some splinters dig into his hand as he raised himself up, broken pieces of wood scattered about him. The carriage on which he had left his mark waspletely torn apart, the parts of what was likely two different corpses spread about.

    The northern duchy really worked quickly when their ¡®young master¡¯ gave an order, barely needed half a day to set up this explosive ambush. The wind was starting to pick up, scattering the dust as an eagle cried.

    Gabriel quickly grabbed the first thing he bought from the Night Pack, a red bead covered in dark blue lines. He dropped the bead and it cracked like ss, a thin mist quickly rising from within and nketing the area. The cries of the eagle vanished and the wind settled down. Until this mist vanished, all spirits of the middle-grade, or General-grade to be more specific, would be sealed. Naturally, that included Leonardo¡¯s eagle spirit.

    Gabriel took in his surroundings for a moment. The ruined carriage and two corpses were around him, a forest with a few tinges of blue spread out to his left and a canyon stood to his right. The edges of the canyon were steep, dotted with jagged stones, the sounds of a rushing rivering up from below. To his front and back was the road, if a stretch of root-covered stone could even be called that. At the end of this road, one would find the base that Leonardo and his coborators used for their meetings, hidden away neatly in this forest situated on the border between the southern and western duchy.

    "Worry not, Young¡­ Lord. I will drag you up."

    A voice came from the right, Gabriel¡¯s head tilting as his gaze fell on its source. The back he recognized as belonging to the bushy-browed knight who served Leonardo was there, a bit of blood staining his uniform. He was pressed up against the edge of the canyon, his voice trailing slightly as he clearly struggled with something.

    He did his best, but if things went as they did in the show then he would die before he managed to pull up the man hanging from the cliff. But Gabriel was here to make sure that things didn¡¯t go as they did in the show.

    He unsheathed the sword that hung at his waist and moved forward with quiet steps. The knight was clearly pre-upied, and perhaps his ears were busted after the explosion, so he couldn¡¯t hear Gabriel. Thus, the young kid could walk right up to him and raise the de, aiming the tip right at his back.

    He tilted the de slightly so that it wouldn¡¯t get stuck on the spine and angled it further before plunging it down. He knew the human body quite well so the tip of the de pierced through flesh and lungs, digging right into the heart while avoiding the ribs that would usually be in the way. Gabriel didn¡¯t have the confidence to break the ribs and pierce the heart with his current strength.

    It was quick and it was efficient, the knight choking on whatever he was about to say and copsing as some blood gathered in his throat. He fell like a sack of potatoes, most people did when they died this suddenly. And with that, there was nothing blocking Gabriel¡¯s gaze from meeting the golden eyes that were now looking up at him.

    "Hello, Leonardo."

    Leonardo was barely hanging on to some roots and moss that stuck out of the cliff, his hair dishevelled and his face covered in scratches. He managed to survive the explosion thanks to the bushy-browed knight, who pushed him out of the carriage when he sensed the magic activate. But the resulting st still blew Leonardo over the edge of the cliff, it was only luck that he managed totch onto this.

    "You¡­You¡­ How are you here?"

    Leonardo¡¯s voice trailed. His tongue was injured so it was a little hard to understand him. Arge burn covered the right side of his face, almost melting his eye, but he was still able to make out Gabriel. But he was practically delirious.

    "Up¡­ Tanisha isn¡¯t answering me¡­ please¡­ Help me up, I don¡¯t want to die¡­ Tanisha, please find Tanisha and help me¡­"

    Tanisha was the name of his spirit, if she was here then her wind would easily help him up. But she was already sealed, so she could not help him. Gabriel bent his knees and crouched down at the edge, drawing his sword out of the knight¡¯s back.

    "Don¡¯t worry, you wouldn¡¯t die even if you fell from here. You¡¯d manage to use your hidden water magic right at the end to cushion your fall. You¡¯d be horribly injured and disfigured for life, but you¡¯d live. And you¡¯d be one hell of a shit about it too. Lawrence was supposed to be here instead of that bushy-browed knight, and one of the first things you would do when you get back home is have him executed for failing to protect you. And Alice, oh boy would you get pissed with her, you¡¯d use her of colluding with the northern duchy to kill you, you¡¯d me her for your wounds and disfigured face. Really, the things you¡¯d do to her to appease your anger¡­"

    Gabriel spoke more than usual, thinking back to the show he saw in the past, the graphic details. This event wasn¡¯t supposed to happen for quite a few more years so Lawrence would have been the one to follow Leonardo here, having been fed some sort of excuse. It was this event that marked theplete descent of Leonardo¡¯s sanity, there were times where he cursed the fact that he survived the fall.

    Gabriel raised his head slightly, the numbers in the sky reflecting in his violet eyes. He counted them for a second before lowering his gaze again.

    "You can¡¯t see it, but the numbers in the sky have actually gone up a bit. I guess people just really like seeing the downfall of an insufferable man."

    He wanted to click his tongue actually. The number that constantly hung in the sky was higher than it was when he first awoke in the orphanage. His goal was to lower it as much as possible, not raise it like this. But he just had to ept the situation for now.

    "Please¡­ Tanisha¡­ Bring her. I don¡¯t want to fall, it hurts¡­"

    Leonardo¡¯s pupils, or pupil as it was now, swam around in a panicked and unfocused manner. Sometimes he looked at Gabriel and sometimes he looked below him. He trembled every time he looked at the drop that awaited him, he could already imagine the pain. But Gabrielforted him.

    "Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t feel a thing."

    He raised the sword as he spoke, pointing the tip at Leonardo¡¯s remaining eye. And then he plunged it down, piercing through the eye and angling the de towards the brain. It wasn¡¯t as easy as when he killed the bushy-browed knight, but getting to the brain from the eye socket would be easier than having to pierce the skull, at least somewhat.

    Leonardo¡¯s body jolted as the de was stabbed into his head, his arms twitching for a moment before they fell limp. His grip on the roots naturally loosened so he fell backwards, drawing a line of blood through the air as he plummeted downwards, his skull smashing against the side of the cliff as he fell like a ragdoll.

    Gabriel drew back the de and cleaned it somewhat on the bushy-browed knights uniform, his gaze following Leonardo as he fell. And just like that, one of the petty viins met an anticlimactic end a few years ahead of schedule, his future demise kick-started along with the rest of the future.

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze rose skyward again, the sight of the numbers increasing filling his vision. He clicked his tongue at the sight and sheathed his de. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out thest of the two pills, popping it into his mouth to draw out mana once more.

    "Karas Taki Ka Aset."

    He cast the spell again and switched ces with the mark, which was currently in the carriage on the way to the capital thanks to their earlier switch. He appeared again in his seat and spat out a long breath.

    "Karas Kardur Taki."

    As he uttered the words and traced the air with his fingers to picture the formation, he finished thest of the things he needed. Darkness Remove Mark. Now, no one would be able to find the traces of the mark he left earlier, further reducing the chances of being found.

    He leaned against the small window and looked at the passing scenery. Now he only had to get through the spirit awakening ceremony.

 Chapter 28: Spirit awakening. (4)

    Chapter 28: Spirit awakening. (4)

    Gabriel could feel it the moment the carriage arrived in the capital. It was the air, something about it was different. He could almost feel it on his tongue, like the small petals of snow that fell on the day he decided to take the plunge.

    When he pressed his face up against the small window, he could see them in the distance, the threendmarks of the Earhart Capital. To the north, the five twisting golden spires that marked the Imperial Pce. To the west, the towering marble pir that served as the Magic Tower. And to the south, the nine sky-blue steeples that connected mankind to the gods through the Gransax Cathedral. The Imperial family held full control over the empire, but there was no one who couldpletely disregard the words and opinions of the tower and the cathedral, they could be seen as the right and left arms of the Imperial Family.

    The roads were wide, the buildings along it a mixture of golden, blue, and pure white. Looking at the city as it stretched into the horizon made Gabriel feel as if he was looking at the beach through a kaleidoscope. Scattered about those melding colours was a sea of people. They lined the streets like scarecrows, gawking at the carriages as they rolled past. The stain of the Vritara and the jewel of the Earhart, they were going to have their spirit awakening ceremony at the same time. How could they not gather to look?

    The carriages followed the road, turning towards the first steeple, the one closest to the Imperial Pce. But as they got closer, the two carriages naturally split up. The luxurious one continued towards the first steeple, but the one Gabriel was on turned towards the fifth steeple that was a bit further away. The duke promised that Gabriel would get to undergo his own spirit awakening ceremony, but there was no way he would get to do it in the same ce as the Crown Princess. No, he would have to use the Spirit Pond that was reserved for the lowest-ranked nobles.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Why is Gabriel going somewhere else?"

    Alice looked through the window, her gaze following the departing carriage. She couldn¡¯t see Gabriel from here, the window on his carriage, the one she always used, was just too small for her to see anything properly. Meanwhile, this carriage had windows sorge that you could see things clearly even if you were sprawled out on the floor, it was something she had never experienced before.

    "The Crown Princess is currently within the First Steeple, we cannot allow an unknownmoner to wander around her, the Emperor will never allow it."

    Marion answered patiently, her hands flipping the pages of the newspaper that was delivered to her when they arrived here. She was checking for news, but luckily it seemed as if word of Leonardo¡¯s deeds hadn¡¯t quite gotten out to the public yet. Good, that meant that there was still time to drag him in front of the emperor once this farce was over.

    "You will get to see him again after the ceremony. Worry not, we of the Vritara family never go back on our words."

    A slightly heavy voice, a slightly tired voice. This time, it wasn¡¯t Marion that spoke. No, the voice belonged to the third person upying this carriage. Duke Vritara, the Dragon Duke. He was just sitting there, but the sheer pressure his body exuded made it so that Alice couldn¡¯t even look at him. As such, she hadn¡¯t seen his face once despite sitting in the same carriage as him. All she could look at was the pair of muscr and toned legs covered by the ck pants that likely belonged to a suit.

    She wanted to scowl at him, but seeing as she couldn¡¯t raise her gaze past his knees it was a n she had no choice but to abandon. Her gaze slid back to the window, taking in the city around them since the other carriage had already disappeared from sight. She didn¡¯t get to look at the city for long, the carriage stopping in front of the first steeple.

    "We humbly greet the Duke of Vritara and Young Lady Marion. This lowly one is Garand Alsain, I wee you to our cathedral."

    A group of priests d in light-blue robes awaited them as the carriage doors opened. The robes were simple and baggy, each one so identical that you could think that each of the priests held the same position. But one priest stood a bit ahead of the others, a somewhat young man with bright golden hair and eyes that shone like sapphires. He wore a kind smile, his head seemingly constantly tilted ever so slightly.

    "If the Arch-Bishop is considered lowly then I¡¯m afraid only the pope will have the right to raise his head. I thank you for weing us, your Excellency Alsain."

    Duke Vritara was the first to step out of the carriage, exchanging greetings with the young priest who stood ahead of the others. With the Duke and the Arch-Bishop talking, the other priests naturally remained quiet, Marion also holding her tongue. Garand¡¯s gaze moved slightly after the duke greeted him,nding on Alice.

    "Is this little treasure the one who will form a contract with a spirit today? She has clear and bright eyes, I can see why you would hold her so dear as to push her ceremony forward."

    The Arch-Bishop smiled at her, his eyes narrowing into crescents as he greeted her with a nod. The duke didn¡¯t deign to give a response to the statement, his eyes gesturing towards the building behind the priests.

    "We should not keep His Majesty waiting."

    The building that rose behind the priests, even though it was only one part of the Gransax Cathedral, was fit enough to be called a cathedral in its own right. Two smaller towers on each side, clean white and sky-blue stones, arched and rounded windows, statues propped up along ridges, a small garden in front. And then the central steeple that towered above the rest of the city, arge bell hanging in its centre. It was far toorge for it, but it was still only called a chapel.

    "Of course. Please, follow me."

    Garand maintained his smile, simply turning it away from Alice and onto the Duke. The priests stepped aside as he turned, opening a path for the people of the Vritara house.

    The inside of the chapel was as beautiful as the outside. Statues of saints and past popes spread about, withrger statues depicting some of the gods standing at central points. The chapel feltrge, each hallway exceedingly tall and wide, its arched ceiling high above them. The nts and greenery that was spread about meticulously, even hanging from the walls and ceiling, provided every room with a fresh scent.

    Garand took them through the chapel at a rather slow pace, maintaining his facial expression all the while. But as Alice looked at him, she felt that his smile cramped whenever he looked at the statues featuring saints and popes. But he made sure to keep it well hidden, shing Alice a bright smile when he caught her looking.

    "Edward. You¡¯ve arrived."

    A low but powerful voice rang in Alice¡¯s ears after they passed arge statue depicting the god of light. Her gaze rose unconsciously, and there, just beyond a small garden, stood a tall white door. The one who spoke was standing in front of the door, a tall man who looked to be in his forties. He had the dark crimson hair of the imperial family cut short and slicked back, a pair of clear amber eyes reflecting Alice and the others.

    A luxurious outfit in red and gold, adorned with white fur, silver chains, as well as a ck and gold cape draped over one shoulder. Arthas De Earhart, the Emperor of the empire.

    "It has been a while, Arthas. It is good to see you again. And thank you, for granting my request."

    The duke stepped forward, his voice a bit softer as he embraced the emperor. Edward De Vritara, the man who controlled the southern duchy.

    While the two leaders embraced each other, Alice¡¯s gazended on the person standing next to the emperor. He had brought his daughter, a young girl that was supposedly about as old as Alice. Well, she was a bit taller because she got to eat better, but other than that it would be easy to believe that they were the same age.

    The same crimson hair, hers hanging down freely while slightly curled, and the same transparent amber eyes that seemed to reflect the entire world around them. She wore a simple white dress that almost looked like the robes that Garand and the priests wore. The Spirit Awakening Ceremony was generally a rather grand and somewhat holy ordeal so Alice stood out a bit because she came in a normal blue dress.

    The Crown Princess had a few freckles and a small mole right above the outer corner of her right eye. Her nose turned upwards slightly and she had rather deep dimples on her cheeks so she looked to be a rather happy person. In fact, she was smiling widely right now, looking directly at Alice. In fact, she even looked a bit¡­ excited?

    "Heyo, hello! I¡¯m Abigail De Earhart, but you can just call me Abby! You¡¯re Alice, right, right?"

    Contrary to normal etiquette, the Crown Princess bounced forward and took the initiative to introduce herself, vigorously shaking Alice¡¯s hand. She was so energetic that Alice barely had time to react before Abigail tugged on her arm.

    "Papa, I¡¯ll be going ahead with Alice! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll summon a super duper cool spirit for you!"

    She dragged Alice along with one hand while waving the other, skipping past the emperor as she pushed open therge doors and stepped through them with Alice. The emperor ended up looking somewhat exasperated as the doors closed, but the curve of his lips told the duke that he didn¡¯t mind it too much.

    The room beyond the door was where the Spirit Pond was. Arge dome-shaped room that waspletely empty except for the pond of milky-white water at the centre. Those that touched this water would find it a lot easier to have their voice reach the spirits of the world, and in turn the spirits would have an easier time gauging the one seeking a contract.

    Alice couldn¡¯t help but gawk slightly, the room felt a lot more solemn and holier than she expected. It was as if there was a slight hum in the air. But Abigail was still looking at her, a wide grin on her face.

    "You have no idea how nice it is to finally meet you, Alice! We haven¡¯t met before, but you just look so cute that I can¡¯t help myself. Just you wait, I¡¯m going to teach you how to grow up well and end up happy!"

    Alice¡¯s mind was dragged back to the person in front of her as Abigail spoke up, her voice bubbling excitedly as she almost seemed unable to stand still. It was a really familiar statement, one she hadn¡¯t expected to hear from someone else ever again. But Abigail just kept talking.

    "There are two really reaaallly important things you need to keep in mind to grow up well. The first, you can¡¯t trust your family! Leonardo and Francis are up to no good, not at all! Don¡¯t think of them as brothers, because they don¡¯t see you as their sister! Marion and the Duke aren¡¯t much better honestly, but you can win them over by growing up well, I know you can!"

    Abigail raised a slender finger in front of Alice¡¯s face, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she huffed at Alice¡¯s family. She almost sounded personally insulted, Alice almost felt that Abigail would wring their necks if they were here right now. But then her expression became a bit darker, a shade of severity falling over her eyes as she raised another finger.

    "And then there¡¯s the second thing. If you ever, and I mean ever, encounter someone with white-ish hair and violet eyes, you must avoid them at all cost. Don¡¯t stop to give them a moment, don¡¯t listen to their words, don¡¯t trust them. That thing will lie to you, that thing will deceive you with sweet words, that thing will use you. It¡¯ll say something one moment and then contradict itself in the next without even noticing it. Never trust it, and never listen to it, okay?"

 Chapter 29: Spirit awakening. (5)

    Chapter 29: Spirit awakening. (5)

    Alice felt the corners of her eyes twitching against her will as the Crown Princess spoke. Her gaze wanted to narrow so that she could re at Abigail. White-ish hair and violet eyes, she knew of one such person, she knew him well even. He had followed her here after she made a demand to the duke, he was going through his own ceremony at a different pond. And he was the person who brought a candle to her dark room.

    He also happened to be the reason that her eyes didn¡¯t actually narrow right now. She asked herself, if Gabriel was faced with this situation, what would he do? He¡¯d already shown the answer before, when Leonardo came raging like a storm. He didn¡¯t curse, he didn¡¯t protest, he knew that it would only worsen the situation. So Alice did the same.

    "White-ish hair and violet eyes, was it? Okay, I¡¯ll watch out for them, and I¡¯ll make sure to keep a veeery close eye on any that I end up finding."

    There was a smile on her face, Abigail still sping her hand sincerely. Alice was curious. What did Abigail know? How did Abigail know? Gabriel had seen her treatment first-hand so it made sense for him to warn her against Leonardo and Francis, but this was the first time Alice and Abigail met so how did she know. And the way she spoke about the person she was warning her against¡­ At first she tried to make it sound generalised, as if she was speaking about a group of people, but her words twistedter on and made it clear that she was speaking of one person in particr.

    "Yes, yes, that¡¯s good, Ally. Can I call you that? Ally, it¡¯s a cute nickname, isn¡¯t it?"

    Abigail was even bubblier now that Alice seemed to have listened properly, her dimples sliding back as a wide grin spread on her face. She let go of Alice¡¯s hand and took a few light steps back, leaning forward while her hands sped behind her back.

    "You must find it strange to hear such things from me. But I¡¯ve actually been wanting to meet you for a long time, longer than you can imagine. And while I can¡¯t tell you everything now, I swear on my name that one day I will tell you everything over a nice cup of tea, perhaps we can even bring along our husbands and have our children y in the garden."

    Abigail still smiled, her dimples stretched out. But Alice saw something familiar in that smile. The times she looked in the mirror when she was alone in her room, the times she walked by a polished window after getting scolded and saw her own reflection. Abigail¡¯s smile held a shade that was simr to the one hers had at those times. She looked like she wanted to break down. But Alice hadn¡¯t allowed herself to break down, and neither did Abigail.

    "But I will tell you this, Alice, my dear Ally. I just want you to be happy. You¡¯ve cried enough, you¡¯ve been hurt enough. It should be time for you to be happy, and I will do everything I can to make sure that the future that greets us is one where you can smile without a care."

    Abigail looked genuinely sincere as she spoke, taking small steps back to approach the milky white pond. Alice only got curiouser as she looked at Abigail. Why did she look like she wanted to cry? Why was she so set on making Alice happy, as if she was supposed to be miserable right now?

    Should she consider herself lucky, that people who seemed intent on making her happy gathered around her? Or should she be worried because said people also happened to be rather strange by most standards? Her answer was¡­ biased. When it came to Gabriel, she considered herself to be in the first category. But when it came to Abigail she considered herself of the second category. Why was that? Why did she take their good intentions so differently?

    "I¡¯ll go ahead and make a contract first. You can watch me and use it as a reference, I know you¡¯ll make a contract with something awesome."

    Alice couldn¡¯t find an answer to her question before Abigail stepped into the pond, the water quickly drenching her robe-like dress as she waded deeper into it. The already silent room felt a bit quieter as Abigail walked deeper, as if a curtain had been drawn over the world.

    "Mic check, testing, testing, one two three, one two three. Hello, Spirits, can you hear me? My name is Abigail, I¡¯ve got somest names too, but they don¡¯t matter much to you I guess. I¡¯m looking for a goodpanion who can help me in the future, the empire is starting to fester and if left unchecked them I¡¯m certain that it will lead to a lot of deaths. I want to borrow your strength to prevent those deaths, I think those people deserve to live long and happy lives instead."

    The Spirit Awakening Ceremony, despite the name, wasn¡¯t actually about awakening a spirit. It simply carried that name because the people of ancient times believed that spirits resided within people and simply needed to be awakened. Nowadays it was moremon knowledge that spirits roamed the worlds as they pleased so the purpose of the ceremony was to make yourself more attractive to a spirit. And from the looks of things, Abigail seeded in just that.

    The air within the hall began to shimmer and twist, the same scenery reflecting a thousand times in on itself before it cracked and scattered. The fragmented reflections came together in the air in front of Abigail, forming a small featureless fairy.

    "Oh my, aren¡¯t you a cutie. Can I pinch your cheeks?"

    Well, the fairy was only featureless to Alice, Abigail could see it just fine, fawning over it almost immediately. Alice could only look on as the ¡®face¡¯ of the fairy split open down the middle, each side moving a few times as it seemed to say something, Abigail responding after a short moment of deep thought.

    "Hmmm, can we cut it down to something like 40% instead? There¡¯s gonna be a lot of things to do in the future so I need to be in tip-top shape for them. But ah, once everything is over then I don¡¯t mind if we go back to the suggested contract. I can take it easy at that time so I won¡¯t need as much."

    The saying that you signed a contract with a spirit wasn¡¯t just for show. 95% of the time, you really did sign a contract with the spirit, it gave and you gave. The details of the contract were only known to the involved parties, and breaking the contract allowed either party to cut all ties with the other one.

    The ¡®face¡¯ of the fairy split open a few more times as it chattered with Abigail, new shattered reflections constantly floating in and out of it. In the end, that cracked facade and Abigail exchanged a smile.

    "Alright, I can live with that for now. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, I look forward to working with you in the future."

    Abigail stretched out her hand and offered her finger, the fairy shaking it as they signed the contract. The kaleidoscope-like figure copsed into its base reflections again, each piece fluttering over to Abigail like butterflies before they sank into her body. A dragonfly-like wing mark formed on the base of her neck as a sign of the contract, the hall returning to normal.

    "See? You just have to do things like that. Speak of nice things and nice spirits will appear, but if you speak of things like revenge and murder then bad ones will show up and cause chaos so you have to be careful."

    Abigail turned to Alice with the same smile as earlier, a hand unconsciously tracing the mark on her neck. Alice didn¡¯t know what rank that spirit was, but the way it toyed with the reflections, and seemingly chose its own shape, meant that it was likely of a fairly high rank.

    "I have to go outside and show Papa the spirit now, I was already breaking conventions a bit by bringing you in here with me, the arch-bishop may have a heart attack if I continue to break them by staying here. But I¡¯ll be right outside that door so don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be totally alone."

    The milky-white water clung to Abigail¡¯s dress as she stepped out of the pond, her gaze flickering towards the door. This was supposed to be a rather holy ceremony, one done alone, so she could already imagine the scolding she would get for dragging Alice in here with her.

    She didn¡¯t immediately leave the hall, but it wasn¡¯t because she was afraid of getting scolded. She looked at Alice for a bit as she pondered over her words for a bit before she spoke.

    "Ally, your family recently took in some new servants, didn¡¯t they? Children from an unmarked orphanage located outside the borders of your duchy¡¯s capital."

    She phrased it like a question, but the tone of her voice made it clear that she already knew the answer. Naturally, Alice knew exactly which children she was talking about, Gabriel was one of them.

    "Please¡­ Be nice to them. They are pitiful and have lived hard lives, I would like to eventually save them so that they can be included in the happy future."

    Gabriel never spoke of his time in the orphanage so Alice naturally didn¡¯t know what sort of life he lead there. But just looking at his stature and the state of his body when they first met told her enough. As she had suffered, so too had he, probably worse so even. This request¡­ Was one Alice could fulfil with all her heart.

    "Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely make sure that they be part of the happy future. They deserve it, and more, so I will give until there is nothing left to receive."

    She could speak the words withplete sincerity. The one who came from that orphanage, the one who brought light to the world. If it was for him then she could give until the world had nothing left to hand over.

    "Thank you. Really, Ally, thank you."

    Abigail smiled widely, the light shade of sorrow that tinged her earlier grin gone for now. She held Alice¡¯s hand tightly for a moment before she left, looking back a final time before she stepped out of the hall. Now that she was alone, Alice¡¯s gaze slid towards the milky-white pond that beckoned her softly.

    The water was warmer than she expected, a bit above her own body temperature so it was actually quitefortable. She felt the same sensation as earlier, a dull silence, as if a curtain was drawn over the room. But now, the rope controlling the curtain was in her hands, she just had to speak to move it.

    "Ah, Spirits? Hello, can you hear me?"

    Her voice bounced between the walls, echoing within her own ears. She wasn¡¯t sure if the spirits could actually hear her, if they could they certainly weren¡¯t responding yet. She thought about what Abigail and Gabriel had told her. But the words, they wouldn¡¯te out. She knew what she could say to coax some spirits to flock around her, but the words wouldn¡¯t leave her throat. No, there was something else to say.

    "I have a knight. He¡¯s just a little kid, just like me. But he tries his best and works harder than anyone else. He gives up on his own sleep to take care of me, to train for me, he eats less so that I can eat more, he takes time out of his day to cook for me and teach me. He reads to me when I can¡¯t sleep, he makes tea for me when I¡¯m tired."

    Alice wasn¡¯t blind, she could see how hard Gabriel worked. He always went to bedter than her, and always woke up earlier than her. He was just a little child, but his hands were already bing calloused. He worked harder than anyone she had ever met or seen, but he neverined.

    "Recently, my brother beat him really badly. Well, my brother actually wanted to beat me, but my knight stepped forward and took the beating for me. I¡­ Couldn¡¯t do anything at that time. I could only stand behind him, clutching his clothing as he bled."

    She could still taste it. The blood that sttered on her face, the drops that ran into her mouth. They were bitter, as sour and bitter as all the lemons and grapefruits in the worldbined. She raised her head to look at the sky that was hidden behind the ceiling, as if the answer woulde from there.

    "I don¡¯t have great dreams like the Abigail that just spoke with you, the current me can¡¯t think about the prosperity of the empire or my family. I just don¡¯t want to stand there dumbly while my knight bleeds for me, I want to protect him as he protects me, until both of us can no longer be touched by others. Is there anyone among you that would be willing to help me?"

    She uttered her simple wish, born from the helplessness of a lonely child. A petty little dream that couldn¡¯t bepared to the one who wished for the happy future of the entire empire. But it was hers, and hers alone. The first thing in this life that she could proudly call hers.

    The hall suddenly trembled. The pond shook violently as the earth rumbled, the walls of the room cracking as everything seemed to turn upside down. And then the ceiling shattered like broken ss, a bright light filling Alice¡¯s vision as something fell.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The room holding the Spirit Pond was brighter than Gabriel expected, torches andmps attached to every wall so that a bright light filled the entire hall. The room was practically empty, save for the milky-white pond resting quietly at the centre.

    The priest that brought him here had already left, standing outside the door so that he could guide the child back once he was done. Gabriel had seen how the Spirit Awakening Ceremony went and what you had to do so he wasted no time, stepping into the pond.

    The water was cold, it felt like ice as it sshed against his ankles, the chill piercing straight through his clothing. But he couldn¡¯t pay attention to the temperature, the colour drew his entire attention.

    It should be milky-white, almost like liquid ivory. But a deep ck colour spread across the water as he stepped into it. It seeped into the water from his legs, twisting like ink as it dyed the water ck. With the third step, the entire pond had be dark and thick, bubbling like tar while still remaining as cold as ice.

    Na¡­Me.

    The bubbling of the water became a drowned gargling, a barely audible voice leaking through. The darkness spread beyond the pond itself, creeping along the floor and up the walls of the hall. Rows of white shed by asionally, several circr sets of teeth emerging from the darkness. He felt as if he was standing in the jaw of amprey eel with at least six too many sets of teeth.

    Normally, people would call out to spirits and sign a contract with them, that was the norm in 95% of all cases. But sometimes, there would be a case where a contract wasn¡¯t needed because the spirit willingly sought out the contractor and offered themselves.

    Na¡­me

    The rows of teeth spun around Gabriel but never touched him, the gurgling that came from the bubbling darkness a bit clearer now.

    Me¡­ Name

    Parts of the bubbling tar rose like tentacles as they stretched towards him, some copsing as they touched him and others falling apart before they reached him. A buzzing came from the copsed tentacles, each one turning into ck spots that buzzed around him like flies, the fluttering of thousands of wings filling the empty darkness.

    Name¡­Me¡­

    The darkness gurgled at him, the rows of teeth danced around him as the flies buzzed. He had held a sliver of expectation when he saw the magic affinity this body had, but he was still a bit surprised when it actually yed out. A spirit had chosen him. And it asked for only one thing in return for its service, a name.

    Gabriel¡¯s knees bent slightly as he ced a hand upon the bubbling tar, his fingers sinking into it. When he pulled his hand back, the drops that fell from his skin turned into buzzing flies that joined the droning chorus. The rows of teeth filled the entire hall, creeping up the walls and even the ceiling. They wanted more space, this little room was too small for the maw.

    Name

    Another buzzing and bubbling tentacle stretched towards Gabriel, but this time he took hold of it as he would a hand. Since it sought him out, there was no need to hesitate, it was better than betting on what sort of spirit would answer his call after he failed to give a sufficiently grand ambition.

    "Alright. Then rise¡­ Nergal."

 Chapter 30: Spirit awakening. (6) S1 End.

    Chapter 30: Spirit awakening. (6) S1 End.

    The darkness bubbled violently as Gabriel¡¯s voice echoed throughout the room, or maw, or tar, or whatever this ce had be. Each bubble that popped spat out the name once more, a chain-reaction of echoes filling the room until the sound became nothing more than a high-pitched buzz that drowned out everything else. The entire room wriggled along with the sound, the darkness roiling like waves as it tried to rise up from the floor.

    "No."

    Gabriel¡¯s voice cut through the incessant buzzing, a pair of violet eyes staring down at the swelling tar, which halted abruptly as his voice bore down on it.

    "You need to be smaller. Much, much smaller. You¡¯ll catch too much attention like this, so shrink."

    If this¡­ Thing, got out and was seen by others, exactly what would they think? What sort of ssification would they try to brand it with? Gabriel could already picture the chaos, the countless pairs of eyes that would lock onto him and his spirit, Nergal.

    Bu...But¡­

    The spirit¡¯s voice leaked out from the tar again, the swellings quivering slightly. A few muddy tentacles rose and stretched towards him, but Gabriel didn¡¯t budge.

    "No. I¡¯m not interested in the attention, at least not yet. So shrink."

    He was too young at the moment. The magic, the spirit, the knowledge, he was fine with keeping every hidden until he felt that he had a sufficiently stable tform to stand on. He probably wouldn¡¯t get killed or experimented on if Nergal was revealed, but he would get a noble title pushed on him at hising of age ceremony, and until that time came he would be under constant supervision. He¡¯d probably also get separated from Alice so that the imperial family could mold him into someone loyal to them and them alone.

    "Go on, shrink."

    He spoke to, ormanded to be more fitting, the darkness for a third time. The bubbling sludge recoiled visible at his order, the circr rows of teeth chattering for a few moments before they fell still. And then, the rows of teeth turned on each other.

    The darkness swelled in ces as the teeth tore into it, tentacles rising up before piercing down and digging out chunks from the tar. Teeth flew, bubbling tar flew, buzzing flies dropped. With each act, the colour that had filled the entire room retracted, slinking back as piece after piece vanished.

    In the end, all that remained was a fist-sized blotch on the floor in front of him, a single row of teeth circling slowly.

    "Yes, now you¡¯re looking a lot more presentable."

    He bent his knees again and scooped up the blotch, which rose and wriggled until it formed a ck octopus covered in white rings. It was just big enough to fit in his palm so by most ounts it would definitely be considered cute, but how many would still be able to think that by the time it managed to return to its true form? He ced a finger on top of its head, his gaze shifting to survey the damages.

    "The room¡­ Good. It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re sensible."

    Luckily, the room was untouched. The pond was still milky-white now that Nergal had retreated and there was no damage on the walls or ceiling. It would be hard to exin any damages if he came out with an octopus as small as this one.

    "Alright, Nergal, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ve gotta introduce you to someone."

    He raised his hand and ced Nergal on his shoulder, a few of his tentacles merging with the shadow cast by Gabriel¡¯s shoulder. If he wasn¡¯t making a conscious effort right now then Nergal would probably end up merging into the mark that had undoubtedly shown up somewhere on his body.

    "Good boy."

    He tapped the octopus¡¯ head once more before he made his way to the door and pushed it open. The priest that guided him here was still standing by the door, leaningzily against the wall as he gazed upon the statue of the pope that had been erected there.

    "You have finished? What have you contracted with?"

    The priest leaned forward and straightened his robe, his brown eyes seemingly perpetually half-open. He questioned Gabriel, but it was basically nothing more than a formality, he could already see the octopus resting on his shoulder, its tentacles wriggling.

    "This guys right here! He¡¯s a water spirit, but he didn¡¯t have a name for me to call him by."

    Gabriel grabbed Nergal and showed him off proudly, a wide grin on his face. But the priest only observed the small spirit with a disinterested gaze, noting it down on the wooden clipboard he was carrying.

    "Nameless water spirit, got it. Let me take you back then."

    He didn¡¯t state it outright, perhaps he wanted to preserve some of the joy Gabriel had? But the truth was that only low-grade spirits didn¡¯t have names. And as the name suggested, low-grade spirits were of the most useless sorts amongst spirits. Seeing as a spirit would constantly drain a set amount of your mana for itself, depending on how strict your contract was, there were some cases where it was actually detrimental to have a low-grade spirit.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t something Gabriel needed to worry about. He doubted that Nergal was a low-ranked spirit, and they had never signed a contract so the only times Nergal could get mana from Gabriel was if he handed it over willingly. At other times, he would have to manage with the mana he managed to gather on his own, as well as whatever he managed to store up each time Gabriel gave him some.

    The outside was starting to get noisy as Gabriel and the priest left the chapel. People who clearly weren¡¯t priests were rushing about, asionally exchanging hushed words as they passed by each other.

    "Ah, the Crown Princess must have signed a contract with a good spirit."

    The priest nced at the people rushing about, maintaining his slow pace as he brought Gabriel away. But looking at some of the people that were rushing about, studying their expressions, Gabriel could guess that it wasn¡¯t just because of the Crown Princess and her spirit. Leonardo. They had either found his body or been told of the news that were surely spreading about him now.

    But well, it wasn¡¯t like they could use Gabriel of it so he paid it no mind and kept following the priest. They quickly reached the carriage he took to get here, but someone unexpected was waiting for him there.

    "You¡¯re finished! Did you get a nice one? Is it this cute one?"

    Alice bounced over with a wide smile, her eyes homing in on the octopus that was still resting on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder. But while she was looking at his, he was looking at her spirit. Or in her case, spirits.

    "Ah, the Duke and Marion are already heading back, they said something about Leonardo and rushed off, the Emperor and Crown Princess did the same so I think he got caught doing something bad."

    Alice spoke while moving her head, checking if the octopus would follow her movements. Meanwhile, Gabriel was doing something simr with the things that now followed her. Following at her side was a ck wolf with crimson eyes, a sharp gaze surveying the surroundings, focusing on Gabriel. It was very small right now, nothing more than a puppy, so perhaps it too had shrunk to match her size. But that wasn¡¯t the only one.

    Resting on her shoulder was a green serpent, but unlike a normal snake this one had a red plume of feathers around its neck, a thinyer of feathers covering the rest of its body. It had amber eyes and a maw full of sharp teeth, six small nubs protruding from its back, three on each side. It too was surveying the surroundings with a sharp gaze, most of its attention focused on Gabriel.

    "Hello, little one. I¡¯m Alice, what¡¯s your name?"

    Alice leaned forward slightly as she greeted the octopus, stretching out a finger. Nergal reciprocated the greeting by stretching out a tentacle, but be it because he couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t he made no sound to indicate his name.

    "He doesn¡¯t have a name so I¡¯m calling him Nergal for now."

    Gabriel added a little something to the story he told the priest, tapping Nergal on the head with his finger. Alice shook the tentacle that had reached towards her, muttering the name a few times as if to memorise it.

    "Nergal¡­Nergal¡­Nergal¡­ It¡¯s a nice name."

    She smiled as she raised her gaze, looking at Gabriel. She thought about what Abigail had said about the children in the orphanage, as well as the state Gabriel was in when they first met. She was d that he summoned a spirit, at least this way he wouldn¡¯t be alone even if they separated for half a day or so.

    And thanks to the two that now followed her, she could stem some of the loneliness she would feel during those times. Gabriel was already looking at them, as they were looking at him, so she took the chance to introduce them with a wide grin.

    "You¡¯re surprised, yeah? I called out with my wish and both of them rushed down, they even broke the ceiling. The puppy is Fenrir, but he said that I can call him Fen. This one has a really long and strange name so I¡¯m just calling her Quetz for now."

    Quetz and Fen, they weren¡¯t names that had popped up in the original show so Gabriel didn¡¯t have any proper clues as to what type of spirits they were. But if he took the names andpared them to those he asionally heard in his past life then he could form a few vague guesses. But Alice didn¡¯t stop talking after she introduced her twin-spirits, triumphantly puffing out her chest.

    "Oh! And get this, get this, the Emperor was so pleased with the two of them that he said that I would be given the Viscount title once I finished mying of age ceremony. See that? That¡¯s one of your milestones already finished, I just have to wait and it willplete itself. Hehe, you¡¯d best make sure to have an honest answer ready for that time."

    Yes, that was as expected. Great spirits were an asset to the empire so the Imperial Family did everything they could to ensure that those who contracted strong spirits stayed with them. And the first step was always a title, something they could hold over others, something to make them stay because of their own self-satisfaction. Viscount was a bit higher than Gabriel expected, he thought they would start of by making her a Baroness, but it seemed like the emperor was quite insistent on making her stay.

    "Congrattions. And don¡¯t worry, I promised that I wouldn¡¯t lie so I¡¯ll give you nothing but the truth, no matter what you ask. I¡¯ll also have to prepare a present for youring-of-age ceremony, I¡¯m not going to be so stingy that I¡¯ll use my answer as a gift."

    Gabriel was sincere as he congratted her. Now that she had a title on hold, as well as the Vritara name, her own position was a lot more secure. Francis and the servants wouldn¡¯t be able to go overboard because she would be a Viscount, so harming her was like harming the dignity of the Imperial Family. Granted, there was still a lot they could do, but it was a good step in the right direction, it would certainly give her a lot more opportunities to be happy.

    Alice looked at the smile on Gabriel¡¯s face. He generally always wore a smile, a light curve of his lips. But this one felt softer, a bit happier, or was it just her imagination? But above that, the fact that he mentioned a gift for her ceremony made her happy.

    In the Earhart empire, women came of age when they turned 18 and men when they turned 20. Alice was only seven so there were still 11 years to go, that was quite a while into the future. But since he was nning on getting her a gift, it meant that he was nning on staying with her for at least that long. Well, perhaps she should have expected it, he was her knight after all.

    At the same time, it was the first time anyone ever made ns with her for such a distant date. No one had ever stayed with her before so how could they ever make ns with her? Even when she had a maid or two they would never make ns beyond a day or two because they never knew if they would still be with her at that point.

    And Gabriel¡­ He came from an orphanage, just the livelihood of the next day should be hard to ensure there. Was it the first time he was making ns for the future, the first time he had somewhere to be for so long? Looking at him and that smile, she thought of something she wanted to do, something she wanted to say.

    "Come on, Gabriel. Let¡¯s go home."

    She took another step forward and opened her arms, wrapping them around him. She had never been hugged, and neither had he, be it this life or his previous one. Perhaps, when people looked at him in his past life, they thought the same he thought when he first saw Alice, how pitiful. Thinking about it like that, he couldn¡¯t help but admit that he really had a shitty, and sad, life, it was only now that he could realise it.

    The two stepped onto the carriage after their hug, the spirits retreating into their bodies so that they could conserve their mana. The coachman immediately started the return trip, the people that passed by them in the city whispering amongst each other.

    News quickly spread after that day. The Crown Princess that summoned a spirit who worked for the god of time and space, the Vritara child that summoned dual-spirits, the crimes of Leonardo De Vritara, the death of Leonardo De Vritara. It was a hectic time for the empire, and even more so for the Vritara family. Everyone who had corroborated with Leonardo had been caught and forced to confess, that was why the news spread so fast. But the Vritara family had no idea who gathered them up, nor did they know who killed Leonardo, so they were naturally busy trying to find the truth.

    Meanwhile, Gabriel and Alice continued spending their time as they had. Training, studying, training, studying, spending some leisure time together. asionally working on things, some above the table and some below. All in all, it was generally peaceful, at least for the two of them.

    And in such a state, time flowed without notice. Days became months and months became years, the time of Alice¡¯s Coming of age ceremony creeping closer with each breath.

 Chapter 31: The flow of time. (1) S2 start.

    Chapter 31: The flow of time. (1) S2 start.

    "Do you think she¡¯ll like the gift?"

    Alice fiddled somewhat nervously with the wrapped present she was carrying, making sure to be careful so that she didn¡¯t rattle the music box that was kept inside. She was dressed up a bit more than usual today, her violet hair held together by arge yellow bow tie while a red dress with frills on the skirt covered her body.

    "I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it, so don¡¯t worry about it."

    Gabriel was naturally walking right beside Alice, d in his usual knight¡¯s clothing, it wasn¡¯t as if he owned any other sets. He was also carrying a wrapped present, but his gift of bow ties and hairpins paled inparison to Alice¡¯s gift.

    "But still¡­ What if she finds the tune boring? What if she already has one? What if¡­"

    Gabriel cut her off as she started to fuss again, cing his hand on the hand she used to fiddle with the present.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. You already spent a week on that one, she¡¯ll be happy."

    A bit of time had already passed since the Spirit Awakening Ceremony but most of the Vritara family was still rather hectic. Leonardo¡¯s crimes had been revealed, Alice had awakened twin spirits and was promised a title once she came of age, and worst of all, Leonardo had been found dead. There was a lot they had to prepare and even more that they had to handle.

    But Alice and Gabriel were still just little kids so it wasn¡¯t as if they had to get involved in matters like that. A matter they did have to get involved in however, was the birthday that Lawrence had invited Gabriel to a while back. His granddaughter was turning eight so he was waiting for them outside the mansion to pick them up.

    "You¡¯ve arrived, you brat. And it¡¯s good too see you again, Little Lady, I¡¯m sure Trisha will be thrilled that you¡¯vee."

    Gabriel almost felt the urge toment on the sheer difference in treatment, but that would be a losing battle so he decided that it would be best to just ignore it instead.

    "Umm¡­ Grandpa Lawrence, does Trisha already have a music box? If she does, them I¡¯m sure I can run back and find something else quickly."

    Apparently, Alice still wasn¡¯t able to put down her nerves. This was probably the first birthday she ever went to so she couldn¡¯t stop fiddling with the present. Gabriel and Lawrence locked eyes for a moment, exchanging all the information they needed.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that, Little Lady, Trisha would absolutely adore a music box, I¡¯m sure she will be thrilled. And you look extra cute today so I¡¯m sure she will also be ecstatic that you decided to dress up. So please just smile, Little Lady, that would the the cherry on top."

    Lawrence ced his hand on top of Alice¡¯s head and ruffled it until a smile broke out on her face.

    "There we go, that¡¯s perfect. So, off we go!"

    He removed his hand and pumped his fist in the air, sounding almost like a train conductor as he cast a sideways nce at Alice, who quickly took the hint.

    "Off we go!"

    She held the present to her chest with one hand and pumped the other into the air as she mimicked Lawrence. Afterwards, in the short moment of silence that followed, both of them cast their eyes towards Gabriel, who had remained quiet.

    "Come on, brat."

    Lawrence grinned at him while Alice remained silent. But her eyes made up for theck of words, silently urging Gabriel on until he had no choice.

    "Off we go!"

    His arm rose and he pumped his fist into the air, Lawrence¡¯s palm smacking against his back so hard that he almost fell over.

    "That¡¯s the spirit."

    Bringing along the two kids, Lawrence headed for the orchard that was located along the path between the mansion and the estate gates. The sound of voices reached Gabriel not long after they set foot in the orchard so it seemed like the others, or at least some of them, were already in ce.

    "Grampa!"

    A loud shout sounded out as their group entered a circr clearing that was probably used to gather the growing fruits. But right now it was filled with tables and coloured bands that were probably meant to rece balloons. A few kids of varying ages and a couple of parents were already waiting around in the clearing, one of the kids currently dashing towards them.

    Chestnut brown hair that was kept short, deep blue eyes, slightly tanned skin, and a small nose. Her hands looked a little rough and what he could see of her body through the clothes was rather toned so Gabriel inferred that she probably spent at least a bit of time training regrly. And with the way she was running at Lawrence while calling out to him, it was easy to guess who she was.

    "Trisha! Did you miss me already, you little rascal?"

    Lawrence bent his knees and picked up the running girl, spinning around while grinning. In this moment, he looked like apletely normal grandfather. Looking at it, Gabriel felt affirmed in his choice to kill Leonardo. Now, Lawrence wouldn¡¯t have to get executed by him, not now and not in the future.

    "Look, I brought over the brat and the Little Lady."

    Lawrence gestured toward Gabriel and Alice after he put down Trisha, the wide grin on his face not leaving him. Gabriel could feel Alice tense up next to him, her hands stretching out almost mechanically.

    "Ah, Good d¡­ No, Happy birthday, I hope it is to your liking!"

    Gabriel almost found it fun to look at. Alice had gotten more confident when faced with her siblings, or at least Marion. But speaking to a kid her own age she practically reverted to the little girl she was when she first picked up Gabriel. Was this what ack of friends coupled with a desire for friends did to a person?

    "Happy birthday, Trisha. I¡¯m Gabriel, but Lawrence has probably already told you that. This is my Lady, Alice De Vritara. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could treat her as you would anyone else."

    Gabriel introduced his group as he stretched out the arm holding his own present. Trisha looked a bit taken aback, or perhaps unsure, but Lawrence gave her back a soft pat to push her forward.

    "Ah! I¡¯m Tristana Delgrade, but you can just call me Trisha! I¡¯m eight years old and my dream is to be a knight of the Vritara household like Grandpa! Thank you foring to my birthday, Gabriel, Young Laaa¡­ Awawa, Alice!"

    She bowed as she introduced herself, excessively formal and nervous as she did so. But she did at least try to abide by what Gabriel requested and managed to stop herself before she called Alice Young Lady.

    Tristana Delgrade¡­ She was not a character mentioned in the original show. Her appearance didn¡¯t strike a chord with Gabriel either so he didn¡¯t think that she showed up during the scenes where the Vritara family was crushed. After Lawrence was executed by Leonardo, what became of this girl?

    "Okay you two, take a deep breath. Just look at the others, how are they to act if you to are that stiff? Rx, have some fun, smile brightly."

    Lawrence¡¯s handsnded on the heads of the two girls, ruffling their hair until they had to twist their heads away. The other kids looked a bit awkward as they stood by the tables, uncertain if they should go over and courteously greet Alice or if they could stay where they were.

    "Ah, yes! Grandpa had a lot of good food prepared for today, Miss Myrna also helped set it all up. Come, let me show you where you can leave the presents!"

    Trisha quickly gathered herself with the help of her grandfather, stacking the two new gifts on top of each other so that she could use one hand to take hold of Alice and drag her along. Her movements were still quite stiff, but she was certainly making an effort.

    "You too, brat."

    Lawrence once again pped Gabriel¡¯s back and pushed him forward, sending him stumbling after Alice and Trisha. The tanned girl brought them to a table where a few presents were stacked, carefully cing their presents amongst the others before she pointed towards the other kids that were slowly making their way over.

    "We¡¯re going to y some tag here before we eat and open some presents. Would you¡­ like to join us?"

    She couldn¡¯t help but tilt her head slightly as she questioned. Alice was a Vritara, did people like them even y games as childish as that? But that worry was alleviated thanks to the bright smile on Alice¡¯s face.

    "We would love to!"

    And so, Gabriel and Alice were roped into ying tag amongst the trees of the orchard, running until their legs couldn¡¯t take it anymore. After that came a bit of eating, mainly some simple cakes and other desserts. The present opening followed shortly after, with a bit of free-time for the kids to resting after.

    "I¡¯ve never seen a kid who looks that badly in need of a drink."

    Lawrence smirked as he stood next to Gabriel, who was drinking some water while the other children spoke amongst themselves, a bit ofughter asionally drifting their way.

    "They¡¯ve got way too much energy, I don¡¯t even know how they¡¯re still raring to y like that."

    Gabriel muttered, but Lawrence only felt likeughing at him. He wasining about that? The guy who trained more than almost any other knight on the estate wasining the the kids had too much energy?

    "That¡¯s what children do."

    He really could only shake his head. Kids and energy were supposed to be like women and sweets, there was always room for more.

    "Not all of them."

    Gabriel merely sipped his water as he responded. He couldn¡¯t remember ying like this in his childhood, and the kids in the orphanage here certainly never got the time for that. It was what they were supposed to, kids were supposed to just y andugh all day, but reality was never that closely aligned with what it was supposed to.

    "¡­Aye."

    Lawrence¡¯s voice was a tad heavy as the word fell from his lips. ncing over at Gabriel, he felt that he resembled the kid that first set foot in the training grounds again. He¡¯d gotten a bit bigger, both in height and mass, but part of him retained that bleakness. His gaze slid between Gabriel and the group of kids in the distance, lingering on theughing Trisha.

    "Trisha lost her parents two years ago, barely old enough to retain any memories of them. They were knights, just like me. Lost their lives in the line of duty, just as too many other knights have. I was all she had left, and all I did was train knights so that was all she saw. It¡¯s all she knows, so its all she knows to aspire towards."

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t looking at him, but he could tell that Lawrence was sad. It sounded as if the base of his throat was being pressed down, he almost had to choke out the words. Knights fought for the family, knights died for the family. It was something extremelymon. And it was equallymon for the children of knights to follow in their footsteps.

    "I don¡¯t want Trisha to be a knight. I want her to be just like any other child, just like any other girl. I want her to find a job she loves, a man she loves, and start a family she can love. I want her to smile, Gabriel. I want her to love andugh just like anyone else. It¡¯s too sad when a child experiences loss and it ends up shaping their whole lives."

    The thing Gabriel said not all kids could get, he wanted that for his granddaughter. What he couldn¡¯t get, what his son couldn¡¯t get, what his daughter-inw couldn¡¯t get, he at least wanted their daughter to get it so that they could rest in peace. Lawrence¡¯s gaze finally slid away from Trisha, even if just for a moment, andnded on the bleak child next to him.

    "I thought of Trisha when I first saw you. You had eyes simr to hers right after she lost her parents. You may not think much of me, Gabriel, but I want you to have the same life as Trisha."

    Eyes that held no hope, eyes that held no expectations. His left eye was leftpletely nk thanks to the scar, but the kid at his side had somehow managed to have even emptier eyes than that. Perhaps that was why he took extra care of Gabriel, because looking at him just made him sad.

    But as he kept looking at Gabriel, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. That Little Lady of his, that abandoned child, she ended up being good for him. And he ended up being good for her, so as a result they could both smile a bit more. But a bit more wasn¡¯t good enough, so Lawrence ced a hand on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder before calling out.

    "Trisha! Gabriel here said that you should y hide-and-seek! He¡¯ll be the first searcher!"

    The other kids immediately perked up when Lawrence called out to them, it almost seemed as if they had been waiting for someone toe up with another game for them to y. Lawrence did not give Gabriel the chance to utter anyints, his hand sliding down to p him on the back again.

    "So go out there and love and smile, just be happy, you brat."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Time flowed unending after the birthday party, days and weeks blurring in monotony, only broken by the rare events where either Gabriel or Alice went out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "You have toe over more often, Ally! I have so so so so many things I want to tell you and teach you, and even more things that I want to hear from you!"

    Abigail, the Crown Princess, was hugging Alice as she spoke, arge smile on her face. She had sent Alice an invitation toe over for tea, and the two had just finished sharing a few cups while talking about their recent memories. Alice had spoken about a birthday party she went to nearly a month ago and Abigail spoke of the people she asionally met as she snuck around the city.

    "Then you just have to invite me more often in the future. I¡¯d love to juste and visit, but the guards look at me so sternly even when I show up with an invite, I¡¯m too scared toe here without one."

    Alice returned the hug, the faces of the pce guards shing by her minds. They reminded her of her brothers, they looked ready to eat her just for showing up.

    "Don¡¯t worry about them, they¡¯re like big puppies who just try to act tough! If they still scare you next time then just tell me, I¡¯ll beat them up for you!"

    Abigail pulled back before the hug could be awkward, reassuring Alice with a wide grin as she tried her best to show off her muscles. Alice gave a smallugh so Abigail¡¯s grin widened, the light of recollection shing pasta her eyes for a second.

    "Ah, right! I have a gift for you!"

    She quickly dashed back to the table where they had been drinking tea earlier, her shoes making a light cking noise as she ran over the bridge that crossed the moat-like pond. She crouched down and pulled out a box from under the table, presenting its contents to Alice when she returned.

    "These are something called Mana Smoke Candles, I know a genius little inventor who can make them. If you light one of these then you will find it somewhere between two and five times easier to absorb mana, its invaluable for mages. But we¡¯ve only recently started developing them so you have to make sure to not show them to anyone, okay?"

    The things resting within the box were candles that contained swirling blue and green colours, the wick a deep red in colour. Alice could feel the manaing from them even though they were justying there so she had no doubt that they were actually valuable, closing the box as she epted it.

    "Thank you, I¡¯ll make sure to treasure them dearly and only open them in my room."

    The two exchanged a few more farewells before Alice finally left, Abigail seeing her out. Once Alice finally left the pce and she was left alone again, the little fairy she had contracted with appeared on her shoulder. When Alice first saw it, she couldn¡¯t see the features of the spirit, but to Abigail the fairy looked like a small but beautiful woman with flowing silver hair, stained-ss like wings, red lips, green eyes, and a mole located just beneath her right eye. One of Abigail¡¯s hands rose as she looked at the seat where Alice had sat earlier, her mouth beginning to nibble on her thumb¡¯s fingernail.

    "What¡¯s going on, Kaisel. You promised me that the loop would be contained and that things wouldn¡¯t change unless acted upon by an outside force. So why is she like that?"

    She nibbled on her finger as she muttered, her eyes flickering nervously. Things weren¡¯t supposed to be like this. She had felt it ever since the early Spirit Awakening Ceremony. It shouldn¡¯t be like this. Leonardo had also died far too early, many years ahead of schedule. This wasn¡¯t how things went, how they were supposed to go.

    "I don¡¯t know. I abandoned my authority to bring you into the loop so I don¡¯t have full overview of it anymore, but there shouldn¡¯t be an outside force acting on the loop. It¡¯s never happened before, even in your previous two runs, so it shouldn¡¯t happen now."

    The fairy, Kaisel, was also nervous. Things that had never changed were suddenly changing. It was precisely the unchanging nature that had made Kaisel take the risk to abandon her authority in the first ce. No new World Fissures had broken into the loop so they couldn¡¯t be acting on it, so where did it break? How did it even break? In fact, did it even break? Abigail at least seemed convinced.

    "But she¡¯s different. If I had to say then she shouldn¡¯t talk and act like that for another seven or so years. Are parts of the loop bleeding into each other? You should be able to still see at least that much, right?"

    No one knew Alice better than her, Abigail was fully convinced of that. The way she spoke to her, it wasn¡¯t right, at least not for the ¡®current¡¯ Alice, who should still be starved for affection while doing her best to please her brothers. In the future it was moremon, but why would that future interfere with the present now of all times?

    "It¡¯s not. As far as I can sense with my current powers, the loop should still be entirely contained."

    Kaisel spoke rather confidently, but her brows were wrinkled somewhat. She could no longer sense the entire loop, but getting a general feel for it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. No major cracks, no discements, no tubes to connect various points in time. It should, in theory, still bepletely contained and safe. And yet¡­

    "But its wrong. Things are going wrong. Someone is messing with things. Kaisel, I don¡¯t want the loop to break like this, now isn¡¯t the right time, it¡¯ll all crumble, you know that as well as I. So please¡­ Pull any strings you can to find out which one of those above is interfering."

    Abigail nibbled on her finger until the taste of blood reached her tongue. Looking down she saw that she had bit away every inch of fingernail that she could reach and had chewed through a small portion of her fingertip. If she failed¡­ If the loop broke¡­ she didn¡¯t want to think of the consequences these worlds would face at that time, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if she did.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Time flowed unending after the tea party for two, days and weeks blurring in monotony, only broken by the rare events where either Gabriel or Alice went out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Oh? It¡¯s looking promising."

    Gabriel held a hand above his eyes to shield it from the sun as he peered into the distance. It had been a bit over a month since Alice returned from her previous tea party with the Crown Princess and another thursday had rolled around again. As such, he was once again walking through the city beneath the Vritara estate. And currently, he was walking through the slums.

    He was currently looking at a distant shack that was previously filled with holes barely covered by scraps of cloth. The cloth was now gone, reced by wooden boards fastened to the wall with dried mud and dirt. It wasn¡¯t much better, but it was something.

    The Imperial Family had gotten to Altare before him, looking at the timing they had either found him after the debacle with Leonardo or were in contact with him from the start. Thest one felt extremely unlikely when Gabriel considered how the main character and Altare met in the original show. Had the news of Leonardo¡¯s dealings dragged him to the capital, or had he perhaps been involved in them? He was such a mysterious character that it was entirely possible. But while Altare was stolen away, he would at least secure this person.

    "Settle down¡­ Please¡­ please¡­ Settle down. I beg you, just stop crying, I¡¯ll find some water, I¡¯ll do it quickly. So please¡­ Please¡­"

    Standing outside the door, Gabriel could hear a child crying and a young girl pleading from within. She sounded choked up and hoarse, as if her throat was on the verge of bursting. Gabriel walked up to the ¡®door¡¯ if it could even be called that, and gave it a few knocks, some rushed snifflinging from beyond the door.

    "I¡­ I¡¯ll be right there! Please just wait!"

    There was a bit of shuffling from beyond the door, hurried footsteps and cloth getting tossed around. And after a short moment, the door was opened.

    "Hello, can I help you?"

    A young girl greeted him, probably no older than 14 or 15. Her skin was tanned and a bit rough from being outside for extended periods of time, her blonde hair was almost tinum in colour, bleached by the sun. But her eyes were a deep brown, hiding behind a few strands of her hair. Her nose was a bit crooked, signs of breakage clear on it.

    "Hello, I havee to be the most suspicious man you will ever meet."

    Gabriel had pondered it for quite a while, how to approach Teresa, the maid he decided on for Alice. In the end, the answer he chose was to just approach her straight. He could wait a few more days for her situation to be more dire, he could swoop in and save her when she needed it most. But then there was the crying, the choked up voice. So he acted.

    "Wha¡­!"

    Teresa¡¯s voice was cut off by Gabriel pushing past her and stepping into the building. The shack was basicallypletely empty, a few sacks ced together to form a make-shift mattress. The cloth she had taken from the holes in the wall, as well as some dirty cloth she had acquired lord knows where, was all stashed away in a corner.

    "Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t touch them!"

    Teresa quickly ran in front of the pile of cloths when she saw Gabriel¡¯s gaze turn towards it, a fierce and sharp look in her eyes. If looks could kill then Gabriel would disintegrate here and now. But he simply ignored her expression and opened the rucksack he now always wore when he ventured into the city.

    "Water."

    He pulled out several bottles of water, which was undoubtedly lukewarm by now, and ced them on the floor in front of Teresa. He then kept digging things out of his bag.

    "Food."

    "Medicine."

    "Bandages."

    He¡¯d prepared plenty of things, cing them all on the floor so that she could see them. She tried to keep her gaze locked on him, but he could see her eyes involuntarily drift downward time and time again, her stomach rumbling to betray her.

    "What¡­ What is it that you want?"

    She knew. There were no free meals in this world, anyone who offered something wanted something in return. These things were exactly what her brothers needed right now, especially the food and medicine. But could she afford them?

    "I want you to live a better life, a longer life. And I want you to do so with my Lady."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Time flowed unending after the meeting of knight and maid, days and weeks blurring in monotony, only broken by the rare events where either Gabriel or Alice went out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 32: The flow of time. (2)

    Chapter 32: The flow of time. (2)

    "A maid?"

    Alice raised her head from the book her nose was buried in, her head tilting curiously. She was happy that Gabriel hade back earlier than usual on his day off, but slight caught off-guard by the topic he brought up.

    "Correct. I was wandering through the town when I found someone who could be a new maid for you. She has three brothers she has to raise so she is desperate for a job, I have already given her an offer, you simply need to meet her and decide for yourself."

    Gabriel had returned straight away after meeting with Teresa. He would have liked it if he could bring her straight here, but it wasn¡¯t as if he could just bring four strangers into the duke¡¯s estate so he would have to bring Alice out to meet her instead.

    "Okay! I don¡¯t think I need anyone other than you, but if you rmend them then I¡¯ll trust them."

    Alice snapped the book shut, when it came to reading about the duchy¡¯s history or taking an outing with Gabriel, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to choose which one she preferred. Thus, she quickly packed away the books, and after Gabriel helped her change into something more fitting for venturing into the city, they headed out.

    "This is a ¡®stall¡¯ isn¡¯t it? One of those street vendors that sell cheap food?"

    "Oh, I read about ces like this! This is a ¡®bar¡¯ right? They sell alcohol, and for the right price, some of the waitresses will apany you for the night, right?"

    "I read about this clothing store. They¡¯ve been in business for almost 200 years and have even provided dresses for the Imperial Family. I¡¯d like to buy us clothes here one day if we get the chance."

    "That street, Gabriel! One of the books I read said that streets that look like that always house the so-called Red Light District for prostitutes, is that true?"

    "That! That right there, Gabriel! I want to buy and taste that!"

    Alice was like a kid on a school-trip as they strode through the city, stopping or pointing at everything she found interesting. She¡¯d rarely ever gotten the chance to leave the estate so this could very well be the first time she got to visit the city and just walk around as she pleased.

    Some of the things she spoke of made him question just what the Earhart Empire was putting in their history books, but she mmed up when he questioned her.

    "You said I can¡¯t lie to friends, so I¡¯m going to be quiet instead!"

    He couldn¡¯t well protest against that statement, seeing as he was the one to use it against her first. As such, he could only keep listening to her until the entered the slums and reached Teresa¡¯s house.

    "It¡¯s me."

    He knocked on the door, a few muffled soundsing from beyond shortly after.

    "Just enter, my hands are full."

    Teresa¡¯s voice came from inside so Gabriel pushed open the door and led Alice in. Teresa was currently sat on the ground with her back facing them, two of her younger brothers sitting obediently in front of her. Gabriel could just barely see that she was struggling with herst brother, a kid barely more than an infant. She was wrapping his leg in some of the bandages but he was kicking fiercely to stop her.

    "Do you¡­ Need some help?"

    Alice seemed unable to stop herself from asking when she saw Teresa wriggle about as she struggled. The girl trying to patch up her brother stiffened when Alice spoke up, Gabriel could practically see the gears in her head turning before she spun around and hurriedly lowered her head.

    "My Lady! Forgive me, I¡­ I didn¡¯t know that you had also arrived."

    Her head was lowered, both arms trying to calm down the struggling infant. She knew her position well. Gabriel had brought food and medicine that she could use, but it was only because he wanted her to be the maid of thisdy. If she failed to acquire that position then this one time gift would remain that and her brothers¡¯ situation would return to what it usually was.

    "Should we not¡­ bandage him before we talk?"

    Gabriel could hear Alice swallow down the stutter that almost spilled out. She¡¯d been like this when he first epted being her knight as well, it seemed like she was just weak to people giving her any semnce of respect or goodwill.

    "I don¡¯t know how to bandage, but I can hold him while you do it, that should make it easier."

    She sat down on the wooden floor in front of Teresa as she spoke, cing her hands carefully on the small child so that it couldn¡¯t kick as wildly as before. Teresa lit up at the aid, but she still cast a somewhat uncertain sideways nce at both Alice and Gabriel. But then again, she wasn¡¯t in a position where she could push aside an outstretched hand, no matter the intentions.

    "Then¡­ Please. He hurt his knees when he tried to crawl across the floor so I need to bandage them so that he doesn¡¯t aggravate themter on."

    She quickly picked up the bandages she discarded as she spun around and got to work again, rolling up cut open potato sack the infant used as clothing. His knees really were scraped up, a few splinters still stuck in the shredded skin. She got to work plucking out the splinters while Alice held the child¡¯s legs, her eyes sweeping across the rough wooden floor.

    "Gabriel said that you were willing to be my maid?"

    Her eyes continued to sweep about as she spoke. The pile of cloth, theck of any kitchen or toilet, the bed that was basically just a bundle of dried grass. Alice now considered her prior life poor, but at least she always had a bed to sleep on.

    "If you will have me."

    Teresa didn¡¯t reject or refuse, but she also didn¡¯t raise her head,pletely focused on the crying little child that was trying to wriggle out of their grasps. Gabriel had already stepped past the two of them and was distracting Teresa¡¯s two other brothers so that they didn¡¯t poke their heads into the mess. Luckily, Nergal was so small that kids like them would easily be distracted by him.

    "I have to tell you, but I don¡¯t have a good position in my house, I¡¯m basically being ignored. Gabriel¡­ Is the only one who takes care of me. I can¡¯t give you much even if youe."

    Alice didn¡¯t want to hide it. She may have gotten a title promised for the future, but her current situation in the duke¡¯s estate wasn¡¯t much better. In essence, she was treated as if she wasn¡¯t there, neither good nor bad.

    "Anything is better than nothing."

    Teresa almost scoffed. Right now she had to fight just to get some scraps for her brothers, and even that was only barely enough because of how small they were. Once they grew a little, once the hunger started getting to her¡­ She didn¡¯t want to think about what she would have to do to feed them at that time. So, even if Gabriel¡¯s offer was more than just suspicious, even if she would have to serve the ckest sheep in the world, she would ept the outstretched hand.

    "Then¡­ Gabriel, we¡¯ll need to prepare more rooms for the four of them."

    Alice made up her mind. Teresa was suffering. Alice had suffered. Gabriel had suffered. But Alice reached out to Gabriel and Gabriel reached out to Alice, and together she felt like they could make up for the hurt. Now¡­ Now she would perhaps be able to reach out to someone else and do the same.

    "As you wish, my Lady."

    Gabriel¡¯s response came from behind Teresa, he was still ying with her brothers and Nergal. Alice wasn¡¯t sure, and perhaps Gabriel himself didn¡¯t notice, but she could swear that his voice sounded as if his lips were a bit turned up.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel strode through the streets of the city, a slight buzz hanging over every street. He could see people working in most open spots, either preparing papernterns or colourful bands that they could stretch between the buildings, everyone was rushing to finish things for tomorrow. Gabriel¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the scene.

    Two years had passed since he picked up Teresa and had Alice employ her, this meant that it was almost time for the Crown Princess¡¯ magic affinity to get tested, a mere four days to be exact. In the original story, her Spirit Awakening Ceremony was supposed to take ce at the same time, but this was naturally advanced due to Gabriel¡¯s influence.

    The thing that made his brows furrow wasn¡¯t the affinities that the Crown Princess would show when her magic was tested, it was the fact that the Imperial Family sent out a decree to prepare for a festival. There would be one festival,sting three days, before the affinity test to pray for good luck, and one after it,sting one week, to thank the gods for the result.

    In the original show, such a festival was never mentioned, at least the first one. It was mentioned that the results of her spirit awakening ceremony and magic affinity test were so good that the empire held a week-long festival, but there had never been a festival to pray for good luck. Was it just not mentioned, or were things changing?

    "There¡¯s also Altare¡­"

    Personally, Gabriel was leaning towards thetter. Alice said that the Crown Princess never told her who made the candles she brought as a gift, but there was no way Gabriel wouldn¡¯t know. Originally, he just thought that Altare may have been in touch with the Imperial Family from the start, but since another thing might have changed he honestly couldn¡¯t be certain anymore. He had to consider the possibility that someone other than him was changing the story. And since they could find Altare, who he had no clue about, he also had to assume that said person would have a better reach than him.

    It was a tricky situation. If there really was such a person, then he had no idea what their goal was, so he had to be careful. What if their n was to harm Alice, who would be a major viin? What if their n was to harm the main characters so that they could take all the glory instead? What if it was one of the main characters?

    There were a lot of things he had to consider. If said person was the Crown Princess, why did she give Alice the candles but not tell her about her affinities and how to use her fused magic? If it was someone who wanted to harm Alice, why hadn¡¯t they acted yet? Now would be the best time to nip it in the bud. If it was someone in the Imperial Family, why hadn¡¯t they contacted the eastern family and requested that they hand over the male lead, who at this time should already be adopted by them? There were a thousand things to consider, he had so much to think about that he could stay awake every night and never find an answer.

    "Karas Veras Takt."

    His fingers danced across the darkness shrouding the alley¡¯s wall, a wolf-like mask forming in his grasp. The answer to all his thoughtsy in that final revtion. He could stay awake every night and never find and answer. He had many guesses, some he was more certain of than others, but none he waspletely sure of. He needed more information before he made the final judgment, and especially before he decided on how to treat the possible other person. And until he got that information, he just had to keep doing what he was already doing.

    "So, what sort of big fish can we fry for you on this day?"

    The voice that came from behind the gori-like mask sounded rather gleeful. The simple table that separated the two couches was still the same as always, but now there were some refreshments and smaller snacks ced on it. Gabriel never touched them when he came, but they always put them out whenever he showed up. He was a high-paying customer so the Night Pack was more than just interested in amodating him. As for what he did with the information and items they provided¡­ they made it a point to never ask.

    "Kasar Davuel. I want his location."

    Gabriel recited a spell after he spoke and pulled a pouch out from the darkness, a loud ttering echoing through the room as he dropped it on the table. Leonardo had died and left behind all his assets, so to make things look a bit better from the outside the Vritara family handed over a small portion of them for Alice to manage. As a result, her mary situation was no longer as shabby as it was two years ago. The gori-masked man¡¯s eyesnded on the heavy pouch, his entire body leaning forward slightly.

    "Normally, I¡¯d jut give you his address right about now. But I take it you¡¯re not looking for his public location."

    He pulled the pouch into his embrace and untied its string, the glittering gold coins inside reflected in his eyes. Kasar Davuel wasn¡¯t a nobody, he was a noble living in this city. Well, technically a noble at least. He received a Baron title for the sess of his merchantpany, but it wasn¡¯t a hereditary one so even other barons looked down at him at times.

    "¡­"

    Gabriel didn¡¯t give the gori-masked man an answer, it was a pointless question he posed just to see if he could drag out the tiniest bit of information from Gabriel. But as always, he got nothing, so he simply leaned back in the couch.

    "There¡¯s a house on Silbecker street, warehouse number 23 to be exact. He goes there just about daily now, spends about five or so hours there every day with the excuse that he¡¯s got some important shipments he needs to count. If my counting isn¡¯t off then he¡¯ll be there in about three hours. As for exactly what he¡¯s doing there, our informant didn¡¯t know. Good enough?"

    The Night Pack wasn¡¯t omniscient, prying into the lives of nobles was especially troublesome. More often than not they could only bribe some of their servants to get some information, there was a reason they had yet to be thergest information agency in the empire. But for now, it was enough.

    "Good enough. Dig up anything you can find on the Crown Princess and what has been going on in the Imperial Family in thest few years. The more you learn the more I¡¯ll pay you."

    Gabriel didn¡¯t waste time after receiving the information he was looking for, nor did he waste time on pointless pleasantries. It was one of the reasons the Night Pack was so fond of this customer.

    "Of course, but we promise nothing."

    The Imperial Family was a whole new beastpared to just the nobles, trying to dig up anything on them would be beyond hard. But that was also fine, Gabriel wasn¡¯t expecting much. Besides, anything was better than nothing.

    "Silbecker¡­Silbecker¡­Silbecker¡­"

    Gabriel muttered the name as he strode through the city. Back when he first started doing this he would first have to waste time evading the men sent by the Night Pack, but after he dealt with them for about a year they finally stopped trying to spy on him like that. Thanks to that, he could focus on the task at hand and quickly locate Silbecker street.

    As was implied from the fact that it housed a warehouse numbered in the twenties, Silbecker street was ane designed to house nothing but storage units. Square or dome-shaped buildings lined both sides of the street, simple numbers engraved inrge font on the front to mark them. Some of the warehouses were also engraved with a family¡¯s insignia to mark them further, but the one numbered 23 was as in as they came.

    He circled around the building until he found a part of the wall that was a bit away from the guarded entrance. If it was here then they shouldn¡¯t be able to hear him.

    "Waraya Hatau Kut." (Strength Magnify Arms)

    His fingers traced the spell formation and the mana flowed into his arms, his fist smashing forward and tearing through the wooden nks. He unclenched his fist and pulled it back, tearing away some of the nks in the process. He tore at the wood until he made a holerge enough for him to squeeze through, entering the warehouse.

    As would be expected, there were boxes everywhere, in some ces they were stacked almost ten metres tall. He moved a few boxes to cover up the hole he made, or rather, the light shone through it. The entrance was to his right so he turned into the other direction and made his way through the maze of boxes until he found what he was looking for, the backroom.

    He pushed it open, and as expected, it was empty. A table and some chairs were ced in the middle, a few cabs lining the wall. Each drawer was meticulously marked with dates and times, each one holding logs of the shipments that came through here. But he wasn¡¯t here for these logs, his foot tapping the floor as he walked across the entire room several times.

    "Is it here?"

    He stopped when he heard a slightly off sound from his tapping, looking down at the floor, which lookedpletely normal. He crouched down and traced the floorboards, his fingertips eventually finding small unnatural indents.

    He pushed them in and used them as grips, pulling up the loose floorboards with his fingers to reveal thedder that went straight down.

    "Bingo."

    He climbed partly down thedder and dragged the floorboards back into ce before he descended all the way down. A stone hallway stretched out in front of him, dimmps leading the way to a wooden door. He ced his hand on the handle of the sword that hung at his side, his other hand already starting to trace a spell.

    "Alright then."

    He strode forward until he reached the door, a few hushed sounds already reaching him from the other side. They quickly quieted down as he pushed down the handle and opened the door, several pairs of eyesnding on him.

    "Good afternoon gentlemen."

    He spoke politely to the men already in the room, the corners of his lips naturally curving up. A wooden table with some papers and a few candle, several chairs, a cab, and seven men lounging around. They were already looking at him by the time he opened the door, and as he greeted them they all sprung into action.

    Five of them drew crossbows while thest two grabbed the papers on the table and hurriedly brought them towards the candles. But Gabriel was already prepared.

    "Karas Lagu Haral." (Darkness Bind Them.)

    The shadows that stretched through the room elongated at hismand, stretching out from the corners of the room like tentacles as they wrapped around the men. Some were pulled back and held against the wall as the tendrils slithered across them while others fell to the floor, the tentacles coiling around their every limb so that they couldn¡¯t move.

    "You should have burned the papers the moment someone touched the handle outside of the nned meeting time."

    Gabriel unsheathed his sword as he spoke and moved forward, stopping in front of one of the two men that had tried to burn the papers. He stabbed the tip of the de into the wrist of one of them, nailing his arm to the table so that his grip would loosen. He snatched up the papers and repeated the process on the other bound man, gathering all the papers into a neat stack before he skimmed them.

    "Really, if you¡¯re gonna n something like this at least do it in a better spot. This is just too shabby."

    He couldn¡¯t help but scoff as he looked at the papers. They were nning to assassinate the Vritara duke, or at least Marion if they failed to get to the duke. He wanted tough as he read the ns and saw the location. When hest assassinated a duke he certainly didn¡¯t¡­ When hest¡­ When hest¡­ He lost the thought and his mind felt nk for a moment.

    "Gwahh!"

    A scream from one of the bound men dragged him back to reality, his previous thoughtpletely gone from his mind as he turned his head.

    "Ey! No! Spit him out!"

    He quickly hopped away from the table and kicked Nergal, who had at some pointe out and was now in the process of swallowing one of the bound men. It was still extremely small so it just lookedical, a squid-like creature with a maw filled with circr rows of teeth opening its mouth wider than its entire body as it worked on pushing a grown man down its throat. It was using its tentacles to force him down, his legs up to his knees already within Nergal¡¯s mouth.

    Nergal¡¯s entire body jiggled when Gabriel kicked him, but he couldn¡¯t feel the presence of the man¡¯s legs even though he should technically have hit them in that kick. Nergal¡¯s eyes moved across its body so that they could look straight at Gabriel, turning as round as saucers as it tried to give him the puppy eyes.

    "No, spit him out. It¡¯s supposed to look as if they turned on each other, how is it supposed to look like that if you just eat them all!?"

    He crouched down and hit Nergal on the head. Yes, he dide here to kill these people, but he had a use for their bodies so he couldn¡¯t just let Nergal eat them as he pleased. The little creature continued to give him the puppy eyes, but seeing the unrelenting gaze that greeted him he could only spit out the man. But even so, Gabriel had to rub his forehead.

    "Oh for god¡¯s¡­ The legs as well, Nergal."

    Nergal had indeed spat out the man, but the parts below his knees, or rather up to halfway up his thighs at this point, did not join the rest of the body out. He was bleeding heavily as a result and probably wouldn¡¯t even life for another minute. Nergal¡¯s eyes became downwards facing crescents and he spat out the rest of the man, but looking at what came out Gabriel could only sigh.

    "I swear to¡­ If they¡¯re gonna be like this then you may as well just eat him. Fuck man¡­ Just don¡¯t touch the rest of them."

    The legs that were spat out werepletely shredded, torn to bits. It was as if Nergal¡¯s circr jaws worked like saws. There was no way Gabriel could disguise this as sword wounds so he may as well just get rid of the body entirely.

    Nergal let out a happy buzz, but since it sounded like a swarm of flies around rotting meat it was probably only Gabriel who could see it as happy buzzing. He raised his sword and pierced through the man¡¯s chest before Nergal got to work, closing the door so that the baron who would be showing upter wouldn¡¯t see things before it was toote.

    "Right then, gentlemen. Please put on some adequate expressions, I would prefer it if my Lady wasn¡¯t too shocked when she finds you."

    Gabriel brandished his sword as he spoke, Nergal already chowing down on the meal he was given. Gabriel didn¡¯t notice it because it was rather minor, but he could breathe a bit more easily after Nergal finished indulging in his snack.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Is it already thest day?"

    Alice sat up from the bed with a groggy expression, turning her gaze to the window. She could just barely see glimpses of the city in the distance, a myriad of fresh colours decorating it.

    A festival to pray for good luck in the Crown Princess¡¯ magic affinity test was taking ce across the empire. Alice had missed the first and second day because of studying, but the third andst day she had some time off.

    "Correct, the test itself will take ce in the evening to mark the end. Afterwards, the festival will continue for another week."

    Teresa stood in the room, pouring a cup of tea for Alice to help her wake up. She sipped the warm drink and savoured it in a rxed manner, pping her cheeks a few times after she finished the cup.

    "Alrighty, up we go. Gabriel, what dress do you want me to wear?"

    She hopped out of bed after she properly woke up and turned to Gabriel, who was also in the room. She held her arms out towards him so that he could remove her nightgown. Teresa was technically her maid, but Alice always forced Gabriel to help her change.

    "I went with the red one, the one decorated with ckce roses."

    asionally, Alice forced him to choose what she would wear, that was especially the case on days where they would venture into the city. He had no clue about fashion and the like so he just picked things he liked, and the dress he went with for today was a slightly darker red one with ckce roses beneath her bosom and ckce along the hem of the skirt, which went to her knees. It covered her shoulders and front, some of thece crawling up her throat to finish the dress. She was after all not even 10 yet so it had to be quite modest.

    "Red and ck¡­ Red and ck¡­ Got it!"

    Alice muttered to herself for a bit before stretching out her arms again, gesturing for Gabriel to help her put on the dress now that he helped her undress. As had be habit, he did as she asked and helped her into the dress, offering his hand with a slight curve of his lips.

    "Well then, my Lady. Shall we go and explore the festival?"

 Chapter 33: The flow of time. (3)

    Chapter 33: The flow of time. (3)

    The city was alive with colours with colours and sounds. Red, green, yellow, purple, blue, orange, teal, it was as if a rainbow had descended from the sky and settle in thend itself. The streets were naturally filled with people enjoying the sights, as well as the booths that had been set up practically everywhere. Food, games, souvenirs, the citizens had worked themselves to the bone to prepare everything for today so now they would make sure to enjoy it as much as they could.

    "This one, Fen, you have to try this one!"

    Alice was as bubbly as the rest of the citizens, bouncing around between stalls and buying or trying everything that caught her fancy. The feathered serpent spirit Quetz was curled up on her shoulder while the wolf Fen walked at her side, both of them force-fed everything tasty she came across. Nergal was also allowed toe out, bobbing about on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder. He too was force-fed everything that Gabriel came across, but while Alice did it too make Fen and Quetz happy, Gabriel did it because he didn¡¯t like the way Nergal was looking at the people around them.

    "Ah, can you pack up some of these? Teresa, you should bring them to your brotherster."

    Naturally, Alice didn¡¯t forget to pack away food for Teresa¡¯s brothers, who were still back at the estate. Normally, Teresa or Gabriel would be loaded with luggage due to this, but since Gabriel could just tuck things into the darkness they were saved that hassle. But conversely, this also meant that there was practically no limit to how much she could buy so Alice was free to buy every little thing she found.

    "Oh, take this mask, Gabriel, I think the wolf look will suit you!"

    "Teresa, take this ne, the dark gold should go well with your hair."

    "Gabriel, look, they have white leather gloves, they¡¯ll match your hair."

    "Gabriel, look, you have to taste this, and pack some for Teresa¡¯s brothers!"

    "Gabriel, here,e and try on this jacket, the insides are reinforced with small chain-links so I¡¯m sure it will make for good armour. The dark green colour should also look good on you."

    From stall to stall, from booth to booth, sometimes she skipped the festivities entirely just to enter a shop because she found something in the windows that drew her attention. Gabriel didn¡¯t know if the Karas Dilu spell would start to be affected by the weight at a certain point, but he felt like he was inching closer towards it at a rapid pace if such a point really existed.

    But, luckily, with all their walking about, they were slowly approaching the destination that Gabriel was working on guiding them towards. He only had to get them close enough, once they reached a certain distance he was confident that¡­

    "Hm? Fen? Have you found something?"

    Right on que, Fenrir stopped walking. He sniffed the air a few times before he turned towards the direction of Silbecker street, his lips curling back slightly as a low rumbling growl built in his stomach. Yes, if it was a wolf spirit with a name like that then he should have a sense of smell that was at least this good.

    "Should we check it out? If he¡¯s reacting like this then someone might be hurt."

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes and craned his neck to peer into the distance, he could just barely spot the roofs of the warehouses that lined Silbecker street.

    "Hmm, then we probably should go. It would be sad if someone was hurt and needed help but didn¡¯t get it."

    Yes, he knew that she would respond like that. Alice was different from Gabriel, she was inherently a good person, the world had just twisted her into a viin. Now that someone might be facing a problem, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from trying to help.

    Well, that was at least how Gabriel was looking at it because he could only view things through his own biased lens. To Teresa it looked more like Alice only agreed because Gabriel was the one who made the suggestion.

    "Alright Fen, lead the way."

    Alice pat the wolf on the head and the spirit shot forward, the rest of the group following right behind it. As expected, he ran through the streets and turned corners until he hit Silbecker Street. He ran right up to warehouse 23, his lips curling back further as the growl in his stomach grew deeper.

    Rrrrr.

    As Fenrir growled, the thick wooden door crumbled, crushed from top to bottom until it looked like a squished line. There were no guards around today, the one who could order them to be here was no longer around after all.

    "Hmm, there¡¯s something in the air, isn¡¯t there?"

    Alice¡¯s nose pricked up slightly when the door broke down, there was something slightly unpleasant in the air. She didn¡¯t know the name for it, but Gabriel did. The scent of blood, it was trickling up from below.

    "Keep going, Fen."

    The spirit lead the way through the maze of boxes until they reached the backrooms, another door getting pulverised into the ground. Alice¡¯s gaze swept through the room for a moment before she spotted something that was a little out of ce.

    "A secret door?"

    A section of the floor was slightly ajar, a tiny bit of light leaking out from it. She walked up to it, but the wood was crushed before she even got to crouch down, Fenrir making sure to pave a neat path to her.

    "Ugh, it¡¯s even worse here!"

    The stench hit them full-force now that the hidden door was broken, Alice quickly covering her nose. Her gaze wavered for a moment between Gabriel and the descendingdder, but she eventually made up her mind.

    "Alright¡­ Let¡¯s go¡­"

    She scampered down thedder, Fenrir hopping down first for her safety. Teresa moved up next, but Gabriel stopped her with a hand on the shoulder and pulled her back.

    "Wait here."

    He hopped down thedder after he spoke, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Teresa behind. But as the smell from below tickled her nose, the gears in her mind started to move.

    "It¡¯sing from behind that door, isn¡¯t it?"

    Alice still covered her nose as they moved through the stone hallway, pointing at the door ahead of them with furrowed brows. If the smell was already this bad here then she didn¡¯t want to think about how bad it would be once they opened that door.

    Sssss.

    A soft hiss came from Quetz after Alice spoke, a bit of wind picking up around her. The wind formed a thin barrier around Alice, blowing away the smell before it could reach her, allowing her to finally unplug her nose.

    "You¡¯re the best, Quetz."

    Alice rubbed her cheek against the feathered serpent, enjoying the fluffy sensation now that the stench was gone. She walked forward with renewed vigour, the door crumbling thanks to Fenrir. But Gabriel¡¯s hand shot out the moment the door fell apart.

    "Eep!"

    Alice almost jumped when Gabriel¡¯s hand appeared in front of her, his palm blocking her vision the moment she was about to look into the room.

    "Hey, what¡¯s the big deal!?"

    She wanted to puff out her cheeks, but Gabriel¡¯s arm was so close that she could feel it brush against her right cheek so there was no space for it to expand.

    "You shouldn¡¯t look, my Lady. It¡¯s not a pleasant sight."

    Gabriel had set it up so he naturally knew just what sort of state the room ahead of them was in. Nergal had eaten one, but the Baron hade by so there were still seven bodies within the room. They all had cuts of varying degrees on their bodies, some looking as if they died on the spot while others looked as if they tried to leave the room.

    From the outside, it looked as if two parties had engaged in a fight and ended up destroying each other, their bodies starting to show smaller signs of decay. He needed Alice toe here to pick up something, but if he could avoid having her look at the scene then it would be for the best.

    "Are you looking at it, Gabriel?"

    Alice had already calmed down now that she understood the situation, her head tilting slightly as she questioned him. Naturally, there was only one answer Gabriel could give to that question, receiving a swift response.

    "Hm? Of course."

    "Then I¡¯ll look too. Please remove your hand."

    She spoke so calmly and quickly that he was caught a bit off-guard. There was conviction in her voice, determination that he did not feel confident enough to rock.

    "I said that I would make you my knight and you said that you would make me the Duchess. Whatever we say or do¡­ We¡¯ve already be one in this endeavour. So I will see what you see, and you will see what I see. Remove your hand, Gabriel."

    She crushed him down with facts and logic, promises of days past. Her voice was firm and prepared. From the looks of it, he had underestimated the girl he was showing a new life. And in doing so, he had insulted her.

    "I¡¯m sorry, my Lady."

    He removed his hand so that she could see, her body stiffening somewhat as she resisted the urge to recoil at the sight. He could feel her quickly sucking in a few breaths, Fenrir and Quetz sticking close to her. Eventually, she mustered up the strength to enter the room, eyes narrowed unpleasantly as she surveyed the scene.

    "A fight¡­"

    The bodies were strewn about, still holding the swords they used to cut each other apart. The sttered blood was already dry and had seeped into the wood. She couldn¡¯t smell anything thanks to Quetz, but it was easy to guess that the stench from earlier was the dried blood and rotting bodies.

    She wondered exactly what they had been fighting over when she spotted some papers tucked away beneath one of the corpses, its blood staining the pages. Gabriel acted upon her gaze and pulled out the papers, skimming them over even though he already knew the contents. His expression darkened a little before he handed them over.

    "It looks like they were fighting over this, my Lady. I believe you should take a look at it."

    Alice epted the papers, her chest a bit heavy because she was worried what could make Gabriel look like that. Luckily, she realized that it wasn¡¯t that bad when she actually read the paper.

    "Assassination¡­"

    A plot to assassinate the duke, or at least his eldest daughter should their other ns fail. This was a grand plot, a duke hadn¡¯t been assassinated for thest 100 years. This definitely had to be handled quickly and appropriately so she tucked away the papers and opened her mouth. But her mind moved as she spoke, her words halting and changing halfway through.

    "I need to take this to the du¡­ No, I¡¯ll take it to the guards. Come, let¡¯s go quickly."

    The duke¡­ The Duke¡­ Why should she bring this directly to the duke? He¡¯d deal with it and sweep it under the rug neatly, almost no one would ever know about it. No, she couldn¡¯t take this straight to the duke. She uncovered it alongside Gabriel, wasn¡¯t it right for them to at least get rewarded a little for something like this? Especially Gabriel, he would definitely need it.

    She quickly retraced her steps, Gabriel and the others following her out of the stone hallway and back up thedder, where Teresa was still waiting. Alice took the lead with Fenrir and Quetz, Teresa taking a stealthy step closer to Gabriel so that she could whisper to him as they moved.

    "Gabriel. Once we return to the estate, I would like to speak with you."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While Gabriel and the others were leaving the warehouse, another young child was moving through streets that were bustling with even more life than the capital of the Vritara duchy. The capital of the Earhart Empire, home of the Imperial Family, no city was as lively as it was today.

    "Ahhh¡­ this is a pain¡­"

    The child, a young boy with short ck hair and dark pink eyes rubbed his neck as he muttered. A mark resembling a spinning octopus was embedded on his neck, but it didn¡¯t seem as if any of the citizens around him could see it. Caine Woodime, the male lead of the show.

    "Why would you ce such a stupid restriction on me if you want me to stop Abby?"

    He muttered hisints to the sky as he rubbed the mark on his neck. He¡¯d really been saddled with a monumental task out of the blue. Well, at the time it was out of the blue, but as the memories came pouring in it became a bit easier to understand. The task in and of itself wasn¡¯t that hard, he¡¯d managed it a few times before. Or rather, he would manage it a few times in the future.

    But now, in exchange for the knowledge he gained this time around, he was saddled with the same restriction of others who got the same privilege. And that restriction alone made the task many magnitudes more difficult.

    "Can¡¯t even be bothered to answer me¡­ Do you guys have any idea how stubborn and anxious third turn Abby was? How am I supposed to stop her without saying or doing a damn thing in the early stages, did you ever even consider that?"

 Chapter 34: The flow of time. (4)

    Chapter 34: The flow of time. (4)

    Alice led Gabriel and Teresa out of the warehouse and back into the streets, eyes quickly surveying the surroundings. The festival was still in full swing so there were people everywhere, the only reason this street was reasonably quiet was the fact that there weren¡¯t any stalls here. But the bustling streets weren¡¯t far away so it didn¡¯t take long for Alice to spot a pair of patrolling guards keeping the peace.

    "I¡¯m Vritara De Alice, and I have uncovered evidence that someone has been making ns to assassinate the duke! Take me to the guard captain!"

    She waved one of the papers they picked up in the face of the guard while grandly stating her own name, speaking so loudly that she even drowned out the sound of the festivities. Naturally, this meant that she attracted a great number of looks, making the guards look rather ufortable.

    "Yes¡­ of course. Please follow us, Lady."

    Whether or not they believed her was irrelevant, the usation she brought out forced them to at least investigate it. Sure, it may end up being a waste of time if this was just the prank of a child, but impersonating a noble was a grave offence, and wasting an official¡¯s time was the same so a hefty punishment would follow. Just about everyone knew this so very very few people were daring, or stupid, enough to even attempt it.

    The two guards quickly made a path through the crowd, which was already abuzz with word of what Alice had found. Gabriel and Teresa quickly followed behind them, the corners of Gabriel¡¯s mouth turning up as he observed the surroundings. Yes, with this, there was no way the duke would be able to sweep the situation under the rug. When the truth came out, he would have no choice but to publicise the findings, and reward the one who uncovered it handsomely.

    She had learned. She knew how to take advantage of a situation when the need arose.

    The captain of the guards, even in this bustling time, could be found within the headquarters of the guard division. From this spot they could direct all the guards that were scattered throughout the city. Should an urgent situation arise then any of the guards in the area would easily be able to find them to request for assistance. With a calm mind devoid of outside influence and panic, they would be able to find the best solution.

    "What?! Repeat yourself, now!"

    Well, that would be the case normally at least. With the news that Alice brought, the Captain would have no choice but to head out on her own. And naturally, with the duke¡¯s life being the one targeted, it would be a bit hard for her to maintain the calm mind she was supposed to have.

    A somewhat aged face worn by stress and hard work, deep brown eyes and ck hair cut to just above the ears, a crooked nose and arge scar that went horizontally across it. Yvonne Taquin, captain of the guards in the Vairasta.

    "Yes, Ma¡¯am! Alice De Vritara approached us iming to have evidence that someone is targeting the life of the duke. Here is the evidence she has provided!"

    The guards trembled slightly as they saluted, Alice handing over the papers she had found. Yvonne quickly snatched them and read them over several times, the veins in her eyes growing a touch more visible with each move of her pupils.

    "Thankless scum!"

    Her arm smashed down on the table that was covered in other reports, the wood shattering beneath her gauntlet as she spat out a heavy breath. Looking at her, now standing there with the remains of the table on the floor, Gabriel was reminded of the bull-fighters he sometimes saw on TV in his past life. He felt like this may be what they felt at that moment, as they faced a bull about to rage.

    "Young Lady! Can you lead me to the ce you found these papers?"

    Yvonne was huffing as she addressed Alice, doing her best to restrain herself from blowing up further. Alice naturally agreed, Yvonne quickly having her horse brought out so that they could save on time. Even if they were just kids, there was a limit to how many people they could fit on the horse so only Alice could join Yvonne on horseback.

    "Gabriel, can you take Teresa back to the estate? I think we might just go straight there once we¡¯re done. Ah, can you prepare the bath for me? I want to feel clean while we¡¯re looking at the end of the festival."

    Alice had to turn her head somewhat awkwardly due to the fact that Yvonne had ced her in front, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t fall off even if they galloped at full speed. Gabriel gave a polite bow and saw her off as the horse stormed away. In the end, only Gabriel, Teresa, and Nergal remained to trudge back home.

    "You wanted to talk."

    Gabriel took the chance to break the silence as they walked, his head tilting slightly as he cast a nce at Teresa. She looked to be mulling over something, chewing on the words as she chose the most fitting ones.

    "You¡­ Were the one who set that up, weren¡¯t you?"

    She finally settled on it in the end and just went straight for it. She thought about beating around the bush, but from what she had seen so far that didn¡¯t seem to be a strategy that held a lot of sess with Gabriel.

    "Bringing along Fenrir and the others was your choice, the path we took seemed random but you were constantly and subtly guiding us, you didn¡¯t seem surprised or fazed by the stench. And finally, you stopped me at the end. You knew what was down there, didn¡¯t you? You may even have done it yourself, right?"

    She mustered her courage and dredged up the suspicious points she found when she first started to think about the situation. It was undoubtedly a good situation for Alice, now she would be able to spread her name while ensuring a reward. But the way they got there was too suspicious. And then everyone was dead already? It was suspicious, and thus she thought of what Gabriel first told her.

    Hello, I havee to be the most suspicious man you will ever meet.

    Gabriel looked at her in silence for a moment. He was a b it prepared for her to figure things out, she wasn¡¯t stupid after all. And it wasn¡¯t as if he was doing a particrly fantastic job of hiding how suspicious he was, it was bound to happen sooner rather thanter.

    "What of it?"

    He didn¡¯t deny it, their eyes meeting. The ts he was teaching Alice. The seventh was to not lie to your allies. Teresa was working with him to take care of Alice, and she was a generally good person, so she was his ally, thus he could not lie to her.

    "I¡­"

    Teresa couldn¡¯t pull her gaze away from his eyes. No surprise at getting caught, no fear at getting revealed, he simply looked at her as he always did and awaited her next words. So she sucked in a heavy breath and mustered up her courage, her decision was already set in stone after all.

    "I want to help you. When you have to do things like that in the future, when you have to sneak around and¡­ take care of people, I want to help you."

    Teresa had been working for Alice for some time now so she could somewhat gauge how she was being treated. Negligence would be the best way of putting it, and even that was only the case because her brother Leonardo had perished. He was apparently one of those who treated her the worst so thing must surely have been worse in the past.

    Teresa¡­ did not think that Alice deserved to be treated like that. She took her in, she took care of her brothers, she forgave Teresa¡¯s mistakes whenever she made one. She was a good person. Even now, while they were enjoying the festival, she made sure to buy things for Teresa¡¯s brothers who were still at home. She should be happy. And if Teresa had to dirty her hands to ensure that future, then she had decided that it would be worth it.

    "How will you help?"

    Rather than ept or reject her, Gabriel simply posed her a simple question, his head still slightly tilted. Teresa¡¯s mouth opened to answer, but she found that the words wouldn¡¯t leave her mouth. How exactly was she supposed to help?

    "Do you know how to locate hidden bases? Do you know how to sniff out liars and assassins? Do you know how to concoct poisons and antidotes? Do you know how to sneak up on people who are on high alert? Do you know how to kill someone?"

    Gabriel hounded her with questions, but his gaze and tone remained as cid as always. He wasn¡¯t humiliating her or putting her down, he was simply stating the nature of the situation, of Teresa. She wanted to help, but what could the current her do? Her mouth slowly closed, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt.

    "You¡¯re already doing enough by just staying with Alice and being a friend to her, I won¡¯t ask you to do more than that. But, should theree a day where you have found something you can do, then you can ask me again."

    Study, be useful. That was how Teresa heard it. It was a bit disheartening to hear that she couldn¡¯t be helpful, but there was still hope. Alice had a library of her own, one that was slowly growing now that she had gotten some of Leonardo¡¯s assets. If she holed herself up in there then she was bound to find something. One day, she too would be someone useful.

    "I will do just that. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Alice any of this."

    She let go of her skirt and let out another breath. She didn¡¯t know where to start reading, she didn¡¯t know anything in fact. But she was confident, she had to be. But while she tried to assure him, Gabriel tilted his head further.

    "What makes you think that she doesn¡¯t know?"

    Teresa couldn¡¯t help but stiffen up at his casual words. He was being so sneaky about it, pretending not to know a thing as they got there, wasn¡¯t it because he was trying to keep things hidden from Alice?

    "Fenrir could smell the blood and rotting flesh from that distance, within that mess of people of all things. Do you really think he wouldn¡¯t be able to smell my scent on the corpses once we got closer? He probably told her while we were heading there, she just didn¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s our open secret, kept because she knows that I won¡¯t answer."

    Fenrir may be a wolf, but even Nergal was able to talk with Gabriel despite looking like a small octopus. He didn¡¯t doubt that both Quetz and Fenrir couldmunicate freely with Alice. And with Fenrir¡¯s sense of smell, a few days wouldn¡¯t be enough to hide Gabriel¡¯s smell on the corpses.

    He knew, Alice knew, and Gabriel knew that they knew. Yet all three of them kept quiet about it. Well, Alice subtly brought it up when he tried to cover her eyes and at least spare her the sight. She also took the chance to make her stance on the matter clear so he had no choice but to give way and respect it.

    He kept moving forward, but Teresa¡¯s feet stopped moving for a moment so shegged behind. Here she thought that she was being considerate and somewhat smart, but it turned out that Alice already knew? In that case, wasn¡¯t she thest one to figure it out?

    "I¡¯m going to leave you behind, you know?"

    Gabriel¡¯s head turned slightly as he dragged her out of her own thoughts. He was slowly moving further and further away, almost vanishing into the crowd around them. Teresa quickly discarded the pointless thoughts and hurried forwards so that she could catch up with Gabriel before he disappeared.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "It¡¯s nice and colourful, don¡¯t you think? It looks as if the stars havee alive."

    Alice wasying in the bath, which she had specifically ced in front of the window in her room, as she spoke. Gabriel was currently sitting on a chair behind her, gently washing and tending to her hair as she had requested, or perhaps ordered was a better term.

    She came backter than expected so she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish her bath before the end of the festival. She didn¡¯t want to miss either so shepromised and simply took her bath while watching the final show.

    "It really is quite a sight."

    The city beneath the estate was alive with lights, fireworks constantly shooting into the sky to blot out the night sky. A massive projection showing part of the capital hung in the sky above the city, showing the Crown Princess, the Emperor, the leader of the Eastern family, and Caine Woodime, the adopted child of the Eastern family. With that, as was the case in the second ru¡­ Original show, the two main characters met and had their magic affinities revealed together.

    The city was buzzing with the news. Someone who had affinity for both G(Light) and Diverta(Divine) had appeared again, and even more than that, someone with two previously unknown affinities had appeared at the same time. This was a cause for great celebration as well as great worry.

    Someone powerful had appeared in the empire, but powerful people only appeared in troubling times. Thest time someone with two affinities on the Divine Star appeared, it was because a Deicide-grade Demon King had appeared in the world. This time¡­ What would show up this time?

    "But who¡¯s that next to Abigail? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him before?"

    As he expected, Alice questioned him about the boy next to Abigail. This was always the start of her jealousy, she saw the male lead from a distance and fell in love at first sight. But she could never have him, so she fell further and further. But this time¡­

    "Depending on how things y out, he may be your future husband."

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze was raised as he spoke. There was something about Caine that attracted his gaze. Something familiar? No, it didn¡¯t feel quite right to be called that? But there was something there, it floated in and out of his mind, disappearing between thoughts.

    But because he was looking at Caine like that, he didn¡¯t notice that Alice had leaned her head back to look at him. Her gaze moved between the profile of Gabriel and the projection of Caine, her expression constantly changing between dumbfoundedness, disgust, and fleeting thought.

 Chapter 35: The flow of time. (5)

    Chapter 35: The flow of time. (5)

    "Please take a seat over here, Young Master Woodime."

    The maid bowed politely as she gestured towards the gazebo that was surrounded by a moat-like pond. The Crown Princess was already sitting by the table, her head slightly tilted as she smiled at him.

    "Thank you, Guvernica, you can take your leave."

    Abigail waved her hand lightly, the maid bowing and taking her leave. Now that it was just them, Abigail allowed herself a moment to look at the man in front of her. Short ck hair and dark pink eyes that seemed to pierce straight through her. She could see him again after all that, thank the gods. But before she could bepletely relieved, there was something she had to do.

    "Caine, this may hurt a bit, but grit your teeth like a good boy, alright? Kaisel, do it."

    Her spirit appeared in front of Caine as she spoke, its wings fluttering as a small finger stretched towards him. He knew it wasing, but he still acted surprised when its finger touched his forehead.

    "GHH!"

    He grunted and clutched his temples, lurching forward. Normally, this would be when his memories woulde flooding in to tell him which turn they were on, but now he already had all of them so there was naturally nothing to show him. But he still had to put on that stupid act, the cracks were too small to handle anyrge changes from him right now so he would have to follow most of the usual path for the time being.

    "Ahhh¡­ I swear, Abby, you¡¯ve gotta give a man time to prepare for that stuff."

    He rubbed his temples as he straightened his back again, leaning back in the chair with a rxed smile, a twinkle of joy in his eyes. With his memories ¡®re-awakened¡¯, he could at least drop the act of not knowing Abigail. He would like to embrace her right here and now, but they were currently just kids so there was a limit to what they could do, especially before their engagement was set in stone. Abigail also looked rather anxious, more-so than was usual for the third turn, so he did her a favour and skipped the pleasantries.

    "Your Spirit Awakening Ceremony, it took ce earlier this time?"

    Generally, unless there was some big outside interference, Abigail would have her spirit ceremony and mana affinity test done at the same time to make it that much more dazzling. The same should, SHOULD, have been true for this third turn. And yet, the ceremony had been done ahead of time, and Alice had even had hers at the same time. She even signed a contract with two spirits he had never seen before, in any of his turns.

    He knew that it wasn¡¯t Abigail who set things up, she used a different n in the third turn. So someone, someone other than him, was interfering. He couldn¡¯t help but rub the spinning octopus mark that covered almost his entire neck. He did mention that there may be a back-up n¡­ But why was the supposed n B changing things this drastically?

    "Yes, it was around two years ago. Alice was also there, and Leonardo is already dead this time around. Something¡­ Someone, is changing things, and they¡¯re doing it too fast. If they keep going like this then our knowledge will quickly be obsolete¡­ We¡¯ll be stumbling blindly again."

    Abigail couldn¡¯t help but gnaw on her fingernail as she spoke. She knew the events that would, that should, happen. But what about the events that required Leonardo to start? What if another one was taken out of the picture by the interlopers? Slowly but surely, the things she knew would be worthless, she would be worthless.

    "Stupid question, but have you checked for Azuras? Perhaps he¡¯s already hanging around Alice."

    It really was a stupid question. Azuras was the greatest threat so there was no way Abigail wouldn¡¯t have already looked for him in the usual spots. He really only said it so that she wouldn¡¯t descend into a depressive and anxious spiral thinking about the things that had already changed.

    "He¡¯s not. I had the maids questioned, but she only has one of the kids from the orphanage left. Kaisel, show him."

    Abigail was the Crown Princess, unless one of her four brothers pulled off a miracle she would end up bing the empress. Making the maids of a ducal family talk was quite easy with her position so she already knew about the people around Alice. But well, as Caine expected, she was anxious after things started to change so she even had Kaisel check things out.

    The spirit¡¯s wings fluttered for a moment before the air at its side warped and turned into a segmented mirror. The inside of Alice¡¯s room was reflected in the mirror, each segment showing a different time that Kaisel had been there.

    "There¡¯s just that kid, but he doesn¡¯t have the right spirit or magic affinities so I can¡¯t even suspect him of being Azuras in disguise."

    Abigail¡¯s finger pointed to the young child that was helping Alice get dressed. Speckled brown hair and pale blue eyes, just as the maids had told her. The appearance was different, but she was so anxious that she even had Kaisel carefully dig into his mana affinity and what spirit he signed a contract with.

    "Low-grade water spirit, Waraya, Karas, Akasha affinity, no magic used to alter his appearance. I really hoped so, but it¡¯s not him. He¡¯s out there, Caine, Azuras must be out there right now, sharpening his de, I just know it. He¡¯s going to strike us when we least expect it, he¡¯ll light it all on fire!"

    Abigail¡¯s finger trembled as she pointed at the reflections, her voice a hoarse croak. She had already lost everything twice, she couldn¡¯t let a third onee to pass. Caine naturally looked at the same reflections that she did. Silvery-white hair and dark purple eyes, like freshly harvested grapes. The mark on his neck hurt, the tentacles seemingly curling around his throat for a moment before everything returned to normal.

    "I don¡¯t know. What if he isn¡¯t?"

    He looked away from the reflections, shing Abigail the same rxed smile he always showed her, even as he strode to his death for her. It was what he came to this world with so it was what he left it with, at times it was all he had.

    "What if¡­? It¡¯s Azuras, Caine, Azuras! He must be plotting our deaths out there somewhere, gathering enough fire to burn everything to ash again!"

    Abigail knew that a time woulde when Azuras regained his memories of the previous loops. The cracks would naturally widen as that thing outside tried to break in, and as they changed things the cracks would only growrger. Eventually, the other parts of the loop would bleed into this one properly and Azuras would regain his memories. The cracks shouldn¡¯t be thatrge yet, but with some outside force interfering she couldn¡¯t even be sure of that anymore.

    An Azuras that regained his memories much earlier than usually¡­ She wanted to clutch her pillow and cry just thinking about it. But luckily, the Caine sitting in front of her still wore that calm and rxed smile that allowed her a semnce of ease.

    "I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you think he looked tired when west saw him? Fighting to burn the world, living to reduce it all to ruins, doing it all again and again, don¡¯t you think that it might be wearing him down? What if he¡¯s just tired and wants it all to end?"

    Alice was only on her third turn but the anxiety was already getting to her, and things would only get worse in the future. With a life like that, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if people just up and broke one day. Luckily, it had never happened to his Abby, but he wasn¡¯t confident that they could keep doing it into perpetuity. They should be allowed to have their happy ever after now, they should be allowed to rest properly with this turn.

    "¡­"

    He expected it, but the dumbfounded look on Abigail¡¯s face as she looked at him like an idiot was still a sight to behold. He was finally unable to hold himself back and leaned forward, nting a quick kiss on her lips.

    "We¡¯ll be fine, Abby. There won¡¯t be a third time. This time we¡¯ll manage it."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "My Lady, if you keep being stubborn then we¡¯ll never get anywhere."

    Gabriel stood at the side of Alice¡¯s bed, speaking with a sigh. He was trying to shake her out of the bed, but she was just sprawled there while refusing to move. As time passed, she slowly got to take over more and more of Leonardo¡¯s property, now that she was turning 15 she had already received almost everything he once had. As such, in the duchy, she was one of the 10 most powerful people, at least in wealth. And yet, she was acting this childish just because she was pouting.

    "Then lift me. And bring along the covers, the mornings are too cold. And do a princess carry, if you sling me over your back like a sack of potatoes then I¡¯ll reduce your sry."

    Her hair had grown longer and her eyes deeper, the slightly curled violet strands reaching all the way down to her chest. Gabriel sighed once more and then bent down, one arm going under her legs while the other went under her back. He picked her up from the bed, her arms curling around his neck so that she could lean against him.

    "Yes, this is the warmth needed on these pointlessly cold days. Away we go."

    Her expression almost seemed to melt, he knew that she was just one step away from falling asleep again, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time. As such, he quickly carried her out of the bedroom and into the hallway, bringing her to the washroom where Teresa was already waiting.

    "Come now, My Lady, let¡¯s get you nice and clean."

    Alice rolled her head when Teresa beckoned her over, looking at Gabriel with upturned eyes. But he simply dropped her into the prepared bathtub, nightgown and covers still wrapped around her. He bowed politely afterwards, but it wasn¡¯t as if that could undo what he just did.

    "Now then, my Lady. I must go and prepare the carriages with Lawrence and Trisha. Teresa, I¡¯ll leave her to you for a moment."

    He left the room shortly after, Alice huffing out some air as she sat up in the tub. Looking at her resting her head on her hand, not even removing the wet covers or nightgown, Teresa couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    "Come on now, my Lady, I¡¯ll make sure to do at least half a good a job as him, I¡¯ll even make it quick so that you can get down there."

    Yes, that was the sole reason behind Alice¡¯s pouting, the fact that Gabriel wasn¡¯t the one taking care of her bath like he usually did. But today it just couldn¡¯t be helped. Looking out the window in the bathroom, Alice could see the carriages that were getting prepared, Lawrence already checking some of them.

    They were going on a trip to the northern duchy, an annual exchange to foster rtionships between the great families. And now, for the first time, Alice was chosen to go. There was a lot to prepare and check before they left so Lawrence dragged in Gabriel, he was Alice¡¯s servant so it was only right that he helped. Naturally, as her servant, he would also be joining her to the north.

    Alice continued to look out the window as Teresa peeled away the nightgown and bedsheets. Gabriel had arrived there now and was greeted by Lawrence and Trisha, the old man giving him a violent pat on the back. Trisha mimicked his actions, her tied up chestnut brown hair swaying as she pped Gabriel¡¯s back with a smile.

    Lawrence had tried to avoid it, but in the end Trisha followed in his footsteps and was working towards bing a knight. Since Gabriel was technically doing the same, it was only natural that they met quite often while training.

    "Yes¡­ It¡¯s only natural¡­"

    Alice looked on as the two of them walked along the carriages, checking every inch to make sure that nothing was out of ce. It was natural, of course it was. Really, it was just natural, it was normal, nothing to be worried about.

    "Teresa, marriage between a noble and amoner is forbidden, correct?"

    Alice knew the answer to that question. Of course she knew, she had checked it up several times, she had even asked Teresa the same question several times. But she had to voice it, that was the only way to quiet down her insides.

    "Still is, my Lady. Having a tryst is frowned upon, but not necessarily forbidden. But to go further¡­ You would need to get themoner a noble title for that."

    Noble titles¡­ they weren¡¯t just hereditary, people could easily be rewarded them. Alice was one such example, she would gain the Viscountess title the moment she had hering of age ceremony. As such, there was a precedent for granting peerage if someone¡¯s spirit or mana affinity were high enough.

    "But of course you¡¯re still hiding it you damn¡­"

    She wanted to spit curses at him through the window while waving her fist. If he just stopped hiding Nergal and his mana affinities then things could be solved just like that, it would be over before he even knew it. But just like she was still hiding her own mana, even with the Crown Princess revealing two of the fused magics to the worldst year, he too was hiding his own magic. As such, she could only rely on the other precedent.

    "Still no war going on?"

    War. If you racked up enough achievements during times of war then you would get a noble title. The northern ducal family had gotten their title like that all those years ago in the war against the demon hordes.

    "I¡¯m afraid not. The Dead Lands are quiet, no dangerous World Fissures have opened, the Kasarias kingdom and the Yverial Empire are both quiet, and the demons up north have yet to advance."

    Teresa had already memorised the answer, speaking it with a soft chuckle. The Earhart Empire was in a wonderful period of peace right now. The Dead Lands to the east were quiet, and the small urrences there were all taken care of by the eastern family. The demon hordes in the frozennds to the north had been cowed by the northern duchy so they stayed quiet within their mountain ranges most of the time. The Kasarias kingdom just beyond the southern border wasn¡¯t showing signs of gearing up for war, and neither was the Yverial Empire that sat beyond the ocean to the west. Everything was quiet and peaceful, so there was no chance for Gabriel to earn a title.

    "Tch."

    Alice clicked her tongue, a slender finger tapping against the side of the bathtub as she looked down at Gabriel and Trisha. She obviously didn¡¯t mind the peace, it was horrible when war broke out and people died. But it was annoying how hard it was to grant him a title without going against his wishes and revealing his secrets. It was annoying, but there was nothing she could do about it so she could only mutter to herself while looking out the window.

    "Earl¡­ It has to start with at least an Earl title¡­ We¡¯ll aim for duke afterwards¡­"

 Chapter 36: The northern lion.

    Chapter 36: The northern lion.

    "Get on the carriage."

    Alice sat in one of the carriages that had been prepared for her trip to the north, leaning against the open window as she impatiently tapped the frame. The carriage was already moving, and had been for quite some time already, but her continued requests simply refused to relent.

    "No can do. It¡¯s a good chance for you to show yourself in a more official setting and make some allies. Following the usual procedure, at least for appearance¡¯s sake, is for the best."

    Gabriel rode on a horse next to the carriage, and it was him that Alice¡¯s slightly annoyed gaze was focused on. He was d in his usual armour, ckish-blue leather with metal pauldrons that went down to his elbow and then connected with the gauntlets he wore. The leather armour retained the style of the first armour that Lawrence gave him, with belts and buckles rather than buttons on the front to close it. It didn¡¯t offer the same level of defence as pure metal armour, but the flexibility suited him better.

    "It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re going to stop by a vige for the night before we reach the Barong estate anyway. It¡¯s cold, so get on."

    Alice continued to pout, resting her chin on the window as she stretched her arm out of the window, catching some of the snowkes. Since it was an official visit they naturally used the Portals to cut down the travel time, thanks to this they were technically already in the northern duchy despite not even a full day passing.

    But they didn¡¯t drop by right in front of the estate belonging to the ducal family in charge of the north, the Barong family. It was customary to arrive a certain distance away from their capital so that you could observe the state of the surroundingnd as well while resting in one of their viges. And it was precisely this vige they were heading to now.

    "You¡¯ll manage. Just consider it a trial and grit your teeth."

    It was rather cold now that they had reached the north, but the inside of Gabriel¡¯s armour was lined with fur so it wasn¡¯t too bad. He¡¯d also studied about these visits in advance so he knew a bit about why they had some of their customs.

    The general essence behind forcing the visitors to observe the surroundings was to show off. Look at our flourishing viges, look at our wealthy citizens,pare them to your own and despair. But there was one more thing that the visits could be used for, mainly between families that didn¡¯t have the best rtionships, nder.

    The ducal family that owned thend didn¡¯t have to wait in their estate, they could send out a delegation to ¡®greet¡¯ their visitors. If said delegation happened to be hiding in a vige when the visitors arrived, and assuming that the ducal family wasn¡¯t there decided to treat the vigers with arrogance and scorn, the delegation could then reveal themselves and take the chance to nder the visitors for how they treat the citizens. It was rather petty, and really only served to humiliate the visitors, but to some families that was enough.

    The procession from the Vritara duchy continued their journey, Alice continuing to nag Gabriel about getting onto the carriage. It was to the point that he almost felt bad for Teresa, who was practicallypletely ignored as she sat there. Well, she didn¡¯t seem to mind, as she was tending to a flower with her magic, its yellow petals growing deeper in colour as she poured her mana into it.

    Gabriel allowed his eyes to wander, the horse he was using was exceptionally well trained so he didn¡¯t even need to really control it. As was to be expected of the north, there was a constant drizzle of snow from above, ayer of white covering practically everything. The terrain was wavy and uneven, rock formations, hills, basins, and valleys scattered about.

    And then there was one of the three things that the Barong territory was famous for, its evergreens. Even in this cold and hardynd, the forests thrived. Tall cedars and spruce trees rose skyward to break up the white monotony, their trunks famed for their sturdiness and mana resistance.

    The vige they would rest at could already be seen in the distance, but even so, the trees still rose up high. Part of the forest went all the way up to the vige, almost incorporating itself into the man-made structures. But stranger yet than this sight was what he saw the people doing outside the vige.

    Farming. Here, in this frozennd, they were farming. It wasn¡¯t wheat or fruits, but they were definitely growing something there. Farmers were tending to the crops, white bushes that resembled shrubs, each one dotted with small orange specks that seemed to be the ¡®fruits¡¯.

    Granted, this was a magical world, so perhaps farming in a frozennd like this wouldn¡¯t normally be strange. But Gabriel knew that these things didn¡¯t exist in the original show. It was a theme that the north was constantly struggling with food stocks because of the frozennd, they had to import most vegetables and relied heavily on hunting. The import prices and taxes they suffered led to one of the major conflicts in the fourth season, and was one of the reasons they were hostile to the Vritara n.

    "Abigail introduced them."

    Alice¡¯s voice reached him from the carriage. She was tracing his gaze and looking at the shrubs while still resting her head on the window frame of the carriage.

    "She said that they¡¯re good for the heart and high in fibre so they¡¯re good to eat, pack them together and you can even use them as a meat recement. Altare helped her engineer them so she¡¯s pretty proud of them. She introduced a few more nts, but I¡¯m not seeing them so they probably aren¡¯t grown here."

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly as Alice exined the origin of the nts. Altare and Abigail¡­ There had never been a moment in the show where they got together and manufactured nts, Altare generally only made resources for cultivation or the asional poison. So this¡­ This was different from the show.

    Granted, he had changed quite a few things already so this wasn¡¯t the first thing different from the original show. But this was a change he didn¡¯t have a hand in, it was entirely unrted to him even.

    "That¡¯s¡­ Troublesome."

    He¡¯d had the suspicion a few times in the past, especially after the Spirit Awakening Ceremony. But now it was practically proven. Someone other than him was interfering, he wasn¡¯t the only one here who knew about the original show. Now, the question remained, was it Altare or Abigail? He leaned towards thetter, but couldn¡¯t entirely disregard the former either.

    The problems this led to was actually quite simple, he had no idea what ns they might have, and their scope of influence was magnitudes greater than his. Especially if it turned out to be Abigail, as it stood there would be nothing he could do against her should she try to act against them. He¡¯d have no choice but to turn tail and run, it would just be troublesome to drag everyone else with him.

    Luckily, they didn¡¯t seem to be enemies, at least not on the surface. Abigail had given Alice gifts and was acting as her friend, and Altare had barely made any public appearances, only his inventions kept flowing out.

    "Ahhh, it¡¯s annoying."

    He couldn¡¯t stop muttering to himself. Even if they weren¡¯t enemies, it was a situation he couldn¡¯t control and that irked him. Once you lost control it was too easy for things to fall apart in a domino effect.

    "What is? The farming?"

    Naturally, with him muttering to himself without end, Alice could easily hear him. He felt like clicking his tongue when his old habit got him caught, it wasn¡¯t the first time, be it this one or his past life.

    "No, the farming¡¯s fine. I just wasn¡¯t expecting to see it happen here in the frozennds. There¡¯s something that¡¯s slipping out of my control even after I¡¯ve worked so hard, that¡¯s what¡¯s annoying. But I¡¯ll just have to work harder to be ready for unexpected events, I still have my promise to you that I need to keep."

    He didn¡¯t go into specifics, Alice immediately understanding that it was because it was something he didn¡¯t want to answer. Something like that came up from time to time, he¡¯d either avoid specifics or just stay quiet, he had a rule to never lie to an ally after all. She wasn¡¯t bothered by it, she¡¯d get an answer sooner orter.

    "Yeah, I can understand that feeling. I¡¯ve got something I¡¯m trying to get my hands on but its proving remarkably slippery so I¡¯m also getting annoyed by it. Tell you what, how about we both just work a bit harder, keep our promises and get our hands on what we want, and then hold a grand old celebration afterwards to show off to the whole empire?"

    Alice snickered lightly as she leaned against the window, one side of her lips curling up into a lopsided smirk. But Gabriel wasn¡¯t looking at her at the moment so he couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of it and simply nodded his head.

    "Sounds good. The inauguration of a new Duchess is more than enough reason to drag the empire into a celebration for a week or two."

    With their position, no one wouldin if a duke wanted to hold an empire-wide celebration. One past duke had even kept a festival going for over a month after he took the seat, he drained almost a fifth of his duchy¡¯s coffers and was swiftly killed by, and reced by, his brother. Well, he¡¯d make sure that Alice didn¡¯t suffer that fate so it should be fine.

    "Good. I¡¯ll hold you to those words, Gabriel, so you¡¯d best not forget them."

    The voice that came from behind him sounded quite happy so she was probably looking forward to wandering through the festival they would put on in that distant future. But for some reason, he had an itching sensation at the back of his neck, like that time he walked into the ambush that cost him his fingers.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "See, this is exactly why I insisted we followed official procedure."

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help butment after their procession entered the vige. Alice puffed out her cheeks, clearly not agreeing with him.

    Standing a bit ahead of them, at the centre of the vige, was a group of people with their own carriage behind them. Emzoned on the side of said blue carriage was a white lion roaring at the sky, frozen mountains encircling it. Written beneath the insignia was the motto of the Barong family.

    King of the pack, Lord of the mountain.

    "Greetings, Young Lady Alice. I am Arioch Arie Barong, and I wee you to our territory."

    The one standing at the head of the group greeted their procession when they got close enough, offering a polite bow with his hand to his chest. Long and wild hair that was as white as the snow around them, with a few translucent blue stripes running through it. Stark golden irises with a pupil that was narrower than on a normal human, and a muscr frame with somewhat pale skin.

    Arioch Arie Barong, the Young Master of the Barong duchy. He only had a single sibling, and said sibling had already renounced their right to session in favour of helping Arioch receive a stable throne when he became duke.

    He also had another name, one he only used when he worked undercover. The One-Eyed Golden Leopard, a name Gabriel had once borrowed to make the northern duchyunch their ambush on Leonardo.

    "Thank you for the warm wee, Young Master Arioch, I am pleasantly surprised that you came to greet us personally."

    Alice stepped out of the carriage to return the greeting, Gabriel acting as her knight and escort as he brought her forward. She was d in a flowing red dress decorated with ck and silverce, a thick dark grey fur coat draped over the dress to shield her from the snow. Normally, this would be when she extended her hand so that Arioch could kiss her knuckles to finish the greeting as equals, but she didn¡¯t give him her hand, and he didn¡¯t seem to be expecting it either.

    "It is only right, is it not? Please, allow us to guide you to the inn where you¡¯ll spend the night, in the morning we¡¯ll head to the estate."

    There was a slight smile on Arioch¡¯s face as he gestured to the side, Alice giving a light wave of her hand to indicate that he should lead the way. Lawrence and Trisha took care of the carriages while one man in Arioch¡¯s party took care of their own carriage, the rest following Arioch on foot.

    They were already at the centre of the city so it didn¡¯t take long for them to reach their finest inn, a three story building made from the wooden logs that Barong was famous for. A warm air exuded from the building, a thin whiteyer covering the roof as a bit of smoke rose from the chimney.

    The inside was decorated with furs and crystals, or it could be ice, Gabriel couldn¡¯t tell at a nce. The workers were already waiting for them, standing in two rows as they formed a path, their waists bent to nearly 90 degrees.

    "Tartak, prepare the lodging for the servants on the first floor."

    Arioch spoke to one of the men who followed him, a burly fellow who had a gnarled and twisted scar covering nearly the entire left half of his face. The man nodded, but Alice stretched out her hand before he could do anything.

    "That one will have the room next to mine."

    Gabriel was at the end of her finger, Alice¡¯s expression cid but brooking no room for discussion.

    "As you wish. Tartak, prepare it."

    The burly man could only nod his head to the renewed order, bringing along the servants with him so that he could get them to their rooms. This naturally included Gabriel, who Alice sent away while following Arioch into the VIP room he would have for the night.

    Once inside, the polite smile faded from his face as he slumped down in a chair, resting his head on his hand, a finger on his temple as he looked at Alice with an intrigued expression.

    "Alright, now it¡¯s just us so I¡¯ll stop it with the sickly act. Your letter. What do you want in exchange for your aid?"

    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that he was here to greet them. Alice had contacted him in advance. In fact, they had been exchanging letters secretly for some time now, it was just that this was their first time meeting in person. Alice also sat down in a chair of her own and crossed her legs, leaning forward so that she could rest her chin on her sped hands. This was a moment she had been waiting for for quite some time already.

    "The Barong inheritance. I need the ability to let someone form a bond with a demon or something with demon blood in its veins. One use, and then we have a deal."

 Chapter 37: The northern lion. (2)

    Chapter 37: The northern lion. (2)

    "Our inheritance¡­ Hm¡­"

    Arioch was leaned back in his chair, the finger that was resting against his temple tapping it rhythmically as he looked deep in thought.

    "That¡¯s a tough one, honestly. It¡¯s not something we share with the outside world. To suddenly give one to you¡­ I¡¯m not sure if that deal is fair, quite frankly."

    He came to a decision eventually, his finger continuing to tap his temple as he shed Alice a thin and somewhat apologetic smile. But she simply looked at him, matching his expression with a bright smile of her own.

    "Really? Because from what I hear you share it quite frequently with the Woodime family. When was thest exchange¡­ six usages two months ago?"

    It was a bit of an open secret actually, the Barong family shared their inheritance with the Woodime family of the east so that they could better resist the Dead Lands. In return, the Woodime family supplied the Barong with some things that could only be found in the Dead Lands. Well, it was an open secret among the leaders of therger families at least, most others would never know about it.

    "¡­You know your things. I wasn¡¯t expecting the Duke to share that with you, that¡¯s a miscalction on my part."

    The thin smile on Arioch¡¯s face vanished as if it had never been there, his finger leaving his temple as he leaned forward, sping his hands as he looked straight at Alice.

    "I was taught that information wins wars, so I like to stay up to date on important things. But I will not have you believe that the duke gave me that information, I detest that misconception."

    Arioch could swear that he saw a sneer in Alice¡¯s eyes as she uttered the word duke, but the expression vanished as quickly as it appeared so he couldn¡¯t be entirely sure.

    "Right, I¡¯ll apologise for that then. So, what¡¯s the price if I want you to tell me how you learned of it?"

    He imagined that it would be a bit of a fruitless endeavour, but he had to at least try to sound out where Alice heard about their secret if it wasn¡¯t from the duke. Naturally, he didn¡¯t throw away the possibility that she was in fact lying to him about her rtionship with the duke.

    "I¡¯d say four or five cial Lions could convince me. What do you say, shall we update the contract?"

    Alice¡¯s smile remained the same as she spoke, but Arioch could only click his tongue after hearing the price, leaning back in the chair again.

    "No chance I see, that¡¯s a shame. Alright, we¡¯ve yed enough, let¡¯s return to the actual deal."

    cial Lion, they were the offspring of the beast from which the Barong family drew their family insignia. They were the undisputed lords of the frozennds, and at the moment, the Baron family only actually had two. One was tamed by Arioch¡¯s grandmother and the second was tamed by Arioch himself, and those two lions made up a third of the cial Lions that the family had tamed since its forming. Alice was ready for the change, pulling a scroll out of a pocket hidden within her coat.

    "Three spies from Francis¡¯ side and one from Marion¡¯s side. I¡¯ll help you get rid of all four. Freedom from the Vritara eyes, and all you need to do is provide one usage of your inheritance."

    The contract was already finished in advance, Alice had even signed her name on it already. All Arioch would need to do was sign his own name and their deal would be finalised. But naturally, he took the contract and read it over first, ying with a pen as he questioned Alice without raising his gaze.

    "So you¡¯re willing to remove the Vritara¡¯s eyes in the north for a single measly contract, which may I remind you, can only be used by a single person? I must say, doesn¡¯t seem very fair, much less beneficial, for the Vritara family."

    Each of therger families had spies within the other families, that was just the nature of arge family. To cut out those eyes¡­ even if you could get new ones in ce after a few years it would still be a massive loss of information. Spies were expensive and hard to get into therge families, they would normally be protected and hidden as best you could. And yet here Alice was, offering their heads on a silver tter.

    "Why must everything I do be beneficial for the Vritara family? The Vritara family is not my home, they¡¯re just a stepping stone to reach that home. So, do you agree?"

    Arioch raised his head slightly, but the smile on Alice¡¯s face had yet to change from that bright one she showed when she caught him lying. The corners of his lips twitched slightly as that expression slowly seared itself into his mind. Now that, that was unbound confidence and arrogance, enough to make his stomach itch.

    "I¡¯m starting to like you, Alice. If you weren¡¯t taken then I wouldn¡¯t mind trying to court you."

    His lips spread apart into a wide smile as he pped the contract down on the table. The pen still spun between his fingers as he leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table.

    "How will you do it? I¡¯d prefer it if your actions didn¡¯t end up spreading rumours that we like to torture and murder our own servants."

    Noble families, in some cases literally, lived and died on their reputation. No one wanted to work for a family known for abusing and murdering their servants, and losing all your workers was generally the start of a family¡¯s decay. Naturally, Alice had a better n. Her family was a bunch of bastards, each one in their own different way, but she was a greater bastard than all of thembined.

    "Two of the people in my procession work for Francis, they¡¯re here to keep an eye on and sabotage me whenever possible. I¡¯ll have them kill the spies, exactly how will remain a secret."

    It was inevitable that Francis would tack men onto her. Her position was slowly growing thanks to her spirits and future titles, if he left her unchecked then she could end up threatening his position. After all, the duke had yet to name a formal sessor so he had to be wary of everyone.

    Marion had probably also sent at least one person to keep an eye on her, but Marion¡¯s style was only to keep watch. That was all she ever did, she watched on without interfering. Only when it would benefit or harm the family did she step in, nothing else held meaning to her.

    "It¡¯s a nice picture, don¡¯t you think? Servants of Francis De Vritara made a mess in the Barong family and even killed their servants. You get rid of the spies and can nder Francis as much as you want, you can even demand reparations, which he will have no choice but to hand over. So, will you help me p him?"

    Arioch felt the pit of his stomach itch again as Alice smiled. Her mouth didn¡¯t move, but the light in her eyes was like fire. The Barong family had always argued with the Vritara family over taxes and import, they were always looking for a chance to take them down a peg. If they worked together with her¡­ Hell, they may be able to take them down three or more pegs in one go.

    "Oh yes, Alice, I¡¯m really starting to like you. If that knight ever turns you down, you know where to find me."

    Arioch finally lowered the pen and put the tip to the paper, his signature quickly flowing out on the paper. Once he pulled back the pen, the contract tore itself apart and disintegrated into motes of light. Some of the light entered Alice and some entered Arioch, forming a scroll-like mark that only they could see on the back of their hands. Should either of them break the terms in the contract then the mark would activate and extract the agreed upon price. In this case, it would be their right arm and leg.

    "Take it."

    Arioch dug his hand into his shirt and pulled out a pendant that looked like a crooked fang, tossing it across the table. Alice caught it with an almost snide look at Arioch. He had acted so surprised and against it when she first brought it up, but he still carried it around just in case. He already had a bond with one beast so there was no way he could use this pendant.

    "Have the demon in question drop some blood on the left side of the pendant and the controller on the right. The pendant will then merge with you and form the bond, a mark symbolising the controller appearing on the subject. Generally, the controller is the only one who can draw on the power contained within the others¡¯ blood, but if the bond besrge enough then the demon can draw some power from the controller¡¯s blood. You have the Vritara bloodline so I¡¯d rmend getting a demon that doesn¡¯t already have the water element, that way it has more room to grow down the line. Just make sure to remind the demon that it too will die if the controller does, makes it less likely for them to rebel."

    Arioch exined how to use the pendant, which Alice quickly learned could open, much like locket. The inside of the locket, the tooth, was dug out, holding just enough space for a bit of blood on each side.

    "Good. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I want to clean myself."

    She had gotten what she came for so she wasted no time in standing up, coiling the locket around her hand as she turned.

    "Ah, just so you know, there¡¯s a bathroom connecting your two rooms. Feel free to use it."

    Arioch¡¯s voice reached her as she put her hand on the door. She turned her head slightly to look at him, a proper smile finally dawning on her face.

    "Now you¡¯re finally saying some good things."

    She opened the door and left Arioch behind, who quickly spat out a long breath as he looked at the closed door, something akin to a smirk hanging on his face as he shook his head.

    There weren¡¯t a lot of VIP rooms in this inn so Alice already knew which one belonged to her. As she headed for her room, she opened the locket and drew a bit of her own blood, slotting it into the locket. The blood was absorbed by her half of the ne so she shut it again, humming to herself as she entered her room.

    Some of her things from the carriage were already ced in the room, probably by Teresa, so she had a change of clothes avable. She picked out something she could wear for the night and then stepped through the other door in the room, arriving in arge and already warm bathroom. Steaming water was constantly flowing from a cat-like head sculptured from a stone that looked like marble, the pool that filled the centre of the room constantly warm as a result.

    There was another door at the other end of the bath, one which Alice simply opened, holding out the change of clothes she had prepared.

    "I feel dirty after riding the carriage all day, help me clean up."

    Gabriel was in the middle of reading a book about the northern territory when Alice barged in and, in no uncertain terms, told him to join her in the bath. He had already gotten used to this over the years so he wasn¡¯t even shocked anymore, simply closing his book as he stood up.

    "Of course, my Lady."

    He put aside the book and walked over, joining Alice in the bathroom as he epted the nightgown she had picked out.

    "Red again today, good choice."

    The nightgown was light and airy, a stark red colour adorned by cute frills. It wasn¡¯t transparent enough to be considered a negligee, but it still fell a bit outside the realm of normal nightgowns.

    "Good,pliment me more."

    Alice wasn¡¯t shy about wanting more as she stretched out her arms, Gabriel helping her slip out of the dress she had worn all day. She slipped into the warm water while Gabriel sat down in the groove that had been dug in the floor so that you could sit behind the bathing person to tend to them.

    Gabriel started to work on Alice¡¯s hair in a natural manner, gently massaging in the soap while using a softb to tend to it. Alice enjoyed the heat and sensation for a while before she spoke up, uncoiling the locket from her hand and holding it towards him.

    "Take it. Drop some of your blood on the right side of the locket, I¡¯ve spent quite some time preparing it just for you."

    Gabriel epted the locket, observing it for a moment before he opened it. He dug through his memories but couldn¡¯t recall anything like it, be it from the books he read aftering here or from the time he watched the original show. As for where she had bought it, or gotten it, he had no idea. She had spent some time with Arioch so it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible that he gifted it to her.

    "Alright."

    But well, it wasn¡¯t like it mattered where it came from. Alice wanted to give it to him, and had prepared it for him, so he would ept it. In this world, just as he was the first one to reach out to her, she was the first one to reach out to him. And in both his lives, she was the second one to do so without asking anything in return. His sister had tried to do the same, but by the time they actually met things were already toote, for both of them. So this dear Lady of his, who asked only for hispany, he would trust whatever she gave him.

    He was still clothed so he drew out one of the three daggers he always hid on his person and used it to make a quick cut on his index finger, which was generally the finger humans needed the least. The blood that flowed from the wound dripped onto the right side of the locket, momentarily pooling in the groove that had been carved there.

    The locket seemed to absorb the blood after a short moment, vibrating quietly for a moment before it burst into two motes of light. One flew directly into Gabriel before he could react while the other sank into Alice. The light gathered in her chest and settled a centimetre or two above her heart, forming a mark that at first nce looked like a spinning octopus. But on a closer look, the octopus was covered in cracks, the pieces sliding apart, but not yet so far apart that whatid behind them could be seen.

    It was a strange, and somewhat macabre, mark, but Alice still looked at it tenderly, stroking it with a hand before she leaned her head back and rested it in Gabriel¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 38: The Northern lion. (3)

    Chapter 38: The Northern lion. (3)

    "Alice¡­ What did you just give me?"

    Gabriel felt something strange in him after the light settled in his body. It was like a light stream around his heart, separate from the stars he was already forming there for his own magic. And then there was the mark that appeared on Alice¡¯s chest, which he could just barely catch a glimpse of due to how she rested her head in his hands.

    "A covenant. One shared only by the two of us."

    Her head turned slightly as she nestled in his hands, her ears perking up for a moment before they settled down again. He was clearly caught off-guard, but his hands were still massaging her scalp while tending to her hair. She liked that about him, constant care at the forefront of his mind.

    "It¡¯s a bond that will tie us together thanks to the Vritara bloodline I got from my mother. In the future, you will be able to use the water element thanks to the bond, and at one point I will be able to use your powers. But you need to be careful from now on, Gabriel. If you fall, then so too will I thanks to the bond. So treasure your life a little, you¡¯ll need to live long if you want me to do the same."

    Alice had often cursed the Vritara blood that she got from her mom. Had she been born of the duke¡¯s infidelity then she wouldn¡¯t have even a smidgen of im to the Vritara name or duchy so she could have easily left it all behind. But that bloodline had tied her to that home, it had kept her alive but also made her hated by the others.

    But in this moment she had to say that she was rather fond of it. Without it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to form a covenant like this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to share a bond like this with that lonely knight of hers.

    "Isn¡¯t this the thing that the eastern family uses? Why would you go out of your way to acquire such a thing? And why make me the focal point of it? I¡¯m a lot more likely to die than you are."

    Gabriel felt a headache crawling up on him. He hadn¡¯t recognized the locket, but the effects he was somewhat familiar with. The eastern family used it in the original show to bond with the beasts they used to fight the Dead Lands. It ensured loyalty from the beasts because they would die if the focal point did, and death was the only way to negate the covenant.

    Thatst part was what was making Gabriel¡¯s head ache at the moment. He worked a fair bit behind the scenes to set things up, be it through assassinations or schemes. Like that time when he killed Leonardo, it was risky work where he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he died at a moment¡¯s notice.

    But now¡­ He went through all that, and did all those things, to ensure that Alice would grow up happier than she did in the show. If she died because of his actions then it would be beyond counterproductive. She had, effectively, shackled his legs. But she didn¡¯t seem disturbed by that implication, nor the risk for that matter.

    "That¡¯s precisely why I did it, Gabriel. You¡¯ve already chipped away at your lifespan, this is a reminder to not repeat it. Don¡¯t forget what you told me back then. You¡¯ll teach me what you know and I¡¯ll teach you what I know, and together we can live as good people. So we must live a long and happy life, Gabriel, both of us."

    Alice had not forgotten a single word that Gabriel had ever told her, be it when he was conscious or not, she buried them all deep within her. Quite a few years had already passed since he told her about how he took action against Leonardo when she wasn¡¯t looking. But she hadn¡¯t forgotten the method he said he used. Uneptable.

    "No more needless risks. No more dates with death. That¡¯s an order."

    Order. It wasn¡¯t a word she threw at Gabriel often, the times she had done so could be counted by half the fingers on one hand, and that was if you included this one. She didn¡¯t think that she needed it, but she had to ensure that he listened.

    "As you wish, my Lady."

    As always, Gabriel listened. The expression on his face was slightly exasperated due to his new shackles, but it was what hisdy desired so he had no choice but to obey. The words had just barely left his lips when Alice chimed up again, pulling her head away from his hands as she sat up.

    "Alice. Call me Alice again, even if its just when we¡¯re alone."

    Alice. Her name. It shouldn¡¯t be anything strange to have someone call your name, most people experienced it every day. But Gabriel generally always referred to her as Lady or my Lady. But he called her by name just now when he questioned her, probably due to how off-guard he was. She liked it. It had a nice ring to it when it fell from his lips, it was many magnitudes better than how it sounded when Marion or Francis tried to utter it.

    "As you wish, Alice."

    He could only relent further as he kept helping her with the bath, a low and soft humming breaking through the steam whenever there was a break in their chatter.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Not a lot of progress yesterday, huh? I heard you still slept in separate rooms?"

    Arioch was leaned back in his seat, his arms spread out on the backrest while his legs were crossed. His head was slightly tilted so that he could look out the carriage window while only needing to move his eyes slightly to look at his guest.

    "It seems like Young Master Barong likes to spy on people, I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s a hobby I would rmend."

    Alice was sitting on the other side of the carriage, the seat beneath her stuffed with soft feathers and covered in thick fur. There was a small table in front of her, one that could be lowered down into the floor, a steaming teapot resting on it.

    The night had passed and dawn had arrived so the procession continued towards the Barong estate. Arioch and Alice had the highest status out of those present so they ended up sharing the same carriage, it also helped give the image that they had good rtions, which was exactly what this meeting was supposed to achieve.

    "What spying? I can¡¯t be med if a bird perches on my window and starts chattering. Am I supposed to just close my ears and sing a tune?"

    Arioch simply deflected her usations with a hurt look on his face, but he didn¡¯t actually deny that it happened so it didn¡¯t really mean much.

    "Well? Was he not satisfied with the bond? If its the Vritara family then I¡¯m sure you can find a good demon he can bond with so there has to be something else about it, right?"

    Alice never outright stated that she was going to give the locket to Gabriel, but he was familiar enough with the look she had when she looked at him. The knight in question wasn¡¯t much better in how he looked at her so there was definitely something between them.

    "It¡¯s unrted to the bond, our rtionship simply isn¡¯t at that stage yet."

    Alice sipped her tea calmly as she responded, but she could see Arioch¡¯s entire body jolt once as he froze. She could practically hear his neck creak as he turned his head towards her, seemingly unable to believe a word of what he was hearing.

    "He¡¯s sleeping in the room next to you, he helps you get dressed and undressed, you even take BATHS together. And you¡¯re saying¡­ That you¡¯re not there¡­yet? Are you both just not nning on going anywhere?"

    He couldn¡¯t help but blink rapidly, identally letting it slip that he even knew about Gabriel helping her in the evening and morning. Sure, having male servants help females with baths and dressing wasn¡¯t entirely umon, but that was on the condition that they were both still kids. Alice was already 15, and she had even brought her own maid with her on this trip so there is no way she should be using her male knight for these things.

    "You talk quite a lot, Young Master Barong. It¡¯s not that strange."

    Alice simply continued sipping her tea as she disregarded his expression. The tea was something Arioch had brought so it was likely native to the area. It was rather nice and sweet, with some fruity hints, she would have to make Gabriel and Teresa try itter.

    "Not that strange? Alice, it is beyond strange. Especially so since there is no rtionship there."

    Arioch rubbed his face to straighten his expression. Sure, some married couples, or couples that had just gotten together, would engage in things like that to disy their love. But if there was no rtionship of that kind there? It would be beyond strange, it would even irreparably harm their marriage prospects in the future. But faced with the man straightening his expression because he couldn¡¯t believe a word he was hearing, Alice simply posed him a simple question.

    "Have you ever been afraid, Arioch Arie Barong?"

    It was a somewhat strange question, especially out of nowhere. But at the same time it was an incredibly simple one that could be answered without hesitation.

    "Hm? Yeah, several times."

    He was the young heir of the Barong family, the future lord of the frozen north. He still remembered his fears very well. His first meeting with a demon, his first winter in the mountains, the first time he had to execute a servant, the first time a knight died for him. He was a noble, so he was afraid. But he was a noble, so he had to serve as an idol for those who followed him.

    Alice nodded her head, it was the expected response.

    "Gabriel, my knight¡­ He is afraid. He came from a bad ce so he¡¯s had a bad life. His life was twisted, so he became twisted. And as a result, the thought of loving, the thought of being loved¡­ I don¡¯t think he can¡¯t connect those things with himself, I think he¡¯s afraid of it."

    Gabriel was straightforward, Alice always saw him move with conviction, his gaze squarely focused on the future. But that¡­ wasn¡¯t that just because he couldn¡¯t bear to look at the present? Wasn¡¯t it because the fear of the future was easier to handle than the rest of his fears?

    She could still recall it, even now, those words. She had a secret that she kept from Gabriel, one just for her. He talked in his sleep. And there were some things he said that stuck with her more than others.

    <em>I who had nothing to live for, in you, let me find a reason to not die.</em>

    She woke up in a cold sweat on that day and couldn¡¯t stop looking at him for the rest of the night, making sure that nothing happened. She still didn¡¯t know about his life in the orphanage, the life he lived before they met. But those words¡­ She hated the world that made him utter them.

    He was afraid. Her knight, her light, the only hand that reached out for her, he was afraid. And she knew what she wanted to do whenever she was afraid.

    "When you were afraid, did you try to run? Of course you did, that¡¯s the general response, you run to preserve your own mind."

    She thought about it quite often. The days he went to the city, what if he just never came back? If she one day spoke up, what if he wasn¡¯t there the next morning? The thought suffocated her, it clogged her throat. So she had already made up her mind on how to proceed, it had been set in stone long ago.

    "But that man¡­ I¡¯m not going to let him run. Step by step, I¡¯ll push him into a corner, step by step I¡¯ll surround him. I¡¯ll lock him down and bombard him until the thought of love no longer scares him, and at that point it will be toote for him to run from me."

    He was hers. She was his. She would never run from him, and she would never let him run from her. The mark on her chest was one step towards that future.

    "So it¡¯s not strange, Young Master Barong. I am simplyying down the bait while I¡¯m hunting."

    She raised her teacup again and put it to her lips, a charming smile on her face. But to Arioch it looked like the smile of a predator locking down its prey.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "We greet the Young Lord of Barong and Young Lady Alice De Vritara!"

    A loud shout came from outside the carriage after they stopped in front of the mansion that stood at the centre of the Barong estate. The servants were all lined up neatly into two rows outside of the carriage, jackets and coats covering their usual uniforms so that the cold didn¡¯t get to them. But it wasn¡¯t just servants standing there, Arioch stepping out from the carriage as he greeted one of them.

    "Hee, so you decided toe out and greet us too? Didn¡¯t take you for the kind to actually observe manners like that."

    Arioch stretched out his arms and embraced the man that stood in the path created by the servants. The man returned the hug with a smile, a pair of dark pink eyes sliding towards Alice as she left the carriage.

    "I¡¯m a bit familiar with your guest this time, she¡¯s a close friend of Abby. If I didn¡¯te and say hello then she would take my head."

    The two men ended the hug and took a step back. Dark pink eyes, somewhat unruly ck hair that just barely reached halfway down his ears, leather-like armour covered in dark blue scales and a sword at his waist. Caine Woodime ced a hand against his chest and bent his waist slightly in a polite but rxed greeting.

    "We meet again, Lady Alice."

 Chapter 39: The northern lion. (4)

    Chapter 39: The northern lion. (4)

    "We meet again, Young Master Woodime. I didn¡¯t know that you would be here as well, but I hope we can get along during our stay."

    Alice returned Caine¡¯s greeting with a curtsy but didn¡¯t finish it off by offering her hand for a kiss. She heard the sound of hooves from behind her and saw Caine¡¯s eyes glide past her, her own gaze narrowing. She really hadn¡¯t expected Caine to be here, she would have hidden Gabriel better if she did. Caine hadn¡¯t warned her as Abigail did, but what if he knew whatever she did?

    "Those must be your escorts. I¡¯ll stop blocking the path, it must be a bit too cold to linger around here."

    Luckily, Caine only let his gaze slide over the entourage for a moment before he stepped aside so that they could make their way towards the mansion. Alice could see some people scurry about around the entrance of the mansion, asionally casting their gazes towards them, Caine to be specific. They were probably his attendants, each one scurrying to get dressed so that they could follow him.

    "That sounds good, I don¡¯t think my maid would be able to handle the chill for much longer. Shall we stop by the chapel first?"

    Alice stretched her arm to the side as she spoke, Gabriel arriving at her side to escort her. Servants from the Barong estate were already working on bringing away the horses and carriages so that Alice¡¯s entire entourage could follow her. This was evidently standard fare for Arioch, who took the lead with Caine in heading for the estate.

    "That¡¯s probably for the best, I don¡¯t want to think about the sermons I will have to endure if Ipletely ignore tradition."

    To be more specific, they were heading for a building that was slightly separated from the mansion, arge temple made from the same white and sky-blue stones as the chapels in the capital. This meeting to foster good rtions was a tradition, and offering thanks to the gods for the chance to make such rtions was another tradition.

    As they walked, Gabriel observed Caine, who was chatting with Arioch. He only saw him one other time after the day his mana affinities were revealed, and that too was through a projection. The original male lead of the story, a man who came here through a World Fissure and ended up settling here to protect the empire and the Crown Princess. He was a good man. He didn¡¯t always make the right choices in the show, nor did he always make the best choices, but he always tried his best for the peaceful future he wanted.

    And standing next to Gabriel was Alice, the little viiness who would fall in love with him at first sight and continue to pursue him until it drove her to madness. He nced sideways to check on her, but she wasn¡¯t even looking at Caine. He observed her eyes, her bodynguage. Thanks to their life together, he was confident in being able to read her, and he had seen it enough times in the show to know how she would look at Caine when her one-sided love overflowed.

    But there was nothing. Even when her eyes asionally swept over the spot where he was standing, it was as if Caine didn¡¯t exist to her. Perhaps he should have expected it. She didn¡¯t grow up to be the same girl that she was in the show so it was only to be expected that other things about her would change, like preferences and values.

    That was originally what he set out to achieve, so parts of him had considered the possibility that she wouldn¡¯t form any ties with Caine in this life. But to actually see it¡­

    "Something good happen?"

    Alice¡¯s voice came from the side and drew him out of his thoughts. She was looking directly at him, his own face reflected in her eyes, a crimson hue shrouding his entire body thanks to her irises. It was a rather sudden question that he didn¡¯t quite understand so he could only tilt his head as she exined it a bit clearer.

    "You looked relieved. Something good happen?"

    Relieved? He studied his own reflection and saw that indeed, the corners of his lips had turned up ever so slightly. He touched them just to be sure, but yeah, he was seeing things correctly.

    "Yeah, I guess I was feeling a bit relieved. How strange."

    What a peculiar sensation. Relieved. It was an emotion he wasn¡¯t all that familiar with. He simply worked, he acted and he moved, when a job went wrong it was all about fixing it, when a job went right it was just expected.

    Relieved. It was a new experience. It wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Our chapel is a bit simpler than most, but if the gods were the kind of beings to care about something like that then I¡¯m sure they would have piped up long ago."

    Arioch gestured broadly after they stepped into the chapel, which truly was ¡®simpler¡¯ than most. There were no benches for worshippers, no pulpit, no lectern. It was just onerge open room with several circr fountains, a statue of a different god etched atop each one.

    Orobas, Tyvar, Hakoten, Kaisel, Kardur, Yvernus, Akarash.

    There was one statue for each of the major gods that this world worshipped, each one standing for a different element or act. Well, Akarash was a bit out of ce since he was already dea¡­ Hadn¡¯t been worshipped in quite a while, but it was probably just because the chapel was old.

    The people in the entourage spread out so that they could gather around the fountains of their respective gods, or at least the god closest to the one they worshipped. Alice only followed Arioch over to the statue for Orobas, a serpent coiling around the sun. It wasn¡¯t exactly the god she worshipped, it was just polite to follow the host if you weren¡¯t going to offer any prayers of your own.

    "No one to offer your prayers to?"

    As Gabriel was standing there, someone else came up to him. His gazended on Caine, who was looking at the statues in order but didn¡¯t seem to attach any importance to any one of them in particr.

    "I¡¯m afraid not, Young Master Woodime. I¡¯ve never found myself to be a very spiritual man."

    He offered a polite bow and a suitable excuse. Gods were very much a thing in this world, there were even times they descended and walked amongst mankind. But Gabriel didn¡¯t see them as something worthy of prayers.

    "You can just call me Caine. You¡¯ve probably already heard, but I came here from a World Fissure so I¡¯m not used to all that exaggerated politeness. So I¡¯d much prefer it if you could talk more casually."

    Caine¡¯s handnded on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, his other hand somewhat awkwardly scratching his cheek. In the original story, Caine came from earth, whether or not it was the same earth Gabriel came from he didn¡¯t yet know. But even in the show he had a hard time adjusting to the polite and reverential way people treated nobles in this world.

    "Alright. So what about you? Not interested in any of the gods in this world?"

    If he didn¡¯t have to disy needless politeness then Gabriel wouldn¡¯t be shy about epting the proposition, reversing the topic while he was at it. Caine allowed his gaze to sweep across the statues for a moment, lingering on some of them for a moment before he shook his head.

    "I just don¡¯t think they¡¯re beings we need to worship. We give them a prayer here and there and they give us magic or miracles fuelled by those things. We give, they give. I¡¯d much rather we look at each other as equal partners."

    Equals. If most people in this world heard that assessment then they would undoubtedly consider Caine to be beyond arrogant. Hell, if he said it in the Yverial Empire then they would just burn him for his sphemy.

    "Ah, you can keep those words a secret between us, I already have enough people on my ass about ¡®arrogance¡¯."

    Caine was evidently quite clear about this world¡¯s stance to that kind of thoughts so he quickly covered his bases. There was a bit of movement from the side, the two spotting Arioch and Alice heading over now that they were finished. Caine allowed his gaze to slide back onto Gabriel, giving his shoulder a few pats.

    "Seems like our time for an intimate chat is over. Probably for the best, I almost forgot what I originally came for. Later on, there¡¯s going to be a few sparring matches between your entourage and the people of this estate, a friendly exchange to enhance each others skills. You should tell your people to be a bit careful, there haven¡¯t been any demon attackstely so the people of the Barong estate are getting antsy, several of the younger knights consider this a good chance to show off their overwhelming prowess. You¡¯ve already had a long journey, wasting energy on something like that will only make you more tired."

    He waved somewhat casually after he pat Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, turning away to meet Alice and Arioch halfway. He looked down slightly as he walked away, inspecting the mark on his neck. From the looks of things, it seemed like Alice and Gabriel also weren¡¯t able to see it.

    "Alright, with that we¡¯ve managed to get the more boring tradition out of the way."

    Arioch pped his hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention once the prayer session was over. He called this the boring event, but Gabriel found that his expression looked somewhere between annoyed and bitter so it didn¡¯t really seem as if he was looking forward to the next tradition either.

    "I would love to say that we can all split up here and go get some rest before lunch, but there¡¯s just that onest pesky tradition left, the sparring matches. We¡¯ll have a few more over the days or weeks you spend here so don¡¯t worry if this first one doesn¡¯t go too well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all tired from thest two hours of travelling."

    The air around the entourage became markedly tenser after Arioch spoke about the sparring matches. Lawrence, serving as the overseer of this group, and just the overseer sadly, had an especially dark look as he swept the people that came along with a narrowed gaze.

    "¡­"

    He didn¡¯t say anything, but Gabriel could see it on his face. The people who came along¡­ They weren¡¯t particrly ster. Marion and Francis obviously wouldn¡¯t send any of their own knights along so it was mostly youngsters that were still in training, people who had never been in fight. The ones here with the most experience would be Gabriel and Trisha, and they were only 15 and 16, it was a very pitiful group of people so it didn¡¯t take a lot of thought to realise just how the sparring matches would end up going.

    "Right¡­ Follow me everyone."

    Arioch pped his hands again before he turned and took the lead, stepping back into the cold while everyone else followed, some more downcast than others. Gabriel was walking with Trisha and Lawrence, the family pair already discussing how to proceed. Arioch looked back at them before turning to Alice and whispering somewhat apologetically.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure to tell the participants to go easy and not make it too difficult for you."

    Generally the party that came to visit would bring several knights of varying strength with them. That way both sides could have some even fights that would look good and wouldn¡¯t make either side feel too bad. But this time¡­ The people that were sent with Alice were just too weakpared to what was the norm, none of the people Arioch had picked out and prepared in thest few weeks were suitable to give them a fair fight. He could already see the oue, but Alice simply smiled as she shot him down.

    "No need. Just let them all do as they please. Really, just let them go a bit wild."

    There was a slightly mischievous curve to her lips, a light spring to her steps as she walked. Arioch could swear that he could almost hear her humming. And for a moment, he got curious. What was waiting for them?

 *Old Chapter 40, No longer Cannon.*

    *Old Chapter 40, No longer Cannon.*

    *As the title states, this chapter is no longer canon because I cannot stand the fact that I wrote it. I''m keeping it up to remind me of my shame and what not to do*

    "These are the men who will take part in this first round of sparring matches, they are some of our finest knights-to-be."

    Arioch introduced the men he had picked out when everyone arrived at the Barong training grounds. It was mostly the same as the Vritara training grounds except here it was just onerge metal square. There were grooves and holes in the square for training-dummies and fences to separate it into smaller stages. But for now they had all been removed so it was just an empty square.

    "Listen up, trainees. This is a friendly round of sparring matches, don¡¯t forget that. We also have the runner-up of the most recent Twin Moon Festival, Sir Caine Woodime, with us, so don¡¯t show him anything shameful and act as if this was a real fight, understood?"

    Arioch continued to talk, giving the group of 10 people a stern look before he introduced Caine. With the introduction, he immediately received the attention of the trainees, from both sides.

    The Twin Moon Festival was an annual festival celebrated by the Earhart Empire, the centrepiece of said festival being apetition between fighters. There were a few rules to limit exactly what you could do, but it was generally a good way to gauge someones strength. To be the runner up in that festival was technically to be the third ce, as first and second ce would be referred to by a Moon title, but to receive the third spot at his age was still a great feat that made it hard for others to not respect Caine.

    "Yes, Sir!"

    The trainees from the Barong estate responded energetically, the sound of their stomps echoing across the grounds for a bit. Arioch sucked in a nervous breath, but the light smile on Alice¡¯s face made it hard for him to say anything as the first person from his family stepped forward.

    "I am Juliano Saril, who will be the first to step up and face me!"

    The burly man spoke so loudly that Gabriel almost felt his ears ring, his oppressive gaze bearing down on Alice¡¯s entourage. Trisha was about to raise her arm, but Lawrence stopped her by sending forward another man before she could do it.

    "Ah! Ah¡­ Tavar Makut, at your service¡­"

    Gabriel could see the oue just from how the man introduced himself. A soldier who lost heart before the mission began was bound to only be dead weight. And indeed, Tavar barely managed tost three exchanges before he was knocked down and surrendered.

    It was perhaps to be expected, but the matches that followed were all the same. Two or three moves was generally all it took for the people of the Barong estate to beat down the people that had been forced to follow Alice. In the end, Trisha had to step up, swallowing heavily.

    "Don¡¯t worry too much about it. Just give it your best and then be proud that you gave it your all."

    Gabriel¡¯s handnded on her shoulder before she stepped up, her quivering pupils gaining a measure of peace when she met his calm expression. She grasped her sword tightly as she unsheathed it and stepped forward.

    "I am Tristana Delgrade, future knight of Alice De Vritara. I havee to ept your challenge."

    Her brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail behind her, still swinging slightly from when she unsheathed her de. Her leather and metal armour was tight enough to show off some of her curves, giving a few glimpses of tanned skin while her deep blue eyes stared fiercely at her opponent.

    "Hellion Tartak! I ept your challenge, littledy!"

    Female knights weren¡¯t exactlymon, but they weren¡¯t umon either, they fell somewhere in-between. But most knights were scarred or wounded from battle and harsh training so it was somewhat rare to find a female knight as delicate as Trisha so it was inevitable that she got some attention from the others.

    Lawrence looked on anxiously as the battle started, Gabriel could see his nails dig into his skin from how hard he clutched his hands. His mouth was closed, but Gabriel was sure that he was clutching his teeth so hard that they were about to crack. And as the battle dragged on, his expression only got worse.

    "No no no, that¡¯s not good enough. Force,e on girlie, put more force into your stab! Here, like this."

    She was knocked down after the fifth move, the best so far. The hit clearly knocked all the air out of her, she had luckily blocked it with the t side of her de at thest second.

    "Again!"

    She sprung to her feet with grit teeth. She refused to surrender in the same manner as the earlier people. She grabbed her weapon and charged again.

    "No no,e on, you have to swing like you¡¯re nning to cleave your opponent. Observe."

    The main raised his sword with a smile after a few more moves and brought it down in a straight line. He was probably a few years older than Trisha, the long periods of training giving him great physical strength.

    Trisha barely got her sword up in time before his weapon mmed down on, crushing the t side of her de into her shoulder and causing her to crumple to the ground. By this point Lawrence already had some blood at the corner of his mouth because he had started to chew on his lips. He was barely able to hold himself back from drawing his sword and cutting down the man where he stood. If only this wasn¡¯t a round of sparring matches to foster good rtions¡­

    "Again!"

    Trisha sprung to her feet again, clearly unsteady as she held her sword. But she could barely hold the sword, much less point it at the opponent. The only thing keeping her going was stubbornness and an unfaltering desire to remain standing. The man facing her simply shook his head and swatted her sword out of her hand, following it with his gaze as it bounced away.

    "A knight can¡¯t let their sword slip from their grasp, to do so means the death of themselves and their master. A shame, you were almost good enough."

    He spun his sword as he spoke and hit Trisha¡¯s chest with the pommel to push her down, knocking all the air out of her lungs in the process. In the end, she too failed to gain a victory and was beaten brutally.

    "I¡¯m Garvel Justo! Who¡¯s next? Is it that girly over there?"

    Thest man from the Barong estate stepped up as Lawrence hurriedly picked up and cradled Trisha, applying medicine where he could. The man in question pointed at Teresa, who was standing amidst the rest of the entourage, Gabriel was probably standing a bit too close to Alice for him to consider Gabriel part of the entourage.

    "¡­"

    Arioch was pale as he stood there, cursing internally. He specifically told them that it was a friendly round but they were acting like this, each one as proud as a cock as they showed their skills. This¡­ This could irreparably harm their rtionship with the Vritara family, or at least Alice¡¯s faction in it. But Alice still smiled, speaking up before Arioch could stop anything.

    "No, he¡¯s next."

    Her arm stretched out, Gabriel once again at the end of her finger. His gaze was calm, as cid as the ocean before a storm. Violet eyes swept over the men from the Barong estate, simply taking them in quietly one by one. He was thest fighter from the Vritara estate, so he stepped forward.

    "Oh, Gabriel?"

    Alice¡¯s voice reached him before he finished his step. She wore a radiant smile when he turned his head.

    "You¡¯re not allow to eat them, okay?"

    The corners of his lips turned up slightly when she gave her reminder, his hand going to his chest as he gave a proper bow.

    "As you wish, my Lady."

    He continued moving forward, but as the man from the Barong estate was going to introduce himself, Gabriel simply kept walking. He ignored everything else and walked over to the de that had been knocked out of Trisha¡¯s hands, picking it up before he headed over to the girl.

    "Your sheath."

    He didn¡¯t give her the de, he simply stretched out his other hand and beckoned for her scabbard. She was still short of breath from the beating, but her gaze was strong as she looked at him, bulging veins of frustration filling her eyes. She loosened the sheath from her belt and handed it to him, Gabriel sheathing the weapon before he turned away.

    "Watch."

    He continued holding her weapon, now sheathed so that it was harmless, as he stepped in front of the man from the Barong Estate. He wasn¡¯t allowed to eat them. What Alice meant by that was that everything else was allowed.

    "Gabriel. Nost name."

    A simple greeting, a simple introduction without an ounce of respect. Nost name, meaning he was amoner. He wasn¡¯t granted ast name either so he probably didn¡¯t have any great achievements after joining the Vritara family, meaning that he was likely just a servant.

    "Very well, Gabriel, nost name. Draw your weapon!"

    Garvel drew his sword and spoke loudly, his entire body practically radiating excitement. He¡¯d been waiting for this. It was a bit of a shame that it was just against a servant but he finally had a chance to show his skills in this peaceful north.

    "Juste."

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t be bothered to give him a proper response, still holding the sheathed de. His gaze was calm, focused solely on the man in front of him. Internally, he was already starting to recite the words as he worked on the mental image of the magic formation.

    "Wa¡­ Hmph. Very well, but do not me me for anything!"

    Garvel was taken aback, and insulted by the fact that Gabriel didn¡¯t even want to draw his sword, but he couldn¡¯t miss this chance. He raised his weapon and his foot, stepping forward.

    "Katush Vara." (Water Move)

    Gabriel spoke up before Garvel could finish his step, tapping into the strange sensation he acquired after Alice signed the covenant with him. Alice¡¯s bloodline came from a water dragon so this was the element he acquired from the covenant. Katush, water.

    Some water gathered beneath Garvel¡¯s foot as he lowered it, the pool making a sharp jolt to the right just when his foot reached it. His bnce was broken as his foot slid sideways, his entire body leaning into it as if he was going to do the splits while leaning sideways.

    "Eh¡­?"

    He barely managed to utter a surprised noise before Gabriel¡¯s weapon reached him. The sheathed de smashed into the spot where his shoulder and neck met, smashing him into the metal floor with a dull and echoing thud.

    "¡­"

    Unlike the others, who had gotten to surrender after getting beaten, Garvel didn¡¯t get back up. There were some sounds of strained breathing from him so he wasn¡¯t dead, but he was definitely worse for wear.

    "You¡­ Have you no pride as a knight in training?! Using magic?"

    Someone chimed up from among the Barong people. They had all clearly seen Gabriel use magic to trip up Garvel, there was no way he would be able to lie about it. But what a shame, he had no intentions of lying from the start.

    "Pride? Your master was the one who said to treat this like an actual battle. When the demonse from the mountains, will you expect them to follow your etiquette? When the brigandse for your carriage, will you curse them for being cowardly when they use magic or ambush you? That ¡®pride¡¯ you scream of will only get all those around you killed. Fuck that pride. Now send out the next man, I haven¡¯t had enough."

    He almost spat as he spoke, a thin sneer hanging over his entire expression. He wasn¡¯t taught the royal swordsmanship or the swordsmanship of the Vritara family, he didn¡¯t have the elegance and grace they demanded. He was taught how to kill, and how to protect that which he held dear.

    There was a short silence from the Barong people after Gabriel called them out. It was a bit frowned upon to take part in multiple fights. If you won more than one in a row you would humiliate the opposing family, and if you lost there was no honour to be gained for your opponent. They cast a few quick nces at Arioch, who gave them a stealthy nod.

    Thank the gods that there was someone inn the Vritara entourage that could stand up for them. If he managed to beat two or three more of the Barong people then the Vritara family could reim some of their lost honour and they could somewhat gloss over this for now. Well, one of the knights to be would have to be punished for his conduct.

    "Very well. Gabriel, nost name, I, Hellion Tartak, will take you on! I have just fought so we are at simr levels of exhaustion so there will be no shame no matter who among us loses."

    Gabriel almost smiled when he saw the ck-haired and blue-eyed man that stepped forward. Ah, how good.

    "You talk too much. Come."

    He raised his weapon again, still sheathed, and pointed the tip at Hellion. Hellion wanted toin about the sheathed weapon, was he really nning on using the same trick again?

    "Very well. Here Ie!"

    He raised his de and stepped forward, but he was very careful with his steps despite the volume of his voice. He didn¡¯t raise his leg too high, nor did he put it down with too much force. He also paid great attention to his bnce, he had no intentions of falling for the same trick.

    "Katush Devak." (Water Burst)

    His fingers twitched, the mana moved. A bit of water appeared in the air between Gabriel and Hellion and then burst, exploding towards his eyes. Hellion acted on instinct, raising his arm to shield his eyes so that he wasn¡¯t blinded. But in doing so, he blinded himself. And Gabriel stepped in.

    "GH!"

    Gabriel pushed the weapon forward and mmed the tip into Hellion¡¯s sr plexus, knocking all the air out of his lungs and causing some vomit to leak from his mouth.

    "That, Hellion, is how you put force into a stab. Again."

    Hellion felt his vision darken as Gabriel returned his own words to him, especially since it was done in front of everyone, even the future lord of Barong. He spat out the vomit that remained in his mouth and raised his head fiercely, clutching his sword tightly with a roar.

    "RHAAA! Waraya Kut Hatau!" (Strength Arms Magnify)

    He charged like a wild beast and decided to use magic of his own. Gabriel had said it first so it should be fine. Yes, it would definitely be fine, the challenger was the first one to use it after all. Gabriel faced his charge calmly, his fingers moving again.

    "Waraya Hatau." (Strength Magnify.)

    It was in essence, the same spell but just a bit shorter, less focused. But the force¡­ the force Gabriel packed into those two simple words¡­

    He swung his weapon sideways as if he was trying to cleave the horizon, the scabbard smashing into Hellion¡¯s de. The metal shattered in the collision, Gabriel tilting his wrist slightly so that he could angle the de downwards and tap it against Hellion¡¯s exposed wrist.

    "RAGHH! My hand! He took my hand!"

    The scattered pieces of the sword flew to the side and the remains of the handle fell to the ground as Hellion¡¯s wrist shattered. He was barely able to remain on his feet as he roared and screamed, clutching his bent hand as the entire right side of his body trembled.

    "Quiet, it¡¯s just a fracture."

    Gabriel tapped Hellion¡¯s forehead with the scabbard, not using the same level of force this time. The man was huffing like a bull as he looked at Gabriel, his teeth clenched almost as much as Lawrence had to clench his.

    "A knight can¡¯t let their sword slip from their grasp."

    Gabriel raised Hellion¡¯s chin with the scabbard, directing his gaze towards the fractured pieces that remained of his weapon. The man huffed and puffed, but his lungs were practically burning so he couldn¡¯t get out any words. As such, he simply elected to turn around.

    "A shame, you weren¡¯t even close to good enough."

    Gabriel also turned to take a few steps back as he delivered the final verdict, each word hammering against Hellion¡¯s head like a hammer. The fire in his lungs finally became too much for him to bear as he had no choice but to curse to make himself feel better.

    "Ha¡­ Nothing but the measly servant of a dirty half¡ªblood¡­"

    As the words left his mouth, he felt a chill. His spine shrivelled, his toes curled, his stomach clenched. He saw some panicked expressions on the people in front of him and then heard a nking sound. By turning his head, he was just barely able to see the scabbard that hit the ground.

    What he saw with perfect rity however was the pair of violet eyes that looked straight at him, colder than the winds of hell. And the sword. It had finally left the scabbard, and now it came for his throat.

    "No no, Gabriel. I said you weren¡¯t allowed to eat him."

    A calm and gentle, even somewhat joyful sounding, voice reached his ears before the de did. He didn¡¯t know when, but a back covered by a red dress adorned with ckce had appeared in front of him, directly in the path of the de.

    The weapon stopped as if blocked by a wall, the veins on Gabriel¡¯s arm bulging from the sheer exertion required to stop that swing. Alice now stood in front of Hellion, a few crackling arcs flickering in her pupils for a moment before fading. She ced a hand on the t side of the sword and slowly stepped forward, tracing her fingers along the de.

    "Are you angry, Gabriel?"

    Her hand left the de when she reached him, both her hands cradling his cheeks so that he had no choice but to look straight at her. She was reflected in his eyes with a violet hue, and he in hers with a crimson one. She looked into his eyes as if she wanted to peer into his soul, the smile on her face growing a little.

    "Good. That¡¯s a good look, Gabriel. I like it. But you can¡¯t eat him. He belongs to the Barong, so they are the ones who must punish him, otherwise it will harm our rtions. Is that fine with you?"

    She didn¡¯t let go of his face as she spoke. She wanted to keep seeing that expression on his face. Emotions. Fierce and violent ones, like an erupting volcano. And they were for her. She had to savour it.

    "It will be as you desire, my Lady."

    Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath and sheathed the de again with a slight desire to hit himself. He had acted impulsively, he struck without thinking for a moment and it could have ended badly. Alice didn¡¯t scold him, taking in his expressions for another moment before she turned to look at Arioch.

    "Young Master Barong, I trust that you will handle this appropriately?"

 *Old Chapter 41, No longer Cannon.*

    *Old Chapter 41, No longer Cannon.*

    *As the title states, this chapter is no longer canon because I cannot stand the fact that I wrote it. I''m keeping it up to remind me of my shame and what not to do*

    Tap

    Gabriel sat in the room that had been provided to him, one finger tapping the wooden desk while another tapped his temple. A lone candle was lit in front of him, the flickering mes reflected in his gaze as he stared into them.

    Tap

    The sparring matches were over and Arioch had given Hellion a suitable punishment for insulting Alice before everyone parted ways. He¡¯d be guarding the stables all night without his usual gear so once morning rolled around he would be well and truly chilled.

    Tap

    But Gabriel¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t bright, or even rxed for that matter. His brows were creased and his lips tilted downward as he looked in the fire with stern thoughtfulness, the sparring matches going through his mind one by one.

    Tap

    "I was stupid."

    Really, he couldn¡¯t even sugarcoat it, he had acted downright idiotic. Why had he showed off like that during some simple sparring matches? He was supposed to stay in the background and take care of things efficiently, beating down some knights in training just to vent was the exact opposite of that. He even went ahead and used magic when he could have finished things without it, he could have just beat the first man normally and then stepped back. No, it wasn¡¯t just could have, it was should have. The way he went about it was uncharacteristic and only made things more difficult.

    Knock knock

    A soft knocking came from the door. Alice was currently eating dinner with Arioch, it was the first meal during their stay here so it would be more than a handful of courses so there was no way that she was already back.

    "Gabe, we need to talk."

    The voice that came from beyond the door was familiar, and there was only one person who used that name for him. The door was pushed open before he could say anything, Trisha entering the room.

    Her arm was in a sling, it wasn¡¯t broken but it would need some rest after taking those hits. Herplexion was already looking better, probably due to the medicines that Lawrence had been quick to apply. She dragged along one of the chairs and sat down in front of him, smothering the candle to put out the mes.

    "Gabe, you were wrong. And it¡¯s not just because you did something stupid, you were just in wrong in what you said."

    She too, didn¡¯t sugarcoat. He could tell from her expression, he had seen it the moment she entered the room. She didn¡¯te to thank him for getting ¡®revenge¡¯ for her. She came to scold him. Well, he knew that he had done something stupid so he had no choice but to take it.

    "The pride Hellion spoke of has nothing to do with fighting in actualbat, their skills in it not-withstanding. It was a sparring match, nothing more. It was an exchange to learn from the other party, not a fight to crush your opponent. To step up knowing that you¡¯ll get beaten, to have the courage to stand there and rely on only a single skill until you get beaten down, only so that you can get better in that one skill, that is the pride they spoke of. To use magic just to show off a quick victory¡­ That was nothing short of insulting, Gabe."

    Trisha understood it, she sympathised with it. She was training to be a knight, that mindset was something that had already be a part of her. But Gabriel¡­ She wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever be a ¡®Knight¡¯. It was the mentality, it was as if Gabriel was always looking at something else, as if he saw everything from a different standpoint.

    "The pride to fail¡­ is it?"

    The words felt strange on Gabriel¡¯s lips. Taking pride in stepping up knowing that you would fail, using only a single skill even thought it would make you lose. He couldn¡¯t understand it, that pride. When he was trained, it was to kill. Every fight was to kill. Every bout of training, someone died. Whenever he or one of the other Tuesday¡¯s entered the sparring grounds they knew that only one of them would lea¡­

    "Gabe?"

    He snapped back to attention when Trisha¡¯s voice reached him, her hand waving in front of his face. He blinked a few times to wake up, his head somewhat heavy all of a sudden as he lost track of his previous thoughts.

    "Sorry, I spaced out there for a second. And yeah¡­ I really did something stupid when I just started talking like a hotshot. I guess¡­ No, I was. Yes, I was angry."

    His mind slowly came back to the conversation as he spoke. Yes, Trisha was scolding him for acting stupid and spitting on the pride of the Barong knights-in-training. He knew he was in the wrong. Part of him didn¡¯t want to admit it. If the oversee¡­ Master knew that Gabriel had let his emotions get the best of him then he would get whipped and starved again like in the old days. But¡­ He was angry. Trisha was beaten down violently so he got a bit angry.

    "Yes, I know. I realized it when you went to pick up my sword. But Gabe, you know what?"

    Of course she knew. She had trained with him for several years now so she was rather adept at reading his generally calm and cid demeanour. The quiet steps as he walked, the steadfast gaze. He had been boiling, he just wasn¡¯t showing it. But¡­

    "I don¡¯t need you to get angry for me, at least not in a situation like that. Hellion beat me down, yes. He spoke down to me in some regard, yes. I won¡¯t deny any of that. But Gabriel¡­"

    She stretched out her hand and cupped his chin so that he had no choice but to look straight into her eyes. He was reflected in her blue eyes, but she found his eyes to be a bit too murky for some reason so she wasn¡¯t properly reflected in them.

    "I was the one who stood up again. I was the one who charged forward and asked him to keep going. It was me. It was my choice. Hellion simply respected my pride and drive and kept going. That is the pride of a knight, for both the victor and the loser. I am not angry with Hellion for what he did, I wasn¡¯t then and I¡¯m not now. He did exactly what he should have, I would have been angry with him if he did anything else. So that anger, that ¡®revenge¡¯ of yours¡­ I didn¡¯t need it."

    Even when she could barely hold her sword, even when her feet practically refused to move, she got up. She knew she would lose when she stepped forward, but she still charged ahead. To get a little better, to show what Alice¡¯s entourage had, toy bare her own determination. That was her pride, and that was why she stood up again. She stood up for pride, and she was beaten down again for pride. Such was the life of a knight.

    "Let me change it a little for you. Lady Alice. Would you be able to face a losing battle for Lady Alice? Would you be willing to face a charging lion with your bare fists for Lady Alice? Would you be able to rise again and keep getting beaten down if it was for Lady Alice? What Lady Alice is to you, to us knights¡­ That is our pride."

    She asked the questions, but she didn¡¯t wait for an answer. It was pointless, they were questions with obvious answers. She saw the way he looked at their Lady, the way he trained. When she became too tired to keep going and went home, he kept training. When she woke up in the morning and went to train, he was already there sweating.

    Gabriel would probably never be a ¡®knight¡¯ of this empire. But he would be Alice De Vritara¡¯s royal guard. The pride hecked as a knight, he made up for it with the pride he had in his Lady and his duty to protect her.

    "¡­"

    Tap

    Gabriel¡¯s finger hit the desk again. Trisha removed her hand from his chin and sat there in silence, simply observing him quietly.

    Tap

    Tap

    Tap

    "Haah."

    In the end, a long sigh slipped out from his lips. He got up from his seat and walked over to his luggage, which really was only two rtively small bags. He dug around until he found what he was looking for, a small bag filled with powder and a small container filled with cream.

    "I¡¯ll be backter."

    He left behind some words before he left the room, mixing the powder into the cream with a wooden stick. Trisha looked at his back as he left, a small smile on her face. Yes, it was good to admit when you were wrong.

    ¡ª¡ª

    The weather outside the mansion was just as he¡¯d expected of the north, the constant drizzle of snow was getting pelted around by the wind. The sun had already dropped beyond the horizon so visibility was poor, the chill of the night already setting in everywhere.

    He navigated the roads of the estate despite the darkness, he had a general idea of where he had to go. But well, a general idea wasn¡¯t the same as concrete knowledge so he ended up having to spend an extra hour finding the right ce. He tried to get Nergal toe out to help him, he would probably see a lot clearer in this darkness. But Nergal wasn¡¯t answering him so he was probably resting, if a spirit could even do that. Still, he got to the ce he needed to be in the end

    "What do you want?"

    The voice was rather gruff, a slight chattering to it as teeth ttered. Hellion was sitting in front of the stables wearing jackets and pants meant for the daytime, when the sun was still up to shed some warmth on thend. He had one hand tucked underneath his shoulder to heat it, but the other one was naturally kept in a splinter so he couldn¡¯t warm it in the same way.

    Gabriel stood in front of him in the cold, his clothes were provided by the Barong estate so he was rather toasty even in this weather. He fished into his pockets and pulled out the container that now contained the cream mixed with powder.

    "Numbing poison. As long as you don¡¯t overdo it then it will just act as a painkiller. It¡¯ll help with the broken bone, trust me."

    He didn¡¯t lie about what it was, the baseponent of this painkiller was poison that Teresa had grown using her magic. Inrger doses it would induce paralysis in whoever ingested it, starting with the limbs and eventually the heart and lungs if the dose was toorge. It was a poison he had her make for this trip in particr, there was something in these frozennds he would need it for.

    "Painkiller¡­ What exactly is it that you want?"

    Hellion was still gruff as he spoke, but he epted the container and immediately smeared some under the splinters that held his broken wrist together. The two locked eyes for a moment in the dark, Gabriel spitting out a heavy breath before he lowered his head.

    "I was wrong. I should not have used magic during the spar, and I shouldn¡¯t have spat on your pride. I was foolish and blinded by emotions, but that does not excuse my actions. I¡¯m sorry."

    Sorry¡­ Thest time he uttered those words sincerely was when he insulted Alice by trying to avert her gaze away from the people he had killed. And before that¡­ Was thest time when he apologised to his overse¡­ Master? But that time, the only thing it got him was a knife in the che¡­ A beating. Really, he was such a stupid child back then, believing that it would work.

    "I¡¯m not going to forgive you just like that, you know that, yeah?"

    Hellion continued to smear the paste onto his arm, his breathing smoothing out as the poison started working. He was a bit suspicious of the poison, but Gabriel would have to be a fool to kill him here. But above all¡­ his eyes. Hellion saw it in his eyes, that was why he could ept it. He spoke negative words, but his lips turned up slightly. The other side was mature enough to admit their faults, it would be wrong of him to not return some of it. With him taking the lead, Gabriel also followed suit.

    "I didn¡¯t expect it. But that¡¯s fine, I also won¡¯t forgive you for insulting my Lady."

    He only apologised for spitting on Hellion¡¯s pride and using magic in a sparring match, that was it. He had no intentions of apologising for nearly taking his head off, and he wouldn¡¯t have apologised even if he did end up killing Hellion back then. But, for maybe the first time since they met earlier today, the two were on the same page.

    "Good, I would disdain you if you allowed me to get away with something like that."

    Hellion was a knight-in-training of the Barong family, he was a loyal follower of Arioch. If he heard someone insult Arioch then he would react in the same way, he may not even have stopped if Arioch stepped forward like Alice did. So that anger, he was more than capable of understanding. And because of that, he too chose to lower his head slightly.

    "¡­ Me too. I¡¯m also sorry for insulting your Lady. I should not have brought up matters of bloodline just because I was frustrated. I must train my mentality more."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While Gabriel was searching for Hellion and trying to call upon Nergal, Caine threw himself down onto the soft fur-coated seat in his room. This wasn¡¯t his first day so he was luckily able to get out of most of the dinner, only Alice would have to stay there for longer.

    His brows were creased as a somewhat consternated expression swam in his eyes, the snow outside the window flickering past his pupils. The actions of Gabriel, the actions of Alice, the abilities of both of them. The things he saw during the day slowly organised themselves in his mind.

    "Haah."

    A long sigh escaped from his lips, his fingers tracing against the mark on his neck. He tapped it a few times, both with his finger and with his mana. And finally, for the first time since he got it, there was a response.

    The mark began to bleed. Streaks of ink fell from it like tears, pouring down Caine¡¯s body and pooling on the floor. The pool grew faster than the mark bled, creeping along the floor and up the walls until it covered even the ceiling, darkness covering everything.

    A horrible buzzing filled the darkness as rows of white teeth surfaced from the inky tar. It started as a circr jaw filled with multiple rows of teeth, but they just kept growing and growing until only a single tip from one of the teeth could barely be seen in the room, the rest of the teeth already stretched far beyond the room.

    Caine stood in the darkness, the bubbling liquid going up to his knees as muddy tentacles rose from the muck, clinging to him for a few seconds before copsing into a buzzing mess that rejoined the darkness. He felt a chill as he stood there, he always did, but he had learned to somewhat deal with it. He especially had to bear it now, this bastard had ignored him up until now so he had no idea when he had another chance to get some answers.

    "Azuras, this was never part of our deal. What the hell did you put into your body?"

 Previous Chapters question

    Previous Chapters question

    Right, you''ve all noticed it, thest two chapters were... strange. I''ll be frank about it, I didnt want to write them like that. I fucked up on chapter 40 because I wanted to add in some action to please people, and when thements pointer out that i fucked up the main character i made another bad chapter which only worsened it because it was cheap and rushed. I wasnt happy, yoy werent happy with it, it all sucked and I didn''t even want to read thements on the newest chapter. Personally I would like to delete them and do it again, writing them as I originally wanted instead of what my frayed nerves wanted. But, as you are the readers, I felt that I had to ask you first.

 Chapter 42: The northern lion. (7)

    Chapter 42: The northern lion. (7)

    <em>Hu</em>

    <em>Puff</em>

    <em>Hu</em>

    <em>Puff</em>

    <em>Huff</em>

    <em>Pu</em>

    Breaths too fast, lungs too rushed to properly draw each breath. Arms need oxygen, legs need it too, brain will shut down if ignored. Annoying, too many things that needed air, not enough breaths to go around.

    <em>nk</em>

    Metal on metal, what a damn grating sound it was. It came from the left so it wasn¡¯t the arm he used to hold his de. Did he block? Hmmm, yes, seems like it. Grabbed the de as it fell and pulled it aside. Effective, but now that palm and elbow hurt from the force. Gnats. Gnats. Gnats. Nothing but gnats on all his thoughts.

    ck eyes that looked at him from beyond ayer of armour. Hurt pride, traces of anger, unease, exhaustion. Name¡­Name¡­Name¡­ Right, James, James something. He was getting tired from the fight. Lord knows how long it hadsted at this point, seconds and minutes already felt like the same.

    Arms were heavy, but had to pull on the de, couldn¡¯t afford to let it go now. The nking of metal as he stumbled forward. Good,e right to me.

    Gotta swing the de, give the helmet a good whack, make his head ring like a bell. Ring¡­ His rm always rang so goddamn early during training, that infernal bell ringing still robbed him of sleep sometimes. Sleep¡­ It would be nice to get some sleep. Arms were heavy and head felt drowsy, yeah, a bit of sleep would fix that right up.

    "Ghrk¡­"

    Hm? That wasn¡¯t the ringing sound. No that sounded more like¡­ Ah, right, own voice. When did his knee reach my stomach? Did I get distracted again. Ah, whatever, since he presented it may as well take it.

    Drop the sword. Cumbersome. Heavy. Annoying. The knee was right there so just had to grab it, coil the arm around it to secure a good grip. Lean towards him and sweep the leg, fall to the stage together. Ah, he was almost like a bed now that heid on top of him. Would be nice to get some sleep here before the rm rings like that infernal bell¡­

    ¡­Ah, bell, right, that¡¯s what the goal was. Helmet¡­ Helmet¡­ there. Good, head still resting on the metal stage, must have knocked it a bit when he fell. Good, trap it between a rock and a hard ce.

    Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down.

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    That infernal bell was ringing again. The clock tower was ringing to evacuate the city and the Magic Tower was banging its damn bell to call their men to arms. Emergency, attack on the city. How annoying that ringing was, he¡¯d have to cut them down first so that he would get some silence.

    So strike. Strike. Strike. Strike. Strike. Strike. Strike. Strike. Silence that infernal ringing.

    <em>nk </em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    Ah, that ringing wouldn¡¯t stop. The rm rang, it was time to wake up and go to the morning training. His master would scold¡­ Or was it overseers? No, master, yeah that was¡­ No, it might be overseers¡­ no?

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    <em>nk</em>

    The bell. Someone stop that fucking bell before he had a fit. Ah, wait. He was the bell. He was making the noise, silence wouldn¡¯t fall before he did.

    Pull back the arm. Gauntlets were dented badly, a bit of blood staining the knuckles. Helmet below him¡­ Dented but didn¡¯t seem to be any blooding out from within? Was it from his knuckles? Too numb, too many gnats on his thoughts, so what did it matter?

    "It¡¯s my¡­ glrk¡­ Loss. Thank you for the mercy¡­"

    A voice from within the helmet, a wet cough cutting out the voice for a short moment. Ah well, seems like Jamye¡­Jamie¡­ James, right, James, seemed like he was still good. Helmet was dented, visor was bent, would probably reach his face if the bell just rang a bit more.

    Roll off the knight and push yourself up to your feet. Legs were weak, staggering. Was he even standing? No, he had to be, he was walking, couldn¡¯t walk if he wasn¡¯t standing.

    Ah, sword. Right, sword, was supposed to be a knight so had to get the sword. Where¡­Where¡­ There. Walked right past it, gotta go back and get it.

    Heavy. Like a boulder in his grasp. Hisbat gear had never been this heavy before¡­ Had the Kasarias capital been this heavy when he dropped it on the orphanage?

    Orphanage. Right, the orphanage. He had to go back there again soon, the crown princess already shut it down but he still wanted to know what was going on there. Guards¡­ Sneaking past them shouldn¡¯t be too hard if he just used his magic.

    Right, magic. The fights would end that much easier if he just used his magic. Kardur(Remove) for their armour. Lagu(Bind) for their limbs. Devak(Burst)for their chests. It was always a mess, but it would be fast. Nice and efficient, get right done with the job and get some sleep.

    "Kiara Cain. Knight-in-training of the Barong estate. Please, give me the honour."

    A voice. Where¡­ Ah, in front of him, orange eyes zing behind armour. When did he reach the starting point again, and when did his feet stop? Time was a bit funky, his thoughts ran in circles so it felt like time was doing the same. Had they waited for him? Had he waited for them?

    Not good, had to focus. ce a hand against the face and sweep it back, wipe the thoughts clean along with the face. Sticky. His face, his palm now, his hair as he swept it all back, it was all sticky and warm. Was he sweating? Yeah, of course, there was so much going on that he couldn¡¯t help but sweat. But for there to be so much that it became sticky¡­ He had to intensify his training.

    A glimpse of crimson. Was he bleeding? Ah, no, it was eyes. When was his gaze drawn towards Alice? The enemy was in front, so why was he looking over there?

    Crimson eyes. They always shone like rubies, a pair of gems crafted by the divine. Violet hair. Amethyst turned to string and draped over her like a shroud. A crimson dress adorned by ckce. He chose it. He put it on her. It looked good on her, she suited the colour of blood and the night. Or was it the colour of roses? Ah, did it matter? Her ears were twitching, was someone talking to her? Hard to tell, couldn¡¯t see anything other than her. Other than those eyes.

    Worry. Self-loathing. Restraint. Sadness. Or was it disappointment? Yeah, it had to be disappointment. There were still three people left but Gabriel was already tired. Pathetic. Worthless. Yeah, of course she¡¯d be disappointed.

    Don¡¯t look at me. Don¡¯t look at me like that, Alice. I¡¯m a good tool, I¡¯m a useful man. I¡¯ll be good, I¡¯ll be useful, so don¡¯t look at me like that. Don¡¯t throw me away. I¡¯ll be a good tool, I always have. So just watch, I won¡¯t fail your orders.

    "Gabriel. Knight-training of Alice Vritara. Please."

    Sword was heavy. Had to use both hands, not because of the greeting but because of the weight. The t side lookedfortable, could he get some sleep if he leaned his head against it.

    Ah, no, had to focus on the fight. It¡¯s what he was good for so he had to do at least that. A dull de was discarded, a dagger that couldn¡¯t stab would just gather rust.

    Legs were heavy, but they had to move so he forced them. Three left¡­ Three left¡­ Fast. Hit hem fast. Take them out fast. Conserve energy. Magic, a bit of magic and it would be fa¡­ No. The order. He wasn¡¯t allowed to eat them. Had to hide, had to keep hiding. A dagger was only useful while it was kept in the dark. And he was a good dagger, a useful dagger. Just watch, Alice, I¡¯m a good dagger.

    Hold the sword low, drag it along the stage. Offset the weight, don¡¯t have to carry it. Once in range, swing upwards, look at the opening in their metal skirt.

    A sword falls down to block. Yeah, expected. You covered it up with chainmail, but pain is pain and gnats are gnats.

    <em>nk</em>

    Sword meets sword and the infernal bell rings again. He wanted to sleep but wasn¡¯t so the bell couldn¡¯t wake him, no matter how much it rang he would still find himself here. Let go of the sword, let it nk against the stage. Just charge forward, the moment the de drops they¡¯ll naturally drop their guard for an instant.

    <em>nk</em>

    Pauldrons met cuirass, metal met metal. Just smash right into her, curl up slightly to focus the impact on her abdomen. Wrap the arms around her waist at the same time and keep pushing forward, lift her off her feet and m her down.

    A dull pain. His head was unguarded so it smacked into the cuirass as he charged into her. A gnat on his thoughts, a speck of rust. Another dull pain. This time from the back of his head. Size¡­rger than a pommel, harder. Did she hit him? Probably, he just beat the previous one¡­ James¡­Jamie¡­ Jaime, right, Jaime, he just beat him with his fist so there was no reason for them to not copy him.

    Fast, had to act fast. Straddle her waist now that she was on the ground, ignore the sticky sweat that once again clung to the skin. Visor¡­Visor¡­There. Orange eyes, like living mes as they gazed at him. He burned under eyes like those. On the pyre, in the pit, in the orphanage, in the basement, on the battlefield, in the dungeon. He burned. He burned. He burned. Were all the eyes orange as he burned? Or was it just the fire? Ah, what did it matter, just strike.

    Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. A dull pain on his face. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. A dull pain on his face.

    Gnats. Gnats. Gnats. Gnats. Gnawing at his thoughts, like bloated flies on a corpse, the locusts that scoured after the gue.

    Visor, dented. Good. Stick the fingers into the eye sockets, curl them and tug. Still stuck, good craftmanship. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. A dull pain on his face. A sharp pain on his knuckles. Raise the fist and bring it down.

    Again fingers into the eye sockets, curl them, tug upwards. Loosened, almost there. Dig the other hand into a gap made by the dents, tug with both arm. Visor finally gone. A round face, thin lips, pale skin. A straight nose.

    Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. Raise the fist and bring it down. A round face, puffy lips, red skin, a bent nose. Raise the fist and b¡­

    "It¡¯s my loss. I surrender!"

    Lower the fist. Surrender, good, could save more energy. Roll off their body and stand u¡­ hit the legs when they refused to listen. Stand u¡­ Hit them again. Stand up.

    Pick up the sword. Can¡¯t lift it, have to drag it while walking. Can¡¯t feel the legs anymore, that¡¯s good, numbness wasfortable. World was blurry but that was fine, the body remembered where to go. Around here? Yeah, should be around here.

    Something moved in his vision. A new enemy? Probably, should be. Good, only two left. Had to raise the sword. Hmmm¡­ Couldn¡¯t get it quite high enough, would have to settle by just pointing the tip at the enemy.

    "Hellion Ravel. Knight-in-training of the Barong estate. Please¡­ Just stop now, it¡¯s enough."

    Enough? No it wasn¡¯t, there were still two more enemies, you being one of them. The order had yet to bepleted. Vision got blurrier, something seemed to drip into his eyes. Sweating, he was sweating too much. Had to finish it fast before he started sweating more.

    "Gabriel. Knight of Alice. Come."

    Words like stones as they travelled up his throat. Precious air wasted. Would have to make up for it by finishing it faster. Ever faster, ever stronger. Had to go, had to act. Legs. Legs wouldn¡¯t move, would have to hit them again.

    <em>Pomf.</em>

    A sh of red, and then¡­ something soft. His head was resting against it, when did it get in front of him to stop his charge? When did he lean into it? But ah¡­ It wasfortable¡­ it was better than any of his pillows, better than the bed. Soft¡­ Comfortable. Sleep would be good, could he sleep?

    Scent. It smelled good, familiar. Why was that? Ah, right. It smelled of home. It was soft, it was home. Right, here it should be fine to sleep, it was home after all. Just a nap, a quick nap. Then you can watch, Alice, just a quick nap and then I¡¯llplete the ord¡­

    Limp body. Then darkness. Sleep. Blessed sleep. No more infernal bell.

 Chapter 43: The northern lion. (8)

    Chapter 43: The northern lion. (8)

    Fast. Efficient. More than a tad lucky. Those were Arioch¡¯s thoughts when he saw Gabriel defeat Quinn. Gabriel was younger than most of the knights on the Barong side so it would only be natural if he was a bit physically weaker. He also seemed aware of that possibility and hence chose a quick deflect that relied on his opponents power. He trusted his decision and moved at the same time, and that trust and nning coupled with the carelessness of his own men to produce a quick defeat.

    Definitely lucky on his side and careless on the Barong side, but it was still a marvellous disy, striking that small spot so quickly and urately.

    "That was fast. It seems like your knight has a good eye and a fast hand. Caine, if you had to guess, how many before he has to tap out?"

    Unlike the fighting knights, Arioch and the other onlookers could take it easy and observe the fight with more rxed eyes. In a different setting, they might even ce some bets on the fights, at least between themselves. Right now however, that would be a bit inappropriate.

    "Hmmm¡­ Hard to say, honestly. A normal knight trainee, wearing thatcklustre armour and not using magic, I would give him one and a half fight. A skilled and well-trained one, two maybe three. But that one there¡­ I can¡¯t say. He could lose after three or four, or he could go the entire way. What¡¯s your personal opinion, Lady Alice? You seemed to be giving him some encouragement before he went."

    Caine observed the fight, which had started again after Quinn left the field, with narrowed eyes. The armour worn by Gabriel really wasn¡¯t suited for this. If it was just a single match then it would work, but in a gauntlet¡­ it¡¯s shorings would only be more pronounced as time went on. But the knight in question¡­ His very existence made it hard for Caine to give a definitive answer so he passed it along to someone else.

    "I did not give him encouragement, I simply told him to not lose."

    Alice only spoke briefly, her brows slightly creased as her gaze refused to leave the stage. Berrit¡¯s de just hit Gabriel¡¯s waist and slid along the leather armour. Not a terribly bad hit, but the fact that the armour stuck so close to his body probably meant that it hurt a fair bit.

    "So all of them. Confident."

    Both Arioch and Caine thought of it as natural, if not a bit arrogant. She was his lord, it was only natural that she had to believe in his victory. But Alice and Gabriel¡­ What the two shared was far from normal

    "No, I did not tell him to take them all down. I told him not to lose."

    A finger unconsciously went up to her mouth as she spoke, her teeth nibbling on her thumbnail. From the start, what Arioch and Alice thought about these matches was different, their definitions of victory and defeat were different. Alice had nothing but faith in Gabriel and his skills, she knew what he could do better than anyone else. But because she knew him, and what he could do, she also feared for him more than anyone else.

    The next match began without fanfare. He breathed slowly, he lowered his sword and he waited. Slow breaths, drawn out breaths, sharp eyes.

    "Your knight must have been in his fair share of fights, right? He¡¯s quick at grasping the situation and taking advantage of the moments he can get his hands on. I¡¯m guessing his rtionship with the knights working for your siblings isn¡¯t the best?"

    Arioch kept talking as the fight started. Wait in the first match to take advantage of the opponents carelessness, charge in the second to prevent the other knights from getting enough time to suit up, wait again in the third to conserve his energy. Gabriel constantly took stock of his current situation and did what he could to handle it as efficiently as possible. If he wore proper armour¡­ Things really would look nasty.

    Gabriel was still quite young, and Alice had yet to join any expedition with the army or excursion with the academy so there shouldn¡¯t be a lot of ces where Gabriel could get practical battle experience. Spars were one thing, but just sparring wouldn¡¯t create such a sharpness or heavy focus on efficiency. No, he guessed that the knights of Francis and Marion were making things difficult for him so he constantly had to defend himself.

    "I wonder. What if he is just¡­ That talented?"

    Alice sidestepped the question, her words trailing mid-sentence because the girl he was fighting pushed him aside by pressing her sword into his side. He grit his teeth, a grunt escaped him. It must have been painful.

    "The same armour is covering the gap on my knees, elbows, groin, and even my neck. Gabriel, you need to adapt."

    The girl spoke to him as the battle continued, but there was no trace of condescension in her voice. A friendly reminder, from one knight to another so that they could both do their best. Or perhaps a warning of what was toe.

    "We too, must adapt and learn."

    A warning it was. She copied what Trisha had first done and abruptly changed the direction of her swing to catch Gabriel off-guard.

    "Hmm. That one was a bit close. What do you say, Alice, should we call it quits here?"

    Arioch¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line for a moment as he turned to Alice. Ilia had managed to catch Gabriel off-guard, her de bumping his pauldrons while the tip reached his face. Normally, the helmet would block it, but since Gabriel didn¡¯t wear one he ended up with a cut that went from his cheek all the way to the back of his neck. The blood that poured out ran into his mouth and down his armour, luckily, Ilia had enough control of her strength to ensure that the cut wasn¡¯t so deep that itpletely tore open his cheek.

    But still, it was a rather nasty cut. Injuries during sparring weren¡¯t umon, the sensation of death was the first thing many instructors wanted to teach their students. But Alice was rather¡­ Fond of this knight, so Arioch would prefer it if their rtionship didn¡¯t sour because he was injured.

    "¡­No. Let them keep going. It¡¯s not enough yet, not for him."

    Alice spoke through grit teeth as Gabriel took advantage of the opening caused by his wound to close in and finish the fight by removing Ilia¡¯s helmet. She struck him twice in the process, but he stuck to her like a leech and got the job done. Hand around the throat, fingers in front of the eyes, far too easy to kill or maim if he wanted to. But luckily he managed to hold himself back, he simply kept it as a threat.

    Heavy steps as he walked back to his starting position, deep breaths. Each time he sucked in air he swallowed more blood but he didn¡¯t even seem to notice it anymore. Alice had already chewed away every part of her thumbnail that she could reach so she had started to nibble on her lips as the next battle started.

    "Keep¡­ Going? Alice, this might harm his pride to say, but things will only get worse if he keeps going. It¡¯s just one cut now, but there¡¯s a real risk that he¡¯ll suffer more cuts, one or two attacks might even get through his armour. This is an excellent time to stop things."

    Arioch almost couldn¡¯t believe Alice¡¯s answer. She liked that knight, she was pursuing him romantically. But she wanted to keep things going after he got hurt?

    "No, this is not an excellent time to stop it. And don¡¯t speak of my knight¡¯s pride if you don¡¯t understand it."

    Her voice was harsher and her words more scathing than previously, but Arioch could understand it when he looked at her eyes. Veins filled with blood, like branches that connected with her red irises. Perhaps it was already taking most of her willpower to stop herself from acting. But if that was the case, why was she so insistent on keeping the fight going?

    The fight kept going, Gabriel spacing out for a moment at the very start. Was the pain and blood loss getting to him? Whatever the case was, he was clearly caught off-guard, and suffered as a result as the Barong knight hammered away at him with his sword.

    He luckily blocked the hits, but from the side it looked as if the knight was trying to pound Gabriel into the stage, he even had to use both hands to defend. She gnawed on her lips, a slight metallic taste touching her tongue. And then, Gabriel finally deflected the blow. But not wlessly.

    "Lady Alice, I really think that we should do as Arioch said. We should end this here, this is good enough already."

    Caine finally joined in with Arioch, brows furrowed as he spoke. Gabriel deflected the blow, but the tip of the sword slid past his face as he did so. But this one¡­ It went from just beneath his eyes and all the way down to his shoulder, finally sliding past his pauldrons. More blood. A lot more blood. At this point his face was more red than anything else.

    "It¡¯s not enough!"

    Arioch and Caine, even the other knights in training around them started as Alice shouted, almost growling the words. A bit of blood bubbled out from between her lips as the words were squeezed out, her lips red from the gnawing that she couldn¡¯t stop.

    She could no longer look at them. She only saw the knight who swatted away his opponents de and then rang his head like a bell with his sword. He charged forwards like a wild beast and smashed into his enemy, bumping his head on the metal armour as he brought down the foe. Like a tiger getting to his prey, he tore away the visor and raised his de before bringing it down.

    But those violet eyes, still so determined, shed with a glimmer of rity as the de descended. As a result, the knight survived the attack with only a small cut above his eye.

    "Forgive me, I couldn¡¯t control my strength."

    Slurred speech and bubbling sounds as the blood that gathered in his mouth sttered out. The knight that was just beaten, still pressed beneath Gabriel, looked as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.

    "It¡¯s¡­ my loss. Thank you for the mercy. And please do not worry, I¡¯m afraid I cut you worse than you did me."

    The knight was bleeding a fair bit, cuts above the eye tended to do that. But it was nothingpared to the cut on Gabriel¡¯s face, the blood that stained his armour and the stage. He waspletely stained in red, only a pair of violet eyes remained colourful amidst the suffocating red.

    The two separated, but Gabriel was so woozy that his staggering steps brought him a bit past his actual starting point. He quickly caught himself and returned, but his eyes were already bing murky, as if they weren¡¯t even looking at the fight anymore.

    "Alice¡­ Now is¡­"

    The next knight stepped up as Arioch spoke, a pair of eyes almost entirely red ring him into silence before he could repeat himself. He could see Alice¡¯s clenched hands, blood dripping out between her knuckles. The red that fell from her lips was already staining her dress, it was just that it was already red so it was hard to see.

    "No. My knight hasn¡¯t lost yet. He¡­ He needs to go further."

    Heavy breaths and a deep voice, Arioch almost felt like Alice was about to cut down the knights that had wounded Gabriel. Well, looking at her eyes made it hard for him to maintain that thought. She looked miserable. She was filled with loathing and hatred, but it seemed as if all of it was directed at herself, waves of sorrow mixed in as she looked at her bloody knight.

    As for said knight¡­ he was already fighting with the next knight, Jamie. Arioch could see that Jamie wasn¡¯t feeling too good, fighting a wounded enemy that was already exhausted wasn¡¯t very honourable. Worse yet was that he wasn¡¯t able to win right away, the fight was even slowly turning against him.

    "Bell¡­Bell¡­ I want to sleep, Ma¡­ The Bell¡­Infernal Bell¡­"

    The bloody knight was muttering like a madman as the fight dragged on, each word apanied by some spittle of blood. And then, Gabriel grabbed Jamie¡¯s de He was pulled forward by Gabriel, who prepared his sword as if he was going to swing it. But his eyes zed over before he could, his entire body stiffening for a few seconds. Jamie obviously used the chance to smash his knee into Gabriel¡¯s stomach so that he could push away the opponent.

    "Lady Alice, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to achieve, but this is dangerous. We need to stop it."

    Caine was evidently also finding it too hard to keep watching. He could technically force the fight to end, he was dered a judge after all. But he didn¡¯t. Recalling that, Arioch couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he didn¡¯t do just that but was instead trying to convince Alice.

    "Do you think I don¡¯t know that? I knew it was dangerous before I even sent him up."

    Her voice was barely more than a growl now, the veins on her arms bulging as she looked ready to choke them out if they dared to say even one more word.

    nk.

    The bell that Gabriel kept muttering about was finally heard. He had tackled Jamie to the ground and was pounding away at his helmet with his fists. He struck. He struck. He struck. He struck. He struck.

    "Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Evacuate the tower¡­ Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Quiet it allllll¡­"

    He muttered like a deranged beast as his fists kept striking. He no longer looked like a knight upholding his pride to stand tall. No, he was a beast, in and simple. But. But he was a leashed beast, and his master had told him to win. So he stood. So he struck. Because he was ordered to, because he couldn¡¯t disappoint his master.

    "¡­That¡¯s just¡­"

    Arioch¡¯s mouth twisted. He wasn¡¯t sure what to call it? Sick? Why, because he was beating someone so savagely that his own gauntlets were bending and tearing up his knuckles? Sure, that wasn¡¯t knightly in the slightest. But it was loyal. Even as he was deranged, even as the bloodloss was getting to his head, he heeded his master¡¯s orders. In taht sense, he could only call it beautiful, albeit in a twisted way.

    "It¡¯s my¡­ glrk¡­ Loss. Thank you for the mercy¡­"

    A voice finally came from within the helmet to announce defeat. The knight who looked like he should be the loser rolled off and staggered to his feet.

    "Walk¡­ Walk¡­ Right, walking¡­"

    He didn¡¯t even seem conscious of his own muttering as he walked past his sword, only realising it after a few more seconds. He wasn¡¯t even raising the de as he picked it up, he was dragging it after him as he took his position.

    When he finally stopped, and the new fighter stepped onto the stage, Arioch could see Gabriel¡¯s fingers move. They were wriggling, like a child painting with their fingers.

    "No¡­ You can¡¯t¡­"

    A subdued whisper from Alice, who was lurching forward without even realising it. Arioch didn¡¯t think that Gabriel could hear them, but his fingers stopped moving after Alice whispered. Those finger movements¡­ Did they mean something?

    "Kiara Cain. Knight-in-training of the Barong estate. Please, give me the honour."

    The knight introduced themselves, eyes quivering slightly. The disy¡­ Was it hurting their pride or were they awed by the sheer weight of that suicidal determination. Arioch couldn¡¯t tell, perhaps only the knights could.

    "Sweat¡­Annoying."

    Gabriel kept muttering, a hand sweeping across his face and smearing his silvery-white hair with blood. Did he¡­ not even realise that he was bleeding? He then spat out some blood, his gaze floating over towards them. No, not them, Alice. He didn¡¯t even seem to see them, only when he looked at Alice did those murky eyes take on a glimmer of rity.

    There was a small smile on his face. Even his eyes looked a bit happy in that moment, even in that state. But it onlysted for a few short moments before traces of darkness washed over it. Alice looked miserable right now, blood on her face and dress, an expression distorted by self-loathing and worry, arms clenched in restraint as she fought the sorrow that lurked in her gaze.

    "I¡¯m good¡­I¡¯m good¡­ Alice¡­ I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m good¡­"

    Like a broken recorder, the words repeated themselves, one of Alice¡¯s hands reaching for her chest to clutch it. The bloody knight turned back to his opponent, sword held up by both hands as it quivered unstably. His fingers looked to be wiggling again as he lowered the sword, but it stopped again with a small sh of rity in his eyes.

    The two charged at each other, if Gabriel¡¯s staggering could even be called that, he was barely even walking. His attack was b locked and he lost his sword, or perhaps he let it go. He then lunged at the opponent and smashed into them with his whole weight. A dull sound was heard amidst the nking as he hit his skull against her chest-piece.

    But it was sessful, Kiara was knocked to the ground and he quickly straddled her. He had done the same to his previous opponent so Kiara reacted quickly, hitting the back of his head with her own fist. But the beast, that mad dog¡­ He barely even flinched at it.

    "Fire¡­We burn¡­We burned¡­We burnt¡­"

    He didn¡¯t stop muttering, at this point even Arioch felt his chest clench because of how unnerving it was. Alice still looked miserable, but Caine looked a bit pensive, brows furrowed as his eyes were locked deep in thought.

    nk.

    nk.

    Once again, Gabriel made the bells ring. He raised the broken gauntlets and struck down like a beast wing its way into a burrow. Kiara retaliated with hits of her own, smashing her fists into his head. But he didn¡¯t even seem to feel them anymore as he just kept raising and lowering his fists, denting her helmet even as his gauntlets were peeled away.

    "Ahh¡­ The flies, Master¡­ They feast¡­ Me¡­"

    He dug his fingers into the eye sockets of the visor as he muttered, tearing it away after giving it a few more hits to loosen it. Would he still be able to stop this time?

    The answer was¡­ Almost. He raised his fist a few times and brought it down directly on Kiara¡¯s face, blood sttering out from the helmet. But the moment she called out her surrender, his merciless hands stopped.

    He rolled down from her but wasn¡¯t immediately able to stand up, he had to hit his legs several times for them to finally listen to him. He dragged the de and staggered away like a mercenary struggling to get away from a horribly lost battle. But those who looked at him¡­ They couldn¡¯t even entertain that thought. No, they either thought of him as scary, crazy, stupid, or painfully loyal.

    He stopped a bit away from his original starting position, hollow eyes searching around for a moment before he stopped. The next knight from the Barong estate entered the arena. Originally, this knight was supposed to go upst since he was the strongest from this batch, but it seemed like the disy made him change his mind.

    "Hellion Ravel. Knight-in-training of the Barong estate. Please¡­ Just stop now, it¡¯s enough."

    Even the knights were trying to stop it now. Gabriel barely looked human as he stood there, swaying as he could barely hold his sword. The blood that was getting into his eyes, was he even able to see properly? He was about to fall, everyone could see it. He started to speak, and Alice finally moved.

    "Gabriel. Knight of Alice. Come."

    His introduction had only gotten shorter as the fights dragged on. At first he just mimicked the other opponents, save for the fact that he didn¡¯t say that he trained for the Vritara estate. This one¡­ This barely conscious introduction, perhaps this was the truest one for him, the one he could speak for himself, by himself.

    He raised his arm, seeming as if he was about to hit his legs again as he lurched forward. But Alice had arrived in front of him, arms wrapping around him as he fell into her embrace. His blood stained her already crimson dress, some of it sttering onto her face as she caught him, her entire body jolting and stiffening, her expression twisting with more pain than anything she had shown so far.

    "I¡¯m useful¡­ Alice¡­ A good tool¡­ So don¡¯t abandon me¡­ And take me¡­ Home¡­ Home¡­"

    His sword nked softly as it slipped from his grasp, his consciousness finally seemed to leave him. Was he still muttering? He felt like he saw Gabriel¡¯s mouth move as he fell, so perhaps he was still voicing his thoughts. His head was buried in Alice¡¯s embrace so Arioch couldn¡¯t hear anything, but her body suddenly jolted and stiffened, her expression twisting with more pain than anything she had shown so far. What exactly had he whispered as hisst drops of consciousness slipped away.

 Chapter 44: The dragons knight.

    Chapter 44: The dragon''s knight.

    He failed. That was Gabriel¡¯s first thought as his consciousness returned. Alice asked him to win ande back to her, but he failed to get the victory she desired. Worse yet was that he basically acted on instincts towards thetter parts of the battles, more beast than man as he just focused on beating down his opponents. And then he passed out, having achieved not a single thing, and possibly just having made things worse.

    It was just pathetic. He was an embarrassment.

    He seemed to be lying down, his body devoid of energy. His face hurt, his stomach hurt, his hands hurt, and there wasn¡¯t a single inch of his body that didn¡¯t feel heavy. It was all around ufortable, only his left hand wasfortable, wrapped in something warm that pressed against it. He was expecting the smell of medicine or metal, but no, the scent that tickled his nose was familiar andfortable. Home, it smelled of home.

    He wanted to check out his own body, just feeling it wouldn¡¯t give him a good grasp of his state. But it was dark, only a faint shimmer of light reaching his eyes. It didn¡¯t seem to be night, no, judging by the sensation on his face there was a cloth covering his eyes. He raised his right arm to remove the cloth, now wasn¡¯t the time toy around. But a rustling came from his left side as he raised his arm.

    "You¡¯re not allowed to remove it."

    A stern tone. Alice. Her voice was rough and heavy, as if the insides of her throat had been scraped and torn. The sound of someone who spent too long crying, Gabriel had heard simr voices many time.

    "I¡¯m sorry, my Lady."

    He could only lower his arm again and allow the darkness to shroud his vision. His own voice sounded a bit foreign as it reached his ears, hoarse and almost somewhat bubbly. During the fight, exactly what had he done to his own throat?

    "Alice."

    A quick response, a sharp one. Gabriel couldn¡¯t see his surroundings because of the cloth, but since she was insisting that he refer to her by name they were probably alone.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Alice."

    He changed his tune but kept apologising. Failure. He failed her order, and she cried. A failure. But the voice that met him after he apologised carried traces of fire as it reached his ears.

    "For what, Gabriel? What are you sorry about?"

    For a moment, Gabriel thought of the asional times he was captured. Chained to a chair, a sack over his head. The buzzing of electrical equipment and flies, the voice of the interrogator that drilled him. No matter where, no matter when it seemed as if those points always repeated themselves in each capture.

    "You wanted me to bring you victory, but I failed."

    His mouth moved automatically, the answer spilling from his lips. To him, except for some key pieces of information, telling Alice everything had already be second-nature, even if it was admitting his own failure. And as expected, the voice that answered him was vicious.

    "Victory? Gabriel, did I ever ask you to bring me victory?"

    Well, the voice was vicious but the words themselves were a bit different. Victory¡­ He thought back to what she told him before the match, he remembered the words with almost perfect rity. Yes, those words should have been an order to acquire victory. But apparently he was¡­ wrong?

    "Don¡¯t lose. Fight. Win. Come back to me. I never asked you to defeat them all, I never asked you to work yourself to the bone for nothing. In that order¡­ Victory would being back to me unharmed. But you didn¡¯t."

    Her voice lost its vicious edge and instead came out with a hoarse croak. Returning was victory¡­ Wounds were defeat¡­ It wasn¡¯t a type of mission he was used to. Kill the enemy or don¡¯te back, kill the enemy and don¡¯t return. He¡¯d nevere across a mission where just his return was all that was required of him. He wanted to open his mouth to apologise, even if just to make her voice return to normal, but Alice was faster than him.

    "Was it because you wanted to be useful? Because you are a good tool that is worth keeping around? Is that why you went overboard?"

    In one fell swoop, with a few simple sentences, she stabbed him straight in the heart. Usefulness, it was the only thing he had going for him, it was the only reason to keep him around. And yet¡­ He failed in that one thing of his.

    "You failed, Gabriel. I asked you to do the simplest thing, fight, win, ande back to me. You failed, Gabriel. What sort of tool fails?"

    Yeah, that¡¯s what he expected. A rusty tool is thrown in the trash, a saw that can¡¯t cut wood is discarded, a chipped knife is exchanged for a better one. He knew it, Alice knew it. And now it was time. But the knife she plunged in his chest, Alice apparently wasn¡¯t done twisting it around.

    "And then there¡¯s the past. When you sniffed out the assassination plot against the duke, handled the nners, and gave me the credit, was that something I asked for?"

    Gabriel had done a lot of things for Alice without telling her in advance, killing Leonardo and giving her the credit for that attack were just the first ones. But yeah¡­ An axe that chopped lumber when you didn¡¯t want it to, it did its job, but was it still a useful tool?

    Alice held the knife that pierced his heart. His body was cold. Worse than the pain, worse than the emptiness, worse than the heaviness. Dread, pure and simple dread that slowly sank to the bottom of his icy stomach, until the only part of his body that still felt normal was that left hand of his.

    "I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t even know about it, Gabriel. What sort of tool just goes around doing whatever it pleases? What sort of tool goes and hurts its wielder by being stupid and getting hurt? Does that sound like a good tool to you?"

    Twist and twist, grind flesh and cartge until only pulp remains. A good tool¡­ Was there ever a time in this life where he had been one?

    "I¡¯m so¡­"

    His mouth opened stiffly, like a doll whose joints are tugged by string. He had to say something. He had to redeem himself. He¡­ He had reim a path home.

    "And yet!"

    But before he could spit out an excuse, Alice cut him down, raising her voice until it echoed through the room.

    "Do you feel this, Gabriel? This, right here? What is it?"

    He felt it. His left hand, the onlyfortable part of his body, it was being raised by Alice. The thing wrapping around it, pressing against it to provide it with warmth, it became apparent as she squeezed it a few times.

    "You¡¯re holding my hand."

    Yes. A gentle and somewhat trembling grip. Interlocked fingers as palm met palm. Such a simple touch, but it allowed him to feel it all. He felt her warmth, he felt her fear, her sadness, her care. Once again, Alice raised her voice.

    "Yes! You do things as you please, you fail the simplest orders, you hurt me time and time again by being reckless. But here I am, carrying you to bed after you fell unconscious and holding your hand until you wake. That, what does that tell you, Gabriel?"

    At first, he figured that Lawrence was the one who carried him away after he fainted, but it seemed as if that wasn¡¯t the case. In that case¡­ How long had he been lying here, how long had she been holding his hand?

    "¡­That you care¡­"

    It was¡­ Hard for him to get out the words. Care¡­ He made a mess of things and possibly even made things worse for her, why would she care about him after that? He failed to provide worth, so why would she even look at him? But that hand, tightly wrapped around his own, still spoke of the truth he couldn¡¯t believe.

    "Yes, Gabriel."

    A soft voice, a gentle voice. A close voice. He felt her shift from his side, more weightnding on his abdomen. He couldn¡¯t see her because of the cloth, but he could feel her. He could hear her.

    "I care about you, Gabriel. More than a master does their knight, more than knight does their sword."

    Something touched his forehead. Warm, hard, but familiar, her own forehead. Hot breath struck him with each word. He couldn¡¯t see so all his senses were enhanced. He could feel her, hear her smell her. In that moment, the darkness that wrapped around him was Alice, enveloped him to keep him warm.

    "You¡¯re not a tool, Gabriel. Not to me, not to the world. You¡¯re just you, a reckless idiot who needs to be beaten to death to learn a single thing. But still I care for you, and always will. And I will never, in this life or any that follow, even think about abandoning you. You just thinking that I might consider it is the greatest insult I have ever heard, and the deepest wound you can give me. You can fail all the orders I give, you can hurt me as many times as you want. But I, I will never abandon you."

    Each word touched the dagger that she had buried in his heart, the knife she twisted to grind him down. She spun it backwards with each word, undoing damage as the crushed heart slowly reformed. A name, she gave the tool a name all those years ago, and in doing so she blessed it with a life beyond t hat of a tool. She took a tool and turned it into something else, into Gabriel.

    "So why, Gabriel? Why do you keep trying to abandon me?"

    Hot words apanied by ice. Did the icee from within him or from within her, whose fear was it that was contained in those words?

    "I¡­ I never¡­"

    His mouth opened again to reject the very notion, it was in Alice and her pursuit of happiness that he was finding a reason to life so he could not bear to abandon it. But as she had done many times already, she cut him off.

    "You did, Gabriel. You just did."

    Her forehead was still pressed against his, a hand wrapped around his. But he could feel her other hand touch his body, trace his face. A pang of pain, she must have touched a wound. The cuts on his face¡­ since when where they that long? Weren¡¯t the just minor scrapes?

    "You never wear proper armour, not even now, when you were heavily limited in what you could do. You ignored your own safety and let yourself get hurt time and time again for something as inconsequential as victory in a set of sparring matches. If they cut a bit deeper, if they cut a bit higher or lower, if they hit a bit harder, what do you think would happen to you?"

    More pangs of pain. She traced his stomach, his chest, his knuckles, the back of his head. All the ces he had umted injuries during the spars, she touched them one by one, a soft tremble running through her fingers.

    "You keep running about recklessly, each time inching closer to abandoning me. Am I that unimportant to you?"

    The knife she had just started to pull out of his slowly-regrowing heart, she stabbed it a bit deeper with the greatest of ease. The man who killed more than he saved, who killed on orders of people he couldn¡¯t even see, since when was it that he could be hurt this easily?

    "No¡­ Please don¡¯t even say that."

    That thought, he couldn¡¯t bear to let her carry that. Everything he did, he did to ensure her happiness. Every life he took in this world, it had been for her. She was important to him, perhaps more so than anything else had ever been. He wanted to tell her that, but she spoke up again before he could.

    "Exactly, so stop trying to abandon me. Protect yourself, think about the best way to return to me even if you must disobey orders, and keep living, keep being healthy."

    Her hand left his wounds, and judging by the shifting weight on his stomach she reached towards the side. A somewhat hollow metallic clink came from the side shortly after, like a finger flicking against metal. It was a sound he was rather familiar with. Metal armour, and judging by the crispness of the sound it was of rather high quality.

    Protect yourself. Come back. Keep living. Alice was the first person to tell him things like that, be it in this life or thest one. The first one to ask nothing of the tool other than its presence, its life.

    "I already told you back then, Gabriel. We are bound, you and I. Together we can live as good people, so we both need to lead long and happy lives."

    Bound. A covenant for the two of them, shared by solely the two of them. It was almost funny, he was the first one to tell her that they could live as good people together, but she kept having to be the one to tell him, remind him.

    "You need to live a long life if you want me to do the same. For in this world, Gabriel, you are the only one who can kill me in any meaningful way."

    The cloth on his face felt wet. In fact, his entire face felt wet as her forehead touched his. Had her breath gathered enough condensation to wet his face? Was she crying? Was he crying? He couldn¡¯t tell anymore, the smell, the voice, the touch, they were the only things he could feel properly at the moment.

 Chapter 45: The dragons knight. (2)

    Chapter 45: The dragon''s knight. (2)

    Click

    The door shut behind Alice with a soft sound, a bit of warm steam greeting her. The bathroom. She was a VIP guest so Arioch had naturally given her one of the best rooms they had, a bathroom attached directly to it so that she could wash herself whenever she felt like it.

    "I just put him to sleep again so no loud noises."

    She wiped her face as she spoke, sucking in several heavy breaths as a soft red tinge lingered on her cheeks and ears. Three days of silence, three days without a word. And the first thing he tried to do was apologise. Once he rested enough and properly recuperated¡­ She would have to¡­ Well, she would have to take care of him, one way or the other.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll be quiet."

    Teresa, who had been waiting in the bathroom, gave a small bow. Gabriel was out ofmission so the usual duties he attended naturally fell on her for now. And one such duty was helping Alice with her baths.

    "Haa¡­ Is it ready?"

    Alice let out a long breath as she sat down in the bath, Teresa getting to work on her hair. There would be a dinner after this, just her and Arioch ¡®discussing the rtionship of the families¡¯ so not even Caine would be there. It was a good time to fulfil her part of the contract.

    "Yes. I harvested it yesterday and finished grounding it up this morning. But the effects may be a bit too powerful so I cannot rmend that we put them in a room with unrted people. If the guards are a bitte then there may well be unwanted casualties."

    Alice promised Arioch that she would take care of the spies that Francis and Marion had slipped into his family over the years, but she never specified how she would do it, or make them do it. The answer to this question was Teresa. Years ago, Gabriel told her that she would have to find something she could do if she wanted to help him in his shady work, she had to study and be useful if she wanted to be of help.

    And study she had done, and learned she had. Luckily, she wasn¡¯tpletely magically inept so she received a slight boost that made things easier. Now¡­ Now she had be someone useful for more than just keeping Alicepany and being a friend.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll have Arioch iste them and keep a guard close by, shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find an excuse."

    Alice closed her eyes for a moment, but the past few minutes shed past her eyes as she did so. The wet cloth, the touch of the forehead, breath that was just as hot as hers. She quickly opened her eyes again, a subdued red creeping down her ears.

    "Really¡­ I¡¯ll have to take good care of that bastard¡­"

    She pped her cheeks while muttering, the warm water that sshed her face allowing her to stay in control. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the mark on her chest, the cracked octopus that would permanently brand her as his. A finger slid down and traced the mark, a small smile floating up on her face as she failed to notice that the pieces had slid a bit further apart.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "You seem to be in a good mood this evening, Alice. I presume that your knight has woken up?"

    Arioch greeted Alice as she entered the dining room, the top of her dress covered by a ck jacket. Arioch wore a simple blue zer and loose pants, it was just a friendly meal so there was no need to dress up. The ¡®friendliness¡¯ of the meal was also shown in the venue, they didn¡¯t use therge and heavily decorated dining room that could also serve as a lounge during therger balls. No, this was a rtively small room with a floor¡ªto-ceiling window that gave them a view of the frozen mountains that the Barong duchy was famous for.

    "Astute as always, Young Master Arioch, he is indeed showing signs of recuperation. I¡¯ll have him personally thank you for the medicines you provided once he is able to walk on his own feet."

    Alice naturally brought her own medicines on this trip, and Teresa would be able to make simpler ones if an emergency arose. But Arioch was the master of this house, so even if Gabriel was injured due to his own stupidity he had to send over at least some medicines, he had to maintain the image of house Barong after all. Well, that was the reason the public would believe at least.

    "No need, taking care of him is a good way to better our rtionship, is it not?"

    It was already clear to Arioch after chatting with Alice and observing her over thest few days. Gabriel, that knight of her, he was her weakness. Harming him was equal to harming her, controlling him was equal to controlling her. But Alice had the blood of a dragon flowing through her veins. And the saying that you should never touch a dragon¡¯s Reverse Scale wasn¡¯t one born out of a joke. If you wanted to control her through that knight then you would first have to weigh the gains and losses.

    Alice simply smiled at the statement, but Arioch could only recall that bloody re she gave him when he saw those slightly exposed canines. Ah, dragon blood really gave birth to dragons, fierce bastards that never bent or settled for anything beneath them. But in that case, what exactly was this dragon raising?

    Arioch took the hint in her silence and decided to change the topic, the two still standing at the entrance to the dining room. His gaze slid onto the servant she had brought along, almost definitely intentionally. Long, almost tinum blonde hair that reached down to just past her shoulders, deep brown eyes that were as cid as Alice¡¯s knight, and a slightly crooked nose.

    She looked a few years older than Alice, a calm air with a slightly sweet scent lingering around her. Arioch provided the lead, so Alice built on it, acting a little embarrassed as she gestured towards the servant.

    "Ah, forgive me, I haven¡¯t introduced you yet. Young Master Arioch, this is my personal maid and friend, Teresa. She is a bit of a shy person so she hasn¡¯t been able to integrate with the others yet. She¡¯d like to remedy this by helping to prepare some of the food for the other servants, but if that doesn¡¯t work then just carrying it to them would be enough to at least initiate a conversation. Could you have a guard lead her to the kitchen and then follow her to where the other servants will be having their meal?"

    Teresa also yed her part, lowering her head as she bowed deeply. Arioch¡¯s gaze lingered on Teresa for a moment before it slid back to Alice, the slightly skewed but polite smile on her face causing a simr one to break out on his face.

    "Ah, I see. Yes, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen Miss Teresa mingle with the other servants yet so of course we should help you remedy that. But meeting a lot of new people all at once can be a bit scary, don¡¯t you think? Why don¡¯t I, or she if she would prefer, select some servants from my estate while she selects some more from your entourage that she isfortable with, I can provide them with a nice open dining room where they won¡¯t be as cramped. A servant or two might walk by at times, but I¡¯m sure it will be better than the cramped servants¡¯ hall."

    Did he know exactly what was going on? No. Did he know how to y along? Yes. He had already finished his part of the deal, so now it seemed as if Alice was going to do her part. Luckily, the contract they signed removed the thing known as mutual trust from the deal, fulfil your part or lose your own body parts. Nice. Simple. Trustworthy.

    "Thank you, Young Master Arioch, we would greatly appreciate it."

    Alice¡¯s handnded on Teresa¡¯s back, as if to gesture that she too should thank Arioch for being kind enough to consider her situation. Will she was doing that, Arioch snapped his fingers and summoned one of his guards.

    "Orson, could you please guide thisdy to the kitchen and then bring both her and the people she chooses to the dining room on the first floor? The one by the crossroads between the wings."

    The guard, an older man with a few strands of grey hair starting to pop up in his ck hair, gave a bow with his hand on the sword at his waist. His blue eyes betrayed not a single one of his emotions, he almost looked to be made of stone with how nk his expression was. Teresa positioned herself behind the guard as he took the lead, Arioch calling out to the guard again before they left.

    "And oh, please watch over them as they eat, it would be a shame if a roving servant ended up being rude because they weren¡¯t informed that this party was given special leave to eat somewhere else."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While Alice and Arioch were starting to share their friendly meal, Caine was sitting by one of themps in his room. He technically didn¡¯t have anything left to do here in the north, he only came here to scope out the situation in the northern mountains to make sure that the thing sealed there wasn¡¯t showing any strange movements after so many other things had changed. It was as quiet as always so technically he should have left before Alice even arrived here.

    But now Alice was here, so a problem arose. Publicly it was hard for him to leave because he was part of the Woodime family and leaving before the Vritara family could make others spread rumours that the Vritara family valued their rtionship with the Barong family more than the Woodime family did. Personally, it was hard to leave because there was no telling what sort of things about the north Alice would change while here.

    Well, rather than Alice, it was probably better to say that ¡®Gabriel¡¯ would change things. Now that they finally met, Caine had be certain. The one changing things in this loop, it wasn¡¯t him, it wasn¡¯t Azuras, it was the knight known as Gabriel. But the question was¡­ How? Who even was this Gabriel?

    Out of habit, Caine¡¯s hand drifted to the mark that covered most of his neck, parts of it even stretching down onto his chest. He tapped it with a finger and prodded it with some mana, but as alwa¡­ No, scratch that, he finally got a reaction.

    The mark started to bleed. Oil-like liquid gushed out from it like tears, pouring down his body and pooling on the floor. Within mere moments, the pool had grown to cover the entire floor, muddy tentacles stretching out to from the bubbling tar andtching onto the walls. The sticky liquid was dragged up and extended to cover the walls and ceiling, shrouding the entire room in darkness, only Caine left.

    A jaw appeared beneath him, rows of circling teeth gnashing around him as they grewrger andrger. In the end, just the very tip of one tooth was enough to fill the entire room, but that too quickly vanished beyond the constraints of the room. Now, Caine was truly in the gullet of the beast.

    "Azuras, what the hell is going on with your body?"

    Caine didn¡¯t allow himself to shiver within the dark swamp, no matter how eerie the sight always was. He maintained his expression and spoke to the darkness, he had to get at least some answers while he could. This guy had ignored him for several years already, there was no telling when he would bother speaking next.

    "What do you mean, what? It¡¯s just my body."

    A buzzing came from the darkness, rippling tentacles rising from the tar. They coiled around each other like worms trying to devour each other, a vaguely humanoid shape rising amidst the buzzing. But there were no normal features on this humanoids face, circling maws had reced both eyes and the normal mouth.

    "Don¡¯t beat around the bush, do you think I can¡¯t tell that it¡¯s not you in there? You said you were tired and wanted to rest, so just what the hell did you put in there?"

    Azuras¡­ Whether he wanted to or not, Caine was already very familiar with this¡­ creature was probably the best word for it. And the body he met today, this ¡®Gabriel¡¯ it clearly wasn¡¯t Azuras, it wasn¡¯t the Azuras of any loop he knew of.

    "Kekeke¡­"

    A twistedugh, distorted by bubbling flies,ing from every inch of the darkness. It was like a creaking, one Caine was far too familiar with. When the loop copsed it was always apanied by that creaking.

    "Caine, you¡¯re a quick fe, a smart fe. In all our runs, in all our little battles across time, how many people do you think died? The first time the duchies burned, the eighth time the country burned, the 20th time the world cracked. The worlds locked in the loop may be a lot smaller than the one you came from, but with so many runs¡­ How many have you failed to save?"

    Azuras¡¯ voice echoed throughout Caine¡¯s body, it was as if it came from every bone in his body. Creaking, nothing but creaking. He was tired, he was done with this battle, this existence. But still, Azuras was Azuras, nasty from start to finish.

    "¡­I stopped counting."

    Caine had to grit his teeth. Azuras would not keep talking if he didn¡¯t answer, he was cruel like that, even to the one he contracted. The first loop, the second, even all the way through to the 10th, Caine always kept a count of the number of people he failed to save, even when it reached the millions. But after the 20th? The 50th? He couldn¡¯t keep counting, the number was sorge it kept him awake at night, haunted him when he closed his eyes.

    "More than a billion, Caine. More than a billion souls burned and twisted across the loops. Think about that Caine. Even in worlds as small as ours, we drowned over a billion, we crushed millions. So many miserable souls, so many miserable lives, so many sparks to the fire. Just think of the ze they could cause, can you imagine that radiant light?"

    A billion, more than a billion even. It was a number that chilled Caine to the core, especially the sheer rapture with which Azuras spoke of them. He was miserable, so he forced misery onto others. But well, if you asked him then he would say that he brought them peace by freeing them from the misery of existence. Twisted, from start to finish. Looking at Azuras now, Caine could not understand some of the thoughts he had in the past.

    "Didn¡¯t you always cry for them? The poor, the innocent, the undeserving. You cried even that one time I decided to help you bring peace to this world you had grown so fond of."

    Yeah, that was one such thought. Turn 9. It was the third time they decided to change the future by taking in both Azuras and Alice early, changing some things about how they treated them each time to get a different result from thest one. But the end¡­ The help he brought¡­

    "You reduced the Yverial Empire to nothing more than kes of ice!"

    An empire that was just asrge as the Earhart empire¡­ Reduced to snowkes that vanished in the ocean. But Azuras¡­ Azuras didn¡¯t even see it like that.

    "And in doing so, I stopped them from invading the Earhart empire in the future. Didn¡¯t you cry during that war, Caine? Weren¡¯t you terribly sad when your soldiers and princess died? I saved you from that, Caine."

    Empires wererge, and they always wanted to berger. If the Yverial didn¡¯t invade them first then the Earhart empire would invade them. Even now the Earhart empire was quietly building forces while looking for a weakness in Kasarias and Yverial that they could exploit. War was profit, lives lost could always be paid for and regainedter.

    "Just get to your point."

    Caine spat out a heavy breath, he couldn¡¯t keep listening to Azuras buzz, like flies gathering around a bloated corpse as they feasted on its final fate. But the answer¡­ The answer he got¡­

    "No matter how bad things got, you and Abigail always got a second chance, the opportunity to do things again, to do them ¡®right¡¯. But those miserable lives, stacked up over years and years of loops, did they ever get that chance to set things ¡®right¡¯, to live?"

    The darkness creaked. The oil bubbled and the flies buzzed like a chorus, a dirge of death. Yeah, Caine and Abigail signed the contract to start the loop, so even after their first deaths they just got to try again and again. But what did that have to do with everyone el¡­

    "¡­You didn¡¯t¡­"

    It struck him. Why Azuras spoke so much of the people lost across the various loops. But he couldn¡¯t believe it. Sure, the thing Azuras had be after so many loops may have the power to do something like that after deciding to abandon its existence. But would it really do that? Would it really force something like that into the world?

    "I did."

    The answer that came from the darkness was sadly affirmative, a creakingugh echoing through the darkness. Insane. He was insane. Caine should have already realized this long ago, but perhaps a small part of him still hoped that this twisted being would change slightly after deciding on its own end. But no. From start to finish, Azuras was misery.

    "I don¡¯t need the body, so why not give it away to others? Over a billion miserable lives, over a billion twisted and grieving souls, let them have it! A bit of you, a bit of me, a bit of that dragon girl, a bit of your princess, let¡¯s just gather all the miserable souls we made into one and let them decide who gets to be the most miserable and keep living in this fucked world you keep trying to protect. Maybe two of you? Two of your Abigail? Or perhaps this world is just so twisted that it¡¯ll just make me once more. Let¡¯s make it a nice big ritual of Gu, doesn¡¯t that sound fun?"

 Chapter 46: The dragons knight. (3)

    Chapter 46: The dragon''s knight. (3)

    "You¡¯re insane. You¡¯ve be utterly deranged¡­"

    Caine couldn¡¯t stop himself from gawking as he looked at the humanoid figure, the buzzing and creaking chuckle rumbling all around him. It was perhaps a bit strange to say that Azuras was insane, that was basically amon fact to him at this point.

    But, but Azuras always had a method to his madness, a red thread tying his insanity together. While he was insane in the loops, everything he did was for the sake of scorching the world and the loop. When theyst met and fought, creating the contract, everything he did was for the sake of ensuring his own descent into oblivion.

    But this? Gathering souls from the loops and squeezing them all into a single body to let them decide who would get to control it? He even shoved in parts Caine and Abigail¡¯s own souls, even his own soul was partly in that body. In the best case, it would lead to a second Caine or Abigail being born, just in a different body. Depending on which turn in the loop they came from they would be a great help. In the worst case it would just lead to Azuras being born again and they would be back at step one.

    And the most likely case was that it would just birth a fractured human. A person constantly torn between different sets of memories and personalities, forever unable to bear the weight of all those souls. A broken life so to speak. The best-case scenario would be helpful to them all, even to Azuras¡¯ goal of oblivion. But the odds of that best-case scenario? One in around one billion? It wasn¡¯t even worth betting on, much less worth expecting anything from. So what the hell was Azuras trying to achieve by doing this?

    "Oh no no no, Caine, I¡¯m as sane as I¡¯ve always been."

    The circr rows of teeth stretched out as the creakingughter got louder, each one lingering on Azuras¡¯ ¡®face¡¯ like crescent moons. Caine, oh, Caine, he still didn¡¯t understand the true nature of their rtionship.

    "In fact, I¡¯d say I¡¯m feeling better than ever, fantastic even. I¡¯ve been on cloud nine ever since we made our deal, it¡¯s why I went ahead and decided to be nice to all those miserable souls. I even decided to go above and beyond and do something special for you and your princess just to show my gratitude. Call it¡­ Onest gift before I greet oblivion."

    Caine felt a shiver run down his spine, the creaking from all around gnawing at his mind. Azuras¡­ The ¡®gifts¡¯ he gave were never something you would want. And that came from someone who signed a contract with him to finally put an end to this endless loop.

    "There¡¯s a special one mixed in with all those souls, a lone soul whose misery actually wasn¡¯t caused by us. No, that thing got to suffer all on its own where it came from. I really was happy when I saw that thing, you know? At least this universe is fair enough to not focus all the suffering and misery on just one world. Even in apletely different world there will be people suffering simr fates, miserable little lives that would be better off ending. Ah, beautiful justice."

    Tentacles wriggled and rose as the crescent moons on Azuras¡¯ body moved without rhyme or reason. Ecstatic. Caine could feel that emotion even if Azurascked the face to express it. The only other times he had ever felt Azuras be this ecstatic was when the world burned and when he agreed to help Azuras fall into oblivion.

    "Azuras¡­ What did you throw into the pot?"

    The ritual of Gu, throwing poisonous bugs into a pot and closing it up until only one remained, the most poisonous and cursed bug. Azuras¡¯ body was the pot, Gabriel was the pot. What the hell did Azuras throw into the pot to make him that ecstatic?

    "I wonder, Caine, I wonder. I look forward to seeing how you and the princess react when you find out. There¡¯s a one in a billion chance theye out on top, isn¡¯t that good enough, Caine?"

    The creaking got worse, Azuras¡¯ entire body seemingly quivering slightly. Caine could feel it. The darkness around them was receding, flowing back into the tattoo. Azuras was cutting the connection.

    "Azuras, this wasn¡¯t part of the deal! What the hell are you trying to pull?!"

    He was starting to lose his cool. The contract. The contract was the best hope for ending this sted loop and finally cut it all short. They wanted an end and Azuras wanted oblivion, it was the perfect end for all of this. So why the hell was he changing things now?

    "But it¡¯s not against the deal either, Caine, is it? And me? I¡¯m not pulling anything, it has always been you. Just ask yourself, what came first? Was it the loops, or was it Azuras?"

    The creaking figure started to sink into the darkness, buzzing tentacles bing oil that slithered up Caine¡¯s body. He was frozen in ce as everything reversed, his fingers twitching as he tried to raise his arms. But he couldn¡¯t stop Azuras from sinking away, a pair of crescent moon jaws thest to fade with a creaking chuckle.

    "Don¡¯t forget, Caine. Your losses didn¡¯t start here. Not yours, not your princesses, none of your losses started here."

    Thest of the ck tar flowed in reverse and returned to the mark on Caine¡¯s neck, he was once again back in the chair in his room. The book he had been reading had fallen to the floor, the palm of his hand covered in cold sweat as a light tremble ran through all of his fingers.

    "Azuras¡­"

    He really wanted to curse. If he could he would want to shout a nice big loud curse and break a table just to vent. But he couldn¡¯t do that here, too many ears, too many eyes. So he swept a trembling hand through his hair, his scalp as moist with sweat as his hand.

    "Contract¡­ So that¡¯s how you¡¯ll y it, huh?"

    Not against the contract¡­ Yeah, what he was doing technically wasn¡¯t going against their deal. Caine on the other hand¡­ His hands were a bit more tied by the contract.

    The contents of it were simple, for both parties.

    1. Azuras would send Caine back to one of the earliest loops with all his memories intact and a connection should they need to talk.

    2. Azuras would influence his own body so that it wouldn¡¯t follow the same path as it did in the past and make it easier for Caine and Abigail to protect the world.

    3. Azuras would do everything in his power to slow down his approach from outside the loop so that they had more time than usual to set things right and prepare if things went a bit wrong.

    4. Azuras would not interfere further in the loop by guiding his past body or by showing unrted people memories they shouldn¡¯t have yet.

    Of the four points, Azuras wasn¡¯t technically breaching any one of them. He had sent Caine back, he had influenced his own body by abandoning it and leaving it to a conglomerate of miserable souls, he was stopping his own approach so that the loop wouldst longer, and he wasn¡¯t guiding his past body or other people with memories. Sure, thatst one was a bit iffy, but he wasn¡¯t actually showing unrted people memories that they shouldn¡¯t have. Sure, Gabriel seemed to know a lot of things he shouldn¡¯t, seeing as he had poached Teresa already. But Gabriel¡­ technically wasn¡¯t unrted, he was in Azuras¡¯ body.

    So Gabriel¡¯s existence wasn¡¯t technically breaking the contract. He also seemed to becking the same restrictions that Abigail and he usually had within the starting years of the loop. Was it because of the special soul Azuras brought in, or was it just because he was a gathering of just too many souls?

    Comparatively, Caine was a lot more restricted thanks to the contract.

    1. Caine is not allowed to inform others about his deal with Azuras.

    2. Caine cannot approach this loop¡¯s Azuras and inform him about his future, past, abilities, or nature.

    3. Caine cannot advocate for the killing of Azuras and must try to convince Abigail to seek a peaceful solution.

    4. Caine cannot stop this loop¡¯s Azuras should he try to do anything with his own life, assuming that it won¡¯t harm the empire.

    5. Caine cannot inform others about the loop ahead of the natural seeping point.

    6. Caine is not allowed to let the gods search his memories.

    7. Caine is not allowed to inform Abigail about this loop¡¯s Azuras before the presence obscuring magic fades naturally after 9 years.

    8: Caine is not allowed to inform others about loops they have not experienced themselves.

    Caine¡¯s side of the contract had a few more points than Azuras¡¯, but it was something he was willing to ept to finally end things. He was too tired, Abigail was too tired. But she kept fighting, she kept looping until she started to break in each loop. He couldn¡¯t stand to watch it any longer, they had to find a different ending.

    Besides, none of the stiptions were too heavy, even in the normal loops they were rather restricted within the first 10 to 15 years after all. And with Azuras influencing his original body to make things easier for them he was willing to ept it.

    "Idiot, fucking idiot."

    He cursed in a quiet voice, rapping his own forehead. Some of the stiptions, at first nce it seemed like they were just there so that Caine didn¡¯t identally turn Azuras back to his usual path. But now that he knew this Azuras was a conglomerate of souls, one that was apparently special to him, they took on a new light.

    He could not approach Gabriel and inform him about his nature, he could not tell him anything about the loops for another 4-6 years, maybe even faster if the loop started to crack ahead of time. He couldn¡¯t tell Abigail anything about this Azuras, who would likely act very differentlypared to what they were used to. The magic was supposed to fade after 9 years, so there should only be 1 or 2 years left of that. But whether or not he would be able to tell her afterwards without mentioning the deal¡­ That would remain to be seen.

    Azuras, as onest act before he embraced oblivion, had tricked Caine into something. As for why¡­ He had an inkling but no concrete proof. After all, the three of them had been fighting each other for far too many years already, they probably would have kept going for many more if they weren¡¯t so damn tired. There were thousands of grudges on either side, picking exactly which one was relevant would be hard.

    But there was that line amongst thest things he said¡­ What came first, Azuras or the loops? He couldn¡¯t quite make heads or tails of it, the existence of Azuras was the reason they started the loops in the first ce.

    He wanted to keep pondering the questions, a but a loud shout came from the floors below him at that time, a few screams mixed in with them. He had no choice but to grab his sword and bolt out the door, palms still covered in cold sweat.

 Chapter 47: The dragons knight. (4)

    Chapter 47: The dragon''s knight. (4)

    "Restrain them! Carcion, hold that one down!"

    Arioch burst into the dining room just as he heard his guard, Orson, call out a loud order. The dining room where he and Alice had been sharing their meal was a bit away from this one so it was¡­unavoidable that they spent a bit of time getting here after themotion first started.

    As a result, the scene that greeted them when they first entered the room was already beyond saving. The two people from Alice¡¯s entourage were being restrained by Orson and a servant who had probably been walking by at the time, Carcion. The two men, held against the ground with their arms twisted behind their backs, looked almost like rabid beasts. Faces red from exertion as some foam and drool dribbled out of their mouth, teeth bared as the veins in their eyes were engorged with blood.

    Teresa was sitting on the floor a bit away from them, her body trembling and her skin pale as she scooted away from them in panic. And then there were the four servants that had been sharing a meal with them.

    Two of them were already dead on the floor, one with a knife in their throat and the other with a fork plunged deep into their eye. Thest two weren¡¯t doing much better, one had a knife in his chest and the other seemed to have his throat crushed by some vicious attacks. They were gasping and struggling weakly, but death was quickly setting in.

    "Young Lord! I don¡¯t know what happened between them, but these¡­ brutes were assaulting Tarmok and Sarissa! I saw it when I walked by, they even attacked Hubert and Pataro when they tried to protect them. Juvento and Ar saw it too, but I sent them off to get more guards while I fetched Orson, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll return with haste!"

    The servant holding down one of the men quickly spoke to Arioch when they entered. He seemed to be struggling with his task, the man beneath him was squirming as if he wouldn¡¯t care if his arms broke.

    "Forgive me, Young Master. Miss Teresa wanted to use the restroom so I had to guide her there, by the time Carcion informed us and we returned it was already toote for Tarmok and Sarissa."

    The old guard lowered his head after the servant exined the situation. His hand pressed against the neck of the man he was restraining, pushing him down so hard that he could barely breath. Looking at him, Alice could understand why Arioch chose him as Teresa¡¯s guard, he was quick to catch on and understand what he needed to do.

    "You are not the one who needs to apologise, Orson."

    Arioch¡¯s voice was cold and calm, his words drawn out as a light shade of red spread on his face. A vein bulged on his temple and his eyes opened more than normal, he looked as if he was about to fly off the hinges.

    "You! Exin yourself!"

    His foot swung forward as he uttered a cold order, his shoe smashing into the chin of the man held down by the servant. His body went limp as a result of the attack, a bit of pinkish red mixing with the foam that dribbled out of his mouth.

    "Huh? Eh? Wha?"

    A few disoriented utterings fell from his mouth as the kick seemed to sober him up. His bloodshot eyes almost looked a bit zed for a few moments before they cleared up, his head turning as if to take in the situation.

    "Exin yourself! Or should I just take your head straight away!?"

    Another kick found its way to his chin, knocking some more sense into him, after he got over the additional bout of confusion caused by the pain. His eyes jumped up in panic as the memories of thest few minutes cleared up in his mind, abject dread quickly setting in.

    "No, Wait, Young Lord Barong, I¡¯ll takhg! I¡¯ll talk!"

    He spoke so quickly that he bit his tongue and fumbled his words. Arioch was ying the part of a good host, but he was still the inheritor of the Barong duchy, the family in charge of the frozen north. They kept the demon hordes at bay with their blood and sweat, anyone who dared to think of them easy easy or calm would swiftly find themselves without a head.

    But just talking¡­ Would be problematic. He had no clue why he did what he did in the memories, the sheer fog of rage that had swallowed his mind just made it seem perfectly reasonable at the time. After all, they were just minor servants, how dared they look at him like that? It was only right that they died! No, in fact, it wasn¡¯t brut¡­

    "Ghnn!"

    Another kick found its way to his face, several heavy breaths escaping along with the dribbles of blood and saliva. It came again, that fog of rage, it had dawned on him again. He had no idea what caused it, but he knew that if he just admitted to it then his head would roll before the day was over.

    "It was those two, Tarmok and Sarissa! The took the chance when the guard left to insult our duke and the house of Vritara! We couldn¡¯t help our anger when they spoke about or home in that fashion!"

    Luckily, the man, Laquinn was somewhat quick on his feet at this moment. Yes, it was only right that a servant of the Vritara house became furious when their duke was ndered. The servants may not be executed for speaking ill of the duke in private, but it was still a very shameful thing so he should be able to get off a bit easier. But Arioch simply looked down at him, a cold gaze sending showers down Laquinn¡¯s spine as Arioch¡¯s foot gentlynded on the back of his neck.

    "Oh? And what exactly did they say?"

    Arioch¡¯s foot pressed down on Laquinn¡¯s neck, gently at first but it slowly had more pressure added. As a result, Laquinn¡¯s mindpletely nked in fear so the excuses just started to slip from his mind.

    "Ah¡­ Ehm¡­"

    He stuttered weakly, his mouth constantly dribbling as his eyes ran circles throughout the room. He couldn¡¯t think of anything, nothing worth killing them for at least. A thought was just about to bless him when Arioch spoke up again.

    "Nothing? You can¡¯t think of any excuses on the spot?"

    The foot was finally removed from his neck, only to find his chin again. Harder this time, almost knocking him unconscious. Arioch was really manhandling him, repeated attacks to the chin could easily cause damage to the brain because of how it was rattled as a result. But well, this servant of Francis wasn¡¯t supposed to live much longer anyway.

    "Keep him quiet."

    He spat an order to Carcion, who quickly blocked Laquinn¡¯s mouth so that he could barely utter a sound. Arioch then walked over to the other frothing man, blocking his line of sight so that he couldn¡¯t see Laquinn. And then his foot rushed forward once more.

    "You! Exin yourself!"

    Another kick met another chin, a glimmer of rity floating up in the second man¡¯s eyes as confused mumblings slipped out.

    "Eh? Eh?"

    Groggy eyes surveyed the surroundings, the world reflected in them spinning for a while before the nausea settled down. But the moment his mind was clear enough to grasp the situation, as well as the memories of his actions, he quickly acted with a desperate shout.

    "Young Master Barong! Wait, I can exin!"

    Killing their servants, and even doing so within their own estate. Arioch could have them both butchered and strung up as revenge and the Vritara house wouldn¡¯t be able to say a damn thing to defend them. So no matter what he had to do, he had to at least push the me away from himself. Luckily, he couldn¡¯t see Laquinn so he had probably already made a run for it, framing him as the mastermind shouldn¡¯t be too hard.

    "It was Laquinn! He wanted to nder the Barong name by killing the servants and then me so that he could me it all on them! I was only defending myself, please understand, Young Master Barong!"

    Was it a good excuse? No, it was rushed and didn¡¯t absolve him of the me. What it did however was push most of the me away, so while he would still be punished it should be a fair bit lighter, right? Yes, it had to be, that was how it would be. Laquinn would take the fall and lose his head while he would probably only lose an arm or the like. But as he looked up, the only thing he saw was the dangerous smile on Arioch¡¯s face, sharp canines looking ready to dig into him.

    "Oh? How strange, Laquinn here said something else. You were both sitting right here so why did you experience such vastly different things?"

    He took a step to the side so that the other servant could see Laquinn, who was struggling because Carcion had practically shoved his entire fist into his mouth to silence him. As expected, the man that tried to make the excuse immediately paled, Alice taking the chance to step forward.

    "Young Master Arioch, I cannot apologise enough for the harm the Vritara family¡¯s men have done to you and your servants, I¡¯m not sure if the family can ever make it up to you. These men have brought shame upon their names and the lord they serve. Just the fact that the Vritara family decided to send them is immensely shameful."

    She spoke very apologetically and didn¡¯t try to dodge the me, from the outside it looked as if she was acting like any good inheritor and epting the faults so that the situation could still be salvaged. But Arioch¡­ Arioch knew better. She really wasying it on heavily, it was as if she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied before she properly pped the Vritara name a few times. Well, her displeasure with her own house was something he could gain plenty from so he had no qualms about using it.

    "Young Lady Alice. I understand that they are part of your entourage, but such an insult I cannot bear. I will have these men imprisoned and questioned until the full truthes to light, afterwards I will deliver a fitting punishment and deliver a formalint to the Vritara family and the Imperial Family. I trust that you won¡¯t refuse?"

    The full truth, what a funny joke. Who would even say anything? The servants of Barong had seen the two people attack and kill the other servants, they could spout as many excuses as they wanted, the truth would be what was seen, nothing else. And it wasn¡¯t as if Marion and Francis could step forward and say that those men were their spies, they could only stay silent while the duke was forced to pay reparations to smooth things over.

    "I would not dare. You may punish them as you see fit, Young Master Arioch, it is only right."

    Alice gave a very polite bow as she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth almost cracking apart as she held back her smile. She could already picture the expression the duke would have when he was forced to pay, how he would fume at Francis for sending such inept people with Alice. It would be a very minor thing in the long-run, but it was the first true fracture she caused. And she would make sure that it didn¡¯t end up being thest.

 Chapter 48: The dragons knight. (5)

    Chapter 48: The dragon''s knight. (5)

    "You shouldn¡¯t be up yet."

    The first thing Alice saw when she returned to her room after allowing Arioch to handle the two remaining spies was Gabriel, now sitting at the edge of the bed. He was trying to put on the shirt she had left on the nightstand, but his hands were still rather battered so he was having some trouble with it.

    "I heard amotion downstairs. I¡¯d rather be there in case I¡¯m needed than lie in bed."

    Gabriel was frowning slightly as he tried to dress himself, the bandages on his knuckles were locking up his fingers so he felt like a helpless chimp as he sat there. There had been screams from downstairs, some even sounded like death rattles. Sure, they probably had it under control on their own. But just lying there¡­ It was hard for him to stomach. But well, right now it didn¡¯t really matter whether he could stomach it or not.

    "Tell me, Gabriel¡­"

    Alice slowly walked over to the bed as she spoke, one hand snatching the shirt he was awkwardly trying to pull over his head. The other hand ced itself against his chest and gave a soft push so that he fell back onto the bed, a slight ache running through his torso.

    "¡­If you went down in this state, what would you be able to do?"

    Alice nailed it on the head as she looked down at him with a soft gaze. He couldn¡¯t even dress himself properly right now, much less hold a sword. If a fight really broke out downstairs, what could he do?

    "¡­"

    Gabriel tried to formte an answer, but the words wouldn¡¯t leave his lips. He could still use magic, but breaking their coverpletely because of something that didn¡¯t need him, probably no more than a small scuffle? Was he really considering something so inefficient?

    "You¡¯re going to stay here, Gabriel, right here. A week, two, maybe three, however long it takes you to recuperate. I won¡¯t let you wander off and do something stupid, I¡¯m not letting your wounds get worse than this."

    Alice straddled him as she kept talking, a soft voice creeping into his ears. A slender finger applied a bit of pressure to his waist, pain ring up thanks to the repeated hits his liver had suffered. Alice was making her point painfully clear while smiling.

    "I have my limits, you know? I just watched when Leonardo first beat you, and I stood aside during the sparring matches because my lovable idiot had to learn his lesson."

    Her finger continued to trace his wounds. The medicinal paste she recently applied was starting to wear off so he would be able to feel them much better now, each stroke bringing with it a light sting. She knew what wasing, she knew what would happen if she let him roam about freely during this time.

    "But no more. Okay, Gabriel? No more."

    Her finger left his wounds andnded beneath his chin, tilting his head slightly up. Her knight was fierce, a true beast, the sparring matches showed that. But he was meek like rabbit beneath her finger right now, even as she was prodding his wounds. Was it because he was just that weak right now or because he epted her? She hoped that it was thetter, she enjoyed this position.

    "If my only knight were to go out and get mistreated again¡­ If he were to get beaten and battered again for me¡­ I wouldn¡¯t sit still and take it. The magic we¡¯ve been trying to hide, I¡¯d bring them out one by one."

    Was she threatening him to make sure he stayed there? Warning him what it would cost? Even she wasn¡¯t sure right now, she just wanted to finally say it, to speak of what she thought of that day when he first took a beating for her.

    "There¡¯d be no clever schemes, no tricky words, no assassination plots. I¡¯d just kill them, Gabriel. One by one by one by one by one, until not a single one was left. I¡¯d do it out in the open, Gabriel. I¡¯d let the whole empire hear their screams so that people know what happens if they touch my knight. You don¡¯t want that, right?"

    Forget cing the me and doing it stealthily, like when Gabriel killed Leonardo. No, Alice would just strike them down there and then, in front of everyone. Nail them to the ground with metal skewers, crush them to a pulp with gravity, rip the blood from their veins while they squirmed. All the hiding they did, all the preparations they were taking care of, she¡¯d throw it all away in a single moment.

    "¡­Okay, I¡¯ll stay put. But if I feel like there could be a danger to your life¡­"

    Alice¡¯s lips were slightly curved, an almost lopsided smile on her face. But he could see how serious she was by looking at her eyes. She wouldn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment.

    "Then we¡¯ll just kill them all and me it on the harsh northernnds."

    She finished Gabriel¡¯s sentence for him. If things really reached a state where her, or rather their, lives were in danger then they may as well just kill them and do something about itter. Arioch would probably be willing to sign a few more deals with them just based on the fact that the Barong and Vritara duchies weren¡¯t on the best of terms, at least privately.

    "But it won¡¯te to that, Gabriel. Demeaning words, some verbal and public humiliation in front of the Barong men, a show of power. He doesn¡¯t dare to go further, Marion and the duke would never let him go further."

    Alice changed her tune slightly, the finger moving up from Gabriel¡¯s chin and onto his cheek. It couldn¡¯t exactly be called assurance, she was basically admitting that she¡¯d have to suffer a fair bit of difort while he was just hiding in bed. But she couldn¡¯t lie to him. No, she had to make sure that he knew what would happen, she needed him to be aware of what was going to happen.

    "So Francis really is going toe here."

    He had guessed it somewhat from her earlier words, how assured she was that he would get beaten again if he left the room. But now she practically confirmed it. Someone else from the Vritara duchy was going toe here for some reason, probably rted to themotion from downstairs.

    "Yes. I had the men he tacked onto me kill the spies he and Marion had here in the estate, it¡¯s the perfect excuse for Arioch to demand reparations while shaming the Vritara family. The Duke and Marion will know who those two belonged to, they¡¯ll force Francis toe here in person to teach him a lesson for sending such inept people. He won¡¯t dare to do much to me because of my promised noble title and my spirits, but if he were to meet you he would be free to do as he pleased."

    Even with everything said and done, even with the passage of years, Gabriel¡¯s position wasn¡¯t changed. Alice couldn¡¯t have the imperial family knight him because of how wary Abigail was, the duke of Vritara wouldn¡¯t grant her that gift simply because of his hatred for her existence, and she wasn¡¯t yet close enough with any of the other duchies to have them do it for her.

    So in the end, Gabriel was still just a servant, not a knight. Well, at least he was no longer considered nonexistent, or a ve, like he was in the past. But still, if Francis wanted, he could beat him as much as he wanted and receive next to no official repercussions. Gabriel also knew this, and with Alice¡¯s earlier threat, he could only ept his situation. But still, he would still help however he could.

    "Those men, you need to make sure¡­"

    Gabriel could guess how Alice forced the men to kill the spies, Teresa really hadn¡¯t wasted her studying. But before he could finish his sentence, Alice finished it for him.

    "I¡¯ve already washed out the poison. Future blood tests will only react to the stimnts they¡¯ve been forced to take. Their luggage has also already been tampered with to contain several hidden packets of stimnts, aphrodisiacs, and performance enhancers that jack up their testosterone. An unfortunate cocktail overdose that led to catastrophe. What shame it will be."

    It wasn¡¯t just Teresa that had been studying well, Alice too made sure to learn everything she could. Some things she was taught by Gabriel, naturally, but other things she learned in other ces. Why? Well, the answer was simple.

    "Ah, that¡¯s good, really well done. With such a mixture it will be hard to shift the me by saying that they were just drugged."

    There it was. Praise. Those who studied wanted to be rewarded for it, and those words were the lowest level of reward that she was looking for. The other levels¡­ Well they would have to wait until she properly trapped Gabriel.

    "Exactly, they¡¯ll have no choice but to ept the me."

    She finally hopped off of Gabriel as she spoke, dropping the shirt she was still holding back on the nightstand. She would have to stop here for now, she felt her patience and willpower start to strain so she needed to take a breather.

    "So just stay right here, Gabriel. You¡¯ve always tended to me, but now I¡¯ll tend to you, so just rest easy. Once you¡¯ve recuperated we¡¯ll start acting in force again. And don¡¯t forget, you can¡¯t do anything even when Francis is here, I won¡¯t be held ountable for what I do should anything happen."

    A smile as she walked back to the door, sly but gentle. She knew Gabriel, that poor broken knight of hers. He would do nothing while Francis was here, he could do nothing while Francis was here. And he would be miserable because of it, especially when Francis started to disy his power and position, both things that Alice cked¡¯.

    "Huff¡­"

    A heavy breath slipped out of Alice after she left the room, closing the door behind her. Yes, Gabriel would be miserable because they couldn¡¯t do anything. Did she want him to be miserable? No. Did she need him to be miserable? Yes.

    Only when he was miserable because of theirck of ¡®power¡¯ would he start to change his mind on them hiding their magic at all times. There was merit to his strategy, keeping it secret until a good time and then revealing everything at once. But Alice¡­ if you asked her it was fine to do it gradually. Abigail had already revealed two of the fused elements to the empire, Caine introducing a third during his own mana affinity test.

    Those three elements, it would be fine to reveal that she could utilise them and use that to form another foundation for their position. After all, it was easier to attract subordinates if you had power to back things up. Gabriel¡¯s own position would also be easier to secure if she got him to reveal at least his water and strength magic, possibly also his demon magic if she got her hand on the thing in the northernnds.

    Sure, others might feel more threatened and start to make more moves against them, but she was confident that they could handle it. The confidence Gabrielcked, she would make up for it.

    Sure, she could order him. She felt that if she ordered him right now to reveal that magic, and that she would reveal hers, that he would ept and go along with it. But she didn¡¯t want that. She wanted him to make the suggestion, she wanted him to form that desire for ¡®power¡¯. She wanted him to grow, be it for herself or for him.

    So what if she had to suffer some humiliation because of it? The one who had thestugh was the winner. And she was confident that she was a bastard big enough to have thestugh.

    Thus, she was able to wait patiently as the days passed. And when the message was finally delivered, and the entourage arrived in front of the estate, she was able to greet their leader with a smile.

    "Good morning, Francis."

 Chapter 49: The dragons knight. (6)

    Chapter 49: The dragon''s knight. (6)

    "Alice. Are you aware of what sort of idea others will get if you greet me before Arioch Barong does?"

    Compared to Alice¡¯s smile, Francis¡¯ expression was a lot dourer, it was almost as if there were strings in ce to prevent his expression from lightening up. Leonardo and Marion allowed their dark blue hair to grow somewhat freely, but Francis kept his rather short, it didn¡¯t even reach his ears. Golden eyes were hidden by a thin pair of round sses, the first signs of wrinkles just starting to appear at the corners of his eyes.

    His skin was surprisingly tanned and somewhat rough, his shoulders wide and his body rugged, a tall and pressuring frame. His hands were also rather rough, calluses adorning his palms. The sword that hung at his waist¡­ he was more than just familiar with how to use it. In the Vritara family, only the captain of their knights was stronger than him when it came to using a de.

    "I¡¯m just greeting someone who also has the Vritara name, what sort of funny idea could others possibly get from that?"

    When she was younger, Alice would definitely have shrunk down in front of Francis¡¯ imposing stature, she couldn¡¯t even face Leonardo head on. But the current her could face his stern expression with a smile. The eyes that looked down on her didn¡¯t change as they slid away from her, but she knew them well enough to detect the annoyance he tried to hide deep within them.

    "Lawrence. I am disappointed. I was hoping that someone experienced like you would take care of things better. I am very disappointed."

    He didn¡¯t deign to speak more with Alice and instead addressed the leader of the entourage that followed her. The people of the Barong estate were naturally also present, Francis was a high-profile person so they needed to greet him properly. Only Arioch wasn¡¯t there yet, and that was the only reason Francis had yet to keep walking.

    "Forgive me, Young Master Francis."

    Lawrence could only bend his waist and lower his head respectfully. And it wasn¡¯t just him, the rest of the entourage could do nothing but lower their heads when he spoke of his disappointment. Trisha was suddenly in a very awkward situation, unsure if she should lower her head or not.

    She was technically a knight-in-training of the Vritara family so when one of the Young Masters spoke like that it should be proper for her to lower her head. But Teresa didn¡¯t lower her head. Granted, Teresa was in a different position so her situation was somewhat different. But still, the act of not lowering her head in front of one of the young masters¡­ it drew a line.

    Tap

    Something touched her thigh as she stood there, her eyes drawn towards her grandfather, Lawrence. His one eye was looking straight at her, the two wordlesslymunicating. Trisha was a knight-in¡ªtraining of the Vritara family, her goal was to be a proper knight. In that ambition, and the teachings of Lawrence, she would have to find her answer.

    "¡­"

    In the end, Trisha could not bring herself to lower her head. They had done nothing they should be ashamed of, nothing that Francis could be disappointed about, so they should not lower themselves like this. She felt Francis¡¯ gaze slide over her for a moment before it returned to Lawrence, but she remained strong.

    "We will speak of what has happened when we return to the estate. But it appears that everyone is in need of some additional training to understand what it means to uphold the Vritara name in public."

    Francis kept his back straight as he spoke, his expression seemingly carved from stone as his gaze slid beyond everyone present andnded on the gates of the estate. He didn¡¯t spare them any other words, didn¡¯t give them even a second nce, it was as if they didn¡¯t even exist to him anymore.

    "Francis De Vritara."

    After a short while, Arioch¡¯s voice came from the mansion¡¯s entrance, a pair of servants opening the door for him. A neat white suit decorated with golden braids, a light blue tie, and a dark blue and red cape that was draped over his right shoulder. Arioch came out in full force to show his position, his usually wild white hair was swept back, the translucent blue stripes running through it braided with some crystals that reflected the light. He wore an inscrutable smile and looked straight at Francis, two pairs of golden eyes meeting.

    "Arioch Arie Barong. I apologise for visiting on such short notice."

    Francis did his best to show no emotion, but Alice could see the corner of his eyes twitch for a moment. He came here in a very normal suit, a handkerchief with the Vritara insignia tucked into his shirt pocket. Well-dressed but casual, proper attire for two ¡®friendly¡¯ families to wear when they met, even during circumstances like this. With Arioching out so well-dressed, it signified to others that he viewed this situation very seriously, and would approach it as the future head of the Barong, not someone who had friendly rtions with the Vritara family.

    Francis¡¯ handnded on Alice¡¯s shoulder and forcibly turned her around. He then moved his hand onto her head and forced it down so that she was bowing to Arioch, lowering his own head slightly in the process.

    "I havee on behalf of the Vritara family to apologise for the shameful actions of Alice¡¯s two servants. They, and she by extension, have done nothing but bring shame to our family, and we are deeply saddened that you and your family had to suffer for it."

    The corners of Alice¡¯s mouth twisted up slightly as Francis apologised. Yes, this was how she expected him to act, just push the me away while dictating her actions in public. Nice and humiliating for her. Arioch could see the curve of Alice¡¯s lips so he figured that she was cooking up something again. Well, with her personality it wouldn¡¯t be something good for the Vritara family so it should be fine to leave it.

    "It¡¯s okay, Francis De Vritara, the four people Alice De Vritara brought along have done nothing shameful, I¡¯m actually quite interested in them. The others however¡­ such a shame that they couldn¡¯t be trained better by the Vritara family."

    Naturally, Arioch also wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to drag down the Vritara family. They had kept a choke hold on the north for so many years through the taxes on imported food that Arioch was more than a little sick of them. Things were getting better now thanks to the crops introduced by the Crown Princess, but they still had to import a fair bit of food, especially wheat and fruits. As such, the grudge was naturally still there.

    Alice could feel the fingers holding her head exert a bit more force after Arioch stood up for her, insulting the Vritara family in the process. If it was anyone else, or in a different situation, then Francis would definitely have snapped back. But right now, right here, he could do nothing but move on.

    "¡­ We of the Vritara family would like to extend our deepest apologies, both to the Barong family and to the families that have lost part of themselves as a result of Alice¡¯s horrible oversight. We will naturally shoulder the cost of living for the affected families so that they can live without issue, and we will offer this to the Barong family to show our sincerity and desire to ovee this incident without harming our longstanding friendly rtions."

    He raised his head as he spoke and waved over one of the servants that had followed him here. The servant was carrying an exquisite wooden box covered in ckcquer that was adorned with golden leaves and silver thread. Lying within the box were three scrolls resting atop a bed of red silk. Arioch grabbed therger scroll without much fanfare, not forgetting to give Francis another snide remark before he unfurled it.

    "Yes, it certainly is only right that the Vritara family takes care of the bereaved families, they lost quite a lot thanks to you."

    What a joke it was. The four that died were spies for the Vritara family, three of them working for Francis. If he wasn¡¯t going to provide for their families afterwards then who would bother working as a spy for him?

    As he read the scroll, the corners of Arioch¡¯s mouth slid up slightly. He wasn¡¯t gauging the sincerity of Francis through it, he was gauging the anger of the Duke of Vritara through it. And looking at what they were handing over, it was clear where said anger was directed.

    "Oh my, you¡¯re being quite generous with this. If I recall correctly, don¡¯t the Eastwood goldmine and the Soutnd farm field both belong to you? It seems that you care a great deal about Alice De Vritara, handing over some of your own properties to smooth over ¡®her horrible oversight¡¯."

    A goldmine and a stretch of farnd, along with slightly reduced taxes on imports for the next five years. Very generous for something this ¡®minor¡¯ it seemed like the Imperial family had put some pressure on the Vritara family as well. But well, Francis was really the only one that lost anything from this

    "The Barong family will certainly ept this, Francis De Vritara. I will send down some of our own men to take over the properties, I hope you¡¯ll help themplete a smooth takeover. Now, since you¡¯ve alreadye all this way, would you like to join us for a meal?"

    Arioch rolled up the scroll as he spoke, putting it back into the box before handing it over to one of his own servants. He smiled at Francis in a calm and friendly matter as he extended his invitation, fully aware of what the answer would be.

    "Thank you for the invitation, but I¡¯m afraid that I am too busy. We didn¡¯t expect Alice¡¯s men to act like this so our preparations with these reparations aren¡¯t quite finished, I must still return and prepare new amodations for the men who worked on these properties."

    Still pushing aside the me, even as he refused the invitation. If this was how he was acting in public then Arioch could only guess what he was like in private. No wonder Alice seemed so willing to make deals that went against the Vritara family.

    "I see, what a shame. I wish you luck with that, it would be a shame if all those men lost their livelihood because of something so unfortunate while our own men profited from it."

    Arioch still wore his friendly and calm smile, and Alice could see that it was starting to wear on Francis. Arioch was basically just one step away from telling Francis to quickly vacate his new properties so that he could put his own men there.

    "Thank you, I will make sure to extend your well wishes to them."

    The strain was starting to show on Francis¡¯ face, at least to Alice. The slight twitching at the corner of his mouth, the wrinkling at the edges of his eyes. He took his eyes away from Arioch as if he couldn¡¯t stand to look at him longer, addressing Alice¡¯s entourage.

    "All of you, follow me, we are returning to the estate."

    The servants he brought with him were already retreating to the carriages they came in, they came here using the portals so none of them had dressed for the cold northern weather. Most of Alice¡¯s entourage naturally listened to the order quickly, only Teresa, Trisha, and Lawrence remaining behind her, thest two looking more than a bit conflicted.

    "That includes the three of you too. And that orphan we picked up a few years ago, he also needs to return so bring him out."

    Francis¡¯ voice took on a slightly sharper tone, his eyes narrowing somewhat as he spat out the order again, not forgetting to include Gabriel, who wasn¡¯t currently present. Still, the three didn¡¯t move, Teresa standingfortably while Trisha and Lawrence exchanged a few nces.

    "Tristana Delgrade, Lawrence Delgrade, servant Teresa. I am saying this as the Second Young Master of the Vritara family. Return."

    Finally, Francis left them no room to argue, giving them a direct order using his position as a direct descendant with the right to inherit the Duke¡¯s seat. Teresa simply remained behind Alice, acting as if she hadn¡¯t even heard him, but it was harder for Lawrence and Trisha.

    "Forgive me for speaking up, Young Master Francis, but if we all leave then Young Lady Alice will be left here alone."

    The position of the three was different. Teresa was a direct subordinate of Alice, but Lawrence and Trisha had signed contracts with the Vritara family itself. As Lawrence had a higher position than Alice, if he gave a direct order there wasn¡¯t actually any way for them to disobey. They could try to give excuses, but if he didn¡¯t ept then it would be for nought. And in this instance, it seemed as if Francis wouldn¡¯t ept.

    "She is not the Young Lady so you shall not refer to her as such, the Vritara family will only acknowledge those who have been blessed by the bloodline. And Lawrence, that was an order as your superior."

    With that, Lawrence and Trisha could only cast an apologetic gaze towards Alice before stepping away and making their way towards the carriages. Trisha looked back several times while biting down on her lips, but there was one who had yet to move.

    "You too, servant Teresa."

    Teresa remained unmoved despite Francis¡¯ repeated orders. She had already made her choice many years ago. The ones who saved her brothers from starvation, who still took care of them, it wasn¡¯t the Vritara family. No, it was Gabriel and Alice. And now too, it was Alice who stood up for her.

    "You don¡¯t have the right to order my servants around."

    Alice stood in front of Francis. This wasn¡¯t a family emergency so Francis didn¡¯t have the right to order around someone who had signed a contract with Alice. And even if he tried to drag in the actual rules of the Vritara family then she would be ready for it, she had nned ahead when she prepared Teresa and Gabriel¡¯s contracts. Luckily, Francis didn¡¯t seem like he was going to force her to use that card today.

    "Very well then. If you wish to keep your two orphans by your side then I will not stop you. I guess that even something like you deserves a smidgen of pity."

    He had yet to lower his voice, and Arioch had yet to return to the mansion so both the people from the Barong and Vritara family could hear him. Their difference in position was made as clear as day, Alice could only keep parts of her entourage out of pity. Francis ced a hand on her shoulder and leaned in so that only she could hear his whisper, he wanted the truth of the situation to be painfully clear to her.

    "Don¡¯t forget this, halfling. Everything you have is nothing but a mercy from us, we can take it from you just as easily as we have given it. So don¡¯t get cocky and just stay quiet like you always have. And don¡¯t think that this is over."

    She had something to do with this situation, he could feel it. He didn¡¯t know exactly what she did to make his men kill the other spies they had here, but she had to be involved in it. And he would punish her for it, publicly and privately, this was just the first step.

    "I bid you farewell, Arioch Arie Barong. And Alice, Servant Teresa, I look forward to when you return to the estate, we should get together for a nice meal."

    Once he pulled away from Alice¡¯s ear, Francis gave Arioch a proper farewell, shing Alice and Teresa a smile before he turned around and left. Alice followed his back until he entered his carriage and they drove off, he really seemed as if he couldn¡¯t stand to be there for a second longer.

    She then turned her head slightly, her gazending on one of the windows that adorned the mansion. She bade Arioch farewell, the young master of the Barong family snickering as he tapped his fingers on thecquer box.

    Once she returned to the mansion, she naturally headed for her room, splitting up with Teresa along the way. Once inside, she saw him. He was sitting by the window, bandages still wrapped around him.

    "You were watching."

    Alice had a very good room, from here you could see the entire front of the Barong estate. Anyone who sat by this window would be able to see the entire exchange between Francis and Alice.

    "¡­"

    Gabriel didn¡¯t respond, his gaze still pointed outside the window. Alice walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his head as she looked out the window. Whenever he felt a lot of emotions he would always be quiet. When he was beaten and felt pain, when he was angry because of how she was being treated, when he was happy that she was doing well. He would always be quiet and out of sight, like a wolf licking its wounds or looking for a chance to bite the one that wronged its master.

    "It can¡¯t be helped. I may have two unknown spirits and a future noble title, but I don¡¯t have any power or position so I can¡¯t stop him from taking everyone away by using the Vritara name."

    The things Alice had made the Vritara family treat her better, but that didn¡¯t mean that she had a position in the family. She *couldn¡¯t* use magic so there was clearly something wrong with the Vritara blood in her veins, themoner blood had mixed with it too much. It was a good excuse to give the public, a reason to not give her anything, to not make anyone take her side. After all, a lucky but mostly powerless Viscount versus an established Duke, it wasn¡¯t hard to pick a side.

    "But it¡¯s fine, I still have you and Teresa, Trisha also stood up for me for a moment there. We just have to make sure to stay a bit more silent in the future, that way he won¡¯t have an excuse to make the duke dissolve the contracts. Our ns will probably get pushed back a bit as a result, but it shouldn¡¯t be more than two or three years at the worst."

    She wasforting him. Soft words to ease his guilt. After all, he was the reason she was still hiding her magic. But she knew her knight, the man she named Gabriel, the man who taught her what she knew and who she taught what she knew. Thoseforting words, they would be a knife to the chest.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Alice."

    He apologised. Quietly. Sincerely. He still kept looking out the window, violet eyes locked on the spot where she and Francis stood earlier. She knew him, but she couldn¡¯t read his thoughts so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder exactly what was going through his head at the moment.

    Gabriel was¡­ Angry. Yes, he felt that anger was the best word he could use to describe his emotions. Alice had been humiliated in front of everyone, and Francis would ensure that everyone in the empire got to hear how her servants had been taken away without her being able to do a thing. They would whisper about it between themselves, the nobles would snicker that it was only right for a ¡®powerless¡¯ noble to end up like that before they became arrogant.

    "The Crown Princess and the Woodime family have already revealed three of the fused magic elements to the world but you¡¯ve kept hiding yours because of me."

    He was angry when he thought about it. Unreasonably angry even. Why? Why did his blood boil when he thought about those ignorant titsughing at her ¡®powerlessness¡¯? If they just waited a few more years while working quietly then she would be able to shut them all up. It was just a few more years, it would be nothing in hindsight.

    So why? Why was he so angry when he thought about themughing for those few years? At first they wouldugh in private, but when she came of age and had to enter high society officially there would inevitably be more times like today. People would use subtle remarks to make fun of her, tough at her in front of everyone. It would just be a few years, maybe only one or two. But¡­ But why w as he so angry when he thought about it?

    "It¡¯s fine. I know you just want the perfect reveal, to crush everything at once to properly establish and showcase my power. I also know that you¡¯re worried that the attacks that wille our way after we reveal something will be too much for us to handle."

    She keptforting him. He was reminded of those times when she first picked him up. That pitiful viiness of his, he wanted to help her so that she wouldn¡¯t be as pitiful this time around. He taught her how to hide, how to grow strong, how to reveal your powers at a suitable time. He taught her how to endure humiliation, how to hide from the strong.

    She cried a lot back then so he had tofort her more than a few times. When he told her that he would keep working for her, when he said that it was fine to do what you wanted, that it was fine to wish for things. She cried, and he had tofort her. Nowadays he felt like she wasforting him more than he did her.

    Was this what she felt like back in those days? Was this what she felt like when she first cried as she heard about the second and third ten¡­

    The second and third t. 2. If you have something you treasure, never let anyone take it from you. 3. If you have something you want, acquire it no matter what. They were among the first things he taught Alice, and she had followed them faithfully ever since. Even now, when Francis tried to take Teresa from her, she did what she had to keep her by her side.

    He taught her them, she followed them. But¡­ But what about him? What did he treasure¡­ What did he want¡­ And what was he doing for them?

    The realisation halted all other thoughts, all his reminiscing. Ah, that was why he was angry. He treasured Alice, and he wanted her to live happily without being humiliated by ignorant fools. But with that said¡­ Was he properly following the two ts?

    "Alice¡­ Are we weak?"

    The words fell from his mouth almost somewhat absentmindedly. His gaze rose slightly. He was still facing the window, but now he could see Alice reflected in the ss. Her chin was resting on his head as sheforted him. Her violet locks fell over his head and mixed with his white, and crimson eyes were looking at his reflection. Was he doing whatever he could to protect that which he treasured, was he doing what he could to acquire the thing he wanted?

    "No. We are strong, Gabriel. You¡¯ve just been hiding for so long that you sometimes forget that."

    The red lips he saw in the reflection spread apart. Smiling. The Alice he remembered from the loo¡­ Show didn¡¯t smile much, almost never really. But when he scoured his memories of their time together, he felt that she was smiling more often than not.

    "In those sparring matches, you were able to beat all those people even though you weren¡¯t using magic or proper armour. You also didn¡¯t use Nergal. And I have Quetz and Fen, and I¡¯ve never stopped training, be it with magic or weapons. Teresa had a slower start, but she¡¯s gotten veryfortable with her magic and her skills. Trisha also isn¡¯t too weak if you want to count her. We aren¡¯t weak, Gabriel. We are strong."

    Soft words, gentle words. He kept scouring his memories, a slight headache building at the back of his mind. The expressions she showed, the way she spoke, the things she did, the way she smiled. The more he looked, the more it shed with the show, the more it broke what he had been working for. The pitiful viiness who would never see her love fulfilled and plunge the empire into mes, the sad creature he wanted to save¡­ It was already dead.

    The sad little viiness, Alice De Vritara, she was already gone. No, she never even existed in this world. Yes, all that was here was Alice, master of Gabriel, the woman he would not let any ignorant idiotugh at.

    "I thin¡­ I want us to start using some of our magic. The Imperial family will be all the more keen to keep you around if you can use magic, and the Vritara family will also be forced to acknowledge you as a proper member. What do you think?"

    Why did they need to wait until the perfect time? Three of the fused elements were already revealed so why shouldn¡¯t Alice use them? The foolish nobles wouldn¡¯t be able tough at her if she did, one by one they would beg her to let them be followers. He¡¯d have to use one or two of his affinities so that others wouldn¡¯t be able tough at her for having an inept knight, but that was just the price he had to pay for adhering to his ts.

    "I¡¯ve just been waiting for you to ask."

    The lips in the reflection spread further apart, the slight curve of the window causing the bright red to smudge out and blend into Gabriel¡¯s own reflection.

 Chapter 50: The dragons knight. (7)

    Chapter 50: The dragon''s knight. (7)

    "Hmmm¡­ Hummm¡­ Hmmm."

    The corners of Alice¡¯s lips were turned up in a bright arc as she moved through the halls of the Barong estate, humming quietly. She had spent some more time with Gabriel after they finished their conversation, applying some more ointment and medicine to his wounds so that he would recover faster. She told him to get some sleep before she left, but knowing him he was probably doing some minor exercises to wake up his muscles. That was just the kind of person he was, rarely a moment of rest when he was left alone.

    "You¡¯re looking quite happy, my Lady. Did things go well?"

    Teresa was waiting for Alice not too far from her room, carrying a basket filled with a mixture of flowers and herbs in various stages of growth. When it came to matters rting to their position or shadier ns, Alice generally defaulted to working with Gabriel. But when it came to ns rting to Gabriel, Alice always defaulted to working with Teresa. As such, she was naturally in the loop about the current ns, it was one of the reasons she had prepared so many different medicines before they came here.

    "You¡¯ll no longer need to hide your main magic, but keep the poison under wraps for now. I¡¯ll go out with three of mine, and we¡¯ll do three of his, leaving the ¡®useless¡¯ one out for now."

    Alice practically skipped about as she spoke. She was expecting Gabriel to bring out his water and strength magic at best, one of them at worst. But no, he even agreed to bring out his darkness magic, leaving only his demon magic hidden. When she thought back to the reflection she saw she couldn¡¯t help but feel a light tingling in her spine. His eyes were a bit murky and distant, but he was looking straight at the her in the reflection. There was fire in his eyes, fire that burned for her.

    He wasn¡¯t a very passionate and emotional man, at least not visibly, he had never been. Calm, cold, calctive. Step by step, making sure that each one was perfect. But now, slowly but surely, she was coaxing emotions out of him. Desperation, sadness, anger¡­ Slowly but surely she was turning that self-perceived dagger into a proper human.

    "The three of yours, I imagine that it¡¯s the ones introduced by the Crown Princess?"

    Teresa was quick-witted. She had two magic affinities, wood and poison. If Alice was telling her to keep poison hidden for now while revealing three of her own it was likely that they weren¡¯t yet ready to reveal most of their cards, much less all of them. Thus, it was most likely that the magic she would bring out would be ones that were already known thanks to more powerful people.

    "Correct. So you can stop making medicines for a bit and return to focusing on the nerve toxins. I¡¯ll meet with Arioch and set up the situation needed to show it all off."

    The smile never left Alice¡¯s mouth as she sauntered down the hallway, Teresa following her halfway. Looking at the smile, Teresa could feel just how much Gabriel had rubbed off on their young Lady. Such a vibrant smile as she spoke of nerve toxins, such carefree joy as she spoke of a situation most people would cower from just hearing about. Really, the people that picked her up were just insane.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "You¡¯re smiling."

    Arioch spoke in a rather matter-of-factly manner when Alice entered his study. Her entire face was lit up by her smile, she resembled a girl prancing amidst the flowers as she just enjoyed her life.

    "Is it wrong to smile when you are happy?"

    Alice didn¡¯t retract her smile as she strode forward, a bit more dignified now than when she pranced through the hallways. Arioch was sensible so he signalled the old white-haired butler at his side, the hunched over man bowing politely before leaving the room.

    "No, but it just so happens that whenever I¡¯ve seen you smile, some unexpected things quickly followed. So, hit me, what are you cooking up this time?"

    Alice wore a pleasant expression most of the time, barring the sparring match, but the times she smiled as brightly as this were few and far in-between. The first time ended with the violent sparring match, the second time ended with the death of six spies, and the third time ended with public humiliation by Francis De Vritara.

    Alice dragged over a chair and plopped down in front of the desk Arioch was sitting at, the lighting from the window reflecting in her eyes.

    "Your monthly expedition into the northern wastes, do it two weeks from now."

    The Barong family was the guardian of the north, they stopped the demons from flowing down into the rest of the empire. And one of the ways they did so was periodic expeditions into the frozennds to cull the demons. Thest one was already four weeks ago so the next one should be within the next few days, but that timing just wasn¡¯t right.

    "¡­The contract?"

    Arioch didn¡¯t straight up deny it or question her about why she requested what she did. No, first he had to ascertain what he could gain from this transaction. After all, he and Alice weren¡¯t so close that they could just freely request favours from each other. So it was a transaction, a give and take.

    "You¡¯ve been gued by bandits from the west recently, haven¡¯t you? They strike farms and caravans along the edge of your territory, and its only gotten worse since the Crown Princess introduced crops for you, right? But every time you go to subdue them they vanish into the western duchy and you lose all track of them, right?"

    Alice still smiled as she spoke, her middle and index tapping the wooden desk as they moved across it. Each of her words was apanied by a soft tap, like a panther slowly locking down its prey. Alice made sure that she came prepared, she had more than enough material to make at least four deals with the Barong duchy. And this, this was the material for the second deal.

    "The leader of those ¡®bandits¡¯, or leaders rather, one is the illegitimate daughter of Sorin¡¯s third son and the other is the nephew of the Vritara duke¡¯s niece. The two duchies are working together to disrupt your farming capabilities so that you have to keep buying their crops."

    Sorin of the west, Barong of the north, Woodime of the east, and Vritara of the south, the four great families of the Earhart empire. On the surface they all seemed to be close allies, but in truth, Woodime worked with Barong, and Vritara worked with Sorin. The Barong duchy was a great source of ie for the Vritara family, and partly the Sorin family, so how could they possibly let them just acquire the capability to farm their own food?

    Even if they couldn¡¯t stop it entirely, they had to at least slow it down as much as they could. It was just a few bandit groups now, but there would be more in the future.

    "I don¡¯t imagine that this information is the price, no?"

    Arioch¡¯s eyes finally looked serious. The duke was currently in the east to work with the Woodime family and the duchess had gone to the west to talk with the Sorin family about handling the bandits. If the Sorin family really was rted to the attacks, then it would be a fruitless meeting, they¡¯d probably keep the duchess there for as long as possible just to make any attacks easier.

    Alice had handed out the information too easily so he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be her bargaining chip in this deal. No, looking at those crimson eyes he felt that he could already tell what she would use to bargain.

    "We¡¯ll take care of them for you. Every. Last. One. Of. Them. Then you can farm in peace and prepare for a long winter, right?"

    She still smiled as she spoke, soft tapping enunciating every word. Looking at her sitting there, smiling while speaking like that, he couldn¡¯t help but think about her knight. Ah, so the reason he was like that was because of her, her nature must have rubbed off on him.

    "Why do you want to join the expedition?"

    Once again, he didn¡¯t go straight to giving an answer, finally asking the question most would have had when she first made her request. She actually only asked to dy it for another two weeks, but he could read between the lines so it was clear what she really wanted.

    "What do you think of legends, Arioch?"

    Contrary to what Arioch expected, Alice returned his question with one of her own, one without he least bit of context. Well, as his thoughts started to move, he made a few reasonable guesses, but Alice didn¡¯t give him time to voice any of them.

    "I think they all stem from truth. Twisted by word of mouth, eroded by time, exaggerated by humans. But in the end, all legendse from a kernel of truth. Even the fact that the Vritara family has dragon blood is nothing more than a legend to most. But it¡¯s still true."

    Commoners were justmoners after all, most of them would never even meet a demon in their entire lives. To them, things like dragons and the like were basically just legends. But they were still true. Even if people didn¡¯t believe them to be, they were true, such was the nature of truth. With that, Arioch could figure out exactly which legend she was referring to, there was really only one here in the north that could be mentioned in the same breath as the Vritara¡¯s bloodline legend.

    "You¡¯re looking for that¡­ thing out there? Do you really think it exists?"

    A legend older than the Barong, a legend older than the Earhart empire, a legend as old as the frozen wastes. If that thing really had a basis in the truth¡­

    "It must, for my knight needs it."

    Alice insisted without hesitation. Gabriel had Akasha so he needed that thing, she would do everything she could to ensure that it fell into his hands.

    "So that¡¯s why you wanted the covenant¡­"

    Arioch finally understood why Alice had asked for his family¡¯s inheritance during their first deal, it was to prepare for this moment. But even if she had the covenant¡­ would one even be able to tame that thing if it really existed? And before they even spoke about it¡¯s possibly existence, there was one other fact that had to be kept in mind.

    "It¡¯s dangerous. More dangerous than the sparring matches earlier. There are actual demons out there, monsters that won¡¯t have the mercy my knights-in-training had. Caine may be following with his Unique Magic, but that is no guarantee for anyone of us. If you join the expedition, he may die. And you may too if you follow."

    The expeditions existed to cull demons, they would encounter monsters sooner rather thanter. It wasn¡¯t rare for knights-in-training to die during their first outing. Caine would tag along and his Unique Magic would help, but it wasn¡¯t omnipotent so it was still incredibly dangerous.

    Unique Magic, as the name suggested, was something unique. But because it was unique, getting it was no easy feat. Well, basically impossible actually. The few who survived going through a World Fissure, those who came here from another world, they were the ones blessed with a Unique Magic. The magic would be passed on to the descendants of the user, but it would be a weaker form and it would generally onlyst for three generations before it became too diluted to maintain itself.

    "Arioch, can I let you in on a little secret?"

    Alice leaned forward, almost whispering as she smiled. It was a fair warning, and if she was Marion or Francis then he would probably never allow her to go. After all, if a direct descendant of the duke perished during an expedition, even with a contract, it could be grounds to publicly break all rtions. But she was just Alice, the illegitimate child, the hated one, so they wouldn¡¯t care even if she did die. But she wouldn¡¯t.

    "I¡¯m strong, Arioch. I have strong spirits, but even without them I¡¯m strong. Those knights-in-training from earlier? Even if you allowed them to use everything they had, magic, spirits, equipment, and sent all of them at me at once, I wouldn¡¯t even have to take a step to kill all of them. I wouldn¡¯t even break a sweat while doing so. My knight, Gabriel, he would often tell me that I was unparallelled."

    She still remembered that night like it was yesterday. Sweet and calming words, the crackle of lightning as he revealed the true world to her. Unparallelled, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone in the empire that could rival her. She always tried to make those wordse true so she trained without end, and she really had be strong. But unparallelled? Oh no, she would probably never be that as long as he was around.

    "But you know what? My dear little knight¡­ If he was allowed to actually use everything¡­ You could quadruple the number of knights-in-training and send them all at him at once and he¡¯d still be able to make them all vanish as if they never existed."

    Yes. The knight. She named him Gabriel after an angel she read about, and onlyter did she learn that Gabriel was the angel who rang in the end of days. And her Gabriel, the only true Gabriel, oh how he had grown to fit that name. And it was for her, all for her.

    "We are strong, Arioch. I. My protector. My friend. We are strong, so we won¡¯t die."

    Her hand pped the table as she spoke, no, dered to the world. A contract was pinned between her palm and the table, crimson eyes alight with boundless confidence and madness.

 Chapter 51: The dragons knight. (8)

    Chapter 51: The dragon''s knight. (8)

    Violet eyes. Silvery-white hair. Sharp features. Skin tanned from prolonged exposure to the sun. Gabriel, knight of Alice De Vritara. He was sitting in the room, still Alice¡¯s room because she had forced him to stay there while he recuperated. In front of him, a mirror taller than he was, his own figure staring back at him as he sat there.

    A cid expression, yet slightly furrowed brows. His eyes were clear, reflecting only him. His mind was equally clear, it was as if he had taken a breath of fresh morning air and allowed the chill to sweep away unnecessary things. A week had passed since Francis¡¯ visit so with all the medicine Alice prepared for him his wounds were practically all gone. That was probably why his mind felt clearer, he¡¯d recuperated from the slight concussions he suffered after getting hit so much.

    His mind was clear, his gaze was clear, his thoughts were clear.

    Alice De Vritara, the witch who set fire to the empire out of jealousy, the woman from who all the poison in the world flowed from, the pitiful viin. The woman he offered his hand to aftering here. She was dead, and he had killed her. What lived now was Alice De Vritara, the unparallelled, the future duchess.

    That was the goal he set for himself after he came to terms with the fact that he had to live here now. Save this poor viiness, give her a better ending. She didn¡¯t fall in love with the male lead of the story, she learned of her magic much earlier than she was supposed to, she learned how to take care of and protect herself, she established a position where she could avoid being harassed as she was in the past. By all ounts, the future of Alice was so much brighter that it wasn¡¯t even worthparing to the ¡®supposed¡¯ future.

    But then¡­ what now? His goal, his mission. By all ounts, it wasplete now. No, perhaps it had beenpleted a while ago, it was only recently that he got to realise it. But, in the end, he realised it. And thus, he had to ask the question, what now?

    His legs stretched and he stood up, quiet steps bringing him to therge window that adorned the room. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon in the distance, a colourful hue dyeing the sky as dawn arrived. The cold ground was beneath them, ayer of snow covering it. The snow was the same as thatst memory of his, a thickyer of white that silenced the world.

    How were the colours back then? Was it dawn? Dusk? Midday? He couldn¡¯t quite remember, all he recalled was the ashen grey of the buildings that mixed with the white from below, a dull colour that painted the end of a dull life.

    This time¡­ It seemed a lot more colourful. A touch of blue from the sky, a sh of green from the forests in the distance, a bit of blue from the buildings, tinges of orange and red from the rising dawn. It was colourful, vibrant, memorable. If he jumped again, he was confident that he would be able to remember these colours in his next life.

    "Mhm¡­"

    A soft sound from behind. It was early so Alice was still sleeping, arms wrapped around a pillow. She always hugged something when she slept, she¡¯d toss and turn ufortably otherwise. Violet hair cascaded down like an unruly waterfall, a few strands trapped between her lips as she unconsciously chewed on them. Come morning he would have to spend a bit of timebing her hair to fix it all again. Looking at its current state, it would probably take an hour or so, a bit more than usual.

    His head tilted. The mission was done. All he had left after a mission was a somewhat hollow sensation, as if there was nothing inside. So he just walked about, existing meaninglessly until he got his next mission and moved out again. Kill,e back, exist, go out, kill again,e back, exist. Only when he had a mission, a purpose, could he escape that emptiness for a moment.

    And then¡­ Then they stopped giving him missions. Too many injuries, they reduced his efficiency. So they gave him freedom, and consigned him to emptiness. And thus, on a whim, he jumped. Just because he saw the stairwell, just because the thought happened to strike him at that moment. A bleak world. An empty person. A dull jump.

    And now, now his mission was over again.

    He looked out the window again. He could see some of the knights-in-training scurry about beneath him, training started early so they were hurrying to their positions. They didn¡¯t quite look like ants, but the room was still fairly high up. Push open the window, take a step, angle the head down. It would be easy, it would be quick, it would be dull.

    "Mhm."

    Another sound from behind him. Alice was starting to toss a little, a small frown forming between her eyes. An unpleasant dream? Or was it just the light of dawn that was starting to annoy her?

    How strange.

    Really. How strange.

    Looking at her, she was colourful. The world beyond the window was vibrant, but she was alive with colours. If he was confident that he would remember the sight outside in his next life after he jumped then he was confident that he would actively think about her colours after he jumped.

    How strange.

    Really. How very strange.

    The mission was over. The goal he set for himself, the reason he had to live here, it was over. And yet¡­ And yet he couldn¡¯t feel that emptiness.

    Thump

    He could still feel his heart in his chest. Steady and quiet thumps. The machine thatid dormant between every mission, it was still beating. His eyes, they still saw colour. The ashen world, the dull world that reflected him, it was still colourful and vibrant.

    His eyes were drawn to the outside again. Down there, at the steps of the estate, Francis had humiliated Alice.

    Thump

    Thump

    Thump

    The machine beat harder as he thought about it. Anger. Yes, anger. What a strange sensation it was. In his past life, did he ever even feel something like it? No, he couldn¡¯t even say that he felt it when he was dmissioned after hisst mission. It was always just emptiness.

    "Mhm¡­Gabriel¡­"

    Alice just wouldn¡¯t stop making sound, drawing his eyes every time. She was chewing on more of her hair now, clutching the pillow tightly. With all that hair in her mouth she easily added at least another twenty minutes to the time he would need to fix it once she woke up.

    Strange.

    Really, how utterly strange.

    He wanted her to live happily. He wanted her to live a life where those ignorant fools all around wouldn¡¯t be able to humiliate orugh at her. That wasn¡¯t a mission, it wasn¡¯t a goal. No, it was far too vague, too murky to ever be called something like a mission.

    No, it was something else entirely. It was¡­ Desire.

    Desire¡­ Tools didn¡¯t have desire, they didn¡¯t need them. A weapon just needed to be sharp, desires and emotions would just dull their edge. It was one of the first things they were supposed to discard.

    Thump

    Thump

    And yet, the machine kept on beating. Desire, ambition. Things he discarded long ago. What was he even supposed to do with them? How was he supposed to use them? He¡­ Didn¡¯t know.

    "Mhm¡­ It¡¯s too bright¡­"

    A bleary mutter as she tossed to escape the light. She kept drawing his gaze. Even when he tried to look away, she just had to toss a little and he would find himself drawn to her colours again. This was why a tool had to discard something like desires, if something like this happened during a mission then it would be detrimental to his efficiency.

    And yet¡­ And yet he couldn¡¯t bring himself to discard it. Or perhaps it was no longer something he could discard. This colour, this vibrancy¡­ The thumping in his chest, the beating of the machine¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to live without it anymore, he couldn¡¯t go back to the emptiness. He had taught Alice what he knew, taught her as much as he could, and in doing so parts of him had rubbed off on her. But the reverse was also true. Alice taught him, he learned from her. And as a result, parts of her had rubbed off on him.

    She was a viiness, and he had killed her. He was a tool, and she had killed him. Thus, all that remained was the unparallelled Alice and her knight, Gabriel.

    His body turned slightly. He grabbed the curtains and gave them a tug, blocking out the light and erasing the colours beyond the window. But when he turned again, the colours in the room were still there. Vibrant. Living. Breathing. Unparallelled.

    His feet moved again, his body stopping at the side of the bed as he looked down at the colours. His arm reached out, a hand plucking the straws of hair out from her mouth so that it would be easier to brush her hairter.

    "You were only supposed to let me find a reason not to die in you. What am I supposed to do if you go above and beyond like that, Alice?"

    A breath escaped him, or was it a sigh? Hard to tell. Alice smiled softly. The light was gone now so she should be able to sleep a bit more soundly, at least for a few more hours.

    Gabriel stepped away from the bed and headed for the door, picking up a bag that gave off a few quiet nks as he walked, closing the door behind him. He made his way through the quiet hallways with quick steps, gaze as calm as always.

    Quick steps, determined steps. He didn¡¯t have a mission, he didn¡¯t have a purpose. But he had a desire, and now he would act on it.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "You? It seems like your wounds have healed?"

    A question met Gabriel as soon as he arrived at the training rounds of the Barong family. The knights and knights-in-training were all there already, training and preparing for the day. An expedition would take ce next week so they were working on deciding the members.

    Gabriel looked at the knight who questioned him. Chiselled features, strong yellow eyes, dark green hair that hung down to his shoulders, skin rough from prolonged exposure to cold winds. He couldn¡¯t remember his face, but his voice tugged at his memories. He¡­Hell¡­ Hellion. Yes, Hellion Ravel, he was thest knight to enter the arena during the sparring matches. And looking at them now, his mind clear and sober, he could guess that Hellion was probably the strongest among them. Him going up second tost rather thanst back then was probably them trying to end it quickly so that he didn¡¯t keep injuring himself. They were Honourable.

    "Forgive me. During the sparring matches, I went overboard and showed you something shameful."

    His bag nked as he dropped it to the ground, bending his waist as he lowered his head. He was wrong. During the sparring matches, what he should have done was fight two or three of them and then surrender, it would have been the best oue for both sides. Instead, he fought like a wild and mindless beast until his thoughts became so muddled that he could barely remember it.

    It was shameful. It made him look bad, but it made Alice look worse. They wouldugh at her for having such a pathetic knight, such mindless beast. They would be justified in doing so, and he would be the reason for it. So he had to lower his head.

    "It¡¯s easy to ask for forgiveness, and its even easier to utter some half-hearted words of me and shame."

    Gabriel could feel Hellion¡¯s eyes on him. And he could also feel them slide sideways andnd on the bag he brought, on the pieces of metal armour that poked out from its opening.

    Thud

    Something hard hit the back of Gabriel¡¯s lowered head, but it was a soft hit, barely a touch. A sheath, probably the tip of a sword¡¯s sheath, probably Hellion¡¯s. His gaze rose, Hellion pointing the tip of his scabbard towards the metal stage next to them.

    "If you want forgiveness then show it. Jump on, and do things properly this time."

    Hellion put down the de after he spoke, the other knights-in-training that were part of his group already putting on their armour. This time, they put on everything right away, even the chainmail they should wear beneath.

    "Once again. Hellion Ravel. Knight-in-training of the Barong Estate. Please give me the honour."

    A hand already covered by a gauntlet was presented to Gabriel as he looked at the others suiting up. Hellion introduced himselfst time as well, but he didn¡¯t think that Gabriel was cognisant enough to even register it. Gabriel shook the hand, properly introducing himself this time around.

    "Gabriel, nost name. Knight of Alice De Vritara. Please take care of me."

 Chapter 52: Burn, Gabriel, Burn.

    Chapter 52: Burn, Gabriel, Burn.

    "Alright, my knights. I understand that many of you are excited because Young Master Woodime is joining us on this expedition, but anyone who shows signs of recklessness will be sent home so keep that in mind."

    Arioch stood on a wooden tform just outside the Barong estate, the 50 knights that had been selected for this culling expedition standing at attention beneath him. Alice and Caine stood on each side of him, Teresa and Gabriel behind Alice while Caine had three attendants standing behind him.

    "We will go about this in the same way as always, cleanly and efficiently, as safely as possible. If any among you still harbour vain hopes of impressing others then I want you to look at the knight standing next to you. Look at them, memorise their face. And then prepare to tell their family that they were unable to return to them because you got excited."

    50 knights, 3 nobles, 5 attendants, a grand total of 58 people would head out on this expedition, and Arioch hoped that everyst one would be able to make it back home alive.

    "Yes, we are more than usual, but that does not mean that it will be safer than normal. People find safety in numbers,fort. They be careless, rxed as they throw the responsibility onto others. I will have none of that here! We depart as one and we will return as one, am I clear?!"

    His voice was thunderous as it echoed across thend, a stern and merciless re forcing the backs of the knights to grow ever straighter. Normally they would go in groups of 30, 20 knights and 10 knights-in-training, and only on some rare asions would he join them himself. But since he was bringing along Alice and her group he tacked on another 20 knights, plus himself due to social conventions, to reduce the potential for risks as best he could.

    "YES, MY LORD!"

    The knights responded with a loud shout, the nking of metal apanying them as they banged their fists on their armour in salute. Arioch allowed a breath to escape him as he looked at the knights, his gaze turning to those that shared the podium with him.

    "I imagine that all of you are also ready?"

    It was a bit of a pointless question, really. Caine¡¯s attendants were already dressed in their armour, while Caine wore his usual clothes, a warm cloak covering him. Alice¡¯s group had also already donned their armour, Teresa and Alice d in a delicate silver armour. It looked thinner than what his own knights wore, but Arioch could see a faint shimmer run across it at times so he had no doubt that Alice had spent her money freely to enchant the armour.

    And unlike the sparring matches that took ce when they first arrived, Gabriel was also properly wearing armour. But his was a darker and matter shade, almost like scorched silver, a kaldor helmet covering his head, four tes jutting up as if to mimic a crown. The entire armour looked as if it was covered in fine scales, Arioch didn¡¯t even want to guess how manyyers of metal had been magically attached to each other to form this suit.

    Now he looked the part of a knight, and with only his violet eyes visible through the visor, he was just intimidating enough to serve someone who took their name from a dragon.

    "Good, then we can head out. I¡¯ve prepared extra horses for you so you don¡¯t need to worry about wading through the snow."

    Arioch called them horses, but no normal horse could survive the harsh environment of the north. No, these animals were specifically cross-bred with some demonic species to get the desired traits. As a result, they were about two metres tall and heavier than other horses, pale grey fur covering their entire bodies. Dense tufts of fur gathered around their hooves, two curved horns poking out through the dark brown manes that flowed down from their heads.

    "Thank you for the offer, Young Master Arioch, but I have my own mount."

    Alice politely declined the offer as the others got onto the horses that were provided. She brushed the back of her left hand, a faint light racing across it for a moment before one of her two spirits appeared at her side.

    "I¡¯ll be relying on you, Fen, please take care of me."

    Fen, Fenrir. A ck wolf with crimson eyes, a sharp gaze that surveyed the frozennds. Alice was no longer a child, and neither was the wolf. He wasn¡¯t quite asrge as the steeds that Arioch had prepared, but Fenrir was now almost asrge as a normal horse. It was the perfect size for her to ride right now so Alice had probably been talking with him before she even brought him out.

    "Very well. Cornaich, take the extra one back to the stables."

    Arioch naturally had no reason to refuse so he sent back the horse and then mounted his own steed, giving the knights under hismand one sharp look before he raised and lowered his arm in a quick motion.

    "I hereby dere the beginning of the culling expedition! Line up and move out, let¡¯s all return home to our families when this is over!"

    The knights moved in unison as Arioch ordered their advance. A group of knights, as well as Caine, in front, a line of knights-in-training, the group with the three nobles, a line of knights behind them, and then a line of knights on either side of them. This formation lowered the chances that Alice and the others would get attacked, it gave them less opportunities to join the battle but it also ensured their safety.

    Therge group made their way further north, past the Barong estate and towards the sharp mountains that rose in the distance. After they put some distance between them and the estate, the knights in front of the formation brought out what looked like incense burners, Gabriel detecting a very soft and spicy scent waft out from within them after they were lit.

    "Just moving about randomly isn¡¯t a good way to cull the beasts living in thesends. Those burners are filled with a mixture that, when burned, releases a scent that can¡¯t be picked up by humans. The scent works as a sort of pheromones for demons and beasts so they¡¯ll be drawn to it, more and more flocking as time passes and it gets to spread. We¡¯ll cover it up at night and hide our traces, otherwise we¡¯d never get to sleep."

    Arioch took on the role of teacher as he exined what they were doing to Alice. Thanks to this scent, even the shyer beasts woulde out from their caves to be culled. Naturally, it carried with it some risks, attracting demons always did. But some risks simply had to be borne.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Thendscape was dreary. A dull white that washed over everything, murky grey clouds covering the blue of the sky. There were a fair number of trees jutting up through the snow around them, but the kes that constantly fell from the sky blocked out even the green of their leaves. Dreary and dull, that would be what Gabriel thought of the frozen north now that they left the civilisednds.

    White and grey, no matter where they looked. It remained the same even after over an hour of travelling, white and grey, dreary and dull. The knights were tense, and the knights-in-training even more so, backs straight and hands clutching the reins.

    The scent kept spreading. Like chili in the nose. The horses beneath them were uneasy and restless, but they were well trained so they didn¡¯t respond to the scent. Gabriel turned his head slightly.

    Colour.

    Alice and Fenrir were like a blotch of colour on this drearynd. He could see strands of her violet hair fall out from her helmet, and the crimson eyes hidden by the visor asionally turned to look at him. Fenrir was looking around sharply, his nose twitching. Alice didn¡¯t say anything. She was watching, waiting, perhaps even gauging them.

    The knights seemed rather well-trained, as they stopped their march after a mere two more minutes. The ten in front quickly got off their horses and handed the incense burners to the knights-in-training, drawing their weapons with practised movements.

    "It seems the first round has arrived. You should watch, it¡¯s not often you¡¯ll get to see something like this."

    Arioch spoke to them, not a shred of nerves in his voice. Perhaps it made sense, the only man here not wearing armour also got off his horse along with the other knights. Caine Woodime, the original protagonist of this story.

    A slight trembling reached them before long, the snow shifting as something approached them. And then they burst from the ground, tearing through snow, ice, and dirt alike as they rose.

    Centipedes, each one somewhere around ten metres in length. Chattering sharp legs that were as blue as the ice beneath the snow, a thick pale white carapace covered in fine barbs, and fourrge mandibles that clicked incessantly as they moved. They were the first to be attracted by the incense, and they came in a group of three.

    "I¡¯ll take those two, you guys can handle thest one."

    Caine took the lead, easily the most rxed one out of all the ones that went out to fight. He could take on all three, but taking all the work away from the knights wouldn¡¯t be fair, these expeditions were a good way for them to train.

    The ten knights quickly divided themselves into groups to handle the third centipede, some of them muttering as they cast their magic. It was just a centipede so they were quick about it. Two used earth magic to force its entire body down to the ground, two seemed to use strengthening magic on the others, and a fifth used fire magic to weaken the carapace. Thest five simply needed to quickly cut it apart. Quick, clean, efficient.

    Gabriel guessed that they could probably do it just as easily with just three or four people. If they were fine with a tougher fight then they could probably also do it alone or in groups of two. They weren¡¯t knights for nothing.

    And then there was Caine¡­

    The centipedes tried to charge past him, but he positioned himself to block the path of one of them. He waved a hand towards the other one, which suddenly found itself bisected, sharp legs twitching for a moment before it fell silent. The other one charged straight at him to burrow through him, but his other hand reached out and grabbed its sharp mandibles. Therge beast was halted in its tracks, the mandibles that could crush earth unable to leave a scratch on Caine¡¯s hand. His other hand moved again and another centipede found itself bisected.

    Quick. Easy.

    Murky yellow blood stained the snow around the centipedes, some of the knights quickly stripping the beasts of everything that was useful before they proceeded to burn their bodies.

    "Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?"

    Arioch spoke up as the centipedes burned, his gaze on Caine as thetter was heading over to them.

    "Unique magic, I mean. It doesn¡¯t follow a single one of ourws, doesn¡¯t even require a word to activate. Pretty ridiculous, don¡¯t you think?"

    Arioch kept talking, eyes alight with fire. Unique magic was an outlier to every magic they knew of. It ced more of a strain on the body than normal magic, but in turn it required next to no mana, nor did it require activation words or formations. And it came in all kinds of shapes and sizes as well, it wasn¡¯t constrained to a single system.

    "It¡¯s not that ridiculous, Arioch, you¡¯re hyping it up too much. It¡¯s just a ¡®shield¡¯ and ¡®sword¡¯ slightly stronger than the normal ones, they¡¯ll be useless all the same when faced with an overwhelming power."

    Caine didn¡¯t let Arioch¡¯s admiration get to his head. His Unique magic was a sword and a shield, and they were indeed strong enough to make the people of this world feel awe. But he couldn¡¯t let it get to his head. His gaze momentarily drifted to the side, sliding past Gabriel before Alice spoke up.

    "Even so, it is still quite fascinating, Young Master Caine. Unique magic, what is it like?"

    Naturally, even Alice held an interest in Unique magic. Gabriel constantly called her unparallelled, but her magic still followed the system of this world, it was just a systemmoners knew very little of yet. But Unique magic¡­ it ignored all that. She was confident that she would be able to breach his shield given enough time, but she could not deny its apparent strength.

    Caine thought over the question for a moment. In this world, there was perhaps no one better than him when it came to talking about Unique magic. He had studied it intensively over the multitude of loops he went through with Abigail, honing his skills with each iteration. But thanks to that knowledge, he also couldn¡¯t help but nce at Gabriel while pretending to survey the surroundings.

    "What it¡¯s like¡­ hmm, how do I exin it? It¡¯s kind of like a part of you, so once it awakens you just know how to use it, its like an extension of your body. Well, it seems to stem from the soul so its perhaps rather apt to call it a part of you. As for how to awaken it¡­ my research shows that there is no one set way to do it. One awakened his because he was hit by inspiration while writing a novel, one awakened his while cooking for his wife, one awakened his while taking a bath, one awakened his while practising his archery. It¡¯s about as unique as the magic itself."

    Unique magic could be passed on to your descendants, albeit in a weakened form. But if someone tried to take over your body they would be unable to use the Unique magic, even if they supposedly knew how. So it was physically in your body, but it came from your soul, and said soul could revoke it at a moments notice.

    And in thaty his worry. The body standing there was Azuras, but most of the souls inside were not. Since it supposedly contained parts of his own soul, would it be considered someone who got through a World Fissure? Or what about the other souls that had traversed time to end up in there, would any of them be considered something simr?

    And finally, the special soul Azuras said he put in there¡­ Caine still didn¡¯t know where it came from. But if it came from a world outside of the loop, would it be a soul considered worthy of a Unique magic? Or was the mix of souls in that body considered ineligible for Unique magic because of its chimeric nature? He didn¡¯t know, he didn¡¯t have enough information, thus he worried.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The group kept moving after dealing with the centipedes, Caine moving a bit back so that he could keep talking with Arioch and Alice¡¯s group. They were attacked more often as time dragged on and the scent spread, but the knights showcased their experience by handling it properly.

    Like that, the first day of the expedition quickly passed as the sun raced across the sky. As it started to approach the edge of the horizon, the group of knights had already fought off and killed almost ten different groups of demons. Caine still took care of a few in each group, but he left the rest to the knights. The knights-in-training were also allowed to deal with one of the demons that attacked, Hellion receiving the honour of dealing the final blow

    "Alright, men! Put out the censers and set up camp, we¡¯ll sleep here for the night! You¡¯ve done well, no one has died so far! Kartoch, Artuki, Tymaus, Kambal, you¡¯re in charge of blocking our scent!"

    Arioch stopped his steed and announced the end of the day, his orders met with a loud salute and some subdued cheers. They had spent almost the entire day riding and fighting so it was inevitable that they would be tired and relish this chance to get some rest. And they wouldn¡¯t even have a problem with the night guard because they brought more knights than normal.

    A perimeter was quickly formed, the four knights assigned to it quickly hiding all traces of them so that no demons were attracted by the incense during the night. A camp quickly formed within the perimeter as the various groups set up their tents and lit their fires, it was time to eat.

    Gabriel sat by one such campfire, the fire reflected in his eyes when his gaze didn¡¯t drift. Night was falling so the dreary appearance of this ce was only getting worse. Shades of ck and white, murky grey, even the light of the fire was being swallowed by the dull colours. It reminded him of his past life, even if only for a moment.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    Alice¡¯s voice came from the side, she had apparently walked over while he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Colourful. She was a blotch of colour as she sat down, brighter than the mes.

    Fenrir was following at her side, a sharp re still surveying their surroundings as his nose twitched. This time too, Alice didn¡¯t seem as if she was going to tell them. Good, the longer you kept your cards to your chest the more they would be worth. If she revealed it at an appropriate time she would stand to gain far more than if she just revealed it from the start.

    "I thought that it was rather dull here. White earth as far as the eye can see, grey skies that stretch beyond the horizon. It¡¯s all just dreary and grey, even the campfires seem to lose their colour here."

    He didn¡¯t lie to her, he never did. So he spoke of what he felt for a moment as he looked at the fire, the thoughts that shed past his mind for but a moment. Well, that thought was already gone now that Alice was here, it would be hard for the world to be dreary and dull as long as she was as colourful as she was. But well, he didn¡¯t say that because the thought struck him after she asked, as such, her answer wasn¡¯t influenced by it.

    "Hmm, yes, I can see that. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it for you."

    Her gaze swept the surroundings as she spoke. Yes, she could see how this frozen waste could be considered dull. But that was no good. It was just as he said when he thought she was asleep, she went above and beyond.

    "Quetz, gather them all up for me please."

    She rubbed the back of her right hand as she spoke, another faint light surfacing for a moment before her second spirit appeared at her side. Fenrir had grown so naturally Quetz had done the same. The little green snake was now almost two metres long, the plume of red feathers around its neck thick enough to be considered a mane while the rest of the thin feathers that covered its body were visible enough to make you think that it was soft. Of the three sets of nubs that ran down its back, one of them had sprouted into a pair of feathery wings, the golden feathers adorned by red and green veins. Fenrir was eerie and powerful, but Quetz looked majestic.

    Sounds came from just beyond the perimeter of the camp as Quetz appeared, the subdued sound of something rushing across snow. Gabriel could see them when he raised his head. They looked like car-sized white leopards with metallic fur, but their tail split and ended in two sharp des, a mantis-like scythe growing on each side of its body.

    They had been patient. They stayed out of sight after the scent faded, they waited quietly for a moment when everyone dropped their guard so that they could ambush them. Arioch and the knights naturally reacted faster, but Fenrir had warned Alice of their arrival from the start so how could they possibly react faster than her?

    "They¡¯re sneaky! Men, to ar¡­"

    Arioch¡¯s order was drowned out by the roaring of wind. Quetz pped her wings and kicked up the wind, a storm surrounding the pack of charging leopards. Bright blue arcs danced in the wind, the rumbling of thunder mixing with the wind as therge beasts were picked up with ease. They released metallic sounds as they collided with each other, Quetz forcing them into a huddled group within her storm. And Alice was looking straight at that huddled group of beasts, an arm stretching out as a slender finger pointed.

    "Makar, Alect Hui Devak." (Lava, Rise And Burst.)

    The Crown Princess and Caine revealed the element to the world, but Alice became the first to disy its power to the world.

    The earth rumbled, a tremor causing the tents to shake violently. And then the night burst. The ground split apart, the ice and snow melted as a thick pir of bright orangeva burst through the surface and shot skyward.

    The leopards couldn¡¯t even roar, there was just a hiss as the liquid washed over them and left nothing behind. When the pir reached the 15-metre mark, it burst like firework and scatteredva beyond the camp, Alice controlling the various lumps to handle the remaining demons that thought themselves clever.

    "Is that better, Gabriel?"

    Her gaze was turned back to him, as if she had never even looked at the leopards. She stood there, beneath the fluttering lights of theva that now swallowed the night. Violet hair. Crimson eyes. A red dress covered by a ck coat adorned with silver thread.

    He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her as she smiled. Even here, as the myriads of orange and red dashed above her like shooting stars, as if dawn had risen once again, she was the most colourful thing he could see.

    "Yes¡­ its beautifully colourful."

 Chapter 53: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (2)

    Chapter 53: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (2)

    "¡­"

    Caine sat in his tent, the p open so that he could gaze upon the surroundings. The knights of the Barong duchy were incredibly conscientious with him, they had even brought along a table in case he wanted to get some work done while on the expedition. But currently, the table only served as a surface his fingers could drum.

    "Azu¡­ Gabriel¡­ What the fuck are you¡­?"

    He could still see it if he strained his eyes a little, the rocks that now littered the area around the camp. A while ago they used to beva, now hardened by the cold. Makar, Lava, one of the fused elements that would normally be discovered after another ten or so years. Naturally, thanks to him and Abigail, its existence was revealed to the world a fair bit earlier.

    It technically went against their restrictions because it could be considered arge change to the world, but they got around it due to two loopholes. The first was that it was a rarer one of the fused elements so there were only actually two users, not counting Alice, right now. The second was by not saying what it looked like on the mana affinity test, technically leaving it ambiguous as to whether someone recently tested had it or not.

    They hadn¡¯t even trained any of the two users so the words that could be used with Makar were still mostly unknown. And forget about telling Alice that she had it, telling Alice anything about her magic would be considered an instant breach of their restrictions because of the impact she had on the world.

    And yet,st night, she had called forthva and illuminated the night. It was smooth and easy, clearly something she was used to. How? Well no, asking how was a bit stupid. It was Gabriel, it had to be. But¡­ how?

    The souls currently crammed in that body, vying for supremacy of it, the ones rted to this world that could know about Makar would have to follow the same restrictions that he and Abigail followed. As for that special soul¡­ If it really came from a world outside the loop as he suspected then it shouldn¡¯t know anything about this world, much less the future. Besides, even if it did, the main restrictions should still apply to it. So¡­

    "Things are really starting to go off the rails¡­"

    Really, just what the fuck was bing of the world?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Gabriel. Today I want you to join the fight against the demons. Teresa, you can still wait a bit, I¡¯ll need youter on."

    When morning came and the knights were starting to pack up camp, Alice made her request. She was sitting on a stool in front of a mirror that the knights had prepared, allowing Gabriel to fix the unruly hair that she had every morning.

    Reflected in the mirror she could see some of the knights that were moving about outside. Some of them kept peering into the open tent, a tinge of awe and shock in their eyes as they looked at her.

    Well, it was just to be expected, she lit up the night, and their attackers, by tearingva directly from the earth. For the first time in an unknown number of years, the frozen north was greeted with a tinge of heat. Hell, it was probably the first time any of these people had seen something likeva, volcanoes were only reallymon in the Dead Lands after all.

    They were starting to recognize her. The strength she showed, it was worthy of the north¡¯s admiration, worthy of a noble. But it wasn¡¯t enough. It shouldn¡¯t be just her, it had to be her knight as well.

    "Understood, my Lady."

    Gabriel naturally agreed and continued working on her hair, quickly finishing the morning duty he had gotten used to so that they could continue the expedition.

    The camp was quickly packed down and the make-shift perimeter they had sat up was taken down. Were it not for the hole in the ground and the ckened stones scattered about it would almost look normal again now.

    Raising his head slightly, Gabriel could see the number in the sky, constantly looming above him. He¡¯d been observing it every day, calcting the changes as hepared it to his memories. It was lower now, definitely. Ever since he took part inn the sparring matches, the number had dropped by a great deal.

    Well, calling it a great deal was a bit of an exaggeration. It was just that it had finally dropped below 1.1 billion. It constantly rose and sank, but it always stayed at around 1.1 billion. But now it was different, now it had dropped a bit below it, and it hadn¡¯t shown any changes of climbing back up. It allowed him to breathe a bit easier, his thoughts were moving a bit more smoothly when he saw some progress.

    "We¡¯re moving out again, light the incense!"

    Arioch called out the order and the knights acted, the slightly spicy scent once again tickling Gabriel¡¯s nose as they set out once more. The knights, especially the ones on either side of Alice¡¯s group, were markedly more rxed this time around. Knowing that the one they had to protect wasn¡¯t powerless made it a bit easier for them to breathe since it meant that they didn¡¯t have to keep an eye on them at every moment.

    "She¡¯s stronger than I thought, I guess the blood of Vritra flows strongly in her body. Did you know from the start?"

    One of the knights in the front-most line started chatting with Gabriel, who had taken Caine¡¯s spot in the vanguard. His face was covered by a visor, but the voice was a bit familiar so Gabriel remembered him from the previous night. Almanar, he was among the oldest knights here, already in his early fifties.

    He was guarding the perimeterst night so he was among the first to see the leopards that Alice decimated, he got a front-row seat to the sight of them getting evaporated. Prior to that he had been of the same opinion as the other knights, that Alice only had the Vritara name going for her but hadn¡¯t inherited any of the power that shoulde with that blood.

    "I¡¯ve always believed that my Lady is unparallelled."

    Gabriel was very vague about his reply. Know from the start? He knew how strong Alice was before she herself knew it. Almanar wasn¡¯t offended by the vague nature of Gabriel¡¯s reply, all knights had their own personality, what tied them together was something else entirely.

    "That¡¯s a good spirit, gotta be proud of the lord you serve. If not even the knight trusts their lord, then who in thisnd will?"

    Loyalty. Whether they served a good or a bad lord, whether they were kind or cruel, whether they were taciturn or talkative, loyalty bound all knights together. It was the one thing they all had inmon and could understand. Those who had no loyalty would never be considered knights, yet even those who only had loyalty to give would be considered knights. Gabriel expected the conversation to end there, but no demons were detected yet so Almanar kept talking, changing topic entirely. Or perhaps he had started speaking just to get onto this topic.

    "But you should work on your position, kiddo. You¡¯re still just a knight-in-training, right? She may not be next in line for the seat of duchess, but you¡¯ll still have to be at least a Viscount if you want to marry her, gotta aim for at least Earl if you don¡¯t want others to whisper behind her back after you¡¯re married. And that¡¯s only if she doesn¡¯t take the seat of duchess, gotta up those ranks by one level if she does."

    The man spoke with a little chuckle, but there was a certain solemnity to his tone, like a grandfather teaching his grandson a lesson in how to handle himself at his first job. Gabriel¡¯s first response to those words was to tilt his head, eliciting an equally surprised tilt by Almanar.

    "The two of you are together¡­ right?"

    His eyebrow couldn¡¯t but rise slightly as he tilted his head and looked at Gabriel. Judging by what he had seen yesterday, especially the way they looked at each other, they should be sharing that kind of rtionship. Gabriel had even slept in the same tent as Alice and tended to her in the morning. So¡­ surely, right?

    "No? I¡¯m just her knight."

    Together? Him and Alice? One was an abused child who just barely got out of her horrible childhood and the other was a tool that had only just recently be human. Granted, Gabriel felt that if he was to love someone then it would be Alice, she made him human after all.

    But what was love?

    It was a question he wasn¡¯t confident in answering, a tool didn¡¯t need emotions like that so he couldn¡¯t say that he had felt them before. As for Alice, what she saw him as was probably closer to a maid. He¡¯d helped her bathe and dress ever since they were children, she wouldn¡¯t let him do that if she harboured something like romantic feelings for him.

    "Just her knight? My friend, you slept in the same tent as herst night. You were the only thing she was looking at while using her magic. And you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re not together?"

    Now Almanar waspletely dumbfounded. Was Gabriel just ying ignorant? No, looking at the eyes that peered at him from behind the helmet, he should be serious. In that case, was he just dense? Broken? Ignorant?

    "My Lady picked me up from an orphanage when we were just seven, we¡¯ve been together since. I only had her to rely on, and she only had me to rely on. It¡¯s only natural that we¡¯ve grown that close after so long, it¡¯s all just habit."

    Habit. Yes, it was all just habit. The thing all childhood friends had, habits that made the lines blur, habits that made it hard for others to tell their rtionship. But in the end, habits were just habit. He almost killed the knights during the sparring matches out of habit and Alice treated him carelessly out of habit.

    In the end, that was all¡­

    "Ah¡­"

    Almanar got his answer. Gabriel spoke decisively, but Almanar could see his eyes, and the eyes were a gateway to the soul. Not ignorant, not dense, just broken. A child that did not know love, a child that did not believe it could be loved so it convinced itself of a fake truth. He spurred his steed and manoeuvred it closer, a nk sounding out as he pat Gabriel¡¯s shoulder a few times.

    "Kid, you must havee from a shitty orphanage."

    Really, orphanages were supposed to take in the most unfortunate children and give them a chance at a normal life. They didn¡¯t have parents to love them so it fell onto the caretakers to love them enough to make up for it, otherwise the children would never be able to know what love was, be it giving or receiving. But well, this one¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t entirely broken, and he too had smiled yesterday so there should still be hope there. And where there was hope, there was worth in giving things a little¡­ push.

    "I¡¯ll believe you kid, it¡¯s just habit. Yeah, sometimes people are just like that, nothing wrong with it. So you¡¯re her knight, one she has been able to rely on for years, and she has been someone you can rely on for years. That¡¯s a great rtionship, but since you¡¯re so close you need to make sure you think properly about the future. Think about the possible nobles she can marry in the future to secure her position and life, think about other knights you can entrust her to whenever you go on a distant mission. They gotta be trustworthy, right? I mean, they¡¯re gonna be by her side at all times while you¡¯re gone so you need to be able to trust them. It¡¯s best to start thinking about it now, hering-of-age ceremony should happen in another two or three years and by then the proposals will start rolling in so you should start working on a list of eptable people in advance."

    Almanar could see Gabriel¡¯s eyes darken a bit as he spoke, a thoughtful light surfacing in them. Right, marriage, he hadn¡¯t thought about that approach yet. For nobles, political marriages was the best way to stabilise their position, or even increase it. Of the current nobles¡­

    "I¡¯ll leave you to stew on that, Kiddo. Have fun."

    Almanar chuckled once more before he spurred his steed and returned to his actual position, asionally ncing over at Gabriel, who sank further into thought.

    Hmmm¡­ The people of the Vritara duchy were naturally out of the picture, all the nobles there were loyal to the people who treated Alice like dirt, he¡¯d never allow any of them to stand at her side. The east¡­ They weren¡¯t a good choice because they weren¡¯t a formal duchy so only the Woodime family held some position there. And that family only had Caine that held the appropriate status, but that was due to his rtionship with the Crown Princess. And Alice had shown no signs of falling in love with him so he didn¡¯t want to push her into a rtionship with him.

    Arioch was the same, he had the right position for Alice, but Gabriel didn¡¯t want to push her into a rtionship with him. The other nobles in the north¡­ ¡­ ¡­ He kept going through the list of nobles that he knew, but each one was cut as quickly as he put them on the list. He just couldn¡¯t see himself pushing Alice to be in a rtionship with them.

    Besides, none of them were worthy of standing next to her. Hell, even Caine, the protagonist of this world, wasn¡¯t worthy of standing by her side. Sure, his Unique magic was strong, but Alice broke it several times in the story, constantly forcing him toe up with new ways to fight her. The only reason he wasn¡¯t dead was because that now dead Alice had loved him. No, out of the question, he couldn¡¯t stay beside her.

    Then in the west¡­ That Marquise¡­ That Earl¡­

    His thoughts kept going in circles as he cut noble after noble from the list. Unworthy, not good enough, too weak, too faint-hearted. He cut the ducal inheritors, cut out the marquess inheritors, the Imperial Family, the Earl families. He kept cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting¡­

    "Kiddo, heads up!"

    Almanar¡¯s voice reached him as his thoughts kept cutting out noble after noble, each one unworthy of his Lady. Apparently, he had gotten a bit too caught up in thinking about what sort of nobles would be worthy of being with Alice. When he raised his head, he saw that some demons were alreadying towards them, attracted by the incense.

    "Ah, thank you for notifying me. I¡¯ll take the two on the left then."

    He shook his head to discard the list he had been working on, none of the nobles seemed worthy so it seemed as if he would have to think about it more in-depth at a different time. For now, he could do a nice bit of mindless work like he was used to. He hopped off of his steed, his feet sinking a bit into the snow as he strode forward.

    5 demons. Centipedes again, just like the first group. But these were a bitrger, their carapace thicker, so they were probably somewhat older. It made sense, they were getting closer to the jagged mountains so they were marching deeper into the demon¡¯s territory.

    "Alright kiddo, don¡¯t overexert yourself, you still need to think about the future when someone other than you stands at Lady Alice¡¯s side."

    Almanar chuckled again before he rode off, but Gabriel found that he didn¡¯t quite like the way he said it. It made him itch somewhat, an ufortable creeping sensation on his ribs. Huh, not often he found the way someone said something ufortable, it was rather annoying.

    Cchrrkkk.

    The centipedes were making noise as they rushed over, a clicking from both their mandibles and the sharp legs that kept cking against the ice hidden beneath the snow. He¡¯d have to deal with them before he got rid of that creeping sensation on his ribs and got back to working on the lis¡­ Ah, the sensation got worse. Really, that old knight had made his head think of something really annoying.

    He grabbed his sword and emptied his head, his eyes zing over with a calm sheen. Right, time to get to work.

    "Waraya, Hatau" (Strength, Magnify.)

    "Waraya, Hatau."

    "Waraya, Hatau."

    One cast for his body, one cast for his sword, one cast for his armour. It was a simple spell, easily one of the least shy spells in existence. But he was fond of it still. He was used to working with his body so it was his body that he trusted the most.

    The centipedes were still charging at him, but one was a bit ahead of the other, the second seemingly hiding behind the first. They were a bit smarter than the first group it seemed, one of them even knew to let someone else charge ahead and take the brunt of the first attack. But oh well, Gabriel had never been the kind to let a bit of intelligence allow a target to escape him.

    Spread the legs slightly, hold the sword tightly, raise it high. A firm stance, a simple stance. The centipede charged, its mandibles closing down on Gabriel when it got within range. And then the sword came down.

    A crack.

    A crunch.

    A rumble.

    The centipede¡¯s charge came to an abrupt halt as Gabriel brought his sword down. Carapace cracked, mandibles crunched, earth and ice rumbled. The sword tore straight through its head, the hand holding the hilt of the weapon crushing down everything it came in contact with while the other hand was free to block and shatter the mandibles. Strength was simple. Strength wasn¡¯t shy. But strength was extremely efficient.

    Its head was crushed down into the snow and the back part of its body rose into the air thanks to the momentum it still retained. Gabriel couldn¡¯t see it, but he could tell it was there, just behind the body of the first centipede, his second target.

    He raised his arm again to bring up his de. The weapon, and the hand that held it, tore up through the body of the centipede that was now vertical, splitting open a path just tall enough for him. He stepped forward and tore at the edges of the path, extending it so that he could pass through what remained of the centipede¡¯s head.

    And indeed, there it was, its charge already starting to tilt to the side so that it could veer around him. But when Gabriel set his sights on a prey it would not be allowed to escape, that was simply how he was trained.

    "Katush, Motak Tarman Hui Alect." (Water, Heat Gather And Rise.)

    His fingers twitched as the magic formation was drawn, a bit warm water appearing beneath the centipede. The heat of the water melted the snow and made more water, which gathered into the original water and thenpleted the spell by rising into the sky like a geyser, a mutter escaping Gabriel.

    "Ah, weaker than expected."

    The n was to justunch the centipede into the sky with the water and then deal with it as itnded. But be it because the centipede was weaker than expected or the water affinity he got from Alice was stronger than expected, the geyser tore through the centipede. Both sections were thrown into the air by the force that tore them apart, scattering murky yellow blood for a moment before they fell.

    Quick and simple, and had it not been for thatst hup then it wouldn¡¯t have been overly shy. Yes, that really was the way Gabriel liked to work. Well, with it being a bit shier than expected it should be better for Alice since it made the knight she chose stand out a bit more.

    He had taken care of the two he picked out so Gabriel sheathed his de again. The other knights were working on the final three centipedes, allowing the knights-in-training to help them so that they could get some training. Should there be a need for it then he would probably step in, but for now he simply watched.

    Right, the list, he could keep cutting out unworthy nobles while he waited.

 Chapter 54: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (3)

    Chapter 54: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (3)

    "You¡¯re a lot stronger than you look, Ki¡­ Gabriel! I¡¯ve never seen someone handle a Steel-Head by smashing its skull like that. Thing damn near tipped over before you tore through it!"

    A metal ss filled with murky golden liquid was pushed into Gabriel¡¯s hands as he sat by the campfire, several of the Barong knights around him already clutching their own mugs. With thest ss handed out they could finally raise them high, the scattering sparks of the campfire bouncing off of their sses.

    "To Gabriel, the Little Knight of Vritara!"

    "Hoi!!!"

    The mugs nked against each other, the liquid inside swishing about and spilling over the edges. The knights pulled their arms back and ced the sses against their lips, Gabriel mimicking them as everyone took a deep sip.

    Bitter, with hints of a foul bread-like aftertaste. It wasn¡¯t beer, hell, the drink wasn¡¯t even alcoholic. No, they were out on an expedition, they couldn¡¯t afford to drink alcohol and risk their lives. So they prepared this drink instead to rece it. As for whether or not they liked it¡­ They all grimaced for a moment as they forced it down, raising their sses again.

    "May he die before his Master!"

    "Hoi!!!"

    Another loud nk that swallowed this section of the camp, the dark of night pushed away by the flickering mes. The knights once again raised their sses and took a deep drink of the bitter swill. Another day had passed, another set of attacks had been survived. And now they were celebrating the new knight that had joined their expedition.

    "May he keep protecting his Master until hisst breath!"

    "Hoi!"

    A nk followed by grimaces as they forced down the liquid. Gabriel couldn¡¯t understand why they¡¯d waste time on preparing something like this if they all agreed that it tasted terrible, just go for water or juice at that point. But some traditions you couldn¡¯t be changed so he simply raised his ss in tune with theirs.

    "May his Master live a long life so he has time to find a good wife and father some children!"

    "Hoi!"

    A final nk, a final swig, a final grimace and then every mug was empty, every knight turning it upside down as proof. Well, saying every knight was a bit excessive, there were still a fair few knights out there patrolling the defensive perimeter so that no demon got to sneak up on them. The rest however were free to take part in this ceremony before their shifts started.

    "Not a lot of young knights get through their first encounter with demons in one piece, Gabriel! Just being able to remain standing in front of that first charge is enough for them to be proud of."

    A knight wrapped his arm around Gabriel¡¯s shoulder and handed him a new ss, one that thankfully only contained water this time. He nked his own ss against the one he gave Gabriel, downing whatever was in it in one gulp.

    "I thought we had a decent batch of trainees with us this time since none of them backed away from their first charge, but you just went ahead and put them all to shame, didn¡¯t you? Your Lady¡¯s damn lucky to have earned your loyalty, but if she ever betrays it then I¡¯m sure that Young Master Arioch will wee you with open arms."

    The ceremony, the celebration, it was an initiation of sorts. Knights weren¡¯t officially knights until they were knighted, and all knights took immense pride in being knighted. But amongst each other they would naturally have their own little rituals and initiations. For the knights of the Barong duchy, the expeditions were one such ritual. Any knight, be he sired or not, would not be considered a true knight until he took part in his first initiation and stood tall.

    Gabriel had yet to be knighted, hence he was Little. But he stood tall and proved his mettle like any other Barong knight, so he was also Knight. Thus, while he belonged to the Vritara duchy, the men of Barong deemed him Little Knight.

    "That¡¯s unlikely toe to pass, I have no intention of leaving my Lady¡¯s side."

    Gabriel sipped the water to wash away the foul taste in his mouth. Alice, betray his loyalty? Yeah, he couldn¡¯t see that happening. That would be about as unlikely as him betraying her. And quite frankly, she was what currently gave him a reason to live, a ¡®desire¡¯, so betraying her would mean that he gave up on this world, this life, this first taste he got of humanity.

    "Yeah, I figured. But keep it in mind, will ya? Never know when the world twists someone beyond recognition. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that."

    The knight wasn¡¯t offended by the rejection, if Gabriel epted it so easily then he would immediately lose the Little Knight title and get ostracized by the men of Barong. Loyalty was a knight¡¯s finest quality, only when the lord themselves first broke it and stomped it into the ground would it be fine to go back on it.

    Gabriel sat by the fire, sipping the water and various drinks he was given as the hours whiled away and the night deepened. The knights switched out whenever their shifts started so there was always someone new toe up and talk to him to waste more time.

    It was very different from the previous night, where Caine had joined their ranks during the attacks. At the very least, Caine didn¡¯t receive a reception like this, even though this was also his first expedition with them. Well, why that was the case was ringly apparent.

    Caine was a noble. In the future, he would most likely be the duke of the Woodime territory that stood against the Dead Lands. No matter how high their standing or reputation was, a knight was still just a knight, they couldn¡¯t frolic around with someone who would be equal to a duke in the future. Thus, while appreciated, Caine was naturally ostracized from them and didn¡¯t get to take part in their traditions.

    Gabriel on the other hand, was just a knight-in-training from the Vritara duchy. He¡¯d proven humility by lowering his head and apologising, tenacity through his training, skills through his sparring matches, and now he had proven his strength through his battles with the demons.

    Well, in the end it may just be that they were looking for an excuse to ¡®celebrate¡¯ so that they could ease some of the tension that apanied every one of these expeditions. After all, almost none of them expected that every single one of them would get to return home. Some of them would leave their souls out here in the north, another snowke that scattered amongst the endless white.

    Gabriel was the ¡®center¡¯ of this celebration, but he had a fair bit of peace as he sat there, ample time to observe the knights. His mind was moving as he did, faces and names flitting past his mind as his eyes asionally wandered about.

    "Your Lady is over there. The maid¡¯s already gone to sleep but it seems like she¡¯s waiting for you."

    The old knight, Almanar stopped in front of Gabriel, the little finger of the hand holding his ss pointing behind Gabriel while he sipped on his drink. He hadn¡¯t been here earlier so he probably just finished his patrol and changed ces with someone else.

    "When a knight can¡¯t reach a conclusion by just thinking things over on their own then they should consult with those around them. It¡¯s a privilege of those who¡¯ve managed to gather others ¡®round em."

    He bent forward slightly so that he could lower his ss and nk it against Gabriel¡¯s, raising it to his lips afterwards and taking a swig. A soundless snicker hung on his lips when he lowered his ss again, a gesture once again pointing towards the girl in the distance.

    "Well, go on, I¡¯m finally giving you an excuse to slip out, better take it while you can."

    Almanar sauntered off with a casual wave after giving Gabriel a final reminder, joining up with the other knights as he raised his ss high. He was a strange man. In some regards, he reminded Gabriel of Lawrence. But well, he got his excuse to leave so he downed thest of the drink in his ss and stepped away, heading for Alice.

    "Did you get to have some fun? You¡¯re a solitary guy so you don¡¯t often have the chance to be surrounded by people like that."

    Alice sat alone by the fire. The night had already deepened considerably so the spot reserved for Gabriel¡¯s celebration was the only one where there was still some noise. Not enough for it to be heard outside the camp, but still enough to be heard in some parts of the camp. There was a small smile on her face as she looked towards the scene.

    "Fun? I¡¯m not sure. It was certainly noisy."

    There was another seat already prepared by the fire so Gabriel could simply sit down. Fun. It was like desire, it was something he had discarded long ago. It was only recently that he actually got to properly re-experience the thing known as desire, or emotions not rted to a mission in general, so he honestly couldn¡¯t tell.

    "Alice, how do you feel about Arioch?"

    He asked the question on his mind. Almanar was right, thinking about it on his own was useless. Even if he came to a conclusion in the end, it would be pointless if Alice wasn¡¯t fine with it. In the end, the one who would actually decide on her future husband would be none other than her.

    Still though, when he asked the question¡­ Why was there that creeping sensation running along his ribs? Like an invisible hand squeezing down on his bones. Really, he¡¯d just been ufortable all day, thoughts doing nothing but running in circles.

    "Nothing much. He¡¯s a good leader who thinks about whats best for his family but doesn¡¯t forget to hold grudges, repaying them when he has a chance. He¡¯s a good ally for now, we¡¯ll just have to wait for time to tell whether or not his dislike for the Vritara family will eventually extend to us as well."

    Alice wasn¡¯t so deluded that she thought that Arioch would be their ally forever. He held a great grudge against the Vritara family, and she was fully prepared for the possibility that it would eventually be pointed towards her as well. Gabriel taught her that, so she was always ready.

    The clutching sensation on Gabriel¡¯s ribs receded somewhat when Alice answered. She was still smiling at him, looking straight at him. Alright, one person permanently off the list.

    "What about the two inheritors of the Sorin family? Or Caine? There¡¯s also the son of Marquess Artiom, the son of Marquess Haravat, and the son of Marquess Laoguai."

    The Sorin family had two sons that stood a chance at inheriting the seat of duke and Caine would inherit the east, including Arioch, they were the ones ranked highest on the list of potential suitors. The Marquess¡¯ were lower, but still decent enough to at least be considered.

    Once more, a creeping sensation on his ribs, like a slender finger tracing them before snapping them. And once again, Alice eased it with a casual answer.

    "Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, and nothing. Well, that¡¯s not entirely true, Caine is useful when ites to dealing with the Crown Princess so saying nothing is a bit excessive. Friendly and useful in the right circumstances, but not someone I¡¯m willing to get too close with. Why?"

    She changed her tune slightly on Caine in the end, if it weren¡¯t for him then Abigail would be on her a lot more and that would just annoying. But she could always tell that he was different from Gabriel, he was hiding something, and probably lied to her on more than one asion. Gabriel on the other hand, the man currently showing a small and relieved smile, would never lie to her.

    Gabriel felt a breath escape him, not even noticing the curve of his own lips. For some reason, he felt quite happy for a moment. What a strange sensation. But oh well, his Lady had asked a question, so as always, he had to answer.

    "I¡¯m thinking about potential marriage partners for you in the empire. The Duke will definitely try to interfere after today, especially when we get to youring of age ceremony, so having a list before then will give us more room to n."

    A chill. Yes, for a moment there, Gabriel felt a chill go down his spine. Alice was still sitting there, but the smile on her face seemed to have frozen as she looked at him. Angry. Yes, she was angry, he could feel it.

    "Can you say that again?"

    Her pronunciation was slow, each word hanging so heavy that even the crackling fire between them felt like it shrank down. Gabriel felt like he was back in his past life, back in his 26th mission. He could practically feel his fingernails getting peeled before his fingers were chopped off again. The sensation of death, how nostalgic.

    "I¡¯m thinking about potential marriage partners for you, I¡¯ve been trying to make a list all day but I haven¡¯t been able toe up with a proper answer so I decided to get your input."

    Still, he answered her question. He felt that it would probably only make her angrier, but he wasn¡¯t going to lie so he could only live with the consequences. If she didn¡¯t like him thinking about her future husband for her then he¡¯d just have to take the punishment for it.

    For a moment, Alice didn¡¯t say anything. She simply studied Gabriel¡¯s face, a pair of crimson eyes staring deeply into his, as if she was trying to peer into the depths of his soul. Eventually, she opened her mouth again, an indecipherable curve adorning her lips.

    "Hmmm¡­ Let me ask you something, Gabriel. How did you feel when you asked me those questions, when you were trying to make your list? And why were you unable toe up with a proper answer, you¡¯re usually so quick? And above all that, what put you on that train of thought?"

    She rose from her seat as she questioned him. The night felt silent. Gabriel couldn¡¯t even hear the sounds of the celebration that was probably still going on a bit away from them. Looking at Alice, feeling that chill on his spine, it felt as if all sounds simply faded. Death was always quiet, it was always cold, he knew that. And yet, he remained calm, clearheaded. Good, he didn¡¯t like it when his thoughts grew disarrayed like during the sparring matches, a calm head produced clear and easy thoughts, it made it easy to put them into words.

    "I felt¡­ I guess annoyed is the best answer. An annoying sensation on my ribs, like a soft touch before they¡¯re broken. It¡¯s like that moment when someone hits you in the chest and you know somethings going to break but it hasn¡¯t actually broken yet. And I couldn¡¯te up with an answer because I just kept crossing everyone out. Caine, Arioch, the Sorin family, the Marquesses, the Imperial Family, I can¡¯t seem to find a single person worthy of you, they¡¯re just not good enough, they¡¯re just annoying. As for who, it was Knight Almanar, he told me that I should start thinking about the future where someone else has to stand by your side while I¡¯m gone."

    She asked, so he answered the questions one by one. He wasn¡¯t good at describing things properly so he could only use some strange analogies to exin the sensation on his ribs. By the time he finished answering, Alice was already standing in front of him, looking down at him since he was still sitting.

    From his position, when he raised his head to look at her, he could scarcely even see the fire that still flickered.

    "You¡¯re smart, Gabriel, at least somewhat. Those were good answers, very good ones. Point out knight Almanarter, I need to go and thank him."

    A smile. But there was still a bit of that chill on his spine. It was like when he was locked down by the sniper in that ruined city. The days where he couldn¡¯t move because he could feel that gaze. Back when he was still prey that was being hunted by the predator.

    "Let me tell you this, Gabriel. My knight, MY Gabriel."

    Alice¡¯s hands grasped his cheeks and she lowered her head further. A cold sensation on his forehead. Even with the campfire, the chill of the northern region had settled in her forehead. And now she shared it with him, a pair of crimson eyes locking down his own.

    "There is no one in this world who can decide on my marriage partner, okay? Only I get to make the choice of who will be my husband and stand by my side, okay? Not the duke, not the Vritara family, not you. Only I, okay?"

    His chest felt a bit stuffy, it was as if his breath was getting caught in his chest before he could release it. Strange. He couldn¡¯t move his eyes. He felt her hot breath on his nose, it was tickling. But he couldn¡¯t move his eyes to look at his nose. That crimson colour¡­ He couldn¡¯t look away from it.

    "And that extends to you as well, okay? The knights spoke of it earlier, didn¡¯t they? That they want you to have the time to find a good wife and settle down with some kids? You¡¯re my knight, MY Gabriel. In this world, I¡¯m the only one who gets to decide who you marry, okay? Only I. Do you understand?"

    A breath warmer than the campfire, a forehead colder than the northern ice, words like lightning as they snuck down his back. His chest was stuffy, he couldn¡¯t even recall the sensation he felt on his ribs when he first asked Alice what she thought about the possible marriage prospects.

    "Yes¡­ Mydy¡­"

    The words came out on their own, the pronunciation somewhat awkward due to the breath that was caught in his chest and the hands that cupped his cheeks. His eyes wouldn¡¯t move.

    "Good. Make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight. We¡¯ll start approaching the frozen mountains tomorrow, I¡¯ll need you then."

    A smile. He couldn¡¯t see it, but he could feel it in the breath that hit him. His eyes still wouldn¡¯t move. Here, in this ck and white world that was oh-so dull, he could only see that bright crimson that seemed to dye everything he had.

    Ah, thisdy of his was really unfair, first she granted him emotions and then she blew them away before he could even understand them, recing them with new ones he couldn¡¯t understand. And all the while, she used her colours topletely drown out his dull world.

 Chapter 55: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (4)

    Chapter 55: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (4)

    The Jaws of Barong. The mountain range that served as the northern border of the Earhart empire, the very extreme of the Barong territory. The continent continued on beyond them, but it was untamed and wild, with no human settlements for the next 1800 kilometres. Naturally, such a stretch ofnd wasn¡¯t entirely lifeless. No, it was just devoid of humans. The extreme north belonged to the beasts and demons, and it wasn¡¯t rare for them to make their way south.

    The Jaws of Barong would always be the first ce they stopped, be it to get some shelter from the elements, to get some rest, or to make it their new territory. Thus, over the years, while the mountain range was technically thend of the Barong duchy, it had slowly be part of the beasts¡¯nds.

    "Leave the incense."

    Arioch¡¯s voice was low, heavier than ever before. They were still at least two or three hours ride away from the first mountain in the range but the air around the knights had already grown heavy and tense. The front line put out the incense and buried the burners in the snow, using a different patch of snow to scrub their armour.

    The Jaws of Barong. They had to enter the mountain range, they couldn¡¯t allow the beasts to settle in it as they pleased, otherwise they would just keep encroaching on the rest of the north. But they couldn¡¯t handle the mountain range the same way they treated the path here, using the incense within or around the mountains was tantamount to suicide. Even without it, the mountains was where most of the past casualties appeared.

    "Knights, steel yourself! Protect the one to your left and trust the one to your right to protect you. I still have hopes that we can all return home together."

    Arioch addressed his knights to prepare them for whaty ahead, but Gabriel found his gaze drifting sideways, a pair of somewhat murky and uncertain eyesnding on two people. Alice was riding a bit away from him, chatting and asionally with the old knight Almanar. Three days had passed since they celebrated his first fight with a demon, and in those three days he found his eyes wandering more often than he liked.

    Alice also spent a bit more time with Almanar whenever they rode out, he could asionally hear them chuckle almost knowingly as they spoke. He recognized their expressions, the subtle tone of theirughs. Almanar was amused by something and Alice was grateful so she entertained him. As for exactly what they were amused by and grateful for¡­ He couldn¡¯t quite tell.

    He could understand it if she wanted to use Almanar to spy on Arioch and the Barong duchy and was grateful for what he could be used for, but she wasn¡¯t gathering things to ckmail him, she didn¡¯t study his family and their habits, didn¡¯t find what else he treasured so that she could use it against him. No, she simply chatted with him, there were even times where their expressions looked as if she was asking him for advice.

    "Prepare your weapons! From here on out, anyone who rxes risks the life of the man to their left!"

    Arioch¡¯s voice cut through the silent snowfall and tugged at Gabriel¡¯s mind. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the passage of time because he was looking at Alice and Almanar, but they had actually reached the edge of the mountain range. Hours had flown by just like that, it was as if someone had messed with his perception of time.

    Pheeew

    He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, emptying his lungs before he filled them again with the icy northern wind. When he opened his eyes again they had be perfectly clear, as cid as a windlesske. Getting distracted during idle time and letting his thoughts wander was one thing, doing so during a ¡®mission¡¯ was something else entirely.

    The mountain range was dangerous, deadly even. To go in there ande out alive with Alice and Teresa was his mission so he wouldn¡¯t let his thoughts drift because of other matters. Thus, he focused. Thus, his mind grew sharp.

    "I¡¯lle back for youter, boy, so stay silent until then."

    He hopped off his steed and gave its thick neck a few pats, the rest of the knights also dismounting. There was more than enough space for the horses within the mountain range, but bursting into action while riding them would take at least one or two seconds longer than they could afford so they would be left behind.

    The knights-in-training were left behind outside the mountains to take care of the steeds, only the sired knights would be entering the mountains. Well, now Caine and his entourage were added, as was Alice and her two attendants.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Alice spoke with Arioch about it as the steeds were led away. No, she simply brought along Gabriel and Teresa and followed after Arioch¡¯s group, who naturally formed a circle around them. A deal, he could tell. Somewhere earlier, probably prior to the expedition, back when he was still forced to rest, she struck another deal with Arioch without his knowledge.

    There was a slight pang on his ribs, like the soft knocking of someone trying to have their sibling open the door at night without alerting their parents. His mind drift for a moment thanks to it, but he quickly crushed it to retain his cold mind.

    The mountains around them were tall. Some looked like bent and jagged cliffs, others like tall and almost perfectly straight pirs, while others still looked more normal. But still, everything here was white, a barely discernible tinge of blue hidden beneath.

    Snow fell from the grey sky without pause and settled on thend, slid down the slopes and piled up beneath the mountains. asionally too much snow would gather on a mountain and the next bit of snow that slid down its side would cause an avncherge enough to block up valleys and swallow the smaller mountains. As a result, the only maps you could use within the mountain range were the kind that relied on the majorndmarks.

    "We have a base camp by Sawtooth Cliff, the smaller mountains around it are rather hollow so they¡¯re a good target for new beasts looking to settle or get some rest. Our goal today is to reach that camp and clear out at least one or two of the mountains."

    Arioch brought out exactly one such map as he spoke, one hand pointing towards a not-so-distant mountain that looked like a jagged and bent tooth that had several sections gouged out. Camps were basically a necessity here within the mountains, defensible locations they could retreat to where they would have a modicum of safety. Without them they would get attacked at night, their perimeter guards murdered before they got the chance to utter a final grunt.

    For a while, the sound of their feet trudging through snow was the only thing that could be heard, a soft crunch that somehow managed to feel far too loud. Gabriel felt the back of his neck prick with each step. He couldn¡¯t see them, but his instincts were telling him that there were living beings in the area. He could feel their gazes brush past him from time to time, predators observing what they thought of as prey. Looking at the asionally jumping shoulders of the knights around him he could guess that they were also feeling it.

    "Gabriel. I¡¯ll be taking care of Teresa while we¡¯re in here, I¡¯ll also be looking and preparing for something. You can just do what you want or feel that you need."

    Alice whispered to him as they got closer to the looming mountain, a certain warmth tinging her breath. Excitement, desire. She craved the thing she was looking for in these frozen mountains. But she hadn¡¯t told him, so what was it?

    Another knock on his ribs, another errant train of thought quickly crushed before it could take hold. The base camp Arioch spoke of, they could see it now.

    It was part of the mountain, sticking out like a wart. About 100 or 200 metres above ground, it was safe from most of the natural disasters that would change thendscape. It was painted white to blend in with the rest of thendscape, a few small windows just barely visible from below.

    "Follow me."

    Arioch brought them closer to the camp, guiding them towards a rocky spot at the base of the mountain. Some of the knights pushed aside arge boulder, revealing a tunnel that had been dug into the mountain, a steep set of stairs leading them up to the camp. The inside of the camp was¡­ cramped to say the least. It was made to hold 30 knights, giving the usual expeditions of 20 a bit of extra breathing room. But there were currently 48 people there so it was inevitably a bit fuller than most of them would like.

    "Emergency exits can be found over there, over there, over there, and there¡¯s two more entrances you can also use, one there and one here."

    But no oneined about how cramped it was as Arioch showed them the other entrances and the emergency exits. Being cramped in here was better than being scattered out there. The knights pulled out their gear and dropped what they didn¡¯t need, lugging along their bedrolls and the like from here on out would be needless encumbrance.

    "We may be more knights than usual, with some extraordinary outliers, but I will not split us up just for the sake of efficiency. We travel as one group, and anyone who needs to split for a moment must bring with them at least three others. We will take it slow, we will take it safe, and we will all go back home. Are we clear?"

    Arioch spoke with a solemn voice as the knights finished gearing up, now bringing along only their weapons and some utility items that could prove handy. With this, he¡¯d repeated himself a multitude of times over thest few days, but it just showed how highly he valued the lives of his knights.

    "Yes, My Lord."

    The knights responded in the same manner they always did, only this time they didn¡¯t shout or bang their hands against their armour. Then, following Arioch¡¯s lead, they swarmed out of the base camp and down to the ground, maintaining a neat formation as they headed for the closest other mountain.

    Said mountain was a lot smaller than Sawtooth mountain, barely even reaching above 100 metres. But it was wide, it almost looked like an overturned barrel as ity there. It also looked like honeb, a multitude of holes dotting its surface. The holes weren¡¯t uniform, be it in shape or size, so Gabriel guessed that they were formed by different beasts over the years that the mountain had stood.

    Here in the north, especially the furthest reaches of it, he was a fair bit blinder than usual. It couldn¡¯t be helped, he had gotten by with just relying on the knowledge of the show, but the north rarely ever came up in the show so he was limited in what he knew.

    "¡­I¡¯ll have to do more studying when we return."

    It was a w. If something went wrong because of hisck of information then it would all be on him. He couldn¡¯t allow something like that to get in the way of his new ¡®ambition¡¯ his desire. So he needed to rectify it. Find a mistake, crush it before it bes a problem. Nice and simple.

    "The inside of the mountain will be just as you¡¯d expect, a mess of tunnels, like an anthill. We could go in there to fight, but we don¡¯t know what has taken up residence so it¡¯ll be dangerous to trap ourselves like that. We also won¡¯t be able to use our numbers properly so we¡¯ll bait the monsters out here instead."

    Arioch exined the n as they arrived at the mountain. The knights naturally knew the n by heart at this point so he was really only exining it to Caine and Alice. It was a safe n, a sensible one. Sure, delving into the tunnels could give you the element of surprise, depending on what you were facing.

    But you could get lost, you could get surrounded, the tunnels could get copsed, depending on the width you could lost a lot of range for both attacking and moving. Delving into the tunnels would be foolish.

    "Charles, throw the bait."

    One of the knights moved forward when Arioch gave the signal, pulling a vial of blood from his pouch and throwing it into one of the entrances. The ss shattered, and a scent of blood far thicker than it had any right to be spread out.

    "Arais Vara."

    The knight, Charles, muttered a spell as the scent of blood spread, a bit of wind changing direction to blow the scent of blood deeper into the tunnels. Before long, faintly echoing sounds came from within the mountain.

    "Get ready."

    A pointless remark by Arioch, everyone was already standing at the ready with their weapons drawn, Gabriel had even cast his strengthening magic already. And then the denizens of the mountain showed themselves.

    "Blue-Tint Lizards. They live in groups and can control ice. You can consider them the same as an armoured knight. The tail is sharp, but doesn¡¯t contain any poison."

    Arioch spat out an exnation as the first creature showed itself. It looked like a tall lizard-man with a scorpion¡¯s tail, ayer of lightly blue scales covering its entire body. Thick limbs,rge hands and feet that ended in sharp ws, a maw that went ear to ear and was filled with dirty yellow teeth.

    The thing crouched like a monkey around the blood, eventually spotting Arioch¡¯s group. It opened its maw and let out a dull and deep rumbling sound, cutting itself short several times. Communicating, it was transmitting information to something else.

    And indeed, before long, more sounds came from within the mountain. More of the lizard-men appeared in the various openings, some of them already holding weapons made of ice. Gabriel couldn¡¯t see any ranged weapons among them, were their ws perhaps preventing them from properly utilising them? Or was it because they could control ice so they didn¡¯t think it necessary?

    The answer turned out to be thetter, the lizardsunching ice at them that fell down like hail. Meanwhile, the seemingly melee-focused lizards rushed ahead. The knights were ready so they immediately assumed their formation, a wall of fire shing across the sky to block the falling ice.

    As for the charging lizards, they were met with a coordinated chain of attacks that cycled through the various elements in a harmonious tune. Those that managed to survive the almost relentless barrage and actually reach the knights¡­ Well they were already mostly dead so finishing them was easy.

    With the first charge of the lizard¡¯s taken care of, some of the knights turned their attention to the ranged ones that had yet to move, altering their spells. From the look of things, all the knights Arioch had brought along were capable of using magic. But still, it didn¡¯t seem as if Gabriel and Caine would get to just sit back and do nothing.

    "Beneath us. More than a few too. They probably used their control over ice to expand the tunnels, must have been looking to build a territory here."

    Caine¡¯s gaze was slightly lowered, his eyes seemingly piercing through the snow and ice beneath them. His hand moved and a thin gash appeared in front of him, a dull and pained growling from below.

    Gabriel felt the ground tremble for a moment before new holes opened in it, the lizard-men popping up like moles. Their expressions, if they could even be called that, looked a bit twisted and vicious, they probably weren¡¯t expecting to get attacked while still below their target.

    Well, they still looked as if they felt good about their odds. Alice and Caine¡¯s groups were at the centre of the formation, so popping out here was the same as arriving at the back of their enemies. Well, at first nce at least. Some would say that they hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

    Swish

    Caine swung his hand again and three of the lizard-men lost their heads, a small cut forming on the barrel-shaped mountain beyond them. The ¡®sword¡¯ part of his Unique magic, which always came as both a ¡®sword¡¯ and a ¡®shield¡¯. In essence, it was the ability to cut what he wanted. In this world, he was the sharpest de.

    "Hmm, humanoids¡­"

    Gabriel didn¡¯tunch an immediate attack despite the two lizard-men that were aiming at him. He was studying their bodies, their scales, their muscles. Study, observe, examine. Find the weakness to strike and then abuse it as much as you could.

    "Let¡¯s start with a knight."

    He spoke to himself, or perhaps the enemy, as the first lizard-man struck at him. His sword rose and blocked the chunk of ice that fell towards him, a tilt of his wrist deflecting it to the side. He allowed his tilt to morph into a diagonal downwards sh until it struck the lizard¡¯s arm, where he tilted it again.

    He allowed his weapon to slide along the scales, which felt a bit harder than steel at first nce, until he reached its elbow. He pulled back his de slightly and then stabbed it to the side, piercing through the elbow with a quick move.

    As expected, just like with a knight, the scales on the elbow were a bit softer to allow for smooth movements. The lizard let out a growled pain, Gabriel drawing his sword back so that it cut open the forearm of the lizard. He spun slightly as he cut, the de that eventually left the lizard¡¯s arm meeting an ice-covered fist that tried to strike him from behind.

    The sword cut through both ice, scales, and knuckles in a smooth movement and cut open another forearm. Their scales were thick and strong, but it couldn¡¯t resist Gabriel¡¯s de after he cast strengthening magic.

    No, he didn¡¯t need to aim for weak spots, he only did it so that he could know more about this race for the future. And he kept doing just that. He finished his spin and grabbed the arm he just cut, pulling the beast forward while angling his de.

    The tip found its way to the back of its knee, and as expected, the scales there were weaker than the rest so it easily pierced through. Well, it would have gone through easily anyway, he was just basing his observation on the slight sensation that came back to his hand through his tool.

    The lizard fell to its knee after its leg was taken out, its pained growl cut short by Gabriel¡¯s hand grabbing its mouth. Its teeth shattered when they met his armour, a pair of cid violet eyes bing its final sight in life.

    He put strength in his arm and gave it a tug, twisting the head of the lizard-man until he heard a nice and familiar crack. The beast spasmed and then fell to the ground lifeless, a bit of light pink foam bubbling out of its open mouth.

    Necks were still a weakness, and cracking it would result in a fate simr to that of a human. Good to know.

    He turned his gaze slightly, the lizard-man that had gotten its forearm cut open was already turned and fleeing for its hole. Intelligent enough to know when to flee, also good to know.

    "Katush, Veras Motak Hui Vara." (Water, Harden Heat and Move)

    The formation was formed and a bit of water formed in front of him, hardening into a ball that wasunched forward. It smashed into the lizard-man¡¯s spine at full speed, a crack sounding before the beast fell forward. It twitched on the ground, but it seemed incapable of moving its body as it pleased. Spine still very much integral to movement, good.

    He strode over and finished the job with a quick stab. Despite the strange appearance, they were very much like armoured knights when it came to how to handle them.

    He peered into the hole that they came from and saw quite a few more rushing about down below, the tunnels quickly expanding. Fleeing? Or setting up new traps from which they could burst? Alice also came over to take a look while Gabriel was musing to himself, but her gaze grew sharp for a moment, a brilliant light surfacing in her pupils as she looked down. A sweet smile formed on her lips as she maintained her lowered gaze. She made a simple request, and was swiftly met by an equally simple answer.

    "Gabriel, can you bury them?"

    "As you wish, my Lady."

 Chapter 56: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (5)

    Chapter 56: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (5)

    "Fen, Quetz, I entrust my Lady to you for a moment."

    Gabriel spoke to Alice¡¯s two spirits as he took a few steps away from the holes that the lizard-men had made to sneak into their midst. Fen and Quetz naturally didn¡¯t need such a reminder, already sticking close to Alice, and by extension Teresa.

    He cast a nce at Caine for a moment, but there was no way he would need any help. The rest of the knights were also managing just fine, even with the lizard-men starting to pop up from below them. Well, it wasn¡¯t their first venture into the mountains so they were probably used to adapting to unexpected situations.

    "Alright then, my Lady, please give me a moment."

    He stepped back further with a small bow, counting his steps and calcting the distance. He once again nced at the knights, calcting the distance for a moment before Alice cut his thoughts off and put him at ease.

    "I¡¯ll warn the others, so just do it as you please."

    Alright, if she was going to handle the others then that would make things simpler. He stopped stepping back and just crouched down instead, cing both his hands on the cold snow that had been so pressed down that it was almost like stone. Judging by how deep the tunnels were, he would need a bit of distance to bury them. Great distance, great mass, great amounts of movement, using both hands would make it easier to focus and control it.

    "Katush, Motak Tarman Hui Veras." (Water, Heat Gather and Move.)

    The magic flowed as his fingers traced the dense snow, creating a formation of messy lines. The magic was quicklypleted, but the surface showed no signs of change, not even a drop of water seemed to exist on this frozen waste. But still, his arms started to move.

    The magic formation in the snow was erased as he slid his hands across the snow, erratic lines forming as he pushed the snow about. He was like a conductor directing his orchestra, mana flowing with his every move, sinking into the earth and vanishing into the depths.

    "Okay everyone, it¡¯s going to get a bit messy after a little while so pleas be ready. When I say now, please jump into the air and have your magic users keep you afloat while you move to the sides. It would be terrible if you got caught up in it."

    Alice¡¯s voice reached him as he worked. She was warning the others, but he could feel her gaze linger on him, it felt like fire as it burnt the back of his neck. His gaze asionally drifted towards her recently, but it almost seemed as if this Lady of his never stopped looking at him. Well. With her looking he felt that he couldn¡¯t disappoint, thinking about the face she would make in that situation made another knock on his ribs sound out.

    "Karas, Sarash." (Darkness, Swallow."

    His right arm stopped moving and formed a new magic formation before it started to move again, tracing grooves in the snow. Word-wise, the Karas spell was a lot smaller than the Katush spell, but Gabriel always found that spells belonging to the Divine Star seemed to drain more of his mana. Thus, this one actually ended up draining a bit more than the first spell.

    As his hands moved, he heard the sound of crunching snow and subdued growls. He could feel the three lizard-men that had made new holes in the ground and were charging at him, weapons already held high. But his hands didn¡¯t stop moving. He could feel it. Below. Cracking and crumbling, a rumbling no one could hear. Perhaps the lizard-men felt it too, perhaps they feared.

    Crack

    There was a crunch from behind him, a cold stter hitting the back of his head. He could feel Fen¡¯s gaze on him, a snarl hanging in the air. The lizard-men behind him were probably reduced to a pulp by now, snatched up by the beast¡¯s ¡®Jaw¡¯. Gravity, one of the two domains that Fenrir reigned over.

    Another sound of crunching snow came from around him, but a light swish cut through the air before Fenrir could even move. Gabriel heard the sound of heads hitting the ground as bodies copsed, Caine was looking at him. His gaze felt inquisitive, curious as to what he was doing.

    Well, be as curious as you want, it was time to unveil it.

    "My Lady. It¡¯s done."

    His hands rose from the snow as he spoke, smoke-like violet-ck mana trailing by his fingertips before dissipating with the wind.

    "Okay, Gabriel. Please, bury them."

    A sweet and soft voice was returned to him, a whisper that dug into his skull, like the devil seducing its victim. Such a simple request. Thus, he raised his right leg.

    "Waraya."

    A Simple spell. A single word. Strength, nothing more, that was all he needed.

    "Waraya."

    He cast it again just to be sure, stacking strength upon strength as a pinhole-sized light shed in the depths of his pupils.

    "Alright, everyone. Now!"

    Alice called out the order and moved at the same time. Quetz curled up so that Alice could step on her tail while holding on to her head, Fen hovering next to her as Quetz pped her wings and took to the skies. The knights all jumped because Arioch told them to follow the order, and Gabriel brought down his foot.

    RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    A rumble unlike any other. A cracking and a crumbling as if the earth was heaving like the ocean. Cracks spread out from around Gabriel¡¯s foot, markings akin to a spiderweb spreading all around him. And then the ground copsed.

    It started at the centre, right around Gabriel. A pit directly beneath him, jagged edges like the maw of a beast. And then it spread out as gravity did the rest of the work, tugging at the edges and dragging everything down into the depths.

    A mere handful of seconds after he stomped, a sinkhole about 100-metres in diameter had formed around him, a bit of wind from Quetz keeping him airborne. The tunnels made by the lizard-men had been torn apart. The earth, ice, and snow from above had crashed down on them and pushed it all down into the cavern that had appeared beneath them.

    A deep pool of water and gravel was now resting at the bottom of the sinkhole, mangled corpses buried within the mess. In one fell swoop, everything beneath them had been buried and crushed.

    The theory was simple, really. The water warmed up enough to melt the ice that gathered beneath them, and then Gabriel just needed to move it about, digging out ice and earth as the water crushed about. He used a bit of darkness to speed it up, creating a new cavern beneath the tunnels. Then, he just needed to apply a bit of force and let gravity do the rest of the work.

    "This¡­?"

    While he was hovering there, the first voice that reached Gabriel was actually Caine¡¯s, not Alice¡¯s. He raised his head slightly but saw that Caine wasn¡¯t actually looking at him but rather past him, beyond even the mess down below. Alice was also looking in a simr direction so he turned his head again.

    When he focused his gaze he could see something at the edges of the sinkhole. Crimson lines marred the edges of the pool that had formed, and between some of the rubble that had formed he could see that the lines continued along the bottom of the sinkhole. Well, rather than say they the lines existed at the bottom of the sinkhole, it felt more correct to say that the sinkhole was only that deep because the lines stopped it from sinking further.

    "How¡­ Is this here?"

    The words seemed to leak from Caine¡¯s mouth without his notice, his eyes swimming with confusion. Alice however looked at the markings with a bit of glee, Teresa with hardened determination, Arioch¡¯s expression more one of amazement. From the looks of it, Gabriel was the only one among them who was unaware of what this was.

    "Iras, Devak." (Lightning, Burst."

    Alice didn¡¯t waste a second, didn¡¯t give anyone time to react, her magic activated instantly. Lightning fell from the cloudy sky and struck the pool and debris, tearing through it as it erupt in a crackle of sparks.

    "Iras, Devak."

    "Iras, Devak."

    "Iras, Devak."

    Alice had seemingly already prepared the spells in advance. While the first crackle of lightning was still fresh in their ears, three more fell from the sky and ruptured the pool and rubble in the sinkhole. Everything was blown away in an instant, revealing the fresh crimson lines that stretched across the entire bottom of the sinkhole. From the looks of it, they even seemed to continue further, vanishing into the ancient cial walls.

    "Alice, you have to¡­!"

    Caine sprung into action, cing himself above the sinkhole with his hands spread out, colour already leaving his face. No, he couldn¡¯t allow this. He had no idea why the seal was here when it should only be at the very depths of the mountain range, but he couldn¡¯t allow Alice to touch it further, even if it may just be fake. That thing¡­ If she awakened any part of that thing without Azuras here to swallow it¡­ How many of them would be able to walk out of here alive?

    "Iras, Tarman Hui Devak." (Lightning, Gather and Burst.)

    Caine¡¯s voice was drowned out by Alicepleting her spell, his plea never reaching anyone¡¯s ears. The lightning that had struck down and exploded, dancing across the water and ice, all gathered again and exploded into a pir that shot into the sky.

    ¡­And thus, Barong swallowed Azui and left him in his crimson-lined stomach until the time Irases along to finalize hisst rites.

    Thus ended the legend about the creation of this cial expanse, the ancient beast that would be the progenitor of the northern duchy swallowing the demon blessed with the name of Ice. In its stomach it would rest until Iras (Lightning) came along to grant it that eternal rest.

    Alice looked at the white dust that rose after her lightning exploded, her eyes naturally drifting towards the man she kept afloat a bit below her. The time to fulfil that legend hade, but the one who would give that dead demon its final rites wouldn¡¯t be Iras, it would be Gabriel. And in the process, he would be that much more powerful.

    RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGRRRRRGRRRRRGGGGRRR

    A terrible sound came from within the white dust, a rumbling akin to the air getting torn apart. Deeper than the rumbling of thunder, heavier than the stomp that finalised the sinkhole, colder than the winds that whipped thisnd.

    Rising from the dust was a w. Just a w. Detached at the wrist, it stood there, sharp nails piercing into snow as if it was jelly. Pale white scales covered it, deep blue veins running across every inch of it, a cold mist oozing out from every scale. It looked far more draconic than human, but it had nine long talons, there were even eightrge eyes blinking on it, peach-coloured eyes with slit pupils looking up at them. It was just a w, yet it filled most of the sinkhole, none who saw it would want to think about what sort of beast it came from.

    "A w¡­ Just a w¡­ With this¡­"

    Caine muttered to himself in a quiet voice, partly in relief, as he looked down at the thing that rose after the crimson lines faded. A w¡­ The seal he kept checking on was supposed to be the heart, could that mean that the entire thing was sealed here, just in parts? But good¡­ A w should be doable, they should be able to survive a w.

    "Stop dawdling!"

    A shout, or perhaps a roar was more fitting, tore through the stunned silence that followed the w¡¯s arrival. Gabriel. He was the first to react, the first to sense the horrifying danger that thing posed. And thus, he was the first to act.

    "Karas, Tarman Veras!" (Darkness, Gather Harden.)

    Darkness bubbled into existence in front of and beneath Alice, who still looked stunned. It solidified and kept gathering into a thick wall before suddenly bursting, something flying past Alice. A shard of ice, barelyrger than a normal nail. Several of them had flown up from below and torn clean through the wall Gabriel made, he barely managed to redirect them so that they missed Alice.

    "Argh!"

    "AAAHHH!"

    Others weren¡¯t as lucky. Gabriel could hear the screams as some of the knights were run through by the nails, their screams quickly silenced as their bodies became chunks of ice that fell to the ground. Death had arrived, but Gabriel had no time to pay it any mind. Alice was in danger, he had to act.

    "Karas, Aset!" (Darkness, Switch.)

    He switched ces with the wall of darkness that had been run clean through. Seven spells left if he kept being this generous with his mana. The darkness that appeared where he was previously was freezing, just like the bodies of the knights.

    "Alice, we need to leave, now!"

    There were others around, but this wasn¡¯t a time to worry about whether or not he addressed her properly. His instincts were screaming at him that the thing below was dangerous, they had to get away from it.

    "It¡­ It was supposed to be dead¡­"

    Alice still looked momentarily out of it. From the looks of it, she had known that this thing, this seal, was here within the mountain. Was she expecting a dead demon to be residing within it?

    "Fen, take care of Teresa! Quetz, Stick close to Alice! Arioch, we need to retreat, now! Caine, stop dawdling already!"

    Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about what she had been nning or expecting, now was the time to act so he quickly called out orders to everyone around.

    "Karas! Vash, Lagu Hui Veras!" (Darkness! Whip, Bind and Harden.)

    The darkness bubbled forth again andshed out like an angry octopus, tendrils wrapping around the quietly moving fingers of the w before they dug into the ground and hardened to be chains. Six spells left. Two of the eight eyes focused on Gabriel, a terrible sensation filling his chest as he quickly pushed Alice aside.

    "Karas, Aset!" (Darkness, Switch.)

    Small nails of ice shot through the air where he had just been, freezing the darkness that popped up to take his ce. five spells left. Sadly, the ce he appeared wasn¡¯t opportune, directly beneath the w. He could only change ces with darkness he had created through his spells, teleporting to other shadows and the like was a much higher level spell.

    "Katush, Alect Hui Devak!" (Water, Rise and Burst.)

    "Waraya, Alect, Alect, Alect!" (Strength, Rise, Rise, Rise.)

    He had to make the best of a bad situation so the grabbed his sword as he cast the spells, the water that remained within the pool rising like a geyser, the water instantly freezing as it touched the w. Three spells left. The w was pushed down slightly so it seemed as if the people above were properly reacting now andunching their own attacks.

    He held his sword tightly and swung it sideways, he was beneath the w so he couldn¡¯t get ess to one of its eyes from here. Thus, he aimed for the nearest talon so that he could sever at least one of them.

    Cra~ng.

    A mix between cracking and nking. His sword dug a few centimetres into the talon before it came to an abrupt halt, a crack spreading across the de. Really, even with that much strength put into it.

    Something heavy hit the w as he pulled back his de, its joints bending as arcs of lightning scattered through the surrounding. It was getting heavier and heavier so Fen was probably working with Alice to crush it. There was also heat from below, so he could tell what she was trying to do.

    "Karas, Aset!"

    Two spells left. He vanished from beneath the w, switching ces with what little of his darkness that had yet to freeze after the previous attack. As he vanished, the ground beneath and around the w melted and ruptured, magma pouring out to drown the w.

    Alice, the one who cast the spell, wasn¡¯t next to him as he appeared there, already falling since he couldn¡¯t fly. She had moved a bit to the side, probably so that she could get a better look at his position before she unleashed theva.

    Arioch and the knights had moved to the edges of the sinkhole, it would be too hard for them to do anything if their wind mages had to keep them in the air. Fen had brought Teresa away, but she had brought out a lot of vials and was already using her magic on them. Poison, she had prepared plenty of it, and now she would use it. As fro Caine and his attendants, he had sent his attendants to Arioch while he remained standing in the air where he was. He already held his sword and was swinging it ceaselessly, slicing up the pool ofva beneath them with a tense and pale face.

    He didn¡¯t seem to think that this would be enough to stop the w, and neither did Gabriel as Alice had Quetz use a bit of wind to keep him afloat. And indeed, the wunched itself out of the magma.

    Five out of the eight eyes were focused on Gabriel as it soared into the sky, the icy mist around it freezing even the air into sharp nails it couldunch. The attack flew as quick as lightning, Caine quickly rushing over while Aliceunched her own magic. It was focusing on Gabriel so luckily they only had one ce to defend.

    But the moment they cast their magic, Gabriel saw the w¡¯s eyes move. In an instant, they all focused on Alice. The w kicked off the air as if it was solid andunched itself towards Alice, its attack still flying towards Gabriel, who was being defended by Caine and Alice¡¯s own attacks. As a result, Alice was left undefended, only Quetz at her side because Fen was a bit away with Teresa.

    The w bent one of its talons. Was it not able to use its ice to attack again within such a short duration? Or was it just confident? Whatever the case was, having experienced how hard the talons were, Gabriel knew that getting hit by that would be bad news, terrible even.

    He could see it, he didn¡¯t even need to close his eyes to envision it. Violet hair dyed red, crimson eyes that became murky and cloudy, sshes of crimson that dyed the snow. He saw it, he felt the knocking on his chest. And thus, he acted. Faster than anyone else, more assuredly than anyone else, more determined than anyone else.

    "Karas, Takt." (Darkness, Mask.)

    One spell left. Darkness welled up around Alice and Quetz, bubbling like tar as it surrounded her and blocked her away from the world. Held her as tight as only he could. But it wasn¡¯t enough, the w, its talon already rushing forward, would be able to tear right through that darkness.

    "Karas, Aset." (Darkness, Switch.)

    No spells left. Gabriel vanished from his spot and appeared where Alice used to be, and the darkness covered Alice appeared where he used to be. As the darkness faded from her body, a few tendrils slithered out from it, coiling around her.

    "Nergal! Not a hair on her body, understood!?"

    An order tore through the air as Gabriel looked at Alice with bloodshot eyes. Nergal, that cute little spirit of his. He could form darkness, but Gabriel couldn¡¯t switch spaces with that darkness, nor could Nergal switch ces with his own darkness. He was still young, still weak. He hadn¡¯t eaten enough.

    The tendril wriggled for a moment, and then the w struck Gabriel. He raised his sword to block it, but the cracked de shattered under the attack, his armour quickly following suit as he was flung away like a broken doll.

    Something hard hit him. Or did he hit something hard? Was it the ground? Yeah, the w had struck him so hard that he shot down to the ground like a cannonball, bouncing along it like a doll whose strings had been cut. As he bounced, his gaze turned skyward for a second. And for a moment, one that felt like eternity, he could see the sky.

    1,100,067,989.

    Again, the number there had risen, climbing back to 1.1 billion.

    Ah, are you enjoying this, you twisted viewers? Would you not be happy until the viiness was miserable and lost?

    The thought had just struck him when he felt darkness descend on him, the world around him vanishing as he sank into the void.

    "Hello, *^*^**#%."

    A voice in the darkness. It greeted him, but the second word it tried to speak, that name¡­ It sounded like rusty metal tes grinding against each other. It tore at his head. He didn¡¯t know when, but a familiar figure had appeared in front of him at some point, standing in the darkness as it looked at him.

    A tall and muscr frame with a slightly bent back. ck hair and brown eyes that were as normal as they came, as dull as they came. Arge scar went down across its left eye, going from its forehead all the way down to its mangled upper lip, its gums and teeth practically fully exposed. It wore a familiar uniform, his old death squad, its arms crossed in front of its chest, a measly seven fingers remaining on its hands.

    "We¡¯ve been waiting for you."

    Thus it spoke to him, to himself.

 Chapter 57: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (6)

    Chapter 57: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (6)

    Gabriel looked at the figure, the reflection that no longer fit. The situation was strange, bizarre even. Thus, his mind cooled. To figure things out a bit faster, to understand his current state before he made his next move.

    He stood up? Sat up? A second ago he had been bouncing across snow and ice yet now he felt entirely weightless so he honestly had no clue what the correct direction was. The figure remained in front of him even as he moved, at first it seemed to float above him but now it seemed to stand in front of him, wearing a ruined face that made it hard to discern any of its emotions.

    Gabriel checked his surroundings rather than reply to the figure, but the darkness around him seemed almost like a box. He couldn¡¯t tell how far it went in any direction, at a nce it looked as if he shouldn¡¯t even be able to stretch his arms.

    But still, there was a bit of light within the ¡®box¡¯. A square just hung there, radiating some light and colours. His feet were able to move, or at least it felt like it, so he could walk over to it, the figure finally leaving his vision. What greeted him beyond the square screen was the outside world, the frozen mountains. But he could see his own body bounce along the ice and snow so it clearly wasn¡¯t from his own perspective. He tapped the screen with a finger but it felt like cold steel so it didn¡¯t seem to serve as an exit.

    "You know, *^?"%/(), we¡¯re pretty sure Alice gave you that covenant so that you would stop risking your life like that."

    The voice spoke to him again, another horrible grinding sound assaulting his senses. Saying it came from right behind him would be a bit wrong, it felt like it came from all around him, reverberating in his very bones. He gave the screen a few light punches just to check, but it still didn¡¯t budge so he turned his head slightly.

    "It wasn¡¯t a risk."

    Sure, he acted rather impulsively when he swapped ces with Alice, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was doing it thoughtlessly. He did the math, he realized the various possible oues, thus he was confident that he knew what was likely to happen.

    "I had my sword, I had my armour, I had a strong body tempered by training, and I had severalyers of strengthening magic still applied. There was at least a 90% chance of me surviving that attack. Granted, Alice would also survive it, but it would only be because Quetz would take most of the hit, most likely dying in the process. Me taking it was the better oue."

    Sure, Alice had her own armour and the Vritara bloodline, but thosebined wouldn¡¯t be enough to take the hit. Quetz would realise this and help her with all her might, but the suddenness of the attack would leave her with very little time to formte a response. By his calctions, there was a 80% chance of Quetz dying to protect Alice.

    "She doesn¡¯t seem to think so, =%¡è/"#&."

    The figure raised its arm and pointed back to the screen, Gabriel¡¯s focus drawn towards it. The outside world was still moving as he was talking, by now it seemed as if his bouncing had stopped. Alice had reached his body while he was turned away, her face a mess of tears that froze before they even fell from her chin.

    Thump

    A knock in his chest. Not on his ribs this time, no this time it actually felt like a knock in his chest, like someone flicked his heart. He had been prepared for her to be angry¡­ but tears¡­

    He suddenly felt the urge to just hit that screen so that he could shatter it and leave this ce. But the box remained tight.

    "She¡¯d be even sadder if Quetz died. Between losing Quetz and me getting a bit hurt for a little while, it¡¯s obvious which one is worse if you look at it properly. She¡¯ll understand."

    He spat out the words almost like a heavy breath, turning his gaze away from the screen. There was a churning in his stomach as he spoke, and the knocks in his chest wouldn¡¯t stop. He couldn¡¯t keep looking at the screen¡­ couldn¡¯t help but exin himself.

    "You know what your problem is, ("!(#)=? You never stop looking at yourself as the page."

    The remaining lower lip of the figure seemed to turn up as it looked at him, grated him. The look in its eyes gave Gabriel the chills, it felt as if it was seeing straight through him.

    "The page is a tool. The world unfurls atop it, but the page never gets to interact with it, never bes a part of it. It¡¯s just a tool to move the world along. Thus, while it carries the world from start to end, the page will never be able to understand the world or those that reside in it, never be able to interact with it or its words. That was you, ("))#=, a page, a tool."

    It kept grating at him, grinding metal in his ears and bones as it spoke to him, seemingly trying to utter his name. A tool. Such was the nature that Gabriel once carried, but while he would use a dagger as aparison, the figure used a page.

    "But you¡¯re no longer a page, /!"!()^*. You¡¯re one of the words written on it, a character in the world. So just as the world has an influence on you, so too do you have an influence on the world. Look at it, ??#"(", look at the world you influenced."

    The figure seemed to hover closer with each word, a hand drifting past Gabriel and lightly touching the screen. He saw the colours shift from the corner of his eyes so his gaze couldn¡¯t help but be drawn towards it again. But when he saw the flickering images on the screen, he wished that he hadn¡¯t.

    It was pandemonium. Alice, Caine, Teresa, and Arioch were fleeing from the mountains as quickly as they could. Arioch was missing an arm and Teresa was caked with blood, Alice was holding Gabriel''s¡¯ body, which seemed to be entirely frozen. The w was hot on their tail, having lost five eyes and six of its talons. It looked as if it was about to fall over, but neither of them had the strength left to finish it so they could only flee.

    They fled to the knights-in-training and warned them, but the w slowly but surely caught up with all of them as well, eviscerating them. Then they fled back to the Barong estate, the w naturally following them. It tore at the estate and killed many, but the knights there were able to kill it in the end.

    But the screen didn¡¯t stop there, the world kept moving. Caine made it clear that Alice was the one who unleashed the w so she had to bear the me for the lost lives. Too many families had been broken, someone had to bear the sin for it, even if it was just to appease those that were left behind.

    But when they captured her¡­ Alice didn¡¯t even seem to notice it. Her gaze was so empty that it didn¡¯t even reflect anything. She was disowned by the family and publicly shamed and sentenced, thrown into a cell to await her final fate.

    When she was finally all alone in the darkness, she cried. With utter horror and immense panic, she surveyed her surroundings but couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for. She started to w at the walls and the metal door, a voice hoarse from how it tore at her throat.

    "Gabriel!? Where¡¯s Gabriel?! Please, let me see, Gabriel, please!"

    Her fists mmed against the metal until skin tore and bones creaked.

    "Fen?! Fen, bring me Gabriel! Quetz, Quetz, please bring him!"

    She begged, wed at the back of her hands. But her spirits were sealed away by the artifact of the Imperial Family so they wouldn¡¯t answer her call. So she could only keep begging, throwing herself against the metal door until she crumpled to the floor as a bloody mess.

    "Gabriel¡­ Please¡­ I just want to see him¡­"

    There was no one to respond to her words, they just echoed within the empty darkness that was now her home.

    The screen kept flickering,nding on a tform that seemed to have been built in the Barong duchy. Alice was brought onto it, arms and legs shackled, clothes ragged and body worn. She looked so thin and torn, as if she hadn¡¯t eaten for weeks. She didn¡¯t even struggle, she just looked empty as they forced her to her knees.

    Someone walked next to her and started to address the crowd beneath the stage, but the words didn¡¯t seem toe through the screen this time. They talked for a while before they seemed to raise a weapon. Alice¡¯s gaze finally rose, seemingly looking straight at the screen. But Gabriel could see the thing reflected in her gaze, a frozen body, probably kept alive just so that she could have a public punishment like this.

    A bit of light finally surfaced in her eyes, a smile creeping up on her face. But then the de fell, and so too did she. And yet, the world just kept moving.

    "That¡¯s one of them, =#)^*^_¡è, but there¡¯s more. Just look."

    The figure spoke, its voice so close to his ears that it felt as if it came from within his own head. The finger touched the screen again and the world that kept moving vanished. The frozen mountains returned, the sight of Alice crying next to his body.

    This time he woke up and she hugged him while crying. She seemed to apologise, but he couldn¡¯t hear her words, she just kept crying. They got up due to the w attacking them and fought back, but things weren¡¯t looking good because Gabriel was all out of mana.

    Eventually, Alice was once again the target of its violent attacks, and Gabriel once again moved to defend her. But this time there was no armour, no magic, no sword. He was struck, and he died. And as he fell, so too did Alice fall. And the world kept moving.

    "There¡¯s still more, /(!(*)"

    The figure just kept grating him, touching the screen as it rewound the screen back to the frozen mountains. This time, Gabriel didn¡¯t wake up again and pandemonium arrived again as they fled. The w killed, and was then killed by the knights of Barong. Alice took the me again, but this time they didn¡¯t keep the frozen body of Gabriel alive so she passed away in her cell, quietly begging for him.

    "And more."

    Back to the frozen mountains. He woke up, they fled from the w before it got too bad and let the knights of Barong kill it after it chased them. None of them had to bear too much me so they went back to their normal lives. Gabriel kept taking missions for Alice, kept taking risks. And one day he just died taking one such risk, so she followed him to the grave.

    "And more."

    Back to the mountains. They fled before the damage became too bad, and the w retreated into the mountains. Life returned to normal as Gabriel kept helping Alice, all attempts at finding and subduing the w proving ineffective. And then, one day, a monstrous beast broke the mountain range. The Barong duchy fell almost instantly, reduced to a pile of cial statues. Before long, it moved down across the rest of the Earhart empire, forcing everyone to flee.

    But eventually, there was nowhere else to flee. The gargantuan beast froze everything, even the oceans, and ice was thest thing the two saw.

    "And more."

    Back to the mountains. They fled after killing the w this time, sacrificing most of the men in the process. No one had to bear too much me because it was resolved early so they returned to a somewhat normal rhythm. The screen flickered, time passed. Alice had hering of age ceremony and got her noble title, proposals pouring in. Eventually, the Vritara family and the Imperial family got together and decided on a partner for her.

    Naturally, Alice rebelled against it. They kept insisting, she kept rebelling. Eventually, it escted because Gabriel did as she asked and killed the groom. It kept escting as they fled, and in the end they became enemies of the empire. They fled as far as they could, but Caine and the empire were always hot on their heels. In the end, more than half of the empire ended up in ruins before they were finally caught and killed. And then, the world kept on moving.

    "And more."

    Back to the mountain range. Everything repeated like in the previous version, but this time they didn¡¯t flee the empire. Gabriel convinced Alice that this marriage was the best way to im the title of duchess, and with dead eyes, she epted. She got married to a Marquess and Gabriel kept serving as her knight. The screen flickered, time passed.

    For years he stuck by her side as her knight, moved to fulfil the original goal. She had children to fulfil her obligation as a wife, but the dead way she looked at them made the knocking in Gabriel¡¯s chest worse. And in the end, he was sessful. They took over the Vritara duchy and Alice became the Duchess, strong enough to look down on everyone.

    She was surrounded by her husband and their children, people they had met over the years together, and Gabriel lingered in the darkness away from them. But even as she took that throne¡­ her eyes were dead. Gabriel felt his chest tighten because of those eyes. She was surrounded by ¡®family¡¯ and ¡®friends¡¯ yet she looked so miserable that he wanted tofort her like he did back when they were children.

    "Move¡­"

    The words fell from his mouth subconsciously, but the Gabriel in the screen didn¡¯t move. He simply watched from a distance and then kept going on missions, the expression on his face far too simr to the one that the figure behind Gabriel wore.

    "There¡¯s always more, =#(*^!%, always."

    The figure grated him again and moved its arm, the screen reverting to the frozen mountains. But when it was about to touch it once more, Gabriel¡¯s arm finally rose and clutched its wrist.

    "What exactly are you trying to achieve by showing me a bunch of illusions?"

    It didn¡¯t struggle to escape him, it simply looked at him with that inscrutable, almost empty, expression as he locked eyes with it.

 Chapter 58: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (7)

    Chapter 58: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (7)

    "What exactly are you trying to achieve by showing me a bunch of illusions?"

    Gabriel¡¯s voice sounded rough, even to him. But the way it felt in his throat¡­ it was like fire was trying to escape his lungs. If those illusions were all supposed to be possible futures then he would have to spit on this figure. As if he would allow such shitty futures to even appear in Alice¡¯s nightmares.

    "We¡¯re just trying to make a self-proimed page understand what it means to be a character, ?#=¡è#%, a true and whole one. You can no longer remove yourself from the story, so start thinking about the things you don¡¯t understand. The knocking, the anger, the sadness, the desire. Think about it, understand it."

    The figure¡¯s wrist vanished from Gabriel¡¯s grasp after it spoke. It didn¡¯t slip out, it just seemed to vanish, as if it had never been there to begin with. Its gaze slid back to the screen, the image reflecting in its eyes.

    "And you can call it illusions all you like, but they¡¯re all possibilities. Each one of them can be real, and with everything we¡¯ve seen, we¡¯ve be excellent at judging which ones are the likeliest ones. Tell us, ?#(!"!(^*, do you want us to tell you which is the most likeliest to be reality? We can show you, all you need to do is ask us. The future that maye, the futures that hade, the futures that will now nevere¡­ Ask us, ?¡è"(/!&, ask us to show you."

    The reverberating voice became almost seductive as it bounced around within the darkness, within him. The figure¡¯s finger was already back to tracing the screen, images flickering past it. The empire burning, Alice falling in love with Caine, the Crown Princess killing Alice, Caine killing Alice, Alice ending her own life. Things he remembered from the show, things he had never seen before, they flickered past the screen with each blink, seemingly searing themselves into his retinas.

    "You¡¯re looking, "&"/¡ì/!"), are you interested? We can show you everything."

    The voice kept talking, probably because it saw that Gabriel kept looking at the flickering screen. But honestly, the voice barely registered in his mind at this time. True, he kept looking at the flickering scenes. No, it was more correct to say that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of it.

    Death, tears. Death, tears. Death, tears. Rejection, tears. Life, tears. Every time Alice shed by the screen, she was crying. When she died, she cried. When she lived, she cried. The face, the colours that had started to dye his world, it was always painted with tears when he saw it in that screen.

    Another knock in his chest.

    He felt it as he looked at her in the screen. The Alice in this life was leagues better than the one from the show. She was happier, she smiled more, sheughed more. That pitiful viiness that kept shing by the screen, the pitiful viiness that showed up in all those illusions this thing was trying to show him¡­ His Alice was leagues better.

    "If that there is what you¡¯re trying to show me, then you can just skip it. It¡¯s all worthless."

    Worthless. Everyst image that flickered across that screen was worthless to him. Since he woke up in this world, he¡¯d done everything in his power to ensure that Alice ended up happy. He wanted to see her happy, he wanted her to smile brightly. There was no worth in looking at such miserable illusions.

    "Is that what you think, *^*^"¡è%? Why is that? How can you decide that its all worthless?"

    The figure just kept talking to him, the name that fell from its lips nking around in his ears until it gave him a headache. Ah, he was getting really tired of listening to it. He wanted to see Alice, he had to show her that he was fine so that she didn¡¯t start cr¡­ cried too much.

    "Aren¡¯t you the one who spoke of desire earlier? And since you keep showing me scenes of her, you must be aware of it too, right? I want her to be happy, so any future you show me, possible or not, if she¡¯s crying then its worthless."

    Gabriel could feel it. That thing knew him. The gaze that pierced him, the things it showed him, the way it spoke. That thing knew him, it knew him very well, enough to know a desire he had never voiced out. Then again, it took his old form so perhaps it was to be expected that it would know him. And indeed, it didn¡¯t even hide it.

    "That¡¯s right, ="%&#!¡è, that¡¯s your desire. You want to make her happy, you want to make her smile. That second and third t, you¡¯re trying so hard to follow them properly. But look there, =%*^`#¡è%."

    The gaze of the figure pierced through him andnded on the screen again. Gabriel didn¡¯t know how or when, but the finger of the figure was already on the screen again. The image was flickering. The Alice crying in the mountains, the Alice crying in her cell, the Alice crying at his body. Again and again the images flickered, tears dripping on a body he didn¡¯t inhabit.

    "That¡¯s you, %¡è%&&¡è%&, you¡¯re the reason she¡¯s crying there. You¡¯re what¡¯s making her cry."

    Flicker. Tears. Flicker. Tears. Flicker. Tears. Flicker. Tears. The images never stopped, blinking between hundreds if not thousands of versions of Alice crying at his side. They never stopped. And neither did the figure.

    "Do you know the best way you can make her happy, &%¡è&¡è%? Die for her. Right there, right now, let thest of your life fade."

    Hah, he felt likeughing. It sounded like something the leader of a suicide cult would say to his congregation to ¡®save them from the horrors of life¡¯. Sure, Gabriel could die to stop her tears, but they would only stop because she too died with him. What a joke.

    "Don¡¯t look at us like that, ¡è%&¡è%&¡è. It¡¯s not a joke. This world is trapped in a loop, people just don¡¯t know it yet. If you die, you¡¯ll just wake up again back in that orphanage on the first day. People generally can¡¯t keep their memories when it loops, but you¡¯ll be able to. You can start afresh if you just die here."

    The screen flickered again as the figure spoke. But the scene didn¡¯t go forward this time, it went backwards. First, it showed him the show he was familiar with, the events blinking by so fast that he couldn¡¯t understand how he took it all in. Alice died, a ck blotch on reality appeared and killed Caine, and then the entire world seemed to twist and turn violently.

    Everything suddenly reverted. Death was undone, destruction was undone, the world was undone. And then the events repeated. Slightly different this time, slightly altered. Alice was picked up by the Crown Princess, the ck blotch was picked up by her. At a nce, it was clear that the Crown Princess at the very least retained her memories of the loop, she probably had a hand in starting it even.

    She tried to change it, but it didn¡¯t help. Sooner orter, the ck blotch did something horrific that made the world twist and revert back to the start again. And this happened time, and time, and time, and time, and time, and time, and time again. It kept happening without pause, more and more people dying each time.

    The Crown Princess kept fighting, but he could tell that she was getting tired. With each loop that passed, she was sleeping less and less, eating less and less. Life was taking a toll on her, loss was ruining her. In thest flicker that the figure showed him, he couldn¡¯t even recognize the Crown Princess, she looked more like a puppet than anything else. But still, she kept trying to fight the ck blotch.

    "See, &%¡è&¡è*? It¡¯s that easy. Just close your eyes and wait. Try again in the next life. Stop her froming here, stop yourself from doing some of the stupid things. It¡¯s that easy."

    The figure whispered like the devil, the finger that kept touching the screen flickering through loop after loop. It was insane, it was something removed from the realm of reality. But Gabriel was someone who came here from another world, he was using magic, spirits and gods existed, so who was to say that this too wasn¡¯t real? And above all¡­ He felt it in his stomach, at the back of his throat, pulsating behind his eyes. This was true, every fibre of his being was convincing him that it was true.

    "It¡¯s not just easy, it is the best option. Isn¡¯t that right, &¡è%¡è&¡è%&? That second and third t, aren¡¯t they to never let anyone else take what you treasure and to do everything you must to acquire that which you want? You want her to smile, you want her tough. Go back, do it again from the start, do it better. Isn¡¯t that the best way to make her smile¡­ To make her happy?"

    The ts he had decided that he wasn¡¯t following properly after seeing Alice get humiliated, the figure was dredging them out as if to remind him. This was the best way, the easiest way. Just do it over, just start again, right all the mistakes you made in this life.

    "Just go on, ¡è&¡è%&¡è%&, you just need to close your eyes and then you¡¯ll be following your ts. It¡¯s easy, ¡è%&¡è%&. It¡¯s right, %&%#¡è%#¡è. It¡¯s the best oue."

    The devil grated him with each utterance, each wording from his own bones, bouncing in his head as an echo he couldn¡¯t escape.

 Chapter 59: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (8)

    Chapter 59: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (8)

    Gabriel could hear the figure¡¯s breath reach him, like a soft whisper on his ears. But he couldn¡¯t feel anything, he could only hear it. Tempting him, guiding him towards his ts. Don¡¯t let it go, do whatever you must for it. The easiest way. The best way. The logical way.

    "¡­Show me outside."

    Gabriel felt his head ache as he spoke. The grating, the words, they were beating down on his skull. And then there was the knock¡­ No, calling it a throbbing was more correct. The throbbing was incessant, painful.

    "Of course, &¡è%&¡è%. Time is something we have more than enough of, so look to your hearts content."

    The figure touched the screen again and finally erased all the loops, all the miserable Alice¡¯s. Back to the frozen mountains. Back to the Alice that looked at his bouncing figure as if the world was about to end. She was pale and the tears were messing up her face.

    "Go back further. You can do that, right?"

    "Of course."

    The figure touched the screen and everything rewound. The point of view changed as it did so, seemingly hopping into Gabriel¡¯s head. Entering the mountains, moving through the frozen wastes, chatting by the campfire, leaving the Barong estate, chatting inside the estate.

    The screen kept rewinding, kept showing the days that had passed. Everything was from Gabriel¡¯s point of view this time, from his own eyes, his own memories. He saw it in the screen, the memories. Alice.

    No matter what day the screen showed, no matter what event it showed, Alice was always there somewhere. No matter where Gabriel looked, she was always there. Was she really always there, wherever he turned his head?

    "¡­"

    No. It wasn¡¯t that Alice always happened to be wherever he was looking, it was his eyes constantly being drawn to her. The colours she represented. The crimson she painted on the grey sky, the violet she draped across the white world. Dull, lifeless, grey, she took his meaningless world and she started to paint it with her own colours little by little.

    Unconsciously, he had started to seek out her and her colours. And tracing his memories like this he understood. Each time, without fail, she would match his gaze, as if she had been looking at him all along, and smile at him.

    That smile. It didn¡¯t exist in the ¡®show¡¯ if something like that ever even existed in the first ce. It didn¡¯t exist in the ¡®possibilities¡¯ that this figure was showing him, it didn¡¯t exist in the loops. Only here, it was only here.

    "You¡¯re right. I was a page."

    A tool. A dagger. A sword. He did the mission and had nothing else, knew nothing else. Emotions were pointless, ambitions were pointless. A dagger didn¡¯t need them, they just needed a wielder. A page didn¡¯t need them, they just needed a pen. But what if¡­

    "But that one right there¡­ She took a page and turned it into words."

    What if there was someone willing to take a page, fold and twist it, shaping it into words that they would then glue onto another page? At that time, couldn¡¯t even a page be words, couldn¡¯t even a tool be a human?

    The screen flickered again, as if to respond to his words. Away from the past, out of his point of view. Time flowed back to the possibilities, or the loops, or the illusions, whatever they were at this point. Again, Alice was crying at his side.

    Gabriel lowered his gaze slightly. His fist was right there. His own. Five fingers on each hand, ten in total, not seven like the figure that whispered. He clenched them and raised the resulting fist.

    Thud

    A heavy thud rang in the darkness like an echo. Gabriel¡¯s knuckles ached and he could feel a bit of warm blood streaming down his clenched fingers. The screen in front of him didn¡¯t budge even after he punched it, but the blood that was spilling out from his bruised flesh started to stain the image of the crying girl.

    "Oh? That doesn¡¯t work, ¡è%&¡è%&¡è, that thing won¡¯t break."

    The figure spoke, grating his ears as it did nothing but worsen the ache in his head. Still though, the thumping in his chest felt worse so he pulled back his arm and smashed it forward again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.

    He punched the screen until his hand was a mess, until the image of the crying girl was so stained with blood that it could no longer be seen. It was pointless, it was mindless, it was illogical. Hell, it was barely better than venting. But still, he felt a bit refreshed for once after he did it.

    "I¡¯m not trying to break it, I¡¯m just trying to cover up that picture."

    Really, it was just too disgusting to look at. Even with his blood covering it he could still see it a bit too clearly. The tears that streamed down beyond the blood.

    "Don¡¯t like seeing your Lady cry? That¡¯s why you should just go back, &¡è%&¡è%&%, stop it all."

    The figure kept grating him, tempting him. Yeah, go and set things straight, do the right thing. It would be so easy. But no, the thumping in his chest told him everything he needed to know.

    "I¡¯m not going back. I¡¯m getting out of here."

    Back into the past, back to when he first met Alice. He could still remember the way she hesitated when she stretched out her hand, the way she couldn¡¯t even raise her head in front of a knight. To go back to that day, to give her a bit more help¡­

    "You¡¯ve decided to break your own ts? Were you not he one who taught her about them to begin with?"

    The figure almost seemed as if it was trying to smile. But with how messed up Gabriel¡¯s old face was there was no way something like that was possible, it just looked like a mangled grimace. The ts. One of the first things he taught Alice, one of the first things he was taught back in his old life, the very core that once formed him. Would he break them?

    "I¡¯m not breaking them. The thing you keep showing me. The possibilities, the loops, none of them are my Lady."

    No, he wouldn¡¯t break them. He would follow them perfectly. The girl that kept crying, the girl who couldn¡¯t get a happy ending no matter how many attempts were made¡­ That wasn¡¯t Alice De Vritara.

    His handnded on the screen, the warm blood sticking to his palm. He wiped it aside, the image flickering as it was reced. Revealed behind the streak of blood was an image from earlier, from when Gabriel had unconsciously looked at Alice in the Barong estate while sparring before the expedition. She was smiling softly, gently, looking straight at him.

    "That¡­ That there is my Alice."

    That one. That smile, that person, that was Alice De Vritara, his Alice De Vritara. None of the others mattered, nothing else mattered.

    "She made me human. She took the tool and gave it emotions, she formed words out of a nk page."

    It wasn¡¯t the Alice in the loops, it was this one. Sheforted him, she returned his words back to him. When he lost his mission and had nothing to do, she was the one who showed him a new way. She was the one who gave him a reason to not just die again.

    "I interfered in this world once, and the result is that the viiness I pitied died, she was never even born."

    It wasn¡¯t the Alice in the ¡®show¡¯, the viiness he pitied and wanted to give a better life. It was this one. She was the one who took a dull world and gave it colour.

    "If I go back and I do it all again, yeah, she won¡¯t cry this time. But thatdy¡­ It won¡¯t be my Alice. It won¡¯t be the one who made me human."

    It wasn¡¯t the Alice of the possibilities, it was this one. This was his Alice, the one who returned to him the things he had abandoned. Desire, ambition, emotion. Things he had long since stopped understanding, she returned it to him so that he could learn it again. It was this one, right there.

    "I¡¯ve decided, spectre. That¡¯s the one I¡¯m going for, that¡¯s the one I¡¯ll do it all for. That one. Not one of the loops, not one of the possibilities, just that one."

    No loops. No possibilities. No do-overs. This one, this lone Alice, this unique one. It was this one that he would not give up, this one that he would do everything for, this one whose hand he would never bite. It was for this one that the ts existed.

    "Is that your answer, ¡è%&¡è%&¡è?"

    An indescribable expression, a lower lip that curled slightly. The figure, the spectre looked between Gabriel and the screen.

    "Then do you want to get out of here?"

    "I must."

    The answer was obvious, the answer was fast. His Alice wasn¡¯t in here, she wasn¡¯t in the screen, she wasn¡¯t past or the future. She was out there, she was waiting for him.

    "Good. Then let us teach you how to burn souls."

    For the first time, Gabriel felt like he could understand the expression of the figure. Content, it was satisfied. The figure looked straight at him, a twinkling of light appearing in its eyes. And slowly but surely, that light was growing.

    "Good, evil, cruel, kind, violent, peaceful. It can be whatever soul, whatever person. The fire will burn regardless of the firewood."

    When the figure opened its mouth, Gabriel could see that light was also rising from within its throat. Light and smoke. It welled out with each word as it looked at Gabriel, its arms slowly rising.

    "We are many, ¡è%&¡è%&¡è. We have lived, we have died. We have loved, we have suffered. We have alle here, but there is no home for any of us in this world even if we get out, that¡¯s why we epted you, asionally became part of you if you were worthy. We just want rest, oblivion."

    The name still grated him, added to his ache. The light in its mouth became mes that spilled out with the smoke, tongues of fire licking up along its cheek. And so too did the light in its eyes, which started to melt and drip away as the fire rose.

    "So burn us. One by one, ten by ten, thousands upon thousands. Burn us, eat us, devour us¡­ Turn ¡®us¡¯ into ¡®I¡¯, into You."

    Its handsnded on his face, cupping his cheeks. Fire burst forth from its chest and spread across its body, its face already a ball of raging mes.

    "We¡¯ll be your ¡®Shield¡¯, #¡è%#%#, your ¡®Sword¡¯ still rests with Akasha. So burn us until there is nothing left. Stoke the mes until you¡¯re the only soul left, brighter than any other, fatter than any other. To do so, you must burn us."

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t move as the burning hands held him, as the fire swallowed the entire figure. It started to crumple, tilting forward as if to rest its forehead against his. Its legs were gone, reduced to ash, yet its ming grasp kept it attached to him.

    "So burn, Gabriel, burn."

    The fire spread from the figure, which finally spoke his name. The ck box burned. The screen burned. The figure burned. Everything became a sea of fire where nothing else could be seen. And then Gabriel burned, then Gabriel became the fire.

    ¡ª¡ª

    His eyes opened. His body ached, he could feel the air rushing around him. The number in the sky, he was looking straight at it. Still bouncing. He couldn¡¯t tell how long he had been in that ck box, how long he had burned, but it seemed as if barely any, if any, time had passed out here.

    His head turned slightly. There she was. A blotch of colour on this dull world, a figure his eyes couldn¡¯t help but linger on. She looked mortified, tears already welling up in her eyes.

    Ah, Alice, don¡¯t cry.

    He had to move, he had to prove that he was fine. That way she would cry less, that way he couldfort her with more ease. So he moved. So the folded page became words. So the sword moved on its own.

    1,100,067,989.

    The number in the sky, always so high it felt unreal. It looked down at him, just as he asionally looked up at it. But he spun around and turned his back to it, a hand digging into the ice and snow beneath him to force his bouncing to an end.

    "Katush."

    A simple word, an instant spell. He was out of mana, but the formation waspleted all the same as water gathered on this frozennd. But despite the ever-present chill he had to previously counteract by lengthening the spell, the water remained liquid.

    1,100,067,988.

    "Katush."

    Again he cast the spell, his fingers dragging lines in the ice because his momentum had yet to stop.

    1,100,067,978.

    "Katush."

    More water. Snow melted, ice melted, everything just became water that gathered at hismand.

    1,100,067,968.

    "Katush"

    White snow vanished. Light blue ice vanished. Deep blue water reced it, covered it.

    1,100,067,958.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,948.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,938.

    The water rose without end, drowned the world without end. Gabriel spoke the words, cast the spells. And so, Gabriel burned.

 Chapter 60: From person to person.

    Chapter 60: From person to person.

    "Katush." (Water.)

    1,100,067,928.

    The word fell from Gabriel¡¯s lip, bing a wisp of violet-ck mana that scattered across theke that now pooled all around him.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,918.

    With every utterance, the looming number shrank. It was honestly just tiny increments, but it shrank nheless. Thus, the water rose without end, thus magic drowned the mountains.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,908.

    He just needed to speak the words. With each utterance, the souls swirling ceaselessly within him were ground up, burnt down until nothing remained.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,898.

    Souls became mana. Souls became strength. He felt it within him, welling up with each utterance as he pushed it further. Each soul became mana. Each soul empowered the spell they were burned into.

    The water around Gabriel moved. He could feel waves wash against him, water rushing over his arms as if it wanted to bring him down. The w moved. He could see it cut through the air as it shot towards him.

    A dark yellow orb met it before it could reach him. The liquid sshed against its scales and then evaporated, a bright smoky flower forming above it before copsing onto it. The smoke slithered across its entire body, digging into even the smallest gap in its scales to bore into its body. For a moment, its movements grew stiff and twitchy, a tremble running through all its fingers as the energy leaking out from it shrank.

    Poison was something that acted against the facilities necessary for life, that was how it was in Gabriel¡¯s past world and it was how it was in this world. Thus, the poison that Teresa threw out to protect Gabriel was capable of more than just attacking the nerves of the w, it could also hamper its mana.

    A rumbling soon followed after the w was forced to slow down. Arioch had arrived above it and brought it down, lumps of earth clumped around the arm that smashed the w back down to the ground. They hadn¡¯t allowed their shock to get the best of them and acted ordingly, thus giving Gabriel the time to keep going further.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,895

    A band of mercenaries.

    "Katush."

    1,100,067,894

    A wise king.

    "Katush"

    1,100,067,893

    A killer on death¡¯s row.

    "Katush"

    1,100,067,892

    A widow trying to raise her children.

    "Katush"

    1,100,067,891

    A princess abandoning her own happiness to save her country.

    "Katush"

    1,100,067,890

    A rapist escaping from his most recent crime scene.

    "Katush"

    1,100,067,889

    A merciless knight cutting down peasants on the orders of his lord.

    Good. Bad. Kind. Cruel. There were souls of every type,ing from every walk of life. But they burned all the same. Became mana all the same. One by one they were reduced to ash that coated his soul and insides like a thin film, even their memories fading amongst the ky rain. The fire burned regardless of the firewood.

    "Katu¡­Urp!"

    He tried to burn another soul, but a mouthful of blood rushed up to his mouth as a result. The veins in his body were twisting like snakes, the three stars dancing around his heart trembling like fallen leaves. 100 souls. This was it, herey his current limit. If he burned more now then it would break him. Maybe just one vein at first, maybe just one small organ. But bit by bit it would stack up, bit by bit his life would grow shorter. And finally, he would just die.

    Thump

    A light hit in his chest. His heart was beating. His blood was pumping. He was alive.

    His gaze rose. The w was being assaulted by thebined might of the remaining knights, Arioch and Caine sending out their own attacks whenever the w tried to retaliate with its own attacks. But still, even with all that, the w was still rising from the pit that Arioch had smashed it into, the poison already expelled from its body.

    Teresa was off to the side, preparing more poison. She probably knew that quantity was useless so she was working on quality instead, mixing and enhancing the various poisons she had prepared ahead of time. Alice¡­

    Alice was looking straight at him. Face pale, eyes wide, mouth open. She almost looked frozen in time, a miserable expression etched onto her face. Her pupils were moving, catching up with the situation. But still, the expression hung on her face. Looking at it¡­ that hurt more than the actual hit he got from the w.

    Then again, he couldn¡¯t actually feel the hit he just got from the w so perhaps it wasn¡¯t a properparison. It either hit him so hard that it numbed his nerves, his adrenaline was rushing with such force that it blocked his sense of pain, or the souls currently burning were drowning it out. Whatever the case was, he could only be thankful for it right now. Moving while in pain was annoying.

    "Tarman." (Gather.)

    The word fell from his lips. He didn¡¯t cast a new spell, he simply changed the first ones he cast, added to them. The souls were already burning within the spells, the power was already there.

    "Tarman."

    He didn¡¯t alter just one of the spells, no he altered them all. The deep blue water that was pooling around him, threatening to drown out all other colour¡­ It was gathering by hismand. Like when a tsunami approached, all the water receded. Snow and ice had melted wherever the water appeared, so when it finally rushed towards Gabriel it revealed the bare earth of thend for the first time in several thousand years.

    Deep blue water and dark brown earth, in one day the Jaws of Barong ended up seeing not just one but two things that it hadn¡¯t seen in ages. As a result, the knights gaped slightly, their attacks relenting for a moment.

    The w immediately burst out, foregoing any semnce of defence as itunched its attacks. The ice that formed in the air made it seem like a hedgehog, thousands upon thousands of needles bursting out.

    The w jumped after the needles. Caine and Arioch had to defend themselves and the knights from the attack so they couldn¡¯t stop it. That was when Teresa stepped in, another dark yellow orb hitting the beast before bing smoke that seeped into it. Judging by the way it spasmed, this yellow poison of hers was probably a nerve poison to induce numbness, an extreme version of a pain-killer probably.

    "Tarman."

    With onest utterance, the water finally gathered in Gabriel¡¯s hand. What was once ake had be a marble justrge enough to fit in the palm of his hand. It looked like a dark gem, gleaming with a blue light. It would look good on Alice, for a moment he couldn¡¯t help but think that.

    But he quickly put that thought aside. Teresa had bought him a moment with her attack, the w hadn¡¯t gotten tounch a second attack, nor had it gotten to prepare its defences. It was still in the air, but it was the perfect time to attack. Thus, his feet moved.

    "Nergal. Bring it down."

    A soft mutter, barely a whisper. But he could feel the darkness that was previously coiled around Alice move. It fell to the ground like a drop of mud, scuttling across the bare dirt until it was right beneath the w. And then it grew.

    From one centimetre to ten, from ten centimetres to one metre, from one metre to ten metres, from ten metres to a hundred. A drop became a ck blotch, bubbling like tar as a circr maw spun around within. Tendrils extended from the bubbling muck, rising skyward until they coiled around the talons of the w.

    The w resisted, but another orb of poison hit it, this one clearly weaker. Arioch also hit it again, Caine taking over the role of defender. With that, the w was forced down and out of the air, plummeting towards the human that had appeared beneath it.

    Gabriel looked up at the figure that was rapidly approaching him, Nergal bubbling around him as if to keep him stable. It was sturdy, extremely so. His earlier attack had barely managed to make a dent even with all the strengthening magic he had used. Arioch had hit it twice and it had suffered an unknown number of attacks by the knights, yet its scales seemed as sturdy as ever, only a few dents and scratches visible on it.

    It was sturdy beyond belief, it was harder than anything he had ever encountered. Those scales were practically diamonds. But, Gabriel knew of at least one thing that could cut diamonds. So he raised his hand and pointed thepressedke at the falling beast.

    "Devak." (Burst.)

    The final addition to the spells. Three words, three simple words. Going by the ssification of this world it was technically just a low-grade spell, not even a general-grade one. But the power packed into those three simple words¡­ It really was fitting for something dubbed the Barbarian Path by schrs.

    The marble of water exploded with a screech, like nails drawing across a chalkboard. Did the w sense the danger from below? It curled up almost instantly, ayer of ice gathering around it while a pir of ice struck it from the side to push it away. Doing so meant that it couldn¡¯t deal with the poison seeping into it, but it must have judged that the risk was worth it.

    And then the water,pressed into a line barely as thick as Gabriel¡¯s fist, crashed into it. Gabriel heard a crack that mixed in with the screeching of his spell, drops of blood so blue that they looked like sapphires scattering through the air.

    The pir of water continued upwards even after it ran through the w, climbing ever higher until it pierced the grey clouds above. The pir dispersed since the spell had ended, turning back into drops of water that slowly fell to the earth. But the hole in the clouds was still there, revealing but a glimpse of the bright blue sky.

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze followed the w, which had knocked its way out of the direct path of the water. But one of its talons was still torn clean off, its prided scales torn to shreds. Eight eyes focused on Gabriel, a dark red tint dyeing them as the ice shielding the beast faded.

    Darkness covered Gabriel¡¯s vision at that moment, the bubbling tar around him slithering up his body to form a shield. An instantter he felt something strike his side. The w had retaliated the instant his spell finished, probably judging when he would be at his weakest. But Gabriel wasn¡¯t facing it alone, he had Nergal and the others to cover him.

    He could just barely feel his body soaring through the air for a few moments before he fell onto something soft. The darkness faded from his body and he found himself lying in a pool of water, more constantly falling from the sky like a torrential downpour. The hole in the clouds, the bright blue sky, he could still see it from where hey.

    "Gabriel!"

    A sound from the side, the subdued rumbling of thunder. Ah, Alice had finallye to her senses and caught up with the situation. Good, that would make things go much smoother.

    "Gabe¡­I¡¯m so¡­ Gabriel, I, I, I¡­ You have no id¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­Gabriel¡­"

    She stumbled over her words. Couldn¡¯t get out a singleplete sentence. The voice he was so used to had be hoarse to the point that it sounded as if she had torn her throat. The face that previously almost looked frozen in time was now a mess of tears and snot. The hand that clutched his was colder than the snow, colder than the ice that used to be here.

    Red and violet against a backdrop of grey, with a tinge of blue. The colours she had painted onto his world¡­ they were currently twisting, and it was because of him. The hand she was trying to hold reached out and he touched her face.

    "Real¡­"

    Soft skin, just slightly warmer than her hands. It was a bit springy to the touch, bouncing back after he pushed it down.

    "Real¡­"

    Her eyshes tickled his finger as he swept across them. Her forehead was wet, either from sweat or from the torrential downpour he created.

    "Real¡­"

    Her lips were softer than the cheek he just touched, a little moist, kept warm by the breaths that leaked from her mouth.

    "Real¡­"

    He traced her face like a blind man trying to see. Perhaps it would be strange to say, but everything he touched had substance, everything he touched reacted to him.

    Yes¡­ This was real. This world. Those knights. This person. Those tears. They weren¡¯t words on a page, they weren¡¯t words and characters in a show. They were people. They were Alice. They were her tears. And he¡­ He was Gabriel. Another person in the world.

    His hand rested on Alice¡¯s cheek. He heard the sounds of battle a bit away from them so the others were probably taking this chance to assault the w. They found out that it could bleed, so they knew that it could die.

    But right now, Gabriel¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Alice. He was looking at her, the mouth that kept opening and closing, the tearful eyes that looked back at him. He wanted to speak, tofort her as he used to do when she cried. But what to say?

    He pondered. What would be fitting? What would be a good thing to say? He thought of a lot offorting words, soft things to say that would prove that he was alright. But none of them would leave his mouth. His gaze rose again for a moment, catching a glimpse of that bright blue spot above.

    Looking at that little circle, his hand left Alice¡¯s face and fell back down to the water. He was sprawling now, like a kid about to make snow angels. He stopped thinking about the best thing to say. And yet, his mouth opened.

    "You know, Alice? I used to think that the world was nothing but white and grey as far as the eye could see."

    For the first time since he awoke in this world, he spoke to Alice properly. From person to person, from human to human. This girl that made a human, he wanted to speak with her.

    "I hate white and grey. They¡¯re dull, they¡¯re lifeless, they made the world dull and lifeless. There was just nothing, no matter where I looked. Nothing. No one. What¡¯s the point in living like that, Alice?"

    A whim. The walk up the stairs, the walk to the edge of the roof, the final step. A whim, always a whim. Because what¡¯s the point? Everything was dull, everything was worthless.

    "Just moving from mission to mission, moving around like a husk between each one. It was all dull, all pointless. But at least in the missions I had a purpose, I had a use. But even they were grey, even that purpose was white. It was all just dull, lifeless. So how could I not just act on the whims that struck me? It wasn¡¯t like there was a point in any of it anyway, may as well just do it and see what happens."

    A life that supposedly had purpose, after he was thrown away he realized that even all of that was just white and grey. The dull and lifeless world, he was just another part of it.

    Even here. A whim. Make this pitiful viiness happy. He had nothing else so he may as well just do that, he may as well just cling to that so that he could pretend like he had a mission, a purpose. At least, if he was a dagger again he would be able to forget everything else again.

    White. Grey. Dull. Lifeless. Such was his world. Such was his life. Be it this world or thest.

    "But the world¡¯s not really like that, Alice. You showed me that. Where there was once nothing but white, I suddenly found colours. Where there was once nothing but emptiness I found emotions. Where there was once nothing but missions I found desire."

    And yet¡­ Red looked down at him. Violet cascaded over her shoulders. Colours. Dark and powerful, bright and piercing. They had snuck into his world. She took that grey and the dull and she painted it over with her own colours. With her hand she did something he had never managed before, she gave life to the lifeless.

    "I was a tool, Alice. If you¡¯d just left me be I would have been a great sword, I would have been a page on which you could write your assured victory and long life."

    She was crying. In fact, ever since he started talking she was crying more than before. The same tears as earlier, the same miserable face. So howe he felt that he could understand that these tears were different?

    Happy¡­ She was happy now. She cried harder because she was happy, she felt more joy than she felt sorrow. Gabriel¡¯s hand rose from the water again, colourful drops falling from his fingers. He held it up slightly, almost as if presenting it. For a moment, his gaze drift past Alice again.

    A tinge of blue high above. A little safe haven from the grey that rained down petals of white. He did that. It wasn¡¯t someone else, it was him. With his hands, he tore it up. With his hands, he tipped over the bucket of paint.

    "My grey and white world, Alice. You painted it red and violet, like a flower in full bloom. You gave a tool life, you turned a page into words."

    This world¡­ He was a part of it, he was influencing it. The dull. The lifeless. He could change it. He could take colours and paint it all. And perhaps¡­ For one person he had already done just that.

    "I want to live, Alice. I want to paint. My world. Your world. I want to paint them, I want to see how many colours there really are hidden behind all that dull white and grey."

    Gabriel. Alice. Teresa. Lawrence. Trisha. He felt like he wanted to paint, he wanted to add colour. He could paint the world, he could change the dull. So he wanted to leave a bit of his colour there. And this girl in front of him, who once undoubtedly saw the same world as him¡­ He wanted to paint hers the most.

    "You painted my world, Alice. Will you teach me how to paint?"

    Back when they were children, she asked for his hand and he offered it so that he could have a mission. Now, he offered his hand again. Of his own volition. Of his own desire. For his own desire. And in response, a familiar pair of fingers wrapped around his, a smile that couldn¡¯t be covered by tears adding a bit more colour to his world.

 Chapter 61: From person to person. (2)

    Chapter 61: From person to person. (2)

    The sensation on his hand felt tight, the warmthpeting with the chill of the northernnds. Alice looked at him, just as he looked back at her, but the tears streaming down her face seemed to choke her up so she didn¡¯t say anything. She just held his hand and smiled through the tears.

    Gabriel used her hand as support to pull himself up, water dripping off his head as he stood up and directed his gaze towards the w. He and Alice got to enjoy a small intermission, but that was naturally only because the rest of the party was still fighting the w.

    In fact, after he tore away one of its fingers the w had only intensified its attacks. Even now it was trying to rush at Gabriel to tear him to pieces to sate its anger. The others were doing their best to keep it back, naturally also trying to figure out ways to take it down.

    But it wasn¡¯t perfect, nothing ever was. Gabriel saw them on the side, getting hastily dragged away by the other knights. Three new corpses, two werepletely frozen while the third had its midsectionpletely crushed by one of the talons. That was the price of Gabriel¡¯s conversation, and it wasn¡¯t even a price that fell on him.

    Thump

    Strangely enough, looking at the the knights dragging away the corpses with all their might, twisted expressions marring their faces, he felt a sting in his chest. It was different from the sensation he recently started to get with Alice, bleaker. He felt like clutching his chest, as if that would squash the sensation.

    "Ah¡­"

    As he thought about that movement, he understood. He hadn¡¯t experienced it before, but he had seen others suffer from it. His old Master in particr, the one who first taught him about the ts, would show that movement fairly often. When they trained, when he brought Gabriel on missions, when they returned sessfully, when they didn¡¯t return with as many as they left with. He clutched his chest, a somewhat twisted and bleak expression on his face.

    "Ha¡­Ha¡­ Haha¡­"

    Theugh just slipped out. The sensation in his chest was miserable, a dull and continuous sting that made him want to squash his heart. But still, it slipped out.

    "Haha¡­ I can actually feel guilt, Alice. I¡­ I can actually feel bad for others."

    He couldn¡¯t help but speak to the nearest person when he understood that sensation. Guilt. Someone like him was actually capable of feeling guilt after bing human. He, who had killed hundreds. He, who had bombed entire apartmentplexes to fulfil his orders. Someone like him could actually feel bad for someone else.

    The battle kept raging in the distance, Arioch and Caine serving as the main attackers while Teresa focused on disrupting the w. The remaining knights coordinated their attacks so that the gap between Arioch and Caine¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t grow toorge. They were truly doing an excellent job. But it wouldn¡¯t be enough, Gabriel knew that.

    "I¡¯m going to kill it, Alice. But I¡¯ll need help."

    Gabriel let out a long breath, as if to empty his chest, as he spoke. Feeling emotions suddenly, bing human, it was all well and good. But that didn¡¯t mean that he could let it distract him from what needed to be done. No, in fact, it only made him more determined to make sure that it was done properly.

    "What¡¯s the n?"

    Alice¡¯s voice came from behind. It was still rather hoarse, but it seemed as if she came to the same conclusion as him and smothered her tears. Her fingers however were still twined around his, the sensation of her tight grip running up his entire arm.

    "I need a sword, so I¡¯m going to use Akasha. I¡¯ll need Arioch to lure some demons here that I can use. While he¡¯s luring the demons, someone will need to upy the w so that I can focus fully on recuperating some of my mana. After that¡­"

    His words trailed off a bit towards the end. What would he do after using Akasha and pulling out his ¡®sword¡¯? Well, he didn¡¯t actually know what shape this sword would take so he couldn¡¯t say. But his ¡®shield¡¯ took one of the w¡¯s talons, so surely the ¡®sword¡¯ would be able to do even more, right?

    "Alright. Let¡¯s go kill it then."

    Truthfully, the n was anything but certain. But Alice¡¯s voice was filled with so much confidence that it didn¡¯t even seem like she considered the possibility that it would fail. They had decided to kill it, so that thing would die here today.

    "Iras, Jawul Et Ka." (Lightning, Dwell In Me.)

    Gabriel heard Alice chant a spell and the crackling of lightning. When she finally let go of his hand, he felt some wind rush past him and she was gone. A bit of azure lightning streaked through the sky and crashed down upon the w, Alice stomping it down into the ground.

    "Fen, Quetz! Bring it down."

    She spat out a cold order, as if the hoarse tenderness and smiles from earlier were all false. That switch¡­ Perhaps that was a habit she had stolen from him. Fenrir and Quetz immediately acted upon her order, a whirlwind forming beneath the w while Fenrir crushed down upon it with gravity. For a moment, the w was stuck between the two conflicting forces, Alice retreating as quickly as she had arrived.

    "Makar, Alect." (Lava, Rise.)

    The earth beneath the w burst open as glowing magma shot up like a pir, mixing with the whirlwind to form a whirlpool of molten stone. Meanwhile, the gravity from above still pushed down on it, as well as the attacks of the knights.

    "Alice! If you can push it back down where it first spawned then I should be able to seal it again. I¡¯ll need blood from both you and Arioch, as well as a generous bit of blood from the knights, but it should work!"

    Caine, who looked a bit dishevelled now, got closer to Alice as he unveiled his n. If it was the head or the heart then he could forget about sealing it again, they would be well and truly fucked if they didn¡¯t manage to escape. But a w, just a single w¡­ That should still be possible if they pooled everything that they had, plus a little extra from the deceased knights. Grim, yes. Necessary¡­ Very much so. But Gabriel, who had reached them now, obviously had a different nt.

    "I¡¯m going to kill it, Caine. That thing can¡¯t be allowed to escape, be it from here or from your seal. If it restores itself¡­ No. It will die her."

    Gabriel had seen the possibility within that ck box of souls. Thepleted Azui, that ancient demon¡­ This empire wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, this world wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.

    "¡­"

    Caine¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but stiffen somewhat. What did Gabriel know? Even Arioch didn¡¯t know that Azui was sealed here, much less that it was split into several parts that could be reunited. Even Caine only learned about it after his 30th loop. The special soul that Azuras had brought in¡­ Just what the hell was it?

    "Are you confident that you can kill it? The previous attack only took a finger. More urately, how many of my men are nned as sacrifices?"

    Now it was Arioch¡¯s time to speak up. One hand was raised to the sky, controlling a massive hunk of earth that he brought down on the w like a meteor. Taking advantage of Fenrir¡¯s gravity, it smashed into the w and crushed it down against the earth,va sputtering around it.

    His expression was heavy, grim. The men dying here, they were his knights. Not only was a thing like this hidden in his territory, but his men were also dying because of his ignorance. To get revenge for the deceased he was naturally keen on killing this thing, removing it from his territory entirely. But if that n required the lives of all his soldiers¡­ He would need to know if it was worth it first. Otherwise he would never be able to face their families.

    "I¡¯m going to kill it. I need demons and mana. Even if I can¡¯t kill it after that, it will be weak enough that the rest of you can finish it off."

    Gabriel didn¡¯t speak of odds, didn¡¯t use grand words to instill confidence. He said he was going to kill it, that was it, no more needed to be said. Arioch observed him for a second, his gaze lingering on his eyes for a moment before he called out.

    "Almanar! Use all the remaining blood, lure some of the surrounding demons here! Now!"

    "Yes, my Lord!"

    A quick order was met with an even swifter response, the old knight breaking away from the rest of the men. He was tossed a few vials by some of the knights and quickly dashed away. The demons in the area were being scared away by the pressureing from the w so it would take a fair bit of this bait to rile them up into a state where they were frenzied enough to ignore the w.

    "¡­ Alright, going for the kill it is."

    Caine had no choice but to ept the situation. Killing a piece of Azui¡­ It would be the first time it happened so he had no idea what effects it might produce. In the loops, Azuras was the only way to fully subdue Azui so there had never been a loop where he didn¡¯t get it. But well¡­ That body was technically Azuras so who knew what sort of results that may produce.

    "I¡¯ll dig it down. Caine, I leave the follow up to you. Alice, just do whatever you please."

    Arioch quickly adopted to the situation. He didn¡¯t know Alice¡¯s capabilities so he didn¡¯t bother trying to give her orders, just leaving her to her devices would be enough.

    "Tarak, Sarash Hui Azack Ka¡¯e Kin." (Earth, Swallow And Rend My Foes.)

    Arioch spat out a long spell, a thick brown mist of mana filling the air around him as he pushed both hands down. The earth beneath the w tore open like a maw, earthen tendrils coiling around its talons as it was pulled down while struggling. Once beneath the earth, Arioch brought his hands together and the maw closed, a deep rumbling filling the area as Gabriel felt the earth move beneath him. He could imagine the w down there, buried alive as the earth pressed against it to seal it in its tomb.

    But naturally, this wouldn¡¯t be enough. The earth suddenly froze and erupted, shards tearing through the air like arrows. Fenrir and Quetz acted quickly, and it was a rushed defence by the w, so it was deflected without much issue. But the w still tore free, its talons ripping it out from the earth.

    "Iras, Jawul Et Ka." (Lightning, Dwell In Me.)

    The same spell as earlier was muttered, but this time it was Caine who cast it, revealing one of his two affinities. He disappeared in the blink of an eye with the rumbling of thunder, appearing beneath the w that had just torn its way out of the earth.

    His knees bent and his handnded on the hilt of the sword that hung at his waist. Gabriel could feel it, the sheer level of energy that gathered in him. Up from the earth, through his feet and into his waist, from his waist to his shoulders, and from his shoulders to his hand. In an instant, he gathered as much as he could handle.

    "Iras, Zamut." (Lightning, Cut.)

    He drew the sword with a simple spell and swung it through the air, all the power that he had gathered swarming the edge of his de. A thunderous rumbling, as if the earth itself was turning over. A bright light as if the sun had dawned upon the earth.

    The edge of the sword cut clean through one of the w¡¯s talons, the force of the attack continuing on to cut through another one of the talons. The force of the crackling lightning was strong enough that the w wasunched skyward, the cut itself continuing onward as it tore into the nearest mountain and left a visible gash.

    It looked like a spell honed to the extreme, but Gabriel could feel it. A slight sensation, a soft nudge at the back of his mind. That wasn¡¯t just a spell, it was mixed with Caine¡¯s Unique Magic, his ¡®sword¡¯. He looked pale as a result, his arms trembling as he held the sword. But the power¡­ it was devastating.

    Gabriel perked his ears. He could already hear some distant sounds so it seemed as if the knight had actually already encountered some demons. No time to waste, he would have to do his best to quickly gather his mana, closing his eyes as he slowly started to take deep breaths.

    "Alice, can you get me some pills from Teresa?"

    He spoke between each deep breath. Teresa was the one making their drugs and medicines so she naturally had a few pills that would help you gather mana faster. The materials used to make the pills weren¡¯t exactly good for the body, but they weren¡¯t all that bad either. They were like alcohol, in smaller doses they wouldn¡¯t do anything harmful. Many warriors used them as ast resort when they were alone.

    The sounds wereing closer. He also heard the w moving about violently. He¡¯d love to restore his mana naturally, but now wasn¡¯t the time for that so he¡¯d have to make do with what he had.

    "My Lord, I¡¯ve brought them!"

    Almanar¡¯s voice came from the distance. Not too far away from the mountain that now had a gash thanks to Caine so it seemed as if the lizard-men that had moved in there were still lingering about, not entirely willing to give up their new home. That would exin why he found demons so quickly. The pills weren¡¯t quite that fast so it seemed like they would have to give him about 30 or so extra seconds after he got the pills.

    "Ali¡­"

    He opened his mouth to ask for the pills again, his eyes still closed so that he could focus on the flow of mana. But his words were cut off by something soft and slightly moist blocking his mouth. He touched them earlier so he already knew what Alice¡¯s lips felt like. Lips, she was blocking his mouth with her lips.

    Shortly after, he felt energy pour down his throat. Mana. She was pouring her own mana directly into him. It was certainly much faster than the pills, which only made it easier to take in the surrounding mana. But if the two parties weren¡¯t properly in sync then the differing flows of mana could easily sh and erupt within the body.

    But Alice and Gabriel had been with each other for several years already, they had trained their mana together from the start. As such, no such sh happened within him. No, Gabriel simply felt a fire spread through him. It didn¡¯t start in his throat, but rather in his chest. It was like a spark flickering alight, igniting a forest that hadn¡¯t seen rain for years. From his chest to his lungs, from his lungs to his throat and stomach, to his legs and arms, to his head to his toes.

    He burned. Every inch of him felt as if it was on fire. His eyes shot open, but the world was still dark. Her hand, it was covering his eyes. Thanks to that, he couldn¡¯t see her lick her lips when she finally pulled back.

    "The pills would be too slow, this is the fastest method. Now go, show them."

    "Iras, Jawul Et Haral." (Lightning, Dwell In Them.)

    Her breath was hot as it hit his face, as hot as the fire that threatened to swallow him from within. Lightning flowed into him from that breath,peting with the fire as it coursed through his veins. His muscles, his nerves, he felt them work at many times their normal speed as they were blessed by the lightning.

    Alice stepped aside as she removed her hand from his eyes so he could see Almanar and the demons straight ahead, quickly rushing over. He just needed to raise and lower his legs once, unleashing the fire and lightning that seemed to fill his very being.

    A whoosh and a rush, that was all he felt as he vanished and appeared again a bit above the group of lizard-men that Almanar was bringing over. Looking at them, his entire body feeling alight, he felt as if he could do anything.

    He scanned the group of demons and quickly found his target. Thergest lizard-man. A bit over five metres tall, a scorpion-tail that ended in two hooks, and a single curved horn growing on the left side of its head. This was their leader, the strongest among them. That would be the one.

    "Nergal. Skull."

    A simple order, yet a grim one. Naturally, that cute little spirit of his was all to happy to follow it. The shadow cast by Gabriel¡¯s body stretched out, bubbling tentacles reaching for the lizard-man. It used a frozen sword to cut at them, but the tentacles simply copsed into flies and reformed in the air around the demon.

    When it cut two of them, two more dug into its skull. When it cut those two, three new formed and continued digging into its skull. It quickly became sluggish, blood pouring out of its head. But Nergal kept digging and tearing until the demon fell to its knees, its mouth opening and closing as its brain wasid bare to the cold winds.

    And that was when Gabriel descended on it.

    "Akasha, Sarash." (Demon, Swallow.)

    His hand plunged into the exposed brain and turned it to mush, his mana pouring out as he activated the spell. Akasha, the spell domain governing demons and beasts. And from what he was told, it also contained his sword.

    And sure enough, when the spell activated and covered the demon, a burst of vibrant ckish-violet light poured out of it and swallowed Gabriel. Coming from the light, he heard his own voice, or at least the voice used by the ¡®him¡¯ he saw within the ck box.

    "You burn yourself for the world as a shield, Gabriel, so isn¡¯t it just fair if you burn the world for yourself as a sword?"

 Chapter 62: From person to person. (3)

    Chapter 62: From person to person. (3)

    When he heard the voice and saw the ckish-violet light wash over him, Gabriel expected that he would end up back in that ck ¡®box¡¯ filled with souls. But it seemed like that event was reserved only for the initial awakening of his Unique Magic, the light sinking into his body and rushing through his veins as if it was blood.

    His insides boiled. Different from the fire that Alice lit, different from the lightning she gave him. It was as if every cell of his being was bubbling, hissing with screams made of steam. Each time a ¡®bubble¡¯ popped, he felt the boiling cell suck in a fresh breath of energy.

    The energy didn¡¯te from him, so where did ite from? Simple, it came from the world around him. The lizard-men closest to him aged and died, thend grew dry, any smattering of ice melted, every puddle of water evaporated.

    The world burned.

    The fire was invisible, insidious, but there all the same. With his body as the centre, the world around him burned, a transparent ze swallowing all. The fire didn¡¯t care about the firewood, it burned all the same. And in this case, it burned for him.

    From earth to him. From ice to him. From water to him. From lizard-man to him. The fire burned them and they became part of him, another mote of ckish-violet light that sank into his boiling insides.

    The light, the boiling cells, the energy, it all rushed to the same ce. The right hand that was buried in the brain of the lizard-man. It tingled, a soft sensation of pain lingering beneath the tingling. Like peeling the skin when you got a bad sunburn. The sensation crept up to just past his wrist, the energy kept trying to push further but seemed too weak to make any further headway. The body of therge lizard-man crumbled after a second, which felt like ages, so Gabriel could finally see his hand.

    A w. His skin had fallen off to make way for dark purple scales with ck and silver veins running across them. His nails had cracked open and gotten pushed out by the sharp talons that now jutted out from his fingers. The scales stopped unnaturally just past his wrist, the skin around that area red and bruised yet unable to ke away to make way for new scales. The world burned for him, but the firewood he offered the mes wasn¡¯t sufficient enough to be a true inferno.

    A w. The shape that his ¡®sword¡¯ took right now was a single w. Fitting perhaps, seeing as they were facing but a single w themselves. But how would it fare? He honestly couldn¡¯t tell. Unlike when he used the ¡®shield¡¯ to burn souls he didn¡¯t feel any different, even the tingling in his hand had vanished. He just felt¡­ Normal, if a bit weary.

    "Nergal, can you hold it down?"

    The darkness twitched in response, a couple of eyes popping to the surface before curving delightfully. The eyes sank back down and the darkness moved, Nergal scuttling towards therge w, which had now lost three of its original nine talons. The eyes bobbing around in the darkness, asionally bing maws before bing eyes again, kept curving in delight. He never really got to let loose like this so he relished the situation while he could.

    ¡ª-

    He quickly reached the area beneath the w, clinging to its shadow like a maggot as he allowed himself to grow. Larger,rger,rger,rger. To swallow prey like this he would need arger maw, a bigger stomach. From one to ten, from ten to a hundred, he kept growing until there was no ce where the ws¡¯ talons weren¡¯t sinking into his bubbling stomach.

    His stomach had grown, now he just needed a maw that suited it. One tooth, ten teeth, a hundred teeth, a thousand teeth, ten thousand teeth. He kept growing more and more teeth, rows upon rows forming within his stomach. He abandoned the eyes in favour of more teeth, what need did he have to see his feast when it was already treading on his stomach?

    A circr maw, perfect for shredding even the toughest of prey as it was dragged down. Father said to just hold it down, but he shouldn¡¯t be scolded if he just went for a taste, right? After all, wasn¡¯t his Father just going to eat it in the end as well? Yeah, he had to taste it in advance, it wouldn¡¯t do if Father ended up eating something foul.

    The w was struggling, like a fly trapped by sticky paper. But Nergal knew flies, and he was sure he knew it better than this tasty morsel. The feast after a war, the gue they brought in the dark times, like the final nail in the coffin of life. He knew what it was like to be that fly, he knew how to tie it down.

    Flies. Flies. Flies. Flies. Flies. Flies. Hundreds, thousands, several tens of thousands. His stomach twisted away part of itself to give form to the flies, clumping them into thick tendrils that stretched out. Coil them around the talons, block out the eyes. The world goes dark after war, life loses sight of where its supposed to go. So sink it into darkness.

    It struggles, but the more life struggles after war the deeper it sinks itself into the mire. A rush to burn bodies just leads to more people being exposed to the flies. A rush to end the war just leads to more lives getting ended. A rush to get through the post-war period just opens more gaps for a new war. War just leads to more war, and pestilence always follows war, the fly was never far away from death.

    The morsel sank deeper into the mire. A pressure from above, from the side, from below. Nergal had abandoned his own eyes for a taste of this thing, but he didn¡¯t need them to tell. Fenrir. The hungry wolf, it was toying with gravity so that the w had a harder time slipping out of the mire.

    A bit of tingling as well, a slight pain that rippled across the flies and the stomach. He could smell it above. Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent was bringing down the weight of the storm, the best she could do with just a single pair of wings.

    He could smell the others too, the one lurking within the men Father called Arioch and Caine. They smelled delicious, just like Fenrir and Quetzalcoatl. But they hadn¡¯t brought them out so he couldn¡¯t ask to get a taste. Oh well, this morsel would have to suffice.

    Fenrir and Quetzalcoatl were helping to bring it down so he could stretch out his maw, the ink-dark stomach around it stretching out along with it as hetched onto three of its talons. He would love to just swallow it whole, but he hadn¡¯t eaten enough to grow thatrge yet, Father was too stingy for that. Would have to settle with this, maybe he¡¯d get to pop and slurp up some of the eyes.

    Grind. Grind. Grind. Grind. Grind. Just crunching down on the talons wasn¡¯t enough, the scales were pointlessly tough so he couldn¡¯t yet to the sulent meat if he just tried to chew. So he ground. And he ground. And he ground. His maw, his teeth, they span like a blender.

    The scales may be tough, but pestilence was eternal, death kept going without end, it¡¯d be ground down eventually. So just grind, and grind, and grind, and grind, and grind.

    Crunch.

    Mhm. A sweet taste, like the juice Father asionally gave him. The scales were starting to crack, its blood was spilling. Ah, what a divine taste. That he had to surrender this to his Father was nothing short of a shame. But it couldn¡¯t be helped, that was just how things were.

    And judging by the situation, it was about time. He had no eyes, but he could ¡®see¡¯ it. Light, dark and terrible, mixed with the colour of his father¡¯s eyes. It stung him as it grew, pulsated like a dying sun. Father wasing, the feast was bound to end.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel watched as Nergal got into position, coiling around the w to tie it down. Fen and Quetz were also helping so the w wasn¡¯t able to escape straight away. Nergal was going a bit above and beyond, what with his maw stretching out from the tar-like darkness to snap up three of the w¡¯s legs.

    Well, Caine and the others just looked gratified by it. They had been forced tounch spell after spell so they were inevitability extremely tired. That was especially the case for Arioch and Caine, one had kept usingrge spells while the other kept using both magic and his own Unique Magic. Everyone here probably wanted to just fall asleep where they stood.

    "Hah¡­ Gabri¡­Hah¡­"

    Almanar was breathing heavily not far away. Casting spells, running to find demons and then running back while acting as bait, his lungs were killing him. For now, Gabriel ignored him, his focus on the w. His own w¡­ It still felt so terribly normal. And yet¡­ he was confident.

    He clenched it tightly, a low groan echoing from it. He then bent his knees and crouched to get into position. Alice had imbued him with lightning so he was faster than ever before. But he wasn¡¯t used to that speed so he had basically no control over it. That was why he needed Nergal to tie down the w. A clean shot that couldn¡¯t miss.

    He gathered his strength. The fire inside, the lightning, the boiling in his hand. Put it in the legs, kick off, return it to the hand. He made the n and then he executed it. He kicked off lightly, and then he vanished. A split second after, the earth where he had just stood was torn up and flung away, forcing Almanar to stumble back several steps.

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t see. He was moving too fast, his eyes couldn¡¯t keep up. He simply blinked and then he was in front of the w, already in the process of moving past it. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he focused. Ice was spreading out from the w, spreading along Nergal¡¯s tar-like body. Even the lightning and wind sent out by Quetz was freezing, tracing the ice back to her body. This ancient beast, even spirits could be blocks of ice if it unleashed enough power.

    Well, no time to think about that. Had to act in this minuscule moment of rity before he kept going further. The strength he used to kick off was already back in his hand, his scaled w clenched tightly. There was that groaning sound again. But it wasn¡¯t his bones, nor was it his scales. There was simply an all-epassing groaning that kept leaking out, seemingly from all around him.

    He ignored the sound and moved his arm, smashing the fist into the w with all the might he could muster. His ¡®shield¡¯ had been able to take one of the w¡¯s talons so surely his ¡®sword¡¯ would do better, right? He held that belief, his strange confidence, close as he attacked.

    And then there was an explosion.

    Deeper than thunder, louder than a copsing mountain. Cracking and crunching, a sharp whistling of something soaring through the air. Nergal was still chomping down on the three talons, grinding the scales down with his circr maw. But the w they were supposed to be attached to¡­ Wasn¡¯t there.

    Gabriel just barely saw it as his body kept moving forward, the momentum of his original kick off still strong in his body. The w was soaring through the air. Three of its talons had been cut off earlier, and now there were jagged stumps where three of the remaining talons should have been. Cracks covered its entire body, arge section had just caved in entirely where Gabriel¡¯s fist hadnded.

    The w spun through the air uncontrobly until it crashed into a mountain with a thunderous rumbling. Gabriel¡¯s momentum was still there so he was rushing after it, naturally slower now that he had expended some of the momentum by punching it.

    As for the hand that had punched it, the scales were sinking into his flesh and the talons were retracting into his fingers, fresh skin and nails recing them. Still, he maintained his confidence. He could tell, almost instinctively. The w was on the verge of death, just onest push and it would be over.

 Chapter 63: From person to person. (4)

    Chapter 63: From person to person. (4)

    It heard a knocking. Within the darkness, within the emptiness, within that eternity, it heard a knocking. Crimson lines came alive with light for but a moment, shedding some light on its prison after countless years. It couldn¡¯t see any of it, but it could feel it.

    Iras?

    A thought echoed throughout the prison as the red lines faded again. No sound so this wasn¡¯t the part that held its head or heart. Was it just a mistake, a trick of the mind?

    Then came another knock. The lines lit up again, light shing across its prison again. Once could be a trick of the mind, but twice was never a coincidence. And sure enough, another knock quickly came.

    It heard the lines shift, it felt the light bathe its scales. The prison¡­ it was opening. Iras hade for him atst. Finally, this endless waiting coulde to an end.

    But then¡­ Why hadn¡¯t Iras gone for the head or the heart?

    More knocking, and finally thest ¡®key¡¯ slid into ce with the loudest knock. The lines slid apart with a terrible sound, one it could feel reverberate through its bones. And then, a gust of wind. Cold, fresh, almost piercing due to how long it had been since it got to feel it.

    Still ck, as if the ¡®bars¡¯ were still twined tightly around it. Right, this wasn¡¯t the head or the heart, of course it couldn¡¯t see. But it had to see. It had to understand why Iras came here first.

    Tap into the connection, check. The other pieces are still out there, trapped within eternal prisons as they wait. Nudge them, urge them, borrow from them. In the end it¡¯ll either be whole or nothing so just borrowing is fine. One eye, a second, a third, a fourth, in the end, it got to borrow 8 out of 99. 99¡­ so close to the divine 100¡­

    Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. One by one they crack open, true light reflected in them for the first time in ages. A cloud of dust surrounded it. Dust. Why dust? Iras wouldn¡¯t have raised any dust, things would simply fade after he passed. So why dust?

    And then it saw them.

    The Primitives. The annoyingly stubborn hairless primates that had been brought to their world by Akarash. A group of them had gathered around it, gawking down at it with stunned expressions. The power of Iras wreathed one of them, a figure with red eyes and violet fur.

    But that was impossible¡­ There¡¯s no way the Primitives should be able to acquire Iras¡­ And then it looked closer, harder.

    It could see it within them, inside the Primitives that gathered around it. Eras in the one with brown fur, Arais in the one with yellow fur, Katush in the other one with brown fur, Javal in the one with with pale yellow fur, one of them even had itself, Azui.

    The one that was wreathed in Iras¡­ Its eyes hurt from looking at that primate. Iras, Lagor, Maakar, Javal, Mg, Duvak, Anak, Natar¡­ the primitive reeked of them all. Just when¡­ When had they all been taken down?

    Time¡­ Had time really been that cruel to them? Had Akarash brought that much ruin with it?

    Its eyes trailed a bit more, spotting a primitive with ck fur and dark pink eyes. Iras, Waraya, and Lagor, it reeked of the three of them. But there was something more. On its neck, stretching from the back to the front and covering part of its torso, the mark of Lament.

    Lament¡­ Did it have something to do with the primitives bringing down the others? That particr one¡­ Always did seem so full of hate and loathing.

    In that case¡­ Who would ever give it itsst rites?

    AAaahhhhhHHHHAAAHHHHH

    A scream, a roar, a cry, it couldn¡¯t tell. And neither could the world. In the end, it had only borrowed eyes, not the mouth. Freedom was lost, the primitives had torn down the others¡­ In the end, it could only do as Lament did.

    Azui rose around it, came from within it. Like nails they gathered around it and then shot out. Like a decree they returned the world, and the primitives, to Azui.

    But these primitives were faster than the ones it was used to. They evaded, they used the fallen names to erect defences that shielded them. It could even sense it¡­ Karas. One that had reached the divine 100, one of these primates reeked of it.

    It tried to use Karas to bind it, spouting unfamiliar words to both the primates and the traitors they had brought along. Its eyes moved. Karas¡­ It wanted to see exactly what sort of primate was granted one of the divine.

    But¡­ There was nothing there. At the source of the stench of Karas, and Waraya, there was nothing. Invisible? Or was the primate moving that fast?

    No¡­ The scent wasn¡¯t moving that fast so it couldn¡¯t be speed? So why was it hidden? Ah, perhaps it will find out once its touched by Azui. Like little talons, they gathered, and then they shot out again to bless the world with its decree.

    The scent vanished. The primitive must have disappeared. The scent appeared beneath it again, recing one of the chains. Was this it? Was this what it could muster with Karas? It would cry if it knew.

    Katush rose from below. Strange, the primitive didn¡¯t smell of Katush. Had they invented something new after taking down the others? But oh well, Katush couldn¡¯t do anything to it so it wasn¡¯t something to worry about. The primitive also swung something, a glint passing through the air.

    But when the thing struck it, it realized that it had nothing to worry about. It barely left a dent in its talons, Karas would definitely cry if it knew. It was using a lot of power to keep this form going even without the heart or head present, but the invisible primitive still couldn¡¯t harm it. Once it knew, it could stop paying attention to the invisible primitive and focus on the traitor and primitive above.

    The traitor used Duvak in a vain attempt to crush it. Maybe when it was fully grown it would be scared, but this little thing wouldn¡¯t be able to rock it. The primitive using Iras from above while quietly sneaking Makar up from below¡­ That one was a bit worthy of attention however.

    The Makar it called out from below was annoying, it was never good at handling Makar. But there wasn¡¯t enough strength behind it so it had ample time tounch itself out. The primate that had brought out Makar wasn¡¯t looking at it, it was looking at the spot where the scent of Karas came from. Were theyrades? From the same litter maybe? Oh well, it could be used.

    Look at the invisible primate,unch a few talons of Azui. As expected, the violet-furred primate used the fallen names to protect the invisible one. And thus, there was a gap. Freeze Arais and kick it, fly towards the primate. A traitor was coiled around it, so it didn¡¯t think that it could kill the primate just like that. But the young traitor would most definitely die, and that was a good start to Lament.

    Bend a finger, make sure that there¡¯s no hope of survival for the traitor. Azui could be deflected, Azui could be melted. The finger could not. Some Karas welled up around the primate, it seemed as if the invisible one was hoping to interfere. But it would not matter.

    And then the primate in front of it vanished, the invisible one taking its ce. Ah, must be from the same litter then if its willing to die for the violet-furred one.

    The finger struck the invisible primate, it felt the sensation of bones crumbling and its weapon faltering. The snow a bit away from it copsed, the invisible primate had probablynded there. Judging by the marks in the snow, it was bouncing away. Lament was delivered to one primate.

    It turned its eyes away, Lament had to meet the others as well, only then could they understand what it was feeling. It gathered Azui again.

    Bump.

    A sound from behind. Strange. How was there a sound here? It had no ears so it should not be able to hear. Even the scents it picked up were just instinctual things ingrained in its blood. But that, that had definitely been a sound.

    One of its eyes spun back to inspect the strange circumstance. And then it saw it.

    The invisible primi¡­thing, it could finally see it. Humanoid in shape, like the rest of the primitives, but it clearly wasn¡¯t one. No fur, no eyes, no skin, no mouths. No, that thing was a humanoid blotch of darkness, a swirling thing that just took humanoid form. What was swirling in it? It couldn¡¯t tell, it was all just swirling wildly. That? What was it?

    "Katush."

    Another sound. The thing, it uttered one of the fallen names. The swirling got wilder, a soft light surfacing at its depth. Katush rose all around the creature, drenching thend. But how strange¡­ The Katush wasn¡¯t freezing, it seemed removed from Azui.

    "Katush."

    The thing kept speaking, fallen names spilling out from the swirling darkness as the void within only grew brighter.

    The primitives were attacking it constantly, like gnats gnawing at it. The Javal one was particrly annoying, not because of strength but because of Javal¡¯s nature. The one using Tarak was also particrly annoying, it seemed stronger than the rest of the primitives that kept attacking it. Well, the one bearing the mark of Lament and the violet-furred one were about the same as it. Thergest of the gnats.

    "Katush."

    It tried to get to the thing, to stop it from uttering those fallen names. But the primitives kept stopping it. Like gnats they refused to stop gnawing. And just like gnats could bring down an elephant, it could feel its own defences faltering by the seconds. But it couldn¡¯t look away from the thing over there.

    "Katush."

    The Katush kept rising around it, drowning out everything else. It was still removed from Azui, refusing to freeze. And it just kept rising.

    In the end, all the Katush gathered in the palm of the thing, ake turning into a vibrating pearl. It felt a sense of¡­ Danger from that thing. Danger? It? From a mere thing? The others wouldugh.

    It quicklyunched a violent attack, it would have to suffer a bit more under the attacks of the gnats, but that thing had to be dealt with. Perhaps it was to be expected from the primitives, but they jumped on the opportunity to attack it. The Javal one was particrly nasty, numbing its mind as if it wanted to lull it to sleep just like the days past.

    "Nergal. Bring it down."

    The thing spoke again as it moved, like a void tearing through the world as it approached. And then it felt it. Beneath it. A small blotch that grewrger andrger, bubbling like a swamp. A circr maw spun around in the swamp as tendrils rose and coiled around it.

    stor¡­? But, how?

    A thought that couldn¡¯t be sound. That thing, that swamp¡­ It was just like stor. But it couldn¡¯t be, stor was already dead, it had gone the way of its title and vanished. So¡­ What was that thing, that listened to the other thing?

    It hurriedly tried to resist after it caught itself, but Javal hit it again, the other primitives joining in to bring it down. And then the thing arrived beneath it, pointing that pearl at it.

    "Devak."

    The thing spoke another word so it quickly made sure to dodge by knocking itself aside. It dodged most of it but was still struck by a bit of the line that the pearl had be. It felt a finger give way, an unfamiliar sensation of pain filling it as one finger soared through the air. It had been wounded. Even if it was just a piece, even if it was focusing so much on keeping itself going, it had allowed a primitive to wound it.

    All its eyes focused on the swirling thing. The stor pretender shielded the thing, but the Azui it sent out still struck the swirling thing and sent it flying away. It wanted to chase it immediately, but the primitives kept attacking it. It was missing a finger now so there was a good ce for them to attack, the weaker gnats were all focusing on that wound to tear it open.

    And they just kept attacking, and attacking, and attacking, and attacking. It got to thin their numbers a little, but after a short while the violet-furred one joined in again along with its two traitors.

    The swirling thing seemed to be talking with the primitives for a few moments, but the attacks never ceased. They tore at its wound without end, gnawing like gnats. Gnawing. Gnawing. Gnawing.

    Eventually, the swirling thing stepped away, but the primitives only furthered their attacks. The one with Tarak kept pinning it down, and then the one bearing the mark of Lament took advantage of that opening.

    Danger.

    It felt it again, a sensation of danger. But not from the thing this time. No, it was from that primitive, a primitive it couldn¡¯t even call a thing. The primitive swung its weapon the instant it had finished breaking free of the Tarak and was about to escape.

    Pain again. The weapon tore through another one of its fingers, the force of the attack even cleaving through a second one of its fingers. Two fingers. A primitive had robbed it of two fingers.

    It wanted to retaliate and kill the primitive, who looked weakened, but the other primitives just stepped in to shield it. They tore at the new wounds like gnats. Gnawing. Gnawing. Gnawing. Gnawing. Each attack worsened the wounds, forcing it to expend more energy.

    Then it noticed something. Rushing towards them, a group of descendants. They looked like humanoid-lizards wielding Azui. Were they perhaps descendants of it? A primitive was running from them, had they perhapse to help it?

    But then the thing moved. It rushed into the midst of the descendants and used the stor pretender to tear open thergest one.

    "#¡è%#¡è%#, Sarash."

    The thing uttered a word that made every fibre of its being ache, a light rising up from the descendant that quickly swallowed the thing. The light then sank into the thing, gathering in the ¡®hand¡¯ of the swirling mass. And then the world around it started to die. The descendants, the world itself, everything just died and sank into it. And finally, the hand that gathered the light took on form.

    No longer was it a swirling mass, it was a w covered in dark purple scales. Purple, a colour that didn¡¯t belong to this world. A colour that not even Akarash had been able to bring into this world. It was only thanks to the Divine that it knew of it.

    Danger. Danger. Danger.

    It felt it, from the depths of its own existence. That thing was dangerous. The hand, the swirling thing, it was dangerous.

    "Nergal¡­"

    The thing spoke again and the stor pretender moved. Eyes appeared in its swamp-like body. Yes, those weren¡¯t the eyes of stor, that thing truly was just a pretender. But what sort of thing could pretend to be stor, who had vanished from existence?

    The pretender crept under it again, taking advantage of all the attacks that hit it. Ittched onto it with tendrils and pulled it down, the traitors and the primitives helping it. Its maw stretched out and bit down on three of its remaining fingers, the teeth grinding against the scales.

    It could feel it. The scales were dissolving, vanishing. That pretender, it was grinding down on its existence. Scales that grew too thin cracked, blood spilling into the maw of the pretender. And as the pretender drank its blood, it saw it.

    Light, dark and terrible,ing from the swirling thing. It was like the time G helped Sylvana first rise, illuminating thend they had wrought.

    And then the swirling thing arrived in front of it. It was wreathed in Iras so it was faster than before. The w it had¡­ That purple thing, it smashed against it with immense force.

    The pretender below, it took this chance to bite down even harder on its fingers, tearing all three of them by grinding its scales and existence down. There was nothing to anchor it, so it had to bear the full force of that attack.

    Scales cracked, flesh was rent, and bones cracked. That thing struck with force deserving of being deemed dangerous. It shot through the air as a result, crashing into a mountain a distance away. The swirling thing quickly following.

    Six out of eight fingers were gone, 5 out of the 99 eyes had exploded. It was bad. Extremely so. The attacks that had never stopped raining on it, the primitives that kept gnawing at it, they had brought it here.

    The swirling thing eventually arrived by it. The thing missed at first, but eventually stopped in front of it. In this moment of silence, it felt like it could see the swirling thing properly for the first time. The darkness that spun inside its humanoid frame, the soft light shining in its depth¡­ It all seemed to be screaming. A sound given form, or perhaps an emotion. Lament had felt like much the same.

    The more it looked into that swirling mass, the more distant everything felt. It couldn¡¯t muster any strength, it couldn¡¯t pull itself away from that whirlpool. It still had strength, it could still fight. But the whirlpool¡­ the thing¡­ It kept tugging at it, drawing it in. And then the thing ced a ¡®hand¡¯ on it. The w was gone, reced by that swirling mass.

    Deeper and deeper into the whirlpool, deeper and deeper. It started to feel as if that whirlpool was the only thing that ever existed, the only thing that needed to exist. It called to it¡­ Beckoned it¡­ Sang to it like Iras used to. And then, the thing spoke again.

    "#¡è%#¡è%#, Sarash."

    And with that, the whirlpool drew it in. With that, the whirlpool became everything.

 Chapter 64: From person to person. (5)

    Chapter 64: From person to person. (5)

    The w was squashed up against the side of the mountain, earth and stone bent into a perfectly-sized pit around it. Six out of eight talons were gone, five out of eight eyes had ruptured. It was bleeding heavily, soft quivers running through its body with sparse intervals.

    Gabriel recognized it. The quivers, the scent that lingered in the air around it, the fluctuations of energy, like a soul struggling to stay behind. Death was near, and the w was knocking at its gates.

    But this was a battle, a fight to the death. And that meant one thing, if the enemy was knocking at death¡¯s gate then so were you. The saying went that a cornered rat would bite even a cat, and it wasn¡¯t wrong. It was when your enemy was at death¡¯s gate that they were at their most fearsome. And those who underestimate those at death¡¯s door, Gabriel had seen more of them die than any other ally.

    So he was slow in his approach. He missed it by a bit at first due to his speed, but the spell Alice cast on him ran out eventually so he could do it at his own pace. One step at a time, one slow breath at a time.

    His body ached. The first hit he got from the w, it had crushed at least a handful of his bones. His wrists had gotten the worst of it since he held his de up to block that blow. When the adrenaline was pumping, when the souls were burning and the mana was flowing it was easy to ignore it, to pretend like it wasn¡¯t real.

    But the end was nigh, things were slowing down. Thus it caught up with him, his mind and body started to slowly grasp the situation with rity that instincts could not. But it was still fine.

    It was just broken bones. It was just torn flesh. He was the man who once kept going to take down his target even when his right arm was barely hanging on by the joint in his shoulder. He was the man whopleted his mission even as fire came alive in his mouth and ate away his upper lip.

    As a tool, he had been able to bear that pain without a grunt orint. Now he was a man, a person, so how could he possibly be any worse? So he strode closer to the w, inklings of invisible fire still tearing at the world around him to keep him going.

    But it just looked at him. Three peach-coloured eyes were staring at him absentmindedly, the crimson sheen that had coated them earlier already faded. They were swirling as they looked at him, pupils swimming aimlessly as it didn¡¯t even muster the smallest defence. It just¡­ Looked. Impassively, swirling, empty.

    Reflected in those swirling eyes was only him, a twisting figure that looked down at it. It was watching. Waiting. He felt that the eyes were familiar, the expression.

    When he walked up the stairs, when he strode across the roof, when he plummeted, would his eyes have looked like that? The w was waiting for death, perhaps it had been all along. But if that was the case, why fight back? Whyunch the first attack?

    He didn¡¯t know. And even if he did, would he understand? He was like a newborn when it came to emotions, it was hard enough just to even attempt understanding those right next to him. Understanding an ancient w? Futile.

    But well, there was at least one thing he understood. How to kill it.

    That thing was a w, a very minor part of a gargantuan whole. And yet it lived. It moved on its own, acted as it pleased, could attack freely. Limbs just didn¡¯t do that. So even if he cut this thing into tiny pieces, who¡¯s to say that a drop of blood or bits and pieces of its flesh wouldn¡¯t just survive?

    And yet¡­ Gabriel was confident that he could kill it. For he had something that no one else here had. Akasha. The affinity of demons. Kill or subdue it, cast the spell, and its powers would be yours. Until you drew yourst breath, that demon would forever be a part of you. This may just be a w, but in the end it was a demon, a sentient one at that, so it should work.

    His hand reached out, but the w still didn¡¯t move. The swirling in its eyes only grew stronger, the distortion of his reflection all the more twisted. His handnded on its cracked scales.

    Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Colder than ice, colder than the arctic winds in his old world. When he dunked a prisoner¡¯s head in liquid nitrogen and held it there until all twitching stopped, was this what they felt? That was the coldest thing he knew so that was the closestparison he could think of. With this, it was no wonder that it could freeze even spirits.

    But Gabriel would not freeze, he would be the frost.

    "Akasha, Sarash." (Demon, Swallow.)

    The swirling in its eyes, his twisted reflection, in the end they became a single whirlpool, indistinguishable from each other.

    And then¡­ There was only Gabriel.

    There was no eruption of light like when he used Akasha on the lizard-man, no burst of energy, no fire to burn the world. It was quiet, like a summer breeze that blew across the fields. It felt like dandelion seeds caressing his skin, a soft touch that one couldn¡¯t be fully sure was really there.

    But it was there, he knew that it was. Creeping up his veins, settling in his organs, pumping with every beat of his heart. Every time his lungs expanded to draw breath, it was there. Every time the stars of mana danced around his heart, it was there. Every time the wind brought a taste of the world to him, it was there.

    From now. In the future. Until he drew hisst breath, that thing would forever be a part of him. And whether he knew it or not, he had already abandoned a part of his humanity.

    He turned his head. There, in the distance, he could see them. The knights of Barong, Caine, Arioch¡­ Alice. She was rushing towards him while the others were taking this chance to catch their breath. The distance was considerable, but he could see them with perfect rity. He could even see the vapouring from their mouths as they breathed.

    His eyes suddenly hurt so he was forced to close them. When he opened them again his vision had returned to normal, the others nothing more than shapes in the distance. The figure rapidly approaching, it could only be Alice.

    He wanted to copse. It would be easy, he would just have to let his mind wander for a second, let his focus slip for but a moment. The sweet embrace of unconsciousness would greet him and he¡¯d wake up when everything was over. But he couldn¡¯t allow that.

    He looked up for a moment. There, nestled within the dull grey clouds, he could still see the hole he made earlier. A tinge of blue could be seen beyond it, as if greeting him. Shades of violet and red tinged the edges of that blue, creeping ever further across it. Was the sun setting perhaps?

    "Gabriel!"

    A shout reached his ears. She arrived faster than expected, she must have dredged out more of her mana to get here that much faster. His gaze fell from the colourful patch of sky andnded on the colourful woman. Crimson eyes that looked straight at him, violet hair that danced wildly as she moved. She was as pale as paper, ready to copse at a moments notice. Her eyes still held traces of misery when she looked at him, self-loathing at what she had done.

    She stopped a bit away from him, her eyes constantly sweeping across his wounds. He probably looked like a mess right now, ruined and dirty beyond belief. Now that it was over she almost looked hesitant to speak, as if she wasn¡¯t sure what to say and how to exin herself.

    But well, an exnation wasn¡¯t why he bothered taking the time to stay conscious. She seemed too scared to step closer, so it fell on him to take a few steps forward. He then allowed his body to just tilt and fall forward. He had¡­ faith.

    "Gabriel!"

    And indeed, she hurriedly caught him so that he didn¡¯t fall. Nestled within her embrace, he felt that these frigidnds weren¡¯t actually all that cold. Her scent was familiar. It reminded him of their¡­ home if it could be called that. Well, her family was pretty bad, but at least they had that little corner to themselves. In that sense¡­ Yes, perhaps it was home that she smelled of. When he smelled that, he was home.

    The sweet tune of unconsciousness was calling to him, but he refused its summons. He wanted to sleep. The scent was lulling him to sleep, it reminded him of how they sometimes huddled as kids. She always clung to him to sleep, as if he was her only safe harbour. But how did he sleep at those times? He didn¡¯t know, he couldn¡¯t see himself sleep. But that scent¡­ It meant home, it meant sleep. It meant¡­fort and peace, he knew that now.

    When he first gave Alicefort and peace, he made something for her. What did it taste like? He couldn¡¯t recall, perhaps it was just like ash to his dead senses. But he desired¡­ he wanted to know.

    "Alice, I want some cake when we get back. Cake like the one I made for your first birthday."

 Chapter 65: From person to person. (6)

    Chapter 65: From person to person. (6)

    Gabriel felt woozy as he held on to Alice. The ache kept creeping up on him, running along his bones like maggots digging in to reach his marrow. Thanks to that, he wasn¡¯t quite conscious as she helped him get back to the others, it felt like he blinked and then they had simply arrived.

    "You¡¯re back."

    Arioch¡¯s voice greeted them when they returned to the battlefield. Caine was throwing back some pills so hisplexion was already getting better, while the remaining knights had already moved the more exhausted knights to the back of the formation. Teresa stood a bit away from the knights, Fenrir and Quetz posted around her, probably on Alice¡¯s orders. Nergal¡­ Was chomping down on the three talons he had snapped off of the w, a grinding crunching from the blotch of darkness that asionally peered at the surroundings with some floating eyes.

    "It¡¯s over, then?"

    Arioch looked the best out of everyone present, which said a fair bit if one looked at his ragged state. Fighting on the front-lines with Caine whenever Gabriel prepared his moves, throwing outrge magics to restrain the beast, he looked just about ready to keel over. But he was the future northern duke, the lion of the north. He had a responsibility to both thend and the men, he could not allow himself a moment of ease before he knew that it was over.

    "Yes, it¡¯s gone for good."

    Arioch had already expected the answer, the figure that had crashed into the mountain had suddenly just vanished after all. But it was still good to hear Alice confirm it, a long and heavy breath slipping out between his lips before he turned to his men.

    "The battle is over! Gather the deceased, we¡¯ll leave these sted mountains straight away and then get some rest when we meet up with the men outside!"

    He really wanted to rest, he really wanted his men to get some rest. But no, these mountains weren¡¯t a safe ce to rest, not while everyone was wounded and exhausted. There was only so much they could do by going to one of the nearest outposts, especially for those that had severe wounds. They had to return to the men that were still stationed outside the mountains, it would be safer to rest an hour or so there before they hurried back to the city.

    "Understood, my Lord."

    The response from the knights was a lot more subdued than it was when they first left for the expedition. They had survived this gruelling battle, but they had lost several of theirrades. Maybeter they would be able to cheer for their survival, but for now they hadn¡¯t even gotten the chance to mourn the loss so it would have to wait. Arioch¡¯s gaze slid across his men for a moment before he turned back to Alice and Caine, slightly lowering his head.

    "Young master Caine, Young Lady Alice, thank you for going along with my n to uncover the truth about the legend. I wish it hadn¡¯t been true, but luckily we were quick in handling it ording to the ns weid just in case. Now we¡¯ll be able to rest at ease and not have to worry about that buried danger."

    Arioch didn¡¯t try to lower his voice, even the knights gathering the deceased could clearly hear him. Looking at Alice¡¯s expression as Arioch spoke, Gabriel could guess that she had no idea what he was talking about. But both of them quickly came to the same realisation, Alice smoothening her expression in a very natural manner.

    "Please don¡¯t thank me, Young Master Arioch. We were so caught off guard when we first saw that it was real that we failed to react in time, a failure that cost the lives of several knights. So please, don¡¯t thank us, we¡¯re not worthy of it."

    She copied Arioch as she spoke and lowered her head. Caine did the same so he had probably also caught on to what was going on. Gabriel was the only one who actually stood close to them so he was the only one who could see the bitter expression all three wore.

    Future leader of the Barong duchy, future leader of the Woodime family, possibly future leader of the Vritara Duchy. They were integral parts of the empire, the rtionship between their families provided safety and livelihood for countless people.

    Alice had gone ahead and pulled a scheme without telling anyone, a gamble on an old legend. Caine had reacted before anyone else, and while normal people wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear what he said when Alice cracked the seal, Arioch wasn¡¯t a normal person. Caine knew about the seal in advance, he knew that something was sealed here in these mountains.

    Caine kept a secret, Alice made a gamble, Arioch and his men paid the price.

    But he couldn¡¯t publicly berate them, he couldn¡¯t scream and question them here in front of his men. He had familial rtions to maintain, he had to make his men think that this was an borate n they made in advance. He couldn¡¯t let his knights grow to hate the two of them, lest they do something that could sour the rtions between the families.

    But they needed someone to hateter on. They needed someone to me when they were mourning. At that time¡­ It would be better if they pointed their anger at the young lord who didn¡¯t share any information with them. Like that they would at least be able to avoid souring any important rtions.

    "We¡¯ll have to sit down and have a meeting once we¡¯ve managed to get some rest. We¡¯ll need to review the ns we made and how they fared when they were faced with reality, it¡¯ll allow us to be better prepared for the future."

    His voice carried its usual tone, if not a lot wearier and heavier than before, but his eyes brooked no room for discussion. He would have his answers.

    "Naturally. Our families will continue to be in touch for many years so it will only be beneficial for all of us if we can be more proficient atying ns for the unexpected."

    Alice was quick to agree, naturally. She had revealed three of her magic affinities, but they were all affinities that Caine and the Crown Princess had already revealed to the world so it was fine. It was unexpected that Gabriel would have to reveal all of his magic affinities and even Nergal, but with things having reached this point they would just have to deal with it. As for Teresa and her poison affinity¡­ Since it was an unknown affinity they should be able to temporarily disguise it as a clever utilisation of the nature affinity.

    "Of course. This turn of event was extremely unfortunate so it¡¯s important that we reflect."

    Caine had no choice but to agree, a heavy breath slipping out as he cast a nce at the corpses that were being gathered. Several of them weren¡¯t whole, frozen and shattered, so they could forget about bringing them back whole.

    Between Alice and Caine, it was clear that Arioch, as well as Alice and Gabriel, were ncing at Caine a bit more than anyone else. Caine had known about the seal, and his whispers had indicated that he had been surprised when it was just a w. He knew. But how? And for how long? And in the case of Arioch, when had he been nning on telling his ¡®friend¡¯ about this danger that was just lurking within his territory?

    Gabriel moved away from the three nobles as they started to talk again, a tense air hanging over them. His steps were a bit unsteady, but he signalled for Alice that it was fine. Right now she would have to be right there to talk, lest she be the one who risked souring rtions. He felt Arioch¡¯s gaze linger on his back for a bit as he walked, but that was inevitable after what he had shown. The Crown Princess was famous for being the first in a long time to have two affinities on the Divine Star, and now Gabriel came along and showed the exact same. Things were going to get¡­ noisy when they returned.

    He hobbled along as he headed for the knights, Nergal gathering himself together and sliding towards Gabriel. He merged with Gabriel when he reached him, slipping into him like tar into a pool. With the blotch returning to him, Gabriel felt a bit of strength well up in him, his flesh squirming somewhat ufortable around his wounds. Not enough to heal the broken bones, but enough to stop any ongoing bleeding. Nergal had eaten well, and it was reflected on Gabriel, the air feeling that much clearer and cooler as he drew in a deep breath.

    Before long, Gabriel reached the spot where they were gathering and wrapping up the deceased. The knights naturally made way for him as he walked. He looked a mess with his broken armour and unsteady steps, but they had all seen the sheer carnage he had wrought. Water enough to create ake, power enough tounch it into the sky and pierce the clouds. Two of the divine four affinities, a strange spirit.

    Naturally, they counted him as someone who would be a knight after seeing him in action through their journey, he was young, but he earned their respect. But the things he did here¡­ It set him apart from them, it was too different. What was once respect became more akin to awe, admiration, and perhaps a fair bit of healthy fear. Thus, they couldn¡¯t help but step aside when he walked by them.

    The corpses he was looking for, it was easy to find them because he remembered the wounds they got. They were packed amongst the others, two frozen and one with her mid-section crushed, just another three corpses to be buried. He sat down on the cold and muddy ground in front of the three, a blotch of darkness bringing his broken sword into his grasp.

    It was the first gift he received from Lawrence, probably the first thing in this life that he could call his own. And now it was entirely shattered, crushed as he tried to defend himself. He stabbed it into the ground in front of the three corpses, looking at them in silence for a few moments before he opened his mouth.

    "What are their names?"

    Really. They had died so that he could have a conversation and bare himself to Alice, but he didn¡¯t even know their names. The first time in his lives that he felt guilt¡­ He wanted to know their names.

    "Excus¡­ Ah. Altair Serosh, Murak Eigon, and Wolton Delgar. Altair liked to drink cherry tea with her husband on the colder days, Murak had a sister who he raised when they were kids, she¡¯s a baker now, and Wolton had a wife who was also a knight, but she died a handful of years back so it was just him."

    A knight who had just finished carefully bringing over another one of the deceased was the one who responded to Gabriel. Perhaps he could gauge it from his expression, or perhaps he had experienced something simr before, but he went into more detail about each of the deceased. Once they had lives, once they had family. Now they were nothing but more snowkes that scattered across this frozen waste.

    They weren¡¯t nobles, but they still had family names. That was one of the privileges of being knighted, you got to choose a family name for yourself, a name that could be carried on by your descendants. Once Gabriel was knighted, as Alice wished, he too would have toe up with a family name for himself. But quite frankly, it wasn¡¯t a thought that had crossed his mind before so he had no ideas. But now¡­ He felt that he should probably start to look into it.

    The rest of the deceased were quickly gathered up, carefully packed so that they could be brought out of the frozen mountains. 10 Knights-in-training had been left outside so 48 people entered the mountains. 40 of them trained knights, 3 of them nobles, 5 of them attendants. Of them¡­ only 23 would return alive.

    Caine, Alice, and Arioch took the front, the remaining people left in charge of bringing the deceased back. Leaving the mountains went quite a bit faster, the entire party rather rushed to leave so that the wounded could get treated and the weary could get some rest. Still, it took a bit of time before they got to see the knights-in-training, who were tensely waiting for them.

    "My Lord! You¡¯ve retu¡­!"

    The words of the young trainee caught in his throat when he saw the state of the party. The heavy expression on Arioch¡¯s face made it especially hard for him to squeeze out any further words before Arioch gave his order.

    "Prepare the steeds. We¡¯ll put some distance between us and the mountains and then get some rest. Have the medicines ready by the time we stop."

    The party naturally brought their fair share of medicine with them into the mountains, but some of the bigger things remained here with the steeds. It would at least be enough to buy them time to get back home and have a real doctor take a look at them.

    "As you order!"

    The young trainees quickly sprung into action and prepared the steeds. They were made to wait out here, but that didn¡¯t mean that they allowed themselves to getzy with boredom. In less than a handful of minutes, everything was set up and the steeds ready to go, everyone quickly moving away from the mountains.

    They kept going for a bit over two hours, making sure that they were far enough away from the mountains when Arioch finally gave the order to stop. The trainees quickly set up camp and formed the defensive perimeter, using the special beast repellent that had been brought along for the direst of circumstances. It was extremely expensive to make, which was why it wasn¡¯t used during the night, but if they didn¡¯t use it now then no situation would ever be dire enough for it.

    The knights finally got a chance to rest, a chance to take in the events and the losses. The trainees made food for everyone, and the knights who made it back forced themselves to eat. You had to eat to live. They were sad, but they wanted to live, so they had to eat.

    Arioch ¡®politely¡¯ had Alice and Caine join him in his tent so that they could ¡®discuss their ns.¡¯ Gabriel once again took this chance to sit down in front of the wrapped up dead, especially the three that died because he wanted to talk. The guilt he felt for the first time in his life, he felt that sitting here would allow him to experience it to the fullest.

    He looked up at the dark night sky that spread out above them, the clouds covered up everything from the smallest start to the great moon itself. The fire crackled a bit behind him, the camp as somber as one would expect.

    His gaze lowered eventually, looking back at his own hand. For a moment, when he fought against the w, his hand too had be a w. His Unique Magic, the ¡®sword¡¯ part. It was tied to Akasha.

    What was Akasha magic? It was the magic of demons, the magic to use demons. As for what exactly ssified as a demon, he had no idea. Normally, when used on a living demon, it let you use them as apanion while giving you their affinity, letting you cast spells of their element. When used on a dead demon, it would only give you its affinity. Another thing it did was give you the demon¡¯s mana, so the more demon¡¯s you gathered the stronger you would be.

    The thing he did however¡­ Gaining ws, growing scales, the burst of strength¡­ They were not things that belonged to Akasha. Was that the part of his Unique Magic in Akasha?

    But there was something else. Using Akasha on a demon only gave you its affinity, you still had to draw the formation and cast the spell like normal so you had to study a lot. But Gabriel¡­

    His finger lowered to the ground, poking into the snow below him. He could feel the ice buried there, the little bits of ice that formed each snowke. His finger started to slowly move in a circle, the ice and snow in a one-metre wide circle around him swirling in tune with his movements.

 Chapter 66: From person to person. (7)

    Chapter 66: From person to person. (7)

    The hours quickly passed as the night deepened, the only sound within the camping from either the knights-in-training trudging about as they patrolled or the crackling of the campfires that provided them with a bit of light and heat. Gabriel was still seated in front of the corpses, the cold wasn¡¯t really affecting him much, it may be another side effect of having used Akasha on that demon.

    Crrr¡­

    The crunching of snow he asionally heard got closer as someone approached him. He could roughly guess who it was based on the slight hobble and the weight behind each step, among the people he expected to seek him out, this one didn¡¯t rank terribly high honestly.

    "Wolton Delgar. He served as one of my knights for over 30 years. His father was a knight, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, hees from a long line of knights. He had a wife, who what do you know, was also a knight. She died on one of these expeditions a few years back, before they could have a child, so it¡¯s been just him since. He never spoke of it, but I know that he ran a small workshop where he provided simple jobs for the street kids he could find. I think he was lonely ever since he ended up alone and wanted something to fill the gap. I¡¯ll have to pick up the ck for him now."

    Arioch spoke as he sat down heavily, the snow crumpling beneath him. He looked weary, his shoulders slumped and his eyes sunken in. Judging from his expression, the answers he got after talking with Alice and Caine weren¡¯t ones that let him rest easy. He leaned forward after he spoke, pulling a simple silver locket out of his pocket, resting it on the chest of the deceased.

    "Murak Eigon. He served as one of my knights for 22 years. He doesn¡¯te from a long line of knights like Wolton, in fact, he¡¯s the first knight in his family. His parents died when he was just ten years old so he was left all alone with his three year old sister. He had to provide for her so he hounded the knights for a job, they pitied him so they let him clean the training grounds. Turns out that he had some talent so he quickly became a squire, and before long he was knighted. Using his paycheck, he put his sister through every course he could find so that she could learn everything he couldn¡¯t. She now works as a baker not too far from my estate, she asionallyes by with bread and fresh pastries while the knights are training. The ring he prepared to give her when she finally found a man, now it¡¯ll be my responsibility to hand it over."

    The next corpse, the next life. Arioch leaned forward again after moving slightly, sliding off the ring that still carried traces of frost. A simple golden band that showed some traces of age, had it belonged to Murak¡¯s parents? And then, there was the third.

    "Altair Serosh. She served as my knight for 27 years. Shees from a line of knights, though they don¡¯t go back as far as Wolton¡¯s family line. But well, that line of knights doesn¡¯t actually belong to the Barong duchy, they reside in the Sorin duchy. But she came here because she wasn¡¯t satisfied with her life in the west, she re-did all her training to fit our standards and was quickly granted knighthood here. On colder days she liked to drink cherry tea with her husband, cherries don¡¯t grow here so it reminded her of childhood memories. But well, on every day that wasn¡¯t horribly cold she preferred a strong drink over tea. The number of times she had to get carried home because she got ck out drunk and tried to pick fights with the other knights¡­ Really, it¡¯s amazing how tamed she was in front of Dorton. She was infertile due to some old wounds she suffered on an expedition so they never got to have kids, I¡¯ll have to make sure that Dorton doesn¡¯t be too lonely."

    The third life. Once again, Arioch leaned forward. He dug into his pockets again and pulled out a silver ring decorated with a cherry-red line. Altair was the one that had her mid-section crushed by the w so the hand that previously held the ring was no longer attached to her body, forcing Arioch to slide it onto the ring-finger on her other hand instead.

    "We always lose some people during each expedition, but it¡¯s generally only knights-in-training that got too eager or cocky, rarely have we ever lost more than a single actual knight during our ventures. And now we¡¯ve lost 25 good men¡­"

    Arioch¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked at the wrapped up corpses syed out in front of him, his hands carefully wrapping up Altair¡¯s body again. He even brought extra knights on this expedition to make sure that it was safer than ever before, to ensure that no one would be lost. Instead, they had lost more than ever before.

    "Things will get hectic once we return. A part of an ancient sealed demon was found, unsealed, and killed. People will look for the rest of it, some will try to destroy it while others will try to use it. As the ones who destroyed it, we¡¯ll all be caught in the middle of it all."

    Gabriel felt Arioch¡¯s gaze shift. It moved away from the corpses andnded on him, but the look Arioch gave him was just tired, like a man who wanted to cry but had to just bottle it all up.

    "You will have it worst of all. I¡¯m of the Barong duchy, Caine is of the Woodime family, and Alice is of the Vritara duchy. But you are unaffiliated, at least legally. A strong spirit, years of training, and the nigh-on unprecedented feat of having two affinities on the Divine Star. You¡¯ll be a treat to the nobles and the Imperial Family, it won¡¯t stop at just giving you a noble title and strongly ¡®hinting¡¯ at possible brides. You¡¯ll need to be ready for it. It would be a shame if you got swept up and spun around."

    Really, everything about Gabriel would make the nobles, especially the Imperial Family, gopletely nuts. Whoever got to im him would have the perfect idol on their hand, from a ve to a hero, they could rally as manymoners as they wanted by using Gabriel¡¯s story. And that wasn¡¯t even mentioning his strength, which would only whet the nobles appetite further.

    "Why are you telling me all this, Young Master Barong?"

    Gabriel finally opened his mouth, his head tilted slightly. He and Arioch had barely interacted ever since he arrived here in the north, he dealt more with Alice and Caine than the entourage they brought along. But now he had sought him out. Telling him about the three dead was one thing, but he was even warning him about what was toe. Arioch simply waved his hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment.

    "You can drop the formalities. If the Imperial Family has their way then it won¡¯t be long before our rank is about the same. As for why¡­"

    Arioch knew. There was no way they would leave someone with two affinities on the Divine Star alone. Things would move, and quickly at that. As for why he spoke so much¡­ It was honestly quite simple.

    "These three died because of you, Gabriel. You wanted to have a chat with Alice during a life-or-death battle and these three knights paid the price for it. Good people, my people, loved people. And now they¡¯re dead because of you. I can¡¯t thank you for that."

    Arioch had seen it. Alice and Gabriel chatting after heunched that sky-reaching pir of water. The w rushed towards him to tear him apart, and it fell to him and his men to stop it from doing just that. Thus, three more died because of the w¡¯s furious attacks. How could he possibly thank Gabriel for something like that? But¡­

    "But, you are also the reason that the remaining 16 of the knights under mymand can return home to their families. Had it not been for your attacks, and you ending the fight, then I do not believe that I would have been able to assure any of their lives. You killed three of my men, Gabriel. For that I cannot thank you. But you also saved 16 of them. And for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

    It was conflicting, but that was just how life, how people, were at times. Arioch stood up and brushed off the snow that had clung to him, giving Gabriel a grateful bow before he stepped away. There were more corpses waiting for him, more mementos to either take or give.

    He nced at the distant mountains as he walked. Their silhouettes rose high in the night, like jagged teeth. As he looked at them, he felt like a strange light swallowed them for a moment. Fire, he could see mes scorching the frozen mountains. He couldn¡¯t just see it, he could feel it and smell it. The thick stench of smoke filled his lungs and made it hard to breathe, it was as if fire swallowed the entire northernnds.

    But then he blinked and the sight faded, the mountains back to their usual calm. But traces of the sensation still lingered momentarily, a stench of smoke at the back of his throat, a slight stinging of heat on his face. But in the end, that too faded and the night regained its tranquillity.

    ¡ª¡ª

    While Gabriel and his group were making their way back to the Barong estate, the distant Yverial Empire, separated from the Earhart Empire by the ocean, was swallowed by turmoil and chaos. The sky, the calm blue sky above their empire had split open.

    As if two hands had grasped it and torn it apart, a gargantuan jagged gash split it in half, a myriad of lights swirling within the tear that looked as if it wanted to swallow the empire. A World Fissure, onerger than any in recorded history had opened above their empire. A fissure like this¡­ There was no telling what mighte through something like that.

    Luckily, in the end, only a single beam of light fell from the fissure, crashing down into one of the cities that stood a good distance away from the empire¡¯s capital. The guards and knights of the city were quick to swarm around the pir to quickly deal with whatever appeared should it be hostile, but the thing they found at the bottom of the crater formed by the light was a single human.

    A muscr young man was on his hands and knees in the crater, retching violently as a mixture of blood and stomach acid stained the smoking earth beneath him. His body squirmed as he knelt there, bones creaking and flesh wriggling. The hair that hung from his head switched between dark blue and dark golden, as if it couldn¡¯t decide on what colour it wanted to be.

    His retching stopped before long, giving him a moment to catch his breath and sit up. He had a handsome face with sharp features and a chiselled jaw, his skin so tanned that it was almost bronze. His eyes rose, shifting between a deep violet and a dark golden colour. He drew several deep breaths, his bones still shifting about while his flesh wriggled. He almost looked bloated for a moment, as if he was stuffed so full that he was about to explode.

    Eventually, his bones and flesh stopped moving, as if his body finally settled down. As if to symbolise this fact, his shifting hair and eyes settled down. Dark violet eyes and dark golden hair, they entuated his features quite well. The youth spat out another long breath before finally turning to look at the guards and knights, the corners of his mouth rising as a dull light flickered in his pupils.

    "Say, are any of you interested in conquering the Earhart Empire with me?"

 Chapter 67: From person to person. (8) S2 end.

    Chapter 67: From person to person. (8) S2 end.

    Perhaps as was to be expected, the Barong estate became quite tumultuous once Gabriel and the others returned. Arioch knew that there was no point in trying to hide the truth from people, he would have to report everything to the Imperial Family. The existence of the w would serve as an excellent excuse to hand out titles to the people they wanted to keep close so the citizens would find out sooner orter.

    But perhaps as was to be expected, they were more shocked by the corpses that had been brought along. The w was a story, an event they hadn¡¯t seen or participated in. But the corpses, they were right in front of them, tied directly to them. Comparing the two, it was easy to see which one would affect them more.

    "Contact their families. Tap into the estate renovation budget and calcte an appropriate amount of reparations that we can provide to each family. Calcte it for a monthly basis, not a yearly one. Put Wolton¡¯s share aside and use it to build and run another official orphanage. Contact the children he took care of and gave jobs, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll ept jobs regarding constructing or running the orphanage."

    They had rushed back with all their might after the first night, but there was no rest for Arioch, who had to give out orders the moment he came back. There was always more to do, always something new that needed his input. The aide he addressed naturally got to work straight away when he got the order, walking away with quick steps.

    "¡­"

    Arioch remained behind as the corpses were being unloaded, each one gently ced down within the chapel, close to the statues representing the gods they worshipped. His shoulders were heavy, almost slumping as he stood there.

    "¡­"

    He allowed himself another deep breath. For but a moment, he felt as if he saw the entire chapel freeze and crumble around him. He could feel the cold wind on his skin, the sensation of a sword in his hand, the narrowed vision of his helmet. But when he exhaled the breath, it all faded away and his gazended on the statue directly to the right of the entrance.

    "They¡¯re yours now, Lord Akarash. They¡¯ve done enough, so please let them get some rest."

    It was hardly worthy enough to be called a prayer, but what else could he say in this situation? Akarash was the god that responded to the fewest prayers, but he was still the one in charge of providing wayward souls with passage into the afterlife he set up for them.

    He left the chapel after giving his short ¡®prayer.¡¯ The knights that weren¡¯t carrying the dead had already gone to get checked up by the estate¡¯s doctors, those with the worst wounds were even getting checked right there by the gates of the estate. Everything was abuzz. They hadunched a signal re while they rushed over, that was how they could have doctors ready by the gates the moment they arrived.

    Naturally, this also meant that everyone in the estate knew that something dreadful had happened before they even arrived and sprung into action ordingly. There were even some citizens gathering outside the gates, having been close enough to see the re. They were mouring in front of the closed metal bars, some among them probably had a family member that was a knight here. And then there were the two people in front of him.

    "I can give you their addresses, but I cannot guarantee how they will react. No, well, I can guarantee that they will likely make your wounds worse."

    Gabriel and Alice, the two were waiting for him in front of the chapel. Teresa had been sent back to her room to prepare for their departure, which Alice guessed would happen within the next day or two, depending on how fast the news reached the Vritara house and the Imperial Family. Caine naturally had to do the same, even the Woodime family would get hectic soon. But before they left, there was something Gabriel wanted to do.

    "I¡¯m expecting it. I feel like that¡¯s what I would do at least."

    Gabriel had gotten patched up a bit, both on the way back and when they finally returned. Both his hands were in casts so he could barely move his fingers, the doctor had nearly pped him when he saw how casually he was moving his shattered hands. His chest was covered in thick bandages, which were naturally hidden beneath his clothes. His face had a few sters and minor bandages, and his thighs and parts of his shin were covered in thick bandages.

    There wasn¡¯t much bleeding after Nergal finished chewing up the talons, but the wounds were still there so they had to get covered so that they didn¡¯t get infected. Wrapping his chest was also supposed to help with the broken ribs while the bandages on his legs were supposedly there to prevent his cracked femur from actually breaking. He was, as the doctor so nicely put it, ¡®messed up more than a foal that got run down by the stallion.¡¯ And yet he was nning on aggravating those wounds just a bit more before he left.

    "Very well then, I did my part by warning you. You¡¯ll have to carry the rest of the responsibility yourself."

    Arioch pulled out some paper and a pen from his pockets as he spoke, jotting down a few lines before he handed it over. Gabriel naturally epted the note. Well, Alice epted it for him, which contained two addresses and some names. After he handed over the list, another heavy breath escaped Arioch. He could see one of his aides hurrying over.

    "It seems my presence is required. If I fail to meet you again before you are called back to the duchy then I will see you at the investiture."

    He turned towards the approaching aide once he finished speaking, the bags beneath his eyes growing ever deeper as he stepped away. Gabriel and Alice were left behind, both of them looking at the list.

    "The bakery¡¯s the closest one so it ought to be the first one."

    Gabriel memorised the addresses on the list before Alice folded it and stuffed it into his chest pocket. His pace when they walked away was slow thanks to the bandages on his leg, but Alice didn¡¯t mind and stuck to his side while keeping pace with him.

    They received a few looks as they walked, a subdued whisper asionallying from the smaller groups. Some of the knights that hade back had clearly started to mention what happened within the mountains.

    A seemingly abandoneddy that was much stronger than she first appeared, utilising all three of the newly discovered magic affinities while also wielding two powerful spirits. And then there was her knight, who previously was only known for his rabid way of fighting during the first sparring matches. A strong spirit, two affinities on the Divine Star, strength to match it¡­ it was a juicy topic so it was inevitable that it would get people talking.

    "I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t think you need to do this."

    The people around them would asionally look and whisper, but Alice ignored thempletely as she spoke. The names and addresses listed on the note that Gabriel requested from Arioch, she knew what they were.

    "Probably not, no. But those who were left behind deserve to know for who and why they died."

    Gabriel didn¡¯t t out reject Alice¡¯s point of view. Going to visit the families of the three men that died for him, delivering the news of their death and why, with his way of doing things there was really only one way it could end. The Barong estate would also be handling it on their own by sending out official notices and periodic reparations to take care of the families. But still, part of him wanted to do it himself.

    "Yes, they deserve to know, that¡¯s true. But I don¡¯t believe that you need to be the one to deliver the news. I can understand how you feel, but at the same time I don¡¯t think that you should feel overly guilty for their deaths and wallow in it. It was a chaotic battle where more than just a handful of people died, it is nonsensical to try and im responsibility for some of those deaths."

    Alice had no intentions of denying Gabriel¡¯s feelings of guilt. No, he had only just started to feel emotions so she had no ns of denying any of them just because they didn¡¯t suit her. But she also didn¡¯t want him to get overly immersed in the first emotion he felt after he started to open up, that was how people destroyed themselves. But well, the way Gabriel saw it was a bit different.

    "It¡¯s not nonsensical. And I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m wallowing in the newfound sensation. No, it may be because I don¡¯t know much about emotions, but I¡¯m still looking at them from a logical standpoint rather than just feeling them. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this."

    Yes Gabriel was feeling emotions for the first time, properly experiencing them and understanding his ce in the world. But when it came to things you didn¡¯t understand, how would you look at them when you first started to experience them? Simple, you looked at them from an angle you already understood, and in Gabriel¡¯s case this was cold and hard logic.

    "Alice, how many people died after we had our talk?"

    The talk they had in the rain. Gabriel could still see the colours it birthed. The violet and red that Alice gave to his world, the blotch of blue that he sttered onto the sky. That talk was the final nail in the coffin for the tool, it was the birthing cries of the man known as Gabriel. When it was over, three people had died, but how many died afterwards?

    "One. That brown-haired fellow that was missing two fingers."

    He wasn¡¯t particrly noteworthy, but Alice happened to see his death so she remembered it clearly. Gabriel had promised them a way to beat the w so they fought carefully while Almanar lured over some demons. But even so, one person died because of the smallest gap in their defences. And it was this number that Gabriel thought of when he thought about those three people.

    "Yes, one person. Just a single person died after we had our talk. If we hadn¡¯t had our talk and just started battling again right away, what would have happened? Sure, one of the three that died during the talk might have been the one to die instead, all of them might have died, or none of them might have died. But Ifs, Buts, and Mights matter very little in life. I chose to talk with you rather than fight, and as a result three people died while fighting. That is the reality of the situation. I know this, so my body knows that it must feel guilty about it. It¡¯s not afortable emotion, but I am still happy to have it. But because I now know that it¡¯s notfortable, I will do something to alleviate it. It¡¯s not the best of reasons, but its the best I can do right now."

    Gabriel was feeling it, but he was still working on understanding and dealing with it in a normal way. As such, he could only handle it the way he knew at the moment, even if that may make others, his old master in particr, say that he wasn¡¯t dealing with it properly. After all, what good was guilt if you only acted on it because it was annoying to have and not because you actually regretted what caused it?

    "You¡¯ve started to be stubborn, haven¡¯t you?"

    Alice spoke as if she was pouting, but the corners of her lips had turned up in a wide arc and there was a light spring to her step. The past Gabriel would definitely just have gone along with her words and given up on whatever he had been nning on doing. This was much better, even if it meant that he didn¡¯t go just go along with whatever she said.

    ¡ª¡ª

    The bakery was indeed rather close to the Barong estate so Gabriel and Alice didn¡¯t have to walk for too long, at most two hours with their slowed pace, before they reached it. Things in the area were rtively calm and quiet so it didn¡¯t seem like the news from the estate had reached them yet.

    Knock knock

    Alice knocked the wooden frame of the open entrance, the scent of fresh bread tickling their noses before they even walked in. The bakery was empty, probably because most people had already bought breakfast and gone to work, but there was a woman behind the counter that greeted them cheerfully.

    "Wee to the path of yeast resistance, what tickles your fancy today?"

    The woman looked to be in her thirties, dimples on the side of her mouth as she smiled. Her brown hair was tied into a bun and kept in ce by a, her blue eyes narrowed slightly due to her smile. Morticia Eigon, sister of Murak Eigon. She was smiling brightly, at least for now.

    "I havee on behalf of the Barong Estate. They¡¯ll deliver an official noticeter, but I wanted toe in advance. Your brother, Murak Eigon, he passed away while out on an expedition, I came to give my condolences."

    Gabriel broke the news to her, Alice pulling out the ring that Arioch had taken from Murak while he was talking with Gabriel. The moment Morticia saw the ring, she froze. Gabriel could almost feel the air around her get colder, the tips of her fingers unconsciously scraping against the wooden counter she was standing behind.

    "Mura¡­ He¡­ He died?"

    The words fell from her lips with a stutter, almost disbelieving. But she had to believe them, she could see the ring he always carried on him. That ring was thest thing they had from their parents, something they gave him for his tenth birthday, just a month before they passed away.

    She was just standing there. Her nails were scraping against the wood, small shavings gathering beneath her palms. The rest of her body wasn¡¯t moving, she was just standing there. Her breath was caught in her chest, her eyelids weren¡¯t even trembling, much less blinking. She was in shock, her body and mind struggling to catch up with the situation.

    "There was an unexpected beast at the very end of the expedition so a lot of knights died before we could take it down."

    Gabriel recognized her state. Some of the people he worked with in the past asionally looked like that when their families were taken hostage, or when they received a mail with parts. He¡¯d also seen family members react like that when he delivered the news, it was a sight he had already be all-too familiar with, body and mind trying to deny their new reality.

    "Did¡­ Did he at least die for a good cause?"

    Comfort, she was desperately seekingfort in whatever way she could. If he died for something good, like saving another knight or their young lord then that would at least mean something, right? Right? It had to mean something then, right? But¡­

    "No. He died because I started to talk in the middle of the battle. He died so that I could finish my conversation."

    Gabriel did not lie. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t, Alice was the only person he never lied to. But he chose not to lie here, they deserved to know the truth, no matter their reaction.

    "¡­!"

    Morticia¡¯s body seemed to react faster than her mind, her hand sping the nearest thing and swinging it with all her might. In this case it was a small wooden que that had her most popr items carved into it. Gabriel didn¡¯t dodge so it smashed directly into the side of his face, shattering and leaving splinters in his face.

    He remained standing as Morticia heaved, the reality of what she just did catching up with her, his words settling in. Her eyes were bloodshot, her tears had already started to fall. Her arm swung out again, smashing the broken que into Gabriel¡¯s face again, more conscious this time. She was heaving, unable to utter words as her chest felt too clogged and warm. Gabriel allowed her to swing the que for a third time before he lowered his head.

    "I know it doesn¡¯t mean a thing to you, but I am deeply sorry."

    What good would an apology do her? Would it bring her brother back, would it undo the past? No, an apology would only help Gabriel, it wouldn¡¯t do anything for her.

    "Get¡­Out! Get out! Get out get out get out! Get away from me!"

    She finally managed to get out some words, her voice scraping as her vocal cords were getting torn. She clutched the que with one hand, her other wing across the wooden counter until blood leaked out from the base of her nails.

    Gabriel simply lowered his head again and bade her farewell. One was done, but morticia wasn¡¯t the only one.

    Next came the husband of Altair Serosh, Kaervon Serosh. He took the news¡­ as well as one could hope.

    "Get out. Leave my sight before I do something I¡¯ll regret¡­"

    He managed to hold himself back after the second hit, but the first one had already broken Gabriel¡¯s nose so who could say how much good that restraint did.

    Thest of the people mentioned in the note were the ones rted to Wolton Delgar. His family was already dead so Gabriel could only break the news to the street kids that Wolton had been taking care of and giving jobs over the years. They reacted as one would expect, some broke down into tears while others refused to ept the situation and tried to run away from reality.

    Two of them struck Gabriel after he forced them to understand reality by giving them the pendant that Arioch rested on Wolton¡¯s chest. They were just kids so they were a lot weaker than the adults that had already struck him today, but their fists were filled with just as much sorrow and fury, just as much pain.

    In the end, Gabriel delivered the news to all the people on the list, aggravating his wounds a bit more each time. But it was done. As for whether or not it did help to alleviate his guilt, logical or emotional, only he would know.

    They returned to the Barong estate once it was finished, and as expected, Arioch had already reported everything in the hours they were gone. As a result, the Woodime and Vritara families had sent over express notices to Alice and Caine. They would have to return posthaste. With that, whatever both sides had nned at first, their time in the north hade to an end, it was time to return to their own territories before they were called to the capital. The noble society was calling to them.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While Gabriel and Alice were dealing with those who ended up left behind, the Yverial empire was still in the middle of its own uproar. The citizens of one of its more distant cities were currently all gathered outside the city, swarming so tightly that they looked like ants. Ahead of them was a small hill of demons that had tried to assault their city out of nowhere, they were like a tide that had just suddenly burst out from the earth. They were all looking at the muscr young man sitting atop the corpses, an almost unearthly fanatical light in their eyes.

    "Saint Arthur!"

    "Saint Arthur!"

    "Saint!" "Saint!" "Saint!"

    "Saint Arthur!"

    "Thank the gods for Saint Arthur!"

    They were practically screaming as one, their voices drowning out just about everything else. Arthur looked at them with a smirk as he sat atop the corpses, his flesh wriggling and his bones creaking as he chewed on the demon meat that he tore off of a limb he had plucked from one of the corpses. His dark golden hair hung down loosely, sttered with blood, while his violet eyes surveyed the people shouting for him.

    "Don¡¯t thank the gods, thank me! Your gods are just petty squabblers who dislike an uncontroble show! There¡¯s no point in worshipping them! So worship me, and lets march together! To the Earhart Empire! To thends beyond! Let¡¯s take it all! We deserve it! You deserve it! I deserve it!"

 Chapter 68: A cup of poison for Earhart. S3 start.

    Chapter 68: A cup of poison for Earhart. S3 start.

    When Alice looked around, all she saw was fire. It rose all around her, crimson tongues reaching for the sky as they swallowed everything else. She could feel them on her skin, each fluttering of the wind bringing with it heat and ash that brushed against her.

    It was strange. She felt the heat, the wind, even the thumping inn her chest, but she still felt as if she wasn¡¯t experiencing it with her own body. It felt distant, disconnected. And yet¡­ She felt it.

    "HAHAHAHA!"

    Laughter drowned out even the roars of the fire. Her ownughter. Her chest heaved with each breath as she couldn¡¯t stopughing. She was happy, ecstatic even.

    "HAHAHAHAHA!"

    Theughter simply wouldn¡¯t stop as her feet moved, she sounded like a broken record. She didn¡¯t seem to have control of ¡®her¡¯ body, she couldn¡¯t even turn her head to look around, she just followed along with whatever it did. But she actually recognized her surroundings. The statue that had been ttened to dust, the painting that was turning to ash, the furniture that was fuelling the fire, she recognized it all.

    "HAHAHAHAHA¡­HAHAH¡­HAHA¡­"

    This was the Vritara estate, the eastern wing of the main mansion to be exact. This was where she spent¡­ Well most of her life actually. The childhood spent hiding away in her room, the pre-teen and teenage years she spent in the hallways and rooms, who all seemed so much brighter after Gabriel arrived. This was her prison turned home.

    "HAHAHAHA!"

    And now, looking at it all burn, she couldn¡¯t be happier. mes poured out from her body as she walked, igniting everything that wasn¡¯t already on fire. She didn¡¯t have the fire affinity, but she could somehow instinctively tell how she was able to summon mes. Her spirit, of course. She had signed a contract with Agnaris so obviously she could summon as many mes as she wanted.

    Screams mixed with the roaring mes as she walked. The maid that gave her mouldy bread. The butler that didn¡¯t bring her proper nightwear for the winter so that she would freeze. The maid that didn¡¯t help her light a fire during the winter so that she would freeze further. The cook that refused to bring food to her wing. The brother that always struck her, looked down on her, hated her, despised her, mocked her, abused her, hated her, made things difficult for her, med her for everything.

    Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn them all, burn it all, reduce it all to ash. Burn, just burn. Ah¡­ Just all of you be a bit of heat, the world is too cold to not warm it up with a bit of fire.

    Her face felt warm. A bit strange to say with so much fire around, but her face really did feel warm, especially her eyes. There was also some pain in her abdomen, creeping up to her chest and settling in her lungs, but Alice had no control over this body so she couldn¡¯t check what the source was.

    No, she could only follow along as she kept walking, spewing fire to warm the cold winter just a little bit. More fire. More screams. More heat. Ah, finally she got a lovely and toasty winter.

    Alice recognized where she was heading, and in her chest she could also feel why she as heading there. Her room. Her home. Her prison. Her nightmare. Her dream.

    The door simply fell apart when she reached it, crumpling like paper as it was ttened. The room that unveiled itself¡­ It was familiar yet strange at the same time.

    She recognized the bed everything in the room, it was what she had used as a child. The same bed, the same curtains, the same carpet, the same furniture. But all of it looked a lot older than she remembered, worn and torn, ready to fall apart at the slightest touch. Yes, exactly as it should be, part of her said to her. But at the same time, it was all wrong. Gabriel had helped her change all of these things long ago, even now he was periodically helping her change the furniture to something fresher, moreforting. So¡­ why was all this old stuff here? And why was it exactly as it should be?

    "AHAHA¡­AHAha¡­Haha¡­"

    Theughter was growing weaker, hoarser. mes welled out from her feet and swallowed the room. The prison burned, the bars that kept her shackled burned. Ah, freedom, finally. The fire washed against the wall like a wave, tearing it down so that she could see the duchy beyond the estate.

    Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. As far as the eye could see, there was fire. From the ground to the sky, from the clouds to the sun, from the sun to the ocean, there was nothing but fire. Everything burned. Everyone screamed.

    The burning sky was cracking, fracturing as everything seemed to fall apart. The fire in the sky seemed to gather into tendrils beneath the fractures, stretching down towards the earth as they brought doom with them. Ah¡­ The strings were burning, all that was left was for the marites to fall silent.

    She walked over to the torn down wall, her steps slow, her feet dragging against the floor. Her arm raised, and Alice noticed that she seemed to be holding something.

    "Look. Isn¡¯t it beautiful? We couldn¡¯t look at the fireworks of the Twin Moon Festival together because of that harlot, but isn¡¯t this much prettier? It is, isn¡¯t it?"

    Her voice was ecstatic, if not deranged. Her head moved so Alice could get a look at what she was holding up. Ruffled ck hair smeared with blood and ash, tanned skin that had been scorched, and dark pink eyes that had be somewhat muddled. She held up Caine Woodime by grasping his hair, disying the burning duchy to him as if it was a work of art.

    Some blood ran onto his head from her hand so it seemed like she was also wounded somewhere, probably the source of the pain. But that thought, or realisation, barely registered in Alice¡¯s mind.

    She felt sick. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was mental or physical, but she felt sick. Disgusted to the very core of her being.

    Looking at the man, who looked much older than the Caine she knew, yet it felt just right to see him like this, her heart thumped. She could feel her heart beat just from looking at him, heat spreading through her veins and loins with every breath she took. She wanted him. She needed him. She desired him. She had to have him. He was everything she needed.

    And that sensation was what sickened her to no end. That man wasn¡¯t Gabriel, he was just Caine. To feel something like that for him¡­ Her body wanted to embrace him but that just made her want to hurl. It felt as if her mind was spinning and twisting violently, struggling with itself.

    "Alice¡­ It didn¡¯t have to be like this¡­"

    A weak voice came from the man she was dragging, Caine looking straight at her. The thumping in her chest got louder. Oh no, could he hear it? That intrusive thought made her want to hurl again. She wanted to scream, to protest, but ¡®her¡¯ body didn¡¯t listen to her.

    "You¡¯re right, darling, it didn¡¯t. If you¡¯d just chosen me¡­ If you¡¯d just realized how much I loved you¡­ If you just hadn¡¯t gone over to that harlot pretending to be so prim and proper¡­ Why couldn¡¯t you love me?"

    The beating got louder. Louder. Louder. mes welled forth with each thump, the roaring of the mes rising in tune with her heart. The cold winter had to be pushed back, the cold heart had to be heated.

    "¡­"

    Caine didn¡¯t answer her. Ah, you cruel man, why could you never answer me?

    "She¡¯s not what you think, that harlot. She¡¯s lying to you, she has been all along. The one inside isn¡¯t her, it¡¯s just a recement that took over. You didn¡¯t know that, did you? She¡¯s lied to you from the start, she¡¯s done nothing but scheme and lie to get you on her side."

    Ah, how she delighted in being able to tell him this. How many fingers didn¡¯t she have to pluck before the harlot finally decided to tell her? How many times did she have to burn her eyes, cut at her tongue, tear at her nails, stab at her groin, prod her brain. But she spoke in the end, just like Azuras said she would. And oh how she relished in being able to tell Caine this, to break him like he broke her.

    "¡­I know. I¡¯ve known from the start, how couldn¡¯t I? Alice, did you ever even consider that the one I care for might be the one recement you speak of?"

    She felt sick to her stomach when she saw him smile. Stop smiling. Don¡¯t look like that in this moment. Be crushed, be broken, be hurt. You were betrayed, you were lied to. It hurt, it was awful, so why can¡¯t you be as miserable as me?

    "It¡¯s okay, Alice¡­"

    He turned his gaze away. How dare you stop looking at me? There¡¯s nothing left but us, so how can you not look at me even now?

    "We can always try again. Another time, another life. We can always just try it again. I¡¯m not sure I want you to be happy, Alice, not after everything you¡¯ve done to us again and again and again and again. But we can always try again, always try to do better. And perhaps there will be a life where even the undeserving you gets a smidgen of happiness. But it will never be with me, you monster."

    Ah¡­ no¡­ Don¡¯t call me that. Not you, not you, not you, not you, not you¡­ Don¡¯t call me that like the rest. More thumping, more fire rising. The sky kept cracking in the distance, tendrils of fire reaching down to the ground.

    She did everything¡­ She did it all, she followed every order, shemitted every deed¡­ So why wouldn¡¯t he love me? Azuras, you promised¡­ You said he¡¯d love me¡­ So why does he despise me so?

    More fire. More mes. More heat. The dark winter night was alight with fire, more brilliant than any dawn. The duchy burned. The empire burned. The world burned. She did just as he said she had to, she did it all because she would be loved¡­

    "HAAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­"

    More tendrils sank from the sky to swallow everything. Naturally, many of them also fell on the Vritara estate, torching that prison of hers. The fire obviously also reached this little room, this cold prison that just didn¡¯t seem to get any warmer no matter what she did. The strings were burning, it was time for the marites to fall silent¡­

    ¡ª¡ª

    Alice jolted awake, lurching forward violently. No fire. No mes¡­ No, she wasn¡¯t even at the Vritara estate¡­ Right, the carriage. She was currently in her carriage, heading back to the estate because the duke had called her back after the incident with the w.

    A dream¡­ A horrible dream¡­ It was so realistic that she could still feel the stinging of the mes, the violent thumping in her chest. The sickness in her stomach¡­ The heat in her veins¡­ It clung to her momentarily, like maggots to rotting meat. She couldn¡¯t even recall when she had fallen asleep, the sensations of that disgusting dream were swirling in her head and leaving her mind a mess.

    "¡­"

    A soft breath caught her attention, her gaze rising. There, on the seat across from her, he sat. Silvery white hair that hung loosely, and they were closed right now but she could picture those violet eyes without seeing them. Right, he was on the carriage with her because his broken hands left him incapable of riding a horse.

    Gabriel was sleeping but still sitting at attention, only his head was lowered as he breathed quietly. Right. Right, he was here. Right. He was right there. Right, that was just a dream, a disgusting mess, a nightmare unlike any other. It was nothing more, not now not ever.

    But the sensations clung to her. That heat in her veins, that thumping in her chest. She wanted to hurl as she thought about them. Or perhaps she wanted to cry, she couldn¡¯t even tell right away. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach.

    "Excuse me¡­"

    She got up from her seat with a quiet whisper, moving carefully so as to not wake the sleeping man. She sat down next to him, sticking close to him as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She took in his scent, pushing away the burnt smell in her nose, pushing down the sickening sensation in her stomach. She closed her eyes again as she leaned against him, allowing his scent to envelop her.

    Right, it was just a nightmare. Just a horrible dream. The sensations, the old prison, the worn furniture, the empty room that had just her¡­ Yeah, it was all just a nightmare, a horrible thing that had nothing to do with her.

 Chapter 69: A cup of poison for Earhart. (2)

    Chapter 69: A cup of poison for Earhart. (2)

    "Almost there¡­"

    Alice¡¯s voice was a barely audible whisper, so close that her hot breath almost hit Gabriel¡¯s ear. There was plenty of space on the other bench in the carriage, but for thest two days she had been stuck next to him. A nightmare, a horrible one at that. Gabriel knew the feeling so he didn¡¯tment on it.

    As for why her voice was so close, it was because she was currently leaning over him while looking out the window, seemingly ignoring the fact that there was another window right next to her. Parts of the Vritara estate¡¯s main mansion could be seen from the windows, they would have to dismount in just a handful of minutes.

    "Gabriel. My room, can you renovate it? The curtains, the bed, the carpet, change it all. Make it silver and violet, nice and vibrant colours."

    Alice eventually leaned back in her seat with a heavy, almost stilted breath. She spoke his name softly, as if to confirm it, as if to chase away something. A nightmare was just a dream, a trick of the mind. But the mind was always what haunted people the most, the things that spawned from it clung to you far longer than anything else.

    "As you wish. I¡¯ll make it as if it was new."

    There was no such thing as a pointless action when it came to chasing away what haunted you. If Alice said she wanted silver and violet then he would dig up everyst scrap of cloth the Vritara estate had in those colours for her room. Alice simply smiled at his response, but there was a slight crease between her brows as she nced out the window.

    And in the end, they reached the front of the Vritara estate and the doors to the carriage were opened.

    "Greetings, Miss Alice. Young Lady Marion, Young Master Francis, and the Esteemed Lord are awaiting you in the dining hall. If you would please follow me."

    A butler awaited them in front of the mansion. Slicked back brown hair with a few streaks of grey, deep crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and slightly cloudy blue eyes. His back was slightly bent in a hunch, but his skin was smooth and well kept, nary a wrinkle to be seen.

    This man, whose age was hard to discern at a nce, was Barret Hodgkin, the Head Butler of the Vritara estate. He joined the Vritara estate when the current duke, then a marquess, married the previous duchess. As a direct subordinate of the new duke, it naturally didn¡¯t take him long to rise in the ranks, especially after the duchess passed away while giving birth to Alice.

    "¡­Naturally. Please lead the way."

    Alice brushed back her hair after drawing in and subsequently spitting out a deep breath. She corrected her posture as she stood up, discarding her slouchy air for the noble and regal one she tended to wear around other nobles. It was her suit of armour, her shield that blocked out the world. But right now, probably due to her nightmare, Gabriel could see cracks in it, evident by the fact that she let Barret see her slouching.

    "Alice."

    She almost jumped when Gabriel¡¯s voice reached her as she stepped out of the carriage. Alice. She was the illegitimate child of the Vritara family so even the servants here called her by name, without the slightest hint of respect. But Gabriel had always been different, always calling her My Lady, especially when they were around others.

    He was her knight so he was respecting her. He was treating her properly. He was putting a bit of distance between them.

    When she nced back, she met his eyes. He was looking straight at her. He always did, but she could tell that his eyes were different. She had looked at nothing but him for almost ten years so how could she not notice even the smallest changes. Her knight, the man she made, was looking straight at her with what she could only call a soft gaze.

    "Everything will be ready by the time you¡¯re back. I¡¯ll see youter."

    Unfair. Really. He was bad enough in the past, but ever since they encountered the w he had only gotten more and more unfair with each passing day. She wanted to pounce him. She wanted to jump on him and push him down right there and now. But she had to restrain herself, she had to excersice control, so she could only smile at him.

    "I¡¯lle back quickly, Gabriel."

    Really, what was even more unfair was the way he seemed to know just what to say. Right, he¡¯d see herter, she¡¯d go back to himter. A dream was just a dream, a nightmare was just a nightmare. No matter what she saw in them, it would always be Gabriel that she would seeter.

    "Barret, lead the way. Or are you nning on leaving me waiting out here standing after such a long journey?"

    Her gaze returned to the butler, who was just standing there. The corners of her lips were turned up, a rxed and confident glint in her eyes.

    "Of course not, Miss Alice. Please."

    Barret gave a fraction of a bow and then turned around with a small gesture, taking the lead as he guided Alice into the mansion. When the Head Butler left, the other servants that had been waiting in the wings started working.

    "Servant Tuesday, Servant Teresa, we will take over the carriage so you have to dismount."

    Two of the nearest maids approached the carriage that Gabriel was on. It was an official carriage belonging to the Vritara duchy, it was not something they would leave in the hands of people serving the illegitimate child. In public they had to show Alice a fair bit of respect due to her future noble title, but none of that applied within the borders of the Vritara estate.

    Here, she would always be the illegitimate child. And Gabriel and Teresa would always be nothing more than her servants, the lowest in the hierarchy.

    The two got off the carriage, Gabriel stepping out of thepartment while Teresa stepped down from the coachman¡¯s seat. They didn¡¯t even nce at the servants before they started to walk away, neither side thought of the other as someone worthy of their attention.

    "You¡¯ve got it all?"

    The two spoke as they entered the mansion through one of the many side entrances used by the servants. Gabriel was looking down at the satchels Teresa had draped over her shoulders, three of them filled to the brim.

    "We sadly used up all of the painkillers and bandages. But at least it left more room for souvenirs."

    Painkillers and bandages, codename for poisons. Good, all of them had been properly disposed of. It wasn¡¯t guaranteed to happen, but Gabriel wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone from the Vritara estate decided to go through their luggage to spy on them.

    "Good. I don¡¯t know what children like so I make no guarantees on whether or not they¡¯ll like it."

    Gabriel didn¡¯t pry deeper, he trusted Teresa to do things properly, so he just changed the topic instead. Three satchels filled to the brim. Souvenirs wasn¡¯t a codeword, the three satchels were in fact filled to the brim with souvenirs for Teresa¡¯s three brothers. Alice had filled one, Teresa had filled one, and Gabriel had filled one on their behest. But what the heck was he supposed to buy for children? Comforting and pleasing Alice when they were kids was easy, he knew what she needed to be happy. But Teresa¡¯s brothers?

    "It¡¯s fine, they¡¯ll be dumbfounded just knowing that you¡¯ve bought something for them."

    Teresa chuckled lightly but cast a sideways nce at Gabriel. It was unusual for him to stop asking about things after receiving just one answer, especially when it was something that could be used as incriminating evidence against them. But that would turn out to only be the start of her surprises today.

    "There¡¯s a job. Alice made a promise to clean an estate. It¡¯s a decentlyrge estate, probably big enough to house about 50 or so people if you stuff them in tight. I¡¯d do it myself, but my hands are a mess right now. Can I trust you?"

    She almost stumbled over her steps as Gabriel spoke. A cleaning job? One that required the cleaning of about 50 people, some of which had decently high positions in society? And what¡¯s more, it was a job they were taking on because Alice made a promise with someone. And he was asking her to do it?

    She couldn¡¯t help but look at him, meeting his eyes. He was looking at her, his violet eyes showing no signs of joking. Gabriel, the man who would usually just go no matter how bad his form was, was asking her to go because he was injured?

    She kept looking at him, staring at him as she observed him. His bodynguage, his gaze, his aura, she studied everything she could get a hold of. She didn¡¯t know him as well as Alice did, but slowly and surely, she caught glimpses of it. Thus, the corners of her lips slowly rose.

    Well would you look at that, their Lady had gotten through to him.

    "Of course you can trust me. I¡¯ll clean it so well that there won¡¯t even be a speck of dust left, and I¡¯ll even return without having gotten the slightest bit dirty."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Alice followed Barret through the mansion. Neither of them spoke a word and the carpet swallowed the sound of their footsteps so it was almost eerily quiet as they moved. There were almost no servants along their path, the duke had probably dismissed them because he didn¡¯t want to be disturbed.

    "They await you inside, Miss Alice. Please enjoy your meal."

    Barret pushed open the pure white marble doors to the central dining hall and took a half step aside so that she could enter. Truthfully, this was Alice¡¯s first time entering the central dining hall, which was the one reserved for the duke himself. But she wasn¡¯t in the mood to observe thevish decorations that had been so painstakingly preserved.

    Arge white and blue marble table stood at the centre of the room, rectangr in shape and long enough to house 13 people on each side. Currently there were only three people sitting at the table, one at the very end and two on both sides of said end-chair. The older sister, Marion De Vritara sat to the right, and the elder brother, Francis De Vritara sat to the left. And between them, at the head of the table, he sat. The Duke of Vritara.

 Chapter 70: A cup of poison for Earhart. (3)

    Chapter 70: A cup of poison for Earhart. (3)

    "Are you nning on following me the entire way? I¡¯m sure your brothers miss you."

    Gabriel cast an askance nce at Teresa, who was still following him despite the fact that they had already passed her room. This would be the longest she had ever been away from her three brothers so they would inevitably miss each other.

    "You¡¯re going to enter your room and unpack your luggage with your hands like that? It¡¯ll just be a few more minutes at most, it won¡¯t make much of a difference."

    Teresa gestured briefly towards Gabriel¡¯s bandaged hands. The cast covering them would make it annoying enough just to open the door to his room, his luggage would only be worse. Gabriel naturally knew his own state better than anyone else, but he also knew that Teresa understood his capabilities better than most others. Hence, her response was met with a slight rise of his eyebrows.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll have to ept your help then."

    She shed him a small smile in response, clearly aware that he had already sniffed her intentions out. Well, then again, she hadn¡¯t really been trying to hide them to begin with. They swiftly reached his room, Teresa pushing open the door before closing it behind them again.

    The shadow cast by Gabriel extended for a brief moment, an eye floating to the surface and bobbing about for a few seconds before blinking and sinking back down. Gabriel knew what this meant so he plopped down on the bed, Nergal bubbling up onto his shoulder so that the two could lean against each other.

    "Alright, what do you want to say?"

    He didn¡¯t beat around the bush, neither of them were the types to do so. While he looked at Teresa, his shadow grew a little and Nergal started to pluck out items from within it. The luggage that Teresa had offered to ¡®help¡¯ with.

    "So¡­ What happens now?"

    Teresa sat down on one of the chairs in the room, chewing on her words for a moment before she questioned. There was no telling where the estate might have ears if they just talked about it in the halls. But Gabriel¡¯s room was safe, there was no way he¡¯d rest in a ce where he could be spied upon.

    "Now? Be more specific."

    Of course he asked for specifications, the question she threw at him was just far too broad. A lot of things could, and would, start happening now, trying to list them all while answering them individually would just be tedious.

    "Right. What will you be doing from now on?"

    She looked straight at him as she rephrased her question, observing his eyes as if she wanted to catch a glimpse of even the smallest traces. But she was only met with a tilt of his head.

    "From now? Well, looking at the time it should be about time for Alice to head to the Academy so I¡¯ll probably follow as her servant. But if you¡¯re asking for more concrete answers then I¡¯m nning six assassinations, two in the west and four a bit further down south. Can¡¯t let the Yverial empire and the Kasarias Kingdom get too cocky."

    The Academy. For themoners that managed to get in it was a ce of learning and growth, for the nobles that entered it was more about building connections with others for the future. Alice would be viewed higher than ever before now so it was inevitable that she would get enrolled in the Academy. If the imperial family or her own family didn¡¯t do it then Gabriel would be the one to do so.

    "¡­Yeah, I guess all change starts slowly¡­"

    Teresa muttered somewhat after hearing Gabriel¡¯s answer. She thought that things would have progressed further after she saw some change in him after their encounter with the w, but it seemed as if it wasn¡¯t as far along as she originally expected. Oh well, this just meant that she would have to temporarily borrow Alice¡¯s role for once.

    "Gabriel, you just revealed a strong spirit and two affinities belonging to the Divine Star. Lady Alice was granted a noble title just because she revealed two strong spirits. You will receive a noble title now, probably very soon at that. Once that happens, you will no longer be servant Gabriel, you¡¯ll be Gabriel the noble, with ast name and everything. At that time, do you really think you can follow Lady Alice around as you have so far?"

    Gabriel would be a noble of the Earhart Empire now, and it wouldn¡¯t just be a Baron, probably not just a Viscount either. And sure, nobledies oftentimes haddies-in-waiting or aides that were nobles. But no nobles had another noble stick with them as closely as Alice and Gabriel stuck together.

    "¡­"

    Gabriel didn¡¯t have a response. True, he hadn¡¯t considered that until now. Once he received his title and chose ast name for himself he would be a noble, he may even receive a plot ofnd he would have to manage. He wouldn¡¯t be able to follow Alice as he did anymore, he wouldn¡¯t be able to act as her knight and butler. Doing so would go against all the conventions of the empire and give the other nobles far too much fuel to use against Alice. If the title he received was too big then they might even start to spread rumours that she was collecting nobles to form her own faction before a coup.

    "¡­"

    His brows furrowed. This¡­ was problematic. To leave Alice¡¯s side at this stage? Hmm¡­ He didn¡¯t feelfortable with that thought, it filled him with a grating sensation. He sank into his thoughts, not even seeing Teresa¡¯s lips curl upwards as she stood up and made her way to the door.

    "Think about it, what you¡¯re going to do from now. Whether or not you¡¯ll reject the noble title to let things remain as they are or if you need to get a new identity to remain by Lady Alice¡¯s side."

    Her words were punctuated by the soft click of the door closing, leaving Gabriel behind to stew in his own thoughts while Nergal kept pulling items out of his shadow.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Have a seat, Alice, we saved one for you."

    Marion waved a hand to gesture towards the empty seat that was two chairs away from her. Her curled blue hair was tied up neatly behind her, two golden eyes looking straight at Alice. The three people already sitting at the table had their tes filled with a delicate fish dish, a bit of steam still rising from it. There was naturally also food ced by the seat that Marion gestured towards, every dish belonging to the course they were currently eating was ced there.

    A soup that was probably cold by now, a dish with what looked like pat¨º, a dish with tartar, a dish with duck, a dish with beef, and finally the fish dish that the others were eating. They had probably brought out all the dishes in order and just not bothered to clean them away while cleaning the food of everyone else. Alice woulde sooner orter, she would surely eat it even if it was cold, it was luxurious food after all.

    Alice could feel their gazes on her. Francis, Marion, they were looking straight at her. As for the duke¡­ He was calmly eating, his gaze not even rising from the te to greet her. She shed them a smile, gentle and sweet, as she stepped forward.

    "Thank you for the consideration¡­"

    She grabbed hold of one of the chairs as she spoke, a loud scraping sound cutting through the air as she dragged it across the floor. She ced it at the empty end of the table, or the head if you looked at it from a different angle, and sat down.

    "But I think I prefer this seat here. I feel morefortable with the usual distance between us, I hope you¡¯ll understand and forgive me. Ah, Barret, could I trouble you to bring the food down here for me?"

    Be polite, be kind, and never stop smiling. She had learned well from Gabriel. Barret, who had entered the dining hall after her, cast a look towards the duke. But seeing as he wasn¡¯t reacting he decided to carry out the request and had a maid move the dishes, all but the fish cold by now, down to Alice. As the food was brought over, she could see Francis furrow his brows.

    "We¡¯re in the dining hall, sharing a nice meal as a family. Do you not own anything cleaner you could change into for the asion?"

    He couldn¡¯tment on the seat she took because their father hadn¡¯t said anything, but the calm confidence she showed didn¡¯t sit quite right with him. It didn¡¯t feel like the Alice he was used to, the one who would quietly cower and ept the situation as it was presented. Thus, he had toment on something just to beat her down. But Alice¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter in the slightest.

    "I would have loved to change into something cleaner, I feel ufortably sticky after having been on the road for so long. But Barret came to pick me up and guide me with such haste that I feared you needed me for something extraordinarily important, thus I chose to forego the lengthy cleaning and changing process. But if you think that Barret was too hasty then I can leave ande backter, freshly bathed and changed."

    She tasted the soup as she responded. Cold pumpkin, now so thick it was almost glue. She ate it all, forced it down her throat until the te was clean and pushed aside.

    "Francis De Vritara, don¡¯t bring up pointless things."

    Marion spoke up again as Alice finished the soup, chastising Francis with a stern expression. He swept back his short dark blue hair and corrected his sses, swallowing down any words of annoyance before they could even think about slipping out.

    "Naturally. Please proceed as you wish, Marion."

    Alice ignored the two as they spoke with each other, finishing off the pat¨º that had been served on some toast. The bread was dry and the pat¨º had started to form a bit of skin, thepote it was served with had be like syrup now that it had cooled down. Still, she finished it all as Marion spoke up again.

    "Alice De Vritara, I trust that you know why we have called you here?"

    Marion twined her fingers and rested her chin on them, her elbows ced on the table as she looked straight at Alice. As for Alice, she maintained a smile as she acted confused, starting on the tartar dish.

    "Is it not just to share a nice meal? I thought that was why you were so kind as to save all the dishes for me."

    The tartar was cold, but at least this was a dish that was supposed to be served cold. The caviar was starting to harden and the dressing was starting to slide off of the meat because of how long it had been sitting here. But still, Alice forced down bite after bite.

    "Your servant, did you know about his abilities?"

    Marion decided not to y around with Alice and go straight for the main subject, the servant they had heard so much about recently. As for the answer she got¡­

    "Gabriel."

    Alice didn¡¯t even look up from her te as she spoke, almost speaking up while Marion was still talking.

    "Pardon?"

    Naturally, such a swift and short answer left Marion somewhat perplexed, her head tilting slightly. Alice raised her gaze so that the two could lock eyes, smiling calmly.

    "His name is Gabriel, not servant."

    Marion¡¯s brow twitched slightly but she didn¡¯t allow her gaze to waver and simply nodded to keep going.

    "Very well. Did you know about his abilities in advance?"

    Two affinities on the Divine Star¡­ This alone was enough to rock the entire empire. And such a being had been living under their roof for several years already, they needed to know if it was something recently discovered or not. But would Alice give them the answer they wanted?

    "Do you know what time it was when Earhart the 1st decided to found this empire?"

    Marion¡¯s head tilted unconsciously when she heard Alice¡¯s question, an answer spilling from her lips with just as little thought.

    "No?"

    The Earhart empire was exceedingly old, by this day even the founding date they celebrated wasn¡¯t necessarily the correct one due to the deterioration of records. To know the exact time at which the founding emperor decide to form the empire? Impossible.

    "I see. What a shame."

    Alice simply nodded and smiled, lowering her gaze to the te again as she kept eating. Evidently, this was starting to annoy Francis a little.

    "Alice, just answer the question. Did you or did you not know about your servant¡¯s abilities?"

    She could hear it in his voice, his temper was slipping. In the past, back before she picked up Gabriel, if his voice was like this then it wouldn¡¯t be long before she was struck if she kept talking. But talk she did.

    "Gabriel."

    She corrected him again, her gaze once again rising as she showed a calm, cid smile. Francis stopped for a moment when he saw that smile. Something about it made him feel strange¡­ off. Was this still the same sister he was used to?

    "¡­ Just answer the question, it¡¯s not hard."

    He swallowed down his thoughts and kept pushing. Right, it was just a misconception. It wasn¡¯t long since he had been in the north and brought back all the servants she brought along. She had only been able to keep her head low and ept it back then, just like she always had to. Right, he was just feeling a bit antsy because his father was right next to him.

    "Do you know what day the first Steel-Wool Tiger was born?"

    His brow twitched when Alice hit him with another nonsensical question, one that no living person would be able to answer. She didn¡¯t even wait for an answer, she simply smiled and nodded.

    "No? What a shame."

    She lowered her head again to eat, the sound of Marion sighing reaching her.

    "Alice. I understand that we are not on the best of terms due to our past history. But this is for the sake of the family, for the sake of the Vritara duchy. Your serv¡­"

    Her speech was quickly cut off by Alice.

    "Gabriel."

    Her gaze rose again for but a moment. A calm smile, as cid as a windless ocean. Marion stopped for a moment before she kept talking, correcting herself.

    "¡­Gabriel. Did you know about his abilities, and affinities, from the start? Is that why you chose him back then?"

    She looked straight at Alice, observing and studying her. Alice finished the tartar and put down her fork for a moment, locking her fingers before resting her chin on her hands, as if mimicking Marion.

    "Do you know how many minutes the moon will be out tonight? I think I would like to gaze upon it before going to bed so it would be nice to know."

    Marion¡¯s brows twitched, but Alice simply kept smiling politely before she shook her head.

    "No? Really, such a shame."

    She pulled her hands apart after a short moment to pick up her fork again, but someone else spoke up at that moment.

    "Little Child."

    The voice was low and heavy, it felt like a boulder on her shoulders. Her gaze moved to the speaker. Broad shoulders covered by a ck cape, striking green eyes and ck hair that hung down freely just past his ears. There were a few wrinkles on his face, a scar Edward De Vritara, the current Duke of Vritara, had spoken up.

    "I think that is enough games for one day, you¡¯ve annoyed them enough to have at least a smidgen of revenge."

    He spoke calmly, slowly, quietly. He had finally raised his gaze from his te, which was now empty. But he wasn¡¯t looking at her. His gaze simply didn¡¯t rest on her, not even for a moment.

    "Child. The abilities of your servant, and your own as well. When did you learn of them, and how long, as well as why, did you keep them hidden?"

    He kept talking. Forcefully, grandly, imposingly, every word smashing down on the boulder that already rested on her shoulders. Her name, he didn¡¯t even refer to her by name. Well, it wasn¡¯t as if she cared if he did or not. But there was one thing she cared about.

    "Gabriel. His. Name. Is. Gabriel."

    She spoke slowly, calmly. He was just the Duke of Vritara, just a measly duke. He¡¯d never cared about her, so why should she now care about him? She locked her fingers again, resting her chin on them as she looked straight at the duke.

    "If you¡¯d like, Duke Vritara, I can rmend you a good physician, it would be¡­ sad, if we did not manage to discover and treat an unfortunate case of early dementia."

    Marion and Francis both flinched at Alice¡¯s casual demeanour, but even more so at the words which she uttered. But since the Duke didn¡¯t say anything, they could only stay quiet.

    "I see. Is that why you decided to keep it all hidden?"

    The Duke, Edward De Vritara, did not scold Alice for her veiled insult and simply nodded his head. Answers could be found even in the most nonsensical of responses.

    "Duke Vritara. Do you know at what time Vritra died?"

    Once again, she responded to a question with one that couldn¡¯t be answered. But this time the question she asked poked at a sore spot. Vritra, the Great Dragon of Water from who the Vritara family traced their bloodline. That blood was their greatest pride. But the source of that blood had already vanished long ago, presumably killed by someone or something else. That vanishing was a sore spot to the Vritara, especially with their family motto. If their progenitor could die then so could they.

    Naturally, Edward De Vritara had no answer to that question. Alice maintained her smile as she looked at them, sighing so heavily that one might really think that she found it sad.

    "No? Really, it is such a shame that everyone here is so familiar with the sensation of not knowing something. It would be most unfortunate if you had to keep getting more and more acquainted with it."

 Chapter 71: A cup of poison for Earhart. (4)

    Chapter 71: A cup of poison for Earhart. (4)

    As one could only expect, with how Alice was acting it was inevitable for someone to get annoyed and impatient. And in this case, that person ended up being Marion, shooting Alice a sharp re.

    "Alice De Vritara, you will show proper respect in front of the head of the family!"

    Of her two remaining half-siblings, Marion was the most reasonable one. She rarely moved for her own interest and ced the duchy before herself, her own emotions and desires were simply secondary. But Alice wasn¡¯t being subtly disrespectful to just anyone, she was doing it to the duke himself. In a situation like that, of course Marion would speak up. But unexpectedly, the one who responded wasn¡¯t Alice.

    "That¡¯s enough. We¡¯re dining, this is not a ce to raise your voice."

    Edward De Vritara had raised his hand to silence Marion, his cid gaze lingering on her until she lowered her head obediently. He retracted his gaze once sheplied, a somewhat stuffy silence shrouding the room as he calmly and quietly ced his cutlery on the te and used the napkin to wipe his mouth, folding it onto the te before he spoke up again.

    "Marion. Francis. You are excused, the desserts will be brought to your rooms so please enjoy our chefs hard work in peace."

    He rang a silver bell that stood next to him, servants entering the room to clean away the empty tes. One of the servants brought two tes of food, desserts that looked like vani tarts topped with a type of chocte or coffee cream. One was ced in front of Alice while the other was ced in front of the duke. The duke had given an order, and the children naturally did not dare to disobey.

    "As you wish, Father. Please enjoy the rest of your meal."

    "It will be as you order, Father. Call upon me if you have need of itter."

    They stood up and bowed politely, thetter of the two, Francis, casting a sharp sideways re at Alice before he stepped past her. The servants naturally left right after them, even the butler, Barret, excused himself. The duke still didn¡¯t look at Alice, simply picking up the newly delivered cutlery.

    "We can speak more after we have eaten, it would be disrespectful to the chefs to not eat the food for which they toiled."

    An order, a statement, a request, whatever it was considered, the duke did not open his mouth to speak again afterwards. He ate the small dessert with quiet movements and a calm demeanour, as if he hadn¡¯t heard a single one of Alice¡¯s earlier thinly veiled insults. Alice also sat there silently, forcing down all the dishes that remained, which gradually got easier to eat as they became fresher.

    She was observing the duke, Edward. The number of times she had seen him could easily be counted on one hand, even half a hand was more than enough to count their meetings. As for conversations¡­ This was actually their first one. Still, he didn¡¯t even look at her. As such, honestly, she had no idea what to expect from him.

    In the end, the duke finished his dessert and once again wiped his mouth, cing both the folded napkin and the used cutlery onto the te. His gaze then rose again, but it still refused to linger on Alice.

    "Child. I despise you. Loathe you, hate you even, if you wish to use such strong words. Your existence¡­ I cannot stomach it, that is how much difort you fill me with."

    On the list of things she expected him to say to her, dering his loathing for her was actually rather high on the list. They hated each other, that was simply the nature of their rtionship. But the duke wasn¡¯t done just yet.

    "I cannot bear to look at you because you bear both of their features so strongly, it is as if you wish to dig into my wounds with your appearance. I cannot bear to utter your name because it was thest thing to leave her lips, a gentle whisper dedicated to someone else."

    She hadn¡¯t inherited the golden eyes and blue hair of her mother, taking on the colours of her father instead. But her features¡­ She was the spitting image of her mother, with only a few minor deviations. Every part of her roused the duke¡¯s anger, both of them knew that well. But with that being the case¡­

    "So tell me this, Child. Why do you still live? I cannot stomach your existence, yet you still live within my walls. Why do you think that is?"

    His fingers intertwined as his chin came to rest on them. Alice felt her chest sink, as if a hand was slowly but surely pressing down on it, clutching at her lungs. Two striking green eyes, as cid as a windlesske, were now looking directly at her. She could see the veins within them move ever so slightly, their edges twitch quietly as the duke repressed the anger that built just from looking at her. Why she still lived? The answer to that was simple, if a bit depressing.

    "Because it would bring shame to the ducal name."

    Yeah, Alice didn¡¯t allow herself any delusions. If they could kill her without staining the Vritara name then she would have been dead long ago. That was the kind of existence she was in this house. And indeed, the duke did not deny it.

    "You are correct. The ducal family cannot publicly kill one of their own, no matter the circumstances of their birth. The ducal family also cannot allow one of their own to be assassinated within our own estate, we cannot bear the stigma of failing to protect someone in our own house. Thus, an ident is the only possible way. As the duke, it is my duty to remain impartial, so it fell to your half-siblings. But none of them were capable of, or willing, to orchestra a death for you that seemed like an ident of your own making. That held true until Leonardo met his end, thus you have survived."

    Killing someone was easy for the ducal families, killing one of their own kin however¡­ that was a lot trickier. Well, no, killing them was easy, doing so without harming the family name was the tricky part. Well, Alice and Gabriel didn¡¯t care that much, which was why Leonardo ended the way he did. And judging from his words, it seemed as if the duke was at least aware that Leonardo¡¯s death wasn¡¯t something orchestrated by one of the other families. But he didn¡¯t pursue it further now, nor had he brought it up once over the past years. And by his words, Alice understood why.

    "You truly hold the ducal name in high esteem, foregoing even your own emotions in favour of it."

    He hated her, but didn¡¯t kill her because it would harm the family name. His son died, but he never brought it up because his actions harmed the family name when they came to light. For the family name, he was willing to bear it all. And he didn¡¯t deny t hat.

    "Once again, you are correct. Before I am a father, before I am a man, before I am a husband, I am Edward De Vritara, The Dragon Duke of the south. What I do, I must do for the duchy. What I do, I must do for the Vritara name. What I do, I must do for the people we shield with our name. Emotions have no home in that duty, so even my own hatred must be put aside."

    The corners of his eyes were still twitching quietly as he spoke, staring straight at Alice. He married into this family, but he was still the Dragon Duke, the Duke of Vritara. Everything he did had to be for that name. And that, if Alice guessed correctly, included this right here.

    "And may I assume that is why you have deigned to have a conversation with me?"

    A single proper conversation after almost 16 years, the first time he ever properly looked at her. It wasn¡¯t because his hate lessened, it wasn¡¯t because he came to appreciate her, it wasn¡¯t even to vent his hatred for her. It was simply for the duchy.

    "You are correct."

    He nodded his head, as she expected. The past Alice¡­ She had nothing. She wasn¡¯t helpful, she wasn¡¯t a threat, she was simply an existence that unfortunately bore the name and blood of Vritara. But now¡­ Now she had a move. And every move spurred a reaction somewhere.

    "I do not know for how long, but you hid the capabilities of both yourself and your servants. You could have revealed them earlier to stop some of the pressure that Francis was putting on you, but you did not. You relented. You endured. And then you found a useful time to unveil it. By showing your abilities while helping the Barong duchy deal with their beast problem you have made it hard for others to publicly disparage you. You have made it so that they cannot try to undermine or call into question your powers, they simply have no choice but to lower their heads and ept it. For a while, due to public opinion, there will be no one in the empire that can make any moves against you."

    The duke inly spoke the facts. Alice had helped the Barong duchy, and she had saved lives doing so. It was a good deed, and said good deed would be reflected on the name she bore. And with the Imperial Family pushing it even higher, the public, especially in the north, would end up praising both her and the Vritara for weeks toe. To that, the Duke, despite his hatred, had only one thing to say.

    "That was smart, Child. It was a good n. And for that, you will be rewarded."

    She had been patient. It would have been gratifying to reveal it earlier, to smack either Francis or someone else on the cheek while puffing out her chest proudly. But she waited. Even when Francis publicly humiliated her in the Barong duchy, she endured. That was smart. It was the best move. It was useful.

    "¡­Where are you trying to go with this?"

    Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed unconsciously. The way the duke spoke, the way his twitching gaze pierced into her, it was¡­ Unsettling. The hatred he felt for her, which resulted in her being isted and mistreated for years¡­ Could he really just ignore it that easily?

    "Nowhere. It is simply as I stated earlier, what I do, I must do for the duchy. I will use the useful, no matter their origin, no matter my emotions for them. In the end, all that matters is how good someone is for the duchy."

    The duke repeated himself, made his stance even clearer. Yeah¡­ In the end it was all about the duchy. Perhaps that was why it felt unsettling, because he acted less like a man and more like an idea, a construct serving the duchy. Was that what it meant to be duke? There was no answer to that thought, the duke simply kept talking, filling Alice in on information that wasn¡¯t yet public.

    "The Imperial Family will soon send out invites to the investiture where they will reward those who took part in the beast subjugation. During that ceremony, they will raise you to the rank of Earl, granting you the title immediately rather than waiting for youring of age. And I, as the Duke, will officially recognize you as a contender for the seat of inheritor and publicly hand over all the assets that Leonardo had before he was assassinated. Afterwards, you will have to go the Academy to learn what it takes to fight for the position of inheritor."

    An ancient sealed beast had been unleashed and then killed, this was the perfect chance for the Imperial Family to give some good news to the public, even if they had to blow it out of proportions. After all, a happy popce was a lot easier to deal with. Thus, rewards were naturally required.

    "I am eternally grateful to you, dear Duke Vritara. Truly, I am undeserving of such honour."

    She spoke politely, her voice practically dripping as she lowered her head slightly. It didn¡¯t sit quite right with her. Naturally, she wanted to be recognized, it was one of the ways she could ask Gabriel a question he had to answer truthfully. But the way the duke she despised epted it so easily¡­ The way he did it so casually¡­ It left a somewhat bitter taste in her mouth. She expected that she would have to fight harder, struggle more, rub it in their faces more.

    But even if she felt somewhat bitter, even if it felt somewhat underwhelming, she had no choice but to discard those thoughts as the duke started talking again.

    "That servant of yours, Gabriel, was it? He will be officially knighted during the investiture. He will also be sent to the Academy to learn what it takes to be a noble."

    Gabriel was the star of the beast subjugation, the one who showed the most talent, so it was only natural that he would be rewarded. The nature of his reward concerned her far more than her own. The duke slowly stood up from his seat as he kept talking.

    "He will naturally receive the rank of Viscount before entering the Academy, but it will be with a special privilege due to his abilities. The Imperial Family has already spoken with Marquess Rutherford, he will publicly offer him the hand of his eldest daughter and seat of inheritor. The Imperial family will heavily push this alliance to tie your knight to someone loyal to them."

    Tap

    Tap

    Tap

    Only the voice of the duke and the sounds of his steps could be heard in the dining hall, his fingers sliding along the smooth table as he walked. Alice felt her eyes narrow more with each word he spoke. A Marquess¡¯ daughter and seat of inheritance¡­ They were trying to steal him.

    "Once you have been given the title of Earl, the Sorin family will offer the hand of their youngest son in marriage, but the Emperor will also let you choose anyone amongst his four sons should you so desire, he is quite eager to bring our families closer."

    The duke did not stop talking, his voice still the same calm and quiet tone as his steps brought him closer. The Emperor had naturally spoken about all of this with him in advance to hear his thoughts, and he hadn¡¯t rejected any of the ideas. And the reason was as simple as always.

    "I am the duke of Vritara so I will remain impartial until an inheritor is found. I will not interfere in what you do, so show me that you are capable of doing what is best for the duchy, capable of bringing in those most useful for the duchy."

    He stepped past Alice without looking at her, not once uttering her name during their conversation. He was the duke, and he only moved for the sake of the duchy. As such, his inheritor would be the one who could prove themselves most useful for the duchy. Now, what form this usefulness took on wasn¡¯t set in stone, it didn¡¯t even need to rely on the Imperial Family or the other ducal families, it just needed to be better than all the other options.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Alice quickly strode through the halls after she left the dining room, nibbling on the tip of her thumb. She swiftly reached Teresa¡¯s room and pushed it open, Teresa currently in the process of helping her brothers sort all the souvenirs they got.

    "Teresa, have you seen Gabriel?"

    Teresa almost jumped out of fright and then quickly spun around. Alice generally knocked before entering, and she most certainly didn¡¯t sound this rushed.

    "No? We split up after he got to his room and I haven¡¯t seen him since. Has he left?"

    She quickly responded. Alice looked impatient, the tip of her thumb had be red due to how much she had nibbled on its skin and nail. Something had happened during the dinner.

    "It seems like it¡­"

    She switched thumb and nibbled even harder. She had naturally gone to Gabriel¡¯s room first, but he wasn¡¯t there. All his things were on the bed, but he himself was gone. It was extremely rare for him to leave without informing her first¡­

    "My Lady, can I help you with something?"

    Teresa sent her brothers to the adjacent room as she stood up. She could see Alice¡¯s eyes racing, her thoughts were probably darting around.

    "¡­"

    There wasn¡¯t an immediate response. She needed to think, needed to n how to move. But no matter how her thoughts moved, she constantly came back to the same conclusion.

    "Teresa, the situation has changed. I need you to get me something."

    She didn¡¯t want to do it like this, she really didn¡¯t. She wanted to take it slow, wanted to spend more time on it. Slowly but surely she would infuse it, slowly but surely she would make it so that he could no longer slip out of her grasp. But if the Imperial Family moved¡­

    "Anything."

    Teresa was naturally willing to get her hands on whatever Alice desired, be it through legal or illegal means. That was especially the case when she was this impatient, almost panicked. And the thing Alice wanted¡­

    "The Eye of Rostam. Or something simr if there isn¡¯t enough time."

    The Eye of Rostam. A ring, an extremely famous one at that. The current worth of the ring was about equal to half a small city. Getting their hands on it would¡­ Take some work.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While the Vritara Estate and its people were busy with their own things, Gabriel was quickly making his way through the city around the estate. His brows were furrowed, his pupils flickering as his thoughts moved.

    He quickly arrived in a familiar alley and cast a short spell, the darkness creeping along the walls forming a wolf-like mask that he used to cover his features. His hands were naturally still a mess so Nergal helped him activate the required formations to open the secret entrance he was looking for.

    He descended down the stairs that revealed themselves and strode through the darkness, eventually reaching a familiar circr hall. When he first came here many years ago, this ce was practicallypletely empty, save for a table and two couches at the centre. The headquarters of the Night Pack, the fifthrgest information guild in this empire.

    It still looked much the same despite the passage of years, but Gabriel had added several bookshelves and closets of varying type along the walls. The table and couches at the centre remained the same however, a man wearing a fox-like mask currently sitting there while organising some documents as he greeted Gabriel.

    "Ah, you¡¯ve returned, Boss?"

    The fox mask. In the story, it was worn by the leader of the Night Pack, the ck Fox. He was the one who turned it into thergest information guild in the empire. The eyes that looked at Gabriel from behind the mask were the same cold blue colour as the previous leader of the Night Pack, the gori masked man Gabriel first met when he came here.

    "Tell me the most recent information and rumours amongst the nobility."

    Gabriel cut directly to the chase as he walked over, almost slumping down on the couch. The ck Fox, Solomon Giradin, was used to the boss¡¯ direct nature, but something felt a bit off this time around.

    "Hmm¡­ Most of it is about the uing title ceremony, the various families can¡¯t stop buzzing about it. Naturally, most of it is about the uing fates of Alice De Vritara and her servant."

    He didn¡¯t beat around the bush either, if the boss was this antsy then something was clearly going on. Luckily, theirwork was slowly spreading further so it was a lot easier to get information from the nobles so he had a fair bit of information he could hand out.

    "I cannot guarantee the veracity of this, but the maid we got this information from is a bed-warmer for the Second Prince of the Imperial Family so odds are that at least 70% of it is true."

    Of course, since information was their lifeblood, Solomon didn¡¯t forget to leave himself a lifeline by stating that the information may not be entirely true. It was important to always leave yourself a way out, dealing with absolutes was the fastest way to cause your own downfall, the boss had taught him that. But with the formalities out of the way, he got straight to sharing what he had gathered while the boss was away.

    "ording to her, Alice De Vritara will be granted the title of Earl, receiving it early this time, and both the Sorin Family and the Imperial Family will extend offers of marriage to tie them together. From what the maid said it seemed like the Second Prince was fairly confident that the First or Fourth Prince would be the chosen in the end. As for the servant, she said that he¡¯ll be knighted and granted a title, either Earl or Viscount. The Imperial Family will also have one of the Marquess¡¯ offer both one of their daughters and the seat of inheritor to help him stabilise his new position. Lastly, both are to be sent to the academy to learn about their new positions while also getting closer to their future partners."

    This information came from the Second Prince of the empire, who had been especially called back early for this title ceremony. Solomon said that it was only about 70% true, but he personally guessed that it was at least 90%, or more, true. The Second Prince was known to speak too much when he got frisky with people.

    Gabriel fell silent after Solomon shared the news spreading among the higher nobles, his eyes closing. Marriage. True, it was the best way to tie both people and families together. Alice had shown her affinity for three of the newly-discovered magics, and she had two strong spirits, so it was only natural that they would upgrade her title while trying even harder to tie her to the empire.

    And marriage really was the best way to do that, it really was. If she married one of the princes¡¯ then she would belong to the Imperial Family, and if she married the one from the Sorin family then she would greatly strengthen the ties between the two ducal families. It was just logical, a step that anyone could seeing.

    Sitting there, Gabriel was reminded of the time his Unique Magic activated. The thing, the souls, that took his appearance, hadn¡¯t they shown him something simr? Alice marrying someone because it was the logical thing to do? Because it was the best action to take for her position? Yeah, he had already seen this oue.

    "¡­"

    Solomon could only sit there in silence. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to remain silent, it was more that the words wouldn¡¯te out. It felt like a hand was reaching down his throat and slowly curling around his heart. A chill. Cold and terrible dread. It crept up his spine like it wanted to paralyse him. The boss¡­ The boss was angry.

    "¡­Right then."

    The boss opened his eyes after several minutes, a dim light shing in those violet irises. He looked¡­ determined. Decisive.

    "A new n, boss?"

    Solomon could finally let go of the breath t hat had been caught in his chest when Gabriel opened his eyes. That look¡­ He had decided on something, something big probably judging by that sensation from earlier. And yet¡­ He shook his head.

    "No, same n as always. Fox, do you remember the second and third t I taught you?"

    Ts. The boss had taught him many ts, he said they were a guideline to living as a good person, to living a good life. They were a bit odd, but Solomon had still made sure to memorise them.

    "If you have something you treasure, don¡¯t let anyone else take it. If there¡¯s something you want, then you must make sure to acquire it no matter what."

    Solomon spoke the ts as he had been taught them, and Gabriel nodded his head in turn.

    "Correct."

    Gabriel rose from his seat. Right, the ts. He taught them to others, he showed them their meaning. But asionally he forgot to follow them himself. But his recent trip to the northern duchy¡­ The colours that Alice brought to his world, had they not reinvigorated him to follow them?

    "Fox, get me a ring."

    He spoke simply, strongly. This wasn¡¯t a request as a customer, this wasn¡¯t a suggestion to an aide. This was an order from the leader of the Night Pack. And when the boss gave an order, there would only ever be one oue.

    "Any specific value, or will any ring do?"

    Solomon put aside his documents and rose from his seat. The boss gave an order so it would seem that he would have to move personally. After all, the boss never gave simple orders. And lo and behold¡­

    "The Eye of Rostam, it has to be at least of that value."

    Yeah, that was only to be expected. Normal things weren¡¯t enough, the boss only wanted the best of the best when he first moved. But the Eye of Rostam¡­ lord knows what he was going to do with it.

    "That¡¯ll kick up quite the fuss if we were to¡­ ¡®Acquire¡¯ it."

    The Eye of Rostam was currently up for sale, but the price¡­ Officially, only the Marquess and Ducal families had the cash to buy it. Some Earls and Counts could probably also buy it, but they would have to liquidate a fair few assets. Whoever came out and bought it, or acquired it through other means, would attract a lot of attention. Even more so should the item disappear from the public eye afterwards. It would get noisy to say the least. But for once, it seemed as if the boss didn¡¯t care.

    "Then let¡¯s kick up a fuss. We are strong, Fox, so let¡¯s stop hiding it."

 Chapter 72: A cup of poison for Earhart. (5)

    Chapter 72: A cup of poison for Earhart. (5)

    With a direct order from the boss, the Night Pack quickly got to work. The main target was the Eye of Rostam, but he also said that something of equal value was fine so they had to categorise the various rings that would fit that category. They also had to locate them, discern whether or not buying them legally was an option, and how to utilise them cleanly in public should they need to acquire them through more dubious means.

    The underworld was getting noisy, and if the various parties weren¡¯t careful then it could easily spill over into the more normal every-day world. As for the boss that set all of that in motion, he had already left the headquarters and was returning to the Vritara estate.

    Naturally, he wasn¡¯t donning the mask as he made his way through the streets. The investiture had luckily not taken ce yet so his face wasn¡¯t well-known enough for someone to recognise him on the street, getting stopped while moving around would just be annoying. His bandaged hands could attract some attention, but they were easy enough to keep hidden because he chose a shirt with extrarge sleeves.

    As he moved, he observed the citizens going about their lives. The Imperial family hadn¡¯t officially announce the investiture yet, but there was a slight tinge of excitement in the air already. One person heard a rumour from another, and like wildfire it spread. They were quietly buzzing, specting about what the Imperial family would reveal, who they would reward. A festival wasing, you could taste it in the air.

    Well, with what he was nning the festival may have another celebration tacked onto it. It would depend on what the other party decided.

    He didn¡¯t wander around as he usually would when he entered the city, today wasn¡¯t one of his scheduled days off so just the fact that he left was already highly unusual. As such, he returned straight to the estate by following the usual path. But as he reached the side entrance of the mansion, the sun starting to reach the edge of the horizon, there was already someone there waiting for him.

    "Good evening, I have been awaiting your arrival. The Esteemed Duke requests your presence, so please follow me."

    A butler was standing by the entrance, tilting his chin as a simple greeting. It wasn¡¯t Barret Hodgkin, but perhaps that was only to be expected, the duke wouldn¡¯t have his personal aide wait around for another servant.

    But the duke¡­ Gabriel had naturally expected that he would end up meeting the duke sooner orter, meeting him at the investiture was practically inevitable. But meeting him before then was¡­ Unexpected. Especially since the duke was calling for him.

    The duke in the show, assuming it really was a show to begin with, didn¡¯t actually do much, be it for or against Alice. He simply watched, be it when she was being mistreated or when she killed his children to further her own position. Only when she started to burn the duchy did he try to act. He was only actually named once, every other time he was just referred to as Duke Vritara. Because that was what he was, he was an existence that was Duke Vritara before he was anything else. The duchy personified, a concept made man, that was the general consensus when it came to Duke Vritara.

    "I see. I apologise for making you and the Esteemed Duke wait for me. Please, lead the way."

    Naturally, Gabriel responded to the grey-haired butler with a polite and respectful smile. He was currently Alice¡¯s servant, and the Duke was the head of the household, acting poorly here would reflect poorly on Alice. The future was one thing, but the current Duke¡­ Gabriel knew that he wasn¡¯t someone they could treat carelessly.

    The butler gave a short nod and then turned around, guiding Gabriel through the mansion. The butler was walking in front so Gabriel took the chance to send out Nergal, a tiny sliver of his own shadow warping before disappearing. Alice had also met with the duke earlier today so it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to inform her that he was called in by the duke, it¡¯d give her a handful of extra minutes of nning should it be needed.

    The butler led Gabriel through the hallways, which were rather quiet due to theck of servants, it seemed as if the duke had dismissed most of them for the day. In the end, they reached the doors to his office. Gabriel had been here before, at least outside the office, but that was while he was skulking about in the secret passageways carved into the walls of the mansion. This would be his first time stepping past the doors.

    "Esteemed Duke, I have brought the servant as you requested."

    The butler carefully knocked on the thick wooden doors. Each of the doors was engraved with a dragon, the two carvings meeting in the middle, their sped ws splitting whenever they were opened. Based on rumours, this door had been carved using wood that came from a tree that Vritra herself had nted.

    "He may enter."

    The voice that came from beyond the doors was quiet but heavy, the pronunciation slow and deliberate. It was familiar. Not the voice itself, but the sensation it brought with it, the weight on his shoulders. When Gabriel met the General in his past life¡­ The voice he used when he gave out orders that cost hundreds if not thousands of lives was just like that.

    The butler naturally stepped aside with a deep bow, not even catching a glimpse of the duke before he left. Gabriel remained alone, correcting his posture and expression before he pushed open the doors, having to use his elbows, and entered the office.

    The ducal office, the room from which most of the matters regarding the duchy were decided was¡­ in. The walls were lined with bookshelves, only a few sparse spots with a bit of room between them. Each shelf wasbelled and organised neatly, filled with reports that came from every part of the duchy. The shelf furthest from the door even had a section marked ¡®E.C Y2037.¡¯

    Earhart Calendar, Year 2037. They were currently in E.C Y3932 so it was a report that was almost two thousand years old. If his guess was correct then the only reason they didn¡¯t have any older reports it would be because they hadn¡¯t been able to handle the weathering of time.

    "You may take a seat."

    The duke sat behind the only piece of furniture that wasn¡¯t a bookshelf, a desk that was easily two or three timesrger than a normal one. Papers were neatly stacked and lined up across the entire desk, a single wooden chair with a blue pillow ced in front of it.

    A chandelier hung above the desk, serving as the sole source of light in the room. Usually there would be arge window recing one of the walls in a room like this, but the only wall not covered by bookshelves was instead covered by arge map of the entire Vritara duchy. Gabriel did not allow his gaze to wander, the duke was right there.

    "Servant Gabriel greets the Esteemed Duke Vritara, I apologise if I have offended you by making you wait. I was not expecting anything to happen so I ventured into town because it had been a while."

    He bowed politely and respectfully, but as was to be expected, his hands made it a somewhat awkward endeavour. The duke did not seem to mind it, gesturing towards the empty chair with a simple wave as he put aside the paper he had been looking at.

    "You may take a seat. It would strain our necks were we to crane it for the duration of our talk."

    The duke still spoke slowly, calmly. It was as if he was waiting for each word to properly sink in before he moved on to the next one, adding that much more weight to each one. Naturally, Gabriel did not give the duke a chance to repeat himself a third time and sat down.

    "Please, Esteemed Duke, how may I be of assistance?"

    He spoke quietly and respectfully, properly acting as a servant. The duke was looking straight at him now that he had put aside the papers, deep green eyes that perfectly hid any trace of emotion observing him.

    "I have not called you for a request, I simply wished to glimpse the one who chose our duchy. It is only proper that I take a proper gander before the investiture starts."

    Gabriel felt that something was off the moment the duke started to speak. It wasn¡¯t the tone or anything like that, it wasn¡¯t the weight of his words, it was what he said. The one who chose our duchy. Why would he say that when Alice was the one who picked him up from the orphanage?

    "It is Gabriel, correct? The child was quite insistent on it."

    He didn¡¯t use a name, but Gabriel could guess that he was talking about Alice. After all, who else in this estate would dare be insistent with the duke about something like a name?

    "I am honoured that you know my name, Esteemed Duke."

    Once again he repeated his earlier bow. Well, at least to the best of his ability, he was currently sitting after all. The duke simply looked at him quietly as he did his gesture, hopping to a topic that Gabriel hadn¡¯t been expecting.

    "Pray tell, Gabriel, what do you presume is required to sessfully run anyrge estate, a duchy being one example?"

    The duke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he questioned, Gabriel also maintained his expression, swiftly and politely side-stepping the question.

    "I¡¯m afraid such matters are much beyond the scope of a mere servant like myself."

    He couldn¡¯t quite tell what the duke was thinking, his bearing and expression didn¡¯t betray a single one of his thoughts. Thus, Gabriel followed the usual modus operandi. Calmly observe while remaining as quiet as possible to give away as little information as possible. The duke didn¡¯t seem to mind his side-stepping, but that may just be because his expression didn¡¯t show any of his emotions.

    "One requires an excellent leader and a devious viin. You must have a leader that can bring people together and guide them forward, and you require a heinous viin that can strike fear in all who would ce their eyes upon what the leader is trying to protect. Wherever people gather, one will find both light and dark. You cannot deny one or the other if you wish to lead, you need to bring them to bnce."

    It was a very standard approach, the carrot and the stick, just a bit more separated. You couldn¡¯t straight out rule with fear, that was how you got revolutions. No, it had to be subtle, hidden so deeply that few would ever even notice it. But it had to be there. The duke slowly rose from his seat, his footsteps echoing through the room as he walked up to the map behind him.

    "The one sitting at the head of the Vritara is the light, they are the leader that the citizens canfortably follow. But they require a viin that can serve as their shadow, they must have a darkness that is willing to consign to oblivion every pair of greedy eyes that may stray their way."

    He tapped the name that was emzoned at the top of the map, VRITARA. The light of the chandelier hit the name and illuminated it, but every time the duke tapped it he would produce a bit of shadow beneath it, shrouding the map as he kept talking.

    "Francis is a poor option, he has yet to manage a bnce between the two required fractions. Marion has not yet managed topletely fill her darkness, but she is smart enough to make up for herck of quality with quantity. Given time I am confident that she will manage it wonderfully. The child is a new contender, but whether or not she can find a bnce will rely on her uing actions."

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes had narrowed slightly. The duke was speaking about things he rarely ever brought up. After all, why would a duke be so foolish as to willingly speak of the weaknesses that his possible inheritors had?

    "I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t quite follow, Esteemed Duke."

    Gabriel deflected it again, but he had already gotten a good grasp of what the duke was likely trying to imply. But it made little sense, the duke didn¡¯t know enough to form any sort of expectations towards them. He tried to trace what he knew to figure out what the duke might have learned, but the duke paid him no mind and simply kept talking.

    "In the uing investiture, the child will be promoted to the rank of Earl. Both the Imperial Family and the Soring family will extend their hands in marriage to tie us together. You will receive the title of viscount, albeit with a special privilege. The Imperial family has also prepared a Marquess family that will extend the hand of their daughter in marriage. Should nothing extraordinary happen, both marriages will go through as nned. You will be moved out of the territory and guaranteed the future position of Marquess, and the Vritara family will be tied closer to either the Sorin Family or the Imperial Family. It will be an ending that is beneficial to all parties."

    In the end, he brought up the topic of the uing ceremony, which naturally wasn¡¯t meant to be public information yet. He had turned around again, locking eyes with Gabriel. His gaze was so still that it was eerie. The only thing visible in those pupils was Gabriel¡¯s own reflection, his own furrowed brows and slightly narrowed eyes.

    "¡­Can I assume that you aren¡¯t simply saying this to inform me in advance?"

    He didn¡¯t even notice that he had dropped a fair bit of the politeness he used earlier, his tone almost brusque. The way the duke spoke about the marriage was annoying, it irked him. But he also knew that the duke wasn¡¯t just saying all this to bring it up. He had a purpose.

    "A leader cannot simply look for a beneficial ending, they must look for the best ending. It is that simple."

    He returned to his seat with slow steps, reaching for one of the papers he had put away when Gabriel first entered. Still calm, still casual, but the thing he said¡­

    "So you believe there to be an ending more advantageous than simply getting closer to the Imperial family."

    Depending on how you took the duke¡¯s sentence, especially what it implied, it was a sentence that could be called treasonous. The Earhart family had ruled this empire for almost four thousand years now, what could be more beneficial than getting closer to them?

    "As the leader, it is my duty to at the very least look for one such ending."

    The duke didn¡¯t deny it, slowly organizing the stack of papers he had picked out and cing the individual sheets in front of him. He stopped looking at Gabriel, waving his hand to dismiss him.

    "I have conveyed what I desired, you may take your leave again."

    From an outsiders perspective, he hadn¡¯t really said much to Gabriel. He simply spoke about the uing ceremony he would take part in and some of his own ideology. But Gabriel had gotten a decent grasp of what he was trying to imply. But he still didn¡¯t understand why. Just the affinities weren¡¯t enough to make the duke think along those lines.

    "It was a great honour to meet the Esteemed Duke."

    Still, even if he didn¡¯t currently understand what spurred the duke¡¯s train of thought, he at least knew somewhat what the duke was thinking. The more he knew the easier it would be to n moves in the future. But as he was about to open the door, the duke called out to him again.

    "Oh yes, Gabriel?"

    The duke hadn¡¯t raised his head from the papers, he spoke almost as if it was an afterthought, a topic that had just slipped his mind and may as well be brought up since he just remembered it. But what he said¡­

    "It is best that you are more careful in the future. They may seem rather normal at a nce, especially to an untrained eye that relies on magic to find them, but most hidden passageways contain a feature that tracks those that use them. Most cannot ess this feature, but those in charge of the passageways naturally have their ways to examine these records."

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes almost narrowed, but he caught himself in time. The passageways hidden in the walls, he had used them diligently in the past. That was especially the case when it came to how he dealt with Leonardo, he had used the passageways to steal the information that lead to his downfall.

    He was naturally aware of the fact that the duke knew about the passageways, but there had never been any mention of the passageways being able to track those who used them. But with that piece of information it became a bit clearer why the duke had spoken about the things he did, and why he left Gabriel with a calm reminder before he returned to his work.

    "The dark must take care that it does not get swallowed due to a moment of carelessness."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel made his way through the halls and returned to the eastern wing. Rather than look for Alice in her room, he headed straight for his own. Nergal was currently with Alice, and since he could sense Nergal he naturally knew where Alice was.

    "You met the duke."

    She spoke up the moment he opened the door and entered the room. She was sitting on his bed, tugging on some of Nergal¡¯s tendrils as he rested in herp.

    "Correct, he informed me about the uing investiture."

    Naturally, Gabriel didn¡¯t hide it. The two worked as one, proper ns for the future could only beid if they were both on the same page, especially when it came to the information they had.

    "So you¡¯ve already been informed about the titles to be given out. Did he also talk about the marriage offers?"

    Alice wore a tranquil expression, but Gabriel knew her well enough. The way she tugged on Nergal¡¯s tendrils, the slight tapping of her big toe, the subtle wrinkling of her nose. She was anxious.

    "The Sorin Family and the Imperial Family for you, a Marquess family for me. An ending beneficial for all sides he said."

    She nodded her head after he responded. Yeah, if you looked at it logically it was a beneficial ending. In fact, it would be exceptional for her position, it would be an immense amount of progress. Alice naturally knew that, which was why she was thinking carefully about how to word herself. But Gabriel spoke up before she could gather her thoughts.,

    "Alice."

    He didn¡¯t immediately speak further, he only uttered her name to draw her attention. It was somewhat rare for him. He was a direct person, she knew that better than anyone else. But now he chose to draw her attention first, waiting for her to look at him before he continued speaking.

    "What are your thoughts on the marriage offers they will give you?"

    Was that even a question? He may not know, but there was only one answer she could give to a question as dumb as that one.

    "Uneptable."

    Yeah, there was no way she could ept those offers, be it the ones given to her or the ones given to him. They could offer her the hand of the emperor himself and she would still refuse. The answer slipped out a bit too fast, too unconsciously, so by the time she remembered that she should say a bit more, Gabriel had already spoken up again.

    "Yes, I thought much the same."

    Her thoughts stopped for a moment. Really? He¡¯d thought the same? This was an immense opportunity. Thinking about it logically, they had worked for an opportunity like this for years already. It would solidify her position more than anything else they had done so far. But he thought much the same? When she thought that, she caught a glimpse of his expression. She had been looking at him, but she hadn¡¯t even noticed it because of her own thoughts.

    He looked¡­ A bit relieved? Did he even realise his own expression? It was to the point that she would even be willing to say that he wore a soft smile. Looking at the light in his eyes, she was confident that he didn¡¯t realise the expression he currently wore. Or maybe he did? He had slowly changed ever since their meeting with the w after all.

    Gabriel looked at Alice, he could see her thoughts racing behind her crimson irises. When she said that it was uneptable, he felt like he wanted to let out a breath. Relief, yes, this was called relief. Thinking back, he¡¯d actually felt this before as well, back when they met Caine as they reached the northern duchy. It had been when he saw that Alice hadn¡¯t reacted to Caine¡¯s presence in the same way as she had in the show. It was an odd sensation, but aforting one. It reminded him of the shades of red that Alice introduced into his world.

    Her thoughts were racing, but he still had to speak up. Since she too found it uneptable then it made his ns a bit more likely, more viable. But they would still have to discuss it and n it together, only like that would they work properly. So he spoke up again, and this time he saw all the thoughts racing behind Alice¡¯s pupils simply cease.

    "Alice, I intend to propose to you during the investiture."

 Chapter 73: A cup of poison for Earhart. (6)

    Chapter 73: A cup of poison for Earhart. (6)

    Alice¡¯s mind sputtered. It was like a candle ced in front of an open window during a windy night, she couldn¡¯t even im that her thoughts were flickering. No, everything simply stopped dead in its tracks after Gabriel spoke. It was like he took a hammer to her head, she could feel her skull ringing as the tingling resonated down her spine and throughout her entire body.

    Her hands simply froze dumbly, Nergal¡¯s tendrils still squished between her fingers. Her body was as frozen as her hands so she could do nothing but sit there and look straight at Gabriel, who matched her gaze.

    Violet eyes that were a delightfully deep shade. They reminded her of nightshade, not just because of the colour but also because she felt like she had swallowed poison whenever she looked at them for too long. The heat that always rose¡­ The gnawing thoughts and twitching of her hands¡­ Those eyes were poison to her.

    And right now she was frozen, gazing into those eyes, drinking deep of the sweet poison until she could feel it in her every breath. The ringing grew louder, twisted itself into words that yed again and again in her head. His eyes were poison, but the words he spoke that now repeated themselves in her head were nails in her coffin, a gentle hammering that unfroze her body.

    "Sit down. Right here."

    She removed Nergal from herp and pat the side of the bed next to her. Quick taps and an intense gaze, it was as if she was an empress tossing around orders. And if there was one thing Gabriel was good at, it was following orders.

    He sat down next to her, but Alice didn¡¯t stay put. She got up from the bed and turned around before sitting down on hisp, facing him as she rested her arms on his shoulders.

    "Secure me."

    She didn¡¯t give any specifics, but she used the arms resting on his shoulders to prod him, gesturing that he should use his arms. Considering the position they were in, there was really only one way to stabilise and secure her. Except, there was one problem.

    "With the state of my hands, I would be doing a pretty terrible job of securing you."

    His hands were wrapped in bandages and casts, even if he did as she asked he would scarcely be able to secure her should something actually happen. Well, that was assuming he didn¡¯t use Nergal or some magic. But clearly, she wasn¡¯t asking for that.

    "You¡¯ll manage, I trust you."

    Her voice brooked no room for discussion, her eyes a bit bloodshot as she looked straight at Gabriel, her gaze never once leaving his eyes. Alice ordered, well requested was more like it, she never really ordered him to do anything. And thus, Gabriel naturally acknowledged.

    He raised his arms and wrapped them around her waist so that she could sit on hisp without worrying about falling. But well, he could forget about sping his hands behind her. Still, she didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    "Good. Now, say it again. What are you nning?"

    She still heard it, reverberating in her head like a celestial bell. But the voice in her head, it was only a replication of his. No, she had to hear it with his voice, with his words. She had to drink deeper of the poison.

    "During the investiture, I intend to propose to you. Naturally, it¡¯ll have to be in front of the emperor and the other nobles."

    Gabriel repeated his ns. This n relied entirely on the two of them so there was no way he could not inform Alice in advance, especially since it required her co-operation. And judging by the pair of cherry-red lips that were twitching into an involuntary grin, it seemed that his initial guess was correct, it would be easy to get her co-operation.

    "I see, I see. Good, that¡¯s very good. Why are you going to do that, Gabriel?"

    Alice felt like giggling, she just barely managed to swallow down the maniacal giggle. The deeper she drank of the poison the lighter her head got. She felt her fingers tremble, quivering as she fought to keep them still. She was looking straight at him, and he too looked right back at her as he answered.

    "I have no interest in marrying one of the people set up by the emperor, and you too said that you did not wish to marry the ones they offered. In that case, if the two of us get engaged publicly then it would be the easiest way to solve both of our problems."

    He gave a¡­ straightforward? Answer. Well, could he even call it straightforward? No, it felt a bit wrong to him when he thought of it like that, the reasoning he used felt a bit skewed. Hmm¡­ Where was the error?

    Alice could see it in his eyes. She looked at them every day, she lost herself in that sweet poison time and time again. She could see his confusion, that pondering expression. Ah, this devious fool of hers.

    "Hmm¡­ Gabriel. Tell me, how do you feel about me marrying either one of the princes or someone from the Sorin family?"

    She questioned with a soft voice. Her breath was warm as it reached the tip of his nose, almost scalding. The veins in her eyes only seemed to growrger with each passing second. She was struggling.

    "Uneptable."

    The answer came almost instantly. Ah, there was the error. Right, it wasn¡¯t just because Alice said she didn¡¯t want to marry them, it was because he didn¡¯t want her to marry them.

    The smile on Alice¡¯s face only grewrger, the quivering of her fingertips growing in intensity. She cocked her head slightly. She wanted more. More. She drank of the poison without end, and the more she drank the thirstier she got. More, she needed more.

    "Good answer. But why is it uneptable, Gabriel? A prince, or someone capable of inheriting a ducal family, would they not be the optimal marriage targets to raise my standing and position? Thinking about it logically, it would be a mistake to not marry one of them."

    The knight she picked up from the orphanage, the little child who orchestrated events so that she could gain more fame and standing. He fought in ces she couldn¡¯t see so that she could rise higher. He even risked his life and cut his own lifespan short to take care of her brother. The things he did, he did to increase her standing. Or at least, he used to.

    "Maybe it is. But they are not worthy. From what I¡¯ve gathered about them, they don¡¯t have the personality, standing, strength, will, nor capability. They are not good enough."

    He spoke strongly, with immovable determination. They were words that the child she picked up should never have been able to speak. But turn by turn, just as he twisted her, she too twisted him. And in the end, the twisting of the gears made them jump out of the machine, no longer little parts of a whole.

    "A prince and a possible future duke aren¡¯t good enough?"

    She leaned closer, her breath hotter. She had lost control of her fingers now, she could feel them sping onto him, digging into the fabric and flesh behind his shoulders. Like a vice, they gripped on. And her knight did not move to escape her grasp.

    "Then tell me, Gabriel. Who is good enough? In this great big world, if the ones at the top aren¡¯t good enough, then who could possibly be?"

    Closer. Closer. Closer. She leaned closer with each breath, each exhale feeling like fire as it rose up her throat. She was burning. The poison was burning her, scarring her with permanent marks.

    Violet eyes, as deep as the ocean, glittering like stars. Her nose touched his, her skin felt hotter than the fire rising from her lungs. In his eyes, she saw only herself, reflected with perfect rity. And there, in that reflection, she saw what he was looking at, her own eyes. A deep crimson, like stains of blood. And reflected in them, only him. One reflection responded to the other.

    "I am."

    He. Him. Only him. There was no one else in this empire, no one else in this world. No one had fought for her like did, no one had bled for her like he did, no one had cared for her like he did, no one had helped her like he did, no one had thought of her as he did. Only he was worthy. Only he was good enough.

    Alice drank deeper of the poison, until she reached the bottom of the cup and there was no more poison to imbibe.

    She leaned forward further, but their noses were already touching so there was nowhere to go but down. She pushed against him until he fell back onto the bed, and since she had been sitting on hisp she fell onto him.

    The fire that rose from her lungs, she blocked it with his lips. She didn¡¯t allow a single spark to leak out into the surroundings, each tongue of fire that rose from within was poured into him through their connection. She burned from within, and she gave that fire to him.

    Her hands, trapped between his shoulders and the bed, sped at him. She scratched at his skin as if she wanted to dig into him. The poison scarred her for eternity so wasn¡¯t it just fair that she left scars of her own? Markings for all who would try anything foolish.

    She burned. She gave him all the fire she had, but more just kept rising from the depths. Heat umted without end, filled her very being from the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers. She couldn¡¯t stop burning.

    She pulled back for a second, unaware of how long she¡¯d been sharing the fire. Breath, she needed to breathe. At first she had tried to breathe through her nose to keep going, but she gave more air and fire than she took in so she needed to pull back for a breath. But the moment she sucked it in she leaned back down again, blocking the leaking fire.

    And then, after a gods know how much time passed, a small pang of pain shed in with the fire. A metallic taste mixed with the heat and the taste of his tongue. She was familiar enough with it to recognise it straight away, blood.

    She pulled back again and found the culprit. They were bleeding. She had gnawed at his lips, and he had returned the favour. But they¡¯d gotten too engrossed so their teeth had punctured skin. His blood lingered on her lips and dyed them a deeper red, and his blood lingered on hers, a few drops of blood still dripping onto him from her mouth.

    She was above him, looking down at him. At some point she had ced her knees on the bed so that she could lean on him with more ease. Her hands had left his shoulders, a few bits of fabric clinging to her nails as she pushed against the bed on either side of his head.

    She was looking straight at him, and he too was looking straight back at her. Violet and crimson swirled around each other, reflecting only each other.

    The taste of blood, the light pang of pain, they helped Alice pull herself back to reality, at least slightly. Her own reflection, dyed in violet, her bloodshot eyes looking down.

    "Don¡¯t propose to me after you¡¯ve received your title."

    She spoke softly again, scalding breath falling down on Gabriel. She breathed heavily and quickly stood up, greedily swallowing air to block out the fire. She looked straight at Gabriel, whose breaths came as gasps. She licked her lips, her tongue picking up whatever blood of his still lingered on her.

    "I will give you a signal during the investiture, you won¡¯t be able to miss it. You are forbidden from proposing to me before I give you that signal, understood?"

    She couldn¡¯t see her own expression now that she took some distance, but she felt that if she did she would see that her own eyes had be so bloodshot that hey were beyond human. Her fingers twitched, recalling the sensation as they wed against his skin.

    She swallowed another deep breath and then quickly left the room, hurrying through the hallways. Along the way, she encountered Teresa, who seemed to havee looking for her.

    "Ah, My Lady. I¡¯ve started to prepare for the purchase of the Eye of Rostam, but it seems there are some other peop¡­"

    Alice cut her off before she could finish her sentence. There was something else she needed now, otherwise the poison would make her lose all control.

    "Teresa, I¡¯m going to the baths, please prepare them post-haste."

    Teresa naturally saw that Alice was far from normal right now so she dropped the previous topic and nodded. But the moment she gave her suggestion, Alice shot it down.

    "Very well. Give me a few minutes to warm the water and then I¡¯ll have it ready for you."

    "No need. I need it cold, as cold as you can get it."

    Alice was already striding past Teresa as she spoke, fingers quivering as she kept ncing back. Naturally, Teresa was well aware of what roomid further down this hallway. Thus, she decided that quietly following Alice was the sensible option.

    "¡­"

 Chapter 74: A cup of poison for Earhart. (7)

    Chapter 74: A cup of poison for Earhart. (7)

    Alice was syed out in the bath, leaning against the edge as she sshed the water on her face. Cold. Each drop felt like ice as they slid down her face, some of them desperately clinging to her hair. She could see her breath every time she exhaled, the chill slowly seeping to her core.

    "So, can I now ask about what went down?"

    Teresa spoke up from behind Alice, tending to her hair. Doing so with cold water was a new experience but water was water so the job remained unchanged. Wanting an ice bath was strange enough, but the Alice in front of her also had a small wound on her lips, a few drops of blood asionally sneaking out when she pursed her lips too tightly.

    "It was Gabriel."

    Alice cupped more water in her hands as she spoke, wincing for a second as she sshed it against her face, gazing at the rippling water through the cracks between her fingers.

    "That much is obvious with you."

    Teresa rolled her eyes, Alice could practically hear the wry smile forming on her lips. Yes, it really was obvious, wasn¡¯t it? Who else but that knight could elicit such reactions from her?

    "He found out about the uing engagement proposals that we¡¯ll be handed during the investitures."

    Alice tapped the water as she would a table, as if she was pondering some conundrum. But she was just trying to keep herself in check, she was working with the icy water to suppress that which rose whenever she thought back to what happened barely a few minutes ago.

    "I see. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯ll cause a great big ruckus?"

    Teresa could somewhat guess Gabriel¡¯s reaction after finding out. And if it was the Gabriel that was showing signs of change¡­ Yeah, he may just cause a ruckusrge enough to make Alice react like this. But the truth that Alice revealed¡­

    "He said that it was uneptable. He¡¯ll propose to me during the investiture to shut down all future talks about marriage."

    Yeah, that was a bit beyond what Teresa had expected. That was a¡­ Big step for Gabriel. It was¡­ Illogical, if you thought about what they were trying to achieve. But oh well, people were supposed to be illogical beings, it was about time that Gabriel got that memo.

    "Yes, that does seem like something that would push that button. I would ask if I should congratte you on your future heir, but I¡¯m guessing this bath is taking ce to prevent exactly that."

    Teresa knew Alice, and some parts she knew better than Gabriel. Alice was already struggling to hold herself back at normal times, with Gabriel springing something like that on her it was easy to imagine her control slipping. But evidently, thest step wasn¡¯t taken. Alice responded simply, raising a hand.

    "I was this close, Teresa. Really, this close. I had him beneath me. I can still taste him, a mixture of blood and apples. His shoulders are quite hard, did you know that? I felt like my fingers were trying to dig through stone."

    She held her index and thumb against each other as she spoke, barely leaving any room between them. She could still feel the sensation of skin and flesh beneath her fingers, if she had dug just a bit harder she would have drawn blood there as well. She wanted to draw blood there as well.

    "I marked him. Shoulders and lips. And he marked me back¡­"

    Her hand fell. The fingers, still warm to her thanks to the sensation, tracing her lips. A soft sting of pain shot through her when she reached the small wound on her lips. Where she drew blood, so too did he. He wasn¡¯t just an observer, he was a participant. But¡­

    "But it¡¯s not enough, Teresa."

    No. Not yet. Her hands clenched, quivering softly as she held them in front of her face. So close, so easy¡­ It wouldn¡¯t even have taken a push to go on. But no¡­ No, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    "Years ago, before you were employed here, Marion and the others actually helped me understand something. Teresa, I am greedy."

    Alice recalled that conversation with perfect rity. When Gabriel was struck by Leonardo and Marion only scolded him for making a scene, drawing a clear line to represent Gabriel¡¯s status. Oh how Alice remembered that conversation, oh how she remembered the feelings she felt for the first time.

    "I want him. Gabriel. I want my knight. I want him to be recognized, not just by me but by the family and the entire empire."

    Desire. The first desire that she felt, the first fire he lit in her. He was beaten for her, but the one who did it wouldn¡¯t even be punished because Gabriel was a nobody. The candle that banished her night, the knight that showed her light¡­ Oh how she wanted him to be recognized.

    But then they grew. People always grew, time always passed. And as time passed and people grew, so too did desires. Time and time again, the knight moved for her. Time and time again he banished the night. So it just grew, and grew, and grew, and grew. The greedy became greedier, and in the end her desire reached its current state.

    "I want him to want me. To need me the way I need him. I want that stoic face to crumble when he looks at me, I want that cold rationality to burn when he thinks of me. I want him to lose his constant control when faced with me. I pushed him down today, but in the future I want him to push me down in equal measure."

    It was no longer enough to just have him. She wanted him to crumble, she wanted him to show her a face that he would show only her. She wanted him to wake up and think of her before he even blinked, she wanted him to close his eyes and think of her the second before he fell asleep. She wanted him to be like her.

    She was close. She could feel it in his gaze, his voice, his very being. But it wasn¡¯t quite there yet, at least not in the way she wanted.

    "So I have to hold back today. I need to be patient, calm. He took one step today, he tasted me as I tasted him. Soon¡­ Very soon, I¡¯ll make it so that he takes the next step of his own volition."

    Soon, really soon. The investiture, that was where she would do it. She would just do what he taught her, she always did things by following the things he taught her. Not a t, not a rule. No, this time she would use what she learned from watching, experiencing. She would fix him with love, or perhaps it could be considered breaking him.

    "Fufu. Teresa, I really am quite greedy."

    She couldn¡¯t stifle herugh when she thought about it, the shaking of her hands getting stronger as she squashed down the rising fire.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel rose from the bed a while after Alice left. For a few moments he had just been lying there absentmindedly. Looking down, his clothes were rather dishevelled thanks to how Alice had pushed him down. He tried to straighten them out, but his bandaged hands made it a futile attempt so he abandoned the idea.

    The mirror that Alice had set up in his room, he found himself stopping in front of it. He really looked dishevelled. Scattered and unruly hair, wrinkled clothes and sleeves that had been pulled up. His gaze was a bit unclear, his eyes almost murky.

    "Ah¡­ I look a mess."

    He muttered somewhat absentmindedly, he looked as if he had just been rolling around in bed for thest few hours. But with his hands¡­ Well, he could forget about fixing it on his own. Then again, he didn¡¯t really need to dress up considering who he was thinking about meeting now.

    "Nergal, let¡¯s go."

    The small octopus plopped down from the bed as Gabriel turned around, slinking over before melting into his shadow. Gabriel left the room and moved through the hallways, heading in the opposite direction of where Alice had gone.

    He left the mansion through the side entrance and followed one of the many paved paths, the training grounds soon stretching out ahead of him. The sun had just dipped below the horizon so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone here. But he¡¯d spotted someone there earlier when he first returned from the Night Pack, and right now he was looking for their aid.

    He entered the training grounds, and sure enough, that figure was still training furiously over there. The dull sound of metal hitting wood echoed across the grounds as the figure danced around a spinning wooden dummy, evading the various limbs it had.

    "Training ended a while ago, you know?"

    The figure winced as Gabriel spoke up, a fleshy thud resounding as one of the dummy¡¯s limbs smashed into the side of her chest. She groaned and staggered back but grit her teeth and stepped forward again, still dodging as she answered.

    "¡­Maybe, but only for those who can afford to stop."

    Trisha dodged the blows of the dummy, swinging at it with a dull training de. Her voice was low and heavy, her breathing out in quick gasps as sweat ran down her face. Her deep blue eyes seemed alight with mes and indignation as she kept smashing her sword into the dummy.

    "I¡¯m not angry. You had no choice, I know that."

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t saying it just to calm her, he never did. He really wasn¡¯t angry at her and Lawrence for leaving when Francis came to the north. They had no choice, they were knights of House Vritara, and someone higher ranked had given an order. If they disobeyed then they would get fired, and Lawrence would likely be robbed of his knightage. They would lose everything.

    "But I am angry."

    Trisha¡¯s reply was simple, her sword colliding with the side of the dummy and leaving arge crack in the wood. The dummy stopped spinning as a result, the following silence broken by Gabriel.

    "I¡¯vee to ask for advice."

    Advice. Yes, Gabriel felt that he needed advice. The things he was nning, he knew preciously little about them. But he felt that he¡­ wanted to do it right. So he needed to get some advice. Trisha spat out several quick heavy breaths before she turned her gaze onto Gabriel.

    "Alri¡­ Gabe, why are you bleeding?"

    She cut off her own reply in the middle, her head tilting slightly. Now that she was actually looking at him she could tell that he was rather dishevelled, his hair and clothes inplete disarray. She bit her lips when she saw his bandaged hands. She knew that there probably wasn¡¯t a lot she would be able to do if she had gotten to stay behind and join them on that expedition, but she would never know for sure so she couldn¡¯t help but me herself. Gabriel however didn¡¯t even seem to pay his hands any mind.

    "Bleeding?"

    He was caught somewhat¡­ Off-guard by her question. He brought a hand to his face since that was what she was looking at, and there were indeed a few drops of blood stuck to his bandages when he lowered his hand again.

    Strange. He hadn¡¯t seen anything like that when he looked at the figure reflected in the mirror. His tongue moved a little, drifting past his lips for a moment. And then the taste hit him. Blood mixed with a bit of lemon and vani.

    A figure shed past his mind. A familiar face flushed red, gasping desperately for air as it looked straight at him, eyes seemingly alight with mes. Crimson eyes that reflected only him, his own reflection gasping for breath.

    "Ah¡­ This¡­ It¡¯s nothing to worry about."

    He remembered. His chest started to heat up, starting in his lungs and spreading to his ribs, like fire eating him from the inside. Right, she gave him fire. She plugged him up and then poured in nothing but fire, until the mes were all that remained within him. His tongue slipped back to his lips. Vani and lemon¡­ soft and delicate.

    "Alright¡­ So, what are you nning for Lady Alice?"

    Trisha gave a slow nod of her head, her initial response a bit drawn out because Gabriel was reacting strangely. But he returned somewhat to normal after she drew his attention by speaking.

    "Astute."

    He nodded his head, but Trisha shook hers just as quickly as he had responded.

    "No, it just so happens that you really only ask for advice about things like that."

    You didn¡¯t have to be astute when it came to Gabriel, you just had to be good at picking up patterns. And when it came to advice, especially when he came to her for advice, it was generally only about this. And indeed, Gabriel¡¯s response proved her right.

    "I intend to propose to Alice during the uing investiture, its the best way to stop the unwanted engagement proposals they intend to send our way."

    Trisha couldn¡¯t help but stop momentarily. She tapped her ears a few times and blinked as she looked at him, but he looked as serious as always so he clearly wasn¡¯t joking.

    "You¡­ You¡¯re nning on proposing? How?"

    Gabriel was going to propose? She¡¯d heard some rumours about the investiture, and Gabriel, as one of the main actors, wouldn¡¯t be able to escape getting a title. But using that opportunity to propose to Alice?

    "I haven¡¯t thought about that yet. I have a ring in mind, but I¡¯m unsure about how to hand it over."

    It was¡­ about the answer Trisha expected from him. He was generally like that when it came to other people, assuming he wasn¡¯t looking to kill them, have half a n and then improvise.

    "¡­"

    She stood there quietly for a moment, leaning on the dull sword that she had stabbed into the ground. She looked at Gabriel, observed his eyes. He didn¡¯t seem to notice it, but his tongue kept asionally tracing his lips. It would appear that things had¡­ changed in her absence.

    "You are sure that Lady Alice will ept the proposal, yeah?"

    Naturally, Trisha knew the answer to this question. Anyone who spent the slightest bit of time with them would know the answer to this question. But Gabriel¡­ previously he would be among those who didn¡¯t know the answer.

    "Yes, I have already spoken about it with her."

    Yes, things really had changed after she was forced to return to the Vritara estate. Well would you look at that, this man was finally starting to change. In that case, Trisha knew exactly what she had to do.

    "Right. Do you know what that means?"

    She phrased it as a question, but she didn¡¯t give Gabriel any time to answer it, there was another question far more important for him to answer.

    "Gabe, most women only ever want to get proposed to a single time in their life. I am sure that Lady Alice is like that, and I don¡¯t imagine you n on letting someone else propose to her in the future, right?"

    Ha, Lady Alice was more than just like that. Trisha feared for the safety of anyone who tried to propose to her, assuming they weren¡¯t Gabriel.

    "Uneptable. None of the possible candidates are worthy."

    Luckily, the answer Gabriel provided was satisfactory. Well, in a way it was, the reason he gave was just a bit¡­ Arrogant? Insane? Whatever you wanted to call it. Bottom line was that it was good enough for now.

    "Alright, whatever you say. Do you know what this means, Gabe? It means that this will be Lady Alice¡¯s first andst proposal, her one and only. It needs to be perfect, you need to be perfect."

    Right. Her Lady would finally get the proposal she desired, the thing she had sought for quite a few years already. It had to be perfect, it had to be everything she dreamt of. If Trisha managed to make that happen¡­ perhaps her guilt would be lessened a bit.

    "I don¡¯t know how long we have, but you nevere for advice at a proper time so it can¡¯t be that long. We¡¯ll have to rush through it, but there¡¯s no way around it, we¡¯ll have to work with the time we have. I¡¯ll help you make it perfect, Gabe. But to do so, you¡¯ll have to do what you hate the most, you have to stand out."

    Yes, the main proponent required for Lady Alice¡¯s perfect proposal, Gabriel. The man who kept on trying to hide in the back, an unassuming knight you could easily ignore. She would have to pull him away from that image.

    "A Lady wants her man to be the best in the world, someone everyone is envious of. By the time the investiture rolls around, I¡¯ll have you be a man whomands everyones gaze even by just walking."

 Chapter 75: A cup of poison for Earhart. (8)

    Chapter 75: A cup of poison for Earhart. (8)

    Gabriel sat on a chair in his room, his arms ced on a small table in front of him. His hands tingled beneath the bandages, it felt as if his bones were squirming, eager to burst out of their fleshy prison.

    "We shall soon be done so please bear with it, soon you will regain ess to your hands."

    An aged woman sat on the other side of the table, her hands resting on his. She was d in the light-blue robes of the church, the Gransax Cathedral in the capital to be specific. A few motes of pale blue light peeked out from where her hands were resting on Gabriel¡¯s.

    As a priest of the church, what she used wasn¡¯t magic, not strictly speaking at least. No, what she used was Divine Power, energy and abilities handed down directly by the god she served. Judging by the pale blue colour she was probably a worshipper of Hakoten, the god of the sky.

    Divine Power and the Divine affinity, while they sounded simr, were a bit different in nature. Divine Power relied on the god you served, it was something they handed to you, basically lending it to you for a while. The Divine affinity on the other hand functioned more like the Demon affinity, it took rather than borrowed, ignoring the god¡¯s intentions and desires as it plundered their power wantonly.

    "There we go, young friend, that should do the trick. Your hands may feel ticklish for the next few days, but I assure you that it is perfectly normal. Given time, it will pass."

    The olddy pulled back her hands as she spoke, the light dimming as she slipped her fingers back into her long sleeves. Her hazy and zed over eyes were looking straight at, and past, Gabriel.

    "It is safe to remove the bandages straight away, but if I may offer a suggestion, I would rmend that you give them a thorough cleaning at the earliest convenience. Unwanted filth asionally rises to the surface as the body is healed, the muck will inevitably get expelled from the body at the first opportunity."

    Healing, that was what she had been doing. Gabriel was the main character of the uing investiture, there was no way that the Imperial Family would let him show up with his hands bandaged. As such, they had requested that a priest from the church head over and take care of his wounds.

    This was already the fourth, and thus final, session. The investiture had already been publicly announced two weeks ago, and would take ce a mere week from now. The empire was thus naturally bustling with activity, citizens and nobles alike gathering in the capital to prepare for the uing ceremony.

    In fact, Gabriel was probably one of thest to head out. It seemed as if the Imperial Family wanted him to maintain an air of mystique before they properly unveiled him so he was allowed to remain in the Vritara duchy while everyone else headed out. Naturally, this everyone else also included Alice, who had actually left for the capital earlier than she had to.

    Counting the days, it had already been 16 days since hest got to see or speak with her. It was¡­ strange to be away from Alice for so long. In the years they had spent together, this was their longest separation yet.

    It was¡­ Ufortable. It felt as if his chest was constantly prickling, a tingling akin to fingers slowly wandering up his neck ceaselessly annoying him. He wanted the damn investiture to just start already. Alice had strictly told him that he was not to arrive early because there were some things she wanted to set up, so he was stuck here for now.

    She was nning something. Well, he was doing the same so it could only be said that they were simr in that regard. Hmm¡­ Since they were simr then she was probably as annoyed as he was right now. Wait, no, scratch that probably. Knowing Alice she was probably just a step or two away from throwing a fit. But she clearly wasn¡¯t, she was being patient despite the prickling sensation. Thus, so too would he be.

    "¡­ And may the blessing of Hakoten follow your steps."

    The voice of the priestess reached him, it seemed as if he had zoned out for a bit and inadvertently ignored her. As for whether or not she noticed, she at least didn¡¯t show any reaction as she rose from her seat and bowed politely.

    "I believe there shall be no more need for my services here, Ser Gabriel. I anticipate hearing about your deeds in the forting ceremony. May you have a continued blessing."

    She left behind the same polite farewell as always and then stepped out of the room, two knights escorting her out of the mansion and back to her carriage. Left alone again, Gabriel removed the bandages that now clung to his hands, a murky brownish-ck liquid sticking to them.

    He wriggled his fingers and twisted his wrists a bit, but other than the tickling she mentioned he felt no other difort so the fractures were indeed gone. He rinsed his hands in the basin he always had in his room, filling it with water was easy enough thanks to his covenant with Alice. Once he was clean and dry, he activated the stud earring with a bit of his mana.

    "Fox, what¡¯s the status on the eye?"

    The earring was one of the first items he got his hands on after making contact with the Night Pack in the past. Granted, this was an upgraded version, but the core functions remained the same,munication with the pack. And in this instance, he got in contact with the second inmand, the one who would originally be leading the pack right around now, ck Fox.

    "It¡¯s looking bad, boss. We¡¯ve been putting pressure on him from multiple sides, but I fear we may lose it. I¡¯ve done some digging into it and it seems ourpetitor is from Nightshade¡¯s Kiss. Should we just take it?"

    ck Fox, Solomon Giradin, didn¡¯t beat around the bush and gave a concise report. They apparently weren¡¯t the only ones vying for the Eye of Rostam, and theirpetitors just so happened to be annoyingly stubborn. If it kept going like this then it was highly unlikely that they would be able to acquire it the legal way.

    Gabriel fell silent for a moment after Solomon gave the report. The Eye of Rostam was the ring he had in mind for proposing to Alice, it was so famous that not even the emperor could scoff at it. He knew that Solomon and the rest of the Night Pack had been having some troubles getting their hands on it, but for it to be Nightshade¡­

    "Nightshade¡­ No, just leave it."

    Hmm, if it was them then they may as well just give up on getting the Eye of Rostam. No, if the Nightshade got it then it meant that it would just end up in his hands anyway so it couldn¡¯t really be called giving up on it. Naturally, Solomon understood the secondary meaning implied by Gabriel¡¯s dismissal.

    "Le¡­ Alright. Going for n B then. I¡¯ll drop it off at the usual location and then go dark for at least two or so weeks. I¡¯ll report back afterwards."

    If the first one can¡¯t be obtained then they would have to go for the second one, they always made contingency ns for situations like this anyway. As for why he had to go dark¡­ the investiture wasing up. As a noble of the empire, Solomon had to be there. Naturally, that didn¡¯t mean that he had to tell the boss about it, the boss was luckily someone lenient enough to just ept it when they said that they had to go dark for a while.

    Gabriel cut contact with Solomon after they talked a bit more, setting up a few more ns should anything happen during the time they wouldn¡¯t be contacting each other. But once that was done, he didn¡¯t have much else to do so he headed to the training grounds. He would have time for a few hours of training before it once again became time for Trisha to help him with his proposal ns.

    And in such a manner, thest week quickly passed, the empire alive with sound as the investiture finally arrived. And as such, Gabriel naturally made his way to the capital.

    ¡ª¡ª

    While the Earhart Empire was bustling with sound and life due to the investiture, the Yverial empire across the sea was alive with sound because of a single man. Saint Arthur. He had started in a small vige, but he had already made his way to the capital, dredging up forces and followers in every city he passed through. By the time he reached the capital, he had a veritable army following him. Themon popce was rising like a tidal wave, it had already be something no one could ignore.

    "You¡¯ve got good style. Gotta show off your luxury if you have it, it¡¯ll just be wasted if you lock it up in a treasury because you¡¯re fearful that someone might take it."

    Arthur sat in an ornate wooden chair, golden ornaments etched into the carvings that adorned the back of the chair. He was leaning back, his dark golden hair swept back as his violet eyes took in the splendour of the meeting room. As he was the one leading themon popce, the imperial family naturally had to meet him when he arrived at the capital.

    Rare animal pelts, paintings from long dead artists, sculptures showing ancient heroes and monsters, nts that were once extinct. The Yverial Imperial family decorated the meeting room with all their luxury, their entire pce was like that. They had ruled for many years, they weren¡¯t shy about showing it off.

    "It is good that you enjoy it. Now, may I assume that you did not march up to our gates simply because you were curious about them?"

    Naturally, Arthur wasn¡¯t alone in the meeting room. Ignoring the ten or so knights that stood there, the Crown Prince of the Imperial Family was also there. A table stood between the two men, the entire length of it covered by a scale-like material.

    Valentine Savon Yverial, Crown Prince of the Yverial Empire. His elbows rested on the table and his bronze-coloured hands were sped, his chin sitting on his fingers as he observed the so-called ¡®saint¡¯ with sharp amber eyes, a few strands of blue hair falling over them.

    The man was called a saint, but Valentine didn¡¯t believe it. He didn¡¯t seem the type. Sure, he had helped a lot of people on his way here, but Valentine didn¡¯t for one second believe that he did it out of the kindness of his heart. No, such people were long extinct, everyone who acted for others did so because they had an agenda.

    Arthur simply grinned wildly when faced with Valentine¡¯s sharp gaze, leaning forward slightly.

    "You want something, don¡¯t you, Valentine? Of course you do, everyone wants something. Wants are what drive the world forward! We wanted to move faster so we invented the wheel, we wanted to be stronger so we invented weapons. We wanted to cover morend so we invented vehicles and society. We wanted to control society so we invented greater weapons. We wanted to gain freedom so we stole magic. It¡¯s all wants, its always been wants."

    Arthur didn¡¯t shy away from it. Greed. Desires. Ambitions. It was what made humans, it was what defined them. You wanted, so you lived. You lived, so you wanted. God, it really was beautiful.

    "I know what you want, Valentine. Yverial is too small, isn¡¯t it? The resources are already dwindling, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s enough now, but what in ten years, or twenty? What about when your numbers have doubled? How many more mouths can you feed, how many more people can you support? It¡¯s not a lot, is it?"

    Arthur had carved a path here straight from the outskirts of the empire, he¡¯d seen the situation they faced. It wasn¡¯t at the very brink yet, but given a few more years of peace and they would face some hard, devastating even, times.

    And to the future leader, who knew this truth better than anyone else, Arthur stretched out his hand.

    "I have the solution for you, Valentine. A drop of water for Yverial, A cup of poison for Earhart. You need just take my hand and I¡¯ll help you feed all those mouths."

 Chapter 76: The Crowns purge.

    Chapter 76: The Crown''s purge.

    "You look wonderful, Princess. I¡¯m sure that Young Master Woodime won¡¯t be able to take his eyes off of you."

    The maid couldn¡¯t stop praising as she worked, wrapping up Abigail¡¯s hair to entuate her curls. Another maid was working on her fingernails while a third was working on her toenails, putting their all into elevating the Princess¡¯ natural beauty.

    "I think today it would be best if we go with gold for the nails, I believe it would look stunning with your dress."

    "The toenails, Princess, should we do something special with them? Just in case Young Master Woodime ends up seeing them."

    The investiture was mere hours away, it was a prominent and highly public event so the maids were naturally eager to see their princess show off. Nothing had been spared, they had brought out all the jewelry they could find and made sure that her dress was beyond perfect. They were sure, this ceremony was the perfect ce for the Young Master to ask for the Princess¡¯ hand in marriage. But their Princess¡­

    "Hmm¡­"

    Abigail stared at the mirror in front of her, her amber eyes murky and unfocused as she sat there rather absentmindedly. There was a wrinkle between her eyes, her make-up shifting slightly because of how her brows kept lowering. After a few minutes of silence, a long breath escaped her.

    "Sorry, but I need some time. Can we call a time-out?"

    She tapped her fingers against her palm to form a T-shape with her hands, an unconvincing smile hanging on her face. But whatever the maids thought of it, they were but servants so they had to follow her orders.

    "Naturally, Princess. We will be awaiting your orders outside, please call upon us if you need even the smallest thing."

    With the maids taking their leave, only Abigail was left in the room, her eyes closing as she tried to think. She felt like she could hear her breathing echo around her as her ears rang. Sirens. The scraping of metal. The trickling of oil. The roars of fire and the suffocating scent of smoke.

    Her eyes opened again. She was nervous, stressed, so it was bing increasingly hard to hold herself together while properly wearing her mask.

    "Caine¡­"

    The word fell from her lips almost unconsciously, her hands ruffling through her hair and messing up the work of the maids. She hadn¡¯t been able to speak with Caine ever since he left for the northernnds. He was supposed toe by after checking on the seal, but he was called back to the Woodime family due to the incident with the sealed w.

    "I just want some damn peace¡­"

    The words just slipped out as she kept ruffling and tugging at her hair. Kaisel was out checking something so she didn¡¯t have to think about anyone else seeing her for the first time in a while, resulting in one of her old habits slipping out.

    Things were going wrong. Sure, she was changing things to alter the flow of events, but all those things were small so as to not upset the bnce. But the beast in the north ended up being contained in more seals than just one, and one of those seals was even breached by Alice. The beast was defeated and sealed, by someone other than Azuras thankfully, but just the fact that the beast was released should never have happened.

    At this point in time, Alice shouldn¡¯t know about her affinities. It was information that carried too much weight, it was not something the bnce should be able to bear if it got shared too early. And yet, Alice knew of at least three of her affinities.

    Alice knew too much, she acted too differently, her servant was too strong, she acquired things she wasn¡¯t supposed to¡­ Things were spiralling out of control, and Alice served as the centre of it all.

    They had yet to find Azuras so it could only be him. But how? And why? What made his memories return early? And why was he using Alice as a conduit? Was he trying to weaken them before he made his move? Was he prodding their capabilities because he was unsure about how they controlled time?

    She didn¡¯t know, and it was wearing away at her mind.

    She caught her own reflection in the mirror. A delicate face with smooth and clean features, healthy golden skin without a single blemish. Cherry-red and dainty lips, powerful amber eyes that seemed to reflect the world, and crimson hair that now hung wildly thanks to her ruffling. It all felt so¡­ foreign, a slim hand stretching out to trace the reflection.

    "I want to go home¡­"

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The hall was abuzz with noise. People chattered and sses clinked as they met, an orchestra upying a corner of the grand hall to provide music for the attendants. The banquet hall of Earhart Pce, designed especially for ceremonies and parties like this, was filled with people.

    The floor was covered by a gargantuan red carpet, the burning raven that symbolised the Earhart family sown into it with golden and ck thread. The hall was basicallypletely open to amodate all the participants, the tables holding refreshments upying a portion of the room¡¯s right side. The left side of the hall led to the various terraces and the gardens,rge windows that also served as double doors adorning the wall, each one currently covered slightly by golden curtains.

    People entered the hall at a very steady pace, arriving through the main entrance that stood at one end of the room, a few guards announcing each arrival. On the very other end of the room stood the balcony from which the Imperial Family would arrive from, a golden railing demarcating its edge while two marble staircases spiralled down on either side of it.

    "Now announcing the arrival of Lady Alice De Vritara!"

    The loud voice of the announced cut through the chatter of the crowd as the doors were pushed open to wee the new arrival. Naturally, Alice was the one who entered the room, everyone¡¯s gazes focusing on one of the main characters of this investiture.

    She barely wore any make-up, not hiding the small tan she had gotten from being outside so much. She entuated her red irises with a bit of purple eyeshadow, only adding to the slight oppressive sensation brought about by her slightly cold gaze. Her violet hair had been straightened and tied up into a ponytail that was decorated by two ck pins carved to resemble serpentine dragons, only their heads visible as they poked out of her hair.

    She came d in a deep red ball gown, its skirt adorned by several frills that had ckce roses run along their entire length. It was cut off by the shoulder, revealing her corbones and nape while also exposing her arms. But while the dress exposed her arms, she wore ckce gloves that went up past her elbows. Rather than the usual frill that adorned the bosom, she had threece roses adorn the centre of her chest, one ck, one violet, and one a white-silver.

    Dark and striking colours, she stood out as she walked. Sure, many of the men arrived in ck suits, but thedies themselves came in light dresses, yellows and blues especially popr. As such, she naturally drew attention. But Alice barely even looked at them as she calmly strode over to the table with refreshments, picking up a ss of champagne that she slowly sipped as she waited.

    And with her making her arrival, it didn¡¯t take long for the next big name to be announced.

    "Now announcing the arrival of Crown Princess Abigail De Earhart!"

    The banquet hall naturally fell silent when the arrival of the crown princess was announced, Abigail arriving at the edge of the balcony reserved for the Imperial Family. Her hair had been curled neatly, a light bit of blush added to her cheeks, focusing on enhancing her natural beauty rather than adding new things to it.

    She wore an emerald green ball gown with a flowing skirt, small emeralds and sapphires embedded into the fabric to form flower-like patterns that went from her bosom and all the way down the skirt. She wore long satin gloves and covered her corbone with a light pink shawl, a brooch with arge obsidian as the centrepiece adorning her bosom. Her ears were adorned with earrings featuring small crimson feathers, a golden tiara fastened in her hair.

    "I thank you all foring to this ceremony, and may you enjoy the refreshments we have prepared. I am certain that our new nobles will be honoured by your presence as they are ordained into their new status."

    She shed them all an elegant smile as she greeted them. She gave a light wave of her hand once she finished speaking, signalling that she was done speaking so they may return to their own conversations. Afterwards, she made her way down the stairs, naturally heading over to Alice.

    "Ally! I¡¯d say that I¡¯m d you could make it, but you¡¯re one of the people receiving a reward so that hardly fits, huh?"

    Abigail wore a bubbly smile as she bounced over, grasping Alice¡¯s hand while nabbing herself a ss of champagne. She spun slightly so that she could stand next to Alice, allowing her gaze to sweep across the gathered nobles.

    "Just look at them all, trying to be so sneaky with their nces. Heh, one moment they pretend like you don¡¯t exist, but the second you show that you¡¯re useful they start nning how to approach you."

    She almost looked as if she wanted to pull up her lips, but she also looked like someone proud that they had found something before anyone else. She raised the ss of champagne to her lips, but what looked like it would just be a sip ended with her emptying the entire ss, quickly picking up another as if nothing had happened.

    "Let me guess, the Duke has already contacted you, yeah? Probably talked about publicly recognising you as someone who canpete for the seat of heir? I told you all those years ago, didn¡¯t I? You can win over Marion and the Duke by growing up well. I wasn¡¯t wrong, was I?"

    Abigail twirled the ss of champagne as she spoke. She wanted to drink it. She wanted to down it in a single gulp and then get to the next one. But she couldn¡¯t. Too many eyes. One would have to do for now.

    "You weren¡¯t wrong, Abby. He called me in for a meeting the moment I came back from the north. I was useful now so he would stop ignoring me."

    Alice shed her a smile, nking her own ss of champagne against Abigail¡¯s before cing it against her lips. Abigail had an excuse now so she raised her ss and took a sip, keeping it to a normal one this time. She seemed to be tasting the alcohol for a moment, chewing on her words before she started to talk.

    "So what happened up there, Ally, in the no¡­"

    Her words were cut off before she could finish them, the announcer cutting through all the buzz again.

    "Now announcing the arrival of Ser Gabriel!"

    The hall fell silent again, Abigail swallowing her question. The second main character of the investiture had arrived, someone with two affinities on the Divine Star. He was the one everyone in the empire was most curious about so all gazes focused on the doors as they were pushed open.

    The first thing everyone noticed as the doors opened was a heavy sensation. It hit them before his appearance, a weight on their shoulders that almost made it hard to breathe, a chill that lined the inside of their stomach.

    Gabriel stood beyond the doors, now wide open. Violet eyes that swept through the room with a cold and calm gaze and silver-white hair that had been swept back neatly with only a few errant strands arching forward. A sword was strapped to his waist and one of his hands was resting on the handle, only adding to the heavy sensation that pressed down on the room.

    He was d in the suit that Trisha had helped him pick out for the asion. Tight-fitting white pants and ck boots that almost went all the way up to his knees and a crimson jacket with three golden buckles on abdomen. A ck leather belt ran around his waist at a slight angle, encroaching on his abdomen. Most of the jacket was red, but the parts on the side, from his waist to his armpits, were ck.

    He had a long red cape on his back, but the inside of the cape was a dark violet colour that would asionally be visible as he moved. Other than that, he also had a ck half-cape on his right shoulder, a dense line of white fur running along the section closest to his neck. The half-cape had several thin braids of violet silk stretching out from it, connecting it to a ckce rose that served as the only decoration on the left side of his chest.

    The hall was silent. Gabriel followed Trisha¡¯s advice as he stood there and let a bit of his magic leak out. He had to stand out. For today, he had to be the centre of everyones attention. He didn¡¯t retract any of his aura and started to walk. Slowly. Quietly. Calmly.

    He felt their gazes. They lingered on him, unable to leave him. He drew their attention with his aura, his demeanour, he stole their breath with his heavy mana. At this moment, even the most foolish people present would understand the same thing. This was a warrior, forged in blood and death.

    He kept walking, a hundred gazes following his every step. The hall was silent, as if people didn¡¯t even dare to breath lest the heavy sensation fill their chests. His footsteps didn¡¯t make a sound thanks to the carpet, yet it felt as if each one hammered against the ears of those present.

    He saw her in front of him. Alice. It felt like ages since he hadst seen her, lifetimes almost. She was stunning, a dark rose that rose all on her own. She broke through all the other colours in the hall with ease, everything he saw was simply dyed by her very presence.

    Red and ck, her dress was actually very familiar. When they were kids, before they had their magic affinity officially tested, he had once picked out a simr dress for her. But this time¡­ This time she had gone above and beyond with it. She was stunning. He made it hard for those present to breathe, but he felt unable to take a single breath as he looked at her.

    The Crown Princess was also there, but he barely even registered her agape expression and slightly pale skin. No, all he saw was red, ck, and violet.

    His legs stopped in front of Alice. He had to tilt his head down slightly to look at her. She looked up at him, and in her eyes he saw only himself, dyedpletely in her crimson. Currently, he was amoner while she was a noble, etiquette dictated that he knelt to greet her.

    But he just bent his waist somewhat, a hand reaching out to hold hers. He raised her hand while lowering his head, nting a light kiss just below her knuckles, just as he had when they first met all those years ago.

    "My Lady. Alice. I¡¯vee for you."

 Chapter 77: The crowns Purge. (2)

    Chapter 77: The crown''s Purge. (2)

    Gabriel felt a tremor run through the hand he was holding when his lips touched it. The joints bent and the tips of Alice¡¯s fingers pressed against the inside of his fingers. He could feel her fingernails through her glove. They chained him down, scraped at his skin.

    For a moment, his shoulder-des tingled. The spots where Alice¡¯s fingers had dug in previously were tingling, calling to him. When he raised his gaze, he saw fire. Her eyes, as cold and calm as always in public, were burning with a me only he could see.

    He could feel it in his lungs. The fire she breathed into him back then, it still lurked within his flesh and bones, it had scrubbed them free of everything else. And now, as if to respond to that gaze, it was starting to roar back to life. A familiar taste spread on his tongue, awoken by the mes. Vani and lemon, with just a small aftertaste of blood.

    A part of him expected Alice to plug him up again and fill him with more fire¡­ or perhaps that part desired it. But it seemed as if she was going to hold herself back this time. Her grip on his fingers loosened as he straightened his back, but she didn¡¯t let go of him.

    She raised his hand in much the same manner as he had hers and lowered her head, her lipsnding on his knuckles as she looked at him with upturned eyes.

    "My Knight. Gabriel. I¡¯ve been waiting for you."

    Fire. It washed over his fingers with each word, each breath that spilt from her mouth. He could feel it race up his hand, scarring his arm as it raced for his neck. She branded him with fire only they could see, but still, each word left marks for all to see.

    Alice looked up as she spoke. She could see Gabriel. Cold. Calm. Collected. Normally, this would be the time he would be sizing up the hall and the nobles in it. But right now, he was only looking at her. And in his eyes she saw things only she understood.

    Yeah, no one else here could read him like she could. No one here could understand him like she did. She lowered her head slightly again, cing her lips back on his knuckles.

    Everyone was looking at them. Of course they were, they were two of the main characters in this investiture. And the aura Gabriel brought with him when he entered¡­ It was impossible for the people in the hall to not look at his every step.

    He¡¯d done that for her.

    "My knight."

    Her lips touched his knuckles again.

    The knight who orchestrated things in the background. The knight who stayed hidden so that his work for her wouldn¡¯t be impeded. The broken boy who stretched out a hand to another broken girl. He¡¯d stopped in front of her, willingly drawing the attention of everyone.

    He¡¯d done that for her.

    "Gabriel."

    Her lips touched his knuckles again.

    He¡¯d lowered his head. He¡¯d taken her hand and held it close. He¡¯d ced his lips on her fingers of his own volition, of his own desire.

    He¡¯d done that for her.

    "I waited for you."

    Her lips touched his knuckles again.

    He found the most visible ce to do it. He¡¯d drawn everyones attention, made sure that they would see his every move. He spoke her name. Not a title, not a courtesy, not a nickname. Her name. In public. In front of everyone. Her name, only hers.

    He¡¯d done that for her.

    "The wait felt like ages. Don¡¯t ever make me wait that long again."

    Onest time, her lips touched his knuckles.

    She still looked up. She could see the people in the hall looking at them. Gawking like they saw zoo-animals dancing about, unable to process the situation. Go ahead, look all you want. He stepped up in public, he drew everyone¡¯s eyes for her. She¡¯d be an abject failure if she wasn¡¯t willing to do the same for him.

    She raised her head again and finally let go of his hand. There was fire inside her, spilling out with every breath. But this wasn¡¯t the ce, nor was this the time. So she pushed it down, she gathered it in the pit of her stomach like a smoldering lump.

    Her expression was normal when she finished raising her head, calm and cold, as majestic as someone would expect of someone from a Ducal household. But her fingers were still scraping against Gabriel¡¯s, she could feel his hot skin through her gloves. Still, she pretended as if she wasn¡¯t doing anything when she turned her head to Abigail.

    "I¡¯m terribly sorry for thete introduction, Crown Princess. This is Gabriel, my better half."

    Alice smiled as always, but she closely studied Abigail. Back when they first met, Abigail had explicitly warned Alice about trusting someone with violet eyes and white hair, she¡¯d also warned her about her family, mainly Leonardo and Francis. Clearly, Abigail knew something.

    Thus, Alice had made sure that she and Gabriel never got the chance to meet. But it was inevitable. Sooner orter, if they wanted their respective ns to reach fruition, Gabriel and Abigail would end up meeting. And this investiture was that inevitability.

    "Ah¡­ Ah! Yes.. Humph, forgive me, I was a bit¡­ distracted. Knight Gabriel, I have heard many things about you over the years. Thank you for¡­ taking care of my friend Ally."

    Abigail quickly caught herself, closing her mouth to hide her agape expression. She cleared her throat and rubbed her face to force some colour into it, but Alice wouldn¡¯t miss those pale traces. Fear and confusion. Abigail was afraid.

    Gabriel probably noticed it too, but he kept his expression in check. The stupidest thing you could do when you noticed something strange in someone else was to let them know that you had noticed.

    "This one is humbled to meet you and greets the future sun of Earhart, the beating heart of the empire and the crown of thend. Alice has spoken about you in great length, I am thankful that she can have a close and dear friend like you. So allow me to return those words of gratitude, thank you for taking care of Alice."

    Gabriel ced his hand against his chest and bowed respectfully as he greeted the Crown Princess. Her gaze was familiar. In his past life, the families of his targets often looked at him like that. Fear of what he would do. Confusion as to why he was doing it. Hatred due to what he was putting them through. He¡­ was used to being looked at like that.

    "Please, I am undeserving of such words. I simply did what anyone else in my situation would do. After you get to know her, who wouldn¡¯t want to be friends with Ally?"

    Abigail kept talking, her expression gradually returning to normal. She was regaining control of her own emotions, picking up a ss of champagne and offering it to Gabriel.

    "I have heard of your exploits up north. You have my gratitude, I dread to think of what such an unknown situation may have developed into. You protected not just my friend, but my people andnds as well. How could I ever repay you for everything you¡¯ve done?"

    Gabriel naturally epted the ss she offered him, the entire hall was currently looking at them so he didn¡¯t allow himself to make a mistake. There was a slight tremble in Abigail¡¯s hand. He couldn¡¯t feel it, but the bubbles rising in the champagne gave it away. When she pulled back her hand after he epted the champagne, she scratched the spot between her brows with her right hand.

    "Say, Gabriel. Have you felt anything stra¡­"

    "Now announcing the arrival of Sir Michael Woodime and Sir Caine Woodime!"

    The voice of the announcer cut through the hall before Abigail could get out her question, decreeing the arrival of her saviour. The doors to the hall were pushed open and Caine entered, dressed in a tight-fitting armour thatbined leather, dark green scales, and matte metal, the entire thing adorned by silk straps that matched the colour of Abigail¡¯s dress. Walking ahead of him was Michael Woodime, the leader of the eastern family.

    Skin darkened by more than just a tan, a pitch-ck and coal-like mark twirling like waves across the right side of his face, creeping down his neck. His hair was as ck as the mark, to the point that it seemed unnatural, a light sheen covering it. He had a pair of blue eyes that were almost awkwardly light, they didn¡¯t match the rest of his appearance in the slightest.

    As was the case with Caine, Michael didn¡¯t wear a suit. He wore armour that was rather simr to Caine¡¯s, but the scales on his were golden while the metal was ck, even the leather mixed in gave off a cold air. With someone that had status equal to a duke entering, everyone¡¯s attention was naturally drawn over, Abigail taking the chance to excuse herself.

    "Ah, please excuse me, but there are a few things I need to discuss with Sir Caine before the investiture properly starts. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy yourself."

    Abigail grabbed another two sses of champagne before walking away, seemingly making sure that her stride didn¡¯t give away her emotions.

    "She¡¯s afraid."

    Gabriel stated rather inly as he watched Abigail¡¯s back. She hid it well in the end, but it was impossible to miss her emotions at the start. That was true for both him and Alice.

    "Has been for a while, but I¡¯ve yet to figure out exactly what may have caused it."

    Alice naturally didn¡¯t deny anything, taking a sip of champagne. She¡¯d dug into why Abigail warned her against Gabriel in the past, and what she knew, but she¡¯de up nk so far.

    "Exins why we¡¯ve never met."

    It made sense. He always taught Alice to be cautious, and with the Crown Princess seemingly being afraid of him it was prudent to not let them meet. He understood her intentions so he didn¡¯t pry into them further, they trusted each other enough to not dig.

    The arrival of the Woodime family quietly marked the arrival of the investiture¡¯s start, the prominent families arriving one by one.

    "¡­Marquess Giradin!"

    "¡­Duke Vritara!"

    "¡­Marquess Artiom!"

    "¡­Marquess Haravat!"

    "¡­Marquess Laoguai!"

    "¡­Duchess Sorin!"

    "¡­Duchess Barong!"

    One by one the highest nobles of the empire arrived with their inheritors. It was very rare for all the ducal families, and the eastern family, to gather in one ce. But now they were all here for the investiture. If Gabriel had to guess then this meant that the emperor was going to announce more than just possible engagements and new titles. And when you spoke of the devil¡­

    "Now announcing the arrival of the Bright Sun, the Crown of the Land and the heart of the world, Emperor Earhart!"

    "Now announcing the arrival of the graceful moon, the jewel of thend and the lifeblood of the empire, Empress Earhart!"

    The lords of the empire had arrived on the balcony overlooking the rest of the hall. Abigail was already here, and the Emperor brought along his four sons as he arrived, so naturally, at this moment, all the big names and rulers of the empire had gathered in this hall. And thus, the investiture started.

 Chapter 78: The Crowns Purge. (3)

    Chapter 78: The Crown''s Purge. (3)

    A tall man in his forties, his dark crimson hair cut short and slicked back neatly. Clear amber eyes that seemed to take in the entire hall, observing the nobles that moured below. He was wrapped in a luxurious suit of red and gold, the cloth adorned with silver chains and white fur. A ck and gold cape was draped over his right shoulder, a crown with five raised points embedded with severals tens of jewels resting on his head.

    "Are you enjoying yourself, my dear citizens and friends? If something isn¡¯t up to your standards and it irks you, please don¡¯t waste your breath by making it known."

    Arthas De Earhart, Ruler of the Earhart empire. He stood above the crowd, a slightly scarred hand resting on the railing of the balcony as the corners of his lips were turned up. Standing at his side was a graceful woman with long brown locks and quiet green eyes. Anastasia De Earhart, the current empress, someone who originally came from the house of Marquess Haravat.

    The four sons of the emperor stood a bit behind them, peering down at the gathered nobles. Truthfully, only Abigail was born between Arthas and Anastasia, his four sons came from concubines he had in the past. As for those concubines¡­ Due to various reasons, they had all left his side, the truth behind their withdrawal, and in some cases untimely deaths, known only to those involved.

    "Today is a joyous asion, a time of celebration for us all!"

    Arthas spoke loudly, leaning against the railing with one hand while using the other to gesture widely. The air hummed with traces of magic, a few scattered mages responsible for broadcasting the emperor to the rest of the empire so that they could partake in the festivities. As such, everyone¡¯s attention was naturally focused on Arthas.

    "S, Blue 3. A, ck 7. H, Green 1. G, ck 1. L, ck 3."

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes were also on Arthas, his lips barely moving as an almost inaudible murmur escaped him. No one could see it, but something was slithering in Gabriel¡¯s shadow. With how many people there were in the hall now, it wasn¡¯t hard to find spots where the shadows touched so Nergal could move around stealthily as easily as a fish in water.

    Why was Alice such a horrible menace in the original show? Was it just her myriad of magic affinities? No, the fire spirit she had contracted was part of it. And one reason it was such a headache was because spirits were hard to deal with, they were natural existences that were nigh-on impossible to sense if they wanted to remain hidden, it was like trying to detect a specific ray of sun on a bright day.

    And while they could be sealed temporarily, there were only three magic formations that could permanently block out a spirit. Of those three, one resided in the Earhart Pce¡¯s throne room, the second in the Kasarias kingdom¡¯s castle, and the final one had was resting in a ruin that they had yet to unearth.

    As such, Nergal was able to skitter around without anyone noticing him. Naturally, the fact that he avoided the leaders of the ducal and marquess families helped keep him hidden. One by one, Nergal reached the people that Gabriel had pointed out, creeping into their shadow. From some he took a thing or two, to others he delivered a thing or two, be it a note or something he had stolen.

    Most of the nobles in the empire were gathered here today, from the highest to the lowest. Some could be allies, some would be enemies, and some of them were already their enemies. Whatever their futures held, this was not a situation where Gabriel would sit idle. Naturally, neither would Alice.

    "V ck 7 to V Blue 8. V ck 3 to V Blue 2."

    Alice¡¯s voice reached Gabriel almost like a whisper. She was right next to him, always right by his side. No matter how low his voice was, she would always hear it. And no matter how seemingly nonsensical his mutter was, she could understand it. V for Vritara, ck for the colour of their suit, 7 to signify their position rtive to the head of the family.

    She was listing out people that weren¡¯t part of Gabriel¡¯s original n so she had to be a bit more descriptive, still remaining extremely vague however. But she was confident that Gabriel would understand her intentions. And indeed, he conveyed the orders to Nergal once he returned, sending him out again.

    Gabriel, and Alice for that matter, weren¡¯t just targeting people at random. Alice was targeting her direct enemies while Gabriel targeted a mixture of current and future enemies. But Gabriel wasn¡¯t foolish. The current them didn¡¯t have the power or standing to properly handle those enemies. It wasn¡¯t like with Leonardo, where Gabriel could sneakily kill him and pin the me on someone else.

    How was he supposed to kill a Marquess or their heir? The power needed to do so was one thing, especially a Marquess or a Duke, but the resulting ripples would be so great that it would be extremely difficult to not be caught. As such, they could not take them on openly, much like they couldn¡¯t be apprehended openly thanks to the titles this investiture would give them.

    But if one way didn¡¯t work then you would just need to use a different way. An item from someone working for Duchess Sorin would find its way to someone working for Marquess Haravat. Something Marquess Artiom had done in secret would find its way to Marquess Haravat, who had been affected by said event.

    Just a little prod, a little push to guide them forward. But more often than not, those little events was all it would take, especially when it came to prideful people like nobles. In the end, they would act against each other in ways Gabriel could not. Increased taxes, quiet take-overs of businesses, assassinations disguised as robberies, robberies disguised asmon banditry.

    Sometimes, a small pebble rolling was all it took to start a catastrophic rock-slide. And for Alice, Gabriel was determined to be every singlest pebble.

    Ahh¡­ She really did turn him into a twisted person.

    "¡­And with all that said, I do hope you all enjoy the festivities we have nned today? There will be good food, good drinks, the best musicians we could scrounge up, and naturally, rewards aplenty for the brave souls that acted for the sake of this country!"

    Arthas finished his speech while Gabriel and Alice worked quietly, eliciting a thunderous apuse from the nobles in attendance and themon popce that filled the streets all across the empire. He removed his hand from the railing and made his way down the stairs with slow steps, his every move oozing with a regal pressure that made it hard to take your eyes off of him. It was as if the jokes he kept making previously were just illusions.

    He waved his arm when he reached the bottom of the stairs, signalling an attendant that was waiting for him. The aide used some magic, the floor of the hall beneath the balcony rising up into a podium that Arthas naturally stepped onto. Once again, he stood a bit above the rest of the crowd, his sons gathering behind him while the empress stood at his side.

    "Abigail,e here."

    He waved at Abigail, who stuck close to Caine, the two whispering to each other. She looked to be hesitating for a moment, but with the emperor giving an order she naturally had no choice but toply. She stepped away and onto the podium, taking her ce amongst her siblings. The emperor allowed his gaze to sweep over the crowd after Abigail returned to his side. He loosened the sword at his waist, using it almost like a cane as he ced it in front of him.

    "Arioch Arie Barong,e before the emperor."

    The emperor¡¯s voice was low, amanding and invible tone filling every word. The one called for had no choice but to respond.

    "Arioch presents himself to the Bright Sun."

    Arioch stepped away from the other people of the Barong duchy and knelt down in front of the podium, his head lowered as the emperor stood above him.

    "You were first on the scene when the beast broke free of its seal, and you were inmand of the men that helped beat it down. Those that perished for our empire were under your directmand at the time."

    That was the tale they were going to spin. A beast had been sealed in the north long ago and had broken free of its shackles. It was just a coincidence, a horrible stroke of bad luck. Really, how could anyone be med for something like that?

    "You have my condolences, Arioch Arie Barong, it is a terrible thing that others should die so that others may live in peace. But you can hold your head high and look at the citizens that get to live in peace thanks to their sacrifice. Look at their smiles, hear theirughter, and know that your men are at peace as they head to their next life. Wherever they end up, I am sure that they are proud of their choice."

    The emperor naturally had to bring up the people that died when the seal on the w was broken, nothing made peoples emotions act up more than a noble sacrifice. Arioch had his head lowered reverently, gratefully. But Gabriel guessed that he was probably gritting his teeth.

    The two hadn¡¯t spoken much, but from their few interactions Gabriel got the image that Arioch wasn¡¯t someone who liked it when his men, and especially their deaths, were used like this. But with the emperor being the one to say it, Arioch would have no choice but to keep his head lowered and ept it.

    "I thank you, your Highness. I am sure that they can move on with bright smiles, knowing that even you grieve for them."

    The hall was silent except for Arioch and the emperor, even the dukes stayed silent as the two talked. Arthas raised the sheathed sword he had been using as a cane, resting the tip on Arioch¡¯s shoulder.

    "They are people whose loss has made the empire emptier, we should all grieve for them. The reward I will present you with will also partly serve as a way to pay back their noble sacrifice."

    His voice was slow and heavy, it was to the point that one might think that it was his own siblings that had perished. But it worked. Gabriel could feel a somber air from some of the nobles in the hall, especially the lowest-ranked and youngest ones. It was exactly the mood Arthas was trying to create before he announced the reward.

    "Let it hereby be known that I, Arthas De Earhart, exempt the Barong Duchy from paying taxes for the next 10 years! I will also allow them to double the number of knights they can raise for those 10 years, let us hope that even just a handful of those new knights have as much heart as those who passed for our peaceful lives!"

    As a duchy, the Barong estate naturally paid an exorbitant amount of taxes each year, saving on those meant that there were a lot of scrapped projects that they could go ahead with. Equally, the permission to raise more knights wasn¡¯t small. There was a limit to how many knights and soldiers the various estates could have, it was there to lower the chances of revolts. To double that limit? If the Barong duchy used their time wisely then their strength would rise by many magnitudes.

    "You are too magnanimous, Your highness."

    Arioch lowered his head further, almost as if the sword on his shoulder was exerting pressure on him. But his head remained lowered as Arthas pulled back the sword, the tip touching the podium as he used it as a cane again.

    "Nay, I only ever give out exactly what others deserve. You may take your leave, I am sure you wish to grieve in your own way."

    Arioch gave a low nod and turned around before rising. From start to finish, he had never given the emperor a single look. An excellent subject filled with reverence, surely. The mood in the hall slowly rose as Arioch returned, he would only be the first. And indeed, the emperor spoke up again before long.

    "Gabriel, former servant of House Vritara. Come, it is time to im your name."

 Chapter 79: The Crowns Purge. (4)

    Chapter 79: The Crown''s Purge. (4)

    As he was called upon, Gabriel had no choice but to walk up to the tform and lower his head, kneeling in front of the emperor. He felt the eyes on him. The nobles in the hall, the citizens scattered throughout the empire, even the number in the sky felt like it was looking down at him. And then there was the emperor¡­

    "Gabriel¡­ Young Child. I have been told that you were an orphan, correct?"

    The emperor¡¯s gaze felt like needles. It reminded him of the few meetings he had with the general in his past life. It was the kind of gaze that sized you up, gouged out your innards to understand you, to figure out how to best use you. The gaze of a rational leader cold enough to get any job done.

    "You speak the truth, your highness. I was too young, so I have no memories of my parents. Were it not for Lady Alice then I would probably still be within the confines of the orphanage."

    Gabriel kept his head lowered as he nodded. He was looking down at the floor with a cid gaze. This was a good opportunity. The seeds he was nting amongst the other nobles was one thing, but this meeting with the emperor was an even better opportunity. The things he said and revealed here wouldy a sturdy foundation for any future ns.

    The sound of soft and steady steps reached Gabriel after he spoke. The shadow that the emperor cast on him moved in tune with the steps, the gold shoes adorned by red threads slowly appearing in Gabriel¡¯s lowered field of vision. The emperor had stepped down from the podium and walked up to him, even going as far as to cing a hand on his head.

    "It must have been hard, my Child. I have been told of the orphanage you came from, filled with horrible people who engaged in abuse of the children they were supposed to protect. You had to work a lot, didn¡¯t you? You had to suffer a lot under their disgusting hands, didn¡¯t you?"

    The emperor¡¯s hand ruffled Gabriel¡¯s hair. He couldn¡¯t look up to see it, but he heard it in his voice. He was definitely wearing a tender expression, an almost heartbroken one as he showed nothing but the utmost sympathy.

    "I know that it will not serve as anyfort to ease the suffering of the past, but we have already eradicated that horrible establishment. No more children will be tormented by them. As for the children that were still trapped there, we have taken them into the Imperial Pce. They will be raised into proper adults and offered positions here, so you cane meet your friends whenever you want."

    In truth, the orphanage he came from had already been shut down some time ago. Gabriel had investigated it, the Crown Princess had shut it down at some point, but there were still guards patrolling the area. It was highly likely that whatever they were hiding there was still there, and difficult to move.

    "I thank you for your grace, Your Highness. The times in the orphanage were hard, but the other children there were all good so I have missed them dearly. Thank you for allowing me to visit them."

    The emperor was clever, at least if you looked at it from a normal perspective. What he implied with the other children, what he was trying to achieve, it was an effective strategy. Well, whether or not it worked on Gabriel wasn¡¯t something the emperor or others had to know, they just had to know that the children of the orphanage were a ¡®weakness¡¯ of his.

    "Do not thank me for something like that, my child. I am the Emperor, I exist for the people, everything I do must be for them. And every one of them that suffers is a personal fault of mine."

    The emperor finally stopped ruffling Gabriel¡¯s hair, his hand moving down to Gabriel¡¯s shoulder. He tightened his grip and pulled Gabriel to his feet, a warm smile on his face.

    "Come now, child, rise. Let me get a good look at your face."

    The two looked at each other, both of them ying their roles perfectly for the onlookers. The hand resting on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder rose for a moment before lowering, patting him strongly.

    "You¡¯ve grown up well. Sharp features, a strong body. I dare not imagine the hard work you¡¯ve put in to reach a stage like this. It must be this persistent hard work that allowed you to stand tall in the face of that sealed beast. I¡¯ve been told time and time again that you were the one who contributed the most in that gruesome battle, and for that you have my sincere gratitude."

    The emperor spun Gabriel around after he finished speaking, showing him off to the nobles gathered in the hall. But more importantly, he showed him off to the countless citizens that were watching this broadcast.

    "Look upon him, my dear citizens! It was not one of my own, it was not one of the ducal families, not one of the marquess¡¯. Nay, the one who fought his hardest to protect the empire, the one who got rid of the foul beast that threatened us all, it was someone wholly removed from the nobility! The hero who fought to protect us all is one just like you! Truly, his presence tells us that there is a hero in all of us!"

    What made an empire? Who was it that decided who would sit on the throne? Was it the nobles? Was it the strongest warrior in the empire? Was it the royal bloodline?

    Nay, it was the people. The faceless masses you never saw. Even the mightiest emperor, if he went against the masses and aroused their ire, would find himself dragged out into the street and beheaded. The emperor knew this, so he used Gabriel appropriately. Rouse the masses, excite the people, make them eager to fight for the empire.

    "And not only is he a hero, my dear citizens, he is also a prodigy, one rarely seen in a hundred lifetimes. But he wasn¡¯tcent despite this! He knew that he had to work hard, that he had to struggle and persist to properly use his talents. And that struggle is what made him who he is, if he had not struggled and persisted he would never have stood here. He is a testament to the power of hard work and unrelenting will!"

    The emperor spoke loudly, his hand still resting on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder as if he was a close confidant, a child he was especially proud of. As he spoke, as if waiting for this moment, an attendant came over with a table on wheels, a familiar item merged with the table.

    "Go ahead, my child. Show the world what you have been blessed with, what your hard work and relentless will earned you."

    The emperor smiled as the Mana Affinity Testing Device was brought in front of Gabriel. Hearing it was one thing, but there was no way they wouldn¡¯t test Gabriel¡¯s affinities for themselves to discern the truth. And naturally, an event like this had to be broadcast to notify the entire empire.

    "As you wish, your highness."

    Gabriel ced his hand on the device, a translucent orb that stood on a small pedestal. This device was at least three times the size of the one that Alice ¡®borrowed¡¯ for him back in the past, it was probably the most urate device in the entire empire.

    Gabriel flipped the switch at the base of the pedestal, hundreds of tiny barbs emerging from the orb to dig into Gabriel¡¯s palm. The barbs swallowed the blood that spilt from his hand and the orb lit up as a result, meaning that his blood was conducive to mana. A blob using his blood quickly formed at the centre of the orb, its colour washing out and splitting apart into four separate colours.

    The fact that they split apart meant that they didn¡¯t mesh together so he wouldn¡¯t be able to use any fused magic like Alice, but that was something Gabriel naturally knew better than most.

    "Pitch ck for Karas, Ashen Grey for Akasha, murky yellow for Waraya, and brilliant blue for Katush. Look upon him citizens. Someone just like you has put in so much hard work and effort that the gods have rewarded him with not just two normal affinities but also two affinities on the Divine Star. Truly, ones own effort will never betray them!"

    The emperor slowly announced all of Gabriel¡¯s affinities, showcasing them to the public. Meanwhile, Gabriel heaved an internal sigh of relief. It was good that the covenant he made with Alice showed up as a Katush affinity. He¡¯d used a lot of water magic when he fought the w so if it didn¡¯t show up as an affinity then he would have to say that it came from Akasha, messing up his current n for it.

    What surprised even him however, was the fact that Azui didn¡¯t show up as one of his affinities. He had acquired such strange control over it after taking in the w that he was certain that it would show up here. But well, it was a stroke of luck if you asked him.

    "Do you understand what this means, my dear citizens? Not only has my daughter been blessed with G and Diverta, but now we have also been blessed with Karas and Akasha. For the first time, probably in history, the entire Divine Star has been gathered in a single empire. This is a revtion from the gods, my dear citizens! The Earhart Empire was made to flourish, and this is a gift from the gods to ensure that we shall remain peaceful and thrive for years toe!"

    Gabriel could feel a slight rumble after the emperor spoke. The nobles were cheering to support the empire, but it was barely a drop in the oceanpared to the cheers of the citizens. He could feel them from here, the air practically vibrated as they clung to the emperor¡¯s every word. But the emperor wasn¡¯t done just yet.

    "I heard you¡¯ve already used your Akasha up in the north, my child. Would you mind showing the citizens what it looks like? It is not often that they get to see an affinity from the Divine Star in action."

    The emperor asked the expected question. Good, he was guiding Gabriel in all the right directions.

    "Of course, your highness. But I¡¯m afraid the ancient records may have lied to us, so please do not be disappointed when my Akasha fails to live up to your expectations."

    "Akasha Dai. (Demon Release.)

    Gabriel spoke the spell loudly to activate it, the mana surrounding him flowing in response to his words. It gathered around his tail-bone, forming a scorpion-like tail of ice that was an exact replica of the one that the Lizard-men up north had. The ice was naturally something formed using his strange ability to control ice, gained after eating the w.

    But these people didn¡¯t know that. No one had seen Akasha for several thousands of years, they had only an inkling of what it should be. And Gabriel used that to his own advantage.

    "This is what I gained after I used Akasha on the Blue-Tint Lizards up north. I was hoping they would give me the Azui affinity, but it seems I was hoping for too much. Please forgive me for this paltry disy, your highness."

    Gabriel lowered his head in an apologetic bow, moving the cial tail as if it was his arm while doing so. The sharp de whistled as it cut through the air, notifying everyone of how sharp it was. Thus, no one dared to underestimate it.

    "Not at all, my child. If something like this is paltry then I fear that all our knights won¡¯t even amount to that. Be proud of what you have, I am sure that your Akasha will only grow more brilliant as you find more demons."

    The emperor naturally pat Gabriel on the shoulder with a wide smile. It was only to be expected that not everything followed the ancient records, most of them were so old that they weren¡¯t even sure if they were tranting them properly. The tail vanished as the emperor pat Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, the man not missing the chance to keep showing off their newest hero.

    "You may think this is everything, my dear citizens, but no! Not only has our newest hero¡¯s effort blessed him with prodigal affinities, he has also been chosen by a powerful spirit! Haven¡¯t you, Gabriel? Would you mind introducing him to us?"

    Yeah, it was as expected. He couldn¡¯t really pretend as if Nergal was a low-ranked water spirit anymore, not after what he had shown against the w. But still, that didn¡¯t mean that he had to give them the full truth.

    "Of course, your highness. Nergal."

    Gabriel stretched out his hand and turned it over, a blob falling from his palm. It burst when it hit the ground, expanding into a ck zone that contained a few circr set of teeth that spun around slowly, tendrils acting as tongues as they stretched out.

    "This is Nergal. He¡¯s not an elemental spirit, but rather a spirit of gluttony. He¡¯s a ravenous little fellow with a stomach bigger than his brain."

    The tendrils stretched towards Gabriel¡¯s hand, curling in his palm like a puppy asking for some love. He made for a rather grotesque disy so some of the nobles naturally recoiled at the sight. Gabriel gave Nergal a look, the open maw stretching out some more tendrils towards Alice. But they weren¡¯t able to reach her, iling aimlessly before they fell to the ground, almost despondently.

    "He¡¯s strong, but he doesn¡¯t have a proper body so he can¡¯t actually move freely. After I set him down somewhere, I am forced to move him manually like this. Karas Vara.(Darkness Move)."

    Gabriel exined further as Nergal gave up on iling, a blotch of darkness falling from his hand and pooling underneath the spinning maw. Gabriel flicked his finger and the darkness moved, dragging Nergal with it so that his tendrils could reach Alice, who stroked them like she would a cat.

    "But he¡¯s cute, so I don¡¯t mind a w here and there. Karas Vara."

    Gabriel smiled softly as he called back Nergal, who rose back into his palm along with the darkness. The emperor gave an understanding nod, patting Gabriel¡¯s shoulder once more.

    "I understand, all strengths have some weaknesses. It is how you utilise and work around those weaknesses that determines your strength. You are admirable, my child."

    Whether or not the emperor actually believed Gabriel was unknown, but he had no choice but to at the very least act like he believed him. It wouldn¡¯t do if the emperor didn¡¯t trust the hero he was raising up in front of themoners.

    "Have you seen it all, my dear citizens? Prodigal affinities, unshakable willpower and determination, and a heart that bleeds for the empire. A hero like this, how can I not reward him? Is it not right that those who put in the proper effort are rewarded? Is that not how the world should work? At the very least, the world, the empire I wish to make, I want it to work as such."

    The time had finallye. The emperor had built it up enough, it was time to deliver the finishing blow. He turned Gabriel around again and allowed him to sink back to his knee, taking a step back as he unsheathed his de.

    "Gabriel, former servant of house Vritara. I have recognized your courage, your devotion, and your strength. By my name as Earhart and the power invested in me with that name, I hereby knight you as an official knight of the Earhart empire."

    The t side of the dended on one of Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, tapping it softly for a moment before it moved over his head and tapped the other one. In the end, it came to rest on top of his lowered head, bringing with it an almost unearthly weight.

    "But as an emperor who exists for the people, I would bring shame to my name if I let it end there. I hereby grant you the rank of Viscount, and you will be the Earhart Empire¡¯s third ever Viscount of War. This title does note with anynd, but it grants you the privilege to imnd. Anynd beyond the borders of the empire that you conquer in the future, be it in the Deadnds, the frozen north, the south, or even in the far west, you may im as part of your county. You have my permission to grow your county asrge as you wish, Viscount of War."

    A viscount with a special privilege, just as Gabriel had heard. But the privilege¡­ It sounded better than it was. Sure, growing yournd asrge as you wanted sounded nice, but the logistics of it was a nightmare if you didn¡¯t focus it all in one spot. What the emperor was really telling him was to go out to war and expand their empire for him. Still, it was something that could be used, so Gabriel would use it.

    "You are too magnanimous, your highness. I will forever keep this gratitude in my heart and strive to be worthy of the title and expectations you have of me."

    Gabriel could feel the tremors again. The empire was cheering, the citizens were celebrating the new hero that had risen from their own midst. Themoner that proved anyone could be a hero, a noble. Just as the emperor hoped.

    "Naturally, as a knight and a noble, you are permitted to take on ast name. From this day forward, you will be known as such, you will be written down in the annals of our history as such, so choose wisely."

    The name. All knights had it, all nobles had it. Ast name that separated them from themon people, ast name that marked them as something great. The Vritara took theirs from the great dragon Vritra, the Barong took it from the beast that supposedly created the frozen northernnds, the Sorin family took theirs from the demon king that was in where their duchy now stood. Everyone chose a name that had some meaning.

    Gabriel had thought about what name to choose for himself for quite some time. He¡¯d thought of things that suited the name Alice gave him, names that indicated his stance, names that spoke of his abilities. But none of them felt right. In the end, Alice helped point him in the right direction. Thus, he came up with his name.

    "I have already chosen, your highness. Indra, your highness. I would like my name to be Sakra Indra."

    It was a name not from this world, it was a name that none here would ever understand. Well, Alice would, she helped point him towards it and he had exined it to her. She smiled when she heard it. The emperor naturally had no problem with letting Gabriel choose that as his name, pulling back his sword and stabbing the tip into the ground as he announced it to the empire.

    "Very well. Henceforth, let it be known that you will be called Gabriel Sakra Indra, first of your name! Tell me, Gabriel Sakra Indra, what inspired you to choose that name?"

    What inspired that name? It really was simple. Well, to him at least. But while this world had dragons and the like, they didn¡¯t have hinduism and buddhism. So they would never know of the tale of Indra and Vritra.

    "Ites from a legend I was often told as a child. It told the tale of a great dragonyer."

 Chapter 80: The Crowns Purge. (5)

    Chapter 80: The Crown''s Purge. (5)

    Gabriel felt that slight rumbling again as he spoke to the emperor. The citizens were cheering beyond the walls, he felt that he would probably be able to hear them shout his name if he strained his ears. Themon people loved a good show, that was the entire reason the emperor was taking his time with Gabriel, slowly going through everything he had so that he could show it off to the popce.

    In that regard, the name Gabriel had chosen for himself was perfect for the emperor¡¯s purpose. He was already trying to set Gabriel up as a hero to make themoners rise up for the empire, having a name associated with something as mythical as a dragonyer would only make that easier.

    "It¡¯s a good name, Gabriel Sakra Indra. It speaks of ambition and power, of the capability that can be found even in the mostmon man. You have chosen well, my child."

    The emperor was not shy about doling out praise, speaking slowly and clearly so that everything was transmitted properly. The citizens had to hear and understand every word to ensure that their hearts were set alight.

    "Normally, to prevent others from ming me for favouritism, I would end the rewards here. But, Gabriel Sakra Indra, what you have achieved and done for the empire is no small feat and is worthy of all our admiration. I may have made you a Viscount of War, but as it stands, in this very moment, you will have no territory. Now, how could I possibly allow something like that?"

    The emperor kept looking down at Gabriel with a warm smile, still leaning on his de as if it was a cane. He drew out his words to draw the attention of everyone watching the broadcast, he had to make them hold their breath as they tried to decipher what other rewards they could possibly receive if they fought for the empire.

    "Marquess Elias Rutherford."

    The emperor did not keep them waiting for long, turning his gaze towards the nobles that were gathered beyond the podium. His voice wasmanding, regal, three people swiftly stepping out from the crowd as they gave a respectful greeting.

    "We heed your esteemed call, your exalted highness."

    Elias Rutherford, a marquess who held territory in the western reaches of the empire, had stepped forward with his daughter and wife. The emperor shed them a smile, using a hand to gesture for Gabriel to follow his gaze.

    "This must be little Juliet. I hardly recognise you after all these years, but you have grown into a splendid woman."

    Juliet Rutherford, eldest daughter of Marquess Rutherford. She was a girl who had just celebrated her 18th birthday and hering of age ceremony, she was ripe for marriage.

    Long brown hair that had been curled with great care, clean and smooth skin that was dotted by a handful of freckles around her nose, slightly narrow blue eyes, a small nose, and a full figure. She had indeed grown into a splendid woman, one who had received more than a few letters requesting her hand in marriage.

    "I am unworthy of your praise, your exalted highness."

    But none of that mattered. Her family had been loyal to the imperial family since the time of their progenitor, when he came with a request there was no way they would refuse him. Thus, her marriage and future had been settled. After all, who would dare refuse something set up by the ruler of the empire?

    "Gabriel Sakra Indra. Little Juliet has not been able to sit still ever since news of your achievements reached the capital and has simply been dying to meet you. I may not be able to grant you anynd at this moment, but I have spoken with Marquess Rutherford in hopes that we can prepare something for you."

    The emperor smiled as he spoke, his gaze turning slightly so that he could look at Gabriel, who was currently looking at Juliet. The emperor could feel the faint tremors that ran through the ground. Good, the citizens were sufficiently riled up, they were burning with fervour for the empire.

    "Little Juliet is the eldest daughter and the jewel of House Rutherford, in the future she will take over their estate and all theirnds. In truth, she already has a hand in running it all, the marquess simply hasn¡¯t publicised it."

    The emperor was taking his time, dragging it out to string along everyone watching. It was a farce. Among those in the room currently, only the lowest of nobles didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on here, what the emperor was trying to set up. But he cared not for any of it and kept going.

    "We have spoken about it at length already and havee to the conclusion that I, Marquess Rutherford, and Juliet herself, would like to offer you her hand in marriage. You will learn how to rule a territory alongside her, and in time you will take over the Rutherford estate alongside her, merging it with the Viscounty that I do not doubt that you will build in the future."

    The emperor brought out the final reward he had prepared, a suitable wife andnd beyondpare. He would not only jump from a Viscount to a Marquess, but he would also acquire well-establishednd and a spouse desirable enough to make other men jealous. This was a move that would make not only themon popce cheer loudly, it would entice Gabriel enough to win him over no matter what.

    The emperor made a gesture with his hand, allowing Juliet Rutherford to walk up to the podium. She extended her hand to Gabriel with a bright and warm smile, a liar¡¯s smile. All he would have to do was take it and the deal would be sealed, the voice of the emperor reaching everyone in the capital.

    "Gabriel Sakra Indra. Citizen of my empire. My child. Let me give you a home, let me give you a family."

    A family and a home, the final weapons that the emperor had prepared to chain down the poor and sad orphan that had been raised alongside a neglected daughter.

    Ah¡­ What a beautiful picture he painted for the citizens, what a wonderful tapestry he had put together.

    Ah, but what a shame it was that the paint he was trying to use was already ruined by a different painter.

    Gabriel looked at the hand offered to him. It was clean, its skin smooth and unblemished, her nails neatly trimmed. Well, he could spot the faintest traces of ink underneath her light blue fingernails so it wasn¡¯t really right to call it unblemished. But over-all, it was a clean and neat hand.

    Comparatively, Alice¡¯s hand was a fair bit rougher. Small scars from training or magic that went wrong, callouses that naturally arose after she held her weapon for too long, skin that had been roughened by wind and sun, crimson nails that were uneven because they asionally cracked. The hands she showed when she didn¡¯t bother using make-up to hide things¡­

    He thought of the one scar she had in the palm of her hand, a thin line that went from just beneath her thumb and to the base of her ring finger. It almost blended in with the usual lines that spread across her palm. He thought about tracing it. Dragging his finger back and forth along the line.

    He could see it with perfect rity if he thought about it, but if he was asked how it felt to the touch then he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer confidently. It felt like¡­ a shame. Yes, a shame. He would have to ask herter if he could trace it, memorise it, understand the effort she put in that caused her to get such a scar.

    When he looked at Juliet¡¯s hand, the light blue nails grew darker. A dazzling and deep crimson painted over their actual colours, spreading up her hand almost like a cancer as it grew to cover everything. It spread beyond her body,tching onto the ground, the ceiling, the walls. Everything was just crimson. Gabriel was already blinded by the dazzling red that had swallowed his world.

    "I¡¯m sorry, your highness."

    A breath escaped him. It too was crimson, drops of colour falling to the already dyed ground. He too had be crimson, the colour had be a part of him.

    "I am eternally grateful for the opportunity you have presented me with, and the tireless work you have done to prepare this for me. I do not believe that we will ever find an emperor who thinks so much about his subjects, who works so hard for his citizens."

    Gabriel spoke slowly and calmly, sprinkling in enough praises for the emperor to cate the other nobles. At the same time, he was helping the emperor with what he wanted to achieve, looking like a great ruler to the citizens, enough for them to rise up for him at a moments notice.

    "But even so, I am afraid that I cannot take Lady Juliet Rutherford¡¯s hand in marriage. I have grown up on stories of fated love and longsting romances so my heart cannot reconcile with marrying, or agreeing to marry someone whom I have just met. So please forgive me, Your Exalted Highness, Lady Juliet Rutherford, Marquess Rutherford, but at this time I cannot consent to this marriage."

    He threw out his pretty excuses, reasonable exnations that they simply had to ept. After all, a political marriage was essentially a contract promising both parties something they wanted. If one party did not like what they received, a contract would not be signed. And with Gabriel being the first of his name, he was in a different position from Juliet, who had a father that could sign the contract in her ce.

    Sure, the emperor could force it, that was the kind of existence an emperor was. If he decreed it right here and now then no one would be able to halt Juliet and Gabriel¡¯s wedding. But he wouldn¡¯t do that. The emperor was trying to tie Gabriel to the imperial family, he was trying to ensure that Gabriel became loyal to him. Forcing him into something like this would only achieve the opposite. Thus, the emperor had no other option but to smile.

    "There is nothing to forgive, my child. Marriage is a sacred thing, it cannot be forced if both parties don¡¯t want it. In that regard, I agree with your belief of love, it needs time to sprout. So do not worry about it, my child. Just take your time, meet up with little Juliet a few times. She is a splendid woman, I am sure that you will see it before long."

    The emperor¡¯s handnded on Gabriel¡¯s head, ruffling his hair a few times as he maintained his smile. He gestured with his eyes, Juliet pulling back her hand before bowing politely and returning to her father¡¯s side. Her expression didn¡¯t change for even a moment throughout the entire exchange, she was certainly someone adept at being a noble. Naturally, the emperor was just as adept, moving on like nothing.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The emperor, Arthas, talked a bit more after Gabriel rejected the marriage proposal, showing him off more while praising him, really making sure that the citizens got their fill of him. But in the end, he had to allow Gabriel to return, there were still others that had to get rewarded.

    But it would be a waste to start rewarding the knights that had taken part in the battle right now. The citizens were still fired up thanks to Gabriel, letting them cool down straight away wouldn¡¯t be good, he had to drive it home further. Thus, the next person he had to call on was already set in stone.

    "Alice De Vritara. My child,e here."

    Yes, as expected, Arthas called on her. She would get promoted to Earl and be offered a few different hands in marriage, it would be good to show off that even a neglected child could reach this point. Of course, the fact that Arthas believed he would get her to marry either one of his sons or someone from the Sorin family helped a little, it would be an excellent show of magnanimity and authority.

    After all, Gabriel could reject it because he had no one else who acted as his guardian, but there would surely be no way that the duke of Vritara wouldn¡¯t sign off on Alice¡¯s wedding, right?

    "Alice De Vritara presents herself to the Bright Sun."

    She curtsied respectfully as she stopped in front of the podium, a small smile on her lowered face. She could feel the gazes that lingered on her. The nobles here knew how she had been treated, they knew that she was just an illegitimate child, so they were curious as to how the Vritara household would react to this.

    But well, those gazes didn¡¯t matter to her. No, the only gaze that mattered to her was the one she felt above all others. Oh how familiar the sensation of those eyes looking at her was. Like drops of poison lingering on her skin, a magnificent violet that seeped to her very core. Look, my knight. Look, Gabriel. Look only at me.

    "I have heard long tales of your valiant effort in the northern battle, tales of strength and magic I am sure many of us never dreamt feasible. But you manifested them all the same. An illegitimate child born from a servant, abandoned and neglected your entire life, you were never afforded the same care and nurturing that your siblings got. And yet here you stand. You have risen above through your own effort, you have paved your path with sheer determination even when you had nothing else. You are a shining star that our people can only aspire to emte."

    Arthas just went right out and said it, sharing the news with everyone. Sure, most of the nobles knew the truth of her birth, but the citizens certainly didn¡¯t. But just having a born and raised noble do something extraordinary wasn¡¯t good enough, it wouldn¡¯t entice the citizens in the same way.

    But an illegitimate child? One born from a lowly servant, someone who had the possibility to be just like everyone else? The people would love it.

    Sure, Gabriel was already one hero, one shining torch that the citizens could learn from and rise. But having two heroes was always better, the fire would only burn brighter if it was given more firewood.

    "Edward De Vritara. You said that you had something you wanted to share?"

    Arthas naturally struck while the citizens and newer nobles took in the news he just spread, calling on the Duke of Vritara. He stood a bit separated from all the other nobles, even the people in his own entourage couldn¡¯t get too close to Duke Edward.

    "That is correct, your highness."

    The mana in the air moved, Alice could feel it. The mages responsible for transmitting the events of the ceremony had moved their focus onto the duke. Arthas wanted the empire to see this, the duke probably wanted the same. Naturally, she was no different.

    "What you have said is true, your highness. Alice De Vritara was born of a tryst between the deceased duchess and one of our servants, she is not of my blood. Now, naturally, I am sure that you are all aware that the deceased duchess was of the Vritara lineage, so despite the tryst, Alice De Vritara holds as much Vritara blood as her siblings. But I will not deny that my own distaste and anger has led to her being neglected, not receiving the proper training and nurturing that she should have gotten as a Vritara."

    The duke spoke slowly and calmly, as if the truth of his wife cheating on him didn¡¯t phase him. He shared it openly, admitting his wrongs without batting an eye.

    "But naturally, with the situation being what it is, I would bemitting a grave sin towards the empire if I allowed something like that to continue. As such, I wish to take this opportunity to officially dere, to nobles andmoners alike, that Alice De Vritara, though no daughter of mine, has just as much im to the seat of duchess as her siblings. Henceforth, she will be considered an official possible heir to the duchy, and if she proves herself worthier than her siblings, the duchy will be passed to her."

    Alice felt the corners of her lips tremble. She almost broke out into a wide grin, barely able to swallow it down. Arthas started speaking shortly after the duke, praising her highly while speaking of the northern battle.

    But honestly, it just went in one ear and out the other. Right now, there was only one thing Alice could think of. The promise. Gabriel did a lot of things for her, but there were very few things he had ever properly promised and sworn on.

    But the truth was one of them, a deal made as children. When she bes officially acknowledged by the duchy, when she gets acknowledged by the imperial family, when she gets her first title, when she gets married, and when she takes over the duchy. Five milestones, five questions she could ask that he would answer with nothing but the truth.

    Now, Gabriel never lied to her. He had said as much, and she whole-heartedly believed her. But when she as a child asked him how he knew about the fused elements that no one else seemed to know about, he had refused to answer. He didn¡¯t lie, but he didn¡¯t answer either.

    So they made the deal. And with this¡­ With this one ceremony she had aplished three of those milestones, she would get an answer to three of the questions she had held close to her chest for years.

    But before that¡­ She had to push that lovable knight of hers a bit more.

    Arthas kept talking while Alice was nning, responding with the phrases she had prepared in advance. It continued all the way until the moment she had been waiting for.

    "Now then, my child. With all that said, I actually have onest reward in mind for you. I understand that it is hard to live while being neglected, I don¡¯t even dare to imagine how many nights you had to spend alone in a cold room. As such, I wish to offer a little bit of light, a small gesture that I hope can help heal your heart."

    Alice felt her face cramp. Ah, she wanted to smile, she wanted to grin so widely that her face would seem like it had split. She felt a gaze. She felt that poison tickle her skin.

    "I would be eternally grateful, your highness."

    She managed to smile properly as she raised her head and stood up. Now, now things would start to leave the n she told Gabriel. Don¡¯t propose until I give the signal. Oh what a simple order she had given him.

    "No need, my child, it is simply my duty as the father of the empire."

    Arthas smiled brightly, gesturing with his hand. The youngest son of the Sorin ducal family stepped forward, as did Arthas¡¯ four sons. They stood there in front of her, lined up as they looked at her.

    "The eldest son and middle son are already engaged, but Duke Carthalion Sorin still has his youngest son. Naturally, I also have my own unfilial sons, all of them struggling like headless chickens to find a proper wife. If you are not put off by the idea, we would be more than willing to let you get engaged to whomever you choose among them. Surely, healing a wounded heart is done better together than alone."

    Arthas made his offer. The youngest son of the Sorin family wasn¡¯t a strong contender for the inheritor seat, but with a bit of help he should be able to reach a decent level. And naturally, the four princes didn¡¯t even need to be mentioned, getting engaged to them was the same as getting a free pass into the Imperial Family. A ducal family or the Imperial Family, calling it a dream scenario wouldn¡¯t be wrong.

    "I am honoured that you care so deeply about my well-being, your highness. We are truly fortunate to have you as the light of our empire. Would it be alright if I take my time in answering? I would like to spend the rest of the ceremony getting to know the young princes¡¯ and Young Master Soring before I make my decision."

    Alice smiled as she spoke. She didn¡¯t reject the offer, she simply asked to get the rest of the day to decide. She set a hard deadline to her answer, a stark contrast to Gabriel¡¯s more vague rejection. Naturally, Arthas was more than happy with this.

    "Naturally, my child. Take your time, I am sure you can find one among them to help warm you."

    Arthas smiled brightly, the nobles in the hall pping to congratte Alice. The five eligible bachelors greeted her one by one to introduce themselves. After today, one among them would be her husband and tie their families together.

    Alice smiled, barely suppressing a grin as she reciprocated the introduction. She felt the gaze on her back, precious poison staining her skin until her heart started to pound.

    Want me, Gabriel. Desire me, Gabriel. Need me, Gabriel. And then look only at me, im only me, mark only me.

    Don¡¯t propose until I give the signal. Such an easy request, such an easy order. But can you go along with it, Gabriel? Can you handle it?

    I hope you¡¯ll crumble, Gabriel. Take me. Steal me. Chain me down for all to see.

 Chapter 81: The Crowns Purge. (6)

    Chapter 81: The Crown''s Purge. (6)

    After Alice was handed her rewards, some of the knights that had taken part in the battle against the sealed w were also given rewards. Naturally, their rewards were rtively minorpared to what Gabriel and Alice received, but it was still enough to make them jump in joy.

    The party didn¡¯t end after thest of the knights received their reward. Some people had received new noble titles, be they minor or great, so this was an opportune time for the new and old nobles to mingle. Well, calling it mingling wasn¡¯t entirely right, it was basically the old nobles doing their best to poach the fresh blood into their faction.

    And perhaps as one would expect, Gabriel and Alice were at the top of everyone¡¯s list. Alice may currently be tied to house Vritara, but she could just as easily split from the house and rely on her own title. It wasn¡¯t umon amongst nobles who failed to inherit their family name. And Gabriel, well Gabriel was an entirely new noble with no affiliations, one that could technically grow his territory without end. He was definitely an enticing target.

    "Are the festivities to your liking, Count Indra? This wine is one of those we brew within our borders so I must admit that I am rather fond of bringing it out whenever we should have the pleasure of being invited, or hosting, a soar¨¨ such as this."

    Elias Rutherford was holding a ss of sparkling wine identical to the one Gabriel was holding, his blue eyes narrowed pleasantly as he clinked their sses together. The wine was sweet, at least the first sip Gabriel had taken earlier had been. But now, now he found that he couldn¡¯t even taste it, it almost felt like ash on his tongue.

    "If they are to your liking, what do you say about visiting our territory in the future? I personally find itforting to see how my beverages are made, from the growth of the grapes to the brewing of the wine, every step must be done to perfection. Little Juliet also just received amendation from the professors in the Academy so we were looking for an opportune time to celebrate her achievements with a little get-together where we can try some of our older vintages. Since you¡¯d already be there to see how the wines are made, would it not be a shame to leave without tasting them?"

    Marquess Rutherford kept talking, his wife and daughter off somewhere else to mingle with the other nobles. Gabriel responded, mindless chatter spilling from his mouth. Phrases prepared in advance, standard responses, safe answers that made no promises.

    Quite frankly, he was barely paying attention to his answers. His gaze didn¡¯t focus on Rutherford, it subtly slid past him and lingered on the familiar back that stole his attention.

    Alice was chatting with the Third Prince at the moment, some minor nobles tied to Duke Sorin¡¯s faction also joining their conversation. There was a bit ofughter, bright expression, an almost warm atmosphere.

    Gabriel wanted to tilt his head. What was this? The original n was for both of them to reject the offered marriages and get on with the rest of the party. Eventually, Alice would send him a signal and he would propose as originally nned, making it nice and public so that no one else would think of proposing in the future.

    So why was it like this? She didn¡¯t reject the marriage, she didn¡¯t even properly put it off forter. No she chained herself down with a pitifully short deadline, she had given the emperor every right to make her choose someone at the end of the investiture. Why was it like this?

    "¡­Don¡¯t wish to brag too much about things that aren¡¯t my own achievement, but my ancestor had the great honour of training under Marquess Syvailtros in the past. She detailed her experiences in her journal, which we have kept safe over the years. As you too are someone versed in Karas magic, the soar¨¨ would be an opportune time to pour over the lessons of the past, you may perhaps yet learn something new about your magic."

    Rutherford kept talking. He was starting to be annoying, chattering away about this ashen wine and other things about his family. The hand of the emperor dangling above him was painfully apparent, tugging his strings so that he danced like a proper puppet.

    "¡­Well if¡­ Learn more¡­ Toe¡­"

    Gabriel could catch a few snippets of the conversation between Alice and the Third Prince, but most of it was broken up by the surrounding noise and their groups ownughter. But they were clearly getting on rather well, the Third Prince cing his hand on her shoulder while using his other arm to gesture at the nobles around them.

    "Oh! Are you doing fine, Count Indra?"

    The startled voice of Marquess Rutherford tugged at Gabriel¡¯s attention. His eyes moved for a moment, following Rutherford¡¯s gaze. There was no longer a ss of wine in Gabriel¡¯s hand. The delicate thing had been shattered by a clench of his hand, the fragments caught within his palm.

    None of the shards had pierced through his skin so he wasn¡¯t bleeding, but the remaining wine had spilled onto both his pants and the carpet. Hmm, that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. While his brows furrowed for a moment, someone else took this chance to cut in.

    "He is a knight, Marquess Rutherford, something as minute as a broken ss is naturally not enough to harm him."

    The one who spoke was naturally approaching them as he did so, he had probably been lingering in the surroundings and just waited for a chance to make his move.

    The man in question had a rather robust figure, his ck suit rather tight, so he clearly engaged in his fair share of training. He had chiselled features and tanned skin adorned by a few scars, a pair of eyes dyed a cold blue greeting them both.

    "That may be so, Marquess Giradin, but is that to say one should not ask for the well-being of others simply because you believe them to be strong? Is that not a sad life for all strong men?"

    Sawyer Giradin, current ruler of one of the two Marquess houses in the Vritara Duchy. That was his official status at least, but he had another one that Gabriel was more familiar with. Or, at least he used to.

    "Ah, Marquess Rutherford, always so quick to twist words to make others look bad. Count Indra, you must be terribly ufortable standing here sharing pleasantries with us older nobles. My son should be closer to your age, I¡¯m sure he can bring you to a room where you can dry yourself in peace."

    Sawyer neatly ignored Elias Rutherford, pushing forward his son while gesturing towards Gabriel¡¯s pants. His son, Solomon Giradin, was indeed closer to Gabriel¡¯s age, being in his twenties. He was d in a neat blue suit, his ck hair slicked back while his cold blue eyes greeted Gabriel wordlessly.

    "Thank you for the offer, Marquess Giradin, I believe I shall take you up on it. Marquess Rutherford, please forgive me for stepping away, let us continue our conversation at another, slightly more opportune, time."

    Gabriel naturally didn¡¯t reject this chance, politely bidding the two farewell before Solomon guided him away from the main hall. As they walked, Gabriel¡¯s eyes slid towards Alice again. The Fourth Prince had reced the Third Prince, a new conversation starting up.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Here, this restroom should be an excellent ce to dry your pants. Do you perhaps need a spare pair to change into?"

    Solomon brought Gabriel to one of therge restrooms that stood not too far from the hall, remaining outside the door in case Gabriel wanted his privacy. Gabriel looked at him, the two locking eyes in silence for a few moments. Solomon maintained his expression to begin with, but after a few moments he stepped forward and entered the restroom, closing the door behind him.

    "Couldn¡¯t you just have pretended not to notice, Boss?"

    Solomon sighed, scratching the back of his head as he spoke. This was the first time Solomon Giradin and Gabriel Sakra Indra met, but they had actually met using different identities before. Solomon Giradin, the ck Fox of the Night Pack, direct subordinate of Gabriel.

    Naturally, Solomon did not know Gabriel¡¯s true identity in the past, nor had he shared his own identity with Gabriel. But when he saw that pair of violet eyes, how could he not understand the situation? And judging by the intent way Gabriel had been staring at him, it was clear that Gabriel too had figured it out.

    But what was the point in acknowledging it like this, why not just ignore each other while using these identities? Well, if he knew his boss then it could only mean that he had something nned.

    "We¡¯re going to get busy soon."

    Gabriel walked over to the sink as he spoke, removing his gloves before pooling some water in his palms to ssh his face. The water was cold, his gaze examining his own reflection as the drops ran down his face. He saw red pour out from his eyes, pooling beneath him as it spread throughout the room. A beautiful crimson, a confident red, a breathtaking scarlet he could never forget.

    "Are we kicking up a fuss again?"

    The Night Pack was an underground information agency, if they were going to get busy then it meant that something big was going to happen in the empire. They luckily managed to avoid the fuss around The Eye of Rostam since someone else acquired it, but it seemed as if that would be short-lived.

    "We aren¡¯t, the imperial family and the Sorin family will."

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t nning on doing much. He would just light the match, the Earhart Family and the Sorin Family would be the ones that had to make all the noise. It¡¯d be a great big noisy mess, enough to force the Imperial Family to forget about just about everything else.

    "¡­Ah, that¡¯s what it was for. Alright, I¡¯ll be on standby."

    Solomon seemed to understand something from Gabriel¡¯s words. Well, it wasn¡¯t really that hard to figure out. Taking into ount what Gabriel had gathered as the boss of the Night Pack, and the two families he was targeting here, you¡¯d have to be a fool to not understand it.

    He scratched his head onest time before turning and leaving the restroom, putting on the airs of a proper noble before he even opened the doors. Once he was alone, Gabriel wiped his face and changed into a fresh pair of pants he had prepared, storing them in his shadow. He then poured a bit of mana into the stud earring fastened to his right ear.

    "If you finish fast enough,e directly to the ceremony. If not, make a lot of noise before leaving."

    He spoke the order, or rather a request since this earring wasn¡¯t tied to one of his subordinates. No, this earring was connected to Teresa, who was absent from this investiture. The reason was quite simple, she was taking advantage of all the nobles gathering here to go take care of the second deal that Alice had struck with Arioch, dealing with the bandits that were harassing the fringes of his territory.

    Those bandits were tied to the Sorin family, and the Vritara family for that matter, so using them as a starting point was rather appropriate. But naturally, something as minor as that wasn¡¯t everything Gabriel had prepared for them. When he struck, he made sure that the blow sank deep.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "¡­ Served with your brother before. Yes, I fear that I may not have lived to see today were it not for Francis back then. Funny how bonds can form like that."

    Gabriel heard a bit of the conversation Alice was taking part in when he returned to the hall. The Fourth Prince had been reced by the youngest son of Duke Sorin, Marais Gaun Sorin. Neatlybed orange hair and a pair of sharp yellow eyes, the Sorin family looked as if they were smoldering mes.

    Gabriel looked at the two of them from the distance, chatting happily as he pondered his next move. Waiting until Teresa got here or made a mess of the bandits would be optimal, but his insides scratched when he looked at Alice. She was surrounded by nobles from the various factions, each one casting out their lures as they tried to drag her over. Naturally, the one from the Sorin family was the worst offender currently.

    As he was pondering, Alice turned her head slightly. It wasn¡¯t to look at him, she just turned her head to listen a bit better. Thanks to that, he saw it, the smile on her face.

    It was¡­ familiar. It was one the young Alice wore often when they first met. Back in the frozen northernnds, when he first got in contact with the myriad of souls inside him, that was where he had seen this smile most recently.

    The visions they showed him, the possible futures as they called it. She had smiled like that in some of those visions despite being an adult at the time. When he convinced her to marry someone else to further her position, when he had her marry other nobles so that she could take over the duchy. In those visions, she wore a smile simr to that one.

    His feet moved. He didn¡¯t even really think about it. The smile that hung on her lips, he couldn¡¯t bear to look at it. When she was a child, he hadforted her when she smiled like that. When he saw her like that in the visions, he wanted tofort her.

    The him in the visions hadn¡¯t moved. The him in the visions wasn¡¯t dyed by crimson. The him in the visions was still just a tool. But Gabriel, thanks to Alice, was no longer a tool.

    The Second T. If you have something you treasure, never let anyone else take it from you, no matter who they are.

    The Third T. If there is something you want, make sure you acquire it no matter what you have to do.

    Such simple ts, such simple ideals used to be a good person. Gabriel taught them to Alice and she lived by them. Thus, he would naturally do the same.

    He didn¡¯t want Alice to smile like that, so he would stop her from smiling like that. He wanted her to smile properly, the bright and brilliant crimson she had used to dye his world. So he would make her smile like that.

    And¡­ Gabriel treasured Alice, so he would not let anyone else take her from him.

    The Imperial Family or the Sorin Family wanted to tie her to them? Fine, let¡¯s see if any of you have even the slightest thought to spare on anything else after this investiture. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll even survive to see the next year.

    "Now, it was a pleasure to meet you, La¡­"

    Marais¡¯ stretched out his hand to grab hold of Alice¡¯s hand, it was only customary to ce a kiss on ady¡¯s hand as you bid her farewell. But his words were cut off before he could finish them.

    "¡­Excuse me?"

    He tilted his head slightly as he looked up, finding a pair of violet eyes seemingly drilling into his soul. Gabriel had walked up behind Alice and pulled her back before Marais could even get close to her hand. She had already been quietly pulling back, but with Gabriel interfering, Marais never even got to get close.

    Alice turned her head slightly, locking eyes with Gabriel.

    He could feel her breath hit him because of how close they were. He held her wrist so he could feel her pulse. A steady beat, a violent rhythm that pounded in her veins. She was looking directly at him, a brilliant crimson sweeping across the surroundings until it became the only colour Gabriel could see.

    But there was a twinkle there, a gleam of colour even in this red world. Violet. Within this world of his that Alice had dyed crimson, the eyes she used to look at him were violet, reflecting only his own colour.

    Gabriel¡¯s grip changed, moving from Alice¡¯s wrist to her slender fingers. He could feel the gazes. Marais Gaun Sorin, the other nobles around them. He could feel them gather on them, one pair of eyes after another.

    Screw it. Forget the signal, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    He raised her hand and gave her a light kiss just beneath the knuckles, making him the first person in attendance that actually got to touch her hand, much less kiss it.

    "Forgive me, Alice, but I can stand it no more. I am yours, so no one else can have me. But in turn, you will be mine, so I won¡¯t let anyone else have you."

 Chapter 82: The Crowns Purge. (7)

    Chapter 82: The Crown''s Purge. (7)

    The rapping of fingers on wood echoed through the room, the asional sound of fingernails slipping across the very same wood asionally mixing with the repetitive sound. Abigail was nibbling on the tip of her right thumb, her other hand nervously tapping the armrest. Caine was¡­ pouring some wine so that she could wet her throat.

    "I do not wish for it to be twisted so I¡¯ll start the conversation off by saying that I¡¯ve known about him for quite some time already."

    Caine sat down in his seat after sliding Abigail¡¯s ss across the table, bringing his own to his lips as he drank deeply. The time hade, the presence obscuring magic on Gabriel had faded and Abigail discovered the true identity of Alice¡¯s knight. It happened a little earlier than Azuras had predicted, but he had been vague about the time to begin with so perhaps it was only to be expected.

    "I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that I think he is tired, Abby. I honestly believe that Azuras is tired of this, Abby. It¡¯s just been twice, but he¡¯s fought and failed twice already. Did you not see how he looked in the previous run when he learned the truth? A loop, an eternal prison to trap him until we get the ending we want. He cannot escape. He cannot fight. He can only suffer. He can only lose."

    Caine simply kept talking. The dumbfounded expression on Abigail¡¯s face was exactly what he had been expecting. Of course, she hadn¡¯t seen the Azuras he had. She had only ever met the Azuras who was at the height of his hatred, the peak of his ferocity.

    Caine however, knew of far more loops than her, far more attempts. The Azuras he knew was just tired, kept going by nothing but spite and what was left of his old hatred, smoldering in his chest as nothing more than paltry embers. And his Abigail¡­ Had been reduced to something far too simr. Hence, he made a deal.

    "And yet¡­ He kept fighting. Did he stop after he learned the truth, Caine?"

    Abigail looked pained. Caine wanted to embrace her, soothe her so that she could rest easy. She was like him, or at least the one inside was. She didn¡¯t have anything to do with this world, she didn¡¯t even have to be here. But she made the choice. She remained. And she kept fighting for this world until it broke her. To this suffering girl that kept fighting at his side, he wanted to offer a modicum of peace, he wanted to make it so that she didn¡¯t end up regretting her choice.

    "No, he didn¡¯t stop fighting, I can¡¯t refute that. But Abby¡­ You have to look at the world in front of you. The past can¡¯t be changed and the future can only be changed in the present, so you have to always look at the reality around you. You were the one who told me that, Abby."

    Caine was still shackled so he had to choose his words carefully. And unlike Abigail, he didn¡¯t have to contend with just the natural restrictions of the loop, he also had his contract with Azuras to keep in mind. And naturally, one of the points in that contract was to not mention their deal to others.

    "What has he done so far, Abby? Who has he killed, what has he gathered? Think about thest two times,pare those pasts with the present you can feel. How are they different?"

    Caine guided her slowly, a hand sliding across the exceedingly small table until it came to rest on Abigail¡¯s hand, silencing her nervous tapping. He¡¯d have to go step by step, little by little, it would be impossible to go all at once. But eventually, she would have peace. Eventually the two of them could enjoy their time together without worries.

    "¡­"

    Abigail hesitated. She had naturally seen some inklings about it already. People that should have been attacked were left alone, people unrted to anything were attacked, plots that should have unfurled were cut down. The first ce Azuras always attacked, the orphanage, he hadn¡¯t even attacked it once this time around, it was as if it didn¡¯t matter to him.

    His first pawn, the poor abused girl that was Alice, was also different in this run. She hadn¡¯t stirred up any of the usual trouble, she hadn¡¯t grown into the ambitions and ideals she usually followed¡­ She hadn¡¯t even summoned the same spirit that she usually had.

    And his affinities, the spirit he summoned in hisst life¡­ He had none of them. Normally, you could assume that he was tricking them by hiding his actual affinities. But Azuras had just shown off his affinities to everyone thanks to the emperor, and Akasha and Karas weren¡¯t things you could just fake.

    But still¡­

    "He¡¯s dead, Abby. It¡¯s hard to admit, but the Azuras we know is dead, he has to be. Among the things we did, one of them must have created a butterfly effect that affected Alice and Azuras, otherwise there¡¯s no way that they would be like this."

    Caine could see that Abigail was still hesitating and thus kept attacking. Of course she was hesitant, Azuras had carved scars into her that were deeper than anything else, they practically swallowed her entire soul.

    "But¡­"

    Caine could feel Abigail¡¯s hand trembling beneath his. A soft quiver, barely noticeable above her elevated pulse. She wanted to hope, but she couldn¡¯t. She had seen death, she had felt it. She had seen his hatred, she had felt it, more so than anyone else in this world. The peace they sought¡­ Perhaps she had a hard time even believing that they could actually achieve it. But they would, Caine would make sure of that.

    "Abby, we¡¯ve made it. We¡¯re much closer than ever before. We will know peac¡­ Hm?"

    A slight disturbance from the hall next to them drew the pairs attention before Caine could finish his sentence. It was quiet. The bustling party that should still be going on just beyond the doors seemed to have fallen silent.

    Caine felt Abigail¡¯s pulse shoot through the roof, an imperial party wouldn¡¯t fall silent like this for no good reason. And with Azuras just beyond those doors, there was naturally only one conclusion she could draw.

    She sprung up from her seat, her hand naturally spinning around so that she could grab Caine¡¯s hand as she rushed to the door. The wood groaned as she pushed against it, cracks extending from beneath her palm as she violently pushed the doors open, ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. And then she saw them, two very familiar pairs of eyes looking at each other, exuding emotions they had never shown each other in the past.

    ¡ª¡ª

    It was silent. Well, at least Alice thought it was silent. No, it could just be that she was blotting out all other sounds at this moment in favour of hearing Gabriel better.

    He was holding her hand. She had rejected everyone else that tried to hold her hand today, even if they were just trying to give her the usual polite greeting. So he was the first who got to hold it, he was the only one who got to feel her heat.

    And thanks to the light kiss he gave her hand, she too could feel his heat. A breath like fire, what she had given he was finally returning.

    "Say it again¡­ Gabriel."

    Her own voice felt distant, distorted by a crackling filter. She felt a breath slip out as she was talking, creating a small and awkward pause in her words. She could feel her chest. It was pounding, jumping. It was as if just a little bit more strength would be enough to shatter her ribs from within.

    "I am yours, Alice."

    His voice was like bells, little silver jewels that rang with the sound of heaven. He was looking straight at her, only at her. The violet leaked from his eyes, it streaked down his face and pooled all around him. Like a stain it grew around them, dyeing everything with a poisonous violet. Only a sliver of silver remained within the poison, strands of fluttering hair like silver threads.

    Ah, her awkward and lovable treasure, her little broken box of jewels. He must have done his best, really. Adorning extravagant and grand clothes he never wore, exuding his aura for all to marvel at, drawing everyones attention with his slightest moves. He really did his best for her.

    "But in turn, you are mine."

    His voice was powerful. Loud enough for everyone to hear.

    Ahh~ It tingled when he spoke. Her awkward knight, her lovable everything. She¡¯d pushed him to the edge, prodded at the broken pieces until they started to slide back together. And this was the end-result.

    It wasn¡¯t a proposal. Nay, it couldn¡¯t even be called a question. He wasn¡¯t asking for her opinion, he wasn¡¯t giving her a chance to respond. He was hers. She picked him up as a child and gave him a ce to stay, so he belonged to her. But in turn, she belonged to him. He had chosen her just as much as she had chosen him. She gave him a ce to stay, and he gave her a life. Thus, they belonged to each other. And only each other.

    Yes, he wasn¡¯t asking. He was stating. He was iming. In front of everyone here, he would take her for himself. The imperial princes, the ducal child of the Sorin family, he would steal her away from all of them. He would cover her in chains for all to see, for all to fear.

    Ahh~ Her hand quivered, she could feel the muscles in her legs tense. He kept looking at her. He was looking at only her with that piercing gaze of his. She thought back to that nightmare she had when they returned from the northern duchy.

    The sight of the duchy burning, fiery tendrils descending from a broken sky, that nightmarish scene left less of a mark on her than that pair of eyes. And the things she felt towards the Caine she saw in that dream¡­ It paled inparison to the sensation running through her hand right now, the tingling that threatened to swallow her.

    Ah, my lovable and broken knight, how dearly you¡¯ve broken me.

    "¡­Talk about this?"

    A voice came from behind, garbled until she could barely understand what it was trying to say. Probably the child from the Sorin family, Marais something. He really was annoying in how inly apparent he had tried to make things. He was just as annoying as that Marquis that had clung to Gabriel¡¯s side, ceaselessly trying to tempt him back to their estate. Ah, Alice really wanted to hit that old man at least once.

    "¡­me?"

    The garbled voice kept prodding her from behind, he really wasn¡¯t understanding the situation and giving up gracefully. Oh well, it wasn¡¯t like she was nning on letting anyone here hold even the smallest of vain hopes. She¡¯d make sure that everyone understood the situation. Even the imperial family would have to publicly ept it, with what she had set up they would have no other choice. Thanks to that knowledge, she could smilefortably.

    "You have to say it properly, Gabriel. You¡¯ll say it properly, right?"

    She wanted to hear it properly, she needed to hear it at least once. She believed, she trusted with all her heart. But she needed to hear it. She needed him to show it in a way that couldn¡¯t be misunderstood, she needed him to say it in a way that left no room for questions. She needed him to soothe her with the truth she already knew.

    "Naturally."

    His response was oh-so simple, his voice brooking no room for doubt. Her fingers trembled in his grasp. She¡¯d worked towards it, set up everything so that it woulde to pass. And now it was here¡­ She felt a tingling sensation, a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

    "Get on your knees, Gabriel."

    She felt her breath catch in her throat. The world only grew all the more silent, even the garbled voice from behind faded, swallowed by the poison that had seeped into her body ever since that day she went to the orphanage. She picked her poison, and she had drank deep of it, until it was all that was left.

    Gabriel¡¯s legs bent, his knee touching the carpet. But he just kept looking at her. Her hand wouldn¡¯t stop quivering. Her ribs were tingling, reverberating with the sound of her own heart. Her legs were tense, every ounce of her strength was needed to keep her standing.

    "Here."

    She fished through her dress. Gabriel was holding right hand so she had to somewhat awkwardly use her left to dig into the hidden pocket she had prepared. She pulled out the item she had prepared in advance and ced it in Gabriel¡¯s hand.

    "Do it properly."

    A silver band that twined around arge amethyst that held a deeply crimson core that almost looked like a dragon¡¯s eye, leaf-like markings dancing around a scaly pattern across the entire silver band. The Eye of Rostam, a ring expensive enough to buy almost half a city. It had taken some effort, some legal and even more illegal, to ensure that this would find its way to her.

    And it was all for this moment, for this awkward man to hand it to her as he did things properly. She¡¯d be fine with anything he gave her, but if he gave her something like the Eye of Rostam as he proposed then it would make it that much harder for anyone else to say something about it.

    But she wasn¡¯t the only one who had prepared for this moment. She had pushed him to the edge and skewed the timing of it, but Gabriel did bring up his intent to propose all on his own.

    "I¡¯ll take this one."

    His voice was the only thing she could hear clearly. He took the ring she ced on his palm and removed his glove, sliding it onto his left ring finger. The gem seemed to glow as he wore the ring, the crimson core almost pulsating as his mana leaked into it.

    His hand slid into his crimson suit jacket, the golden buckles nking as he reached into the inner pocket. When he pulled it out again, he was holding the small box he had used the Night Pack to secure once he learnt that a certain other organization waspeting against them to get the Eye of Rostam.

    "Alice De Vritara."

    Alice could hear the blood rushing in her veins as Gabriel spoke. She could swear that the hand he was holding was trembling enough to make his entire body shake. She was tingling, her every muscle tensing violently.

    "I am yours."

    Gabriel squeezed the box, causing the top to spring up and reveal its contents. A soft silk sheet, a ring neatly ced on top. A circr band with three sections, each one bleeding into the next one. An upperyer made from a singlerge ruby, polished to perfection. A middleyer of pure silver, gleaming as it reflected the light. A loweryer of dark amethyst, almost swallowing the light before it could reach the silver centre.

    The three sections were perfectly fused, the colours melding to the point where you could think that the ring was made from a single gemstone despite the three differing colours. And carved across the entire ring were minuscule dragons, each one spinning around the next as if they were dancing.

    It didn¡¯t look as luxurious as the Eye Of Rostam, few things did. But it was an example of masterful craftsmanship, a true gem forged by the hands of the best magic cksmiths. And that gem was plucked from its box by Gabriel.

    "In turn, I want you to be mine. If you are to smile that brightly, I want you to do it at my side. Not by someone else, not because of an arranged marriage, not because of a beneficial union. By me, and because of me."

    He spoke, crystal clear bells ringing in Alice¡¯s head. That awkward man of hers finally bared a fraction of his heart, a sliver of desire that she had awoken in him, twisted out of him like he twisted her. The man who only did things because they would further her own position, he was cutting off the most profitable option with his own two hands.

    She trembled as the memory of a familiar taste shed by her mind, dancing on the tip of her tongue.

    "Alice De Vritara, I want you to marry me and be mine, and mine alone."

    The words fell from his lips. They echoed throughout the violet world he had made,ing from every drop of colour that filled the hall. He was looking at her, straight at her, only at her. And Alice¡­ Cracked.

    The rationality she had done her best to maintain, the strength she had put into her legs to remain in ce, it all crumbled as she cracked. Those words, that simple statement, it was all it took to break her where she stood.

    She fell forward, or perhaps lunged was a better word. Her hand slipped from Gabriel¡¯s as she stretched out her arms, grabbing his face as she pushed him back. Naturally, he fell backwards onto the carpet because of this, Alice ending up on top of him.

    Ahh~ Who cares if they were in public. Who cares if all of these people were looking at them. She had to mark him, she needed to mark him. And she wanted to be marked, to be tasted.

    She straddled him, her breathing ragged as she could hear the pounding of her own heart, the rushing of her own blood. She was cupping his cheeks, looking down at him. She was reflected in that poisonous violet. Only her. The only thing those eyes reflected was her. She wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.

    She leaned down and stole his lips. She couldn¡¯t hold back any more, he¡¯dpletely broken her again. She was greedy, and she stole them greedily, as if they would slip away if she didn¡¯t.

    The familiar taste spread again, a mixture of blood and apples. He hadn¡¯t eaten apples today, nor were there apples in the wine he drank. But she tasted the apples nheless, the taste spreading through her mouth along with the blood that quietly dripped out from how violently she had stolen his lips.

    For a moment, she wanted to pull back so that she could catch her breath. She had marked him properly, he had extended his hand to mark her and she had marked him in return. Violently, publicly, leaving no room for anyone else to even speak up. She wanted to lick her lips to savour the after taste.

    But a pair of handsnded on her cheeks when she tried to pull back. The sensation of gloves on one side and bare skin on the other, the cold sensation of a ring. Her heart almost stopped. Her world most certainly did stop.

    And then her lips were imed. Her breath was stolen. She had given fire, poured it out until the other party had no room for anything else. And now, what she had given was returned in the form of poison.

 Interlude. Once Upon a Time: Young Deity. (1)

    Interlude. Once Upon a Time: Young Deity. (1)

    I like fire.

    Down in the dark pits, the fires of the funeral pyre are the only way you can see anything around you. Without it, the darkness sticks to you like a swamp, it clogs your nose with its invasive stench.

    In the darkness, you¡¯re all alone. No other numbers, no other kids, no masters, no living training dummies. It¡¯s just you and the dull thudding of today¡¯s wounds. They whisper to you. Each thud, each thump, each ache in the scars. They speak anguage only those in the darkness know. They tell you how to get out of the darkness.

    I don¡¯t like the darkness.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m thankful that there are so many numbers. Sunday 11. Monday 19. Tuesday 9. Thursday 23. Saturday 53. There¡¯s always more numbers, there¡¯s always new ones for the pits. I just need one or two a day to start a pyre, a little bit of light to chase away the darkness, a little bit of warmth to ease the thudding.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    I like ice.

    During the training missions in the deste mountains, there are no medicines to cure wounds, there are no herbs to ease pain. But there is ice. Afortable chill that numbs the scars, a cial bandage that stems all bleeding.

    Up in the mountains, there is no life. No critters, no nts, no stores. It¡¯s just the numbers and the demons, those who die and those who live.

    But there is ice. An eternal chill that will keep fresh everything it can reach. You can keep a piece of meat good for several years in the ice if you do it properly.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m thankful that there are so many numbers. Sunday 16. Monday 7. Tuesday 64. Thursday 2. Saturday 5. There¡¯s always more numbers, there¡¯s always new ones in the mountains. I just need one for every two weeks, the ice does the rest.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    I like Ice.(Azui) I like Fire.(Eras) So I took up the name Azuras. No longer Tuesday 5, no longer just a number. A name just for me, a mark of my existence, as small as it may be.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    There¡¯s a crackling, theforting sound of sparks leaping off of wood as they scatter and spread. The wind is warm as it brushes against me, a bright crimson-orange hue dancing across the night sky.

    It¡¯sforting. The heat of the mes, the light they shed across the night. The pits are burning. The numbers are burning. The masters are burning. The living training dummies are burning. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re screaming in joy, but the fire swallows all equally, like a mother embracing her naughty children.

    There are bodies scattered in front of the burning orphanage. Knights, I believe they were called. Soldiers of the Imperial Family, the masters said. I don¡¯t understand them.

    Why did they try to stop me? The masters said that I am their greatest work, a masterpiece that would take hundreds of years to replicate. They raised me. They taught me. They trained me.

    I just¡­ did as I was taught. So why did they try to stop me? The pits are dark, the mountains are cold, and the night is scary. I freed them from the dark and the cold, I chased away their fear and freed them. They are screaming in joy and gratitude due to me.

    So why did they try to stop me?

    The Imperial Family¡­ Will I know if I ask them?

    The pits are gone. The masters are gone. The numbers are gone. But Azuras remains, so I may as well. To understand is to know when to act and when to strike, the masters always said that. So I will go and understand.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The city isrge. Larger than the pits,rger than the mountains, denser than the forest. There are more numbers here than I have ever seen in my life, enough to fill the pits hundreds of times, enough to drown the mountain. Is this the city of the Imperial Family?

    No, says one of the numbers that passes by me. Vairasta, the capital of the Vritara duchy, he tells me. A duchy¡­ The masters asionally said that some people came from a duchy to pick up sessful numbers. They said that I would never see a duchy in my life, I was destined for the Imperial Family. I wonder what the difference is.

    The number points me towards a massive building atop a hill, a houserger than the mountain. The masters of the duchy, Vritara. Dragons in human skin, he says. Will they know how I can get to the Imperial Family? I will go and ask.

    They stop me at the gates. They say I can¡¯t enter. Why not? I just want to know, to understand. They push me back all the same.

    The masters always said that if there was something you want, you must do what you can to get a hold of it. So I will advance. I raise the sword I picked up from one of the ¡®knights¡¯ in front of the orphanage. I will advance.

    But a young female number stops me. She stands on the other side of the gates, eyes as red as the funeral pyre, hair as violet as the nts we asionally had to eat. Does she belong to this massive building?

    Thanks to her, I can get inside. She talks a lot. Does she even stop to breathe? From the gates to the doors of therge house, she does nothing but talk. A lot of the numbers that walk past look at her as she talks. They look at her the same way the masters looked at the numbers they sent out on the longest missions, the numbers that never came back. Do they have a mission for her?

    Thanks to the young number, I get to learn more about what a duchy is, and what an Imperial Family is. This ce isrge, much much muchrger than the pits. No single pyre could possibly be bright enough to light it.

    She helps me. She gives me a room, says that I must rest and clean up before I go to the Imperial Family. So I stay, I must understand.

    But I am surprised, life in thisrge building is much the same as in the pits. The young number receives much the same training we did, but it seems that she is a bit less resilient so she cries from time to time. Crying is no good, its the first thing they weed out.

    So I teach her a little, just a little. One must repay what one is given, the masters were very strict on that. They gave us a lot, so we had to be gracious in repaying them.

    After some days, the young number, Alice she calls herself, says that she can help me now. A carriage, supplies, even two horses, she has acquired everything needed to get to the Imperial Family. But why is she joining me?

    To meet Caine she says. Who is Caine? She says that I will understand when we get there. Good, I need to understand.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    I understand now why the masters spoke of the Imperial Family with such heavy voices. Their city isrger than even Vairasta, it dwarfs all the mountains and all the pits with ease. And the numbers¡­ There are endless numbers milling around. Is this what the heart of the world looks like?

    Alice leaves to go meet Caine, but points me in the right direction. A great big building, more splendid than the massive building that Alice came from. Ah, yes, of course, true masters must surely live in a ce like that.

    But once again, I am stopped at the gates. Numbers d in heavy armour, metal from head to toe. The masters taught us how to handle them, so I¡¯m experienced, but they¡¯re annoying to deal with. I just want to understand.

    I show them the sword I picked up. They must belong to the Imperial Family so they will surely recognize it and understand the situation.

    But¡­ Why do they look so angry?

    They attack, so naturally I defend myself. Metal from head to toe, with a bit of heat from the outside it will be as if they are inside a funeral pyre. It¡¯s quick, its easy, its efficient. I just had to defend myself.

    So¡­ Why are there moreing?

    One bes two, two bes four, four bes eight. Theye out without end, theye at me without end. They¡¯re attacking, so I must naturally defend myself. But why are they attacking? I just want to understand. I tell them, I just wish to ask. But they keeping. Anding. Anding.

    Numbers from outside try to interfere, they get in the way. Is it to help the armoured numbers? Whatever, the quickest way is to get rid of them. The fire embraces them, takes them all in equally. Good, more space now.

    But why does everyone just look angrier? More areing now, from all around now. I will get swarmed if I stay so I must flee, the masters were very strict on not fighting a losing battle.

    So I run. I have always been fast, only the fast survive. They can¡¯t stop me, I know they can¡¯t. But even after I get away, why do they keep chasing?

    One day. One week. One month. One Year. They just keep chasing, and chasing, and chasing, and chasing. And I defend myself again, and again, and again, and again. They always just send more, stronger numbers, more numbers.

    I meet the one known as Caine one day, he is among the numbers chasing me. He¡¯s strong, he almost took my eye in the first attack. I understand why Alice wanted to meet him.

    But I¡¯m fast, so I can get away.

    One day. One Week. One Month. One year. They keep chasing. Whenever I stop, they find me. Whenever I hide, they find me. Caine finds me several more times. He is strong, and he¡¯s keeping pace with me.

    He brings along another number a few times. A female. Abigail he said a few times so that must be her name. They chase me together, they track me down without end.

    Sometimes, Alice joins him. She dances with fire whenever she shows up. But she cannot hurt me, she cannot stop me. She always holds back before she actually hits me. She looks pained when she looks at me, unsure. But she always follows Caine when he keeps chasing.

    Five days. Five weeks. Five months. Five years. Without end. Without end. Without end. They chase, I run. They attack, I defend. I just want to understand, so why must they keep attacking.

    It keeps going, and it keeps going, and it keeps going. Luckily, the fire keeps me going. Theforting heat chases away the darkness, and the cool ice eases all wounds. I like Fire. I like Ice.

    Eventually, I can¡¯t keep running. They¡¯re trapping me, if I keep running then I¡¯ll end up reaching a dead-end. So I must prepare a countermeasure, an ambush to counter their trap. Luckily, I¡¯m as good at ambushing as I am at running.

    Caine and Abigail, I¡¯ve gotten very familiar with their tracks now, they keep chasing me. Caine is always ahead, so he falls into it first. He¡¯s the strongest, so I strike at him first.

    It takes a bit, but wounding him isn¡¯t too hard. Then I wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Poison is slow, but its trustworthy. Before long, it takes effect and he slows down.

    And then I grind, and I grind, and I grind, and I grind. I grind him down just like the masters taught, I grind until I know its done. But just before its over, he pulls out something I¡¯ve never seen before, a move he¡¯s never done before.

    It takes my arm and digs into my chest.

    It¡¯s a bit cold, yet a bit warm as well. Afortable feeling fills my chest, like sitting at the pyre in the dark pit. Caine goes down, but Abigail follows up on what he did. She grinds. And grinds. And grinds. And grinds. She grinds me down as if the masters taught her, she grinds until she knows its done.

    Hmm¡­ So this is as far as I go. Onto the pyre I will go, another sh of fire to chase away the dark.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Tuesday 5, that¡¯s my name. I was picked up on a tuesday, and I¡¯m the 5th kid picked up on a tuesday. So, Tuesday 5.

    The teachers at the orphanage say that they have a special job for me, but before they can send me on it, someonees to the orphanage. They say that they¡¯re looking to adopt some kids into the Imperial Family. The teachers look ecstatic, is it something good?

    A young girl stands at the front of the group, looking at the kids carefully. She stops in front of me, clear amber eyes looking straight at me. She smiles for a moment, she promises me that I¡¯ll get to be happy.

    She takes me away from the orphanage, so I never get to find out what that special job was. But we don¡¯t go straight to the Imperial Family they spoke of, we stop by something called a duchy first.

    The girl picks up another young girl, one with red eyes and purple hair, Alice she said. She promised her the same she promised me. I wonder why she¡¯s so nice to us?

    Together, we go to the Imperial Family. They live in a cityrger than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. I thought the forest around the orphanage wasrge, but this must be at least five, if not tens, of timesrger.

    She takes us to a house bigger than any I have ever seen, a massive building that can easily hold several hundred, if not thousands, of orphans! She says that this is our new home, that we can live and y here from now.

    And¡­ and we do just that. She helps us study, she gives us small jobs, she ys with us, she gives us good food. Eventually, someone who introduces himself as Caine joins us and our group growsrger. I think Alice likes him, she looks at him whenever she thinks that he can¡¯t see her. I can understand that, he¡¯s very nice.

    And then¡­ I start to dream. Of dark nights. Of deep pits. Of cold mountains. Of frozen flesh. At first they¡¯re rare, but they grow more frequent as the days pass. Then they stop being dreams.

    I hear them when I walk down the hallway, I see them when I turn a corner, I feel them when I touch things. The dreams leak out of me, infect me, whisper to me. I¡¯ve spoken to Alice, but she hasn¡¯t felt anything so she doesn¡¯t understand me.

    I¡¯m scared.

    I can feel them in me, the dreams. They speak to me of other times, they let me feel things that are mine yet aren¡¯t mine at the same time. I can feel myself start to ept them, embrace them.

    I¡¯m scared.

    But I can¡¯t stop dreaming. Theye to me at all times, they don¡¯t stop whispering.

    And then, one day, the dream doesn¡¯t stop. It goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on. It bes part of me, it bes me.

    Ah, so that¡¯s how it was. I¡¯ve been here before. I wanted to understand, but they chased me out. They attacked, so I defended, and they hunted me for it. I like Fire. I like Ice. So I became Azuras.

    We¡¯re younger now, but we¡¯re the same. Abigail. Alice. Caine. Azuras. I wonder how it happened. How did we go back, why did we go back? Can only I remember, was I the only one dreaming?

    I don¡¯t know.

    But I¡¯m angry.

    I did not understand back then, I knew nothing back then. I simply did as the masters taught me.

    But this time, Abigail picked me up. She taught me, she trained me, she helped me understand. So now I know, back then, I suffered.

    So I am angry.

    Why did I have to suffer? Why did I have to go through so much pain? Why did I have to be chased just because I did not understand? Why¡­ Was it just me?

    I understand now. So I am angry. And this time, I will not let it be just me.

 Chapter 83: The Crowns Purge. (8)

    Chapter 83: The Crown''s Purge. (8)

    There was a roaring. The deafening rumbling of an unstoppable inferno. Gabriel felt the fire in his chest. It entered him through Alice¡¯s lips through her every soft breath, and it was returned to her with each of his own.

    He was burning up from the inside, and for a brief moment, that sensation was all that registered in his mind, his other thoughts discarded as soon as they struck him. He had burned before. The sensation of heat on his skin, his nerves dying and burning away to reveal fresh ones, the cycle of pain continuing without end. The pain in his lungs as scorching smoke forced its way down his throat. Yes, he knew burning well.

    But this fire was¡­ Pleasant. The mes that ate him from the inside out werefortable, warm. It was almost to the point that he wanted to let himself remain in this state of thoughtlessness and just sink into the heat.

    But in the end, mes remained mes.

    He felt them rise within his chest. They tore at his flesh and ate away at his bones, each flicker burnt away more and more of his mind, his reason. Left unchecked, he would lose all control. He¡¯d lost control once before already, when they first reached the Barong territory. He would not allow it to happen a second time.

    So he held back before the fire swallowed all that he was. The taste of blood lingered on his lips, a pair of almost euphoric crimson pupils looking down at him for a moment. There was blood on her lips, but with how they had bitten each other it was impossible to tell whether it was his or hers.

    She got off of him, a look was enough for the two of them to convey what had to be done, and in what order they would do it. Alice straightened her dress as if nothing had happened, and she would have almost done it somewhat convincingly if it wasn¡¯t for the way she licked the remaining blood off of her lips before she broke the silence.

    "Please forgive us for that short outburst of passion. We¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while so our emotions got the best of us."

    She didn¡¯t even clear her throat, nor did she blush, she showed apleteck of shame as she addressed the nobles around them. Having just bore witness to such a scene, the nobles were naturally rather stunned, both because of the sudden disy of wild passion and because of what this implied that Alice thought about the Emperor¡¯s offer.

    To quietly reject him in private would be one thing, but to do it in public like this¡­ One didn¡¯t have to be the Emperor to feel insulted in a situation like this. But naturally, Alice was prepared for this, turning her gaze towards the Emperor before the rest of the nobles could, giving him a respectful bow.

    "With that being said, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Your Highness, for being willing to help me push mypanion into a corner so that he was left with no choice but to act. Were it not for your gracious aid, I fear that I may have suffered the fate of growing old and alone."

    What was the easiest way to not insult the Emperor by rejecting his offers this publicly? Simple, make it seem as if he was in on it all along. After all, how could he be shamed and insulted by his own scheme going as nned? Naturally, Alice wasn¡¯t so naive that she thought everyone, least of all the emperor, would go along with her words just like that. But she was just the first stab.

    "Ah, that does exin it. I did wonder why this child of mine was agreeing to your offer of marriage when she already had someone she had given her heart to. It would appear that I must extend you a bow of gratitude, Your Highness. I may yet still see her bear me some grandchildren thanks to your effort."

    Edward De Vritara, the Duke of Vritara, wore a calm and affable smile as he bowed to the Emperor, showing the casual nature that only a friend could. Edward was someone who thought about what was best for the duchy before everything else.

    Between tying Alice and Gabriel together into the duchy and sending both of them off to other ces, it was clear which one was best for the duchy. So he yed along as she had asked. But he wasn¡¯t the only one, Alice had prepared another separate knife to bring down the Emperor.

    "Ah, young love is always so heartwarming to see. Hold your head high, Art, the act of helping two hearts tie themselves together is a beautiful thing. Does it not also serve as a good lesson to your sons that they may lose something they thought they had in their grasp if they hesitate for even a second?"

    Before anyone else had the chance to eek in a word, another voice came from the balcony that was exclusive to the Imperial Family. Leaning against the railing was an aged woman, her wrinkles apparent despite what seemed to be her best efforts to reduce them.

    She had rather short hair that was as ck as the night, more than a few errant grey strands mixed in with the rest. The hair may not be the same, but she definitely had the translucent amber eyes of the Imperial Family, an almost piercing gaze nailing down the nobles in the hall.

    She was d in a long, flowing crimson dress adorned with silver and golden threads that danced about each other as they formed images. As she stood there, Emperor Arthas could only smile softly, his eyes angling into a content smile.

    "Yes, it certainly does serve as a good lesson for those no-good sons of mine, Mother. But still, as a father, I wish I could have taught them that lesson in a slightly moreforting way so as to not hurt them too much. But s, sometimes we must make the hard choices."

    First it was the Duke of Vritara, and now it was Regina De Earhart, the Empress Dowager and the previous Empress. With both of them backing up Alice, Arthas could only y along and pretend as if this was something he had nned all along. Thus, he naturally smiled at Alice.

    "There is no need to extend your gratitude towards me, child. I simply helped you set the stage, you and yourpanion are the ones who cultivated the feelings and bonds you share. I can only hope that you end up happy together and bless you with all my heart. Truly, it warms my heart to see such love bloom within my citizens."

    Arthas could do nothing but talk and go along with it. The nobles were all looking at him, going against the Empress Dowager and the Vritara Duke in such a public setting would not be good for him. After all, the Empress Dowager still had people loyal to her, and he needed the Vritara duchy to stably rule the empire.

    Thus, he could only talk as if he was in on it from the start, blessing the union between Alice and Gabriel. And since the mages were still broadcasting the events of the banquet to the rest of the empire, the citizens had naturally heard his blessings. Thus, his words became chains that tied him down.

    Would this anger him? Definitely, Alice didn¡¯t doubt that for even a moment. But to be someone in a powerful position was precarious, it was a shackle as much as anything else. And with how highly he had praised Alice and Gabriel today, he would be unable to do anything to them for the foreseeable future.

    It would be horrible for the citizens¡¯ morale if something happened to their two new heroes. And by the time things died down and he could make some moves against them? Well, by that time it remained to be seen if he would even be capable of touching them. Alice was confident of that, she knew how well her kni¡­ Fianc¨º, grew.

    "Please, my fellow people. Join me in a toast to celebrate young loveing to fruition."

    Arthas picked up a ss that a servant brought over and raised it high. Since he first went along with it he naturally had to take it all the way so that others would marvel at his magnanimity. With everyone raising their sses to toast the couple, and the Emperor, Gabriel took the chance to contact Alice using one of his stud earrings.

    "The empress dowager, it seems as if you¡¯ve drawn in a big shot to make this happen. Can¡¯t have been easy."

    The empress dowager wasn¡¯t a terribly public figure, her son was now the emperor so she didn¡¯t try to infringe on his territory. But as long as you were alive, you had desires, and if you had desires then you could be reasoned with. And thus, Alice had snagged a big fish to ensure that not even the emperor could fiddle with her marriage.

    "The first and third prince, I promised her two heads in exchange for a handful of sentences from her at the right time."

    If anyone could hear her now then they would be left with no choice but to gawk. Firstly because Alice so casually spoke of killing two Imperial Princes, and secondly because the Empress Dowager apparently wanted two of her own grandchildren dead.

    Alice hadn¡¯t asked Regina why she wanted those two princes dead, it didn¡¯t matter to her. No, the only thing that mattered to her was that the empress dowager would speak up when it was needed, she could have every head she wanted after that.

    Alice allowed her gaze to wander for a moment as she lowered the ss that was given to her. When the sweet wine touched her lips and mingled with the taste of Gabriel¡¯s blood, her gazended on the people of Rutherford Marquisate.

    She momentarily locked eyes with the Marquis and his daughter, her eyes narrowing sharply. They were the ones that had tried to make a move on her man, albeit under the orders of the emperor. She raised her ss in greeting and smiled, but to the two of them it looked as if all the poison in the empire flowed from that smile.

    Naturally, Alice cared not for their thoughts and turned away after greeting them. She turned her gaze back onto Gabriel, and judging by his expression she guessed that his magic had picked up something. The mark he left with Teresa probably reacted, signifying that she was back.

    "So, what sort of traps have youid?"

    Alice knew her man well. He definitely had something nned, something to kick up a fuss. Aliceid ns that made it hard for others to touch them, and heid ns that made it impossible for others to pay attention to them. And with where he had sent Teresa, she could formte something of a guess as to who he would involve this time.

    Gabriel simply showed her a slight smile before he turned towards the emperor, clearing his throat for a moment to draw everyone¡¯s attention.

    "Your Esteemed Highness, it fills my heart with great joy to see that you care so much for your own citizens that you would help Alice prepare a stage like this. I would say that I can only give you my undying gratitude, but my associate is rushing here right now afterpleting a mission I had given her. With her, she will bring dire news that I must share with you posthaste."

    Alice hadn¡¯t been wrong in her guess. The mark he left on Teresa with his Karas magic showed that she was moving. It had hopped about violently a few times as she used various gates to move through the empire, arriving in the capital now. Judging by the speed with which the mark was moving, she hadmandeered a horse and was heading here at full speed. Strangely fast even.

    "She seems to be rushing quite a bit so I believe she understands just how dire the situation is, so please forgive her if she barges into your pce. But once you hear what she is bringing, I believe you¡¯ll understand that its for the best."

    Truthfully, if he wanted to, Gabriel could bring Teresa here right now. He could use the mark he left on her to envelop her in darkness and teleport her straight here. But why would he show the nobles here that he was capable of such a thing?

    "You speak of it as dire, may I ask exactly how dire?"

    Naturally, with Gabriel ramping it up so much for everyone to see, Arthas had to take it seriously. It could just be an act, but if Gabriel was fibbing here then it would just give Arthas an excuse to punish him. And with Alice having gone through the trouble of bringing the Empress Dowager here, Arthas did not believe that they would try to test him now. And indeed, Gabriel had prepared something that the emperor could wholeheartedly could sink his teeth into.

    "Extremely dire, your Esteemed Highness. She wille here bearing evidence that Duke Sorin¡¯s third son is involved in not just illegal ve trading, but also colluding with the Kasarias Kingdom in an attempt to undermine the stability of the empire. When she arrives, you will see that they have had a hand in assassinating more than a handful of our brave generals and courageous nobles who have stood up against the Kasarias Kingdom."

    Gabriel drove in the nail, he threw down a glove that could not be ignored. ves weren¡¯t illegal in the Earhart Empire, but you couldn¡¯t just turn anyone into a ve, only a proper court ofw could deem someone a ve. Taking someone off the street and forcing them into very was illegal, and selling ves, even legal ones, to foreign nations was naturally also extremely illegal.

    The illegal ve trade was bad enough, but if someone from the ducal family really was discovered to be colluding with a foreign nation then it would escte to a whole new level. The entire family would have to be investigated and uprooted until everyst piece of information was found. There wouldn¡¯t be a moment of peace as the various families did what they could to either hide or nt evidence. It would be a great big mess as the crown purged the traitors.

    As expected, the expression of the nobles, especially Emperor Arthas and Duke Sorin, fell dramatically.

    "Open the gates! Allow the messenger free passage!"

    Arthas¡¯ orders echoed throughout the hall and even beyond, the knights quickly springing into action. Gabriel and Alice turned to look at the doors that were being opened one by one, no one noticing Abigail, who was as pale as a sheet of paper, blood dripping out from between her fingers due to how hard she was clenching her fist.

    Her breath came out in ragged gasps, each one a struggle. Things were flying out of her control, everything was copsing. The collusion with the Kasarias Kingdom, it was something that wasn¡¯t supposed toe to light for another 15 years. She and Caine had changed some things here and there, but this was a major change, a massive alteration to the established timeline that the bnce was so fond of.

    How would this affect the loop and its stability? And for that matter, how did Azuras learn about it, even she had to dig into the Sorin family for a good ten years in the previous loop to uncover the truth. Sure, she had the help of Azuras at that point, but he clearly hadn¡¯t regained his memories of the previous loop yet, she knew what he was like when his memories finally came back and he realized how much he had been forced to suffer.

    Gabriel did not see, nor know, Abigail¡¯s thoughts and worries, the fear she felt as she worried that everything she knew and fought for might copse around her now. But even if he did, would he even care? He put down the chess pieces, he made the chaos, so just leave his lovelydy alone so that she can grow happily.

    An untold number of eyes were looking at the open doors, Gabriel feeling the mark get closer and closer. She came straight for them, the knights along the path probably guiding her in the right direction. And thus, before too long, she reached the hall where the banquet was taking ce.

    But her state was rather different from what Gabriel expected. She was panicked, almost desperate. Her clothes were ragged and blood was sttered across both skin and cloth, one couldn¡¯t tell if it belonged to her or someone else. And in her hands she was carrying a young girl who couldn¡¯t be older than seven, her body so pale that it was almost white.

    "My Lady! Please, you have to save them!"

    Thus, she charged up to Gabriel and Alice. Thus, she begged, her eyes murky and almost unfocused, as if she was looking at something that wasn¡¯t there.

 Chapter 84: Cracks of Convergence. (1)

    Chapter 84: Cracks of Convergence. (1)

    Perhaps as one would expect, there was quite the mor in the banquet hall after Teresa came charging in, covered in blood while carrying an unconscious young child. Naturally, most of the moring came from the fact that Gabriel announced that Teresa would bring with her evidence that someone in the Sorin family was colluding with the Kasarias kingdom. Thus, the hazy-eyed girl was the center of everyone¡¯s attention.

    Naturally, Gabriel was also focused on Teresa, but his reasonings were a bit different from the surrounding nobles. Simply put, he was caught off-guard. He had been prepared for Teresa toe rushing here after finding the evidence he had pointed her towards, so her hurry to reach them was expected. The child she brought with her was not.

    The information Gabriel had on parts of the Sorin family working with the Kasarias royal family naturally came from what he recalled from his past life. From what he recalled, it came to light after Alice burned down half of the Sorin duchy, its revtion was nothing more than an ident. At the time, with everything else Alice was doing to the empire, something like a bit of colluding with an enemy kingdom simply wasn¡¯t worth wasting energy on. It was a side-note, a minor event barely worth registering. As such, he naturally couldn¡¯t recall anything about them keeping kids or the like.

    ¡°Please, my Lady! Please, you have to save them! We have to keep them safe! Please, my Lady¡­ Please¡­¡±

    Teresa kept begging, her hazy gaze drifting through Alice and Gabriel as if they weren¡¯t really there. She was desperate, a tremble running through her entire body as warm blood slid between her fingers and fell to the floor. Gabriel had seen simr cases before, she waspletely shell-shocked and grasping at straws. Alice naturally also realized that Teresa wasn¡¯t in a proper state of mind, sharing a quick nce with Gabriel as they wordlesslymunicated.

    ¡°Teresa, you need to take a deep breath. In and out, in and out. Count to five between each inhale and exhale. You need to be clear-headed and focused on the present, otherwise I cannot know what I must do to help you.¡±

    Alice spoke firmly, cupping Teresa¡¯s cheeks and turning her head slightly so that she had no choice but to look directly at her. There was a gentle tenderness to her voice so as not to worsen Teresa¡¯s state, and it seemed to work as she started to draw in slow breaths to regain a semnce of calm.

    Slowly but surely she seemed to regain a bit of her mental faculties, rity starting to return to her gaze. But parts of the haze still remained, clinging to her deep brown pupils almost like a gue, reflecting things only she could see. But it was good enough for now.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good. Breathe deep and think of the present. If we want to do things properly and securely then we need to do it step by step, haste makes waste after all. Can you do that?¡±

    Alice lowered her hands slightly as she spoke, resting one on the forehead of the young girl that Teresa had brought. Her skin was almost as pale as snow, making her ck hair stand out that much more. Her eyes were closed, but her eyelids fluttered slightly with her every ragged breath. She looked to be on the brink, but she was at least alive for now.

    Teresa was now present enough to understand what Alice was trying to say, she was also mentally focused enough to finally notice their surroundings. This was an¡­ inopportune location and situation. She could feel the gazes drill into her, piercing to her core as they inspected her. Familiar, familiar, familiar gazes¡­ oh-so familiar¡­ oh-so hateful¡­

    ¡°Yes¡­ Of course, my Lady. Forgive me.¡±

    Teresa sucked in a sharp breath in an attempt to focus properly, but there was an ache at the back of her head, a constant pounding just behind her eyes. Her ears were buzzing again and she just wanted to block out everything. But it had to be done step by step, it had to be done properly, Gabriel and Alice taught her that.

    ¡°I found this in their hideout, it details some of their actions and transactions. It seems to be encrypted so I can¡¯t read it all, but I am sure that it can be cracked if enough digging is done.¡±

    She dug into her shirt and pulled out a stack of papers that had been badly bundled together, blood and grime staining the thick scroll. The papersnded in Alice¡¯s grasp for but a moment before they were passed along to Gabriel, who unfurled it.

    The letters were indeed encrypted, seemingly speaking of rather random events and purchases that one would find just about anywhere. But it fit what he recalled from hisst life so he could decipher at least parts of it to make sure that it was indeed what he was looking for. And with that being the case, he naturally handed it over to emperor Arthas.

    ¡°Your Esteemed Highness, the proof that I promised. I cannot decipher all of it, but I know that if you dig into this Uncle Tarmund and pierce through the three proxypanies it leads to, you will find that the trail leads to the third son of Duke Sorin. And this one, Flowers For Farengar, if you dig into that shop you will find that its owner is actually just a proxy, who is in fact working for a proxy of the proxy of Duke Quinterius from the Kasarias Kingdom. The pruned roses they speak of will be the illegal ves they deal in, I am sure that you will find a disproportionate number of missing, or dead by animal attacks, people in the areas frequented by Duke Sorin¡¯s third son.¡±

    They really hid well. They didn¡¯t trust a single proxy with everything and built up wall after wall to keep themselves safe. But what a shame it was for them that Gabriel had knowledge he shouldn¡¯t have, of a time that should at some point havee to pass. None of their encryptions or safe-guards were worth a damn when faced with that.

    Arthas naturally epted the scroll, the entire banquet hall stifling a cold breath as his narrowed eyes swept across the paper. Whether or not the usations were true didn¡¯t matter in this very moment, Gabriel had made them in front of the entire empire. Arthas would have to investigate them no matter how unlikely they were, that was how serious they were. And if they actually turned out to be true? Well then it meant that the emperor would have to investigate the other nobles as well because he apparently wouldn¡¯t be able to trust his own ducal families. A great purge would follow to soothe themon popce. No matter what, things would be tense and dangerous for a time.

    ¡°Duke Sorin.¡±

    The emperor finally spoke after spending over a minute quietly looking at the first paper rolled into the scroll. A piercing gaze was directed at the duke, whose third son was conspicuously absent today.

    ¡°I expect your full cooperation while I investigate these allegations, I do not want anything to be hidden from me. Naturally, if you are found guiltless then I will lower my head and offer whatever remunerations you so desire.¡±

    He spoke of it almost like a request, they were friends after all. But no, it was an order, punctuated by the fact that he referred to him by his ducal title rather than by name. An inviblemand. Naturally, Gabriel wasn¡¯t spared from his attention afterward.

    ¡°And Viscount Indra, I expect that you will be more than willing to offer your head should all this turn out to be nothing more than a smear campaign to lower one of our duke¡¯s. A hero you may be, but my citizens will not stand for a liar and a scoundrel rising to such heights. I hope that you are prepared for the consequences should such thingse to light.¡±

    The emperor handed off the scroll to a man who seemingly appeared out of nowhere as he spoke to Gabriel. His clear and piercing amber eyes were trying to pressure Gabriel as only a monarch could, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t phased as he gave a polite bow.

    ¡°I am naturally prepared for all the consequences that maye my way from this. But as much as it pains me to say, and undoubtedly you to hear, I am afraid that no such consequences will find their way to me once this is all over and the truthes to light.¡±

    Consequences, Gabriel wasn¡¯t afraid of any consequences. Sure, the Kasarias Kingdom and some of the people from the Sorin duchy would start to move against him because of this. But they were strong, they would be able to handle it. And when the truth came to light, the emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to punish Gabriel, he and the Duke of Sorin would have to reward him instead. That was the pain of being a leader.

    ¡°Now, if you would please excuse me, I fear that my friend requires my attention. But if you do not mind listening to her tale then I am sure that we will all step closer to the truth due to it.¡±

    Gabriel very politely steered the pointless conversation towards its end. Teresa clearly had a situation that needed to be dealt with, and allowing shell-shock to fester would only lead to ruin. The gue in her eyes was still apparent, she was just suppressing it for now, she would have to let it all out and get some rest.

    Naturally, the emperor would not miss this chance to at the very least listen, the more he knew the better it would be when he started to investigate. His gazended on the kneeling Teresa, his eyes stopping on the pale child for a moment before she snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Summon the imperial physician. We have a child in need of treatment.¡±

    The citizens were still watching thanks to the mages so he naturally had to give this child the best of care. Still, he didn¡¯t move from his spot, sternly and quietly observing and listening. And since the emperor didn¡¯t move, the rest of the nobles naturally couldn¡¯t move either. This, they could only remain in ce as the physician was rushed over and Teresa started her story.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The infiltration was a sess. More than a sess, it was easy beyondpare, just as Gabriel had told her. He had briefed her quite a few times on this mission ever since he entrusted it to her, she simply attributed it to his worrying nature and desire to not fail their Lady.

    She had changed her usual lightly colored and tight-fitting dresses for a more formal ck and white maid¡¯s attire, apron and ruffled skirt included. She was here to assassinate the bandits that had wreaked havoc on the Barong territories outskirts, always escaping in the nick of time.

    But those ¡®bandits¡¯ weren¡¯t just your average rag-tag group of people. No, one of their leaders was the illegitimate daughter of Duke Sorin¡¯s third son while the other was the nephew of Duke Vritara¡¯s niece, they were a group put together to subtly weaken the Barong duchy.

    This made it both easier and harder to get close to them. It was harder because their official positions ced them in rather secure locales, but it also made it easier because she could infiltrate them rather easily. The estate they were upying under a merchantpany¡¯s name was constantly looking for workers, Teresa just had to respond to one such advert and take up the job of maid. Once inside it was just a matter of making her way up to them, she was exceedingly confident in her ability to kill them.

    Today would be the day she officially started, quickly making her way through the streets until she reached the back-door of the estate, the servants entrance. The mansion towered above her just a bit ahead, a delicate mix of dark blue and bright white stones that gave the entire building a very clean appearance.

    The guard stationed by the entrance examined the letter that served as proof of employment and opened the gate for her, allowing her to officially start the actual assassination. She stepped into the empty field beyond the gate, the shadow of the mansion looming over her as she approached it.

    It almost felt like a wall pushing down on her, a formless pressure pushing down on her shoulders. There was a quiet ache at the back of her head, a soft and constant drumming just behind her eyes. She lost focus for a second, an indistinct buzzing in her ears. She drew in a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose, reiming her focus before she kept moving forward.

 Chapter 85: Cracks of convergence. (2)

    Chapter 85: Cracks of convergence. (2)

    ¡°Ah, you must be one of the new maids, proof of employment please. Just for safety¡¯s sake.¡±

    A slightly aged and tired looking man greeted Teresa when she reached the actual entrance of the mansion. He was slightly hunched over, and while his graying hair was well-maintained it was also starting to grow too long so it almost hung over his eyes.

    ¡°¡­*^?¡è¡­*^)#¡±

    The indistinct buzzing still rang in her ears, only barely audible but loud enough to be distracting. It had gotten worse as she got closer to the mansion, more constant. But still, it was broken up asionally, like pauses in a sentence.

    ¡°Of course. Here you go, I look forward to working wit you.¡±

    Teresa could only push the buzzing aside as she handed over the letter that proved her employment, an excited smile stapled onto her face. As she looked at the old man, the soft drumming just behind her eyes red up momentarily, it was akin to the stuffy sensation one felt just before crying. Naturally, that too was pushed aside in favor of the mission as the butler inspected the letter.

    ¡°Everything seems to be in order here. Wee aboard, Miss Sasha. I am Derrick, I¡¯m the one responsible for bringing all the new blood up to speed.¡±

    Teresa naturally wasn¡¯t using her real name here. She wasn¡¯t nning on staying for long but it would still be good to remove as many risks as possible. The old man, derrick, folded the letter and tucked it away inside his suit, stepping aside as he weed Teresa in.

    ¡°Please, follow me. There are some procedures we must adhere to for first time workers.¡±

    Teresa stepped into the mansion as Derrick gestured, the old man taking another step aside so that he could remain in front of Teresa while guiding her. As a result, he did not see her recoil the moment she passed through the doorway.

    She was struck by a stench the moment the air hit her. It was vile, disgusting, abhorrent, familiar. Stale air, dried blood, excrements and corpses just left to fester. It attacked her nostrils in tune with the indistinct buzzing, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

    ¡°Miss Sasha? I can understand that it may be awe-inspiring, but please follow me. There will be plenty of time for you to do a bit of sight-seeingter.¡±

    Derrick seemed to have noticed that she hadn¡¯t immediately followed him, turning towards her as he beckoned with a small smile. Teresa blinked a few times as she looked at Derrick and his almost somewhat nk expression. That stench wasn¡¯t the kind of thing you could get used to so hisck of reaction could only mean that he hadn¡¯t noticed it.

    Then again, the smell had disappeared almost instantly so thinking of it as normal would be wrong from the start. She sucked in a quick breath, smiling in an awkward and endearing manner.

    ¡°Please forgive me, this is the first time I¡¯ve gotten to enter a mansion as grand as this so I lost myself there for a bit.¡±

    She rubbed her arm and fiddled with her hair to apany her disy, taking the chance to give the back of her head a few subtle squeezes. It wasn¡¯t much, but it eased the buzzing and drumming a little, at least for a few fleeting moments. Derrick maintained his smile in front of her disy, gesturing with a small sweep of his hand as he spoke.

    ¡°It is apletely natural reaction, so don¡¯t worry about it. I will make sure to tell the master that you quite enjoyed the decor.¡±

    He started walking again, making sure that Teresa was following closely behind him as he exined some of the rules they had to abide within the mansion. Teresa listened and memorized, but she could tell that she wasn¡¯tpletely there, at least not mentally.

    ¡°_^*¡è¡­*^#&/¡­¡è=¡è¡è=&?`¡±

    Part of her felt cold. It was in the pit of her stomach, like a lump of ice weighing her down. Each step she took only made the sensations assaulting her worse, like a slowly growing cacophony of difort. She felt sick, slightly regretting that she hade here. And yet¡­ A small part of her said that no, she had to be here.

    ¡°Here we are. This will mark the end of our little tour. Shall we head inside and finish thest of the formalities by signing the official contract?¡±

    Derrick stopped in front of a door just like any other, turning the handle to reveal a room that was as normal as the door. A desk, two chairs, a few small bookshelves running along the walls, a single brightmp hanging from the ceiling right above the desk, and an open closet holding several ready-made maid and servant uniforms. Normal and harmless.

    Derrick took the lead in entering the room, meandering along the bookshelves until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a binder and plucked out a few sheets of paper, bringing them with him to the desk as he sat down and prepared the quill.

    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±

    He slid the papers and the quill over to the other side of the desk as Teresa sat down. She looked at the contract ced in front of her, it was all very neat and tidy, a very standard contract that you could find anywhere.

    ¡°)#¡è¡è%=¡­#)#)¡è!¡±

    The buzzing annoyed her, it tugged at her concentration. But even so, she could still feel them, their quiet breaths, the faint waves of their mana. Two in the ceiling and a third hidden behind one of the bookshelves. They weren¡¯t doing a bad job of hiding, but Teresa regrly worked and trained with Gabriel, something of this level was nothing to her.

    A lot of people entered this mansion for work, very few ever got to leave it of their own volition. Naturally, all of this was kept nice and far away from the public eye.

    ¡°Do I just sign here to finalize it?¡±

    Teresa smile brightly when she got to the end of the contract, having ticked off a few boxes along the way. The things she ticked off didn¡¯t matter, the proof of employment she brought told the people here everything they needed to know about her background and how they should treat her.

    Derrick nodded his head with the same small smile, that almost nk expression, his finger tapping the desk twice as Teresa¡¯s quill touched paper again. That seemed to be the signal, as two tiles on the ceiling slid to the side to allow the two hiding in the ceiling to drop down behind Teresa.

    They acted without saying a single thing, one grabbing her while the other was already holding the prepared syringe.

    ¡°=%)%/(%!¡­ ¡è)&/)%&(!¡±

    When the first one grabbed her, the buzzing in her ears red up violently, to the point that it felt like someone hit her in the head. She reeled for a moment, brows furrowing as a wave of annoyance and anger washed over her, a quiet whisper slipping out.

    ¡°Javal,Jawul Et Ka.¡± (Poison, Dwell In Me)

    She took hold of the first person¡¯s arms and grasped them tightly, leaning back in her seat as she exerted her strength to flip the assant over her as she rolled beneath them. They crashed onto the table with a subdued groan, Derrick remaining seated with that same expression.

    Teresa then reached for the syringe that the second assant was holding, but the attacker quickly pulled it back and threw it away, only allowing Teresa¡¯s hand to barely graze it. It seemed to have been done in a hurry, but Teresa could still feel them through the loud buzzing.

    The person behind the bookshelf was quietly making their way out, stealthily picking up the needle that had been thrown towards them. With their current positions, the second assant could distract Teresa so that the third one could approach her from behind.

    The second assant grabbed hold of Teresa to keep her in ce, but everything was already over. They took hold of her shoulders, and as a result they felt themselves go weak in the knees. They copsed, fell on their rear with powerless legs and limp arms. A numb sensation ran throughout their entire body, seeping into their organs before thest of their lights quickly went out and they fell forward.

    The one that had been thrown onto the table had already reached the same stage shortly after grabbing Teresa, their low groan was simply theirst death rattle. As for the third person, they weren¡¯t quite dead yet, but they had grabbed the syringe that Teresa had touched so they too had lost all strength in their legs.

    They gasped for air as they sat there, but their throat was already closing, swelling to a state where it became impossible for them to breathe. They struggled and they gasped, but it was all just onest rattle before they too fell over. In the end, the only ones that remained were Derrick and Teresa.

    ¡°)=#¡è=)%¡­¡±

    Teresa brushed off her clothes as she stood up, the buzzing was starting to subside again. Well, it was at least quieter than it was a second ago, it was still louder than it had been when she entered the room. Her shoulders hurt a little from how hard they had been grasped, but other than that she was fine.

    She could have handled the three attackers before they even left their hiding spots, but she needed to be careful about how much mana she spent. If she just used it as she pleased then her targets would be able to feel it and react ordingly. So she had to wait for them to either touch her, or touch something she had left her poison on. But once that happened, the fight was already settled.

    The three assants were dead, but Derrick still just sat there, his expression couldn¡¯t even be said to have changed. If anything, it would only be that his eyes no longer looked as tired as they did at first. Looking at him as he sat there, Teresa was reminded of what Gabriel had told her in advance.

    The workers aren¡¯t reckless, they¡¯re careless.

    Looking at Derrick sitting there, she felt that she could understand that statement now. Was that perhaps why the drumming felt akin to the onset of tears?

    ¡°They¡¯re up on the fourth floor right now, behind the great double doors at the very end of the hall. A meeting, I believe. It should be time for tea soon, Maid Cana should be bringing it to them, she¡¯s preparing it in the kitchen on the floor above us.¡±

    Derrick spoke very casually as he remained seated, still as nk as when he first greeted her. Teresa stretched out her hand and ced a finger against his forehead. Her poison worked its magic and he slumped over before long, put to sleep by a powerful sedative.

    A quick look at the base of his neck, usually hidden by his clothes, revealed a small and old scar, the mark of a needle forcefully inserted into his neck. She didn¡¯t doubt that she would find a ve insignia on his body if she had the tools to search for one.

    What was the easiest way to ensure obedience from your workers? Make them ves that would die if they went against your word, tried to act against you, spoke of prohibited things, or if you died. It was efficient, but also highly risky. It could easily lead to situations like this, where the servants simply stopped caring about the oue. They couldn¡¯t be saved anyway, so why not try to drag down the one who made you miserable in the process?

    Teresa pulled the bodies into the hidden space behind the bookshelf and then closed it up, changing into one of the maid uniforms that hung in the closet. She was already wearing a maid uniform, but the ones hanging here matched the ones that everyone else was wearing. It was a bit too big for her because it wasn¡¯t made to her measurements, but it wasn¡¯t too bad Afterward, she raised her hand and pointed it at her own neck.

    ¡°Uvaish, Terash.¡± (Nature, Pierce.)

    A small rose extended from her finger, one of its thorns elongating as it dug into her neck. It wasn¡¯t a deep wound, but noticeable enough that it could be seen at a nce. She wiped away any blood and gave the wound a bit of time to settle, finishing thest of her preparations. Once she was prepared, she left the room and started to make her way through the mansion.

    ¡°/¡±/sa¡­/#¡±/¡è#(¡­/¡è//re¡­¡±

    The buzzing only got worse, the incessant drumming pounding against the back of her eyes. She almost felt as if she could hear something just beyond the buzzing, but she wasn¡¯t quite able to pinpoint if she was just hearing things or if it came from the servants that passed by her.

    ¡°(%(#sa!¡±

    As she turned a corner, she felt like she saw a sh of something dark crimson pass by her, like threads lingering in the air. But there was nothing there after she blinked, just an empty hallway decorated with sculpted flowers and paintings.

    She shook her head and drew in a few quick breaths, she really needed to focus. The stench returned for a moment as she breathed, stale air and decay, it was a scent full of sorrow. But again, it was gone as quickly as it came, leaving only confusion. She wanted to leave, she wanted to go back to where she belonged.

    And so, she had to quickly finish what she came for.

    ¡°Te(¡è(¡è&¡­O/#/#¡­H//#/#¡±

    She made her way through the mansion with ease. Gabriel had helped her understand some of theyout in advance, but she found it easier than expected to navigate the winding hallways. It felt as if her feet simply knew where to go. As such, it didn¡¯t take long before she reached the kitchen on the second floor.

    The maids and cooks were indeed in the process of preparing tea and refreshments, she could see them through a small window in the door. Everything was ced on a tray table, a young girl in a maid uniform patiently waiting for both sections of the tray to be filled before she rolled it out of the kitchen. But it didn¡¯t take long before she was stopped.

    ¡°Javal,Jawul Et Ka.¡± (Poison, Dwell In Me)

    Teresa had moved away and waited for the maid as she turned the corner, quickly covering her mouth to silence her. The poison did its thing before long and the maid turned limp, Teresa hiding her away in a storage closet a bit away.

    Teresa took over the tray and fixed it up, organizing the candles so that they looked neat, repositioning the pots of tea and baskets of snacks, making sure that everything looked proper. She then pushed the tray and made her way to the fourth floor, two guards stopping her as she reached the great double doors at the end of the hall.

    ¡°Halt. Where is Cana?¡±

    They looked Teresa up and down as she stood there, quivering quietly so that she looked afraid. Looked? Or perhaps she was? She was having a slightly hard time telling at this point, the buzzing was only getting worse with her every step.

    ¡°()¡èesa¡­)¡è%)#¡­(ere!¡±

    It was pounding. Painful. She felt like she wanted to cry, but she didn¡¯t even know why she wanted to cry. She wanted to go home, so she had to finish things quickly.

    ¡°Please forgive me, Cana has taken a very nasty fall and sprained her ankle so I had to take over.¡±

    Teresa tried to make herself as small as possible as she squirmed out a reason, the two guards eying her closely. One of them stepped away from the door and walked circles around her, his gaze eventuallynding on the small hole in her neck.

    ¡°Very well, you can enter. Keep your head low, don¡¯t speak up unless spoken to, and do whatever they tell you to.¡±

    The man returned to his position, one of them handing Teresa a box of matchsticks so that she could light the candles. She naturally did just that and then handed back the matches, the guards opening the doors so that she could enter.

    She lowered her head and entered therge room, several voices falling silent as she did so. She could feel their gazes. Some were curious, some where sharp, some were heavy, some just disregarded her.

    It was a pressuring situation for a normal maid, enough to make some of the more timid ones crumble. But well, Teresa was used to Gabriel¡¯s gaze so these were nothing, they were barely a breeze.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Cana.¡±

    It was a male voiceing from one of the sharp gazes. It was probably the nephew of the Vritara duke¡¯s niece, one of the two leaders that she was aiming for today. He didn¡¯t outright state a question, but it was clear enough what he meant.

    ¡°No, Milord. Cana had an ident and sprained her ankle so I had to take over for her, please forgive me for not being able to notify you in advance.¡±

    Teresa lowered her head further. There was something about his voice that agitated the lump of ice in her stomach. The drumming was getting louder, heavier, it was as if someone was walking around in her head. There was a short silence after she gave her exnation, the same voice speaking up again.

    ¡°How is the food and the tea? You must be famished, why don¡¯t you have a taste?¡±

    They put everyone in the mansion under a ve contract, but it seemed as if they were still rather careful. They must treasure their lives.

    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Milord.¡±

    Teresa naturally obeyed, tasting a bit of all the food and taking a small sip of each tea, making sure to do it very slowly so that everyone could see it. A little bit after she had tasted thest item, the voice spoke up again and they exchanged a few quick sentences.

    ¡°Is it good?¡±

    ¡°Exquisite, Milord.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. Distribute it.¡±

    Only after they had made sure that Teresa tested all the food and drinks for poison was she allowed to walk forward with the tray. She rolled it along, slowly moving along the seats that had been prepared around the oval table. She counted 12 seats, but only 8 of the ones present grabbed something to eat or drink, the remaining 4 were probably still a bit wary, or possibly just not hungry.

    ¡°/(re¡èa¡­ Ov&r¡­ H%re!¡±

    It kept nagging her, the buzzing. It got worse and worse, and she constantly kept feeling as if she heard something just beyond it.

    The people in the meeting took a break as they ate and drank, chatting about whatever came to mind. And then, slowly but surely, it started to take effect.

    The weakest went first, that was always the case. One man started to cough, spitting out pieces of a cookie before he apologized. But then it got worse, more and more coughing, until he was practically wing at his throat.

    ¡°Poison! It¡¯s a suicide attack!¡±

    They naturally quickly caught on, but it was already toote. Teresa had learned from Gabriel, when you first strike, make sure that your opponent is left with no recourse.

    One man quickly spat out the food in his mouth and stuck his finger down his throat, retching up what he had just eaten. He quickly did it three more times, but it still only got worse, his throat clogging as his breath was slowly stolen.

    They drank antidotes, they spat out what they had eaten, they tried to wash out their mouths. But nothing helped. Worse yet, even the four that hadn¡¯t eaten anything were falling, grasping at their throats as they suffocated.

    Antidotes wouldn¡¯t work because the poison was magical, they would need highly special antidotes for that. And it had never been the food that was poisoned to begin with, but rather the candles. And with how slowly she had moved through the room, and with how much time she had taken to taste everything, the smoke had gotten plenty of time to spread.

    ¡°You won¡¯t survive this, I hope you know that.¡±

    The male voice spoke again, slightly choked up. Teresa looked at him as he spoke, one hand mping down on his throat while the other already held his sword. He looked to be in his early thirties the only simrity between him and the Duke of Vritara being their striking green eyes.

    ¡°Uvaish, Vash Hui Zamut.¡± (Nature, Whip And Cut.)

    Teresa simply swept out her hand, a vine rising from the floor andshing out. It cut through his hands and throat, sttering blood on both the table and her clothes.

    She hoped that getting rid of him would quell the buzzing or the nauseating sensation, but s, it did nothing. Even after thest person fell to the poison, and one more to her whip, the sensation didn¡¯t die down.

    Themotion had caused quite a stir, but the two guards at the entrance hadn¡¯t even stepped into the room. They too were ves. They too were careless.

    Teresa drew in several heavy breaths as she made her way throughout the room, quickly searching for the documents she was looking for. She picked a couple of things from the two leaders while she was at it, one had ties to the Vritara family while the other had ties to the Sorin family so everything they had on them could serve as excellent evidence.

    After a while, she had gotten everything she needed and hurriedly left the room. It just got worse and worse, rising towards a crescendo that threatened to tear her apart. The two guards were slumped on the floor outside the room. Their ve insignias had activated with the deaths of their masters, granting them a modicum of freedom.

    Teresa quickly made her way through the halls, quickly stepping around the asional corpses that she passed.

    ¡°Te/&sa!¡±

    Her feet started to move faster and faster with each corner she turned.

    ¡°Ov%e¡±

    She couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of her own steps. The buzzing got louder and louder, drowning out the silence of the mansion. She heard it, beyond the buzzing, beyond the drumming. Something familiar, something that eased the ice in her stomach. And yet¡­ Something that stoked a fire within her.

    ¡°He(e!¡±

    And then she turned a corner on the first floor, the same one where she had seen a sh of dark red. And once again, she saw it. A sh of dark red, like threads dancing in the air.

    But this time they remained. This time they broke through the buzzing.

    ¡°Teresa, over here! There¡¯s going to be a secret passage over here, we can still save those below if we use it!¡±

    Dark crimson hair that was slightly curled and amber eyes that seemed to reflect the entire world. The crown princess stood at the end of the hallway, but this one looked older than the crown princess that Teresa had seen so far. She looked to be in herte twenties, maybe even her early thirties.

    She was waving at Teresa, or rather, at something to Teresa¡¯s side. Her anxious and urgent expression also weren¡¯t directed at Teresa, but she could swear that she was looking straight at her. Well, of course she was, she had brought her here after all.

    The buzzing fell silent. The drumming behind her eyes stilled. Only the sickening sensation in her stomach remained, a mixture of fire and ice rising in her depths. The crown princess both was and wasn¡¯t looking at her, and Teresa was looking right back at her.

    ¡°My¡­ Lady?¡±

 Chapter 86: Cracks of convergence. (3)

    Chapter 86: Cracks of convergence. (3)

    The title was sweet on her lips, each syble like sugar as it fell from her lips. Yes, Abigail Earhart, Crown Princess and the sole hope of the empire, such was herdy. The sweet taste of the title couldn¡¯t be wrong.

    And yet¡­ her stomach churned more with each passing second. When the sweet-tasting words fell from her lips, her stomach lurched. There was a sour sensation rushing up her throat, her body rejecting the very notion implied by those words.

    And why wouldn¡¯t it? Alice Vritara was her Lady. It was Alice who provided a ce for her brothers, it was Alice who kept them safe and allowed them to grow up while receiving an education. Gabriel had knocked on her door that one day and brought her over to his Lady, turning her into their Lady. To call anyone else her Lady¡­

    The Crown Princess moved without regard for Teresa¡¯s thoughts, her eyes seemingly notnding on her even as she turned to keep walking. The hallway was empty, a fluffy carpet draped across the entire floor.

    But Teresa could hear the footsteps of the Crown Princess. A distinct cking, high-heels tapping on stone, a steady rhythm. Her stomach rose with every ck, the sourness in her throat growing worse in tune with it.

    And yet¡­ She couldn¡¯t stop her feet, couldn¡¯t close her mouth.

    ¡°My La¡­ Lady, Wait for me!¡±

    The sourness left her throat and reached her mouth as her feet moved. The taste of acid reflux spread through her mouth, a few trails leaking from her lips as her body revolted against the disgust that was filling her.

    And yet, she couldn¡¯t stop her feet from moving.

    She followed the cking, the vague figure that strode forward. It was almost like instinct, an understanding that had long been ingrained into her body. The Crown Princess moved, and she had to follow. No¡­ She wanted to follow, part of her wanted nothing more than to keep following the figure.

    With each step she took, the taste of vomit in her mouth got worse, more and more of the acid reflux leaking from her lips. She forced her mouth to stay close, even as words tried to desperately spill out. Little by little, the liquid that dripped from her lips was dyed red as she started to chew on her own lips.

    She wasn¡¯t an animal, she was Teresa, a person. People were not beings controlled by their instincts, they would be no more than beasts if they allowed themselves to stoop to such a level.

    Teresa could not allow herself to be a beast, could not allow herself to act on these instincts. She¡¯d be betraying Alice if she did. The fifth t to being a good person, as taught to her by Gabriel, don¡¯t bit the hand that feeds you. His definition of Good was a bit skewed, but that didn¡¯t mean that all the ts he spoke of were bad.

    She swallowed the words, she swallowed the vomit, she swallowed the blood, she swallowed everything sweet that her lips tried to spill. But she couldn¡¯t stop her feet. Partly because of the instincts she was trying to suppress and partly because of what this Crown Princess, this illusion or whatever it was, had said.

    Save those below.

    The words resonated inside her, lodged in her chest like an arrow. There wasn¡¯t a kernel of doubt in her. There was someone below, someone they had to save. To save those children¡­ Wasn¡¯t that why Abigail had brought her here in the first ce?

    The Crown Princess, and Teresa by extension, eventually stopped in front of a seemingly random statue that seemed to have been carved out of the building itself, half of it melded into the wall. The Crown Princess moved, her hand flowing across the statue for a few moments, the sound of shifting stones grinding into Teresa¡¯s ears. The Crown Princess stepped forward without hesitation, passing through both statue and wall.

    For a moment, as the figure vanished, Teresa lurched forward and retched. The blood, the vomit, the sweet words, it all became a mess that fell from her lips and stained the carpet. She could still hear it, the cking of high-heels on stone, the grinding of stone and gears as something moved.

    But one of her hands was resting on the statue so she could feel it. There was nothing. No grinding, no shifting, no cking. But she heard it, she felt it inside her. She knew it was there, felt confident in the fact that it should be there. So she retched. Emptied her insides to give vent to some of the fire and ice that was rising from the pit of her stomach, otherwise she felt that it would devour her whole and leave her unrecognizable.

    Once she had freed up a bit more space inside her, given the sickening illness inside some peace, she let her hands trail across the statue. The Crown Princess had done it quickly, and Teresa hadn¡¯t really been paying attention, but she was able to replicate the movements with ease.

    She dug into the tiny little spots that you couldn¡¯t see with the naked eye, the crevasses and buttons needed to activate the mechanism. And then, the sound of grinding gears and shifting stones dug into her ears again as the statue and wall split in half, revealing a set of descending stone stairs.

    The cking got louder as a rush of stale air came from the stairs, a hushed whisper sounding from right next to Teresa even though the figure of the Crown Princess was already about to disappear around a bend in the stairs.

    ¡°Come on, Teresa. We have to be quiet so that they don¡¯t hear us, if we take them by surprise then they can¡¯t get rid of the kids before we stop them.¡±

    ck.

    ck.

    ck.

    ck.

    She knew it. She knew it in her bones. The cking wasn¡¯t that loud. The figure of the Crown Princess was sneaking around the corner, it couldn¡¯t make such a loud sound. Nor would Abigail ever make such a loud sound in a situation like this, she was smarter than that.

    And yet, each little ck sounded as if it would echo throughout the stairwell, as if it came from within Teresa¡¯s own head.

    She raised her feet and strode forward, slow and careful steps taking her down the somewhat dark stairwell. A stench apanied the cking, a familiar scent that slowly rose higher and higher. It was like gas for the fire inside her stomach, stoking the mes higher and higher. And yet, the ice only grew colder with each passing second, the nausea and sourness in her throat intensifying in tune.

    The stench brushed against her face with every step she took, it enveloped her as she descended further, clung to her like dirt. Her heart was beating. Slowly and steadily at first, but with each step it seemed to grow in intensity.

    Thud.

    Thud.

    Thud. Thud.

    Thud. Thud. Thud.

    Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

    She felt¡­ anger. The fire rose higher and higher,peting with the sickening ice until her insides were a mess of nausea and tangled wires. She got angrier with each step, sicker with each step.

    She hadn¡¯t even known about this secret space earlier, but part of her was whispering to her as she walked. She knew what this was, she knew what was down there. It whispered to her the same way the Crown Princess had, the same way her instincts were. She knew. She couldn¡¯t, she shouldn¡¯t, but she knew.

    And then, she reached the end of the stairs.

    A nk stone room, two pale white magical lights fastened to the walls. It was small, barely a handful of meters wide. There was a door on the other end, a narrow opening in the wall. The figure of the Crown Princess stood by the opening, looking at something right next to her.

    Abigail raised a finger to her mouth and shushed, gesturing with a wave before she stepped through the opening. Teresa¡¯s feet carried her forward, quiet steps that went unheard as she passed through the opening.

    Her breath was ragged, drawing in the nauseating stench. Her heart was thumping, the fire was threatening to melt all the ice.

    Beyond the opening, another nk stone room. No, calling it nk wasn¡¯t right, it was gray. Like the gray after a terrible storm, like the ashen gray skin of a decaying corpse, it was a dull gray that inspired sorrow and mncholy. The stone room was gray, the stench was gray, the air was gray.

    It wasrger than the first room, at least a few tens of meters wide this time. The left and right wall were empty, only a single table ced against the right wall to break up the monotony. The wall straight ahead was line with metal doors, iron bars to keep prisoners in. The gap between the bars was just wide enough that those inside could stick a finger out, just wide enough for those inside to see out and those outside to see in.

    The stench came from here, from those cells. Men. Women. Children. They were stuffed in the cells without regard. She could barely see them because there wasn¡¯t really any light in the cells, but part of her knew that all of them had a mark on their neck, a scar left by a needle forcefully pierced through the skin.

    ves-to-be. Different from the ones above, these had yet to be branded with the proper ve-seals, receiving temporary ones until they were sold to the right bidder. Until then, until it was their time to go up on the podium, they would be kept here, controlled here. Broken here. A ve-seal was all well and good, but proper training would ensure that the productsted longer so it was a necessary process.

    There were six people in the room, guards and trainers. They weren¡¯t ves, they were vers. Two were sleeping on nkets they hadid out, one was reading something at the table, the two others were currently chatting as they strode along the cell doors.

    Teresa¡¯s fingers twitched, the stench stoking mes as the ice struggled to keep up. She was angry. Every fiber of her being was revolting, partly against her own instincts and partly against what she was seeing here.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡±

    The whisper hit her again. The figure of the Crown Princess stood a few steps to her side, seemingly crouched down behind something. She spoke to the empty air, to no one present. But Teresa knew that she was talking to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can do it as you want.¡±

    Abigail¡¯s words were akin to unleashing a shackled wolf. Teresa felt it inside her, like a chain unfurling as she was given the okay, the signal that she could unleash the fire, the rage. One of the two guards strolling along the cells seemed to spot her out of the corner of her eye, her steps halting sharply.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s so¡­!¡±

    But it was toote, her words cut short. Teresa¡¯s hand was raised, her finger extended as she pointed straight at her. She felt the mana within her, she saw the diagram form behind her eyes. She had never seen the spell before, she had never heard the words before. And yet, they fell so easily from her lips.

    ¡°Uvaish¡¯s Javal, Argan Hui Teran.¡± (Nature¡¯s Poison, Fester And Control.)

    Her mana scattered through the air as pale white spores, quickly scurrying down the throats and into the eyes of the two pacing guards. They got to let out a cough, but that was it.

    The spores clung to them and used their lifeforce to grow, something akin to white fluff rapidly growing on their skin and out from their orifices. It grew and grew without restraint as it devoured their lifeforce, they hadn¡¯t gotten to put up any defenses so they were helpless to stop it.

    Their arms extended, but as the white fluff, a moss-like mushroom, grew out from their heads like branches, their arms fell down limply. Naturally, the third awake man saw this, he had sprung up the moment Teresa started to cast her spell. But the magic simply worked too fast, so as he was rushing at her, she could give the order.

    ¡°Kervas, Nergal Ka¡¯e Kin.¡± (ves, Kill My Foes.)

    The two people affected by the mushroom sprung into action, rushing forward. The man who charged at Teresa quickly spun, swinging a sword at the woman that was the first to reach him. His de cut clean through her arm and dug into her chest, but she moved without regard, smashing her remaining fist into his face.

    Teresa had simply given the order to kill, and as mindless servants, they could do only exactly as she ordered. So as the man was reeling from the punch, the second servant reached him and tackled him to the ground. He then proceeded to turn the man¡¯s face into mush through repeated punches, never drawing the sword hanging at his waist.

    Blood sttered every time he raised his fist, subdued grunts and groans giving way to sickening crunches. The female servant that had lost an arm was also taking part in the beating, kicking and stomping at every exposed body part she saw.

    Warm blood hit Teresa¡¯s face, but for a moment she couldn¡¯t even tell if it was actually there or if it was just another part of her hallucinations. She looked at the cages ahead of her. One moment she saw corpses, both young and old in them, and in the next she saw those very same corpses huddled together in dejected fear, evidently still alive.

    It was mixing together, like the fire and ice inside her, until she could no longer discern truth from fiction.

    With all the noise made, the two sleeping guards naturally woke up. One looked a bit groggy, but the second one seemed to react quickly. She saw the situation and sprung into action. Teresa was blocking the entrance, so she moved the other way, towards the cell.

    Teresa saw the cell she was heading towards, it held several children. Dead one moment yet alive the next, fearful one moment and nk the other. She didn¡¯t know which one of them was the truth, but she knew which one she didn¡¯t want to be the truth. So she cursed, blood dripping from her mouth as her finger moved again.

    ¡°Kervas. Nergal Hui Katek Nergal.¡± (ves, Kill And Bring Death.)

    The two servants immediately stopped crushing the almost pureed corpse beneath them as they turned and sprang at the runningdy. She managed to tear open the cell door and grab one of the children, a young girl, but the servants reached her as her fingers curled around the girl¡¯s arm.

    There was a scream, a young and terrified scream, as the girl was flung through the air. The ver had grabbed onto her but was then pulled back by the servants, the violent force of their pull lifting the emaciated child into the air, dislocating her foot so that it slipped out of her chains. She was then quickly flung away as the ver was forced to let go as the first few punches started to cave in her face.

    Teresa rushed forward. It wasn¡¯t due to the instincts in her body, it wasn¡¯t due to the raging fire. No, a little cold part of her made her rush forward. That scream. That cold part of her was whispering that the scream was real, that this child was real. Real and alive.

    The girl hit the ground hard before Teresa could catch her, rolling along the cold stone for a short second before Teresa caught up and scooped her up. She was cold in her hands. The hot blood that had sttered onto her felt like ice when she pressed the child against her.

    The servants, who had quickly mangled the woman that tried to grab the girl, moved on to the remaining guard. He cut at them, but they remained unmoved as they bore down on him. Their hands and feet shattered as they beat him into a pulp, as they crushed bones and tore at flesh.

    And once he was dead, they dragged both his body and the body of the woman over, presenting them to Teresa. After all, their master had said to Bring Death, so they brought it over to her. Blood still sttered from their wounds, gushing out from holes made by broken bones. Teresa wanted to shield the young child, but she only had her own body.

    Looking past the two servants, she gazed back into the cells. Young and old, male and female, they were huddled together, trapped in their chains, terrified. Alive. The cold part whispered to her, they were alive.

    ¡°¡­We were toote¡­¡±

    The figure of the Crown Princess spoke to the empty air again, begrudging their failure it seemed. But no, the cold part whispered. They were alive. She saw them. Breathing, struggling, surviving. They were alive.

    They were huddled together where they could, the old protecting the young, shielding them. Once upon a time, she shielded her brothers in much the same way.

    This is real, the cold part whispered to her. This is reality. They are alive, they are struggling. It whispered, it told her of the reality she lived in, of the truth in front of her. They were alive, but they needed to be saved.

    Warm blood. Teresa felt it drip down her arms. The foot of the little girl, the one that had gotten dislocated. It had been torn out of the chains with such force that it had basically been skinned, her blood staining Teresa. She was also bleeding from the head after having hit the ground.

    Not dead yet, but dying. The cold part whispered, spoke of the truth. Teresa¡¯s eyes moved for a moment,nding on the figure of the Crown Princess. She looked sad, she cursed their failure as she knelt in front of the corpses that Teresa asionally saw in the cells.

    ¡°My Lady¡­¡±

    Her Lady. Not this one, not the one that rose with the mes. Her Lady, the cold one, the patch of ice nestled safely in the pit of her stomach. Her reality.

    Teresa had huddled up with her brothers like that to keep them safe, keep them warm during the cold winters or to shield them from others when she managed to scrounge up some food for them. Her Lady had saved her from that, saved them from that. Her Lady had saved. Her Lady could save. Thus whispered the cold part to her. Thus she spoke.

    ¡°My Lady, My Lady and Lord will save you. So wait, please¡­¡±

    Her body moved. She spun on her heels, ignoring the two mushroom-covered servants that had knelt down and were bashing their heads against the stone floor until their skulls cracked. They too were included in her foes, so in the end they had to bring death to themselves.

    But Teresa didn¡¯t even register them anymore. She ran up the stars and out of the stairwell, momentarily slipping in the vomit she had left behind earlier. But she just kept running after correcting her position, shes of dark crimson threads still dancing in her vision as a fire-like whisper asionally reached her ears to worsen what remained of her nausea.

    Still, she just kept running. She had to get to her Lady.

 Chapter 87: Cracks of convergence. (4)

    Chapter 87: Cracks of convergence. (4)

    The banquet hall was silent after Teresa finished recounting her story, receiving more than a few queer gazes from the nobles around her. How could they not look at her like that? She was evidently still rather mentally rattled so she had spoken without filtering her words as she usually would.

    Hallucinations, magic of a type they had never heard of before, random bouts of illness, emotions that seemingly arose out of nowhere. It sounded like a fairy tale, a funny little story, a¡­

    ¡°Are we supposed to put our faith in the deranged now?¡±

    ¡­A nonsensical story born from a deranged mind. Yeah, of course it would seem like that to outsiders. Gabriel was the one who sent Teresa out on this mission to begin with, he had known and worked with her her for several years already, but even he didn¡¯t know what to make of this story.

    He naturally knew about her poison affinity so that wasn¡¯t what was confusing him. He could even somewhat understand the emotions that seemed to arise out of nowhere, he had experienced it himself a few times in the past, it had been especially bad when they visited the Barong estate.

    But the hallucinations? Outsiders could easily dismiss them because they didn¡¯t know how much information Teresa had been given before the mission, but Gabriel knew. That secret room¡­ He hadn¡¯t told Teresa anything like that. No, Gabriel didn¡¯t even know that such a room existed. But the hallucination, something that was generally produced by your own subconsciousness, knew about it.

    As for the random bouts of illness¡­ he couldn¡¯t say that he was entirely unfamiliar with those either. He hadn¡¯t experienced anything like it, but the description Teresa gave matched what Alice had felt on the way back from the Barong estate, when she had her nightmare. Was it a coincidence? Possibly. But Gabriel knew better than to just dismiss strange situations as coincidence, that¡¯s how you ended up finding yourself surrounded and ambushed.

    His gaze slid to the side andnded on Alice, who was looking at Teresa and the bloody child with furrowed brows. She wasn¡¯t showing much of an expression, but Gabriel could recognize the dark swirls in her crimson pupils. Barely contained fire. Her own gaze moved sideways and locked with his for a moment, the two exchanging silent words for a moment before Alice wrapped her arms around Teresa to hold her close.

    ¡°Shh, you don¡¯t need to speak anymore. You¡¯ve done well, better than we could ever have hoped for. Get some rest, you must be drained both physically and mentally.¡±

    Teresa¡¯s eyes closed as Alice¡¯s warmth wrapped around her. The doctor called on by the emperor was already handling the girl she had brought along so there was nothing blocking Alice from pulling her in close. She could feel a tremble, a quiver that ran through Teresa¡¯s entire body.

    Alice had actually experienced something simr so she could easily empathize with Teresa. That feeling of being in your body yet having next to no control, to feel like you were someone else¡­ It was sickening.

    She didn¡¯t lower her voice as she embraced Teresa, she spoke just loud enough for the nobles around them to hear her. She couldn¡¯t just let them call her friend deranged so she had to make up an excuse for her. They were in front of the emperor, and had the whole empire watching through the mages transmitting everything, this wasn¡¯t the time or the ce to dig into the nobles for speaking of her friend like that.

    Still, she made sure to memorize their faces should a chance arise some timeter down the line. Was it wrong of them to think that Teresa was a bit deranged after the story she just shared? No, not really, it was one that would be extremely hard to believe if you didn¡¯t know everything. But Teresa was her friend, Alice wouldn¡¯t let others speak poorly of her, even if they weren¡¯t actually wrong for doing so.

    So she gazed at the nobles while stroking Teresa¡¯s back tofort her. She¡¯d already said her piece, Gabriel would take care of the rest.

    ¡°Please forgive my friend, Your Esteemed Highness. Looking at her state I believe it would only be fair to say that she suffered a fair bit while trying to get her hands on that information for the sake of the empire¡¯s safety. Both her body and mind must be terribly shaken after such a tough ordeal, only held together by her intense desire to protect this empire and its people, a desire I am sure that everyone present can understand.¡±

    Gabriel gave a slight tilt of his torso while cing his hand on his chest, a polite and respectful bow as he addressed the emperor. Things were going in a slightly unexpected direction thanks to Teresa¡¯s strange experience, but that just meant that he had to steer things back towards the oue he desired. Luckily, that shouldn¡¯t prove too hard.

    ¡°Speak not of it, there is nothing to forgive. If anything, I should thank her for suffering so much distress for the sake of my people. Her actions will surely protect the safety of many.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter whether he wanted to or not, Emperor Arthas had no choice but to go along with what Gabriel was saying. The citizens were watching their every move, and with Gabriel bringing up the topic of illegal ves and colluding with other countries, the entire empire was sure to look upon them with rapt attention.

    Gabriel only had to bring up something as simple as ¡®for the empire and its citizens¡¯ to leave Arthas with no choice but to go along. What was he going to do? Call Teresa¡¯s story into question after she arrived covered in blood while bringing evidence of this corruption? It would be one thing if the evidence turned out wrong, but what if it ended up being true? He would be the emperor who ignored a threat to the empire because he thought a story sounded strange. He could not risk it, not with the citizens watching.

    ¡°Barong, Vritara, Woodime, attend to me!¡±

    Arthas called out two of the unrted ducal families, as well as the Eastern family, holding close the rolled up papers that Teresa had brought. Inwardly he was cursing his idea to broadcast the banquet for the citizens to cheer for their new heroes. Everything that happened here today would be a lot easier to handle if it hadn¡¯t been revealed this publicly. But regret was worth very little at this stage, he had no choice but to move ahead.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°We hear your orders, your highness.¡±

    ¡°We are ready to listen.¡±

    The heads of the three families stepped forward and gave Arthas a small bow. They could already guess what he was going to ask of them, but the world of politics was one of theatrics so they would have to y along and at least wait for the emperor to state his orders.

    ¡°I will summon Nerissa Sy and the Amber Inquisitors, I order all of you to summon a toon of your own Inquisitors to work together with them to uncover the truth! I give you one hour to get them ready and summon them, I want them to head out posthaste so that our citizens can rest easy as quickly as possible!¡±

    The inquisitors. If the assassination squads were the dark side of therger families then the inquisitors would be the light side. The assassins took care of enemies outside of the family and thew, the inquisitors took care of enemies inside the family and within thew.

    They existed for the sole purpose of digging up corruption and judging sinners within the family, receiving special rights toplete their tasks. In the eyes of many, the leader of the inquisitors was on the same level as the leader of the family, having the power to execute even the head should he stray too far from the family.

    Well, at least that was the public knowledge. Gabriel wasn¡¯t so jaded as to believe that the inquisitors actually followed those beliefs. They may have when they were first formed, but many years had passed since then, and the more time passed, the harder it became to keep things clean.

    ¡°Duke Sorin, I expect your full cooperation during this investigation. Show the citizens that the great house of Sorin has nothing to hide.¡±

    The Emperor gave Duke Sorin another reminder, mainly for the publics sake. The leaders of the three ducal houses, as well as the Eastern family, were all his close friends. They worked together closely, both in the dark and in the light, so he knew that Duke Sorin would not be even close to involved in this thing.

    The problem was that the usation wasn¡¯t pointed at Duke Sorin but rather his third son. Naturally, the emperor knew a fair bit less about Sorin¡¯s son so he couldn¡¯t confidently state that he wasn¡¯t involved in such matters. And if this turned out to actually be true¡­ then he could only hope that his close friend could forgive him for what he had to do to his son. The public was watching, he would be forced to take a strong stance.

    ¡°That is only natural, your highness. The house of Sorin would never do anything to disgrace or harm the empire so we can ept this investigation with a light heart.¡±

    Duke Sorin was in the same position as Emperor Arthas, the citizens were watching so he had no choice but to go along with everything. Internally however, he was cursing his son. He didn¡¯t know for sure that his son was involved in these things, but he wouldn¡¯t be terribly surprised if he was, his third son had always been a bit worse off than the rest of his sons.

    First he went against one of the ground rules they had been taught from a young age, its fine to break thew a bit, just don¡¯t be too drastic. But then he was also careless enough to get caught. It was fine to have high ambitions, just be strong or smart enough to actually back them up. Arthas nodded his head after the duke epted, turning his head so that he could address the citizens that were watching.

    ¡°My people! In this time, we will need your aid to ensure that no evildoer manages to escape! If you see someone packing up or leaving, please notify the inquisitors when they arrive. Do not be afraid to tell them of even the smallest things, just think that it may be your children disappearing in the future if these heinous men get to escape!¡±

    He had to address the people. Everything he was being broadcast to the entire empire so if there really were ve traders and traitors then they too would be able to see this. Knowing they were caught, they would naturally try to flee as quickly as possible. That was another reason that Arthas made the other families gather their inquisitors with such little notice.

    Normally, this would be where Gabriel would wash his hands of the matter and step back. He had sown the seeds and made it so that everyone would focus on this case rather than on him and Alice publicly rejecting the people the emperor was trying to set them up with. Let the ones in charge sort it all out and mess about with their problems. But Alice had looked at him before she embraced Teresa, fire swirling in her eyes. Thus, he spoke up again.

    ¡°May I offer my services in this investigation, your Esteemed Highness? I feel that just bringing this injustice to light is not enough to thank you for granting me the Viscount of War title, I wish to aid you in seeing it through to the end so that we may punish the traitors. I beseech you, use my knowledge on this matter. You may even use this chance to keep an eye on me to ensure that I do not try to flee should it turn out that I was wrong.¡±

    Naturally, quite a few gazesnded on Gabriel as he offered to help. He was the one who came with this information, the one who made the usation, you¡¯d have to be a fool if you thought that he wasn¡¯t the one who knew the most about this matter. Taking advantage of him here would be the most sensible decision, especially since you could use the inquisitors to keep him in check and make sure that he didn¡¯t try to nt evidence.

    But there was a part of the emperor that wanted to reject him. He wasn¡¯t a fool, he could tell that Gabriel and Alice had been ying him since the start of the banquet. They kept pushing him about as they pleased, and he had no choice but to go along with it all. Sure, they hadn¡¯t actually done anything that was bad for the empire, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was pleasant to be yed like a puppet.

    But, he didn¡¯t have a choice in the other matters so why would he have a choice now? He knew more than anyone present on the matter so it would be foolish to not use him, the public knew this and Arthas knew this. So, while he was annoyed that he was being yed like this, he still wanted to do what was best for the empire so he kept ying along.

    ¡°Good. The empire will surely thank you for your willingness to help. I will put you under Nerissa Sy, she is the leader of the imperial family¡¯s inquisitors, the Amber Inquisitors. She has personally dug out and killed many a traitor in her time so you can trust her. Naturally, I will also expect you to follow her orders during the investigation.¡±

    Someone was already striding through the hall as the emperor spoke, heading straight for him. The Amber Inquisitors worked directly beneath the emperor, when he called they woulde to his side without wasting even a single second. Thus, they were the first of the inquisitors to arrive, their leader naturally at the front.

    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to provide further aid, your Esteemed Highness. And worry not, I will follow orders perfectly. I will greet Head Inquisitor Sy in a moment, but please allow me to say my farewells to my fiancee first.¡±

    Gabriel gave another polite and respectful bow, waiting for the emperor to nod before he spun on his heels. Alice was still embracing Teresa,forting her quietly. Gabriel could see the slight tremble that ran down her spine and spread through the rest of her body. He¡¯d seen many people like this in his past life. Trauma, no matter its cause, clung to you like a maggot.

    He bent the knee and locked eyes with Alice for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. It was awkward because of Teresa, but it brought them close enough to where Alice could whisper to him, just loud enough for both of them to hear.

    ¡°They made Teresa cry, Gabriel. They only need a single mouth to confess.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an order, Alice never gave him orders. But even if she didn¡¯t give orders, he never disappointed. He finished the hug and gave Alice¡¯s forehead a quick kiss, a slight tremble running through her body before her muscles tensed. Once he was finished he stood up and spun around to join up with the inquisitors.

    It was just like he said, he would follow orders perfectly. And right now, hisdy desired enough blood topensate Teresa for her tears and fears.

 Chapter 88: Cracks of Convergence. (5)

    Chapter 88: Cracks of Convergence. (5)

    ¡°Gabriel Sakra Indra greets Head Inquisitor Nerissa Sy of the Amber Inquisitors. As allowed by his Esteemed Highness, I will offer you my assistance as best I can during this investigation so please feel free to order me around as you would your other subordinates.¡±

    Gabriel saluted as he greeted the inquisitors, who had just finished receiving their orders from Emperor Arthas. As it was a rather rushed order they naturally couldn¡¯t bring out the full force of the Amber Inquisitors, it would be a bit awkward to do so since they were also going to work together with the Inquisitors of the various ducal households. Thus, there were only enough people to barely form a squad in front of him, if they included him they would reach 9 people.

    ¡°I witnessed your Investiture, Viscount Indra. Allow me to extend my felicitations on your new position.¡±

    Nerissa Sy returned his salute in a steadfast and calm manner, her expression as unmoving as a statue. She was a woman of tall stature, standing almost a full head over Gabriel. She donned a full set of te metal armor, amberurels painted across the polished metal as decorations, so it was hard to urately guess her body-shape.

    But her face, while clearly denoting a significant level of physical strength, was slim and somewhat delicate in appearance. She had clear blue eyes, her emotions hidden deep within them, and her dark ck hair was cut short just halfway down her ears so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way once she donned her helmet.

    Gabriel could tell from her eyes, her steadfast stance, and seemingly unmoving aura. She was an excellent interrogator, someone who would be able to get information about all but those willing to die to take it to the grave. He asionally worked with such a person back in his past life, when just straight death wasn¡¯t enough to get the information you needed. Each encounter was exceedingly informative.

    ¡°His Majesty has already informed me of your willingness to aid our cause, and as the one who dug out the truth of the matter I do not doubt that you will prove yourself exceedingly useful. But I wish to once again make it clear that as long as you ride along with us, you must abide by my orders. Will you be able to do so until the investigation is finished and we have uncovered all those who are to be punished?¡±

    Nerissa had to make it clear from the very start, otherwise there would be a risk of insubordination or disobedienceter down the line. Gabriel understood the concerns very well, the chain ofmand existed for a reason. With just a single crack, a chain could break with just the slightest pressure.

    ¡°I have given my word and promised my head on this matter so fear not, I will obey the orders of Head Inquisitor Nerissa until we see the end of this investigation.¡±

    Gabriel maintained his salute as he assured Nerissa, who observed him closely with a sharp gaze. She had watched the investiture from the start, and now that she saw him up close she affirmed what she first thought about Gabriel. A good soldier. It would be fortuitous if she managed to recruit him into the Amber Inquisitors, he was someone who would prove to be useful.

    ¡°Good. I will lend you a horse, we will immediately ride out and meet up with the inquisitors of the ducal families. From there we shall ride out to the mansion of Duke Sorin¡¯s third son to reim the alleged illegal ves. Thereafter we shall go through the list of evidence one by one to root out everyst seed of dissent.¡±

    Nerissa quickly spat out her orders, her crimson cape fluttering as she spun and swung out her arm, her inquisitors swiftly assenting with a unified shout. As one, they marched out of the hall, Gabriel just barely catching Alice moving towards the emperor as he left. Evidently, she was cooking up something again. Well, whatever it was she would likely end up sessful, he trusted her enough to wholeheartedly believe that, so he followed Nerissa and the inquisitors.

    As for Nerissa¡¯s n¡­ He couldn¡¯t quite agree with its efficiency. They would meet up with at least three other squads of inquisitors, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they ended up being close to 50 people once everyone was gathered up. To travel in one group from ce to ce, doing it one by one? It was horribly inefficient and gave the other side more than enough time to implement an emergency measure of two.

    Evidently, she didn¡¯t trust the inquisitors that the ducal families would send out. Then again, they were going out to investigate one such ducal family so perhaps it was only to be expected that she would hold some reservations. Would the other inquisitors really be willing to spark friction between the ducal families? What if some of them were already bribed or told what to do? She couldn¡¯t know for sure, at which point it was best to just do it herself.

    Gabriel hadn¡¯t been above doing the same on certain missions, removing annoying ¡®obstacles¡¯ should they not know when to get out of the way. But this time he was just going to follow orders so there¡¯d be no need to do such things. So, he mounted the armored horse Nerissa was lending him and joined them as they galloped away. Time to find that one lone mouth that they needed.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Caine was dizzy. The distant hall was still abuzz with sound even though the inquisitors had left, people probably wouldn¡¯t leave, or be allowed to leave, until they returned with some news. Abigail was naturally still there¡­ sweet, caring Abigail.

    His head throbbed and his throat was dry. It was worse than when the pre-established chain of events started to change due to outside factors. It was worse than when he realized that someone else was inhabiting Azuras¡¯ body in this run.

    All of that¡­ All of that he could understand to some extent. Azuras naturally had to make some changes to himself to uphold his contract, otherwise things would just proceed as in the past loops. Forcing a different soul into his body was the easiest option, thus Caine could ept how things had started to twist along the way.

    But this¡­ This was something else entirely.

    ¡°Azuras!¡±

    Caine¡¯s hand drifted to the mark that covered most of his neck and parts of his chest. The sign of their contract, the mark of their covenant. He mmed his fist against it. His skin bruised under his knuckles after repeated strikes, his fingers eventually clutching at the ck tentacles, tearing at his flesh.

    ¡°Azuras!¡±

    A bit of blood started to seep out as Caine tore at the mark, his expression twisting. He¡¯d been calm about the covenant in the past. Azuras may be their enemy, but if it meant achieving his goal then Caine was more than willing to sign a thousand contracts with him. If it meant preventing his Abigail from breaking down after going through so many loops to reach the best ending then he¡¯d be willing to do anything. But now¡­ This¡­ This was going against what Azuras had put in the contract.

    After receiving his repeated strikes, something other than blood started to leak out from the mark. Oil-like liquid gushed out from the ck octopus, running down Caine¡¯s body like tears as they pooled on the floor. Within mere moments, the pool stretched out to cover the entire floor, crawling up the walls and along the ceiling until Caine was surrounded by a pitch-ck swamp that bubbled and hissed.

    Rows of circling teeth surfaced from the swamp, gnashing as they spun around Caine, expanding seemingly without end. Azuras was responding, but Caine wasn¡¯t terribly happy about it. Azuras ignored him whenever he called for him, the only time he ever actually responded to one of his calls was when he came to gloat and taunt Caine. Would it be any different now?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Caine? You¡¯re looking so disheveled, so furious.¡±

    And sure enough, the voice that rose from the swamp, like a thousand buzzing flies, carried a certain malicious joy. Tentacles stretched out from the darkness, the tendrils coiling around each other like worms trying to devour one another. Eventually, the twisting mass took on a vaguely humanoid shape devoid of normal facial features. But the circling maws that swam across the creature¡¯s face were all curved disgustingly, gloating as they seemed to be but a second away from bursting into violentughter.

    ¡°You broke the contract. There¡¯s no way for the third turn Teresa to have any of those memories!¡±

    Section 4 of their contract: Azuras would not interfere further in the loop by guiding his past body or by showing unrted people memories they shouldn¡¯t have yet. If this stiption wasn¡¯t in the contract then Azuras could just have Abigail regain her memories of the myriad of loops they had gone through, breaking her again. Or he could give other people memories of future loops so that they could use it against him and Abigail, forcing them to once again start up the loops. It was exactly what Caine was trying to prevent.

    So how did Teresa know about that spell? How did her ingrained memories guide her towards that secret entrance? They didn¡¯t find that secret entrance until they got to the 10th loop, and they didn¡¯t study spells mixed with the new elements until the 27th loop. By all ounts, this Teresa should know of neither since this was just the third turn.

    But while Caine was quite furious, parts of his mind were still cool enough to analyze the situation. His brain was furiously working on figuring out exactly what Azuras was nning. Clearly, he wanted to mess things up for Caine and Abigail, that was what he always tried to do. But how would giving Teresa parts of her future loops memories do that?

    There were a lot more direct enemies that he could utilize, they¡¯d be far better pawns than a previouspanion that no longer had tied with Caine or Abigail. Or was there perhaps something special about her this time around, had Gabriel possibly done something to her? But more often than not, when you were trying to furiously think of an answer, the easiest solution was most often the correct one.

    ¡°Caine, I¡¯m insulted that you would think so lowly of me. I can assure you, Caine. I, at this point in time, have not broken a single term of our contract.¡±

    Caine detested the curve of the maws as Azuras responded, and not just because of the implication his words carried. The two were in a contract, they had bound each other by oath. So he knew, Azuras wasn¡¯t lying right now. Based on the terms of their contract, Azuras hadn¡¯t broken a single one of them yet.

    So¡­ How? His mind wracked as he scoured the contract, digging through every single word to find the loophole that Azuras could have used. He ran through each one multiple times, scouring them for different interpretations that could be abused. But there was nothing, no matter how he looked, that could allow Azuras to give other people their memories of future loops. In that case, if it really was that unlikely for it to be Azuras, there was really only one other exnation.

    ¡°The world is correcting itself.

    The correction of the world. Once something happened, that event became ingrained in the world, it became the established flow of time. Even if they used the power of multiple gods to start a loop, the power of the world was nothing to scoff at. In each loop, the world would try to correct itself back to that established flow of time.

    But with each loop, a new established flow was created, so the solution that the world came up with was to just stack it all on top of each other. Bit by bit people would start to regain their memories of the previous loops. It wasn¡¯t aplete return to the established flow, but if everyone had the memories of it happening, the sensations of those moments, wouldn¡¯t that be the same as it actually happening?

    ¡°Ah Caine, clever as always.¡±

    Azuras didn¡¯t deny it, that horrid curve of his maws causing Caine¡¯s stomach to churn. If the world itself was doing the correcting then it really had nothing to do with Azuras, and it also meant that Caine was powerless to stop it. But it begged the question, why did they receive memories of a future loop? Those things had yet to happen, they weren¡¯t part of the established flow of time, so there should be no memories of those times to impart onto others.

    As he was furiously pondering the question, the devil in front of him whispered. The one who signed the contract, the one who agreed on the terms, the one who always smirked in malicious joy when Caine took a step closer to the abyss. He was always willing to help Caine take another step forward.

    ¡°Caine, how do you think time works?¡±

    The question broke Caine out of his ruminations. The tone of his voice was so sickeningly sweet that Caine¡¯s entire being almost lurched due to it. His expression couldn¡¯t help but distort slightly as he looked at Azuras, who just wouldn¡¯t stop grinning.

    ¡°When the world corrects itself, how do you think it chooses the established flow of time?¡±

    How the world chose the established flow of time to imprint onto the world? Well that would obviously be by picking from the events it remembered to happen on the timeline, it was like picking out a specific memo¡­ry¡­

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, Caine.¡±

    Azuras¡¯ grin only grew wider when he saw the realization dawn on Caine¡¯s face, the grim emotions that settled in his eyes.

    ¡°Memories, Caine. The world picks the established flow of time based on memories. Gods like me exist outside the flow of time so it ignores us, but what do you think the world does when it encounters a being that has memories of an established flow of time that hasn¡¯t yet happened?¡±

    The world didn¡¯t have memories of it because it hadn¡¯t happened yet, but there was something out there that did have memories of it. And if it had memories of it, the sensations of those times, how was that different from it actually happening? Clearly, those memories must be the established flow of time.

    The darkness covering the room started to recede, retreating into the mark on Caine¡¯s neck and chest. The figure of Azuras melted into the darkness with onestugh, haunting Caine with a few final words.

    ¡°It¡¯s not me this time, Caine. This time you¡¯ll get to be the reason all your beloved ones crumble and break.¡±

 Chapter 89: cracks of convergence. (6)

    Chapter 89: cracks of convergence. (6)

    ¡°I understand that you must be quite shocked, and anxious to return to your homes. But please rest assured, with the Amber Inquisitors taking on the task, I am sure that we will receive some information sooner rather thanter. Please, have some wine while you wait, we¡¯ve opened an exquisite vintage sent straight from the vineyards on Bolsor Holm.¡±

    Abigail moved between the mumbling nobles with a graceful smile, a handful of servants following her every move as they handed out sses filled with sparkling wine. She was naturally met with calm smiles and words of assurance wherever she went, her own smile never faltering.

    They were whispering amongst themselves, how could they not? The son of a duke was used of partaking in both treason and illegal very, it was a topic anyone would want to talk about, they were probably extremely busy making up various stories and theories. No proof had been produced as of yet, but those in lower positions would relish any chance to tear down those above them.

    ¡°Ah, thank you, Crown Princess. I¡¯ve heard many great things of the wine from Bolsor Holm, but I¡¯ve yet to acquire a taste due to my meager position. I will surely savor this great taste.¡±

    Abigail maintained her graceful smile as the Baron in front of her epted the ss, a wide smile on his face. Her insides churned slightly, she was sure her fingers or eyebrows would twitch if she wasn¡¯t careful enough in maintaining her expression.

    Was it just the ducal family they were looking forward to knocking down a peg? Of course not, the Imperial Family who stood a step above even the dukes was most certainly also primed for a good punch.

    Sure, the one who may havemitted the crime came from a ducal family, but was this not the empire overseen by the Earhart family? Was the Imperial Family really sozy that they didn¡¯t pay attention when their own citizens started to disappear? Were they really so careless that they allowed someone from one of the four strongest families to conspire with an enemy? Or what if¡­ They actually worked together!

    Flimsy reasons and entirely baseless usations. She knew it, the ones who would spread them knew it. But so what? When people wanted a show, when people wanted to be angry, logic was not something they bothered thinking about. A little spark would be all it took to rouse a bit of anger, the nobles looking to take advantage of the situation would then be more than willing to fuel that anger.

    The end-result wouldn¡¯t be something great, it wouldn¡¯t be anywhere close enough to truly harm the Sorin family or the Imperial Family. But it would knock them down a peg, and that alone would be humorous enough.

    Abigail slowly but surely made her way through the entire hall and interacted with all the nobles that had to stay behind. Normally it would be the Emperor that did this, but he was currently preupied talking with Alice and those who hade from the ducal families so it fell onto her as the Crown Princess to handle it swiftly.

    Looking at Alice earnestly chatting with the Emperor and those of the ducal households, the still somewhat out of it Teresa sticking close to her, Abigail felt cold all the way to the pit of her stomach. The world kept twisting more and more, it was as if each day it took another step away from her calctions.

    Teresa shouldn¡¯t have started regaining her memories yet, Azuras had been acting strangely for a long time, Alice was different from the previous attempts. Events that shouldn¡¯t have happened yet urred much earlier than expected, long before she got the time to prepare for them. Everything she did to set up the best possible future was slowly crumbling.

    And the worst part was that she had no idea why any of it was happening. Why Azuras was different. Why he changed Alice. Why memories were returning so fast. Azuras, or Gabriel as he had changed his name, had clearly regained his memories, or at least parts of them, from the earlier turns. But why so soon? And why was he acting differently? She didn¡¯t know, and so she felt cold. She did not want more people to die needlessly, she didn¡¯t want to start another attempt just to see more people die again.

    She made a promise with Caine when they met up again. This would be it. This attempt would be thest one, they would reach the best possible ending in this turn, no more dead friends and allies. Here, everyone would get to be happy for once, everyone would get to live. But the puzzle she wanted to put together was falling apart, pieces were getting plucked away. So she felt cold. She did not want to start another attempt, she did not want to see Caine sad at them having to break their promise to each other.

    She dismissed the servants and strode away from the grand hall, quietly sneaking back to her room. Her thumb naturally made its way to her mouth as she started to nibble on her thumb¡¯s fingernail, a soft silver light floating up from her shoulder.

    ¡°Kaisel, I need to ask you for another favor.¡±

    The light on her shoulder solidified and turned into a small woman with flowing silver hair, green eyes, and fluttering wings that looked like stained ss. Kaisel, the spirit Abigail had contracted with.

    Abigail was infinitely grateful towards Kaisel. Part of the reason was that Kaisel was one of the main reasons that the loop was formed to begin with, without her everything would have ended with that very first tragedy. But above that¡­ Abigail could only be with Caine thanks to Kaisel. Had it not been for this fairy, this Abigail would never have gotten to be here. It would be the same face, the same body, the same voice, but a different Abigail.

    And thus, she was infinitely grateful towards Kaisel and the original Abigail. As such, she had naturally done her best all along, she¡¯d done everything she could to achieve the best result, even before she fell for Caine. But now, now things were starting to fall apart and she was feeling the pressure all over again.

    Thus, she naturally had to ask herself; had she really done everything in her power? Had she given everything she could give? And the answer to that¡­ Was no. There was still something she could do, a measure she had yet to take.

    ¡°I need to look at the loop and the established flow of time, I need to understand where things went wrong so that I can fix them.¡±

    It was a measure that she didn¡¯t want to take. Even if this body had an exalted bloodline, she was in the end mostly just human. For a mortal to observe the established flow of time, and even gaze upon the loop created by multiple gods? To call it a strain was an understatement, if she only lost 10 or so years of her lifespan then that alone would be enough to be called a miracle.

    ¡°Kaisel¡­ Please.¡±

    But she felt like she was left with no choice, so she didn¡¯t regret her choice. She would not allow her promise with Caine to end in sorrow as they started another loop. Some might think that they had as much time as they wanted, that they could just try again and again as they pleased so there was no need to worry.

    But Abigail could feel it within herself. That gnawing unease, that growing worry. How long could shest? What if it didn¡¯t stop at just five or so loops? What if it kept going and she had to see her friends andpanions die? How long would she be able to stay herself?

    No, the loops had to end as quickly as possible, while she was still able to say that she was herself. And if there was a price to pay¡­ Well, she cared more about Caine and herpanions than she did about herself so she¡¯d dly pay it as many times as it took.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    As Gabriel expected, their group grew ratherrge after they met up with the Inquisitors from the other families. The other families seemed to match the pace of the Imperial Family so they all sent over a single squad of inquisitors, eight from each family. Since the Sorin family naturally couldn¡¯t send their own inquisitors as this matter rted to them, their group ended up 33 strong as they marched upon the eerily quiet mansion that was their first target.

    The insides were just as Teresa had described them. The ves that had perished once their master was in were scattered about, some leaning against walls or furniture while others had just slumped down. The mansion was as silent as the grave, the subtle and sweet scent of death permeating the air.

    ¡°Gather all the corpses, strip them of anything that may serve as evidence.¡±

    Nerissa crinkled her nose as she looked at the hallway, directing the people under hermand with a few quick moves of her hand. The bodies were swiftly gathered and carefully lined up on thewn outside, with anything that served as identification confiscated or noted down. Naturally, if they were carrying anything belonging to the mansion then it was taken away separately just in case it could serve as proof.

    They quickly made their way through the mansion, scouring every room and document, investigating every corpse or possible entrance to any secret rooms. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the main office, where the corpses of the leaders were naturally gathered.

    ¡°¡­ This is the nephew of Duke Vritara¡¯s niece, and thisdy has confirmed ties to Duke Sorin¡¯s third son.¡±

    Nerissa, as someone who worked closely with the emperor, knew just about every notable figure in the empire. She could recognize the two leaders at a single nce, even if one of them was just an ¡®unconfirmed¡¯ illegitimate daughter. Naturally, their presence here alone was far from enough to serve as evidence, but if there really was a dungeon with child ves down below then it was something else entirely. The Vritara and Sorin families would be hard-pressed to im any sort off innocence or ignorance for the dead if that was the case.

    ¡°Scour the office. And bring them out with the rest.¡±

    Nerissa spat out her orders after investigating the two corpses. Some of the men looked ufortable with cing people who had ties to the ducal families next to the dead ves and servants, but the cold look in Nerissa¡¯s eyes prevented them from saying anything. This was why Nerissa was the one who became the head of the Amber Inquisitors, she didn¡¯t care about your rank or status, only innocence or guilt.

    Once the office was scoured and everything of use had been stripped clean, there was naturally only one ce left for them to check. Therge group made their way to the secret entrance into the underground chamber, but there would never be space for all of them down there, they were already walking in long lines just to get through the hallways. As such, only the Amber Inquisitors and Gabriel went down the stairs.

    The familiar smell of blood tickled Gabriel¡¯s nose. Partly fresh, partly old. A stuffy smell, a filthy smell. It reminded him of some of the prisons he had been in during his old life, on both sides of the bars. And depending on the country, some of them had torture chambers that smelled like this.

    At the bottom of the stairs, within the stone room, they found what Teresa had left. Two ruined corpses syed on the ground while two strange bodies were prostrating by the corpses. They too looked broken, shattered bones and torn skin. But they had white moss-like things growing on their skin and out of their orifices, branch-like mushrooms extending from their heads.

    Cordyceps. Teresa had given them something rather nasty.

    ¡°Tarung, Arvold, Shijen, take care of the corpses. Langrun, Duvain, Preton, Farang, free the prisoners. Gabriel, follow me to search the walls.¡±

    Nerissa¡¯s lips were tightly pressed as she gave the orders. She saw the cells at the other end of the room, the people huddled closely together in fear. The inquisitors sprang into action while Nerissa started to move along the walls with Gabriel, looking for traces that may hide additional secret entrances.

    Gabriel was naturally also looking, but there was something else that tugged at his attention. The four bodies that Teresa had produced, more specifically one of the prostrating ones that had been taken over by the fungus. It required his attention for a very simple reason.

    ¡°Grand Inquisitor, this one is still alive.¡±

    One of the inquisitors in charge of the corpses spoke up. Indeed, one of the two infected people still lived, babbling in such a low voice that you had to lean in to hear it. Was it because Teresa ran away, or did their own survival instinct kick in before they could kill themselves properly? Whatever the case was, they still lived, if their state could even be called that.

    ¡°Take them in. We¡¯ll pry what we can from them if they haven¡¯t gone insane.¡±

    There was a slight furrow to Nerissa¡¯s brow, she probably couldn¡¯t understand how a person could still be alive in that state. Gabriel was also looking over there, momentarily thinking.

    Alice said that they only needed a single mouth, the rest had to lose their heads. That infected person, would they be adequate as the sole mouth? ¡­ No, they weren¡¯t good enough. And in their state, it was unknown what they might say about Teresa. They were also the reason that Teresa hade back looking so miserable so they simply weren¡¯t good enough.

    Naturally, Gabriel couldn¡¯t just go and kill them right now, that would be foolish. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to use his own hand to kill them.

    His finger slid against the stone wall like he was looking for hidden grooves, his thoughts moving. He wished for ice, and the world listened. The moisture in the air above the bodies gathered and froze, forming a ball of sharp cial thorns aimed directly at the inquisitors in charge of the corpses.

    No spell was cast, no words were uttered. Gabriel wished for ice, and ice was made. This was his first time ¡®publicly¡¯ using it ever since he used Akasha (Demon) on the sealed demon they encountered in the north. He¡¯d naturally practiced it several times so he knew it worked, he even knew his limits and just how much he could control. And thus, he also knew that those present wouldn¡¯t be able to sense him do it.

    The orb exploded andunched the ice at the inquisitor reaching for the body, tearing through the air with a quiet sound. He was caught off-guard, off course he was. How could anyone present expect that the bbering the infected person was doing was in fact a spell? Or well, at least that was what it looked like to them.

    How did people act when they were caught-off guard? How did soldiers and trained fighters react in dangerous situations where they had no time to think? Simple, they acted on instinct.

    The inquisitor drew his weapon, and in a swift motion cut down the spikes and the attacker. It was simply instinct, defend and destroy the attacker, it was what they knew to do. But as a result, the witness they wanted to bring in was dead, so he could only lower his head.

    ¡°Forgive me, Grand Inquisitor, I forgot to think!¡±

    Nerissa naturally didn¡¯t look too pleased that the witness had ended up dead, but how could she possibly me her own men in a situation like that?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it was not something you could control. We can only say that we are unlucky that their loyalty is deeper than one would expect. Keep gathering them up, we will surely find something.¡±

    She could only drop the matter, her slightly narrowed eyes observing the fresh corpse for a few moments before she returned to the task at hand. And naturally, Gabriel followed along just as she had ordered.

 Chapter 90: Cracks of convergence. (7)

    Chapter 90: Cracks of convergence. (7)

    The hidden dungeon was meticulously but quickly searched, not a single nook or cranny left undisturbed. But the end-result was just as expected, there were no other secret rooms tucked away within this already hidden underground area. Still, their first stop in the investigation resulted in at least a handful of evidence so it was a good start.

    The people who had been locked up in the dungeon were freed and brought out, but they naturally weren¡¯t free to just leave. They had to be questioned and investigated, those who had a home to return to would then be sent back while the rest would be handled in a case-by-case manner. But naturally, before that could happen, the results had to be reported to the emperor. And as one would expect, the person in charge of this was Nerissa Sy.

    She contacted the Emperor directly by using the insignia that marked her as the leader of the Amber Inquisitors, truthfully stating even the smallest details they had uncovered as they dug. When the discussion moved to the fact that they had indeed found the illegitimate daughter of Duke Sorin¡¯s third son and the nephew of Duke Vritara¡¯s niece, the sounds of a slightmotion came from the insignia.

    Obviously, children weren¡¯tpletely bound to their parents or family and would often do as they pleased. But it was a piece of evidence that aligned with the usation made by Gabriel so it was understandable that people would end up whispering amongst each other due to it. The Emperor quieted everything down without a word, but Gabriel could already guess that the undercurrents were already moving.

    Innocent until proven guilty was only a concept for thew itself, how rare wasn¡¯t it for the popce itself to simply ignore something like that? But well, that was exactly what Gabriel had been aiming for. Blow it all out of proportion and kick up a great big fuss so that he and Alice could buy themselves some time.

    Nerissa ended the report by speaking of the soon-to-be ves that they had rescued from the dungeon. They would need a ce to stay while they were questioned and investigated so she wanted to know where to send them and how to proceed afterward. The response however¡­ Was a little unexpected.

    ¡°You may send them to the pce. We are in the process of setting up a temporary shelter where they can rest as we question them. Afterward, those with nowhere to go will be ced in the custody of Countess Vritara.¡±

    Countess, it was the title used for female Earl¡¯s. The Vritara ducal family actually had a total of three female Earls, but only one of them was present at the banquet, at the pce. Alice De Vritara, the newest of the Vritara Earls.

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes narrowed inquisitively for a moment. Judging by the Emperor¡¯s tone of voice, this wasn¡¯t an idea of his own making, and remembering that Alice went to talk with the Emperor as he left it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that this was part of what she was scheming. But the question here would be, why?

    Gabriel didn¡¯t know why she wanted to take in these people or what she nned with them, but he only thought about it for a moment before he put it aside. He didn¡¯t need to think too much about why she was doing it, he could just ask her when he got back and get the truth straight from her own lips.

    So, rather than spend time thinking about something like that, it would be more efficient to think about the next moves. The list of ces to be visited after this was naturally something he was well aware of, he knew which businesses and people were involved in the treason and illegal ves. But the fact was that this mansion contained a secret room he hadn¡¯t known about before so there was a chance that the other ces may be the same.

    Thus, naturally, he needed to once again go over his ns and prepare for unexpected twists. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to do so alone, and had already sent out some people before the banquet had even started. He knew that an investigation like this would arise after the usation was made, and thus there would naturally be people who tried to get rid of the evidence before Gabriel or anyone else could reach them. But the Night Pack would have been watching it all, preparing. From the start, the n was never to let anyone get away.

    Nerissa did as the Emperor ordered, calling upon one person from each group to gather the corpses on a wagon while simultaneously escorting the freed people back to the pce. While they started the trek back, she took the rest of the people and moved on to the next target on the list, someone known as Uncle Tarmund. This person was supposedly the first step to reaching the third son of Duke Sorin, they simply had to get through the three proxypanies that he led to.

    The inn he ran was located in a city known as Evergreen Roads, located in the southern reaches of the western-based Sorin Duchy so the group had to use a portal cut down on the time needed to reach it, otherwise it would take them close to a week of carriage riding.

    After leaving the portal, and as they rode through the city, they naturally heard the sound of the asional animal. This city was aptly named, a veritable grove of trees lined the roads, it was a city as much as it was a forest, so animal were amon sight here. But there was one sound in particr that Gabriel focused on, the repeated hooting of an owl.

    Good, everything was in ce.

    It was naturally ratherte, if it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that the investiture was broadcast to the entire empire then it wouldn¡¯t be strange for most people to be asleep at this point. But because of everything that had happened, the city was still rather lively. Most people were probably waiting for the emperor to release a statement on the usation levied by Gabriel.

    Seeing as they weren¡¯t trying to be quiet as they moved, Nerissa and her group naturally received more than a few stares. Amongst them, Gabriel was the main focus of their attention. The new Viscount of War who had kicked up such a fuss during the ceremony, the hero of the empire. Everyone here knew what they were out to do, a few cheers reaching their ears. Treason and illegal very, there would be no one in themon popce who wouldn¡¯t cheer for those who came to put a stop to something like that.

    Squirrel¡¯s Nest, that was the ill-befitting name that Tarmund used for his inn. The entire thing was covered in a coat of paint that was a dull reddish-brown, branches stretching out from the walls within the building. The first floor was reserved for arge dining and drinking area, the second floor was where people slept, and the basement was used as a storage area for their liquor and food.

    ¡°I extend you my humblest greetings, illustrious Inquisitors. I would offer you a seat and some of our finest food and drinks, but I feel that you are not here for such frivolities. I do not know how this misunderstanding came about, but I have nothing to hide so please, take your time and investigate as you please.¡±

    Bright green eyes, neatly cut andbed brown hair, a few freckles on his face, and skin tanned to the point of being slightly leathery. Tarmund looked more like a farmer than an inn owner as he greeted them, guiding them into his establishment.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Should you turn out to be innocent then we will offer a public and official apology while also remunerating you for your time.¡±

    Nerissa gave Tarmund the proper assurance and then got to work, naturally keeping Gabriel quite close to her side as they searched the inn from top to bottom. Tarmund even showed them the six different hiddenpartments he had for hiding various logbooks and pouches filled with coins. Truly, a model citizen who was willing to do what it took to prove his innocence.

    What a shame it was that he was already caught in the web, he just didn¡¯t know it yet because his ¡®wings¡¯ still made a buzzing sound.

    As one would expect, Nerissa and her men were unable to find anything tying Tarmund to any otherpanies. Even when they triple-checked everything, it came up negative. Even using the most exotic ciphers they knew about yielded no result, nothing they had found was encrypted in any way.

    Naturally, that didn¡¯t mean that their search ended here. Gabriel knew about the protocol of the Inquisitors, he was relying on that protocol to tighten the noose on this one particr target. And sure enough, Nerissa was so strict that she would not ignore the protocol.

    ¡°It does indeed seem like there is nothing here. Tarmund, please guide us to your home, we shall try to disturb your family as little as possible.¡±

    Who would really keep signs of their embezzlement or tax evasion at the ce they worked? Nerissa had seen more than her fair share of people who tried to hide it in their homes instead, thinking that they wouldn¡¯t be searched. Would someone trying to hide information about proxypanies and the like do the same?

    ¡°Naturally. Please, if you would follow me.¡±

    Tarmund did not hesitate and brought them straight to his home, to his wife and two sons. His wife seemed to be wide awake while the two children, who seemed about 8 and 11, looked rather drowsy so they had probably just been woken up.

    ¡°Please, take your time and search. Don¡¯t let the mess disturb you, young children can be a bit of a handful. Sari tries her best to clean since she¡¯s with them all day, but I do try my best to ensure that she also gets some rest.¡±

    Tarmund scratched his cheek somewhat embarrassedly, his wife taking the two children aside so that they wouldn¡¯t get in the way due to their curiosity. Naturally, the inquisitors started to search the entire building. Well, calling it an apartment was probably a bit more apt, even if it was a touch toorge to be described as such.

    Tarmund¡¯s face hadn¡¯t changed since the Inquisitors first arrived, he was the visage of upright confidence. But the nails were already being hammered into his coffin. One by one they were struck, locking him down.

    One.

    ¡°Grand Inquisitor!¡±

    By.

    ¡°I found something and request that you take a look.¡±

    One.

    One of the Amber Inquisitors came out from the kitchen holding a somewhat weathered book. Naturally, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to what he brought out. Thus, only Gabriel saw the twitch that marred Tarmund¡¯s expression, the confusion that momentarily surfaced in his eyes.

    Nerissa epted the book and started to scroll through the pages. Her expression didn¡¯t change much, but it was easy to guess what she was finding based on the dimming light in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t something immediately rted to the illegal ves or treason, but there were clear signs that Tarmund was just a front-man, he was actually working for a differentpany, grossly miss-reporting his taxes and activities in the process.

    A lot of funds entered his hands and then disappeared without a clear destination. Looking at it, several of the deposits made to him were also marked toe from rather dubious ces and services. Well, it wasn¡¯t that the ces were dubious, but the amount of payment he received didn¡¯t match. It wasn¡¯t something terribly clear, but it was enough to start an investigation. As for what that would uncover? Well, only the one involved would know. And speaking of the one involved¡­

    ¡°I must levy an official protest to this. If you look at the writing and the dates noted in this book then you will see that they are evidently quite different from my own. As it stands, I also have alibis for the dates on which several of these deposits were supposedly made. This can only be a crude forgery to incriminate me, nothing more.¡±

    Tarmund defended himself rather reasonably. The alibis were one thing as they weren¡¯t yet proven, but the writing in this ledge was clearly a fair bit different from the writings they had found in his official ledgers at the inn. Naturally, they could investigate slowly whether or not it was a forgery, it would just take more time.

    Nerissa¡¯s eyes moved slightly, carefully observing the ledger and Tarmund in silence. She was clearly already forming a few opinions of her own, both on what the truth was and how to handle the situation. The emperor had sent them out with great haste to make sure that none of the suspects got away, spending extra time on a separate investigation could prove¡­ Fatal.

    But it was the proper thing to do if you wished for the truth. She knew it, Tarmund knew it, and that was exactly why he brought it up. But ah, what a shame it was that the hammer was still present to drive in the nails. And so, Gabriel spoke up.

    ¡°Head Inquisitor Sy. Tarmund is correct in saying that it must be investigated whether or not this ledger is faked. To condemn an innocent person would be a grievous error. But if we look at the location where the ledger has been found, I believe that even if it was forged, someone in this room must have helped them nt it. I believe protocol in a situation like this is to temporarily detain and bring in all suspects so that they may be interrogated until the truth is found.¡±

    He said it kindly, but you¡¯d have to be a fool to not know who he was talking about in this room. Who had constant ess to this ce? Tarmund. His wife. His two sons. It was found in their kitchen, and the wife and sons were apparently ¡®here all day¡¯, clearly someone among them must have helped nt it if it turned out to be fake.

    Tarmund paled instantly, his fingers trembling uncontrobly. His wife was also clearly scared at the turn of events, the children slowly catching on as well when they saw their parents¡¯ fear. Nerissa rolled her eyes for a moment, seemingly searching her memories for a moment before she nodded her head.

    ¡°Such is indeed the protocol. Arvold, Duvain, detain them, we shall bring them back for questioning and dig out the truth.¡±

    Nerissa gave the order calmly and her inquisitors sprang into action. But as soon as they moved, so too did Tarmund. How could he not move when he knew about the infamy of the inquisitors. They cared not for age, gender, or position, they only cared about the truth, about innocent and guilty. His sons? His wife? Could he leave them in their hands?

    ¡°Wait, please wait! I was wrong, this is indeed mine! Please, I¡¯ll talk, so just leave them be!¡±

    No matter who he worked for, Tarmund couldn¡¯t avoid forming attachments and rtionships with other people, especially something like love. It was what made him human. And if there was one thing Gabriel knew how to do then it was bring humans to their death.

 Chapter 91: Cracks of Convergence. (8)

    Chapter 91: Cracks of Convergence. (8)

    Nerissa raised her hand in a sharp and silent manner the moment Tarmund pleaded, evidently quite prepared for his surrender. The inquisitors stopped immediately, almost looking frozen in the air for a second before they stepped back to their original positions. Her gazended on Tarmund, the book in her hand drawing a line in the air as she gestured towards a nearby table.

    ¡°Well then, how about you join me for a little chat? Arvold, Duvain, ensure that nobody leaves this room until further orders are given.¡±

    Nerissa strode over to the table and took a seat, for a moment the only sound in the apartment came from her chair scraping against the wooden floor. It was quite a shift from how she earlier said to detain and take his family in for questioning. Evidently, she knew very well what sort of reputation they had, she would probably have brought up the protocol herself if Gabriel hadn¡¯t spoken up when he did.

    Tarmund naturally had no choice but to take a heavy seat by the table, the inquisitors splitting up into groups as they secured the room. They didn¡¯t just block the entrance, but also the doors of the other rooms, Nerissa had said This Room, not This Apartment. And so, Tarmund¡¯s family was stuck in the room as she started to question Tarmund, it was a rather efficient scare tactic as it always kept his weakness right there, in the corner of his eyes.

    While Nerissa questioned Tarmund, digging up everyst piece of information about the suspicious transactions and the like, Gabriel walked through the room. As the main area of the apartment, it was naturally quiterge, shifting naturally into the kitchen without a dividing wall. He moved as if he was inspecting the room, allowing his fingers to slide across the furniture in the same way he looked for secret switches in the hidden dungeon the first visited.

    Eventually, he made his way to the kitchen, slowly making his way through it. For a moment, he stopped in front of the window above the sink, it gave a rather good view of the surrounding city. His hand rose and his finger stroked the ss, his eyes narrowing as he looked like a man scrubbing a stain or smudge. Before long, parts of the marks he left on the window formed a mark, but it was broken before long as he rubbed the window a bit more. In the end, he stopped rubbing the window after a little over five seconds, clicking his tongue in apparent dissatisfaction.

    Then, he simply resumed his investigation of the kitchen, carefully observing every inch. The hiddenpartment that seemed to have housed the ledger was naturally also inspected, but there was nothing else to find so he returned to the inquisitors and waited for Nerissa to finish her interrogation.

    ¡°Thank you for giving me so much of your time, I am always fond of such constructive and informative talks.¡±

    Nerissa ended the conversation with a polite smile, her chair scraping against the floor again as she rose from her seat. Tarmund was quite pale at this point, having rambled on about everyst thing he knew. Every time he wanted to stop, Nerissa¡¯s simple and eerily calm smile forced him to continue. She was looking straight at him, but he could swear that he saw his family¡¯s reflection in her eyes. The inquisitors never harmed innocent people, but they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to drag them in if there was a chance that they could be guilty.

    ¡°Now, since you¡¯ve been very cooperative so far, I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t mind following Ertagan over here back to our headquarters for a bit? Just while we organize all the evidence and get it all sorted.¡±

    Nerissa maintained her polite smile as she pointed towards one of the inquisitors sent by the Woodime family. Tarmund felt like crumbling under the weight of that smile, but that luxury was not one afforded to him. At the very least, what he had done wasn¡¯t all in vain. She wanted him to follow them back. Not his family, but him. In that, he could at least find somefort, eking something of a smile onto his face.

    ¡°I naturally don¡¯t mind. Astinos, Artinus, Daddy will be back very soon so don¡¯t worry, just eat properly and don¡¯t forget to stay on top of your studying.¡±

    Tarmund shed a smile at his two sons, ruffling their hair for a short moment before he exchanged looks with his wife. They exchanged no words, but Gabriel could see the emotions in their eyes. In that sense, they were like him and Alice, words weren¡¯t needed to exchange meanings.

    Nerissa exchanged a few words with the inquisitor she had singled out. He didn¡¯t belong to her division since he worked for the Woodime family, but Nerissa was givenmand of this operation so he had no choice but to follow her orders. He brought Tarmund with him as they left, requisitioning a carriage and an additional horse so that he could bring the man back to the Amber Inquisitors.

    He went off in one direction while Nerissa and the rest headed off in a different one, moving on to the next target. As for who the next target was, it would naturally be thepany that it turned out Tarmund had been working for. ording to Gabriel¡¯s usation, piercing through the three proxypanies they would find upon digging into Tarmund would lead to the Third Son of Duke Sorin so they naturally focused on that part of the usation. The part that linked it to a duke from the Kasarias Kingdom would be next in line, but finding the leak on their own side came first.

    ¡°You did a good job of cornering him, Viscount Indra. You were quick on your feet.¡±

    Nerissa addressed Gabriel, without turning her head because they were still riding at almost full speed. The best he got was a sideways nce, cid blue eyes reflecting him for but a moment before he responded.

    ¡°I did nothing that you would not have done yourself.¡±

    Gabriel had no intentions of standing out excessively or trying to make himself look good in Nerissa¡¯s eyes so he deflected thepliment without much thought. He wasn¡¯t terribly used to trusting other people with his own tasks so most of his mind was currently running through ways he may have to handle things if the need arose.

    ¡°That may be true, but it is stillmendable to be so adept at pinpointing and utilizing someone¡¯s weakness. It is a useful talent, so ept thepliment.¡±

    Nerissa didn¡¯t pursue the topic for long, merely giving Gabriel a second sentence before she stopped talking. She spurred her horse to speed up a little, hurrying towards the next portal that would take them further north in the Sorin Duchy. They were a bit lucky with the first two targets, well the first one was taken care of in advance so perhaps only Tarmund counted, but there was no telling if they would have the same luck with the next targets.

    The used the portal and stepped into Vermilion Dawn, a coastal town famous for the sight of the sun rising over the ocean. Here, their target was a somewhat famous bar that was located just a bit too far away from the docks or beaches to be truly popr.

    They maintained their rapid pace as they rushed through the town, Gabriel¡¯s eyes stealthily sweeping the area. It was quiet. Other than the sounds of the city, it was quiet. No cooing of birds, no squeaking of rats or mice, no meowing of cats, no barking of dogs. His expression wanted to sink, but he maintained his rather nk look as they approached the bar.

    ¡°Curses.¡±

    Nerissa released a small groan as they got close enough to see the bar. People were gathered outside, swarming around the entrance as they tried to peer in, guards holding them back. Nerissa stopped her horse close to the crowd and jumped off, shing her insignia as she pushed through the crowd with arge stride.

    ¡°Grand Inquisitor Nerissa Sy, here on orders from Emperor Earhart, move aside!¡±

    The crowd, and guards, naturally had to step aside to make room for Nerissa and the others, who quickly entered the bar. Once they pushed open the doors, a familiar scent tickled Gabriel¡¯s nose. The sweet scent of blood and death hung in the air, and it seemed quite fresh.

    ¡°¡­ a few beats toote.¡±

    Nerissa¡¯s expression sank slightly at the scene that spread out in front of them. The inside of the bar was rather messy, more than a handful of corpses scattered about. Bottles of alcohol had been torn out from the shelves, over half of the bar had been torn up. Judging by the marks, it was clear that both magic and normal weapons had been used to tear this ce up.

    Gabriel¡¯s expression also darkened slightly at the sight, but it was for a different reason than Nerissa. He recognized some of these corpses, they belonged to his Night Pack. He¡¯d signaled two different groups of them when he drew on the window previously. One group was ordered toe here and kill the owner of the bar, he wasn¡¯t the lone mouth that Gabriel had in mind.

    ¡°Three groups, at least.¡±

    Nerissa muttered darkly as she made her way through the bar, urately judging the situation. She could make out the people who seemed to be just workers or patrons of the bar, they could be easily spotted by their clothes. Then there was a group of people d in ck clothes that covered everything but their eyes, judging by theposition of their muscles and equipment they seemed to be trained assassins. And then there was a third group, simrly dressed in all ck. But the style of their clothing was a bit different, as were their builds and equipment so they didn¡¯t seem as uniform as the assassins.

    ¡°The weapon marks appear first, magic was only involvedter. Did the ambush get ambushed?¡±

    She was able to somewhat assess the situation as she moved. Judging by the position of the various marks it seemed that the attackers originally tried to use only weapons to take care of things. But eventually, they were forced to use magic of varying types. Most likely, it would be because the second group of attackers intruded.

    ¡°Search everything and everyone. Only half of the bar has been overturned, there may be traces left yet.¡±

    She spat out the order and the inquisitors sprang into action. Gabriel had the same thought as her. The bar was so overturned that someone had clearly been looking for something. But only half of the bar was in such a disarrayed state. Was it because they found what they were looking for, or was it because they were stopped before they could finish. As they kept searching, it eventually became clear that¡­

    ¡°Grand Inquisitor, I found something!¡±

    ¡­That it was thetter.

    Naturally, what the inquisitor found wasn¡¯t on one of the bodies of the attackers. Assassins and the like had to constantly be aware of the fact that they may die, wearing something that could incriminate their employer or affiliations would be foolish. No, what they found had been within the ¡®undisturbed¡¯ part of the bar. A ledger, as well as a couple of letters.

    Naturally, everything was encrypted quite heavily so they couldn¡¯t decipher everything straight away. But they could get a few bits and pieces of information by mixing together parts from each family¡¯s own encryption knowledge, at least enough to point them in the right direction.

    ¡°We must move quickly. You, you, and you, stay behind and handle the cleanup, everything must be brought back to the headquarters.¡±

    Nerissa¡¯s face was solemn as she fired off orders. If their meeting with Tarmund could spark some suspicion that Gabriel might be on to something with his usation, this bar turned those sparks into fire. Why would you kill people who had nothing to hide? And it just so happened to be thepany that they found after interrogating Tarmund?

    And there were even two groups fighting over the chance to kill them, seemingly wiping each other out in the process. It was painfully clear that something was going on here, and it may indeed be as big as Gabriel¡¯s usation insinuated.

    She reported to the emperor as they left the bar and mounted their horses again, they would have to hurry to the next destination while hoping that they hadn¡¯t been attacked yet. Naturally, she also requested that the emperor preemptively send some guards to the target they had dug out here, just to add anotheryer of security.

    They quickly hurried out again to reach the next portal. But as they moved, both Gabriel and Nerissa received a report. One received it through sounds that resembled a street cat while the other received it through the earrings she was wearing. Gabriel would have preferred to receive the reports in the same way, but Nerissa and the others were sensitive enough that they would definitely feel the magic in the earrings activate when he received or sent something.

    The report made Nerissa¡¯s expression darken further. The carriage that Tarmund was supposed to take back to the headquarters had been attacked. The inquisitor had been beaten and knocked out while Tarmund had been killed. Clearly, someone was erasing the witnesses one by one. Luckily, the inquisitor reported that he had in two of the attackers, and that one of them had a mark they could use to identify him so it wasn¡¯t aplete loss.

    She spat out a few orders to the inquisitor on the other side, Gabriel maintaining his expression as they moved. Naturally, the ones that killed Tarmund were his men, they were the second group he had signaled as he touched the window. As for the identifying mark¡­ That would be the mark he drew on the window.

    But would his men really have marks that could be used to identify them? Was he really foolish enough to let them have something like that when he sent them out? No, of course not. It was time to drag the Vritara¡¯s into this.

 Chapter 92: Cracks of convergence. (9)

    Chapter 92: Cracks of convergence. (9)

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll split up for a moment, one group will investigate the attack while the other moves on to the nextpany! Arvold, Langrun, Farang, and Tarung, move on ahead, the rest of you follow me!¡±

    Nerissa had to make a split-second decision, return and investigate the attacked carriage or press on and dig into the next proxypany they found? Naturally, she was unwilling to give up on either. Sure, the emperor would send guards to thepany just in case it was attacked like the bar they just left, but if it wasn¡¯t her own men or herself she would never feel fully confident.

    She also didn¡¯t want to send any of the inquisitors from the other families to a ce out of her sight. She sent one outside inquisitor away to escort Tarmund back to the headquarters, thinking that it would be somewhat fine since she reported it to the emperor in advance. But the moment she did that, he got attacked and the witness was murdered. Coincidence? Maybe. But she was not someone who had the leisure to just ept it as such.

    At the same time, the fact that she was willing to diminish her own forces while she herself kept apanying the outside inquisitors showed that she wasn¡¯t worried about them doing anything while she was there.

    It could be that she believed that they wouldn¡¯t harm someone who worked directly for the emperor, or it could just be that she simply trusted her own skills that much. After all, you didn¡¯t acquire the position of Head Inquisitor by being pretty or polite.

    ¡°As you order!¡±

    The four Amber Inquisitors that she appointed quickly spurred their horses and pulled ahead, the rest of the group pulling the reins as they spun around. They ran past the bar they left previously, Nerissa using her eyes to signal the three inquisitors she had left behind to deal with the bodies. Only one of them actually belonged to her Amber Inquisitors so he was the only who actually understood what she was trying to convey, but that was good enough.

    The rushed through the portal, made their way through Evergreen Roads, and quickly followed the path of the carriage. It took a little bit of time, but they eventually reached the site of the attack, where the inquisitor had already lined up the bodies and was waiting for them.

    ¡°Ertagan greets the head of the Amber Inquisitors.¡±

    The Woodime family inquisitor, Ertagan, greeted Nerissa as she jumped off her horse. He had torn off a piece of his own clothing and wrapped it around his head, the cloth wet with blood. There were also traces of wounds on his arms and legs so it was clear that he had suffered a fair bit during the attack.

    ¡°Details.¡±

    Nerissa nced at the three bodies that had beenid out, inspecting the wounds and marks that could be spotted at a nce. Ertagan did not hesitate or try to exin anything, he simply recounted the events that transpired.

    ¡°We were attacked the moment we crossed the bend in the road and lost sight of the city. Looking at the timing of the attack I believe that we may have been followed from the start, they struck the moment no one would be able to see or hear us. They first went for the wheels of the carriage so that we could not run away¡­ At least nine men d in ck uniforms¡­ This one lunged straight at me but failed to block my attack so I managed to kill him¡­ He got a wound so hegged behind, allowing me to finish him off¡­ Toote for Tarmund.¡±

    He quickly and concisely listed everything that happened after they left the city and everything he could recall from the attack. He even detailed things such as builds, noteworthy moves he saw, any scents that he caught. He was very observant. But well, there would always be things you couldn¡¯t glimpse in the heat of battle. Luckily, there were others here who could cover that up for him.

    ¡°The mark.¡±

    Nerissa made noment on his retelling, her gaze returning to the bodies. Tarmund had died from a quick stab to the heart, one of the attackers looked to have died from arge cut to his back, and the third one had arge hole in his chest, his back bursting outward.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s on this man.¡±

    Ertagan tugged at the clothes of the man who had a hole in his chest, revealing a small tattoo that looked like a fang, barely as long as a child¡¯s pinky. Nerissa and the inquisitors naturally stepped closer, investigating not just the tattoo but the other bodies as well. Their hoods and cloaks had been removed so they could properly study their features.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The faces of some of the inquisitors twisted slightly as they inspected the bodies, the air around them growing tense immediately. But that was only natural, they belonged to the Barong family.

    ¡°Kardun Losario. Pertain Garang. I believe these men are knights of the Barong family, no?¡±

    Nerissa phrased it like a question, but it clearly wasn¡¯t, her gaze piercing into the inquisitors that belonged to the Barong family. These two corpses, they were indeed knights of the Barong family, they had left for a diplomatic mission along with some other knights a bit over four months ago.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The inquisitors belonging to Barong were clearly trying toe up with an exnation, carefully choosing their words. But Nerissa didn¡¯t even keep looking at them long enough to let them answer, her gaze returning to the bodies.

    ¡°So the Barong are involved, finally had it with the frozen north?¡±

    Naturally, some of the other inquisitors present could not help but form their own ideas as the facts wereid bare. As a result, the expression of the Barong inquisitors worsened as they got ready to re up. But Nerissa spoke up before anyone had a chance to take things further.

    ¡°It is not yet proven that the Barong are involved in this.¡±

    Her voice was calm, almost cid, her fingers tracing the two corpses. Her denial naturally elicited some confused expressions, but Gabriel knew what she was talking about, crouching down next to the corpses.

    ¡°Fresh wounds. Judging by the positions they¡¯d be hard to inflict inbat, and judging by the tissue they¡¯re at least a day or so old. Do you think its a setup?¡±

    Nerissa set the stage so nicely for him, all he had to do was help her along. His fingers traced the feet of the man who had arge cut on his back, as well as the throat of the man with a hole in his chest. The man who was attacked in the back had some small cuts on his heels, his tendons had been cut by something very small and thin, leaving a line that couldn¡¯t even be called visible. He was crippled before the battle even started.

    The other man was much the same, he had a tiny hole in his throat, justrge enough to amodate a needle. The area around the hole felt rough and hard, as if something had been forced into his throat and torn it up from within. Clearly, he too had been taken care of in advance, only thrown to Ertagan so that he could deliver the final blow.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, it¡¯s an excellent chance to ce the me on a different family to divert our attention.¡±

    Ah, working with professionals really was refreshing. Gabriel barely had to do anything, he just gave the pieces a few small pushes and then their own intelligence took over and did the rest for him.

    ¡°Theirst known position, where was it?¡±

    Nerissa¡¯s question was naturally aimed at the inquisitors that belonged to the Barong family. When out on a mission, knights wouldn¡¯t always report their whereabouts, but since it was a diplomatic mission they would definitely have been contacted at least once a month, if not more often.

    ¡°West received word from them a week ago, they had just finished a joint training session with Francis De Vritara and two of his battalions and were on their way back.¡±

    A few faces darkened as the report was given. On the surface, the fourrge families all had friendly rtions, but how could those present not know about the true undercurrents? There was also the fact that the nephew of Duke Vritara¡¯s niece had been found to be one of the leaders in the mansion they first visited. And beyond even that, part of the reports that Teresa had brought back to the emperor indicated that said mansion was a coboration between the Sorin and Vritara families to weaken the Barong family.

    All in all, it was a situation that did not look favorable for the Vritara family. But still, Nerissa did not immediately jump to any conclusions.

    ¡°Everyone wait here, I must contact Emperor Earhart.¡±

    She stepped away from the group and grasped her insignia, her lips moving in an exaggeratedly twisted manner so that one couldn¡¯t figure out what she was saying by reading her lips. She spoke with the emperor for a handful of minutes before returning, gaze solemn and steadfast.

    ¡°The inquisitors of the Vritara family are hereby released from the imperial decree and must return to their own headquarters until it is ascertained whether or not the Vritara family is involved in the allegations. Shijen, Maranus, a new carriage will arive shortly so I want you to join Ertagan and bring the bodies back to the headquarters, an investigation into their wounds and possible origins will beunched immediately.¡±

    Her words brooked no room for argument, and it was clearly the emperor that had sent down the orders so the Vritara inquisitors had no choice but to obey. She took thest of her present Amber inquisitors and another inquisitor of the Woodime family and attached them to Ertagan, clearly not hoping for another incident to ur.

    Once the orders wereid down, she waited for the Vritara inquisitors to leave before she got back on her horse and rode out again with the remaining inquisitors. Gabriel was in a slightly special position in this instance. By all technical ounts, he was someone who ¡®belonged¡¯ to the Vritara family in the past.

    But everyone knew that he was actually just a servant who was close to the ck sheep of the family. And said ck sheep had only been epted as part of the family very recently so Gabriel couldn¡¯t strictly speaking be said to have any sort of connection with the Vritara family.

    Forget the higher echelons, their investigations showed that he didn¡¯t even have anything akin to a connection with the butlers, maids, or knights. Well, Lawrence Delgrade and Tristana Delgrade were an exception, but neither of them had any power in the Vritara family. Thus, he was eventually judged as low-risk, at least in regards to possible involvements in this.

    Naturally, there was another reason that Nerissa allowed him to apany them further, one less attached to the current investigation. She hoped that there was a chance to recruit him. He had a keen eye and was quick to assess the situation, moving swiftly and confidently. He would be an asset to the empire if she could recruit him to the Amber Inquisitors.

    With those thoughts in mind, the inquisitors quickly made their way back and continued towards their next target. The evidence they had found in the bar pointed them towards another person, a man known for running thergest brothel in Solgarde, the Sorin duchy¡¯s capital.

    When the group arrived at the brothel, Nerissa received the report of the inquisitors that they had sent ahead. It was as she had feared, there had indeed been an attack. But thanks to the guards sent by the emperor, a lot of the damage was prevented. At the very least, the people they would have to question were still alive as they arrived.

    Nerissa also updated the four inquisitors about what they had found at the site of the attack and about their group shrinking, striding into the brothel. It was already locked down and the corpses of the attackers and the victims were being gathered up, the remaining workers kept somewhat separate so that it would be easier to question them.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already found this, Grand Inquisitor. One of the workers helped us find it as she felt that the owner was acting strange ever since the usation was made.¡±

    One of the inquisitors brought out what they had found during their search, it was quite arge stack of papers and other items. Some of it showed signs of damage so they had probably tried to destroy it before they were interrupted.

    Nerissa went through it slowly, asionally requesting help from the other inquisitors to break through the various ciphers and magic locks that obscured the information. But in the end, they were the inquisitors for a reason so it was all broken through after a bit of time.

    Nerissa went through the information, which consisted of a mixture of letters, reports, contracts, and correspondences. Her expression was far from bright as she did so, the things they found here alone were enough to ensure that at least half of the people involved in the business would end up getting hanged. But there was a tiny little bit missing. Scratched out words, torn pieces. Clearly, they had managed to destroy at least the core parts before they were caught. If they just let it be, the tracks would end here with them.

    ¡°Take me to Karnaka.¡±

    Nerissa¡¯s voice was a touch low as she rolled up the report she had just been reading, gesturing for one of the inquisitors to lead the way. They were quickly guided through the brothel and to the room of the owner, a suite that took up almost half of the top floor.

    The only people in the room were three guards and Karnaka himself, a middle-aged man with a few grey strands in his slicked back brown hair. His green eyes were a bit dim so he probably knew that he wouldn¡¯t be getting out of this unscathed, he was already tied to a chair. But they were still flickering slightly so he was probably calcting how to survive the current situation. It was a shame that he wasn¡¯t the mouth Gabriel had decided on.

    ¡°You may leave.¡±

    The guards bowed at Nerissa¡¯s order and quietly left the room, closing the door behind them. She didn¡¯t even have to say anything before one of her inquisitors locked the room and chanted a spell that caused a bit of air to gather along the walls. Judging by the faint movements of the stationary wind, Gabriel could guess that it was a spell designed to prevent sound from getting past the boundary.

    Nerissa didn¡¯t say a word to Karnaka, walking over to a chair and dragging it loudly across the floor before she sat down a bit away from him. She looked at him in silence, tilting her head as she watched his tension rise. In the end, when she spoke, it wasn¡¯t to Karnaka.

    ¡°Viscount Indra. Do you have experience with interrogating people?¡±

    Her gazended on Gabriel, still eyes almost piercing through him. He could tell without being told, a test. He¡¯d seen eyes like that many times in his past, a test of usefulness, a test of what you¡¯d learned.

    ¡°I am not entirely unfamiliar with the process.¡±

    The ce he came from, you couldn¡¯t just be good at one thing, you had to be good at all facets of that thing. So while Gabriel technically only specialized in bringing death, he was proficient in all manners of it, it was what made the past him a very useful tool.

    Nerissa did not seem surprised by his answer, all who knew how to properly fight would technically know how to ¡®interrogate¡¯ people. She waved her hand at Karnaka, still tied to the chair, and gave Gabriel the terms of the test. It would be a good chance to see if he had one of the skills one would need to be an inquisitor.

    ¡°Good. This man has information that should be vital to your usation. I wish to hear it. I will give you creative freedom, but the final line must not be crossed.¡±

 Chapter 93: Cracks of convergence. (10)

    Chapter 93: Cracks of convergence. (10)

    Gabriel didn¡¯t voice a response to Nerissa¡¯s order, his head tilting slightly as he approached Karnaka. His head remained tilted, quietly observing the man as he walked around the chair in a counter-clockwise circle. From head to toes, he inspected him. His clothes, his skin, his nails, the state of his hair, Gabriel observed it all so that he could understand what kind of life Karnaka lived.

    But the main reason he walked the way he did was to walk himself back. It had been¡­ a while since hest had to interrogate someone like this. Ever since he became Gabriel it had always been a different style, a swift brutality or insidious plotting where he didn¡¯t really have to use his own hands. And back when he still did things in the other style, he was just a tool, a handy weapon that was left lying around. Now Alice had helped him be something of a person so he first had to get into the right, if it could even be called that, state of mind to ensure that he did a proper job.

    Eventually, his eyes drooped slightly. The gaze he used to observe Karnaka couldn¡¯t even be called cold, it was more akin to indifferent, as if he was looking at a pile of hay. His feet stopped and his knees bent as he crouched in front of the tied-up man, his hands resting on Karnaka¡¯s knees as he looked up to meet his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to live, Karnaka. No matter what happens, you will live through today, through tomorrow, and even through the day after tomorrow. Head Inquisitor Nerissa has ordered it, so you will live.¡±

    Gabriel stated the order inly. The final line that he wasn¡¯t allowed to cross was death, he wasn¡¯t allowed to let Karnaka die. Naturally, something like that was excellent news for the one being interrogated. Well¡­ The truth was that it wasn¡¯t always the case.

    A glimmer of light shed in Karnaka¡¯s eyes when Gabrielid the truth so bare. But before that light got to grow too bright, Gabriel¡¯s hand moved. Itnded on Karnaka¡¯s tied up hand, a gentle touch enveloping his pinky. And then that gentle touch twisted and pulled. From sprain to dislocation to breaking, Karnaka¡¯s finger hopped from stage to stage until it lost all power.

    Naturally, Karnaka groaned at the unexpected pain that shot up his arm, a bit of spittle shooting out from between his teeth because of the shock. He braced himself for the next move, but Gabriel didn¡¯t follow it up. He simply looked at Karnaka, looking eyes with him while barely blinking.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, he just looked at him. Even breaths. Quiet breaths. Steady blinks, an unmoving gaze. He just crouched there for a few minutes, as if his legs were locked in a vice. And then, just when a breath escaped from Karnaka¡¯s clenched teeth, Gabriel moved. His hand slid over to a different finger, the thumb this time, and touched it gently.

    Karnaka¡¯s jolted for a second as he braced, but Gabriel stopped again. He simply allowed his touch to rest on Karnaka¡¯s thumb, never once breaking eye-contact as he resumed just crouching there, unmoving.

    Ten minutester he turned that gentle touch into another abrupt twist. Karnakas grunted again, his pinky had already started to go numb so this second broken finger was almost as bad as the first. And then there was silence again for a moment as Gabriel simply looked at Karnakas.

    The seconds flowed and became minutes, another handful of minutes passing before Gabriel suddenly stood up. Karnakas braced, as one was want to do, but Gabriel simply turned to Nerissa.

    ¡°Head Inquisitor Nerissa, could I request something to drink? If there was something to eat then I would also appreciate that.¡±

    Naturally, it wasn¡¯t just Karnaka who was surprised by the sudden change, the other inquisitors weren¡¯t faring much better. But Nerissa simply waved her hand, her expression unchanging as she sent out one of the inquisitors.

    While they were off fetching food, Gabriel made his way over to the wall and picked up two of the chairs that had been put aside, dragging them over so that he could sit down right in front of Karnaka. The inquisitor returned shortly after, bringing a jug of water and some cooked chicken.

    Gabriel ced a handkerchief over the second chair, which he had ced next to him, and used it as a table. He picked at the chicken, cing a few small pieces in his mouth and chewing them without a care in the world. Karnaka looked at him strangely, as if he was observing him to understand what was going through his head.

    Gabriel simply ignored him and picked up some more chicken. But just as he put another piece in his mouth, his foot rose quickly and was brought down sharply, stomping Karnaka¡¯s toes. His soft shoes couldn¡¯t hide the sound of bones cracking as three of his toes crumbled, a bit of blood slowly starting to seep out from his shoes.

    He groaned in pain, but Gabriel just looked at him quietly, never once breaking eye-contact. He picked at the chicken and slowly drank the water, his every move so carefree and slow that you¡¯d think he was on vacation. It was only after a few minutes that he once again broke the silence.

    ¡°Sorry, Head Inquisitor Nerissa, but could I borrow a dagger, or a simrly small knife?¡±

    Naturally, Karnaka winced at the request, you¡¯d have to be an idiot to not understand what a knife would be used for in a situation like this. But when Gabriel received the dagger, he simply used it on the chicken, freeing the thighs and wings.

    He slowly gnawed on the small wings, scraping them clean with his teeth before tossing the bones aside. When he raised the first thigh, he held it towards Karnaka.

    ¡°Has it been long since you ate? You¡¯re probably hungry, no?¡±

    He held the thigh right up to Karnaka¡¯s mouth, putting down the dagger as he raised the other thigh to his own mouth. He didn¡¯t push Karnaka to eat, nor did he pull back the cooked thigh, he simply held it in ce as he chewed on the other one. As one would expect, Karnaka didn¡¯t just go ahead and dig into the meat, looking at it suspiciously for more than a few minutes.

    But in the end, he cautiously opened his mouth to take a bite. And then Gabriel struck. The other thigh he was holding was pointed down and then mmed down, the bone in it smashing into the fingertip belonging to one of Karnaka¡¯s untouched fingers.

    The nail split and was torn under the force, both the bone in the thigh and the fingertip shattering. Chicken bones were very brittle so it would obviously break apart without much effort, the jagged shards embedding themselves in the rest of Karnaka¡¯s finger.

    A yelp of pain escaped him, Gabriel silencing it by pushing the presented chicken thigh forward and blocking Karnaka¡¯s mouth with it. His teeth scraped at the flesh, the force of the push causing some of his teeth to get pushed back until they fell out or broke.

    He naturally vomited when the chicken was pushed back far enough, but the size of the thigh meant that the contents of his stomach could barely leave his throat, much less his mouth. In the end, it was forced back down, some of it going down the wrong pipe and ending up in his lungs, resulting in a violent coughing fit. Gabriel did not let him rest, pulling out the thigh before forcefully pouring water into his mouth, ensuring that it went the same way as the vomit, some to the stomach and some to the lungs.

    ¡°Godsdamn¡­ What in the¡­ Hells do you¡­ You want from me?!¡±

    He forced the words out between grit teeth and heavy coughs. Gabriel hadn¡¯t even asked him a single question so far, hadn¡¯t given him a chance to make a single excuse. Hadn¡¯t given him a single way out.

    Gabriel lowered his hand as the man coughed, cing the ruined chicken thigh in Karnaka¡¯sp. He reached over and picked up the dagger, toying with it in silence as he ignored Karnaka, still not breaking eye-contact. After a few minutes, Karnaka could finally stop coughing, but the vile taste remained in his mouth.

    He was just about to speak up again when Gabriel moved. He bent down and removed one of Karnaka¡¯s shoes, the one on the untouched foot, and then slid off his sock. Clean feet, albeit somewhat sweaty. His nails were neatly cared for, a small scar on his heel. Gabriel looked at the foot for a few minutes in silence before he moved the dagger. He nimbly positioned the tip underneath the toenail of Karnaka¡¯s big toe, and with a few pushes and twists he lopped the toenail off.

    As Karnaka was huffing and grunting in pain, Gabriel sat back down on the chair and wiped a bit of blood off of the dagger. He was once again locking eyes with Karnaka, who was breathing heavily. And finally, finally, he spoke up.

    ¡°There are four things I consider vital for any interrogation. The first is hope. If the other party has no hope of getting out of their horrible situation, why would they bother saying a single thing? The second is patience. People are stronger than most people expect, they¡¯re also hardy and can easily adapt. So you need to be patient. Do things slowly so that they can¡¯t get used to it, don¡¯t let them go numb.¡±

    The rules had been drilled into his head time and time again. He¡¯d have to experience them with his own body so that he would know how to use them, know why they were so important. Hope was especially important, because if the target had no hope then they wouldn¡¯t even feel any despair, they would just shut down.

    ¡°The third is surprise. If the other party knows what is going to happen and when, well then they can just brace and prepare. You need to keep them thinking, you need to have their mind run around, wondering when the next move is made. It wears them out, both physically and mentally, it doesn¡¯t give them any time to rest.¡±

    A tired mind was a careless mind, and a careless mind was far more likely to let things slip. Back in his previous life, it wouldn¡¯t have been unusual for Gabriel to force his target to stay awake for several days at a time to wear them down. Naturally, he also couldn¡¯t sleep during that time because he more often than not worked alone, so it involved a lot of drugs.

    ¡°And fourth is esction. Again, people can adapt surprisingly well, if you just do the same thing over and over again then they¡¯ll get used to it, they¡¯ll get numb.¡±

    The dagger moved as Gabriel spoke, the tip resting on Karnaka¡¯s finger.

    ¡°You can start with a finger. A quick bruise or break, just a single finger. Then you do the wrist, then maybe the elbow. But eventually, they¡¯ll get used to the sensation so you need to break the bones in different ways. Then you can go for the fingernails or fingertips, or perhaps move on to the toes.¡±

    The dagger traced across Karnaka¡¯s skin as Gabriel spoke, drawing a thin red line wherever it moved. He shuddered lightly, especially when Gabriel moved the dagger upwards.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like going for the stomach. A lot of organs, go a bit too hard and you can cause damage that swiftly bes fatal. The thigh is the same, there¡¯s a really dangerous vein just hidden in there. The head however¡­¡±

    The dagger came to a halt on Karnaka¡¯s temple, small drops of blood leaking out as he pressed it into his flesh.

    ¡°Surprisingly enough, the head is rather easy to work with. Nose, ears, mouth, eyes, all of them are rather easy to deal with. The eye especially, a lot of nerves, a lot of ¡®cables¡¯ to handle. A knife makes it quick, severs them. But it can go too deep, it can cut something you want left alone. A spoon is generally better there, it twists and grinds the veins while being too big to go too deep. In the end, a quick scoop and it goes plop.¡±

    The dagger kept drawing lines across Karnaka¡¯s face as Gabriel spoke, circling his eyes and nose while also prodding his ear canal. And of course, Gabriel refused to break eye-contact so Karnaka could only tremble as he looked upon the sheer indifference with which Gabriel looked at him. It was as if he was looking at that chicken from earlier as he plucked at the flesh.

    ¡°I¡¯m patient, Karnaka. Very patient. And as I already said, Head Inquisitor Nerissa said that you had to live. So live you will, no matter what.¡±

    He just repeated what he said earlier, but it took on a whole new meaning this time, sending an unearthly chill down Karnaka¡¯s spine. He wanted to flee and jump out of the window, but he was tied up so he could forget about even attempting it. But finally¡­ Gabriel gave him a way out.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need much, Karnaka. We don¡¯t even need you to tell us who is at the head of it all. Just tell us where you pick up the orders, and about who hands them over to you.¡±

    His voice was low, his words slow. With each syble he spoke, the knife in his hands moved slightly. It slid down Karnaka¡¯s body, gently prodding his broken fingers and the crushed stump that remained of one of his fingertips.

    Karnaka was silent for a few moments, trapped by Gabriel¡¯s gaze. That empty gaze without emotions, that indifferent stare that just seemed to look right through him, he shivered at the sight of it. His every groan and huff from pain, it couldn¡¯t even move a single hair in his eyebrows. The man in front of him was as empty as the dagger that caressed his skin.

    ¡°There¡¯s a coffee shop close to the central za¡­ Thousand Delights. On days when we get a request for certain types of people, there¡¯s a temporary waiter there who¡¯ll bring me certain drinks to signify what they need. He¡¯s slightly aged, his back bent ever-so-slightly. He¡¯s got brown hair, but it looks dyed, and a mustache that reaches just past the edges of his mouth. ck eyes and a round pair of sses¡­ Ah, he also has a mole just behind his right ear, I only saw it on ident once.¡±

    Karnaka spilled the beans straight away when he got a chance out, a gleam in his eyes. The fact that he was willing to spill it so quickly made Gabriel guess that he probably didn¡¯t know who was behind the old man who delivered the orders. Well, that was until now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the dyed hair, but a mole behind his right ear¡­ One of the butlers working for Duke Sorin¡¯s third son does indeed have something like that, I caught a glimpse of it once when we questioned some of their other servants.¡±

    Nerissa tapped her chin as she muttered to herself, eyes narrowing sharply. It naturally wasn¡¯t enough to form anything close to a case, but it was more than enough to start an investigation, and it definitely was a clue that could point them in the right direction.

    Naturally, hearing who he might have just snitched on, Karnaka grew rather pale, his mouth slightly agape. Gabriel looked at him onest time before he stood up and turned around, walking over to the inquisitor he borrowed the dagger from.

    ¡°Thank you for lending it to me, it served me well.¡±

    As he spoke, his mind moved. Ice gathered within Karnaka¡¯s mouth, small tendrils quickly reaching out and coiling around his teeth. Before anyone could see, they snapped his mouth shut with such force that everyone could hear his teeth shatter. Parts of the ice then turned into a sharp de and sank down, severing Karnaka¡¯s tongue at the base and causing blood to pour out.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to kill himself!¡±

    Nerissa and the others naturally sprang into action immediately, but the ice inside his mouth scooped up the severed tongue and shattered teeth and pushed them down his throat. The broken teeth and ice flowed down first, shredding his throat and lungs from the inside while his severed tongue blocked his airways and choked him.

    By the time the inquisitors pried open his mouth, the ice that had slid down his throat had be water that mixed with what Gabriel had forced down his throat earlier. They quickly cleared his airways by forcing out the tongue, but his lungs were already shredded so he could only gasp powerlessly, choking while tied to the chair.

    He looked around with a helpless and despairing gaze, once again meeting Gabriel¡¯s gaze. The indifference was gone, reced by a coldness that almost felt worse. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was sputters of blood and violent gasps. In the end, he couldn¡¯t even say anything and simply choked to death.

    They shouldn¡¯t have made Teresa cry, they shouldn¡¯t have angered his Alice.

 Chapter 94: Cracks of convergence. (11)

    Chapter 94: Cracks of convergence. (11)

    The inquisitors did their best to save or stabilize Karnaka, but they weren¡¯t priests so they couldn¡¯t manifest their healing powers. So, in the end, the only thing Karnaka could do was choke and drown in his own blood, never even getting to leave the chair he was tied to.

    ¡°Curses!¡±

    Nerissa muttered a quiet curse through grit teeth as she looked at the slumped Karnaka. Their witnesses kept dying on them, be it through suicide, safety measures put in ce by the ringleader, or other outside forces. Sure, they were likely to be executed in the end, but their deaths were to be dered by an official court ofw after their crimes were publicly announced.

    The remaining inquisitors wisely chose to remain silent as Nerissa muttered her curses, it was exceedingly rare for an investigation led by the Head Inquisitor to go so well yet also so wrong. They found all the evidence they needed, they could pinpoint all the bad deeds. But there was no one for them to bring to court, there was no criminal they could punish publicly.

    ¡°Ha~h¡­ Ha~h¡­ Alright. You two, deal with the body and bring everyone below to the headquarters, we¡¯ll need to question them to see if any of them were involved in this. The rest of you, follow me.¡±

    Nerissa spat out the orders after taking a few quick yet deep breaths, her expression settling back into its usual cold calmness. She gave the order, but part of her felt that it was unlikely for anyone below to know anything about this case. Part of it was because they weren¡¯t really mentioned much in any of the documents she had found, and part of it was because they were still alive.

    ¡°As you order.¡±

    The inquisitors naturally followed hermand and moved out to fulfill their respective tasks. The rest left the room and made their way out of the building, Nerissa casting a sideways nce at Gabriel for a moment before she spoke with the leader of the guards that had arrived earlier.

    ¡°Earl Kane, I request that you leave some of your men here to assist with the process of protecting and bringing in the possible suspects. I must also request that you lend us some troops to apprehend Kaden Gaun Sorin while we investigate his butler.¡±

    She phrased it as a request, but in truth there was nothing Earl Lavenus Kane could do butply. This was the Head Inquisitor, sent out by the orders of the Emperor himself, perhaps only the dukes themselves had some level of choice in how to treat her.

    ¡°Naturally, Mdy. Emperor Earhart has already passed down the order that we should prepare and listen to you so my men are ready to move out immediately.¡±

    His armor nked as he saluted, the emperor had probably told them to prepare by the time Nerissa sent in her first report. He had no choice but to treat the usation seriously, and when proof first started to appear it was only natural that he would prepare for the possibility that it ended up being true.

    Gabriel guessed that both Duke Sorin and the emperor were suffering from some headaches right now. This wasn¡¯t something that could be pushed under the rug and forgotten, the crime was too serious, a suitable punishment had to be handed out. And publicly at that, otherwise the trust of the citizens would plummet horrendously.

    ¡°Good, send them to Viscount Sorin¡¯s mansion, we will meet up with them outside and then proceed together.¡±

    Nerissa could naturally not read Gabriel¡¯s thoughts so she kept talking with Earl Kane, who could only keep nodding his head. Eventually, he gave the orders to some of his men while also sending a message back to the rest of his men. A handful of guards remained by the brother to assist the two inquisitors while Earl Kane and the rest joined up with Nerissa¡¯s group as they headed for the mansion of Duke Sorin¡¯s third son.

    As this was the capital of the Sorin duchy, the Sorin ducal family naturally had numerous mansions dotted throughout the city, their main mansion serving as the central point of it all. As the rulers of this city, practically all the soldiers and guards working here were contracted by the Sorin family, the garrison led by Earl Kane was the lone imperial garrison stationed in this city.

    Each of the major cities had an imperial garrison like this, they were designed to be a foreign and detached entity that could report straight to the imperial family if the ruling family were to try and skirt beneath thew. They had to bring in all their guards and workers from cities not controlled by the family in charge of their specific city so it was rather cumbersome and inconvenient.

    But still, they were a vital part of the city, at least to the citizens. As long as the imperial garrison was around, the citizens could rest assured that the emperor cared about them and would never let the ruling family be tyrants. As such, their procession received a few cheers as they moved, despite it already being so early that only the odd farmer or baker should be up.

    By the time they reached the iron gate that blocked off the mansion¡¯s courtyard, the guards working for Earl Kane were already in ce. They were d in full armor and had their weapons, a tense atmosphere hanging in the air. Would Kaden Sorine willingly, would his father send some stealthy reinforcements? They didn¡¯t know, so they had to be prepared.

    Nerissa strode past the guards and up to the sealed gates, clearing her throat for a moment as she chanted a quiet spell.

    ¡°Waraya, Hatau Ka¡¯e Movan.¡± (Strength, Magnify My Voice)

    Her mana red for a short moment before it settled in her throat, her voice booming across thend.

    ¡°Viscount Kaden Gaun Sorin, this is Grand Inquisitor Nerissa Sy of the Amber Inquisitors. I have arrived here under direct order of Emperor Arthas De Earhart to investigate the ims levied by Viscount of War Gabriel Sakra Indra. Current evidence suggests that one of your butlers is directly tied to usations so I must request that you open your gates and allow us entry.¡±

    Thanks to the magic, her voice could be heard all the way across the courtyard, echoing throughout the distant mansion. Had the inquisitors not used air magic to block sounds then those around Nerissa could easily have gone deaf.

    For a moment, there was no response from the mansion, which didn¡¯t even have guards posted by the gate. But after a few breaths worth of time, the iron doors slid open, the path to the mansion clear. It was a fair bit away, but they could just barely see that a fair number of people had gathered in front of the mansion.

    When their group got closer, the one seated at the tip of the people gathered in front of the mansion rose to meet them. Orange hair that hung down wildly and sharp yellow eyes that seemed to be perpetually narrowed, Kaden Sorin and his sharp features seemed to be a living smoldering me.

    ¡°Head Inquisitor Nerissa, wee to my mansion.¡±

    Kaden greeted them with a slight bow as they approached, the servants gathered behind him mimicking him. His expression was calm and his voice natural, but there was somethingnguid about him, it was as if he dragged down the air around him.

    ¡°I would wee you in for a drink and a meal, but I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m too weak-hearted to handle the inevitable rejection.¡±

    He sat down again as he spoke, leaning back in his seat as he maintained his expression. He looked casual, but Gabriel could tell that he was annoyed. The subtle movements of hisshes, the minute trembles he could spot within the joints of his fingers, he was like a child that was trying to hide the fact that he had been caught doing something naughty.

    ¡°I shant waste your time. You havee here for Jovan, my butler, and so you shall get him. Koraias, bring him here.¡±

    Kaden gestured to one of the servants behind him, who acknowledged his orders with a bow before entering the mansion, returning shortly after with the butler in tow. His expression was grim, and Gabriel could see Kaden¡¯s eyes fluctuated slightly for a moment as the butler gave a grunt.

    He had probably wanted to kill him, probably even tried to. But that would be dangerous. If the butler was killed then they could enter the mansion and immediately search it from top to bottom, but as long as the butler was alive they would have to interrogate him before they could start pointing fingers and using Kaden. It bought him time, and that alone was generally what people needed.

    ¡°Here, you can take him. He¡¯s already confessed to the heinous deeds hemitted for something as minor as a bit of money so I will not protest if you were to judge him worthy of execution. Lisandra, give Head Inquisitor Nerissa what we found after investigating Jovan.¡±

    With another simple gesture and calm expression, Kaden dismissed the butler and ced him as the sole perpetrator. He would be a good scape-goat, and as long as all the other evidence was removed then no one would ever know the truth. But ah, what a shame it was that there was someone present who knew the truth long before it was made public, someone who had prepared for it because his Lady needed it.

    ¡°Head Inquisitor¡­ There¡¯s also this¡­¡±

    The maid Kaden beckoned came over with the papers they were going to use to paint Jovan as the only perpetrator, but she also handed over a different stack of papers with a slightly shaky voice. Gabriel could see it, Kaden¡¯s eyes growing dark as Lisandra handed over the second stack of papers.

    She could probably feel his gaze, her shoulders shaking for a moment. But she couldn¡¯t back down here, and certainly not now. Her mother was sick and her father was too old to work, subsequently needing his own treatments. She used practically all of her sry to care for them, but the best she could do was keep them just below stable, the treatments simply cost too much.

    And then they came. They would pay for the treatment, they would ensure that her parents became healthy. They would even provide her with a new house and a new job, one that paid far better. All she had to do was fetch a few stacks of papers that were hidden inside the mansion, bringing them out when the inquisitors arrived.

    She was scared. Of course, she was working for someone tied to the Sorin ducal family, a wrong move and her family would perish along with her. But if she kept things going like this then they would perish eventually anyway, and she would be forced to sit there helplessly as she prepared their coffins. A hand was extended in the dark night, and she chose to take it.

    Nerissa epted the papers, reading through both of them with an expression that revealed no emotions. In the end, she raised her gaze to look at Kaden.

    ¡°Viscount Sorin, I must ask that you too follow us back to the imperial capital. Would you like toe with us willingly, or do you intend to resist?¡±

    The air immediately grew many degrees tenser as she spoke, the guards and inquisitors preparing themselves as their hands rested on their weapons. A grim expression graced Kaden¡¯s face for a moment, but he quickly smoothed it over before standing up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll naturallye along, only the guilty would try to resist. Alissa, take care of the mansion until I return, it would break my heart if it were in disarray when I return after this misunderstanding has been cleared up.¡±

    He gave an order to one of the maids standing behind him, the oldest looking one, who quickly bowed and gave a verbal acknowledgment. All hope wasn¡¯t lost yet, he was still the son of Duke Sorin so he should be able to pull some strings even if he was taken in for questioning by the Amber Inquisitors.

    Naturally, both Gabriel and Nerissa knew that he would be trying to pull something like that, you¡¯d have to be a fool to not see it. Well, he would be free to try as much as he wanted, his fate was set in stone the moment Gabriel made his choice.

    The inquisitors surrounded Kaden and the butler, Nerissa already sending a report back to the emperor. The servants of the mansion naturally had to return to their duties, happily whispering amongst themselves about the situation. Thanks to them being preupied with their own gossiping, none of them managed to spot the maid, Lisandra, getting swallowed by a spot of darkness lurking in the hallway after they closed the door.

    Gabriel had given her his word so he naturally had to keep it, Nergal would spit her out a bit away from the mansion, and one of his associates would take things from there.

    But well, he could think about thatter, there was something else he had to keep in mind now. Naturally, the butler and Kaden were brought back to the imperial capital at full speed, Gabriel still mingling with the inquisitors as he joined them back to the capital. They had left the investiture, which had naturally concluded properly while they traveled. Most of the guests would thus naturally leave and return to their own estates.

    But with the usations levied, Gabriel would have to stay in the capital a bit longer, at least until everything was solved. The first of his usations and clues had proven true so the second one would naturally also have to be investigated the moment they finished with Kaden. As the one who made the usations and dug out the plot, he would probably be rewarded once it was all over, assuming the investigation didn¡¯t suddenly uncover clues that he was involved. Naturally, as he was unrted, he knew that this was extremely unlikely. And yet, not entirely impossible.

    When he came back to the capital, he was given leave and allowed to return to the lodgings that the Vritara family had prepared for him and Alice before the investiture. Well, they said that he was given leave, but he could guess that they would stick a few people on his tail so that they could keep an eye on him. But it didn¡¯t matter.

    He returned to the mansion, which was quiet, all the servants seemingly dismissed. He could feel her. Her scent lingered in the air. He followed the scent, the sensation to its origin, ending up in front of his room.

    When he pushed open the door, there she was. She was sitting at the edge of his bed, several lit candles illuminating the room, their light dancing across her as the mes flickered. The young girl that Teresa hade back with was sleeping on the bed, her head resting in Alice¡¯sp while she clutched her dress like she was having a nightmare. Alice pat her on the head, slowly stroking her hair while looking straight at Gabriel.

    She was still dressed from the investiture. Crimson irises entuated by purple eyeshadow, violet hair that had been straightened and tied into a long ponytail decorated by two ck pins carved to resemble serpentine dragons. A deep red ball gown, its skirt adorned by frills that had ckce roses rung along their entire length. Her shoulders were still bare, revealing her corbone and nape, ckce gloves running all the way up to her elbows. And on her chest, a bouquet of threece roses, a ck, a violet, a white-silver.

    Red and ck, the colors he first chose when she in the past asked him what sort of dress she should wear. She had remembered it all these years, and then taken it a step further by adorning it with his violet and whitish-silver.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for quite a few years already. I honestly wasn¡¯t sure if it would evere to pass when we made that promise.¡±

    She spoke softly, quietly, not waking the child in herp. She looked straight at Gabriel, crimson eyes locking with violet ones, a familiar smile adorning her lips.

    A promise, one made long ago. Gabriel would never lie to her, but there were things he couldn¡¯t tell her. So he made her a promise, a deal. Aplish these things and I will honestly answer a question. And now she had aplished some of those things, now she was entitled to her questions, her answer.

    ¡°Gabriel, who are you really?¡±

 Chapter 95: Cracks of convergence. (12)

    Chapter 95: Cracks of convergence. (12)

    Alice gently stroke the girl¡¯s hair as she looked at the closed door. The reports she¡¯d received indicated that he would arrive today, as efficient and quick as always. She was still d in the dress she wore to the investiture, a dress that had been many years in the making, just waiting for the day it could knock him out. The flickering lights of the candles danced across her face, her eyes asionally turning as she thought back to the end of the investiture.

    Gabriel had left to join the investigation, and slowly but surely the evidence came rolling in. Well, the witnesses kept dying one after the other, but it didn¡¯t matter much since all the relevant evidence was found. Alice naturally stayed behind and had already finished working out a deal with the emperor and ducal households, the terms she offered meant that they would have to be fools to reject it.

    And then, after a while, only a few hours after the first pieces of evidence started to roll in, an attendant bowed in front of her.

    ¡°Countess Vritara, the Crown Princess requests your presence so I would be greatly honored if you would please follow me.¡±

    Abigail. Well, Alice had expected that Abigail would call upon her sooner rather thanter. Back when the two of them first met, Abigail had warned Alice that she should not trust anyone who looked like Gabriel. For years, Alice had yed along, never mentioning her lovely knight. But it was inevitable, the truth woulde to light sooner orter. And in the end, it was this investiture where Abigail learned the truth.

    ¡°Of course. Please, lead the way.¡±

    Alice ced her ss of champagne on the tray of a servant that walked by and followed the attendant with a curious mindset. She would have to be a fool to not know that Abigail clearly knew something out of the ordinary, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have warned Alice about both Gabriel and her family.

    The warning about her family, especially Leonardo and Francis, could be considered somewhat reasonable if you just knew the personalities of her family members. But that point could also be rendered moot if she simply factored in their ages at the time, they should be too young to consider things like that.

    And then there was the warning about Gabriel, which quite frankly could only be considered nonsensical. Warning her about someone she had supposedly not yet encountered but may meet in the future? Seemingly already well aware of their methods and thoughts? It was nonsensical. That was, if you excluded the notion of precognition. Naturally, most people would discard an idea like this, precognition was not something in the realm of humans.

    But Alice never did discard it. It made sense of some of the things that Gabriel and Abigail had done over the years, it shed light on some of the knowledge they had shown. Yes, she was sure of it, the two of them knew the future, or at least parts of it. She had been waiting quite patiently, was it finally time for her to get some answers?

    ¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Thank you foring. You may leave us.¡±

    The voice Abigail used to dismiss the servant was rather heavy, almost drawling as she spat it out with a weary breath. There was a familiar scent hanging in the air, just barely tickling Alice¡¯s nose. Blood had been spilt here recently.

    Abigail looked normal, if exceedingly pale. But Alice could tell that some of her make-up had be smudged. Around her ears, around her eyes, beneath her lips, around her fingertips. Was she the one who did the bleeding? Had the blood poured from her orifices?

    ¡°Alice, I can see the future.¡±

    While Alice was quietly investigating Abigail¡¯s appearance, the girl herself dropped a nonsensical statement as one would a greeting. Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, observing Abigail¡¯s demeanor.

    It was slightly¡­ strange. Her shoulders looked as if she had shed a heavy burden that had been weighing down on them, and yet it looked as if a gargantuan weight had ced itself on top of her head. If Alice had to put it to words then it looked as if Abigail was on the verge of copsing under her own weight.

    ¡°It started quite a few years ago, before I even met you actually. At first, it came to me as I slept, broken scenes scattered throughout my dreams. Then they started to invade my thoughts while I was still awake, like terrible premonitions.¡±

    Abigail was resting on a couch as she spoke, anguid air suffusing her very being. She just looked tired, like someone who wanted to sleep yet could not, always just one more task to do. But more than that, she looked¡­ Hurt, lonely.

    ¡°It¡¯s never just one vision, the future isn¡¯t set in stone like that. No, it¡¯s possibilities upon possibilities, hundreds of different oues. And yet¡­ They all end in tragedy. Hundreds, thousands, millions, they all die time and time again. No matter how I look at it, no matter how I try to change the possible oues, they all just keep dying.¡±

    Abigail honestly looked weary as she spoke, as if each death had be a shackle that wound around her legs. Forget seeing it in visions, she looked more like someone who had actually been forced to live through it all. But well, Abigail kept talking so Alice was fine with remaining silent and letting her spill it all.

    ¡°It¡¯s Az¡­ Gabriel. Always. Every time. When a country falls, he¡¯s at the center of it. When the world burns, he¡¯s the me that ignites it. No matter the future, he keeps bringing it to an end. I looked for hundreds of different ways to stop him, but he always seems to find a way. The world always burns in the end.¡±

    Abigail¡¯s eyes flickered as she spoke, the mes of a nearby candle reflected in her amber pupils. Shadows danced within the fire, reflecting a scene only she could see.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s you. Poor Alice. Abused Alice. Abandoned Alice. He always takes advantage of you, the unparalleled magician. The one-woman army who can take down countries if she tries hard enough. You¡¯re always such a useful tool for him. Be it because you¡¯re lonely, be it because you¡¯re abused and vulnerable, be it because of your unrequited love for Caine, he always finds a way to worm himself into your heart and use you.¡±

    Alice¡¯s eyebrows ticked up for a moment as Abigail spoke. The things she said, they were starting to line up with something she had experienced. On the way back from the Barong territory, she had a nightmare. She dragged a much older Caine through the ruins of the Vritara mansion as they overlooked the burning city, a cracked sky as fire rained down.

    The her in that dream, Alice could still taste the sickening feelings she had when she looked at the Caine in the dream. Just recalling it made her stomach churn. And in that dream, Caine spoke of simply trying again. Another time, another life.

    Everything burned in that dream. Fire fell from the sky, and fire poured out of her. Thinking back to that dream, she could still feel thatst lingering sensation. The strings had burned, it was time for the marite to fall.

    A strange nightmare, Abigail¡¯s visions of the future, Alice did not believe that they were unrted. Teresa had also spoken of several strange things after returning, the things she had seen and felt while out on her mission. They were simr to Alice¡¯s nightmare. Were they too visions of a possible future?

    What a sickening thought. Were those supposed to be futures for them?

    Abigail didn¡¯t seem to realize that Alice¡¯s eyes were wandering, her gaze trapped in the flickering mes as her thumb rose to her mouth, her teeth nibbling on its tip.

    ¡°He¡¯s always lying to you, Alice, just like I warned you back then. From his first words to hisst, everything he says is to deceive you, to use you. There are no emotions inside that thing, it¡¯s just a husk, strings of spite and malice causing it to jump and dance like a puppet.¡±

    Alice¡¯s mouth felt slightly dry as Abigail spoke. If she used magic and moved at her fastest speed, would she be able to pluck out her tongue and tear off her head before the guards outside could stop her? Would she be able to escape the pce before the emperor and his men could detain her? Hmmm¡­

    Hmmm¡­.

    Hmmm¡­

    It wasn¡¯t impossible¡­

    Ah, but Gabriel mightin. They had just gone through all the trouble of getting their titles and settling things publicly like this, it would be a waste to throw it away immediately. She¡¯d just have to do somethingter instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s all cracking, Alice. The hundreds, if not thousands, of possible futures are all trying to impose themselves as the true one. They¡¯re all converging in one spot, the here and now, and everything is cracking as a result, time itself groaning under the immense stress. If one of the possible futures isn¡¯t chosen as the proper one and the rest pruned then I dread to imagine what may happen.¡±

    Abigail still did not realize what Alice was thinking, it was as if her soul was trapped within the flickering mes.

    ¡°There is still hope for you in the possible futures, but that thing is beyond saving. You cannot believe that thing, Alice, you cannot follow that thing. The greater your hope and trust, the deeper your despair. He will use you, and then he will abandoned you. And if he doesn¡¯t abandon you, then he will drag you to hell.¡±

    Abigail let out a long and heavy breath as she finally freed her eyes from the dancing fire. Her gaze was slightly dim as itnded on Alice, the veins in her eyes protruding slightly as they filled with a bit of blood.

    ¡°Alice¡­ Please help me. Help me and Caine so that we can finally get the best future, let us finally bring peace and an end to the visions.¡±

    Alice locked eyes with Abigail for a moment, the two girls looking at each other, observing the other. Eventually, Alice opened her mouth to speak.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Gabriel, who are you really?¡±

    Quite frankly, it wasn¡¯t the first question Alice wanted to ask when she finally managed to aplish one of the goals Gabriel had set for her. There was one question she wanted answered more than anything, and it was that question she originally chose to be her first. But seeing as she had aplished several of the goals in one, she decided that she might as well change the order a little.

    She looked at him after she asked the question. He¡¯d been rushing about for quite a few hours already, plotting and setting in motion more than a few deaths in the process, but he didn¡¯t look the least bit weary. Despite what was likely a rough ride, his whitish-silver hair was still swept back neatly, only a few errant strands arching forward.

    Tight-fitting white pants, ck boots that almost reached his knees, and a crimson jacket with three golden buckles on his abdomen. A ck leather belt ran around his waist at a slight angle, just barely encroaching on his abdomen, his sheath fastened to it as his sword hung at his waist. The jacket was mostly crimson, but the parts on the side, from his waist to his armpits, were ck. Red and ck, just like her dress.

    His capes were also still fastened to his jacket, a long red cape on his back with a dark violet inside, as well as a ck half-cape on his right shoulder, a dense line of white fur running along the section closest to his neck. Thin braids of violet silk stretched across the half-cape, connecting it to a ckce rose that decorated the left side of his chest.

    Her knight. Her Savior. Her man. Really, wasn¡¯t he just too good looking when he dressed up? She had the urge to lock him up in their room, lest others look at him too long and covet him. And yet¡­ She wanted to show him off. This was Gabriel, this was her hero, this was her man.

    ¡°My¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    She cut him off just as he was about to start talking. Yeah, no, she wouldn¡¯t be able to just sit there and look at him while he talked, it wouldn¡¯t work. She carefully carried the girl, Edith, over to the top of the bed and put her down amongst the pillows so that she could keep sleeping.

    ¡°Sit here.¡±

    She pointed at the edge of the bed where she had been sitting earlier and Gabriel sat down without a word. He never questioned it when she told him something, when she wanted him to do something. He always just looked at her with those violet eyes, that poison he had drowned her in.

    ¡°Support¡­¡±

    She sat down sideways on hisp and started to speak, but his arms wrapped around her waist before she had the chance to finish her sentence. She leaned into his arms for a moment. She feltfortable, safe. No matter how much weight was put on them, no matter what happened, those arms would support her.

    ¡°Now you can talk.¡±

    She looked at him while seated in hisp. She was so close that she could feel his breath on her face as he opened his mouth. Yes, this was where she should sit while they talked.

    ¡°My name is¡­ was, =¡è#%/&( #()%?=, and I¡¯m not originally from here, this world.¡±

    As she expected, he started his introduction off with something nonsensical. But well, it was her man, of course he would be extraordinary. As for that name¡­ No, it was basically just noise, Gabriel was much better for him.

    ¡°I originallye from a ce called Earth, a world much like this one, except more advanced. And well, there wasn¡¯t magic or demons or things like that either, just people.¡±

    He spoke calmly, slowly, making sure she could understand each word. Looking at him speak of a time and ce she had no knowledge of, something inside her itched. There was something¡­

    ¡°I was part of something known as a Death Squad, a specialized group of the military you called upon when you wanted to make sure that your target ended up dead no matter what had to be done. If you want topare it to something in this world then a ve Corps would be the most simr, as long as the task was done it doesn¡¯t really matter what happens to the squad.¡±

    Ah, yes, that¡¯s what it was. She didn¡¯t like the way he talked about it, that was what was causing her insides to itch. The way he spoke was so cold and calm, detached. He spoke of his own life, but it felt as if he didn¡¯t even consider himself to have been a part of it. It was his, but he wasn¡¯t in it.

    ¡°My father had a decently high rank in the military, but he probably wasn¡¯t what you could call a good father. He trained me and my sister, oh yeah, I had a sister back there, but she ended up departing before I did. Anyways, he trained me and my sister from a young age so that we could join the military as soon as we could walk. Our country was embroiled in a civil war at the time, and father was on the side of the revolutionaries, so there was no choice but to learn, but to fight with every dirty tactic. I took part in my first mission when I was five. There was no choice, they needed someone inconspicuous to wander through a nearby vige to poison the well and I just so happened to look harmless. In, kill, out. The world never was more than just ck and white, a dull monochrome.¡±

    She recognized the way he spoke, it was somewhat simr to how he spoke when they first met. And the person he called father¡­ She couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of warmth in his voice as he spoke about him. It was better when it came to the person he called sister so it seemed as if at least wasn¡¯t all alone.

    ¡°Tell me about your sister.¡±

    She cut him off for a moment. She wanted to know about the person who had been at his side, the person who may have yed a role in safe-keeping his heart when he was younger.

    ¡°My sister was a bit older than me, five or so years. She was¡­ An idealist. While I was only looking at the current mission, the current battle, she was looking at whaty beyond. What to do after the war, what to do in the future. She was always looking ahead, trying to figure out the best oue. But she was also someone who easily grew nervous when things didn¡¯t go her way, and she¡¯d chew on whatever was closest when her mind started running. Her thumbs were always red and sore as a result, her nails chewed down time and time again.¡±

    Listening to him talk, she became more convinced that he was rather fond of his old sister. She knew Gabriel, she had been with him for most of her life. And yet, how often had he talked about someone at length like this? Usually he would end things after a short sentence or two. It was nice to hear him talk, even if the contents of the conversation made her insides itch violently.

    ¡°In the end, she never got to see the end of the civil war. Father died when I was seven so our standing in the army dropped drastically, the severity of the missions we had to undertake growing with each passing day. Still, we persevered under our new master, our training only growing harder and harder. But it wasn¡¯t enough. So, one day, when she went out on a mission, she didn¡¯t return. I had to bury an empty casket and was given half a day to grieve, and then it was back to fighting.¡±

    The more he spoke, the more she felt that she could understand him. Ah, these were the people who had broken her man. These were the people who had taken him and turned him into a tool, a weapon. They didn¡¯t need Gabriel the person, they needed a weapon that would kill their enemies. So that was how they raised him, that was how they trained him, that was how they erased him.

    Ah, she wanted to lop of their heads.

    ¡°But speaking of my sister, I cannot say that she is unrted to this situation.¡±

    All of a sudden, the conversation took a slight turn. Oh? Someone from a different world was rted to their current situation?

    ¡°She liked to watch TV, moving pictures much like a stagey, but recorded long ago. She said it was preparation for when the war was over, when she could travel the rest of the world. There was a show she really liked, Throne of the Golden Rose. She constantly pestered me to watch it, but I never really listened. Even after she passed, I didn¡¯t really have the time to spare. I was always just fighting or training.¡±

    Alice tried to picture it, moving images that were different from a stagey. But she didn¡¯t allow herself to be immersed in the thoughts for long, she wanted to listen to him.

    ¡°And then the war ended. The revolutionaries lost, understandably. What remained of the army was scattered across the world, absorbed by other armies. I became part of something akin to a mercenarypany, sent out to various wars across the world. Wherever there are people, there will be those who want others dead. I was still a death soldier so things didn¡¯t really change, just moving from one death to the next. The world remained ck and white.¡±

    Yeah, she could see that. He¡¯d done that after he started working for her as well, just constantly moving from n to n without a moment to rest. He wore himself out to set things up. And he was good at it too so she had no doubt that he must have been highly coveted in his own world.

    ¡°But suddenly, I found myself with a bit of time on my hands, in-between missions. So I sat down and I started to watch the show that my sister had gushed on about, slowly but surely making my way through it over the years, only missing the final season. The story was about Abigail De Earhart and Caine Woodime, a romantic tale of their adventures and life as they struggled against the machinations of the story¡¯s viin, Alice De Vritara, who constantly tried to get in their way because of her unrequited love for Caine.¡±

    Alice felt as if a shock ran through her. Parts of it were wrong, but didn¡¯t it line up quite nicely with what Abigail had said? It missed out on the part where Gabriel was supposedly the greatest threat, but otherwise it matched her story quite well.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about the story at the time I watched it, I didn¡¯t really think it was anything special. And yet, when I took my own life, it ended up being the only thing I could call something of a regret. It was thest thing I had of my sister, but I couldn¡¯t finish it before I ended it all. It was just onest season, why didn¡¯t I just watch it? At least then I could properly say that I found it boring or uninteresting.¡±

    For a moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Alice. Gabriel spoke so casually, so calmly. It was still his life he spoke about, but he still wasn¡¯t part of it, he could barely be called an observer of his own life.

    Took his own life? The reason he was no longer in that other world was because he¡­ ended his own life? He spoke of it so impassively that it seemed like it didn¡¯t even mean anything to him, as if he took his life as casually as you would go to the market to buy some bread.

    ¡°And then, to my surprise, when I opened my eyes again I was here, in the orphanage. And then you came, and I realized where I was. A show. Ink brought to paper to write a tale, someone¡¯s fantasy, and I was just another tool in that tale. A different world, but it was still just a ck and white blob. I really thought this was all nothing more than that for a while.¡±

    His voice dragged Alice out of her thoughts, she could feel his gaze. She raised her eyes to meet his, and there she saw it. A person. Not a tool, not ink on paper, not a fantasy, not an observer. A person. He spoke so impassively, so detachedly. But looking at her now, he was a person, he was a part of it all.

    ¡°But we aren¡¯t just ink on paper, are we, Alice? We aren¡¯t just tools to put words to pages.¡±

    There was a small curve to his lips. Did he perhaps not notice it? It was so natural, so rxed. He was smiling. He was looking at her and smiling.

    ¡°If the world is ck and white, then we just need to add some color. I learned that thanks to you.¡±

    Alice felt her chest clench. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire, her scorching breath getting caught in her throat as Gabriel looked at her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it before. Life was just life, a monochrome bore that meant nothing. It was all just nk and empty. Even as I jumped and ended it all, I didn¡¯t really think of much, I just did it on a whim. But in this life, this world, I want to try living.¡±

    There was color in his eyes. Deeper than the mes of the candle, brighter than the sun, darker than the night. He was alive with colors. And she was the one who did that. She gave those eyes color, she painted that world. She gave life to the one who jumped. She had looked at him all along, from the first time he stretched out his hand to her. And now¡­ In return, he was looking at her.

    As her heart pounded, she thought back to her conversation with Abigail.

    She will be used and abandoned, there was no hope for Gabriel, but there was hope for her in the myriad of possible futures. In the end, what was it she said when she finally chose to speak?

    Ah, then let¡¯s go to hell together.

 Chapter 96: He who holds the horn.

    Chapter 96: He who holds the horn.

    Alice felt the itch within expand outward, creeping along her limbs until it made her fingertips twitch. Granted, by the time it reached her fingers the itch had taken on a whole new meaning, it ate at her like fire. But she held herself back. Not yet, not just yet.

    ¡°Then, my second question.¡±

    Gabriel had set several milestones for her in the past, goals she had to reach if she wanted him to answer whatever questions she had. Being officially acknowledged by the duchy, getting acknowledged by the imperial family, getting her first title, getting married, and taking over the duchy. Three of the five werepleted, so with her first question answered she had two more she could use.

    ¡°All those years ago, why did you choose me?¡±

    This was the question Alice was most eager to ask, the one she wanted answered the most. Back in the orphanage all those years ago, when she first stuttered out the fateful question. All the other children lowered their heads, looked away in silence as they left her questions unanswered. But Gabriel had raised his head and looked directly at her, wordlessly agreeing to her request before she even made it.

    At the time, she was ecstatic, she would no longer be alone. Most people would just think that Gabriel was an orphan so following a basically abandoned illegitimate child was still better than remaining in the orphanage. But then the other children that were assigned to her were taken away one by one, lured in by better positions or by threats. But Gabriel never left.

    And the more he showed, especially with what she learned now, the clearer it became. He could have left whenever he wanted, he could have probably left the orphanage on his own and still lived a grand life. But he didn¡¯t. He stuck with her, no matter what was offered. She posed him the question all those years ago, but it was clearly him who chose her. But why?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gabriel was silent for a moment, the two looking at each other. It was¡­ an inevitable question. There woulde a day when Alice would ask him something like this, and he had given his word that he would never lie to her. It was strange. It was such a simple answer, in the past he would have been able to spit it out without hesitation.

    But now, as he was looking at her and had the words on the tip of his tongue, he felt that he didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth. But in the end, he had to tell her the truth. Partly because the fourth t of being a good person was to always stay true to your words, and partly because she deserved to know it.

    ¡°There was no special reason. I was a weapon, and a weapon needs a wielder. You were just¡­ there, the first recognizable person I saw, and I knew what you would be so it was only logical. At best there was some¡­ pity would be the best word for it, pity for the end you would meet. So I figured that since you were going to be my wielder, I should at least help you change that ending, that way you would be able to wield me for longer.¡±

    It was¡­ heartless. A cold reason. There wasn¡¯t really anything special, she just so happened to be there, just so happened to be the first. What if it had been Marion, or Leonardo, or Francis? What if he had met them first, would he have gone with them as their weapon? If it was the him of the past then it would be likely. But then he would never be more than a weapon, he¡¯d just remain a tool in this second life as well.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Alice¡¯s response was simpler than he expected. Then again, Alice had always been smart, quick to pick things up. She¡¯d probably formed a few guesses over the years, she knew him better than anyone else after all.

    ¡°But you know what, Gabriel?¡±

    Alice¡¯s arms rose from Gabriel¡¯s waist, resting on his shoulders as she folded her hands behind his neck. She looked straight into his eyes, the corners of her lips pulled up into a natural smile, the old, and by now worthless, truth unable to cause even a dent.

    ¡°I will choose you. Whenever the chancees up in the future, I will choose you. And I¡¯ll do it because I love you.¡±

    She used the hands that were behind his neck to pull him close as she spoke, resting her forehead against his. He could feel her breath on his face as she spoke, it felt like fire as it brushed against his skin. The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms rose in response, he suddenly felt parched as her scent tickled his nose.

    ¡°I still have a third question.¡±

    The subtle scent of alcohol and ripe grapes mixed with Alice¡¯s own smell. There had been plenty of alcohol at the investiture so they had naturally drank their fair share, but he could pick out the exact wine she had drank based on the smell. He could even taste it on his tongue, his lips. It was the wine she had been drinking just before his proposal, she must have kept drinking it even after he left.

    ¡°What will you do now, Gabriel? What do you want?¡±

    The third question. It could be used to force him to answer any one question, no matter how much he would like to keep it hidden, no matter how ufortable it might make him. But she used it on this. In the end, even though he gave her five goals, she really only needed the one, she only ever wanted to know why he chose her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    What did he want, what would he do? Gabriel had never really been asked something like that, not in such an earnest capacity. Even when he was asked such things in his past life, it was always just so that his superiors could have him answer with exactly what they wanted to hear. It never mattered what he wanted, he was just a weapon after all.

    So, what was it that Gabriel wanted?

    ¡°I want to live. Properly this time. With others, with family. With you.¡±

    It was a vague answer, but it was what he could give. The things he considered pointless in the past, he wanted to experience them. The thing called friends that he never made, he wouldn¡¯t mind making a few this time around. He wanted to take a break when he was tired, he wanted to justze around on some days. He wanted to live. And he wanted to do it next to Alice. And he would whatever was needed to achieve that goal.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This time it was Alice¡¯s turn to be silent for a moment, a heavy breath washing over Gabriel¡¯s face. She leaned forward, her forehead still resting against his. Gabriel didn¡¯t resist, allowing her to push him over so that he wasying on the bed, arms still wrapped around Alice¡¯s waist. Luckily, the bed was exceedinglyrge, so the orphan Edith remained undisturbed where sheid.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good answer, Gabriel.¡±

    For a moment, Alice¡¯s voice was right next to his ear, her scalding breath causing his insides to itch. She slipped her hands out from behind his head and shift her position so that she was straddling him, her hands resting on his chest, two fingers fiddling with his corbones.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking in the ves, Gabriel. The children who lost their families, the adults with nowhere to go. I¡¯ve negotiated a deal with Arthas and the other families, they give me all the disced people and I discard my rights to any of thend that we might gain from the Kasarias kingdom after all this.¡±

    Alice looked down at Gabriel from above, crimson eyes gleaming brighter than any star. She was an Earl now, but she didn¡¯t have anynd that she could govern. As such, if the empire expanded in the future she should technically be among the first to be granted some of thatnd. But she discarded that right in favor of taking in all the abandoned people.

    ¡°You stretched out your hand to me when I was abandoned, now I want to do the same for them. The abandoned children, the people disregarded by all others, the people who have nothing left, I want to offer them a hand.¡±

    Want. Desires. Ambitions. Alice and Gabriel never really spoke much of such things, an implicit understanding between them. But she had made Gabriel speak of his desires, what he wanted, so now she would speak of her own desires.

    ¡°If I am the one who turned you into a person, then you are the one who made me human. All I have, all I am,es from you.¡±

    The fingers that fiddled with his corbone moved. Alice was just an abandoned illegitimate child, and she would have remained that if it wasn¡¯t for Gabriel. She could only rise because he had given her his hand. She took hold of his hand and moved it away from her waist, allowing it to rest on her chest, a rhythmic thump spreading from her body to his hand.

    ¡°This heart only beats because you gave it the chance to. Were it not for you, there would be nothing but a ck pit in here. I want to give a heart to those who now are as I once was.¡±

    She was the abandoned illegitimate child, she knew what it was like to be abandoned, ignored and scorned by the world. The emptiness, the darkness inside, the sinking feeling as you just epted it and let go of yourself. She wanted to save them from that.

    When she saw Teresae running in with that bleeding child, that was the thought that struck her. That child was like the past Alice, and this was her chance to be what Gabriel had been for her. The beating heart that he gave her, she could pass it on to others. What he made her, she would make others.

    But there was more. More that she wanted, that she desired.

    ¡°I want the north, Gabriel. Beyond the Barong duchy. The frozen mountains, the cialnds beyond it, I want them all, for that is where you were born.¡±

    Thends where Gabriel became a person, thends where Gabriel first truly looked at her, she wanted them. She wanted to hold them close and dear for all eternity. But still, there was more.

    ¡°But the north isn¡¯t a good ce to keep orphans, its not a good ce to train adults or raise children. So I also want the south, the west, and the east, Gabriel. The Vritara duchy, even thends beyond, I want every patch ofnd graced by the warmth of the sun. Wherever the wheat and flowers grow, wherever the forests shine verdant, I want it all. No matter where you and I stand under the bright and warm sun, I want us to be able to smile and say ¡®We are home¡¯.¡±

    Home. For the Alice of the past, the word home was synonymous with a dark and cold room where she was locked up all alone, left to cry with no one to hear. For Gabriel it was a dreary and monochrome room, at times a cave, at times a car. Always bleak, always colorless, home was just another blot of ink on the page.

    Alice wanted them both to have a better home, together.

    ¡°Gabriel Sakra Indra. My Gabriel. My angel. Help me.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s hand felt numb. The pounding of Alice¡¯s heart was transmitted directly to him through his hand, it reverberated throughout his entire body. It felt like fire in his palm, racing along his veins until it filled his very being.

    Home.

    A foreign word, to both him and her.

    He could tell that she had been thinking about it for a while, she¡¯d probably been working on the idea while he was still just a tool. How long had she been looking at him like that? Digging out his weaknesses so that she could cover them up one by one, fill his cracks until he became whole.

    His hand clenched, clutching Alice¡¯s dress. He wanted it. He wanted her. His elbow bent and he pulled her close, stealing her lips with his own. She gave him fire, she made him fire, and he felt that he could not go on unless he shared that with her, unless they were both fire. And within the mes, there was an answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a home.¡±

 Chapter 97: He who holds the horn. (2)

    Chapter 97: He who holds the horn. (2)

    A somewhat unfamiliar ceiling greeted Gabriel as he opened his eyes, the canopy of the bed visible in the darkness. His lips were sore, and the scratches a bit below his ears were still itching. The sensations helped keep his mind clear even though he just woke up.

    There was a slight pressure on his chest, when he tilted his head slightly he could see Edith, the young orphan girl that Alice had beenforting when he arrived. The girl didn¡¯t wake up no matter how long he and Alice kept kissing, but she ended up waking up once, during what should be the morning.

    She woke up with tears in her eyes and Gabriel could tell that she was about to keep crying, her eyes blurry and hazy as she still seemed to be trapped in her nightmare. Alice had been sleeping at this time, and he didn¡¯t want her to wake up since she seemed rather tired, so he pulled the girl close.

    He had no idea what to tell someone in her position, he¡¯d never received anyfort like that as a child. But he still wanted her to stop crying, so even though it was probably wrong, he told her something that asionally gave him peace when he was younger.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead. Your captors are dead, and those who escaped are going to die soon. They are dead, but you are alive. You were stronger than them, so you outlived them, now they no longer have any power over you.¡±

    As expected, the girl trembled when Gabriel¡¯s voice reached her, as his hand rested on her back. But he kept repeating the words and held her close, Edith eventually burying her face in his chest and sobbing quietly.

    In the end, her consciousness was reimed by slumber some time at noon, the bright rays of the sun blocked out thanks to the thick curtains. Alice was also still sleeping so it seemed as if she had been a fair bit more tired than she looked.

    As Edith slept this time, she looked far more at peace, her furrowed brows smoothing out. As strange as it may be, Gabriel could understand her current peace. The reason she could sleep so peacefully right now, it was probably because she was just a child, and children were generally more sensitive to the air around people.

    When Gabriel was a child, he constantly hopped between missions in the civil war, there was never really a day where he could sleep peacefully in a safe bed. He had no control over his life, just getting tossed about as other people pleased.

    But even so, there were times where he could feel at peace. Namely, when she slept. The reason was simple, he always had a gun when she slept. Tracing the cold metal with a finger always allowed his mind to calm down, the thudding of his heart to still. With this weapon in his hand, he had control. There were many things he couldn¡¯t control, but with that cold thing in his hands he could at least control his own life and death. And that small fact allowed him a certain measure of peace.

    Right now, Edith was probably experiencing the same thing. She was a child so she was sensitive to people¡¯s air¡¯s, she could feel how dangerous Gabriel was, like a sharp de waiting to be drawn. So sleeping there, leaning her body on him, he was her gun, the thing that gave her a measure of control over her own life and death.

    Well, that was where his understanding ended. Gabriel¡¯s peace hade from an inanimate item, a weapon that would only act when he wanted it to, that was why it gave him peace. To feel a simr peace from a person, and one you didn¡¯t even know¡­ It was inconceivable to Gabriel.

    He slowly and carefully removed the girl from his chest. Judging by what he could just barely see through the curtains, he had fallen asleep after Edith, night once again falling. The investiture had already started ratherte, and with the subsequent investigation taking them through several cities it inevitably took quite some time, it couldn¡¯t be helped that they were all rather tired once a measure of peace hit them.

    But this bit of rest was already enough for now. There were still things to do so it was time for Gabriel to get up, quietly sneaking out of the bed so that Alice and Edith could keep sleeping. He slipped into the walk-in closet and picked out some simple clothes, quickly changing before he silently left the room.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    But he couldn¡¯t help but stop the moment he left the room, the door closing behind him. Someone was sitting on the floor in the hallway, a mere two steps from the door, golden eyes firmly locked on the closed door.

    A small and thin frame that was still covered by a fair bit of dirt, both dust and what was probably dried blood. Golden eyes that had sunken in somewhat, withrge bags underneath them, and raven ck hair that was clumped together because of the dirt. The person, a little girl who didn¡¯t look older than seven, was still dressed in what could only be called rags.

    She had a scar on her face, a malformed thing that started next to her right eye, curved beneath it and then stretched across her face, crossing her nose and passing beneath her other eye. Smaller arcs spread out from the main scar, scattering across her right cheek and only stopping when they reached her lips. Gabriel didn¡¯t know her, but just looking at her current state made it clear that she was one of the ves that Alice had just taken in, an exceedingly tired one at that.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The two looked at each other in silence for a moment. Looking at the child¡¯s eyes, Gabriel could somewhat tell why she had a scar like that. Her gaze was strong, unyielding, stubborn. Her captors probably had a hard time trying to tame her, ramping up their intensity in hopes that they could break her spirit. But evidently, they failed. The girl remained strong.

    ¡°She is still sleeping so don¡¯t disturb her.¡±

    The child didn¡¯t speak up, so it fell to Gabriel to speak first, turning his body slightly as he started to walk. Seeing as the girl had just been sitting there she was clearly waiting for Alice, her savior. But unlike Edith, who simply looked frightened, this girl looked like she had something to say. But it would have to wait until Alice woke up.

    Tap tap tap

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tap tap tap

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tap tap tap

    ¡°¡­¡±

    But contrary to what Gabriel expected, the girl got up as soon as he left and stuck close to him. She was a fair bit smaller than him so she had to walk rather quickly to keep up with him, her unyielding expression remaining unchanged as she hurried after him.

    She followed him through the mansion, which was basically deserted because Alice and Gabriel hadn¡¯t hired any staff or guards. She had to jump after him whenever he went down a flight of stairs just to keep up with him, almost falling over several times. In the end, his feet stopped and he turned around, once again locking eyes with her.

    ¡°What do you want? If you remain silent then no one will ever know.¡±

    The girl had to raise her head so sharply to meet his gaze that one might think that her neck would snap if she leaned her head further. But even so, she maintained her eye contact, almost scowling at Gabriel.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave the room allst night. You also didn¡¯t leave it all of today, So I had to wait.¡±

    For a moment, it sounded like she was trying toin, but her gaze made it clear that she was just stating facts, exining why he found her where she did.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±

    Gabriel gave a short gesture with his hand as he responded, gesturing that she should get on with it. Internally, he felt like scratching his head because he had no idea why she would bother sticking to him.

    ¡°I saw you in the dungeon. The bad men sometimes brought in things they called wolves and tigers to scare the older prisoners, strong beasts that could tear us apart in seconds they called them.¡±

    The first dungeon, from where Teresa had brought Edith, basically all the ves they freed hade from there. Gabriel had entered along with the other inquisitors so it was inevitable that all the would-be ves there ended up seeing him. As for why this girl was bringing up a story like that¡­

    ¡°You smell like those beasts, but stronger. Train me.¡±

    A small arm stretched out, a thin finger pointing directly at Gabriel. The girl¡¯s golden pupils quivered slightly as she stood there, but she held her ground and kept pointing. Yeah, Gabriel could see why the captors saw the need to use means heavy enough to cause a scar like that.

    ¡°Kid, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    There seemed to be something quite wrong with the little girl¡¯s head, but perhaps that was only to be expected after she was forced to endure something like that. Gabriel turned around again as he spoke and started to move away again, the little girl quickly hurrying after him as she responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t got one. Gimme one.¡±

    She spoke so simply and quickly that it almost seemed like she was asking for a piece of candy. Still, Gabriel didn¡¯t look back at her as he kept moving, simply tossing his response over his shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have one, don¡¯t remember it, or don¡¯t want to give it?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t umon for ves and the like to want to discard their own names after being freed, it served as a way to sever ties with their past. Gabriel had seen it plenty of times amongst the soldiers that got to retire due to their injuries. At the same time, it also wasn¡¯t umon for them to just forget their names since they generally worked on a codename basis. But in this girl¡¯s case¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t got one, they said that I was sold before I was even born so there was no need to give me one. So gimme.¡±

    Another story that wasn¡¯t terribly umon, Gabriel saw it asionally when he took on missions in the worse parts of southern America. Some families simply couldn¡¯t afford children, it was better to just sell them ahead of time to get something out of it.

    His feet stopped again for a moment, his eyes drifting over his shoulder for a moment. Scouring his memories, he had to admit that this little girl was probably the first kid sold straight into very that managed to retain a gaze like that.

    It only made sense really, those sold straight into very knew only the whip of their captors, they generally broke before they even understood what was going on. Gabriel had been simr to that, having been raised to fight in the civil war by his father. It was simply all he knew so he never really questioned it.

    But the girl maintained her headstrong gaze despite it all so she clearly had extraordinary mental fortitude. That, or well, perhaps she really was just messed up in the head.

    Gabriel reached the entrance of the mansion shortly after the girl made her statement, pushing open the double doors and allowing the cold air of the night to wash over them. The dark sky was clear, glittering with stars as far as the eye could see. The number that constantly hung in the air covered some of the stars he could see, but it felt infinitely small against the endless expanse of shimmering lights.

    ¡°Alright. But why should I train you? You¡¯ve been given your freedom, you¡¯ll be given a ce to stay and probably a teacher or two, so go enjoy your freedom and run around like a little kid.¡±

    Gabriel gave his response as he left the mansion, breathing deeply of the cool air. The doors shut behind them, the girl shivering slightly due to her thin rags yet still following Gabriel. Her gaze was strong, unyielding.

    ¡°I was given to those bad men.¡±

    Her response was exceedingly simple, her voice dripping with an all-too familiar hostility, a type of hatred that Gabriel could understand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He took a few steps away from the door, the girl quickly scurrying after him. She was trembling from the cold air, but she didn¡¯t even clutch her shoulders, her fists clenched tightly.

    ¡°And now I was given to you to be free.¡±

    It sounded a bit weird, but what she said wasn¡¯t technically wrong. She was only free because she was given to Alice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be given anything, I want to earn it.¡±

    The girl finally got to the root of it all, the very reason she had snuck away from the other people that had been taken in. The reason she had sat down in the dark hallway and quietly waited in front of the door, watching the door without sleeping.

    ¡°Anything given can be taken, and I don¡¯t want my things to be taken away anymore.¡±

    Her freedom had been taken before she was even born, her food had been taken away while she was a ve, her peace had been taken away, her will to live had slowly been taken, her asional friend was taken. Everything she acquired or was given was eventually taken away, that was the nature of her life.

    ¡°So train me to be strong like you.¡±

    But she could tell from looking at Gabriel. He didn¡¯t do anything in the dungeon, but she could smell it. He was dangerous, he was strong. She¡¯d always had a keen sense for things like that, keener than most in fact. Ah, if it was someone like him then he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer with having his things taken away. No, he wasn¡¯t someone who had things taken from him, he was the one who did the taking.

    ¡°Train me, I want to earn my freedom on my own.¡±

    The girl stretched out her arm again, presenting a calloused and rough palm to Gabriel. A beast, that was what she called him. But the gaze that was looking at him was unyielding, with only the slightest quiver in her golden pupils.

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze lingered on the stubborn girl for a few moments before it drifted away. When he raised his head slightly, he could see the window of his room, the curtains still closed. Alice would still be in there, sleeping peacefully. A long breath escaped him as he thought of her.

    ¡°Ah¡­ What have you done to me¡­?¡±

    He muttered to himself for a moment. He was¡­ different now. He could feel it within himself, within his chest and head, she had changed him.

    His hand moved over to his shoulder and unfastened the cloak that hung around his neck, pulling it off before he dropped it on top of the girl¡¯s head.

    ¡°Bellona, go to the room I just left and hop into the bed. But do it carefully so that the two people sleeping there don¡¯t wake up.¡±

    He spoke with a sigh, a long and heavy breath slipping out. The little girl struggled with therge and fluffy coat, he could see her small hands fiddle around as she tried to remove it from her face.

    ¡°Hm, He, Gah¡­ Who is Bellona, and what about my training?¡±

    Well, of course she would be surprised if he just spoke like that. But Gabriel could hear a slight twinkle in her voice so she¡¯d probably already guessed a few things.

    Gabriel looked up at the distant window again, the small scratches beneath his ears tickling again for a moment. Hmmm¡­ It wasn¡¯t that terrible, to feel like a person. His hand reached out andnded on the cloak, his palmnding on what felt like a head. He didn¡¯t fix the cloak, he didn¡¯t even ruffle the head beneath it, he just held his hand there for a few moments before he removed it, leaving the girl, Bellona now, with a few words.

    ¡°She¡¯s a goddess of war. We¡¯ll talk about trainingter, get some sleep first or you¡¯ll never be able to live up to that name.¡±

 Chapter 98: He who holds the horn. (3)

    Chapter 98: He who holds the horn. (3)

    Gabriel strode away from the mansion, but he didn¡¯t walk far. He found a spot in the courtyard where the trees grew freely and hid in a spot amongst them where he was hidden from all sides.

    ¡°Karas, Takt Ka.¡± (Darkness, Mask Me.)

    ¡°Karas, Aset Ka Hui Ka¡¯e Taki.¡± (Darkness, Switch Me And My Mark.)

    The darkness lingering between the trees rose as he beckoned, washing over his body as it swallowed him. When it settled down again, Gabriel had disappeared from the estate, a small ck dot remaining where he had vanished.

    Gabriel rose from a shadow in what looked like an office-building, rows of booths with stacks of papers spreading around him. Fig Tree¡¯s Branch, it was an ountingpany based in the capital of the empire, it helped smaller and a fair number of medium-sized businesses with their taxes, ensuring that the crown always got what it was owed.

    Well, that was its official line of work at least. Beneath the surface, it was one of thepanies owned by Gabriel¡¯s Night Pack. It was thergest of their hubs within the capital, and it was one of their main sources of information.

    ¡°Boss.¡±

    A voice called out to Gabriel after he arrived there, his head covered by a wolf-like mask formed from the surrounding darkness. A head rose from the rows of booths, which were naturally empty now because of howte it was. A mask resembling a ck fox covered the head, Solomon had probably put it on the moment he sensed Gabriel¡¯s magic.

    ¡°A change in the ns, I assume?¡±

    He was fairly familiar with how the boss handled his business, if he came here thiste in person then it meant that they were going to either kick up a massive fuss or change their ns. But they were already in the process of kicking up a massive fuss so it was more likely that they¡¯d just change their approach. Well, at least he believed that until Gabriel actually spoke up.

    ¡°The Kasarias Kingdom, bring out the map.¡±

    Solomon wasn¡¯t sure if he should feel a headache creeping in or if he should just give up an ept it. Well, he¡¯d already asked himself something simr many a times in the past, but the answer he reached was always thetter. It was a hassle and a lot of work, but Gabriel had brought the Night Pack further than Solomon¡¯s father had ever been capable of, he was a profitable boss.

    ¡°Alright, what are we looking for.¡±

    Solomon waved his hand as he spoke, muttering a quiet spell as he did so. A bit of water appeared in the air around him as he did so, the liquid quickly spreading out to form a map of the Kasarias Kingdom. It sucked in some of the surrounding ink vials, using their contents to form the borders and separatends of the kingdom.

    The Kasarias Kingdom was a fair bit smaller than the Earhart Empire, both innd and in titles. They had the royal family, two dukes, three marquises, five earls, ten viscounts, and somewhere around 30 barons. Well, the only reason they had so many barons was because it was a title you could buy in the kingdom if you had enough money, it was a title that most nobles barely regarded as a title.

    Gabriel looked down at the map, which had the royal family as the central point from which all the other territories sprouted from. The territory closest to the Earhart Empire belonged to their original target, but it was no longer enough.

    ¡°Try to slip more people into Duke Quinterius¡¯ fold, I imagine that the inquisitors will start to move against him within the next three days, they¡¯ll just try to settle things with Duke Sorin¡¯s son first. But other than them, start to slip people into the homes of Marquess Sylwia, Marquis Bruno, Earl Isidor, Viscount Garrard, and as many of the baronies we can get our hands on. Let¡¯s stay away from Duchess Giselle for the moment, but keep an external eye on their movements.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s finger slowly moved across the map, asionally stopping for a second so that he could tap a blotch of ink. Solomon followed his finger, the lips hidden by his mask twitching subtly.

    ¡°Are we going to take down the royal family?¡±

    The nobles that Gabriel had listed weren¡¯t random, they were all tied to, and rtively high-ranking in, what could be considered the noble faction. The royal family was the highest authority, but they still relied on the nobles to properly rule the country. As such, some of the nobles would naturally form a faction of their own so that they could negotiate properly with the royal family. Both sides would prefer to be the sole ruler, but they understood that it was impossible so they had no choice but to negotiate.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking the south, Solomon. So let¡¯s expand.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a statement of his desire, it wasn¡¯t a voicing of his ambition. No, it was a very simple statement dering the inevitable truth, they would take the south.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send out some men to dispose of various servants within the estates, we¡¯ll nt our people when they have to hire new workers.¡±

    The boss had given the order so Solomon could only follow along. It would take a bit of time to properly nt their people, but it wasn¡¯t like it was their first time doing it so he knew that they¡¯d manage it. But then his boss had to go and make it harder for them.

    ¡°No need to erase them, buy them out like we did with the maid of Kaden Sorin.¡±

    Solomon almost stumbled over his thoughts as Gabriel spoke. He couldn¡¯t help but cast a nce his way, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t even looking at him, much less batting an eye. They¡¯d infiltrated their fair share of mansions over the years, and the removal of servants was always the most efficient way to nt their own people. Sure, it wasn¡¯t impossible to buy them out, but it would certainly take longer and carry more risks. Why suddenly change their tactics?

    ¡°¡­Alright, we¡¯ll buy them out. I¡¯ll offer them jobs at the branches we open up, that way we can still keep an eye on them.¡±

    New branches would always need more manpower, and if they could get their hands on people who were already familiar with the area then it would save them some trouble. Naturally, most of those people couldn¡¯t be interred into their actual business, but that was just the nature of their line of work.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Gabriel left him with a single word, Solomon was always exceedingly efficient, that was why he had taken over the Night Pack in the original story. It would be safe to leave things to him while Gabriel prepared the other things. The map on the desk faded as Gabriel stepped away, Solomon tidying things up as he cast a nce over.

    ¡°Leaving already? Is the interrogation already over?¡±

    He could feel Gabriel¡¯s mana moving so it was clear that he was going to leave immediately. If he rushed out that quickly then the inquisitors had probably finished interrogating Duke Sorin¡¯s son, meaning that they would be calling up on him again since he was the one who levied the usation. But once again, his boss left him with a statement that made him stumble over his thoughts.

    ¡°Probably not, but it¡¯s not like they need his testimony, they have enough proof even without it, but there¡¯s a kid I¡¯ve got to keep an eye on so I can¡¯t be gone for too long.¡±

    Solomon didn¡¯t get to question the strange statement as Gabriel was swallowed by the darkness and vanished from the office. He removed the mask from his head and wiped his face a few times, looking at the spot where Gabriel had just stood.

    The boss had changed, and perhaps he was in the process of changing further.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel once again appeared amongst the trees within the courtyard, the quiet mansion looming a short distance away. After leaving Solomon, he stopped by a few other ces in the capital to prepare things, now that he had finished what he had to do, the first rays of light were just barely visible on the horizon. He strode across the courtyard and entered the mansion again, making his way through the dark hallways. But his gaze moved slightly as he retraced his earlier steps.

    The little girl, Bellona, hadn¡¯t gone to where Alice and Edith were sleeping. Looking at the small marks in the carpet, she had veered off and headed down a different hallway. With that being the case, Gabriel naturally turned down the same hallway and followed her tracks.

    He could hear her before he could see her. A subdued sound, a voice just barely breaking through severalyers of fabric. Before long, he reached the spot where she was hiding, a room tucked away within the servants quarters. Naturally, it would be where the servants, if they had any, would sleep. As such, it was quite far away from Gabriel¡¯s room, where Alice was currently sleeping.

    Gabriel could hear her through the door, a mixture of fearful and pained sobs. Pushing open the door, he could see her curled up in one of the beds,pletely buried in pillows and nkets that she had scavenged from the other beds. He stopped in front of the bed, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice his presence even as he pushed aside some of the pillows.

    She was curled up like a ball, her knees tucked against her chest as she kept her head lowered. She was sleeping, but she was crying, sobbing in pain and fear. She had looked at him with an unyielding and stubborn gaze, but in the end she was just a child. When she found a chance to be alone, she curled up like a wounded wolf to lick her wounds in solitude. She couldn¡¯t cry in front of others so she had no choice but to cry when she was alone, burying herself in pillows and nkets as if they could protect her.

    Gabriel¡¯s head tilted for a moment as he looked down at the girl, who was desperately clutching the cloak he had dropped on her before he sent her away. Yeah, in the end, she was just a child, a scared little girl.

    He pried the cloak from her grasp and covered her with it, putting the pillows back on top of her before he left the room and closed the door behind him. Since the sun was rising it probably wouldn¡¯t take too long before people started to wake up so he may as well prepare some breakfast for everyone.

    And indeed, as he was working on the breakfast, he could hear the sound of people moving. Bellona was the first, trudging into the kitchen with bleary eyes, the cloak draped around her almost like a robe.

    ¡°Go and get washed.¡±

    But Gabriel chased her away the moment she arrived, she was still exceedingly dirty. After she trotted away, he could hear some faint sounds from the washroom she entered so she probably met Alice and Edith. And sure enough, when she returned to the kitchen she did so along with Alice and Edith.

    But the children weren¡¯t allowed to stay for long, Alice sending them to the dining room so that they could prepare the table. Once alone, Alice cozied herself up to Gabriel from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist while she rested her chin on his shoulder.

    ¡°Bellona, huh? Any particr reason?¡±

    Her breath tickled his ear as she spoke in anguid voice. The little girl had probably told Alice the story while they were in the bath, it wasn¡¯t like she could keep silent when Alice wanted an answer. And naturally, what Alice asked about wasn¡¯t why he decided to give her such a name.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t answer immediately, chewing on his words for a moment. Why did he ept her, when he could have so easily pushed her away?

    ¡°I was a bit envious of her.¡±

    Yeah, thinking about it, that strange emotion was part of it. How wonderfully Alice had changed him, that he was capable of experiencing and recognizing such feelings.

    ¡°She feels quite simr to the past me, raised into a particr role. But I never questioned my role, I never fought it. I was raised to fight in the civil war, brought up to be a weapon. It was all I knew, so I never questioned it, I never rejected it.¡±

    When it was all you knew, how could you possibly think about rejecting it? To Gabriel, that world had beenpletely normal, death and murder just another part of everyday life. It was like breathing, so why would he protest?

    ¡°But she did. Born a ve, raised to be sold, she should have been broken from the start and just epted it. But she didn¡¯t. She protested, she rejected it. I don¡¯t know, I guess when I looked at that stubborn gaze I was envious that she had something the past me didn¡¯t.¡±

    Bellona had every right to be broken, sold before she was even born, molded to be a perfect servant. But she rebelled, she fought against it, the great scar on her face serving as proof of her resistance. Gabriel had broken, but she had not.

    ¡°It would be a shame if she broke after all that, so I may as well raise her to a point where she can¡¯t break.¡±

    It was an unfamiliar feeling. Hell, just the fact that he was feeling something for someone else was unfamiliar enough. In that regard, should he say that Alice had fixed a broken person, or that she had simply broken him differently?

    It was¡­ hard to say, he didn¡¯t have anything he couldpare it to. But it didn¡¯t feel bad. He could feel a steady rhythm in his chest, the thumping of a heart. Each beat spread color throughout his body, a brilliant crimson and violet dyeing his sight. His heart came from the warmth behind him, so the color it gave the world came from her. But asionally, there would be a different sh of color, a tinge of blue, a sh of yellow, a twinkle of green. She gave him color, but slowly and surely he was able to add a bit of his own paint.

    ¡°Edith could sleep peacefully thanks to you, Gabriel. No nightmares, no fears, no worries. She said that she hadn¡¯t slept so soundly even once in thest four years.¡±

    Alice¡¯s voice tickled his ear as she spoke. He could feel the slight curve of her lips, a pleasant smile, a sweet one. A smile for him.

    ¡°The past you may havecked it, but the current you can give it to others. Remember that, Gabriel, because those who can feel it will never forget it.¡±

    Her warmth disappeared from his back as she pulled away, blowing onest breath into his ear before she left for the dining room with a quiet giggle. Gabriel burned on the inside, thest breath bringing with it a fire that threatened to swallow his insides.

    But he swallowed it down with a heavy breath, allowing it to be ice in his stomach. Not yet, not just yet.

    He finished cooking, it was all just simple things that could be eaten with bread so just about anyone could make it. Still, the food went down fast, especially for the two children who clearly hadn¡¯t had a good meal in quite a while.

    ¡°Eat more. Training requires a lot of energy.¡±

    Gabriel forced more food onto Bellona¡¯s te even though she said she was full, his tone and expression leaving no room for arguments so she had to eat. In the end, Edith also asked if he could train her when she found out that he was going to train Bellona, but she was a fair bit shyer about it. As a result, she too had more food forced onto her te. And like that, they managed to finish their first breakfast.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Imperial Pce for a bit, I want to meet Abigail and have a chat. I¡¯ll leave the kids in your hands until I return.¡±

    Once they finished eating, theyid out their ns for the day, Alice kicking things off. Gabriel didn¡¯t technically have anything to do until the inquisitors finished with Duke Sorin¡¯s son, he couldn¡¯t leave the city or go too far away from the mansion either in case they called on him, so this was the perfect time to handle the children that wanted training. Alice on the other hand was a lot freer and could thus proceed with her own ns as she wished.

    Gabriel naturally had noints so the two said a short farewell before Alice departed for the Imperial Pce, leaving Gabriel with the two children. One looked at him strongly, stubbornly, while the other looked a fair bit more timid, yet still clearly found somefort in Gabriel¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    He spoke shortly as he beckoned for them to stick close, guiding them through the mansion. He brought them to an underground training room, specially reinforced for when the owner of the mansion would have stronger knights engage in sparring matches. Being underground it was naturally also very well hidden from sight, so any idents that happened here would never reach the surface.

    Gabriel¡¯s feet stopped, Bellona taking the lead to scurry in front of him, Edith following shortly after. They stood with their backs so straight that they looked like they were about to shake. Was it nerves, excitement, or some lingering fear?

    Gabriel was silent for a moment as he looked at the two of them. He had actually given this training a bit of thought, how to proceed and what he should do. Naturally, he originally only had Bellona in mind when he thought about it, but now Edith had to be included.

    When he saw how Bellona had cried, curled up in a fortress of pillows, and thought about how Edith had cried at night and clutched his chest desperately, he had already decided how to proceed. He would be honest with them, and he would train them how he knew best. He would train them in the way he felt that they needed it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t train you to be strong.¡±

    He was very upfront about it, the two children swallowing a mouthful of saliva. They were sensitive so they could sense it, the thing lurking within his tone.

    ¡°I was never trained to be strong, so there is no way I can train others to be strong.¡±

    Yes, when had Gabriel ever trained to be strong? In his past life, he was trained to kill his opponent no matter what scheme he had to rely on. And the same was true for this life under Lawrence, he never trained Gabriel to be strong. But even so, there was something Gabriel was adept at that he could teach the children.

    ¡°But I can teach you how to kill, and above all, I can teach you how to survive, I can teach you how to take back that which was taken. The second t to being a good person, if you have something you treasure then you can never let anyone else take it from you. If that fails, then there¡¯s the third t to being a good person, if there¡¯s something you want, then you must make sure to acquire it no matter what you have to do¡±

    Aye, Gabriel knew how to kill, he knew how to survive, and he knew how to take the things he wanted. He first taught Alice about these things, the ts. Never would he have expected that he would go on to teach it to other children, kids who were no older than Alice was when he first taught her.

    Gabriel unsheathed the sword that hung at his waist and stabbed it into the ground in front of him, grabbing another sword from a rack that hung at the side of the training grounds and doing the same with it. And then he spoke.

    ¡°Karas, Veck.¡± (Darkness, Release.)

    His shadow stretched out and bulged for a moment before it spat out the thing it had been hiding for a while now. A man appeared between Gabriel and the two children, his arms and legs bound by shackles while his mouth was gagged.

    Unruly orange hair, sharp yellow eyes that had be rather bloodshot, coupled with his sharp features he looked as if he was a living me. Kaden Gaun Sorin, the third son of Duke Sorin and the man responsible for the two children¡¯s predicament.

    His eyes were wide open as he looked around, struggling rather wildly. He was supposed to be in the prison of the Amber Inquisitors, awaiting the next round of questioning.

    He naturally recognized Gabriel when he saw him, both from the footage of the investiture and from when Gabriel arrived at his mansion with the inquisitors. It was this child that was the reason everything went wrong, they would have been able to keep going for much longer if he hadn¡¯t intervened.

    But he couldn¡¯t say anything, partly because he was gagged and partly because of the look in Gabriel¡¯s eyes. There was a coldness he had never seen in a human before, an instinctive fear slowly filling his insides as Gabriel turned his gaze towards the two children.

    ¡°This man is the leader of the ve ring that you belonged to, you were kidnapped and sold because of him. When you suffered torture, it was because of him. When you were deprived of food and water, it was because of him. When those around you died or were sold, it was because of him. Your fear, your sadness, your pain, this man sits at the core of it all.¡±

    Gabriel spat out he truth so that the two children could understand it. Everything they had suffered, they had done so because of this man. Because he wanted to sell them, because he wanted them to be obedient so that he could earn more. Their lives had been ruined just because of him. And as they learned that, Gabriel pointed at the weapons he had stabbed into the ground.

    ¡°Take them. Cut out your fear, cut out your sadness, your pain. Leave them in the grave with him. Its time to take control of your own lives, don¡¯t let someone as small as him be a reason for you to cry, you¡¯re stronger than that.¡±

 Chapter 99: He who holds the horn. (4)

    Chapter 99: He who holds the horn. (4)

    As was expected, silence dominated the underground training area after Gabriel spoke, his hand still gesturing towards the two des that had been stabbed into the ground. The gazes of the two young girls alternated between the weapons and the bound Kaden, their pupils trembling for different reasons.

    Bellona was the first to move, be it because she mustered up her courage or because the anger inside grew too violent to contain. She clutched the handle of Gabriel¡¯s sword and tugged on it desperately. But the weapon refused to move.

    It was probably a mixture of her being too weak after being raised as a ve and Gabriel stabbing the sword in too deep, but she couldn¡¯t move the weapon. She tried with all her might, using both hands and even leaning back as she put all her weight into it. But the weapon refused to move for her.

    Edith looked on as Bellona struggled with the weapon, her gaze still drifting between the bound man and the weapon waiting to take his life. She was hesitating, a thread of thought shackling her hands.

    ¡°Edith. If you remain silent then no one will ever know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze moved away from Bellona as he spoke to Edith with a calm tone, one foot nted firmly against Kaden¡¯s spine so that he couldn¡¯t squirm too much. Edith still hesitated a bit, but eventually mustered up the courage to speak.

    ¡°Umm¡­ How do I know that he¡¯s the bad man? Mama said that you have to know the difference between a good and bad man.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s head couldn¡¯t help but tilt for a moment as Edith questioned him. He didn¡¯t know how long Edith had lived with her parents before they passed and she was turned into a ve, but it can¡¯t have been an insignificant amount of time if she still remembered her teachings. His gaze slid down to Kaden, who was trying to wriggle out from underneath Gabriel¡¯s foot.

    Evidence, huh? It wasn¡¯t something Gabriel had ever considered. In the past, he simply moved towards whatever he was ordered to kill, and in this life he simply moved against those he chose to kill. He¡¯d never actually had to convince someone else to kill someone. But oh well, if Edith wanted proof so that she could keep following herte mother¡¯s teachings and maintain her morals, then Gabriel would just have to present it.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get it.¡±

    Gabriel spoke out loud, seemingly into empty air, yet didn¡¯t move from where he stood. The shadow stretching out underneath him, however, quivered for a slight moment before something disappeared from it. Gabriel gave the shadow a quick re just before Nergal left it, the excitement he was feeling was almost palpable so Gabriel had to wordlessly remind him to not go overboard.

    There was no need to antagonize the Amber Inquisitors here, and Nergal would get to eat his fillter. Luckily, it seemed that Nergal understood his intentions, returning before long and spitting something out in Gabriel¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°Karas, Veck.¡± (Darkness, Release.)

    Gabriel muttered the spell, his fingers momentarily twitching as he mentally drew the array. The shadow cast by his fingers rose and swelled, some rolled up papers appearing in his grasp as the darkness receded.

    ¡°Bellona, youe here too, Edith raised a good point. If you¡¯re going to strike and kill, always know why you¡¯ll be doing it. It doesn¡¯t matter if its just because you¡¯re following orders or because you want to, just make sure you know why.¡±

    Gabriel knelt down as he spoke, gesturing for Bellona to stop struggling with the weapon. His foot left Kaden¡¯s backside, but it was quickly reced by his knee so there was no respite for the bound man. Gabriel unfurled the scrolls when Bellona trotted over, cing them on the ground next to Kaden¡¯s head.

    ¡°Can you read?¡±

    Perhaps it was to be expected, but neither Bellona nor Edith could speak up after he asked. It really couldn¡¯t be helped, even if they hadn¡¯t been raised as ves, there was still a good percentage of citizens in this world who couldn¡¯t read.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just something you¡¯ll have to learnter. But this picture, you can tell that it¡¯s this man, right? And this insignia, the mark drawn here, you recognize it as the mark of the Imperial Family, right?¡±

    The two children quickly nodded their heads as Gabriel slowly spoke, his finger drawing a line on the paper. At the top was a painting of Kaden while at the bottom the Amber Inquisitors had emzoned the mark of the Imperial Family. It meant that this was an official report made by the Amber Inquisitors, it was something that would be interred in their archives, an invible fact. Since the two understood, Gabriel kept exining, his finger returning to the top of the paper before it started to slowly move down.

    ¡°His first crime, colludi¡­ Working together with a country that wants to harm us. He provided them with information that helped them kill many of the people who work for the country. He also sold many people to the enemy country, the number here is 6071, it¡¯s enough people to fill several viges.¡±

    Slowly but surely, Gabriel listed everything that the Amber Inquisitors had dug up. It was a fair bit more detailed than he expected so it seemed as if either Kaden or some of the people working for him had been ¡®convinced¡¯ to open their mouths. Really, it wasn¡¯t looking good for him.

    ¡°Some of the people he sold were gifted to the nobles of the enemy country so that he could befriend them, some were sold to mages or alchemists for experiments, some were sold to brothels, ces where people sell their body for money, and others were sold as normal ves. That was what he was nning for you, and everyone around you. All the friends that disappeared one day, they¡¯re among these people.¡±

    As strange as it may be to say, just selling people as ves wasn¡¯t the best of businesses. No, you had to know how and where to sell them to get the best profit, and sometimes you had to sell at a loss so that you could secure connections for future sales. Kaden clearly knew business well, it was truly booming.

    ¡°Now, as for where he got the people he sold, I¡¯m sure you know it well. Some are like you, Bellona, bought from parents who couldn¡¯t afford them. Some are like you, Edith, quietly bought from orphanages after their parents passed away. But some kids were less lucky, they were taken from the streets, stolen from their homes while their parents slept. Some were taken along with their whole families and sold separately, and in some cases they orchestrated attacks on smaller viges so that they could bring in many people at once.¡±

    In a way, Kaden was fairly clever in how he handled it. He never used the same method in session, and he always spaced it out slightly so that it wasn¡¯t all centered around his estate. But everyone left behind clues, and as people started to talk, clues became evidence, and evidence became a de to your neck.

    ¡°This right here, Edith, this is how you know he is a bad man.¡±

    The low sound of Gabriel tapping the parchment apanied his words, each tap representing a different one of Kaden¡¯s sins. Naturally, Edith and Bellona couldn¡¯t read so for all they knew Gabriel could just be making it up as he went, lying through his teeth.

    But in the end, that was how the world was. It was all about who you chose to trust when presented with some information. Of course, going out to gather your own information would always be the best option, but these girls couldn¡¯t do that so they had no choice but to ce their trust somewhere. The question was simply whether it would or wouldn¡¯t be Gabriel.

    Gabriel straightened his legs again and stood up, a pained groan escaping Kaden as Gabriel¡¯s knee scraped against his spine for a moment. Once again, he pointed at the two des.

    ¡°Now, the choice is yours. Trust what I have said and take them, im control of your own lives and cut out the root of your misery. Or don¡¯t trust my words and live on not knowing what could have been.¡±

    After he finished speaking, Gabriel simply looked at the two girls. A calm gaze, ingrained confidence lurking deep within his pupils. The girls looked at Kaden, then the paper, then the weapons. Once again, Gabriel could see their pupils tremble. Once again, Edith spoke up, clenching her small fists until her knuckles turned white.

    ¡°If¡­ If I do it, will it feel better?¡±

    One of her clenched fists touched her chest, her expression warping. When his crimes were listed out like that it probably reminded her of her time as a ve, the pain and misery. There were still marks around one of her feet from when Terese freed her, from when she had been flung around so violently that her foot dislocated and slipped out of her chains.

    She hadn¡¯t told anyone, but it still hurt. She could still feel the metal around her feet, the warmth of her blood as it trailed across her skin. It hurt every night, and when it didn¡¯t hurt she cried because of what she saw in her dreams. If she cut out the root of that misery, would it feel better?

    ¡°No.¡±

    But sadly, Gabriel¡¯s answer was less thanforting.

    ¡°Once it¡¯s done, you will feel miserable. The fact that you have taken a life wille bearing down on you and your chest will feel clogged. But in time, you wille to ept what you have done, what you felt that you needed to do. And one day, you will look back on it and decide if it was worth it or not, if you did what you felt was right. Only then will you know.¡±

    Gabriel could somewhat understand what Edith was feeling. But it was only somewhat. In the end, they were different people, they came from different lives. So Gabriel could only draw from his own understanding, the final truth would be something only Edith would know.

    Edith was silent for a moment after Gabriel spoke, Bellona already tugging on the weapon again, still unable to pull it from the ground. In the end, it seemed that Edith came to a conclusion, moving over to the other de.

    She ced a pair of trembling hands on the hilt and tugged at it with all her might, but she too was unable to extract the de. She pulled with all her might, but the weapon refused to budge.

    And Gabriel simply watched. He didn¡¯t pull out the weapons for them, he didn¡¯t kill Kaden for them, he didn¡¯t offer his help. He simply gave them the chance, and then he just watched.

    The two girls struggled futilely for a bit longer, drawing in ragged and heavy breaths. They looked up at Gabriel, but he remained unmoving, his foot locking Kaden in ce as he watched them.

    After a few more minutes of trying, the two exchanged looks and seemed toe up with an idea. Edith left her de and moved over to Bellona, joining her in trying to pull out the first de. They were just weak children, scarred and weakened by their rough lives.

    But together they were able to pull out the first de, which was far toorge and heavy for either one of them to handle on their own. They had reimed one of the des, and that alone should be enough. But no, they went over to the second sword, and together they pulled it from the dirt.

    In the end, they booth stood there, holding a sword toorge and heavy for them to even lift it more than a few centimeters. But they held it. They had pulled them from the dirt, and they held it with their own hands.

    They dragged the des as they approached Kaden, who was grunting and struggling to escape. But Gabriel locked him down, crushing down on his spine until the pain made the world in front of Kaden¡¯s eyes spin.

    And then the two girls ¡®attacked¡¯ him with the swords they had drawn. It was almostughable to call it an attack, barely raising the weapon to let it fall down or putting their entire weight behind it to stab forward. But still, the des were exceedingly sharp so it was more than enough to leave wounds on Kaden¡¯s body.

    One wound became two, which became four, which became eight. Blood poured out as the two girls hacked away at their misfortune, as they poured out their anger and sorrow with each move. They started to cry before they knew it, tears and snot falling from their faces as they kept attacking.

    They could just barely see Gabriel beyond their tears, his body blurry and distorted in their visions. But strangely enough¡­ They foundfort in it, in him. They couldn¡¯t make out his expression, but they could tell that he was looking at them. He gave them the weapons, he gave them the choice, and then he just looked at them quietly. It was¡­ Comforting, the freedom, the belief. They had no basis for it, but they were both convinced that he, even in this macabre scene, would be wearing a slightly soft expression, as if encouraging them on.

    Ah, he probably wasn¡¯t someone that could be called a good person, most people would probably strongly protest if they tried to call him something like that. But to them¡­ Would it be wrong if they decided to at least internally consider him a good person because he gave them the choice, the freedom?

    And so, they hacked away at their misfortune, cut out their misery and sorrow, as they poured their pain onto Kaden so that they could leave it all with him in the grave.

 Chapter 100: He who holds the horn. (5)

    Chapter 100: He who holds the horn. (5)

    ¡°Please follow me, Countess Vritara, the Crown Princess will see you now.¡±

    A maid bowed deeply to Alice, who finished the cup of tea she had been given and put it down before she got up from the couch. She¡¯d arrived at the pce so early that Abigail had still been in the process of getting ready for the day so she had been guided to a salon so that she may enjoy some refreshments as she waited.

    Another maid, who had been quietly waiting in the back, stepped forward to clean away the tea as Alice was guided through the halls of the pce. There was an unusual silence hanging in the air of the pce, a subdued gloom that seemed to suffuse each breath.

    ¡°I wish you a pleasant chat, please ring the bell should you desire any further refreshments to be delivered.¡±

    Rather than the usual garden where Alice and Abigail met, the maid brought Alice to Abigail¡¯s room, bowing respectfully as she opened the door and stepped aside. Looking inside, Alice could see where the subdued gloom that hung over the pce came from.

    ¡°You¡¯ve let yourself go, Abigail.¡±

    Alice spoke inly as she entered the room, closing the door behind her so that it was only the two of them. The room really was rather messy, Abigail had brought in arge table, one that you would usually only see within one¡¯s office, and ced it in the center of the room. Papers and books were strewn across the table, and on the floor around it, words and drawings scrawled on each of them.

    Abigail was sitting at the desk, her elbow leaning on the table as she rested her head in her hand while looking at the papers. She had just been done up for the day so her hair and clothes were neat, but Alice could see the pale shade that covered her skin, the dark bags hidden beneathyers of makeup.

    The amber eyes that rose to look at Alice had taken on a light shade of red from how bloodshot they were. The light within them was rather dark, the gloom that swallowed the pce spewed from them unceasingly. Abigail looked miserable, her shoulders so slumped that she seemed to be carrying the world itself.

    ¡°Alice¡­ Have youe to return to our conversation from that day?¡±

    Abigail rubbed her eyes wearily as she spoke, pushing aside some of the papers she had been working on. She¡¯d been pushing it ever since she peered into the established flow of time. Well, it hadn¡¯t really been that long honestly, but it felt like several lifetimes. She felt heavy, like she was sinking deeper and deeper. But above all¡­ She felt alone.

    ¡°In a way. There are things I wish to ask. And seeing your state, there are things I wish to say. Is it an opportune time?¡±

    Alice spoke in a questioning tone, but her posture as she dragged over a chair and sat down made it clear that she hadn¡¯te here just to leave empty-handed.

    ¡°Ask away, there¡¯s no one but me around.¡±

    Abigail almost sounded somewhat bleak as she spoke, a low and dull chuckle almost rolling out from her throat. She¡¯d really tried to get Alice to understand the situation after she peered into the flow of time, the severity of their current conundrum. But Alice still made her choice, and Abigail expected that to be thest they would see of each other. But seeing her taking the initiative toe here to discuss it¡­ She would be lying if she said that it didn¡¯t ignite a spark of hope.

    ¡°You spoke of possible futures, all of them converging on the here and now. I assume you spoke of this because of what Teresa said at the investiture, the strange things she saw, heard, and felt, right? Were those fragments of one such possible future?¡±

    Alice had things she wanted to say, things she wanted to ask, but first she had to line up the facts that she had. Abigail gave a slow nod of her head, so Alice knew she was on the right track, pressing on.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a few strange dreams in the past days, nonsensical scenes of me and Caine, and asionally you as well. Can I assume that these are also possible futures trying to impose themselves on the present?¡±

    Alice still remembered it oh-so vividly, that disgusting sensation swarming her as she slept. The feeling of her body not listening to her as she was forced to be a spectator trapped within her own flesh, as foreign emotions sttered across her insides with each beating of a tainted heart. It was sickening.

    ¡°¡­ Correct. The world isn¡¯t sure which one to pick since they¡¯re all so likely toe to pass so some of them are squeezing into the cracks caused by the pressure.¡±

    There was a trace of hesitation as Abigail spoke and gave a heavy nod. She wasn¡¯t being entirely honest, but how could she? She couldn¡¯t tell Alice about the loop, about the repeated attempts trying to break into their current one. To speak of the loop was the second-greatest taboo of the loop, dragging in those not rted to its creation could cause the entire thing to evaporate.

    Abigail¡¯s other hand rose to her face, her thumb nestling between her lips as she started to chew on her nail. Her head hurt, and not just because she had looked at the established flow of time. Parts of her memory were empty, scattered and broken. Since she looked into the flow of time, she knew of the loops that she shouldn¡¯t have experienced yet. Parts of the memories entered her since she had once been part of those loops, but it wasn¡¯tplete. So her mind tried to supplement what she couldn¡¯t remember with what she knew, creating chimeric memories that felt like nails scraping against her brain.

    She didn¡¯t know about them, yet she did. She had been in them, yet she had not. Why didn¡¯t she know, how didn¡¯t she know? And above all¡­ Why hadn¡¯t he told her? Why hadn¡¯t he just talked to her?

    Alice could see a few questions swimming about within Abigail¡¯s eyes, the pain that gnawed at her insides. But even so, she asked her own questions, the time forforting couldeter.

    ¡°I see, I expected as much after ourst talk. But tell me, Abigail, did youe to this world willingly or did something else bring you here?¡±

    Alice looked straight at Abigail as she questioned her, spoke directly to the one within that had usurped the original Abigail. The lips chewing on the fingernail came to an abrupt halt, the amber pupils trembling fiercely as her breath seemed to get caught in her chest.

    ¡°¡­Ah¡­ I¡­¡±

    Abigail struggled to let out her breath, much less her words. How did she know? Had she seen something in the dreams? Had one of the gods intervened and spoken to her? Or had Azuras somehow messed with things again? The urgent questions swam around in her head, but Alice simply locked eyes with her and looked straight at her.

    ¡°Answer me, Abigail. Why did youe here?¡±

    Alice needed to know, how she would proceed from here hinged entirely on the answer Abigail gave.

    Abigail pped her lips a few time, some strangled sounds slipping out asionally. But Alice¡¯s gaze never let up, so confident that it pierced into Abigail. She really knew, Alice had really learned the truth.

    ¡°¡­I was offered a deal, by the original Abigail and the one who, at the time, served as the god of time. There was a world that needed saving, so if I agreed to take over the body of Abigail and helped save the world then they would fulfill my wish.¡±

    The words came out easier than Abigail expected, especially considering how much she struggled with responding at first. As she spoke, parts of the tightness in her chest receded, sinking back into the depths. She felt¡­ liberated. This was her secret, and she had carried it for years, Kaisel standing as her only witness. To finally be able to tell someone the truth, to finally get a chance to vent¡­

    ¡°And you epted it.¡±

    Alice clearly did not feel as liberated as Abigail, speaking shortly and inly, more stating facts thanmenting on anything. But still, it felt good to get it off her chest so Abigail did not mind it. Depending on how much Alice questioned, perhaps Abigail would finally get some of the condemnation she deserved.

    ¡°I did. They fulfilled my wish, gave me a medium to see parts of this world so that I could prepare, and a few yearster, the time for me to take over this body came.¡±

    She had a wish, a dream she was desperate enough to fulfill that she was willing to make a deal that meant eventually abandoning her own world and life. And they, the original Abigail and Kaisel, had fulfilled that wish for her.

    ¡°Was there no family back home to keep you there, no loved ones that you would like to stay with?¡±

    Alice spoke in a rather inquisitive, curious even, tone. It was a rather natural question for the situation, most people thought about the family they would leave behind should they go far away. Perhaps it was because Abigail was reminiscing about this family, but she did not see the glint of light that shed through Alice¡¯s eyes when she answered.

    ¡°There was, probably even is. I had a brother, Zacarias Vargas. He was a cute child, you should have seen him. But he was unfortunate because he was born in the wrong ce and at the wrong time, in the middle of a civil war. And he was too pure, he didn¡¯t know any better so he just took in everything he was taught. So, like animals, they painted him ck.¡±

    At first, there was a gentle and soft tone to her voice, her eyes and lips naturally curving into a smile. But her expression dimmed as she spoke, when she ended her sentence she was clenching her fist so hard that her veins bulged and wriggled like worms.

    That brother of hers¡­ How could she ever forget him? It had all been for him from the start, all because of those filthy animals who abandoned their humanity.

    ¡°Is that it? No other family, no parents?¡±

    Once again, Alice questioned in a seemingly normal tone. And once again, Abigail couldn¡¯t see the sharp glint that shed through her pupils.

    If Abigail was gloomy before, then she became downright dark when questioned about her parents. Her lips curled into a derisive sneer, filled with such contempt that one would think she was looking at something worse than gue-ridden garbage.

    ¡°We had a thing that called itself our father, but it doesn¡¯t deserve to be called that. It started to train us practically from the moment we could walk, desperately trying to paint its colors onto us. It made Zacarias take part in a mission when he was five, five! It made him enter a vige and poison a well, it made what should have been a cute little child kill close to a hundred people just because he looked harmless! That thing had no right to live.¡±

    Her fist mmed onto the table as she stood up, a hoarse growl escaping her lips, the thick marble te splitting apart beneath her clenched fist. She had met many a monster in her life, but that thing was the only monster she felt could rival Azuras in vileness and depravity.

    ¡°Did you kill him?¡±

    It was a question that wasn¡¯t a question. The answer was clear not just because Alice knew how Gabriel was, it would be clear to anyone who could see the dark light of violence and hatred swimming in Abigail¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That was my wish, an end to the monster that gued our lives.¡±

    Abigail sank back down into her chair, her head resting in her hand again as she let out a long breath. Due to that thing¡¯s position she herself had no way to kill it, so she used her wish to ensure that it happened. But did they be happy after that?

    ¡°I can¡¯t even call it funny how things only got worse afterward¡­ Never forget Alice, there is no peace after you get rid of the monster, there¡¯s always just more monsters. It¡¯s true here, and it was true there.¡±

    She spoke as if she was giving Alice a bit of advice, but she was clearly also reminding herself. Really, she thought things would get better after that thing died, that they could get away from the civil war and spend some years together in peace before she had to depart. But there was no peace to be found for them, just more monsters.

    ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then why are you so insistent on saving this world?¡±

    Alice¡¯s voice was nk, not a trace of emotion lingering in her tone, to the point that it was almost eerie.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Abigail was silent for a moment, chewing on her words. Why¡­ This wasn¡¯t her world, these weren¡¯t her people or family. So why was she so insistent on saving them, shackling her own soul to a time loop that could easily be the end of her?

    ¡°Because despite it all, despite the monsters that never seem to stoping, I am thankful to both Abigail and the god of time that brought me here.¡±

    What a simple truth it was. Despite everything that happened here, despite the way they had yanked her from her own world, despite the things that happened to her and her brother after her wish was fulfilled. Despite everything, Abigail was thankful.

    ¡°It may be strange to say, especially since I¡¯m just someone hijacking this body, but there are people here I am fond of. They are good people, nice people, true people. I want them to be happy, and I want them to live long lives. Were it not for Abigail and that god, I would never have gotten to meet these people. And Caine¡­¡±

    Her words trailed off at the end, her weary eyes drifting. The people she had met in this world were a thousand times better than those she had met in her own world, they were a million times better than the thing that tried to call itself her father. And so, she loved them all dearly and wanted them to be safe. And Caine¡­

    ¡°Was Caine one of the reasons you came here?¡±

    This time, Abigail could sense it. A trace of sympathy, or perhaps understanding, lingering around the edges of Alice¡¯s tone. She raised her gaze for a moment, locking eyes with Alice. Of course Alice understood her emotions, Abigail could see it every time she saw Alice look at Gabriel. In that regard, the two were one and the same.

    But the answer to the question was actually a shake of her head.

    ¡°No. The medium that let me see parts of this world were all the memories of the original Abigail so I only saw things that she focused on. Caine¡­ He did not mean as much to her as the rest of the country and the citizen, he was just another man in the endless sea of people she had to protect.¡±

    Yes, in the memories she received from the original Abigail, there was barely anything about Caine. She never even looked at him properly. When the original Abigail reached out along with Kaisel to find someone that could take over her body and save the world, it wasn¡¯t because she loved Caine or someone else in particr. No, the original Abigail simply loved this world, this empire, her citizens.

    If it meant saving them, she was willing to abandon her own body and use her soul as a sacrifice to entice the gods into creating the time loop. The original Abigail was the base of it all, the current Abigail was just the one that had been tied to it to protect the empire that was oh-so loved.

    Being filled with so much love for the empire, how could the original Abigail not be loved in return? The current Abigail got to experience that for herself when she took over.

    ¡°But Caine loved Abigail, I got to learn that first hand when I came and took over this body. And I¡­ profited on that love, I took it for myself.¡±

    She had seen it as she interacted with Caine more aftering here. The way he looked at her, the tone of his voice, his actions. She didn¡¯t recognize it at first, but she learned it in the end. Love. Caine loved Abigail, he looked at her with nothing but the warmest of love.

    ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯m just horrible¡­¡±

    And the current Abigail had sucked it all in, taken it all for herself. The warm looks, the loving touch, the gentle words, she greedily drank it all. That which she had never received before, she took it all from someone else. Gods how she asionally hated herself when she thought that none of those looks were for her.

    ¡°That brother of yours, do you still think of him?¡±

    Despite Abigail¡¯s mutter, Alice actually changed the topic back to her family. Her voice was almost a little sharp, prying even. But Abigail answered honestly. She wanted to talk about it, she wanted to finally tell someone. She wanted someone to know just how horrible she was, perhaps then she would be able to breathe a little easier.

    ¡°How could I not? I never even got to say a proper farewell, they just whisked me away one day while I was on a mission. What became of him after? How did he grow up? What color did he acquire in the end? I never got to see it. I wanted to help him find a better life once it was all over, once we had some peace, before I had to go. But I never got that chance, and instead I just ended up abandoning him all alone in that horrible life.¡±

    They took her when she was out on a mission. Cracked open the air in front of her and said that it was time, not giving her a chance to even send back a message. Was there even a body left behind? Did her cute little brother even have something he could say goodbye to, something he could curse at for leaving him alone in that miserable world? She didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Some nights, I wake up because I dream of him. I showed him parts of the memories through the medium that I was given, a TV. I didn¡¯t tell him anything about it, but I wanted him to at least be able to see where I would end up in the end, I wanted him to see that I too would end up happy. But then I just ended up abandoning him like that.¡±

    One day, she would have to leave him. She knew that from the moment she agreed to the contract. But even so, she wanted him to know that she was happy somewhere. He might not know that it was her, but he would know that she was happy. She hoped that it would make it easier, but deep inside she knew that it was just a vain hope.

    That was why she sometimes woke up at night, cold sweat covering her body. She dreamt of him, the truth hidden behind the veil of a vain hope. And then she cried and questioned herself.

    ¡°Tell me, Alice, because I don¡¯t know the answer. Is it fair that I am happy here while he is forced to suffer alone over there?¡±

    Once again, Abigail¡¯s voice was bleak. She had gained a lot here in this world, she was truly happy here. But the life she had abandoned would never leave her, the truth would forever haunt her, lurking beneath every happy moment.

    And she deserved it, that stinging pain in her chest, the constant knowledge. And now, she would deserve the condemnation she would get from Alice, finally there would be someone who could curse at her for what she had done. But the curses never came.

    ¡°I¡¯m d, Abigail. Truly.¡±

    Abigail¡¯s gaze naturally found Alice, who was smiling brightly, warmly even. Alice leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she folded her hands and rested her chin on top of them.

    ¡°In the future I saw, you and Caine did not wish for me to be happy. I had apparently done too much, too many times, so I did not deserve happiness.¡±

    The words she heard in the dream would never leave her. Caine had called her a monster, unsure if he wanted her to be happy after everything she had done. But they could always just try again, and perhaps there might be a life where even the undeserving her gets a smidgen of happiness. Really, what a cruel curse that was. But oh-well. Thinking about what greeted her after she woke from that vision, she could blow away all her thoughts regarding that dream.

    ¡°But I am happy, Abigail, and I will only be happier with Gabriel. And it won¡¯t be just me, I¡¯ll make sure he bes happy too, happier than we could have been in any of the possible futures you¡¯re trying so hard to choose between on your lonesome.¡±

    Yes. They may not have wished her to be happy, but she had be happy. She didn¡¯t need them to give her happiness, she didn¡¯t need Abigail to sit here in her room, pouring over possible futures as she desperately tried to choose the best one on her own. She¡¯d acquire her own happiness along with the man she chose.

    But oh well, the man she had chosen had taught her a little bit too well so she had be someone hard to please. She wasn¡¯t satisfied until she achieved everything she wanted. And looking at Abigail, there was something she wanted.

    ¡°But you know what, Abigail? I actually consider you something of a friend. You¡¯ve been good to me over the years, You¡¯ve always tried to help. And I liked your answers. So you know what, Abigail? I would like it if you were happy too.¡±

    From their first meeting at the spirit awakening to now, Abigail had always done everything she could to help Alice. She had done everything in her power to ensure that Alice ended up happy. Was it because of the futures she had seen? Was it because of something else? In the end, did it even matter since Abigail was trying to make her happy?

    Alice rose from her seat, looking down at a clearly confused, or perhaps dumbfounded, Abigail. She had gotten the answers she wanted and learned what she came for so she could leave with a light heart. But before that, she may as well sell out Caine by using what she had seen in the dream. If she and Abigail are to be family in the future after she married Gabriel, then Caine and Abigail could stand to learn a thing or two from them.

    ¡°Caine knows, Abigail. He knows that you¡¯re not Abigail, he¡¯s known from the start. The one he looked at with love was never Abigail, but you.¡±

    Was it true? Well, Alice honestly didn¡¯t know. Even if that dream was a possible future, what if the current Caine didn¡¯t know what that Caine knew? Well, it didn¡¯t really matter. All Caine and Abigail needed was to sit down and have a proper chat, speaking to each other honestly like Alice and Gabriel always did. Keeping things hidden just made for pointless drama. And thus, Alice taught Abigail what Gabriel had taught her.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stew here in misery all alone, thinking about it all alone. Go and talk to Caine, speak to him honestly, tell him what you w ant. The seventh t of a good person is to never lie to your allies. And if he won¡¯t listen, pester him until he is forced to listen. Tie him to a chair if you have to, chain him down until he can no longer escape, force him to hear you out. That¡¯s third t, it is do everything you can if there is something you wish to acquire. So go and acquire him.¡±

    She turned and walked away as she spoke, Abigail¡¯s amber pupils trembling so fiercely that it almost looked like her eyes would pop out. But when her hand finally reached out, Alice had already left the room and closed the door behind her.

 Chapter 101: He who holds the horn. (6)

    Chapter 101: He who holds the horn. (6)

    Abigail¡¯s gaze lingered on the door that Alice had shut behind as she left, her pupils trembling while her outstretched hand quivered. Her breath was caught in her throat for more than a handful of moments, clogging her throat with a burning sensation that crawled up the back of her head.

    Huff.

    Eventually, a breath that was many years overdue escaped her lungs, scattering several of the papers that still lingered on her desk. Her outstretched hand was pulled back so that she could rub her face and then brush it through her hair, sweeping back the few stray hairs that had started to pop out as she spoke with Alice.

    She pushed back her chair and rose from her seat, striding over to the basin filled with water that was always kept close to her bed. She dipped her hands in the cool water and sshed it on her face, allowing the cold drops to clear her mind before she left the room.

    ¡°Prepare an express courier, I need to send a message to the Woodime estate.¡±

    She gave an order to the maid waiting outside the door, wasting no time. An express courier, despite the name, didn¡¯t actually have to travel like a normal courier would. They were mages with one of the natural elemental affinities that had specialized in sending long-distance messages. You generally couldn¡¯t send very long messages through them, but they were still perfect for those who wanted to quickly contact someone who wasn¡¯t connected to one of their magical items.

    ¡°If I may, Crown Princess. Young Master Woodime is waiting in the annex, would it perhaps be faster to contact him first?¡±

    But in this instance, it seemed that there was no need to use one of their express couriers. Abigail couldn¡¯t help but stop up for a moment, her momentum faltering momentarily as she questioned.

    ¡°Caine is in the annex? What did hee for?¡±

    As a Crown Princess, Abigail naturally had a pce that was for her own use. The annex was a smaller mansion located on the same estate, generally reserved as a waiting room for higher-ranking guests that came to visit for non-urgent reasons. It was fully furnished and staffed so that they could stay there for weeks on end should it end up being necessary.

    ¡°He arrived shortly after mdy returned from the Investiture, he proimed that he was worried about you and requested that we tell you of his presence after you had gotten a few days of rest.¡±

    The maid didn¡¯t say it, but shortly was a bit of an exaggeration in this case. Caine Woodime had shown up at their gates less than a handful of minutes after theirdy returned. He took over the annex and ordered them to not say anything to Abigail before she got the chance to get at least a few days rest, and being the inheritor of the easternnds, the servants couldn¡¯t really go against his orders.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head on over, tell the servants to vacate the premises.¡±

    Abigail swept her hair back again as she gave the order, nibbling slightly on her thumb as she made her way through the halls. The Crown Princess had given an order so the servants naturally had to respond quickly, the servants within the annex hurriedly stepping away, leaving the entire manorpletely empty, save for Abigail and Caine.

    Abigail looked at the closed door in front of her, one thumb practically glued to her lips as she chewed on it. She was nervous. Of course she was. There was a massive difference between having a secret spilled and revealing it yourself, it was always hard to make the choice to do it yourself. But she built up her courage and pulled her thumb from her lip, wiping it on the back of her dress before she pushed open the door.

    Caine was indeed sitting in the room beyond the door, resting on a couch as he went through a stack of papers. Judging by the insignia at the bottom, they were official documents of the Woodime family, probably brought along so that he could do his work here. And judging by the size of the stack, or rather stacks, he had brought enough tost him at least a month or more.

    ¡°Abigail? Have you gott¡­¡±

    ¡°Please keep sitting.¡±

    Caine tried to stand up the moment he saw Abigail, almost tipping over the table as he did so, but she raised her hand to stop him. Probably sensing something in her tone of voice, Caine sat down again and pushed aside all the papers.

    Abigail sat down on the opposite couch, resting her hands in her waist as she looked at Caine. She seemed to be chewing on her words, carefully thinking about what to say and how to say it.

    The words wouldn¡¯te out. The truth¡­ It was a painful one, for both of them. One loved a fake, while the other was a fake that was loved, it was a rtionship built without a grain of truth to it. And she had to be the one that broke it, with her own mouth, with her own words. So it was painful.

    She looked at Caine, studied him. He was slightly lurched forward, his elbows resting on his legs to support him. He had small bags under his eyes and the veins in his eyes had be noticeably redder. Clearly, he too hadn¡¯t slept very well, if at all. But even so, he was looking straight at her, his eyes unmoving.

    ¡°I¡­ Am not Abigail.¡±

    She faltered under his gaze, his warm eyes made her crumble. The more she looked at them, the more she couldn¡¯t bear to keep lying to them.

    ¡°My soul¡­ It¡¯s not from this world. It¡¯s never been.¡±

    Her chest felt tight as the truth spilled from her lips. It was hard to start, to force the words out from between her lips. But once she started, it fell from her like pouring rain, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop talking even if she tried.

    ¡°When the loop first started¡­ When Abigail made a deal with Kaisel and the other gods to get another shot at stopping Azuras, she had to sacrifice her soul to form the base of the loop. ¡­They needed someone to take over the role of Abigail, so they sought me out in my world and offered me a deal, a wish for a wish.¡±

    The truth rushed out of her, but her chest only got tighter. With each word that escaped her, another breath was caught in her lungs. She had let that long overdue breath escape her earlier, but now a new one was starting to form within her, clogging her throat with that same burning sensation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been inhabiting this body since time was wound back the first time, ever since we started our second attempt. I¡­ I¡¯ve never been your Abigail¡­¡±

    Little by little, the truth crept out. And little by little, the burning sensation in her throat crept up the back of her head. But just as she opened her mouth to suck in another breath that would get caught in her lungs, a familiar scent and warmth enveloped her.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Caine¡¯s voice came from right by her ear. She didn¡¯t know when he had moved, too focused on spilling the truth, but he had left his seat and sat down next to her. His arms were wrapped around her as he pushed his head into her chest, stroking her hair with an oh-so gentle touch.

    ¡°I tried, Caine, I really did. I constantly lied to you, but I really tried to be a proper Abigail, for you, for the citizens, for the world.¡±

    Sure, during her first year or two as Abigail, she may not have tried that hard. But the longer she was here, the more she fell in love with this ce. This was a good ce, a good people, they deserved to live in peace. So she tried her hardest for a good 30 years, but she failed in the end and lost to Azuras. But they could try again, they could always try again. And she would always try again, until the people of this world got the peace they deserved.

    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve always tried your hardest.¡±

    Caine didn¡¯t sound angry at the lies, didn¡¯t sound saddened by the betrayal. He just kept stroking her gently, holding her tight so that she could hide her face in his chest. He didn¡¯t even urge her to keep talking, allowing her to take her time as the words kept falling like tears.

    ¡°But I was always just lying. No matter how much I tried, it was always a lie. I wanted to, but I couldn¡¯t be the Abigail that you wanted, I would never be the Abigail that you loved.¡±

    She was never Abigail. She bore the name, she bore the face, she bore the weight, but the fact that she would never be Abigail always weighed down on her. The fonder she grew of this ce and its people, the heavier that sensation got, the tighter the noose around her throat got. She was never Abigail, and she would never be. And yet¡­

    ¡°But I wanted to be¡­ So I kept lying. To you, and to everyone.¡±

    Yes, that was the painful truth that she had to bear, why she kept trying, kept lying. Even if she had left her brother behind in her original world, even if she would never be more than a recement, even if she was just a fake lying to everyone she held dear, even if she had to suffer through several lifetimes while bearing that lie. She wanted to be Abigail, she wanted to be the one receiving all that love. She wanted to be worthy of it.

    ¡°In the first life, the first time I came to this world, I fought alongside Abigail for a bit over 20 years, from my 18th birthday to the day I died at 39. I was her general, closer to her than anyone else.¡±

    While she was pressed against his chest, Caine¡¯s voice reached her. He spoke of the first life, the life where she hadn¡¯t been the one in this body, the life of the true Abigail. She had gotten to see it as part of the deal, but she couldn¡¯t recall a single moment that Caine had ever actually spoken about it ever since she took over. She had spoken till her chest hurt, and now it seemed that it was his time to talk.

    ¡°Veronica Vargas, I knew Abigail De Earhart was gone from the very first time Iid my eyes on you.¡±

    Veronica Vargas. Her heart practically stopped when that name fell from his lips. It was a name she hadn¡¯t heard in many a years. In truth, she had spent longer as Abigail than she had Veronica so it would only be normal to forget it. But she couldn¡¯t. That name was thest of her ties to the other world, it was all that remained of her rtionship with the little brother that she left behind. He was left in that world and she was here, both of them fighting their own battles, separated in such a way that they would never meet again. But she could not abandon that tie, that bond.

    ¡°I cannot tell you how much I know or how I know it, but let me tell you this. There was never any love between me and Abigail De Earhart, we were just emperor and general, both of us failures that couldn¡¯t protect our home.¡±

    Caine kept talking. She had built up the courage to reveal the truth with her own mouth, so how could he not do the same? His hands were tied thanks to the deal he made with Azuras to get back to this point, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was entirely out of options. His lovelydy was oh-so clever and smart, if he gave her just enough information to not trigger the oath then he was sure that she would figure out the rest. But first, he had to ease her weary heart, he could not stand to see her in such a state.

    ¡°Thisnd has no rtion to you, it held no significance. But you still chose toe here to protect it, you agreed to throw yourself into an uncertain loop in a foreign world to protect it.¡±

    Caine¡­ Hadn¡¯te here by choice. He was sucked into a World Fissure, torn from his own world and thrown here. At first, he had no way of going back, so he naturally had no choice but to stay here, to live here. But she was different, she had made the choice toe here. She didn¡¯t need to, but she chose to, she chose to fight. With such a magnificent woman in front of him, how could Caine possibly make any other choice?

    ¡°You had no reason to, no need to. You could have even dealt with your father on your own if you just waited a few more years. But you chose to protect your brother as quickly as you could, just as you chose to protect this ce. You chose this world. And I, I chose you. I did back then, I did this time, and I will again. I made the same choice for over a thousand years, and would make it for a thousand more.¡±

    The second life, the third, the tenth, the fiftieth, he made the same choice in every life, and would make the same no matter how many more there were. Their time together went back a lot further than just a few measly years, and would go on forward for many more, and he¡¯d make the same choice every time.

    ¡°So don¡¯t cry, because there was never a day where we were built on a lie.¡±

    He cupped her cheeks and raised her face as he spoke, an assuring smile on his face. She didn¡¯t even know when she started crying, but the finger Caine wiped across her face waspletely drenched. His face lowered, but instead of kissing her, he rested his forehead on hers, his breath hitting her face.

    ¡°I chose you. So whether you choose to be Veronica or Abigail, whether you choose to stay here or go back some day, I will always choose you, and I will always love you.¡±

    The more he spoke, the wetter Abigail felt her face be. The tightness in her chest seemed to fade with each tear that stained her, the searing sensation that had crept up the back of her head receding with each passing second.

    Ah¡­ Why couldn¡¯t she just have been honest from the start?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The stench of blood filled the room. Bellona and Edith were lurched over the mangled corpse of Kaden Sorin, weakly grasping the weapons that they couldn¡¯t even lift properly. Their breaths came out as ragged rattles, tears and snot staining their faces.

    ¡°Wha¡­ Wha¡­ What now?¡±

    Bellona barely managed to squeeze out the words betweenbored breaths. She did her best to raise her head, but her body ached so much after using so much strength that she couldn¡¯t even look at Gabriel¡¯s face.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    But she could still hear his voice. He seemed to throw something over the mangled body, the source of their misfortune, the misery he had allowed them to cut away. For a moment, she felt like she saw a shadow move in her blurred vision, swarming into the ruined body. But just as she felt like it was starting to twitch, Gabriel sat down in front of it with crossed legs, blocking her vision.

    ¡°Both of youe here, sit down.¡±

    Their eyes were still blurry, wet with tears, so they couldn¡¯t make out his face. But he beckoned them over so they moved, dragging the swords with them. They were just about to sit down on the blood-stained ground when Gabriel caught them. Their bodies, as well as the swords that were oh-so heavy to them, were easily lifted by him as he ced them down on his thighs, one for each of them.

    ¡°Ne¡­ next?¡±

    ¡°An¡­ And now?¡±

    The two spoke through ragged breaths, their chests heating up almost painfully. The tears and snot that ran down their faces seemed to continue without end, they tried to stop them but their bodies didn¡¯t seem to listen.

    The blood from Kaden had sshed over them and had mixed with their fallen tears and snot, staining a good portion of their body. They were filthy, probably dirty beyond recognition¡­ maybe in more ways than one. But Gabriel did not remove them from hisp.

    ¡°Now you just need to breathe. A deep breath in, a slow breath out. One by one, connect breath with breath and just keep doing that.¡±

    His voice was calm, slightly slow, and felt oh-soforting. His hand was just resting on their backs, notforting them, just quietly supporting them as they sat there.

    As he said, they slowly drew in breath after breath. The stench of blood coiled around them like chains, lingering on their bodies like an indelible stain. The more they breathed, the worse the pain in their chests got. The stench got worse and worse, the adrenaline that kept them going started to recede as pain set in, their every muscle aching.

    ¡°¡­Urp!¡±

    Bellona was the first, lurching forward as she retched and the contents of her stomach flew out. Bit by bit, the sensations came back. The feeling in her hand as the de cut flesh, the sensation of life leaving Kaden¡¯s body, his pained eyes slowly bing hollow. As they cut, they only saw him as sorrow and misfortune, the core of their misery and cursed lives. But now, reality was slowly starting to set in, their tears growing in intensity.

    Gabriel did not push them away, even as Edith started to vomit. The blood on them, their tears, their snot, their vomit, it stained him as he supported them, but his hand never left their back.

    It was easy to say that you wanted to kill someone, it was easy to take up the de when you were driven by adrenaline. But sooner orter, reality would catch up with you. Gabriel had seen plenty of fresh-faced recruits falter after their first kill, when they realized that the thing they had just destroyed was another human.

    As for those who reality caught up with in the midst of battle¡­ Gabriel had only ever seen two people survive that. It was easy when you were broken, it was hard when you were a normal person. It was good that Bellona and Edith could cry this miserably after doing the deed, it meant that they were still mostly normal despite their terrible lives.

    He would teach them to kill, but as long as they maintained a bit of normalcy in them like this then they could avoid ending up like the past him. And honestly, with him serving as the teacher, that was the best he could hope for.

    He remained seated there as Bellona and Edith cried out their years of misfortune, as they vomited out their misery and pain. Once they were empty, they could start taking in new things, then they could use that to form stairs they could use to move forward. Gabriel wasn¡¯t the best person to provide them with new things to fill them, but it had been their wish, so he would honor that.

    Bellona and Edith emptied out everything that had gathered over the years, they poured it all onto Gabriel as he sat there. By the time they were empty, the mixture of pain and exhaustion causing them to fall asleep, the corpse of Kaden had vanished. Nergal would take care of it, using his tendrils to fill its insides and control it like a puppet. He¡¯d get to run a bit wild, and the guards trying to defend the city would naturally strike to kill after Nergal went wild enough. It would be an oh-so tragic end for someone who managed to escape the cells of the Amber Inquisitors.

    ¡°You look good when you take care of kids.¡±

    Alice¡¯s voice reached him as he stood up, leaning the two sleeping children against his shoulder. He leaned them against his shoulder, but they were clutching his clothes in their sleep so it was rather unlikely that they would fall.

    Alice was sitting in one of the seats scattered around the training grounds, smiling widely as she looked at Gabriel. He was naturally rather dirty right now, but it only made him that much more charming to her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re back faster than expected.¡±

    When Alice visited Abigail, she was generally gone the entire day so he hadn¡¯t expected her to return so swiftly. Naturally, he had no ns ofining.

    ¡°I only went to Abigail to confirm a few things.¡±

    Alice smiled somewhat mysteriously as she strode towards him, the two meeting just outside the training grounds. She stretched out her arms towards the two children, beckoning with her hands.

    ¡°Let me hold them.¡±

    It took a little bit of effort to do it carefully, but he managed to loosen their grip on his clothes and hand them over to Alice, who in turn became stained with the dirt that covered them. She held them close as she looked down at them, a short and somewhat affectionateugh escaping her.

    ¡°You have to train them well, Gabriel. They¡¯ve had hard lives, they deserve to have the strength to make their own choices.¡±

    The two walked as she talked, slowly making their way out of the training grounds. There was a short moment of silence as they moved up the stairs that led back to the mansion. She looked at him for a short moment, studying his features before she spoke.

    ¡°Abigail is probably your sister. Well, I say probably, but it¡¯s almost certain.¡±

    She didn¡¯t mince her words or beat around the bush, hopping straight to the main point. As expected, even Gabriel wasn¡¯t above stiffening abruptly at the news she just dropped. That was why Alice had taken over the kids, she couldn¡¯t have Gabriel drop them in surprise.

    ¡°The one who went out on a mission and never returned, she didn¡¯t die there. She made a deal with the original Abigail and the god of time, if she agreed toe over here and save this world then they would fulfill her wish. She agreed and wished that they would kill your father, which they did. They gave her a few years to prepare, giving her a medium that she could use to view this world. That¡¯s what she showed you, she wanted you to at least see where she would end up.¡±

    She told him what she had learned while talking with Abigail, still wearing that mysterious smile of hers. She could see Gabriel, his normally stoic pupils trembling quietly. Was it disbelief that rocked him? Or was it hope, a thought of a time long past?

    ¡°She still thinks of you, even to this day.¡±

    Alice knew that the feeling was mutual. If Gabriel did not care for his sister, would he have kept watching a show she rmended even after she passed? Would he have kept thinking about her for all that time? To the Gabriel of the past, perhaps his sister fulfilled the same role that the current Gabriel is currently fulfilling to these two children. Thinking about it, Alice couldn¡¯t help but smile widely.

    ¡°I¡¯m d, Gabriel. You were loved even before I started to love you.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t all alone, he wasn¡¯t entirely abandoned. Even when his life was at its darkest, even when he was painted entirely ck, there had been someone out there who still loved him. She wanted to say that it was an immense shame that that love never managed to reach him, but if it had then she may never have gotten the chance to meet him so she was conflicted.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gabriel was silent. Of course he was, who wouldn¡¯t be when faced with information like this? He didn¡¯t seem to doubt her, she could see theplete trust and belief in his eyes. No, he was silent precisely because he believed her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her about you. I cannot, and will not, make the choice for you. Whether to tell her, whether to ept her, whether to ignore her and leave it all behind. The choice is yours, I will simply ept and support whatever choice you make in the matter.¡±

    Yes, that was why Alice hadn¡¯t told Abigail a single thing about Gabriel. She could choose Gabriel as much as she wanted, but she could not make his choices for him. What if he, after all these years, did not want to meet his sister again? What if he decided that they were both perfectly happy as they were and decided to just walk by her without revealing the truth? If that was his choice, then she would support it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back before long.¡±

    But she knew Gabriel. The man she gave the name of an angel, that sad and broken man she had just barely managed to piece back together. Thus, she saw him of with a smile while holding the children.

    ¡°Have a safe trip. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    After Gabriel left in a hurry, Alice cleaned the children as best she could and then brought them to bed so that they could sleep morefortably. She then slowly walked through the mansion, making a bit of food that she snacked on as she walked. After a while, as shezily waited for Gabriel to return, the bell signifying that someone was at the gate rang.

    She moved to one of the higher windows and used it as a vantage point, spying on the people waiting outside the gate. Four people, two dressed as knights and two dressed as maids. A decadent carriage waited behind them, the insignia of the imperial family emzoned on their uniforms.

    Her head tilted for a moment, the corners of her lips curving up with a mixture of curiosity and mischievousness. Naturally, she left the mansion and made her way to the gates, there were no servants here to guide them in.

    ¡°To what do I owe this pleasure?¡±

    She greeted the four people, who bowed deeply when she approached the gate. They stepped aside with very natural movements, gesturing politely and respectfully to the carriage.

    ¡°Our master, Crown Princess Abigail has dered that she wishes to indulge in sweets and refreshments with you and has selected a most suitable locale in the city. She is greatly saddened by the fact that you haven¡¯t been able to chat properly after you were formally awarded your title and wishes to catch up now that the chaos is setting down.¡±

    The one who spoke was one of the knights, unfurling a scroll that he read from. He handed the scroll to Alice, the flowing and delicate writing on it conveying exactly what he had said. At the end of the parchment was Abigail¡¯s signature as well as the insignia of the royal family.

    Alice read over the scroll for a moment, the small smile on her face deepening as she nced at the four people. She eventually rolled up the scroll, striding past the four servants.

    ¡°Ah, well we can¡¯t keep her waiting then, can we? It¡¯s been too long since west caught up, I can¡¯t wait to meet her again.¡±

    She entered the carriage, closing the door behind her as she took her seat. The four servants quickly got onto the carriage and the apanying horses, swiftly spurring them into motion. Alice calmly sat within the carriage, alone, humming a little tune to herself.

    The carriage did indeed move further into the city, navigating the streets until it reached the richer districts. It entered Rosemary Avenue, famous for its pastry shops and cafe¡¯s, a street extremely popr among nobledies. It stopped in front of Crowning Delight, famous as the best shop even on this street, a carpet alreadyid out as the knight opened the door.

    ¡°Please, Countess Vritara. The Crown Princess will be here shortly, so enjoy a cup of tea while you wait.¡±

    Even if Abigail was the one who invited Alice here, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if Abigail ended up arriving after Alice. Abigail had the higher rank, so arrivingte was something of a subtle way to show off that point, signifying that even a Countess would have to wait for her. Well, that was how it usually was in high-society at least.

    ¡°Ah, I see, then please guide me in.¡±

    Alice did not say anything strange as she stepped out of the carriage, she simply looked at the servants with that smile of hers. They guided her into the shop, which had been vacated, as was the norm when someone of the imperial family came to visit.

    She was brought to the VIP lounge, where a table and two chairs had been set up with a view of the garden and its pond. Some small sweets were already prepared on the table, and as Alice sat down a waiter came over and gracefully ced a cup of tea in front of her.

    ¡°This is La Fraise Exquise, it is our most prized tea, made from the flowers of freshly bloomed strawberries. Please enjoy.¡±

    The servant stepped back so that Alice could be alone, curiously looking at the cup with a smile. She raised it and took a deep breath of its scent, the delightful scent of strawberries tickling her nose. The tea truly smelled like something that this establishment could be proud of. Holding the cup carefully with both hands, Alice still maintained her smile, a quiet mutter slipping out as she brought it to her lips.

    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯ll really be fun to see.¡±

    She sipped the tea, but the taste couldn¡¯tpare to the teas Gabriel made for her so she was left somewhat disappointed. But oh well, what came next would have to make up for it.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Time continued to flow as usual outside of the store, the sun slowly moving towards the horizon as day approached night. But just as the sun vanished beyond the horizon, a particrly disconcerting piece of news reached some of the people in the city. Alice De Vritara had disappeared.

 Chapter 102: He who holds the horn. (7)

    Chapter 102: He who holds the horn. (7)

    A light throbbing prodded the back of Alice¡¯s mind, a somewhat sore dryness stinging at the back of her mouth and throat. The ufortable sensations made her eyes slowly slide open, a somewhat sticky and crusty sensation marring the corners of her eyes as she forced them open.

    At first, everything in front of her was blurry and blinding, she couldn¡¯t even make out any shapes. But after blinking a few times to get her eyes ustomed to light again, she could take in her surroundings.

    She was actually in a surprisingly neat room, one that was evenrger than her own room back in the Vritara mansion. She was lying on arge and soft bed covered by a blue silken canopy, arge basin of water ced next to it for washing purposes. A desk and mirror were positioned against the wall on the other end of the room, the usual types of make-up and perfumes neatly lined up. Bookshelves, a door that probably led to a bathroom, one that probably led to a walk-in closet, a table and two couches, potted nts and fine paintings. It was the spitting image of a guest room one would find inrger noble mansions.

    But well, a quick check of her own condition made it clear that she couldn¡¯t expect to be treated as a guest. Her hands were shackled, a long chain going between them. At first nce, it didn¡¯t look like the chain would interfere much in how she moved, but she knew what kind of shackle it was.

    Cursed Crack Chain, it was a type of magic item one would use to seal down mages before execution or during interrogation. The magic within the chains would detect when the wearer tried to draw a magic circle containing one or more of the words imprinted into it, those words usually being all the main words used in a spell, and would then proceed to draw a long crack through the magic circle, rendering the spell harmless.

    But the chains entrapping her didn¡¯t stop there, something was also attached to her feet. Each foot was adorned with a in silver anklet, an obsidian orb covered in a myriad of scarlet runes melded into the anklet.

    It was very simr to an item Gabriel had used in the past, a Spirit Sealing Bead. But while such a bead had to be broken to be effective, an anklet like this was of a much higher grade so it only required contact with someone to prevent their spirits from materializing or otherwise exerting their power.

    These particr anklets, at least from what she could feel from them, were definitely above even the high-grade. They were probably something close to national treasures, able to seal even Cmity-grade Spirits. It sounded simple, but when one thought that just one grade higher, the Cataclysm grade, contained the likes of living dragons, it was abundantly clear that her captor was being extremely wary when it came to her twin spirits.

    ¡°You ca¡­ Kgh¡­ Mhrmm¡­ You can tell your boss that I¡¯ve woken up.¡±

    Alice coughed almost instantly when she opened her mouth to speak, quickly clearing her throat a few times before she continued talking. There was no response from beyond the closed door that should be the entrance, but she could pick up the soft sound of someone shuffling away.

    Alice stretched across the bed to get her blood pumping, using the basin next to the bed to wash her face after she got up. She did a few more stretches, her body was rather stiff so she guessed that she had been out for over a day at the very least. And judging by the slight aches scattered across her body, she had been brought here rather hurriedly in a pretty shabby carriage.

    Click.

    The sound of the door drew her attention as someone entered. Really, they didn¡¯t even knock first despite her being ady, they were certainly skipping out on their manners. When she turned, she saw an entourage of what looked to be one young maid, hardly older than eight or nine, six knights who had clearly seen their fair share of battles, and an aged gentleman who probably served as the butler.

    ¡°I hope the dress you¡¯ve picked out for me is red or ck, otherwise I¡¯ll have to protest.¡±

    Alice took the lead in talking, looking directly at the butler, whose pale green eyes were looking straight at her from behind a pair off sses. Seeing her attitude, how could the people in the entourage not raise an eyebrow.

    She had just woken up as the victim of a kidnapping, but she didn¡¯t even seem to bat an eye at the situation, she didn¡¯t even ask where she was. No, she was even going ahead and making demands as she pleased.

    ¡°Our Lord wish¡­¡±

    One of the knights opened his mouth to respond, but Alice raised a finger to her lips and silenced him with an askance nce.

    ¡°Shhh. I wasn¡¯t talking to you. Good little pet doggies should keep their mouths shut while the grown ups are talking, otherwise they¡¯re liable to get shaved like the disobedient pups they are.¡±

    She didn¡¯t spare the knight¡¯s feelings in the slightest, his expression naturally darkening somewhat. He didn¡¯t show any great outburst of emotions, but his hand found its way to the sword at his side, his thumb pushing against the hand-guard to reveal the sharp de. A nice and quiet threat.

    ¡°Congrattions, you have a sharp and shiny de. I guess a little puppy like you doesn¡¯t get to use it often enough to get it chipped or scratched. But oh well, take pride in whatever little thing you want.¡±

    Alice didn¡¯t even seem to register the threat, scoffing at the knight as she turned her eyes away. She¡¯d gotten a good look at the de, the metalwork evident along the edge wasn¡¯t something found in the Earhart Empire, and the sharpness meant that it most likely didn¡¯t belong to some random bandit or mercenary.

    The knight looked like he wanted to say something, but the butler raised his hand before he could.

    ¡°If red and ck is what you wish for then please give us a bit of time to prepare it. Captain, can I entrust it to you?¡±

    The butler gave the knight that Alice had antagonized a quick look, the man giving an almost emotionless nod before he turned and left the room. He returned shortly after, carrying a package that was handed over to the butler, who then handed it over to the young maid.

    ¡°Maraya, please help the Young Lady get washed and dressed. And Young Lady, we shall wait outside until you¡¯ve finished.¡±

    The butler gave Alice a polite smile before he stepped out of the room with the knights, closing the door behind them. Once it was just the two of them, the young girl, Maraya, carried the box over to the bed and struggled ever so slightly with removing the lid.

    Inside was a folded up ck dress adorned with red silkce. It seemed to be rather tight around the chest and tors, widening just below the hips as it furled out into severalyers ofce. A somewhat more modest version of the salsa dress, definitely not somethingmon in the Earhart Empire.

    ¡°Puhleaas let m¡­ Please allow me to help you, Young Lady.¡±

    The little girl started to speak but quickly caught herself, changing her tone while lowering her head politely. Alice took a moment to quietly inspect the room, making sure there weren¡¯t any people spying on her before she started to remove her clothes. The smell of old sweat hit her for a moment, causing her nose to wrinkle before she spoke.

    ¡°You can talkfortably.¡±

    Alice dragged over a chair as she spoke, taking a seat by the basin that stood next to the bed. She wasn¡¯t so uptight that she¡¯d want a little kid like this to speak politely and respectfully to her.

    ¡°Ah, than¡­ You have my gratitude, Youngi Lady.¡±

    Maraya responded quickly, swiftly catching herself again, but not noticing the little slip of the tongue she had at the end. She grabbed the washcloth she had been carrying since she arrived and dipped it in the water, using it to slowly wipe Alice¡¯s body.

    ¡°Have you worked here for long?¡±

    Alice looked down at the little girl, her auburn hair already reaching her shoulders while her light blue eyes held a small twinkle. Coupled with the dimples at the side of her mouth whenever she smiled, she was certainly a very cute little child who would grow up well.

    The little girl stopped up momentarily as Alice started her random chit-chat. Her eyes rolled about, and judging by the way her fingers tapped against Alice¡¯s skin, she was probably doing some rushed calctions in her mind.

    ¡°Mhmm¡­ Mhm¡­ Mhmm¡­ About eight of the brightest moo¡­ Months, about eight months!¡±

    She lit up for a moment when she remembered the word she had been taught recently, the dimples on her cheeks deepening. Alice wore an almost soft expression as she nced at the small child, it would be preferable if she could be spared when they started to act.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a long time for someone so young, does someone in your family know the people of this manor?¡±

    Alice kept talking as the little girl hurriedly started to wash her again, wiping away what felt like at least a few days worth of sweat. She dug a little with her question, but she found it unlikely that her captors would be so foolish as to leave her with someone she could get some information from. And indeed, Maraya wouldn¡¯t be of help when it came to gathering that little bit of extra information.

    ¡°No, I was bought from an orphanage. I¡¯m going to receive training here before I get sent to help someone else when I¡¯m older and smarter!¡±

    The girl puffed out her chest slightly, emting pride as she spoke. She had been chosen. Out of all the other kids at the orphanage, she was the one who had been chosen by these nobles, she was the one who had been given a home.

    ¡°I see, you must be quite awesome then.¡±

    Alice still wore her subdued soft expression, but if Gabriel was here then he¡¯d be able to recognize the small twinkle of violence in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t an umon tale, many nobles often went to orphanages to pick up children that they could train.

    But when you were picked up and trained to be sent to someone else, it was generally only for one of two reasons. Men would be faithful knights or assassins, women would be obedient servants who would not mind warming their master¡¯s bed at night. It wasn¡¯t quite very, but the people were in essence handed out as presents to build favor. It was¡­ Disgusting.

    ¡°Yup, they said I¡¯ll be very popr!¡±

    But of course, a child as young as this would not know any of this, so Maraya simply smiled joyfully as she kept working on getting Alice clean and proper.

    She eventually finished the cleaning process, the two chatting all the while as the girl started to help Alice get into her dress. As they approached the end of the process, Maraya seemed to have built up her courage, or perhaps her curiosity simply got the better of her.

    ¡°¡­Are you not scared?¡±

    She spoke in an almost hushed tone, like a child would speak to their dog when they wanted to ask it about a secret that their parents didn¡¯t want them to know.

    ¡°Why would I be?¡±

    Alice, unlike Maraya, did not lower her voice. The corners of her mouth were pulled up with confidence, the slight gleam in her eyes enough to inspire faith in all those who saw it. But naturally, she alone knew the source of her confidence so how could a little child possibly believe it?

    ¡°I heard you were taken here against your will, and you¡¯re going to have a meeting with the Lord after this. she¡¯s a very powerful person who can do almost anything!¡±

    When she was younger, she thought that the overseers at the orphanage were like kings, ruling over everything in their day to day lives. But then the people of this mansion came, and even those ¡®kings¡¯ had to bow their heads and obey without question. In that case, what did that make the lord of this manor? But in response to that little child¡¯s belief, what did Alice do? She gave a light giggle.

    ¡°I see. But little Mara, let me tell you a little secret, one just between the two of us.¡±

    The girl couldn¡¯t help but tilt her head at the sudden nickname, but she leaned in all the same when Alice gestured with her finger. Alice ced her lips right next to the girl¡¯s ear, her breath tickling her as she spoke a truth she had long since engraved into her being.

    ¡°My husband said that I¡¯m unparalleled, so not even people who can do almost anything are able to hold a candle to me.¡±

    When Alice pulled back her head, Maraya looked at her with very understandable suspicion, but she simply maintained her smile and winked at her.

    Before long, the dressing procedure was finished so Maraya closed up the package again and hurried over to the door. As they had said, the butler and the knights were waiting outside, Alice striding past them with a leisurely gait.

    ¡°Well then, shall we go to the dining room? Or is your lord such an inhospitable man that he would not even provide a meal for his precious captives?¡±

    The eyebrows of the knight ticked up at her shameless mannerism, but the butler simply gave a polite bow and gestured with his arm before taking the lead. Alice followed them through the mansion, taking in the architecture and decorations. She wasn¡¯t too familiar with most of them, she¡¯d been cking in her studies of this ce in favor for focusing on her own empire, but she recognized enough of them to form a guess as to her current location.

    After a short while, they reached a pair of closed double doors that seemed to be their target. The knights positioned themselves on the sides of the two doors, the butler pushing open the doors as the captain ced a hand on Alice¡¯s head. Once the doors were fully opened, he pushed her head down a little to force her into a greeting.

    ¡°We greet the esteemed Duchess. We have brought the prisoner!¡±

    Alice gave the captain a re as he pushed down her head, huffing out a puff of air before she shook her head to slip out from his grasp. The captain frowned as a result, eyebrows furrowing sharply as he looked at his own hand. He could have sworn that he grasped her so tightly that she shouldn¡¯t be able to slip out. Yet he was unable to stop her from escaping his grasp.

    Alice ignored him and started to walk forward. A surprisingly small dining room spread out beyond the doors, a single long table surrounded by 13 chairs serving as the center piece of the room. Severalrge paintings depicting various battles adorned the walls, delicately carved statues ced at various points along the walls.

    ¡°Looking at the sloppy job done by the ¡®escorts¡¯ I figured that I would have woken up in the custody of Duke Quinterius. You may consider me slightly surprised.¡±

    Alice¡¯s gaze was on the slightly aged woman sitting at the head of the dining table. Her face held a few wrinkles, some stretching all the way down to her neck, and her brown hair had started to grey heavily. But her ck eyes were still powerful, a bright light swimming in their depths as she was resting her elbows on the table.

    ¡°Alice De Vritara, wee. Since you speak so ill of the escort, may I take it as a sign that you consented toe here? Or is it an attempt to reim some pride?¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice was heavy with age, each word slow and deliberate as she looked at Alice with a calm, slightly curious gaze.

    Duchess Giselle, one of the two ducal families of the Kasarias Kingdom. Alice had some expectations that she would wake up in the Kasarias Kingdom, but she would have expected to be caught by the Duke working with the Sorin family¡¯s third son, not the seemingly unrted Giselle. But oh well, the more unexpected the situation was, the better.

    ¡°Abigail never asks me to meet her out in public like that, and I happened to meet her earlier in the day so there¡¯s no way she¡¯d send a request like that. Did the third prince not tell you that in advance?¡±

    Alice almost smirked as she plopped down on one of the seats. Really, the escorts that came for her had done such a terrible job that you would have to be an idiot not to notice it. And the way they poisoned her tea? Alice worked extensively with Teresa, who focused almost entirely on poisons. Were they trying to make it too obvious?

    Duchess Giselle¡¯s eyebrows crinkled for a short moment as Alice sat down, it was a movement so small that one could barely even notice it if they weren¡¯t observing her carefully. But what a shame that Alice was doing just that.

    ¡°Ah, so it really is the third prince. Thank you for the information.¡±

    Alice shed the duchess a bright smile, Giselle¡¯s expression only fluctuating for a moment as she furrowed her brows momentarily. Alice¡¯s demeanor was throwing her off, she wasn¡¯t expecting her to be so calm and confident so she had identally let her expression falter for a moment, giving away information as a result.

    But if this was how Alice De Vritara was, then the duchess could see why the third prince was so wary of her. Still they needed to work together with her for a bit so she could only concede this first exchange to the young countess. But just as the duchess was going to speak, Alice acted first again.

    ¡°So, how long have I been out? Feels like more than a day or two, you must have given me a high dose because you were nervous that I might wake up halfway.¡±

    Alice was leaning back in her seat as she spoke, she looked as if she was about to kick her feet with how rxed she was. Her attitude was clearly starting to grate the knights, especially the captain who had been loyal to the duchess for the better part of 40 years. But they could not do anything if the duchess did not give them an order so they remained silent as the aged woman answered.

    ¡°It has not been too long, nary more than seven days. For the moment, information regarding you is kept quiet so you need not worry about the people in the empire searching far and wide for you yet.¡±

    With the third prince acting, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to hide some information. It wouldn¡¯tst forever, and those looking a bit deeper than normal would learn it, but just hiding it for a while would be good enough. The thing they needed her for wouldn¡¯t take terribly long, so they should be able to send her back to the empire before the news reached the public. But little did she expect that her words would be met with a slightly subdued giggle, almost as if Alice was amused.

    ¡°A week huh, that¡¯s longer than I thought. Guess that means that its toote for the Kasarias Kingdom.¡±

 Chapter 103: He who holds the horn. (8)

    Chapter 103: He who holds the horn. (8)

    Perhaps as was to be expected, the temperature within the dining room dropped a few degrees after Alice gave her casual statement. Duchess Giselle still maintained a mostly normal expression, but the knights who were to serve as protectors were naturally fairly insulted by her insinuation. But they did not get the chance to say anything, the Duchess raising her hand to keep them in line.

    ¡°You speak with a great deal of certainty, young Countess. Are you so sure that the Crown Princess will discover your location and be willing tounch a great crusade to reim you? Or does your trust lie with the Vritara family?¡±

    The duchess tilted her head slightly, a pair of ck eyes inspecting Alice with a measure of curiosity. It wasn¡¯t a question asked out of malice, or to bring her spirit down, it was genuine curiosity about where her confidence came from. But her question wasn¡¯t answered, being met with a smile from Alice.

    ¡°So, since I took the trouble of letting myself get dragged all the way here, mind telling me what this is all about? Seeing as you even used such a small child in an attempt to lighten my mood, I take it that you have something you want my cooperation with?¡±

    As Alice spoke, the little Maraya followed some other maids into the room, pushing a cart topped with several trays of food that were quickly scattered across the table. The little girl did her best to stifle the smile she wanted to sh Alice, they were currently in the presence of the lord after all. Once they retreated again, the duchess raised her fork and got to work on eating what appeared to be a pie.

    ¡°I am d that you are quick-witted, I wish negotiations were always this easy.¡±

    The duchess spoke with what was almost a small sigh. Sometimes it was nice to beat around the bush when you spoke with others, but for negotiations it would always be preferable when you could go directly to the topic, the meat of the conversation. But Alice merely scoffed at Giselle¡¯s relief.

    ¡°Negotiations? Now now, let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. Did you never consider the fact that you bringing out someone like Little Mara like that may prove to have the opposite effect?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow, wearing something that was almost a smirk as she cut into a steak, evidently not even worried that the food might be poisoned. Sure, Alice had a soft spot for small children, especially orphans. But would her soft heart still be pointed at the duchess when she knew what role Maraya was meant to serve?

    ¡°I do not believe that it should cause any friction. ording to our investigations, does the Vritara family not partake in the same tradition?¡±

    Giselle raised an eyebrow in response, still slowly chewing on the pie she had picked out. The tradition of training servants that you would send to others, it was one followed by just about every noble family within the three countries, what was so wrong with them following it? Alice did not bother retorting much, returning a question while maintaining a casual raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Does that mean that I need to be fond of it?¡±

    This was why older people could be a pain to talk with, they were all so deeply entrenched in their traditions that they rarely ever considered that others might not feel the same about them. Really, it was just an annoying waste of time.

    ¡°I see, that was a blunder on my part, forgive me for that. Shall we add her into the negotiations then? If you desire to take her away then I am more than willing to give up on her.¡±

    Giselle only gave a slight nod as she acknowledged her mistake of not properly understanding the thought-process of the one she spoke with. But honestly, Alice just felt it half-hearted. And it seemed like this duchess really was slow-witted.

    ¡°Ah, still speaking of negotiations. Must I repeat myself?¡±

    Alice could only shake her head. The duchess spoke so highly of her being quick-witted, yet she herself could not understand the situation even when it was unfolding in front of her. It would be a pain if she had to go about exining everything multiple times.

    ¡°You may speak as if you do not wish to engage in negotiations, but if you speak truthfully, and did indeed allow yourself to be brought here while knowing it was a trap, then I believe it is only fair that you too seek to gain something. Thus, would negotiations not be the proper result?¡±

    Alice had repeated herself just now, but this damn duchess still didn¡¯t seem to catch on to what she was trying to say. Ahh, fine, she would just have to exin a little for this imbecile.

    ¡°In some situations, that would be correct. But Giselle, do you even know what I seek?¡±

    How could one negotiate if they weren¡¯t on equal footing? How could one hope to establish a rtionship based on interests if they couldn¡¯t provide what the other party sought? Alice felt that she made it rather clear, but Giselle still didn¡¯t seem to take the hint, tilting her head as she spoke of worthless things.

    ¡°Given your current situation, I would wager that you seek eithernd, allies, or wealth to acquire both. Or perhaps all three? I will not hesitate to admit that our kingdom does not match your empire, but we should still be able to satisfy you.¡±

    Ah, Alice felt like she would get a headache. Giselle was even slower than Francis, she might even be slower than Leonardo had been. She probably wouldn¡¯t understand until Alice exined it in simple terms. But first, she may as well hear why the duchess tried to engage in such a travesty.

    ¡°Hmmm. So, what is it that you¡¯re trying to have me help you with?¡±

    It was a pointless question really, especially if you thought about the situation. Gabriel had just dealt with Kaden Sorin, the one who had been working with Duke Quinterius, who could be said to be Giselle¡¯s rival duke. Naturally, she had brought Alice here with regards to that situation, she probably wanted her to help drive thest nail into the coffin.

    ¡°The investigation into Duke Quinterius and his ties to Duke Sorin¡¯s third son, I wish for you to postpone it. Your previous knight, Gabriel Sakra Indra, will be part of said investigation, so I wish for you to have him slow it down. It need not be for long.¡±

    Oh? What a surprise, she was actually smart enough to aim for something else. But calling Gabriel her previous knight¡­ Hmm, no that one didn¡¯t sit quite right with her, she¡¯d have to straighten that out once the duchess was done talking.

    ¡°Exin why.¡±

    Alice finished her steak and started working on what looked like a duck, resting one elbow on the table as she ced her head in her hand, looking as if she was barely listening. The knights behind were less than enthused with her actions and attitude, but it seemed like the duchess was quite eager to get her help so she let it slide.

    ¡°There are, at the moment, but two dukes in our kingdom. Should Duke Quinterius be caught, our King will have no choice but to protect him, leading to a small war. The empire will not make it toorge, but it will be enough to harm the kingdom, and it will most assuredly end in the death of the duke. In his absence, as he has yet to produce any official heirs, the resulting power vacuum will cause the rest of the noble faction to eat into itself in a scramble to take over the seat. Our kingdom cannot afford such instability. As such, we hope that the investigation can be slowed or postponed until we manage to bring out one off Duke Quinterius¡¯s illegitimate heirs. Do this favor for us and we will reward you with whatever you wish.¡±

    Ah, so it was a bit better than wanting to drive the nail into the coffin, but not really that much better. In the end, she just wanted to be able to choose when she drove the nail in. And being the one who dragged out the illegitimate child, she would obviously have a great deal of control over him when he took over the duchy. The end result would be the same, it¡¯s just that one was slower and more methodical. Well, no worth there, as expected.

    ¡°I see. But Giselle, you cannot give me what I want.¡±

    Alice swallowed a bit of meat before she spun her hand, pointing the fork at the duchess, wearing an expression as if she had given up on bothering with the situation.

    ¡°You see, Giselle, I want to get married.¡±

    Yeah, how could the duchess possibly help her with that? She just wanted to go on back and get married to Gabriel and spend a lot more than just a handful of years in peace on thend they imed for themselves. Naturally, thatnd would be everything under the sun.

    ¡°Ah yes, I had heard that Gabriel Indra had proposed to you. So it is love you seek, it is something I understand quite well.¡±

    The duchess was not offended by Alice¡¯s actions, or least she didn¡¯t look offended, nodding her head in understanding. No, it was actually Alice who looked offended after Giselle spoke, almost grimacing as she scoffed in apparent disdain.

    ¡°Please, you have two husbands and at least three concubines, don¡¯t insult my love byparing them.¡±

    Alice hadn¡¯t done an extensive search on duchess Giselle, but she knew at least enough of the surface level information. Two current husbands, plus one that had died in the past. Three known concubines, but a handful more men had been seen entering her estate and leaving a few dayster with some additional funds to their name.

    ¡°It seems you do not fully understand love. Worry not, once you age you will understand.¡±

    Giselle still did not look offended, but one of her brows was starting to find it hard to remain stable. Alice however, still looked offended, her lips curling back as she irreverently waved her fork in front of Giselle.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will. Because what you feel is not love.¡±

    The knights, and Giselle, reacted when Alice almost spat out the words, voice dripping with disdain. She brought back the fork and stabbed it down, cracking the bone in the duck thigh that she struck.

    ¡°Think about it, Giselle. If you loved your first husband, would you take another? Would you bed other men?¡±

    Really? Howughable was this olddy trying to be? How insulting? Did she really think that her pitiful emotions were anything close to what she and Gabriel felt for each other?

    ¡°What I feel for Gabriel is not something so shallow. I will care for other people, I will feel for them, but my heart will only ever hold him. And I will teach him how to care for others, how to let others into his mind. But his heart is mine and mine alone. There can never be another, for that ce is my property, my territory.¡±

    It was insulting really, that she¡¯d think they were anything simr. There would only ever be a single face in Gabriel¡¯s heart, a single name, Alice would allow nothing else.

    ¡°I will not allow there to be another within my territory, nor will I ever allow there to be another within his territory. I would burn the world before I would even let such a thought exist.¡±

    Her heart was already marked, her body imprinted so that nothing else could ever touch it. And she would ensure that Gabriel became the same, she¡¯d burn the world before she let anything else be true. And this harlot really thought that she could understand her love?

    ¡°So do notpare my love to that disgraceful travesty that you call love, you may as well be nothing more than amon whore inparison, it is pathetic that you would even try to think such a thought.¡±

    Alice didn¡¯t hide her disdain for even a moment as she spat out her words. Not only was this woman trying to waste her time, she was even insulting her in the process.

    ¡°You will hold your sinful tongue!¡±

    Perhaps as was to be expected, the knights could bear her attitude no longer, a de finding its way to her neck. The voice belonged to the one the butler called captain, Alice cocking her head slightly to look at him as his de rested against her neck. He was rather slow, Gabriel would have already taken the head of anyone who dared to speak to her the way she had spoken to Giselle. Really, the knights here were quite trashy.

    ¡°Captain Arana, enough.¡±

    Even in this situation, the duchess spoke up for Alice, dismissing the captain with a wave of her hand. But her eyebrow was twitching quite furiously so she was clearly starting to lose her patience.

    ¡°Please forgive me, My Lord, but I can bear to hear her insulting nonsense no longer. Please allow me this one frivolity.¡±

    Ah, so the captain did at least have some sense about him. If he¡¯d just pulled back his de and stepped back after hearing things like that then Alice really would have to say that there was no hope left for him. Well, hope for his sense at least, his life was already without hope.

    Well, Alice had listened to them enough, so she¡¯d done her due diligence in being polite. It was just about time to move on.

    ¡°You see, Giselle, I want to get married. But there¡¯s so many stupid gnats all about doing their best to get in the way. Now, my husband, he¡¯s a really careful type, he won¡¯t rest until all these stupid gnats are dealt with. That way, we can have our perfect wedding and live a nice and peaceful life.¡±

    Alice repeated what she said earlier, but delved deeper into the topic. Some were trying to get rid of the both of them, some gnats were trying to kick up a fuss, some gnats were trying to make a ruckus that made it hard to find peace. Really, so many gnats that had to be dealt with.

    ¡°Now, the best way to go about it, and undoubtedly the way he would choose, is to just hop into the mud and slowly but surely dig out each and every one of you little shits and squash you until the waters are nice and clean.¡±

    Yes, Gabriel would be very methodical when it came to dealing with things rting to their safety and future peace. Bit by bit he would drag out and strangle everyst little shit that may be a problem. But in that was the problem.

    ¡°But I mean, there¡¯s plenty of shits here in the Kasarias Kingdom that can¡¯t sit still, there¡¯s probably a sea of shits over in the Yverial Empire, hell, there¡¯s more than enough shit-stains in our own empire who¡¯d love to gnaw at us, or just cause too much of a ruckus in general. If we dig all of you out one by one, how long will I have to wait for our wedding?¡±

    Come on, just in their own empire they had to deal with princes and people belonging to ducal families, just how manyyers of shits were there for them to strangle? But while Alice had been dealing with that conundrum, a solution knocked on her door.

    ¡°And then your little goons showed up at my doorsteps, and I got the perfect idea! Why should I patiently search out all the little shits one by one? Why don¡¯t I just y along and have all the little shitse swarming on their own?¡±

    Right? Wasn¡¯t that the best idea? Just take a nice little stroll and let them alle for her neck. Why bother dragging them out when they would crawl out from the dirt on their own?

    ¡°If we harm this ce, don¡¯t you think the third prince wille to protect his investment? And with the chaos here, don¡¯t you think Duke Quinterius wille to get a piece? It¡¯ll be a lovely bit of chaos where all the little shits wille to get their piece of the cake.¡±

    This was such a wonderful opportunity to deal with so many of the shits in one go, they would all gather like moths to a me. And just like moths who reached the me¡­

    ¡°And then we can just burn them all in one go. Ah, we¡¯ll be so much closer to our lovely wedding once you¡¯ve all be cinder.¡±

    The third prince, the people of the Sorin ducal family that remained tied to the third son, the people of the Kasarias kingdom that were trying to kick up a fuss. Ah, she could see the light of dawn that hid just behind that great big pyre.

    ¡°¡­I see the source of your confidence is insanity.¡±

    The duchess spoke with a slight drawl, evidently feeling like she was finally starting to understand a bit about Alice, whose eyes zed. But nay, she only felt like she understood, Alice knew the truth that much better.

    ¡°Not at all. You see, my husband once told me something. I am unparalleled. He said such charming words to a little girl, suchforting and warm words.¡±

    Alice could not forget that day, her first birthday. She could still feel the slight heating from the lightning, the light that filled her eyes when Gabriel taught her about magic to prove his words.

    ¡°My husband does not lie, Giselle. The seventh t of being a good person is to not lie to your allies. Thus, whatever my husband has told me is the truth.¡±

    His every word, his every action. Alice had engraved them all onto her very being, they would never be forgotten. And they would never be wrong.

    ¡°I am unparalleled, Giselle. My husband has said so, and so I will make it, for I won¡¯t let his words be anything but an undeniable truth.¡±

    Of course they wouldn¡¯t be wrong, of course they wouldn¡¯t be lies. If they were, then she would just have to make them the truth. She wasn¡¯t unparalleled because of her magic affinities or strength, she was unparalleled because Gabriel had said so.

    ¡°And yet, you became shackled.¡±

    Giselle spoke, feigning confidence. But Alice could see the slight twitching of her lips, the quivering of her pupils. She could feel the knights behind her step closer, trying to quietly enter the dining room. But she did not care, grinning as she thought back to that first birthday of hers.

    ¡°Okay, and?¡±

    Alice raised her arms as she spoke, rattling the chains that connected her wrists. So what if these things sealed her magic? She knew how they worked, and even if the duchess had upgraded them with the newly released knowledge, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    ¡°Giselle, do not make me repeat myself again. I am unparalleled.¡±

    Not a belief, not an idea, not an insane theory. Indisputable fact.

    Alice ced a hand on the de that rested against her throat, her other hand touching the table as it moved about in azy manner.

    ¡°Fenrir, could you remove his head?¡±

    It came with a roar and a crushing pressure. A ck wolf with sharp crimson eyes materialized out of thin air behind Alice, the figure of the knight captain crumpling to the ground as pressure akin to the deep sea bore down on him. He fell t with a grunt and a gush of blood from his mouth, but the paw that descended crushed his head into paste before he could utter another sound. Fenrir, the first of Alice¡¯s twin spirits.

    ¡°Quetz, please block the door so that they can¡¯t leave. Just lop of their heads if they still insist.¡±

    It came with a violent whistle and the endless crackling of thunder. Arge green serpent with a plume of red feathers akin to a mane around its neck, the thin feathers covering the rest of its body making it look surprisingly soft. A pair of feathery wings sprouted from its back, golden feathers adorned with red and green veins, with two more sets of nubs on its body just waiting to sprout.

    The wind howled as the serpent spread its wings, the doors mming shut as a violent yet sharp wind formed a solid wall. Of the knights that got close to the wall, not a one was left with their head. Quetzalcoatl, the second of Alice¡¯s servants.

    But Alice did not stop there, the chains tying her hands together rattling once more as her hand finished trawling across the table. She looked directly at Giselle, still grinning as she spoke.

    ¡°Anak, Fomor n Ka¡¯e Teran.¡± (Blood, Fall Under My Control.)

    The magic formation formed beneath her hand, a wave of red light spreading out and rippling through the room, vanishing through the walls. Giselle couldn¡¯t feel anything, but just the fact that Alice had been able to cast magic, while also summoning her spirits, was enough to make her heart beat faster than it ever had before. No one knew better than her just how strong those shackle and spirit sealing beads were. And yet¡­ It didn¡¯t even seem as if they existed when Alice acted.

    But of course they didn¡¯t, the sealing shackles could only stop magic using the words programmed into them, and Anak was a word that had yet to surface in this world.

    ¡°Giselle, you need to watch this before you move.¡±

    Alice raised her hand from the table as she spoke, she had noticed that Giselle was about to take action. This was a smaller kingdom than her own empire, but Giselle was still a duchess so she didn¡¯t want to take her own right away if she could avoid it. Besides, she promised Gabriel that she would wait, it was what she said to him when theyst saw each other.

    One of her hands stretched out, pointing at one of the knights that remained, all of them unsure how to proceed after over half of them had ended up dead.

    ¡°Devak.¡± (Burst.)

    It was a simple word, sounding ever so slow as it fell from her lips. But the moment the sound left her throat, the man who was once a knight became blood. From his eyes, from his mouth, from his ears, from his nose, from his hands, from his throat, from his chest, from his legs. There was not a spot on his body that did not suddenly burst out with blood, wounds appearing across his body as the very blood in his body tore itself out of his veins.

    The droplets didn¡¯t even get to hit the floor, gathering in the air for a moment before they arrived next to Alice. The blob wiggled for a moment before it fell, turning into the shape of a stark crimson sword that stabbed into the stone floor. Alice¡¯s hand naturally came to rest on the hilt of that sword, her gaze returning to the duchess.

    ¡°That spell has been cast on everyone in this estate, Giselle. I don¡¯t even need a thought to have them all end up like that. I¡¯ve heard you care a lot about those around you, so I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t forsake all of them, right?¡±

    The duchess¡¯ fingers quivered quietly as she saw the effects of the unknown magic. Her knuckles turned white from restraint, how agonizing it was to be able to do something yetpletely trapped at the same time. But would Alice care about her thoughts?

    ¡°So, shall we have a nice little time while we wait for my angel toe burn it all down?¡±

 Chapter 104: He who holds the horn. (9)

    Chapter 104: He who holds the horn. (9)

    The air within the dining hall was suffocating, an unseen pressure bearing down on the chests of everyone present. The smell of blood hung thick in the air, it stung the nose like a cluster of small needles. There was an air of uncertainty hanging around the remaining knights, as well as Duchess Giselle.

    Was Alice lying about the spell? Should they take the chance to attack to subdue her? Why were none of their safety precautions working even though they initially thought that they had gone overboard with them?

    The duchess didn¡¯t give an order so the knights couldn¡¯t move, and the duchess couldn¡¯t move because she had no idea how to decipher the situation. There was a gnawing fear chewing on her insides, an anxiety that perhaps it was already toote to do anything. But naturally, Alice didn¡¯t care about any of their thoughts.

    ¡°Fen, Quetz, you should try this, the steak is actually surprisingly decent.¡±

    One hand still resting on the crimson de formed from blood, Alice used her other hand to lift a piece of steak. For a moment, the subdued sound of dripping juices was all that could be heard as the meat dangled at the tip of her fork. She fed both Quetzalcoatl and Fenrir a piece, the two spirits hanging around leisurely at her side.

    She painted a stark contrast to the others in the room, carefreely indulging in the meal while sharing it with the two spirits. Then again, the mere presence of those two spirits filled the people in the room with a certain measure of dread.

    The chains on her ankles could seal any spirit up to the Cmity-grade, which was already a grade so rarely seen that it was almost overkill. But even so, the chain didn¡¯t work. Naturally, the hope everyone present had was that the shackles had simply failed and that was why she could summon them.

    But they also had to consider the horrifying possibility that the shackles failed because they could not contain the spirits. But what was above the Cmity rank? Cataclysm, symbolic of the true dragons that roamed the world. And Deicide, the grade given only to those that could kill even the exalted gods.

    They had to quickly scrub those thoughts from their minds, what will to resist would they have left if they even entertained the notion that they brought two Deicide-grade spirits into their own home?

    ¡°Say, Giselle, shouldn¡¯t it be time for dessert by now?¡±

    Alice naturally paid no mind to the thoughts of those around her, twirling her fork now that she had finished all the food that was brought out. She had been unconscious for a week so she was naturally rather famished, she¡¯d certainly eat her fill while she waited for Gabriel.

    ¡°A dinner¡¯s conclusion is naturally a delightful dessert. But Young Lady Alice, would it not be a tad difficult for the desserts to reach us with that thing in the way?¡±

    Giselle gathered herself surprisingly quickly, showing a calm smile as she pointed at the wall of wind that Alice had used to seal the doors. But as if it had been naught but a dream, the wall of wind faded like a gentle breeze the moment Giselle pointed at it. All she was left with was Alice¡¯s small smile, as if telling her to hurry with the food.

    ¡°Ergamon, could you notify the chef that we are ready for the dessert to be brought out?¡±

    The captain had lost his head to Fenrir so Giselle naturally had to address one of the other knights, who made it painfully obvious that he could not wait to slip out of the room.

    ¡°Fenrir, could you clean a little? It¡¯d be a terrible shame if little Mara got scared when shees back.¡±

    Alice made no attempt to stop the knight from leaving the room, simply once again twirling her fork in the air, acting in an almostnguid manner. The ck wolf acted on her orders, opening its maw so wide that it appeared to dislocate its lower jaw. It then drew in a long breath, the blood and corpses on the ground getting sucked up and crushed into a small ball in front of its maw, which was then naturally quickly swallowed.

    But at the same time, another one of the knights that remained fell over. He copsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, eyes zed over without a trace of life in them.

    The strange scene naturally made the eyebrows of the remaining people tick up, but Alice simply ced her hand on Fenrir¡¯s head and ruffled his fur a bit.

    ¡°Now now, Fen, have I not told you that you need to be a bit careful when there¡¯s other people around? Now you¡¯ll have to clean up him too.¡±

    She sounded as if she was scolding a little child, but the clearck of concern in her voice made it exceedingly hard to take her serious. Naturally, as she dictated, the fresh corpse was sucked up, crushed to pulp, and then swallowed by Fenrir.

    As for why he died¡­ Well the main reason was probably that Fenrir got a bit too excited. Gravity was his main ability, but he was also an excellent devourer, capable of eating almost anything that he could sink his teeth into. Naturally, these teeth weren¡¯t entirely physical. That knight had just been so unlucky that Fenrir¡¯s teeth just so happened to sink into his soul, rendering it just another part of dinner.

    It didn¡¯t take too long for the knight to return, bringing with him a maid and a handful of new knights to carry the several trays of desserts. The sweets were quickly spread across the table, Giselle maintaining her smile as she gestured at the food.

    ¡°Please, help yourself. I am partial to this peach tart and blood orange pudding, but I can assure you that our patissier is extraordinarily skilled.¡±

    She worked skilfully as she spoke, cutting out a piece of the tart while also scooping up some pudding onto her own te, eating as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Alice smiled at her for a moment before picking up the same desserts, as well as a few others.

    ¡°Did you know Giselle, I have a friend who is extraordinarily skilled with poisons. I try to learn from her when I can, but she easily outsses me when ites to knowledge on poisons. She truly shows the difference between someone who focuses on a singr aspect and those who spread their focus.¡±

    As she spoke, Alice raised the peach tart and took a bite of it, the soft and sweet, yet slightly acidic, taste spreading in her mouth. Giselle¡¯s own chewing slowed slightly as Alice spoke, the corners of her lips cramping momentarily.

    ¡°Thanks to her, I¡¯ve gotten to learn so much about so many different poisons that I can detect quite a few of them just by smell or scent, or even just by instinct in some cases. I really owe her a lot.¡±

    Alice maintained her smile, finishing the tart and starting on the pudding. Giselle¡¯s smile cramped more and more as Alice talked, or perhaps it cramped because she was able to keep talking.

    ¡°Naturally, if we know how to detect them, then we also know how to counteract them. Even the poison you slipped into my tea, it only worked because I wanted it to. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±

    She finished the pudding and started on the other desserts, sharing a bit with Fenrir and Quetzalcoatl so that they weren¡¯t left out. Giselle swallow a heavy mouthful of tart, which now felt as dry as sand. But before she got the chance to open her mouth to even squeeze out a word, Alice acted first.

    ¡°And ah, I wasn¡¯t bluffing earlier.¡±

    ¡°Devak.¡± (Burst)

    She uttered the spell, and the knights that had just entered the room along with the desserts all exploded as one. Their blood was forced out of their bodies, rupturing through flesh and skin as they tore bone, leaving behind mangled corpses. The resulting blood once again gathered by Alice, sinking into the de that now rested against the side of her chair.

    ¡°I wonder, Giselle. How many people are you nning on killing today?¡±

    Alice¡¯s hand moved to rest on the hilt of the de again, her finger trailing across it as she gave it a few taps. She hadn¡¯t been bluffing, every single person in this estate, save for Giselle and a handful of others, were currently locked within her spell. With but a single thought this entire ce could be drowned in blood. It would be oh-so easy. But too quick.

    ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t end up killing too many people while we wait, Giselle.¡±

    The duchess¡¯ expression twitched every time Alice spoke. But she had sufficiently grasped the hearts of everyone present so Giselle found it hard to even eek in a single word edgewise.

    ¡°After all, it is terribly sad when lives are just wasted like that.¡±

    Twisted, Giselle understood it now. Alice De Vritara was horribly twisted, a broken mess of a person that could not be thought of usingmon sense. In other words, she was a monster. And Giselle had brought that monster into the heart of her home.

    ¡°So, once we¡¯re done with this delightful dinner, could I possibly request that I get a tour of the mansion? I oh-so wish to take in the sights.¡±

    Giselle could do nothing but nod her head after a short moment that felt painfully long. For now, the one who was truly chained was her, not the other party.

    Thus began Alice¡¯s tenure in the estate of Duchess Giselle, who naturally could do nothing but y along with everything that was demanded. Every step out of line was met with death, be it by the hands of the twin spirits or through a simple word by Alice.

    At first, she hoped that she could solve it by handling it when Alice slept. The end-result? A bedroom soaked in blood, and a girl peacefully sleeping as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world.

    It was a nightmare.

    But, as Giselle would soon learn, even when things seemed at their darkest, even when you thought you had reached rock bottom, there was always a way to fall further.

    ¡°I really do appreciate the art you¡¯ve undoubtedly taken great pains to collect.¡±

    Alice stood in front of arge painting, carrying the little child Maraya in her arms as she spoke to the duchess. The picture in question was supposedly something the Giselle family hadmission shortly after their founding, depicting the great war that had to take ce to form this kingdom.

    It was a grand battle scene filled with knights, soldiers, demons, and banners that waved in the wind. The clouds were parted as rays of light shone down, angelic feathers scattering across the sky as indistinct figures holding ring horns shimmered above the army of the Kasarias Kingdom. It was a striking piece of art, one Alice had stopped by several times in thest four days.

    Giselle chose to remain silent, Alice not bothered by theck of response. She gazed at the painting for a bit more before her eyebrows rose slightly, the corners of her lips following soon after. She cast a sideways nce at Quetzalcoatl, who understood her intent and conjured up a bit of wind to block out the sound around the little child. As soon as the child became unable to hear anything beyond her immediate surroundings, Alice closed her eyes with her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to bear with this for a moment, Little Mara, its time for grown up things.¡±

    Giselle felt a shiver run down her spine as Alice spoke. Usually, if she was going to kill someone, she would send the little child away so that she didn¡¯t have to see it. Why suddenly change how she went about it?

    ¡°I like this painting, but its actually a bit wrong. ording to the old scriptures, there¡¯s only a single angel that actually carries a horn, Gabriel. And when he blows his horn, it symbolizes the arrival of doomsday. So its funny that your family would use the image of angels blowing their horns to symbolize your victory, when it actually speaks of the apocalypse.¡±

    Alice spoke normally, but Giselle could detect the slight hum to her voice. She looked as if she was barely able to contain herself as she stood there.

    ¡°You know, Giselle, what you did was both smart and foolish.¡±

    Alice did not care one whit about Giselle¡¯s state of mind or confusion as she kept talking. Her gaze drifted towards therge window on the other end of the room, they could see a good bit of the estate from there, such as the surrounding annexes.

    ¡°Trying to use me to slow down Gabriel was very smart, I¡¯m probably one of the very few people who can request things from him and have him change his actions. So, that one was smart of you.¡±

    Alice¡¯s smile grew wider as she spoke. She could feel it. And indeed, there it was.

    One of the annexes, a smaller pce on the estate meant to hold important guests, ruptured. A gargantuan spike of ice rose from the ground and tore through it, splintering out into several smaller spikes until it resembled a tree. As for what used to be a building, it had be frozen fragments clinging to the ice.

    ¡°But taking me away like that? Very foolish, Giselle.¡±

    There was a loud sound as the earth beyond the window tore open, a crack spreading across it, it was as if something incredibly heavy had justnded there. Ah, Alice would have loved it if Giselle could see her own expression right now.

    ¡°You see, my husband has had a very unfortunate life, a very hard one. So he¡¯s gotten a little bit twisted by it, just a touch broken by its cruelty. But I must say, I¡¯ve done a wonderful job of keeping him together, of slowly piecing together those cracks. He needs me, Giselle. Just as I need him more than anything, he needs me above all.¡±

    ¡°But then you went and took me away, so what was he to do? He must naturallye and take me back. And now I''m not there to hold him together so he¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get me back. Whatever. It. Takes.¡±

    The window shattered after Alice spoke, the groaning and creaking of the earth outside the mansion finally reaching them. It sounded like an eerie and low howl, a subdued roar of crumbling earth and growing ice.

    ¡°I was a leash, Giselle. As long as we were by each other¡¯s side, we kept each other together. But you removed that leash, and now my angle hase, blowing that horn with all his might.¡±

 Chaapter 105: He who holds the horn. (10)

    Chaapter 105: He who holds the horn. (10)

    Abigail and Caine had a good and long talk, minutes whittling away into hours as they openly shared what truths they could. Caine was clearly hiding some things, but a few clever questions made it clearer that it was more correct to say that he physically couldn¡¯t say anything about it. It was concerning, but she was confident that enough well-worded questions could help her approach the truth. But just as she was nning to spend the rest of the day talking with Caine, one of the servants she had sent away knocked on the door.

    ¡°Please forgive me for intruding, My Lady. But Viscount Indra has arrived demanding an audience with you. We have tried to send him away, but he is refusing to leave the gates. How would you like us to proceed?¡±

    The words of the servant naturally brought a hasty halt to whatever they were talking about. Really, the two of them could have done just about anything, but nothing would be more important than the visit of Viscount Indra. Gabriel Sakra Indra, the current name of Azuras, who had already destroyed their lives an untold number of times before. He was the whole reason behind the loop so how could his visit not take top priority?

    ¡°You can bring him straight here.¡±

    A long breath escaped Abigail as her gaze turned towards the door. Now, the visit of Azuras may be of extreme importance for another reason entirely. Parts of her wanted it to be true, and another part wanted for her guess to be wrong. It was a very strange feeling.

    The door opened shortly after, an all too familiar figure stood in the doorway. Semi-long whitish-silver hair with a few loose strands, and violet eyes that felt like knives as they slid across her skin. It was the appearance associated with her nightmares, it was this face she saw when she woke up crying in the middle of the night.

    ¡°Ah, Gabriel, what bri¡­¡±

    Caine, not quite understanding why Gabriel had shown up, and was looking at Abigail so intently, tried to speak up to break the silence. But his words were cut short by Gabriel.

    ¡°The first t to living as a good person?¡±

    It was a question as much as it was a statement, Gabriel and Abigail locking eyes. They were inspecting each other, visually digging out truths from within the other party.

    ¡°The actual first t or the one that the monster made us rece it with?¡±

    The answer to his question was another question, but that was what made it serve as the perfect answer. Why? Well because it was a secret known to only three people.

    ¡°Veronica Vargas.¡±

    ¡°/&(&/(%&/ ¡è%&##.¡±

    The name that fell from his lips almost felt unfamiliar, but the one that fell from hers was almost entirely foreign to him, it almost sounded like a warbled blur. But it was his, he knew that. Abandoned long ago, but still his at some point.

    The two looked at each other, Abigail¡¯s eyes quivering as tears started to form in their corners. Her fingers trembled, and the names they uttered helped Caine form something of an understanding about what was going on.

    When he understood, he also realized what Azuras meant with what he said previously, when Caine first got a hold of him after he met Gabriel face-to-face for the first time.

    "Don¡¯t forget, Caine. Your losses didn¡¯t start here. Not yours, not your princesses, none of your losses started here."

    If Gabriel really was her brother then yes, Abigail¡¯s losses didn¡¯t start here. But then¡­ What had he lost in his previous world? And how would it be tied to Gabriel¡¯s previous life?

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a show.¡±

    Compared to what the teary Abigail expected, Gabriel¡¯s opening statement was something that seemed entirely unrted.

    He¡¯d had his musings, but he¡¯d never had any proof towards either side. But now it was proven, this world had never been a show, and Alice had never been just words on paper transferred to the screen. This was a living breathing world, unshackled from any author.

    A soft breath escaped him, but Abigail caught something in that breath. Or perhaps it was his eyes, or his being, or just his air. Her feet brought her forward, her steps slow and somewhat unsteady as she couldn¡¯t tear her gaze away from Gabriel¡¯s eyes. Her hand reached for his cheek, but he pulled back before she could touch him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to protect you, but I only made it worse.¡±

    How long had she carried those words? How long had she wanted to apologize to the little boy that she ended up abandoning when she came here? She had ruined his life, at least more than it already was, and then she had just left him to suffer it all alone.

    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, you simply followed the third t.¡±

    She would have preferred if Gabriel cursed at her, if he shouted at her or med her for the misery he undoubtedly endured. This calm eptance¡­ It only made the pain in her chest grow ever deeper.

    ¡°You didn¡¯te here by choice, did you?¡±

    Her smile twisted slightly, something akin to a grimace forming. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess, if he hade here willingly then she would know because the god who brought him over would have to exin to the other gods why he brought him into the loop. And one of those gods would be Kaisel, even if they had already abandoned their authority.

    Thus, he clearly wasn¡¯t brought here by one of the other gods. But no World Fissures, other than the one that brought in Caine or the asional monster, had opened in thest 20 or so years so he didn¡¯te through one of those either. Evidently, he must have fallen here some other way.

    ¡°No. I just found myself in this body after I jumped from my apartment building.¡±

    Gabriel still didn¡¯t know how he ended up in this world. His sister had apparently made a deal with a god, but he had done no such thing. He just died and then woke up again.

    ¡°You¡­ Jumped?¡±

    He spoke of it with an eerie calmness, as if he was entirely detached from it, and that only made the statement worse for Abigail. Just how far had they pushed him that he not only took his own life, but also spoke of it so nonchntly. Her eyes were swimming with questions, but she couldn¡¯t even decide if she was worthy of asking, much less what she should ask.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t what you¡¯re thinking. I simply saw no reason not to do it.¡±

    Luckily, Gabriel spoke up again when he saw her gaze, still studying her eyes intently with a calm expression. Luckily? Could she even call it that with how he answered? He killed himself simply because he saw no reason not to do it?

    ¡°¡­When was it?¡±

    She squeezed out the words through grit teeth. When did he do it, when did he no longer see a reason to keep on living? Was it shortly after she left, did she rob him of thest shred of life he had left when she abandoned him? If that was the answer perhaps he would curse at her so that she would get a measure of peace. But no, she wasn¡¯t afforded that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    When did he jump? He didn¡¯t know. He could somewhat recall the snow and the chill, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to say what year it was, or for how long he had been working after his sister¡¯s death.

    ¡°How old were you?¡±

    Abigail questioned further. She feared the answer, but she had to ask, she needed to know how much she should hate herself and those who drove her brother to that end. But the answer remained the same.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    His age at the time¡­ No, he drew a nk on that. And the reason was very simple.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t keep track of your birthdays?¡±

    Abigail could guess it. The brother she knew was clever, he remembered things quickly if he tried to. So if he didn¡¯t know his age then it was because he stopped trying to remember it.

    ¡°When you died, there was no one left to remember it.¡±

    After his father died, his sister was the only person to celebrate his birthday. Who was supposed to do it after she disappeared? No, when he buried her, he lost his birthday, because there was no longer anyone who would care about it.

    ¡°No friends? Norades? No one close to you?¡±

    Her throat felt sourer with each question. She knew that it would be bad after she disappeared, but she hoped that he would at least form a friend during the battle, or perhaps after the civil war was over. But the calm, almost nk stare that inspected her, told her everything she needed to know.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry¡­ ¡ê@¡ê$[¡­¡±

    The tears she was struggling to hold back finally fell, her hands clenching until her knuckles turned white. She sputtered out several apologies, but she was cut off by Gabriel when she tried to utter his name.

    ¡°Gabriel.¡±

    It was a simple word, but a powerful voice, a firm voice.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The eyes looking at her did not waver, preventing her from uttering a response. But it didn¡¯t seem like he was waiting for a response, as he took the initiative to speak up.

    ¡°Gabriel, my name is Gabriel.¡±

    That warbled name¡­ He had abandoned it long ago, before he even came to this world. Call Sign: Ouroboros, that was the only thing he was ever called, that was what was used to erase him. So the name she kept trying to call him, the words that barely registered in his ears, they could not be used on the current him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve chosen to abandon the past?¡±

    Aplete and utter abandonment. Of the ce they came from, of the person he used to be, of the life he once lived. She could see the answer in his eyes. That past didn¡¯t matter to him, perhaps it had long since stopped doing so.

    ¡°Have you not?¡±

    Contrary to her expectations, he returned her question with one of his own, a slight tilt of his head as he kept looking straight at her. Ever since those doors opened, he had never stopped looking at her. Never stopped inspecting her.

    ¡°The way you talk is different. There¡¯s a twinkling that still lingers, but the light in your eyes is also different. The way you carry yourself, the air around you, it¡¯s all different.¡±

    He could see parts that still reminded him of his sister, but it was just shadows of the past. In her absence, he had lived and grown, both in this world and in the previous one. But conversely, she had done the same in his absence. Parts of his sister remained, but she was almostpletely different. That was the inevitable truth, he was just making it clear to her.

    ¡°Veronica Vargas is dead, I buried her empty coffin. {$[]}+¡ê )/(&¡è% is also dead. You are Abigail De Earhart, and I am Gabriel Sakra Indra. The past is dead.¡±

    She stood there as if frozen as Gabriel spoke in his calm voice. The parts of his sister that remained in those eyes, he could see their darkness. He could see how they twisted in pain, how they wed at themselves in agony. That was why he was making it clear beyond a doubt, to both of them.

    ¡°If you were given the choice today, to go back there and start over, to try again. Would you ept?¡±

    He posed it as a question, but he didn¡¯t expect an answer. Abigail jolted for a moment, her gaze unconsciouslynding on Caine, who was sitting as quietly as he could so that he would not interfere with their moment. When she turned back, he could see the answer in her eyes, an answer that only made the agony grow deeper. But he rejected that pain.

    ¡°And neither would I. So the past is dead, Abigail. Let its misery and its apologies rest in the grave with it.¡±

    Gabriel would not go back, even if the gods offered him the chance to go back to when he was a child, with all his memories and powers intact. He had made his choice, and he chose Alice.

    ¡°I am Gabriel Sakra Indra, future husband of Alice De Vritara. If you would like to build a rtionship with me, then I would not reject.¡±

    His hand stretched out as he spoke, closing the distance he had put between him and Abigail earlier. All she would have to do to bridge it would be to stretch out her own hand.

    She looked at the hand for a few moments, dumbfounded as she reyed his words in her head. Eventually, the corners of her lips turned up slightly, despite her tears. Ah, so even after he was painted in all ck, that brother of hers was still so kind. How could she not grab his hand and close the distance?

    ¡°Gabriel Sakra Indra, I am Abigail De Earhart, future wife of Caine Woodime. I would love it if we could build a friendly and familial rtionship that willst into the future.¡±

 Chapter 106: Horn of Gabriel.

    Chapter 106: Horn of Gabriel.

    As Gabriel was making his way back from the pce, having spent a bit of time talking with both Abigail and Caine, his mind was quietly moving. His sister had ended up here after making a deal, and he had coincidentally ended up here after he ended his own life. But, not only had he ended up in the same world, he had ended up in the same time-period as his sister, despite the difference in time between their departure.

    Gabriel did not like coincidences, much less believe in them. Something, or someone, hadid a n for all of this, and he just so happened to be one of the pieces. So, the questions at the time would be Who and Why, if he didn¡¯t figure out the answer to these things then it would be a touch hard to rest easy in the future.

    Alice probably had simr thoughts, there was no way someone like her wouldn¡¯t end up suspicious after she found out that Abigail was Gabriel¡¯s sister. One of the reasons she notified him about the possibility was probably so that she could get her suspicions confirmed. Well, it would always be something they could talk about together, two scheming heads put together would be better than one.

    On the way back, he heard the news that Kaden Gaun Sorin had escaped the prison of the Amber Inquisitors and gone on a mad rampage to escape. They tried to capture him alive, but after he killed two guards they were forced to apprehend with the intent to kill so he ended up perishing. With the job done, Nergal naturally returned to his side, eagerly awaiting praise for doing such a good job of controlling the corpse. Naturally, Gabriel was not shy of giving it as he kept heading back.

    He returned to the estate they were currently living in, but his steps halted in front of the iron gate. For a moment, his eyes narrowed sharply.

    There was a scent in the air. A soft and lingering fragrance of hyacinths. For it to linger in the air, it either meant that the source had been here recently, or that the source had carried the scent so thickly that even the passage of time could only fade it slowly.

    He hadn¡¯t seen any carriages or people in the immediate area around the estate so he ruled out the possibility that it had been here recently. And for something to carry a scent this thickly, it was evident that whoever carried it was of sufficient status, at the very least around the level of a Marquis.

    But due to their current positions and the events going on with the usations raised by Gabriel, there was no way that a Marquis would dare toe by. The Dukes were also mostly out of the picture, Alice belonged to the Vritara family so the two other ducal families had next to no reason to seek her out, especially after she rejected the Soring family in public in favor of Gabriel.

    ¡°The third prince.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes narrowed as he reached the conclusion. The noble families were out of the question, so it could only be the imperial family. He had just been with Abigail so it wasn¡¯t her, and during the investiture it was the third prince that Alice had spoken to the most, he was the main person that the emperor had tried to match her with.

    Now¡­ what could the third prince want with Alice?

    Inspecting the ground, he could see rtively deep tracks so they had clearly used a rather decadent carriage to pick her up, implying that it wasn¡¯t your average visit.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His eyes moved about quietly as he walked, making his way across the garden that served as the front of the estate. The tracks didn¡¯t continue inward so they didn¡¯t pass through the gates. Inside¡­ A few dirty dishes still lingered in the kitchen, the remains of a light snack that she probably made while she waited. It hadn¡¯t been cleaned, and judging by the state of the remains, they had been lying there for a bit of time, enough to dry out somewhat.

    Bellona and Edith¡­ Still sleeping peacefully, huddled together under the covers as they recovered from their earlier shock. Even stranger. Alice would never just leave the children here on her own, she was too fond of young and hurt children like this so she would definitely want to be around to greet them when they awoke.

    ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s how its going to be¡­¡±

    A mutter escaped Gabriel as he quietly closed the door so as to not wake the kids, muttering a spell shortly after. The shadows rose and swallowed him, spitting him out at a different location within the city immediately afterward. A ck, wolf-like mask covered his face as he appeared within one of the strongholds of the Night Pack, a finger beckoning over one of his workers.

    ¡°The movements of Alice De Vritara and those in her estate, bring me every report from today.¡±

    He plopped down on a couch as he spat out the order, the operatives quickly springing into action. This wasn¡¯t one of the undercover businesses, this was a hideout dedicated solely to the expedient delivery of news between the various other hideouts and business, a server of sorts.

    As such, several different reports from various operatives reached the desk in front of him before long. They detailed when Alice first left to meet Abigail, when she came back, what she did on the way, etc. It naturally also included what Gabriel had done during the day, at least what he had been seen doing publicly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It had indeed been the imperial family that came by while he was gone, the maids and knights at least wore the insignia of the royal family. The report indicated that they had gone to Rosemary Avenue, to Crowning Delight, and had been there for a while already.

    ¡°Increase the surveince in the other countries, but put a halt to the integration process. Tell everyone to simply stay on hold for now and observe the situation, reporting even the smallest movements.¡±

    He slid the report back to his operative as he stood up, giving the order to not just his man but also into the ear-piece he wore so that it would reach the other middle-men of the organization. If one of the princes was involved then it was likely that one of the other countries was also involved, it would be too dangerous for the prince in question if he was caught actually doing something to Alice. One of the other countries would make for a good scape-goat in such a situation.

    Gabriel muttered a spell again and vanished from the hideout, popping up within one of the alleyways in the city. He¡¯d prepared several of his marks around the city just in case he needed to quickly move about. It wasn¡¯t terribly efficient on his mana, but the safety it provided made up for it so he had no ns ofining.

    His mask faded into the darkness and he donned arge hat before heading into the city, the hat masking parts of his face. He headed for the shop, and the carriage was indeed still waiting outside, the knights and maids leaning against it somewhatzily. Gabriel quietly moved forward, his fingers wriggling as his magic moved.

    ¡°Katush, Erakos, Lagu Hui Katek Haral.¡± (Water, Strangle, Bind And Bring Them.)

    As he cast the spell, the ever-present number looming in the sky decreased by one as he used his Unique Magic, burning one of the souls that had been mixed with his own.

    The spell activated just as he reached the other side of the carriage, water bubbling up from a puddle underneath the wagon. The dirty water rose like a living being and swarmed around the four people, flooding into their mouths and noses while also coiling around their arms like chains.

    Gabriel quickly moved around the carriage and snuck into the door, the magic tugging on the shocked people as it yanked them into the carriage. Gabriel closed the door behind them, everything happening almost instantaneously.

    The carriage really was decadent, it could even amodate all five of them without being too cramped. Well, for Gabriel at least, the four others were slumped together. The muddy water filled their mouths and noses so they couldn¡¯t even breathe, gasping wildly for air. But the water refused to sink down their throats and simply hung there, strangling them.

    ¡°Now. Would you mind telling me where Alice De Vritara was brought?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s cold gaze looked down at the four people as he spoke. He was a sensitive person, but he couldn¡¯t detect a single trace of Alice within the shop so they had clearly already moved her. And since his operatives hadn¡¯t mentioned it in their reports, it was clearly done rather stealthily.

    Naturally, with their orifices sealed, the captured people couldn¡¯t say anything. Still, Gabriel didn¡¯t undo the magic that strangled them, simply watching them quietly, a gaze devoid of emotion drilling into them and instilling them with a gnawing fear of death.

    In the end, just when it looked like the two women were about to pass out, Gabriel moved the magic so that the water left their mouths. The four quickly gasped for breath, one of the knights hurriedly opening his mouth. But before a single word could leave his throat, Gabriel¡¯s hand reached it.

    His fingers mped down on the man¡¯s throat, blocking his wind pipe as his grip slowly tightened. He didn¡¯t use strengthening magic, he didn¡¯t pour magic into the man to incapacitate him. He simply grasped his throat and tightened his grip, a frighteningly calm gaze nailing down the remaining three people.

    In the end, the knight¡­ just fell limp. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, he simply copsed as Gabriel loosened his grip. A lightly pink foam oozed out of the man¡¯s mouth, a bit of blood leaking out from his eyes and nose as hey there.

    ¡°¡±I really don¡¯t want you to make too much noise. Just tell me what I want to know.¡±

    Gabriel shook his hand as he spoke, his voice as emotionless as his gaze. A life had been snuffed out just like that, but he just shook his hand as if it was dirty.

    ¡°¡­Will you spare us if we talk?¡±

    The other knight took the lead to speak up, leaning forward slightly as if he was trying to shield the two maids, be it from the sight or from Gabriel. Gabriel didn¡¯t mind, making a small gesture with his hand, as if urging the man on.

    ¡°If you speak, I will not harm a hair on your head.¡±

    He slumped down in the seat, his gaze still nailing down the remaining three people. They clearly found a new sense of hope in his promise, the remaining knight clearing his throat a few times to catch his breath.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where she was taken, we were only ordered to bring her here so that someone else could take her along. But the owner of the shop will know more, he was the one responsible for handing her over to the next party. He¡¯ll still be in the shop, he will give you the information you want.¡±

    Gabriel looked at the three people as the knight spoke. There was a glimmer of hope in their eyes, a light that showed them the path to survival. Hope was important for people, they would be able to do an untold number of things as long as they had hope. Gabriel knew that well. He used that well.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    A single word. A simple word. But it was all he left them with as he got up from his seat. His magic moved as he did so, the water that had previously strangled the three moving again. It entered their mouths, their nose, their eyes, their ears, it forced itself into their heads and into their insides. Parts of it dug into their bodies, into their squishy organs, while another part of it clogged their throats so that they couldn¡¯t even let out anything more than a subdued gurgling.

    While they were dying without even getting out anyst groans, Gabriel searched the carriage for what he knew it would contain. And sure enough, it packed a bit of oil for the lights that the driver would use forte night trips. Gabriel poured the oil on the people and spread it through the carriage, picking up one of the knight¡¯s swords.

    ¡°Nergal, bring a mark inside please.¡±

    Gabriel muttered a small spell as he spoke, dropping a mark of darkness on Nergal before the spirit left the carriage through the shadows outside. He moved through the darkness and entered the building, bringing Gabriel¡¯s mark with him.

    Once Nergal found a good spot inside, Gabriel used the sword he stole and struck it against the metal armor of the knight. Sparks flew as the two objects met, and the sparks ignited the oil, flooding the carriage with fire in an instant. But before it could reach him, Gabriel used his magic to switch ces with the mark that Nergal had carried.

    Now inside the store, in one of the storage rooms it seemed, he could faintly smell the fire from outside. It was rather haphazard and different from his usual style, but it would have to do for now.

    ¡°Take his legs and then silence him.¡±

    Gabriel spoke into empty air, the shadow beneath him obeying hismand before it moved. Before long, a pained shriek that was quickly silenced reached his ears.

    ¡°Second floor it is.¡±

    He quickly found the stairs and followed the sound upwards, reaching a room that looked to be the main office. Inside was a middle-aged man, a man who Alice would recognize as the servant who brought her tea when she was here. His legs had been severed just above the knees, the jagged and torn edges of the flesh implying that it was anything but a pleasant process.

    Nergal had swarmed the man, expanding into a mud-like darkness beneath him. His teeth had torn away his legs, and the wriggling tentacles that rose from the tar pit had wormed their way down his throat to silence him.

    Gabriel closed the door and pulled over a chair, sitting down as he made eye contact with the man.

    ¡°So. Where did you send her?¡±

    The man was heaving for air as Nergal¡¯s tentacles retracted, in contrast, Gabriel still looked so emotionless that it was eerie.

    ¡°You¡­ Ah¡­ You must be¡­ Huh¡­ Worried about her¡­ Right?¡±

    The man forced out the words through pained breaths. He really wanted to curse his bad luck, or perhaps the poor nning of his master. Why and how the hell had the Viscount tracked them down so quickly? He didn¡¯t know, so he wanted to rile up Gabriel a bit so that he would slip up and say more than intended. But what a shame it was that Gabriel¡¯s gaze remained the same.

    ¡°Please, if the likes of you were able to take her away then it can only mean that she allowed herself to be taken just so she could see where she would end up.¡±

    These people were really overestimating themselves if they thought that they could kidnap Alice. Using strength to overwhelm her? Good luck, she was stronger than all of thembined. Poison? She had the poison affinity, and had been taught by Teresa, so that was nigh-on impossible. By threats? Please, she would just murder them if they dared.

    There was nothing they could do to her, so if they got a hold of her then it meant that she allowed them to do so. And if she allowed them that grace, then it could only be for a single reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a shortcut, a quick way to dig out a great deal of people to kill. So don¡¯t overestimate yourself, you were just bait.¡±

    Bait, they were all just bait. Probably to draw out one of the princes and whatever allies he had. Bait that would let them take a good number of heads in quick session.

    ¡°Then¡­ Whooo¡­ Then what¡¯s the point of all this?!¡±

    The man had tried to rile up Gabriel but ended up being the agitated one in the end, gritting his teeth in pain as he clutched his bleeding legs. He could also smell the fire from outside so he guessed that the four others were already dead, or dying as they spoke. If what he said was all true, and they were just bait, what was the point in going about it so violently from his end?

    ¡°Just venting.¡±

    Sadly, the answer he got from Gabriel was anything but assuring, the man couldn¡¯t even quite understand what Gabriel meant. But Gabriel didn¡¯t bother exining himself and simply urged the man on.

    ¡°Now. Talk. Tell me what I want to know and I won¡¯t harm a hair on your head.¡±

 Chapter 107: Horn of Gabriel. (2)

    Chapter 107: Horn of Gabriel. (2)

    The man almost couldn¡¯t believe his ears, involuntarily gawking at Gabriel for a few moments. After a few short moments, be it due to the ridiculous statement or the adrenaline rushing through his body, he started tough.

    ¡°HAHAHA¡­Ah¡­ Did you give the people outside the same offer? What did they respond with, eh?¡±

    He could still smell the fire, the almost suffocating scent of smoke that rose from below, the unmistakable scent of roasted flesh. But there were no screams, no coughing. He knew what people sounded like when they were being burned alive, he knew the groans and screams that they couldn¡¯t hold back.

    But there was just nothing, an eerie silence barely broken by the crackling of fire.

    ¡°I did not harm a hair on their bodies.¡±

    Yeah, the man expected an answer like that. A cold expression, a calm expression. Yeah, Gabriel probably hadn¡¯t hurt a hair on their body as he killed them, he probably went for a hairless body part, or just tore them up from the inside out. Looking at that expressionless face, he felt that Gabriel was a person who could do something like that without batting an eye. A real good killer, a nightmare of a person to deal with.

    What a shit-show.

    ¡°But you see, why should I tell you anything?¡±

    The lips of the man curved up as he looked up at Gabriel. Thankfully, the situation sent loads of adrenaline pumping through his body, to the point where even his torn off legs were little more than a persistent throbbing at the back of his mind. It made him braver, allowed him to act more casually.

    ¡°I either tell you things and die, or don¡¯t tell you anything and die. See, I die no matter what avenue I pick. So. Should I die while screwing over the one who¡¯s helping me, or should I die while screwing over the person who¡¯s killing me?¡±

    Death was breathing down the man¡¯s neck, he could feel its warm andforting touch creep up his spine. Like a lover gently caressing you in bed. Yeah, he was going to die here, his legs torn off and his body trapped in this mud-like darkness that nipped at him every chance it got. He was being killed, so why would he tell his killer anything?

    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point.¡±

    Contrary to his expectations, and possibly his hope, Gabriel simply gave a short nod as he agreed with the man. He rose from his seat and strolled through the office, his gaze sweeping through the papers and documents that were scattered about.

    He was naturally also looking out the window asionally, keeping an eye on the burning carriage. Few people dared to get close because so much fuel had caught fire, the mes had even spread to the entrance of the store and were making their way up the walls. But some guards were rushing over in the distance, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they had a water mage among them that could slowly suppress the fire. Well, he wasn¡¯t nning on staying here for that much longer, quickly finding what he was searching for.

    ¡°Ah, here it is. Heywood Eltain, oh, you¡¯re a baron?¡±

    He picked up a document from among those scattered on the desk. Since this man was working as the owner of this shop, he obviously had to do business using his name. All the official documents would have his name.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re a noble, it makes this easier.¡±

    Normally, having the man¡¯s name would only serve as a start, but him being a noble made it much simpler. Gabriel had memorized the family names and locations of the various nobles in the empire, or at least those that lived in the area around whatever their current location was. Thus, he knew where the Eltain estate was located.

    ¡°Follow this street then take a left at the end, follow that street and then take a right halfway through, then another right after following that road until the end. And vo, at the end of that road you find the Eltain Estate, it probably wouldn¡¯t take more than 15 or so minutes to get there if we left now.¡±

    Gabriel strode over to the man as he spoke, picking him up by grabbing his neck. The shadows around them stretched out as he stood there, creeping up their bodies as they were slowly swallowed.

    ¡°A wife, two concubines, six unconfirmed lovers among the maids, five legitimate kids, and an assumed three illegitimate. Shall we go pay them a visit?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s voice sent a shiver down the man¡¯s spine, pushing aside even the gentle touch of death. Gabriel had done his homework, he used the Night Pack to investigate anyone that they might interact with in the future, anyone that might end up being an enemy. There were a lot of barons in the empire so it wasn¡¯t anything in-depth like strengths and weaknesses, but he knew the general gist at least.

    They sank into the darkness, one of Nergal¡¯s tendrils curling up within the man¡¯s mouth so that he couldn¡¯t speak, or close his mouth for that matter. He didn¡¯t have the darkness affinity so traveling through the shadows was extremely ufortable, even if you ignored the fact that he couldn¡¯t breathe within them. Naturally, his torn off legs were also irking him more and more as the adrenaline wore off, but Nergal blocked the stumps so that he wouldn¡¯t bleed out too quickly.

    Gabriel popped out of the darkness at certain intervals so that the man could catch his breath, but he didn¡¯t give him the chance to speak in the slightest. They always just sank back into the darkness, rushing through the shadows until they eventually reached their target, the Eltain estate.

    ¡°Now then¡­ Where would you be hiding them?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s voice felt like sticky slime as it reached Heywood¡¯s ears, slowly sliding down his spine like a bony finger. Hiding in the shadows, literally, they could just walk past the guards and enter the mansion. Heywood saw the familiar maids and servants mill about, going about their business as usual.

    And Gabriel¡¯s gaze stalked them all from the darkness, those calm and unfeeling eyes inspecting each and every one of them. Nergal¡¯s tendril still prevented Heywood from talking, but Gabriel could tell by his movements that he was desperately trying to speak. Still, he ignored the man and slowly made his way through the mansion until he found what he was looking for.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice that she¡¯s taking a bit of responsibility for their education, it¡¯s the sign of a good mom.¡±

    Hemented as he gaze up from the darkness. Heywood¡¯s legal wife was currently with two of their legitimate children, as well as someone who seemed to be a teacher and two maids. Gabriel raised an arm, the darkness around them twisting for a moment as ice gathered in his palm.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them now. But don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll die quicker than you.¡±

    Heywood couldn¡¯t breathe as the words struck him, but this time it wasn¡¯t solely because he was trapped within the darkness. He didn¡¯t feel any falsehood in Gabriel¡¯s voice, just a cold emptiness, like words you just read off a page without caring about them.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He struggled in Gabriel¡¯s grasp, trying to chew on the tendril in his mouth to force out the words. But he couldn¡¯t break free and was simply met with Gabriel¡¯s eyes for a brief moment as he lowered his gaze to look at the struggling man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think it unfair or cowardly. You tried toy your hands on my wife-to-be so wouldn¡¯t it just be fair if I return the favor byying my hands on your family?¡±

    Heywood couldn¡¯t speak, but Gabriel had been in simr situations, done simr things, enough times in his past life to know what most people tended to shout out when he brought them to this point. But well, it wasn¡¯t like he ever listened.

    The ice that had gathered in his palm wriggled for a moment as he angled his arm, pointing it at the woman. His finger twitched and the ice moved in tune, jolting forward.

    ¡°MHMPH!¡±

    Heywood groaned in utter panic for a moment before strength left his body, his tears finally falling. But just then, the ice also stopped, just before it shot out of the darkness. It hung there quietly, looking as if it could fly forth again at any moment.

    ¡°Well, Eltain? Are they dying today or not? I¡¯m not very patient, so you¡¯ll have to be quick.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s fingers twitched a few times, the jagged lump of ice moving in tune with his motions each time. The limp man in his grasp could only nod his head weakly, his tears already refusing to stop when the tendril in his mouth finally disappeared.

    ¡°If I tell you everything, can you at least promise that I¡¯ll be the only one here to die? None of them have anything to do with this, you¡¯ll gain nothing from taking them down with me.¡±

    How foolish it was, to suddenly beg the man who was about to kill you to not hurt the others. Especially after he had made such a big deal of it being better to die while spiting the one who was about to kill you.

    ¡°There is little point in killing the uninvolved, it doesn¡¯t even help with venting.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s answer, if it could even be called that, at least served as a measure offort. There was still that coldness, that calm and unfeeling emptiness. But perhaps that was why it felt a bit more trustworthy. The emptiness, the calm mind, had no need to do things that served no purpose.

    Then again, in this situation, what choice did Heywood have other than to just believe?

    ¡°Silvanos, it was an order from Silvanos De Earhart. Sedate Alice De Vritara and hand her over to the men of Duchess Giselle so that they could work out a deal at a different location, do so and you can ensure the continued peace between our nations.¡±

    Defeated, the man could do nothing but spill it all. Silvanos De Earhart, the third prince of the empire, exactly who Gabriel had expected. But Duchess Giselle¡­ He hadn¡¯t expected the royal faction of the Kasarias Kingdom to be involved. If it was Duke Quinterius of the noble faction, he could understand it, Gabriel was currently in the process of actively working against him after all. But if it was Giselle¡­

    ¡°So that¡¯s the game we¡¯re ying.¡±

    He unconsciously let out a mutter as he pieced things together. He could already guess that Alice would be overjoyed once she found out who had kidnapped her. The royal faction that had ties to the third prince, the noble faction that had ties to the Sorin ducal family, if they yed their cards right then they could cut down a whole lot of annoyances in one go. And better yet, they could do it in a justifiable manner.

    Gabriel¡¯s hand clenched around Heywood¡¯s neck, jagged thorns of ice sprouting from his palm and digging into the man¡¯s flesh. He died with onest surprised, and pained, groan, hisst words drowned out by the bubbling blood that pooled in his lungs.

    Gabriel let go of him, dropping him into the darkness, where Nergal eagerly rose up to swallow him. The man¡¯s bones crunched as he was shredded to pieces, Gabriel dissipating the shard of ice that was supposed to kill Heywood¡¯s wife.

    ¡°Now then¡­ How to blow it all up¡­¡±

    He turned and walked away while muttering to himself. Alice would probably not make a move until she was confident that things had reached a proper breaking point, when the proverbial kettle was about to boil over. Gabriel¡¯s job would be to make that happen.

    He was quite eager to get it over with quickly, something lurking in his depths seething so quietly that even he couldn¡¯t really notice it.

    Well, the most important reason he wanted to get things over with quickly was actually painfully simple. Thest thing Alice said to him was that she would be waiting. He did not want to keep her waiting. So he had to drag out all the little gnats so that they could stomp them as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 108: The Horn of Gabriel. (3)

    Chapter 108: The Horn of Gabriel. (3)

    Gabriel was perched atop a roof, the dark shroud of night obscuring him as his feet hung over the edge. No matter how dark the night, the city remained alive. Lanterns and street lights illuminated every road, casting long shadows across the walls and other structures.

    And what part of the city would be most alive at a time like this? Naturally, it would be the underbelly of the city, the so-called red light district. As themon people went to sleep, the night-walkers came alive tofort all those who had coin to spare.

    And in this empire, who had more money to spare than the nobles that made it their home? He could see them from above, milling about, scurrying through the streets. Some strode about with unbound confidence, others snuck around like they were trying to hide, ashamed of what they were doing under the cover of night.

    A small patch of darkness rose up next to Gabriel, a mud-like tendril crawling up his arm before settling on his shoulder. Teeth spun around within the darkness, a few red spots marring some of the teeth as Nergal was detailing his little trip through the streets.

    ¡°More familiar faces than expected, but they can wait until we¡¯re done with our man. How many in his entourage?¡±

    ording to Nergal, there were a whole lot more nobles lurking in these shops than expected, quite a few of them among those he had investigated prior. But, as he said, they could wait until he was done blowing things up for Alice.

    ¡°Just about enough¡­ for a light little breakfast. Very tasty.¡±

    As usual, the way Nergal described things was¡­ Less than exceptional, requiring a bit of deciphering. Well, Gabriel had luckily spent a fair bit of time with Nergal over the years so he was rather adept at understanding the nuances of his analogies.

    ¡°If it¡¯s that few then it won¡¯t be much of a problem. Stay put while I¡¯m out.¡±

    Gabriel rose from his seated position and muttered a short spell, his fingers twitching as they drew the needed formation. Another patch of darkness rose next to him, spitting out what he had the Night Pack prepare the moment he killed Heywood.

    The item in question, or rather items, were the pieces of a suit of armor. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t Gabriel¡¯s own suit of armor but one belonging to the house of Marquis Bruno, someone from the Nobles faction of the Kasarias kingdom.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, his men hadn¡¯t properly infiltrated the members of the Royal faction of the Kasarias kingdom so he couldn¡¯t ¡®borrow¡¯ a suit of armor from them. But oh well, just wearing the armor of the Kasarias kingdom would be enough.

    Yeah, it would be suspicious. Yeah, the imperials and others would definitely call into question whether or not they were being tricked. But what could they do? They would be forced to investigate whether they wanted to or not. And Gabriel just had to get them to the Kasarias kingdom, he just had to add a bit of fuel to the fire.

    He donned the armor, the helmet covering even a part of his eyes, narrowing his vision. A helmet made for wildbat, it served a purpose simr to the blinds you put on horse. Focus their vision, focus their mind, don¡¯t let them get distracted by what¡¯s around them. Very efficient, depending on how much value you ced on a human life.

    ¡°Waraya, Alect Hui Alect.¡± (Strength, Rise And Rise.)

    He cast the spell, the number that constantly hung in the air decreasing as he burnt a couple of souls to empower the spell. Power rose in his body as he grasped the spear, one madepletely out of metal, that apanied the armor, quietly dropping down from the rooftop. He slowed his descent by asionally grasping something along the wall of the building,nding in front of the entrance, nestled between two guards.

    He gave them no time for words, grasping the middle of the spear and giving it a nice twirl. The sharp head of the spear came down on the head of one guard, the blunt end of the shaft rising to meet the chin of the second guard.

    In his strengthened state, the spear Gabriel swung around was no different from a boulder. The spearhead cut through the guard¡¯s helmet and sliced through his head, the second guard not faring much better. The shaft of the spear crushed his armor and smashed against his jaw with such force that it simply took it clean off, his skull was fragmented so badly that the shards tore his brain apart before he could even muster up the breath to make a sound.

    The two fell down like puppets who had their strings cut, Gabriel kicking down the door to the brothel now that the guards were dealt with. He wasn¡¯t being quiet, he wasn¡¯t being stealthy. This would be a job he had to do loudly.

    His gaze scoured the inside of the brothels as shrieks started to rise from the separate rooms. The first floor held 10 prostitutes, 15 clients, and a further 10 guards. The second floor would have three prostitutes, three clients, and around 30 guards. Just about what he expected after Nergal gave his report.

    Well, no, that statement wasn¡¯t entirely correct. Currently, other than the prostitutes themselves, everyone else worked for the third prince Silvanos. Even the so-called clients were just guards in disguise. And judging by the soundsing from the closed doors, or rather the almostpleteck of anything other than shrieking, they were probably lying in wait just beyond the doors. Just looking for a chance to burst out.

    ¡°Azui, Devak.¡± (Ice, Burst.)

    Gabriel didn¡¯t need to chant the spell. Hell, he didn¡¯t even have the ice element, he was just putting on a show for everyone present as he conjured up several jagged spikes of ice. The gathered ice burst out once he finished gathering it, tearing through the doors around him. And as expected, the familiar sound of flesh tearing and pained groans reached him soon after.

    He didn¡¯t stand still as heunched the ice, his spear blocking two swords that came for him. He used his sheer strength to push one of the attackers to the side, cing them squarely in front of two magic attacks that had beenunched. The second man was run through by the spear and then picked up by Gabriel, he got the pleasure of having his dying body used as a shield against the other magic attacks that came at him.

    Well, he used a bit of ice to also block them, but he had no choice after the man¡¯s body exploded into a fine mist of blood due to the barrage of spells. Gabriel pushed forward, his spear tearing through flesh as ice scattered all around, tearing through whatever it touched.

    It was carnage, pure and simple. Blood sttered, body parts flew through the air, screams blocked out all other sounds. Death was abundant as the guards did what they could to hold him back. More guards came from the second floor, a handful of them positioning themselves so that they blocked the stairs.

    They were trying to slow him down so that Prince Silvanos could escape out the back with his closest guards. But there was no stopping Gabriel as he tore through all in his path. His other arm rose, a finger pointing at the guards that blocked the stairs to the second floor. A thought struck him, a moment of curiosity. And he decided to act on it.

    ¡°Azui, Devak.¡±

    He once again chanted the fake spell as he conjured up ice, but this time he also burned some of the souls inside him like he did when he wanted to empower his spells. His Unique Magic, would it work even on this ability that wasn¡¯t a spell?

    The answer to that question was a scream. Or rather, screams. A collection of screams that all blended together into an indistinct roar, the sound of a great massacre, of death inescapable.

    The ice bloomed in front of the men guarding the stairs. If his first usage of ice here brought forth about 10kg of ice, which was then quickly separated into several smaller jagged shards, then this second usage brought forth over 100kg of ice.

    There was no separating, no jagged shards. The ice bloomed from the floor and erupted outward, forming a gargantuan pincushion that tore through people and walls alike. What started as pristinely clean deep blue ice quickly became a dirty stained red, the frozen blood almost resembling rubies.

    What followed the cacophony of screams was the same as it always was, the eerie silence of death, terror, and despair. Those who lived saw the dead, they saw the horror. And they knew that they had been mere inches away from switching ces with all of them. Thus, there was silence.

    Yes, it would appear that his Unique Magic worked just fine with this ability of his. A good note for the future.

    Gabriel strode past the stained ice and entered the second floor, which looked terrible because the spikes of ice from below had torn their way through the floor. At the end of the hallway, halfway through a window, he saw his target.

    ¡°Silvanos De Earhart. Would you like to join me for a chat?¡±

    As he spoke, Gabriel used a bit of ice to grate his vocal cords, producing a distorted voice that didn¡¯t sound anything close to his normal one. The third prince naturally wouldn¡¯t w ant to go with him, but one such spike had made its way through his leg, entering his shin and digging upwards before finally poking through his thigh. He was stuck. A pig waiting to be ughtered.

    Gabriel crushed down the guards that managed to make their way through the mess of frozen spikes, but ignored the rest. They could do nothing but watch as he went up to the third prince and broke the spike that had ruined his leg.

    And then he just left. He hopped through the window that they had tried to escape from and made a run for it, dashing into back-alleys and smaller streets before anyone could catch up with him. He didn¡¯t need to kill everyone present. In fact, he wanted to spare several of them. He needed them to see him, to report what had happened.

    Meanwhile, Gabriel dragged the third prince with him, dipping into the darkness once he was out of sight. Nergal met up with him again as he left, and the trio scurried through the darkness. They asionally popped out of the darkness, but it was never in ces with people. And as the capital got brighter and brighter, guards flooding into the street, they left the city.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t speak to Silvanos, he didn¡¯t give him a chance to beg or question. He simply dragged him along as he headed for his next target. It was quite far away, but by utilizing portals and his own marks, he managed to cover the distance in just three days.

    The Barong territory, the northern edge of the empire. The third prince had been kidnapped, but they didn¡¯t think that they would be able to make it this far in such a short time so the Barong territory wasn¡¯t as hectic as the central territories. Well, it wasn¡¯t like Gabriel stayed in the territory for long, he just passed through it and continued on towards his actual target.

    The Jaws of Barong, the frozen mountain range that served as the northern border of the empire. It was technically part of the Barong territory, but in all honesty, it had already be and that belonged to the beasts. It was here that they fought against that strange talon, who Gabriel had subsequently absorbed using Akasha and thus gained his control over ice. It was here where Alice first managed to properly paint Gabriel¡¯s world.

    And now he had returned to that very spot. The traces of the battle still remained, but the snow was slowly starting to cover everything up again. One day, there would be nothing left here to mark the events of that day.

    Gabriel looked down at the hole from which the talon hade, he could still see a few faint lines in the distance through the thick ice if he focused his eyes. And he followed those lines. Step by step further and further away from the original hole, slowly drawing an image in his eyes. If there was a talon, then there should be an arm. And judging by the size of the talon, the elbow should be around¡­ here.

    His feet stopped and he chanted a short spell, dragging the third prince out of the darkness. He tossed him aside and let him roll through the snow. He was starving and somewhat dehydrated, his leg forever ruined even if he somehow managed to make it out alive. But Gabriel had no ns of such things.

    ¡°Karas, Takt Elu Val Moka Vr.¡± (Darkness, Mask Us From The World.)

    He torched the souls that formed him as he cast the spell, his shadow stretching out and rising into a great dome. This was a prison, one that cut them off from the rest of the world. Nothing would get out, nothing would get in, be it magic or people. Assuming they couldn¡¯t over power the magic.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The third prince struggled to catch his breath, the unforgiving chill of their surroundings piercing into his bones. But he didn¡¯t groan, he didn¡¯t scream in pain, he didn¡¯t plead for mercy. He caught his breath and then looked directly at Gabriel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re actually from Kasarias or not, but are you aware that your actions could lead to war? Will you be willing to bear the blood of all those who will die in such a pointless fight?¡±

    War was a terrible thing. Thousands upon thousands died, and many more ended up injured or scarred for life. It was a thing that ruined not just one generation, but even those that came in the future. But what a shame that his argument was made to the wrong person.

    ¡°I¡¯m betting on it, Silvanos.¡±

    As he spoke, Gabriel¡¯s magic moved. It dug into the ice beneath them and struck the lines lurking within, agitating the seal just as Alice had done in the past. The talon he took in gave him a great deal of power, so what if he took in more? So he dug into the ice, the seal beneath them cracking bit by bit as the thing lurking within was roused to life once more.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    It was a strange day for the rest of the world. Few could pinpoint exactly what happened or when it happened. But all who noticed it agreed on it, all reached the same conclusion.

    This was a day where the world grew just a bit darker.

 Chapter 109: Horn of Gabriel. (4)

    Chapter 109: Horn of Gabriel. (4)

    The frozen wastes trembled as Gabriel¡¯s magic dug deeper into the ice, breaching the ancient seal that had been dormant there since time immemorial. He could feel it. A subtle sensation within his chest, a quiet tingling lingering in the depths of his heart.

    It was down there, beneath the ice.

    Each burst of magic awoke it, roused it from its ageless slumber. Angered it.

    But Gabriel kept digging, the third prince trembling quietly in the distance, stealthily creeping away while pretending to shiver in fear. He moved slowly, oh so slowly, because of his ruined leg, but he also knew that all hope wasn¡¯t lost yet. His sister had divine magic, so if he could get back to the capital then she would be able to heal him.

    And then the ice broke apart.

    Silvanos could see it, the thousands upon thousands of crimson lines that dug through the ice, pulsating with magic unlike any he had felt in his life. But that magic was now broken, a section of the lines torn open to reveal a gap in the spell. And within that gap he saw what he could only describe as a gargantuan elbow, the slightly bent piece of a limb sorge that even a dragon probably wasn¡¯t a match for the full size of whatever beast this thing was attached to.

    Sealed in ice, pulsating with magic, an air of life and icy air radiating from it. Fresh and vibrant, those were the only words he could think of to describe what he felt from the limb.

    And yet, it looked anything but.

    Pale white scales that had grown dry and cracked, deep blue veins that barely flickered with traces of light, there were even ces where the flesh had rotted and slid off the bone. It felt fresh, but the limb was rotting where ity, decaying further with each passing day. And yet¡­ It felt as terrible as the certainty of death, an omen of the inevitable.

    Gabriel looked down at the elbow, a minute wrinkle between his brows. He could still vividly remember how the w from back then looked. Its pale white scales gleamed like snow beneath the sun, the deep blue veins pulsed like a heart, and the cold mist oozing from it felt like it could freeze even the wind. Eight peach-colored eyes had looked up at him with all the fury and majesty of an apex monster.

    But this elbow¡­ it couldn¡¯t be called anything but decrepit. It had a lone eye nestled within the bend of its joint, its vibrant color already dull and murky. Was it already¡­ dying? Was it because of how he unlocked the seal? Was it because he killed the w? Was it because he absorbed it? Or had the w been a special case?

    He had an answer to none of these questions. Well, he didn¡¯t even know what this thing was. Even when he tried to look it up after they left the duchy, all he could find was old legends that spoke of an ancient demonid to eternal rest by the jaws of Barong. But none of them ever spoke of what this demon was, only that it would spend eternity getting devoured in the frozen maw.

    He didn¡¯t know what it was. He didn¡¯t know where it came from. He didn¡¯t even know its name. So how could he ever hope to have an answer to any questions he had about it?

    Ah, well, there was one question about it that he could answer actually.

    He could kill it.

    RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    The ground trembled as the rotting limb twitched, the veins coursing across it pulsating as if to protest against its current state. The chill got worse, ice falling from the sky as everyst trace of moisture that remained froze.

    Silvanos started to choke, the inside of his throat freezing because he failed to protect himself with magic. With the rising chill, the elbow also started to move.

    Unlike the w, which had nails and fingers it could use to move around, the elbow had nothing. Nothing but its ice that is. Long spindly limbs attached themselves to its broken scales, lifting it into the air like a grotesque spider. And as it rose, it gathered ice.

    Did it sense danger? Was it weary? Unlike the w, which had waited and watched after it was freed from the seal, the elbow attacked before it even finished rising from the ground. Ice gathered in the air and flew out, a curtain of sharp spears dense enough to block even a fly cut through the air all around the beast.

    Silvanos was torn apart without even getting to react, a proud prince of the Earhart Empire losing his little life in a cold and lonely ce. None but Gabriel would ever even know where he drew hisst breath.

    As for Gabriel, he remained in ce, gazing calmly at the approaching wall of death. He hadn¡¯te here without a n, and he hadn¡¯t chosen the elbow for no reason. There was something he wanted to try, and the result of that experiment would dictate how much effort he would have to put into this battle.

    His arm stretched out towards the iing ice, a thought flitting through his mind for a split-second. And at that moment, the cial spears, as well as the spindly legs holding the elbow up, erupted into a fine mist of minuscule ice crystals.

    The mist fluttered in the air for but a fraction of a second before it blew away, vanishing in the dark world that Gabriel had trapped them all in. The corners of his lips didn¡¯t go up, but his eyes held the unmistakable traces of a smile as he looked down at the elbow, which had fallen to the ground.

    The lone eye blinked curiously a few times, seemingly unable to understand the situation. It gathered new ice to form a fresh pair of legs, but Gabriel acted at the same time. Another thought shed past his mind, and those legs too erupted into a shower of tiny frozen crystals.

    And once again, the elbow fell to the ground with a loud thud.

    Ah, so it really did work.

    Gabriel had devoured the w, which had controlled ice oh-so nimbly. And in turn, he had acquired the ability to control ice in the same way. In that case, what happened when two entities who could control ice faced off?

    And here was the answer, they canceled each other out. The ice tried to obey the beast, and it tried to obey Gabriel. And as a result, it crushed itself while trying to follow two conflicting orders. Thus, the elbow had lost its greatest weapon.

    The w was one thing, it had fingers it could use to move around, sharp nails that could tear a human apart without issue, strong muscles that could crush stone. But what did this elbow have? It could scarcely move, it had no natural weapons, and the ice it relied on had beenpletely usurped.

    Looking down upon such a helpless beast, Gabriel¡¯s hand reached for the sword that hung at his waist. The lone eye looked up at him, blinking quietly. It was a gaze he was used to, it was a gaze he had seen many times in his past life.

    He did not show mercy back in those days, and he would not show mercy today either. So he drew the de. Hisdy was waiting for him.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Dawn of the sixth day of Alice¡¯s disappearance. Gabriel was approaching the estate of Earl Cartes, a noble belonging to the Royal faction of the Kasarias kingdom. He was still d in the armor of the knights of Marquis Bruno, a noble belonging to the Nobles faction of the Kasarias Kingdom.

    Technically, since he had the armor of those belonging to the nobles faction, he could probably march straight to Duchess Giselle of the Kasarias Kingdom, who belonged to the Royal faction, and break it all down so that he could retrieve Alice. But that would not be the end-result she desired. She would want it bigger, a firerge enough to swallow the kingdom and the empire.

    Gabriel grasped his sword when he reached the gate, the de whistling as it tore through the air. Metal screeched and blood sttered as he stepped forward, strengthening magic coursing through his every vein and muscle.

    Burn.

    He stepped forward and swung his de, his every feature shrouded by the armor. His feet picked up their pace, blood and screams marring the world as his sword drew unceasing arcs through the air.

    Burn.

    Earl Cartes was on Gabriel¡¯s list, he was one of the nobles of the kingdom who was very interested in the Vritara territory. In another few years, he would start trying to encroach on it, just one small skirmish after another as he tried to nibble away at it. But as of right now, he was a very popr and well-liked noble within his own kingdom. He was a natural choice for Gabriel.

    Burn.

    He moved through the estate, bringing death with every step, staining thend with blood. Nergal was forbidden from eating the corpses, Gabriel wanted them to remain, he wanted the people of the Kasarias kingdom to see him as he tore through the home of this beloved noble.

    Burn.

    He cut and he cut, he crushed and tore until screams became sobs, miserable whines of despair. He cut down all that entered his range, he snuffed out everyst breath. And then he finally reached the armory. He grabbed a suit of armor bearing the mark of Earl Cartes, storing it away in the shadows. And then he vanished, leaving only death.

    Burn.

    Next, he arrived by the estate of Marquis Bruno, now wearing the armor bearing the mark of the Cartes family. And there too he raised his sword. He tore through the gate, he tore through the guards.

    Burn.

    Blood flew, bodies fell, screams rose. At a nce, it looked as if the noble faction had first attacked the royal faction, which then quickly retaliated by attacking the noble faction.

    Burn.

    Gabriel tore through the estate, reaping lives before stealing another suit of armor. He already had one from this estate thanks to his own men, but he grabbed a new one just to be sure. And then he disappeared again.

    Burn.

    Next up was another noble of the royal faction, surely a retaliatory attack. He cut metal. He cut stone. He cut lives. He spread nothing but blood and death. And then he disappeared after stealing another set of armor.

    Burn.

    This time it was the ducal estate of Duke Quinterius, the head of the Nobles faction. A much shorter attack, but a far more devastating one. Water magic was used, unleashing immense destruction before anyone could stop him. So many lives, lost beneath unearthly waves. And then Gabriel disappeared with another suit of armor.

    Burn.

    Next up was the final stop, the estate of Duchess Giselle. For nigh-on five days, the Kasarias kingdom had been in an uproar. Estate after estate had been attacked by the opposing faction, they did not even dare to count the number of dead. At a nce, it looked as if the kingdom was on the verge of a civil war.

    And yet, Duchess Giselle had yet to make a statement, she hadn¡¯t even made an appearance. All who approached the estate were turned away, no letters managed to get past the gates. Why had the duchess sealed her gates?

    Burn.

    Gabriel guessed that it was Alice, perhaps she had decided to turn things around and hold Giselle hostage until he arrived. It did seem to be something she could think of doing. But it would end today.

    Burn.

    He donned the armor bearing the brand of Duke Quinterius, the helmet covering his face so that only the suit remained. Then he drew his sword and advanced.

    Mydy wishes for it, so burn, Kasarias.

 Chapter 110: Horn of Gabriel. (5)

    Chapter 110: Horn of Gabriel. (5)

    Gabriel¡¯s breathing was slow as he approached the tall gates of the Giselle estate. He could see the main mansion and the various smaller annexes that were scattered across the estate, the various gardens that served to fill the gaps between the buildings. As it was the estate of a duchess, there were naturally a great number of people moving about to ensure that all the day-to-day needs were met.

    But he could sense it. A tension in the air, a slight weight that bore down on all their shoulders. The scent of fear hung in the air, an intangible dread he was all too familiar with.

    He spat out a long breath, a faint white mist spreading through the air. His vision was narrow, the slits in the helmet ensuring that he couldn¡¯t see too much of his surroundings. It was like the blinds you put on a racing horse, block out everything around them so that they could focuspletely on the one task ahead of them.

    He narrowed his vision further. Cooled his mind further. Focused his senses further.

    This was the estate of a duchess. Sure, she belonged to the Kasarias kingdom so it wouldn¡¯t be the same as attacking a duchy in the Earhart empire. But she was a duchess nheless, a noble just barely beneath the king. Some of the strongest people in the empire would be gathered within this estate, quietly waiting for their chance.

    Gabriel did not have confidence in his ability to tear down everyone here. If his goal had been to kill everyone in the estate then he would have to retreat and bide his time. But that wasn¡¯t his goal today. No, he just had to ¡®kidnap¡¯ Alice while wrecking the ce a bit before slipping away. The fuse had already been lit by his earlier attacks, the kingdom was already on the verge of tearing into itself. This would just be the final straw.

    Another breath was exhaled, another puff of icy mist spreading through the air. His blood felt cold, like ice flowing through his veins as he gathered his power. He could feel the souls inside him, teeming with life and memories. Each one had been a life at a time, each one had been a possibility.

    And now they were burning. One by one they were torched, memories and desires turning to ash that clung to his insides. The ice within got colder, the rushing of his frozen blood got faster. And his vision grew narrower, his mind quieter.

    The sword in his hand weighed nothing. It was just another finger, another part of his hand. His brain sent the signal, his nerves red, his muscles moved. The de swung.

    The sound of metal against metal, the scattering of sparks that danced like little fireflies. The stter of blood as armor and flesh were torn. A slight move of his muscles, and the de moved again. More sparks. More blood.

    The gate fell like paper after the guards were dispatched, the metal dented violently as it flew through the air. By the time it struck the ground, it had left his mind so he couldn¡¯t even hear the sound as it came crashing down.

    His narrowed gaze moved. Enemies. Enemies. Servants. Enemies. Buildings. He knew theyout of the estate, he knew each of the various buildings and what they were being used for. There was a familiar scent in the air, one his nose could just barely pick up.

    Alice De Vritara. Her scent was apanied by shes of red and purple. A bright and burning dawn. The main mansion, that was where she was being kept. Was she looking at him right now?

    He couldn¡¯t tell, he could only detect her scent. Perhaps it was like instinct to him, like a chick that imprinted on the first thing it saw. But whatever the case, as long as he knew where she was he could act more freely.

    ¡°Akasha, Argan.¡± (Demon, Fester.)

    A soft mutter, barely more than a whisper, so quiet that not even the wind could hear it. But the result was violent. Beneath his armor, the skin on his right arm peeled off, disintegrated by the erupting magic. Dark purple scales covered in ck and silver veins grew out from his flesh, extending from his hand and up to his elbow, his nails cracking before they were pushed out and reced by ws.

    Unique Magic, his privilege as someone who traversed worlds. His ¡®shield¡¯ burned himself, the souls within him. But his ¡®sword¡¯¡­ It burned the world around him. In the end, all creation was just another log on the pyre.

    As it was with the first time he used it, he didn¡¯t really feel any different. Just¡­ Weary. But the world around him seethed and roiled, invisible mes swallowing the life-force of even thend around him. The attacks that had been aimed at him were reduced to nothing by the erupting magic

    His narrowed vision moved. He had to make a mess, a great big spectacle for the whole kingdom to see. His eyes found their target, and his sword moved, his w-like hand hidden by his stolen armor as he clutched the sword.

    The de whistled as it cut through the air. Or perhaps it was a roar? A great big scream of magic as the air vibrated violently due to the force.

    It was too strong, too violent. Gabriel had never used both his ¡®sword¡¯ and ¡®shield¡¯ together at the same time, at least not ever since the day he fought the w, and most certainly not after he took down the elbow. So he didn¡¯t know the result it would produce.

    People vanished. Soldiers weren¡¯t even leaves in front of the force of that magic, they were motes of dust. The earth cracked into a long gash and the resulting wind tore up the closest trees. Serving as the epicenter of it all, Gabriel was thrown into the air like a helpless leaf.

    And because of that, he got the perfect vantage point to observe the carnage. The gash in the earth resembled a scar as it continued in, eventually reaching the annex that was used to house important political guests. The magic erupted as it reached the building, blooming into a gargantuan spike of ice that rose from the ground and tore through the building. Several smaller spikes branched out from the main pir, causing the entire thing to resemble a cial tree, the remains of the building it had torn through bing frozen fragments that clung to it.

    It was¡­ Exquisite. Greater than anything he had expected.

    But the ice in his veins and mind cooled him down before he let himself go any further. This was a duchy, the main estate of that duchy even. The people here were most definitely stronger than anyone he had encountered before. Lingering was not an option. Getting drunk on power was not an option. Tear the ce up, kidnap Alice, get away.

    He gathered his magic and cast his strengthening magic, plummeting to the ground and crashing down with a thunderous sound. The earth cracked as fragments spread out, the resulting shockwave shattering the windows of the various buildings around him.

    His gaze rose as more magic burst out of him, the earth creaking and groaning as ice burrowed beneath it. The horrible chill broke through the ground in several ces, tearing humans just as easily as it tore buildings.

    And then he saw it. A sh of crimson, a gleam of purple. Within one of the windows of the main mansion. The shattered ss danced around her, reflecting the light like tiny crystals. And within them, a hundred different Alice¡¯s, a smile from a hundred different angles.

    She was smiling at him.

    As he gazed upon her, she took a step forward, vaulting out of the window. It was only after shended on the ground, Quetzalcoatl and Fenrir at her side, that he realized that she was carrying a young child. Another poor unfortunate soul she had picked up, another sad child she would try to give a better life.

    Well, currently that child was being protected by Quetz so that she couldn¡¯t see or hear the surroundings so it seemed like Alice wanted to shield her from the cruelty of the world for a bit longer. But oh well, it could always be der, like with Bellona and Edith.

    He put strength into his legs and shot forward, stone tearing as ice burst out from the ground all around him. With how much ice there was, and the distance between the various attacks, it would look as if there were many more enemies attacking the estate.

    He got close to Alice, but he didn¡¯t dare to get too close. The world around him was still burning, fueling him. If he got too close then it would start burning her. So he stopped a bit away from her, gazing upon her.

    It had been over a week since theyst saw each other, almost two weeks even. But it was only now that he was looking at her that he could feel the dull ache in his chest. The pain of separation, even if it was a willing one¡­ It was his first time experiencing it.

    She looked at him, and he looked at her, neither of them opening their mouth. Alice just wore that smile of hers, like a gentle sun that slowly melted him from the inside out. How often had Gabriel found himself speechless, unable to decide what to say first?

    More ice burst out around them, tearing through even the screams. He knew that they should get away right now, having already achieved their goal. But part of him was simply spellbound after seeing her again. It was the first time he could understand what it meant to have been lonely.

    ¡°¡­A¡­¡±

    His mouth opened to utter something, but his words were cut off by something his senses picked up. Some of the ice that was supposed to burst out beneath the nearest barracks, it had been blocked. His eyes moved quickly and then he saw it, roots. The roots of the surrounding trees had expanded and grown thicker, forming a that prevented the ice from properly blooming.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His brows suddenly furrowed. He¡¯d been focused on Alice so he hadn¡¯t noticed it, but now that he was checking he could detect another familiar scent. It reminded him of flowers and a fresh field of grass, a quiet clearing in a forest.

    His head turned, and there he saw her. Alice too, probably saw her. She was d in the armor of a knight belonging to Duchess Giselle, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to fool Gabriel. Teresa was hiding beneath the armor, breathing heavily as she gasped for air, pouring out everyst drop of magic she had. She had blocked Gabriel¡¯s attack.

    His brows remained furrowed. Teresa should be back in the Earhart kingdom, recuperating while keeping an eye on Bellona and Edith. Why would she be here? He wasn¡¯t surprised that she was able to track her down, he had taught her almost everything she knew so it would be stranger if she wasn¡¯t able to figure out his ns after he left.

    But the question remained, why would she be here? This wasn¡¯t a job he wasn¡¯t able to handle on his own so she had no reason to follow him. And naturally, she had much less reason to stop him like that.

    She moved as his thoughts did, rapidly approaching him. Her magic surged as she ran, he could feel her gaze beneath the helmet. Was she¡­ Crying right now?

    He couldn¡¯t see her tears, but he was sure that she was crying. Why was she crying as she approached him? And why¡­ Why did he felt rather pained when she was crying like that?

    ¡°Wa¡­¡±

    He tried to take a step back as she got closer, tried to call out a warning. His Unique Magic was still active so if she got closer it would start eating away at her. But she rushed in before he could finish his words, her magic forming thick roots that coiled around her arm. But he could feel her burning after she entered his range, he could feel the life-force lurking within her body turn into energy that fueled his own powers.

    And then his head jerked to the side. The fist, covered by both armor and roots, struck his face with all the might she had been able to muster up. She ignored the burning sensation of his Unique Magic, she ignored the death that crept up from her insides, and she struck Gabriel with all her might.

    ¡°Have you gonepletely insane?!¡±

    Her voice was a hoarse roar, her throat strained and pained. He could feel her tears earlier, but now he could hear them in her voice. There was¡­ Sorrow in her voice. Deep and flourishing sorrow.

    ¡°Look at this! Look around you! Have you lost your minds?!¡±

    She screamed in sorrow. She roared at them. And she cried.

 Chapter 111: Horn of Gabriel.. (6)

    Chapter 111: Horn of Gabriel.. (6)

    For a moment, Gabriel¡¯s mind shook. A subdued ringing in the depths of his ears, a dull white light shing in his eyes as his mind tried to gather itself.

    Honestly, Teresa¡¯s punch wasn¡¯t that painful. No, he was filled with so much raw power thanks to his Unique Magic that he barely felt it, be that because the power numbed his senses or because the hit was too weak to harm him.

    What caused his mind to rock was her tears, the sorrow that tore at her voice. And then there was the sensation of eating her alive. His Unique Magic tearing away at her, digging into her depths to scavenge every trace of her life so that it could fuel him. Strictly speaking, it didn¡¯t feel any different from usual, it shouldn¡¯t be any different from when he siphoned the life of the earth or surrounding enemies.

    But it felt dirty, the energy he siphoned from her. It felt like worms crawling through his veins, gnawing at his flesh in passing. One by one, the worms gathered in his heart and clumped up, forming rocks that slowly dragged his heart into the icy pit that was his stomach.

    ¡°What is a knight of Giselle doing here just talking with an invading knight of Quinterius?¡±

    The one who posed the question was Alice, still shielding the young girl in her grasp. She naturally knew who was hiding beneath the armors, but she couldn¡¯t just go out and call them Gabriel and Teresa now, could she? No, if she did that, it would invalidate them wearing the armors to begin with. So she had to ask the question with¡­ slightly altered wording.

    ¡°You? You¡¯re asking me what I¡¯m doi¡­!¡±

    Teresa¡¯s rebuttal was cut short by a thunderous sound as the earth around them cracked open, thick walls of ice rising to form a dome around them. They started to shatter almost as quickly as they formed, some parts of the surprise attack that nearly caught them slipping through the gaps. Earthen javelins with stone tips rained down, each javelin asrge as three grown men standing on each others shoulder.

    The dome of ice shattered before it even fully formed, several hundreds of the earthen javelins blotting out the sky as they fell. The earth rumbled as Gabriel turned the broken ice into shrapnel to deflect the javelins, his brows furrowing beneath the helmet.

    His feet felt warm, and he could feel his body slowly sinking. The earth beneath their feet, despite his ice running through it, was melting. He didn¡¯t need to check to know that there was most likely a horrifying amount of mes gathered beneath them, rushing through the earth to catch them off-guard while they focused on the javelins.

    His attention had only slipped for the briefest of moments, but the strongest of Duchess Giselle¡¯s knights had clearly taken advantage of that moment tounch their attacks. Their aim was likely a clean kill, a swift death that prevented Gabriel from taking any other knights with him to the grave.

    This was why he had done what he could to maintain his focus, because once a situation like this arose he would have to act within a split-second if he wanted to ensure any kind of positive oue. He immediately gathered his mana, fingers twisting as the spell form formed at the tip of his fingers. It¡¯d be a fraction of a second too slow, but leaving alive was still possible.

    But as he was thinking that, a deep crimson light poured out from Alice, almost moving through the air like a tidal wave. Her gaze was narrowed sharply, almost in warning as she had turned to look at the mansion she just left.

    The crimson wave didn¡¯t hit anyone, but Gabriel could see that the earthen javelins slowed down, the heat from below subsiding slightly. Clearly, Alice had just made a threat of some sort. But whatever the case, it had bought Gabriel the time to finish the spell.

    ¡°Karas, Sarash Elu Hui Katek Elu Aurel.¡± (Darkness, Swallow Us And Bring Us Home.)

    It was arge spell, thergest Gabriel had ever cast. Were it not for both of his Unique Magics being activate right now then he could forget about even casting half of the spell. That was especially so when one considered the sheer distance he wanted to drag everyone through the darkness. From here to Earhart, the distance was massive.

    But he was left with no choice. Originally, his n was to meet up with Alice and then quickly hide under the ice before using Karas to teleport to a spot not too far from here. From there they could slowly make their way back.

    But now there was Teresa and that little girl that Alice had picked up, not to mention the two strong knights that were attacking them. A short-range teleport was too risky, it¡¯d be extremely easy to track them down. So he had to take them far away, and he couldn¡¯t even hide that he was using Karas to do so. Things¡­ Had been screwed up quite badly thanks to thosest few seconds.

    But well, there was no point crying over something that already happened, beating himself once for not being prepared enough for this possibility would suffice.

    The shadows cast by the group connected and extended, forming a maw that swallowed them. Once they were fully swallowed by the maw, the darkness scattered into small orbs of fluttering ck light that faded away like dust, leaving the Giselle estate and the Kasarias Kingdom to their own burning chaos.

    The ce Gabriel had designated as home was the basement of the mansion that he and Alice were currently using in the capital of the Earhart kingdom. More specifically, it was the training grounds where he had Bellona and Edith kill the man responsible for them almost bing ves.

    ¡°¡­Rgh¡­¡±

    The first thing Gabriel did after the darkness spat out their group was retch, a mixture of blood and the contents of his stomach rushing up his throat. Part of it was due to the sensation that invaded him for a brief moment. To teleport everyone away, he naturally had to get everyone closer so that he could make it at least a little easier.

    But as a result, both Alice and the little girl entered the range of his Unique Magic.

    The sensation he felt when his Unique Magic ate away at Teresa was magnified an untold number of times, to the point where his head was ringing so violently that he felt like he had once again stood right next to a cluster bomb.

    Well, that was part of the reason at least. The remaining reason was the over-drafting of his magic. Unique Magic that ate away at the souls in him, Unique Magic that ate away at the world around him, mixed with his own magic to produce a spell beyond what he should be able to handle. It was like an athlete pushing their body beyond their limit and tearing a few muscles in the process.

    Gabriel retched one more time, his helmet catching this round of digested food and blood as well. He had turned off his Unique Magic the moment they arrived here, but the disgusting sensation still lingered within, like a constant itch inside his chest and stomach.

    But he was used to fighting back nausea and unpleasant emotions so by the time he removed his helmet he already had it under control. Teresa also removed her own helmet, a face stained by dirt and dried sweat revealing itself. Gabriel could teleport about rather freely, but Teresa had to run around on her own two feet, or on a horse. To follow Gabriel, she had to expend a lot more effort than he did, and she had to do so practically without rest.

    And just as he had known from her voice, from her touch, the dirt on her face was smeared by the tears that were streaming down her face. She really looked a mess as she sat there, expression distorting painfully.

    It felt strange to see Teresa¡¯s tears. She had never been someone who cried a lot, those who ended up receiving guidance from Gabriel could rarely afford to retain their tears. And knowing that he seemed to be the cause of her tears¡­ It was a strange, and diforting, sensation.

    ¡°There there, Little Mara. Take deep breaths and just focus on each breath, don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±

    Alice¡¯s voice reached Gabriel as he looked at Teresa, the soft sound of gentle pats apanying her words. The little girl she was carrying, with auburn hair and light blue eyes, was currently throwing up on Alice¡¯sp. Shifting through the darkness was far fromfortable, so having to suddenly do it for the first time was no doubt extremely nauseating for the young girl.

    Looking at Alice treating the little girl so tenderly, Gabriel could see that the distorting of Teresa¡¯s expression only got worse. She gnashed her teeth for a moment, but in the end it all spilt out.

    ¡°How can you do that?¡±

    There was a cracking to Teresa¡¯s voice, her voice still hoarse from earlier. Her expression was twisted, torn between sorrow, confusion, and anger. And there, lurking within the depths of her pupils, Gabriel could see a spot of pity, the core of all her emotions at the moment. Boundless pity and sympathy.

    ¡°How can I take care of an unfortunate little girl who just needs someone to offer her a hand?¡±

    Alice responded to the question with one of her own, cocking her head slightly as she kept patting the girl¡¯s, Maraya¡¯s, back. It was a strange question. Had Teresa note rushing to her with Edith and the other orphans because she knew that Alice would pity them and take care of them? So why was it suddenly so strange that she had picked up another one?

    Her answer did nothing to ease the pain on Teresa¡¯s face. Nay, in fact it only served to twist her expression further, that core of pity in her eyes growing everrger. As she turned to look at Gabriel.

    ¡°Gabriel, what were you doing just now, and over thest few days?¡±

    It was a formality more than a proper question. She had been able to arrive at the Giselle estate shortly after he did, she had obviously been following him, anticipating his future moves. But still, the grief that adorned her expression made it so that he could do nothing but answer her.

    ¡°I attacked a couple of the noble houses wearing armor of the opposing faction, it¡¯s one of the easiest ways to quickly sow the seeds of anger and incite a conflict.¡±

    Well, it would be a fair bit harder now that he had revealed Karas. Those who hadn¡¯t seen it would still be in the midst of their rage against the opposing factions, but those who did see it would start to question it. Hiding a strong Azui mage was entirely possible, but hiding someone with the Karas affinity was many magnitudes harder since it belonged to the Divine Star. Each person who was found to have an affinity from the Divine Star would be famous from a young age. And currently, there was only a single person in the Kasarias Kingdom with the Karas affinity

    ¡°And why?¡±

    Teresa¡¯s follow-up question dragged Gabriel out of his musings and back to the current situation. Why he did it? Well that was a very simple answer.

    ¡°Well, Alice allowed herself to be kidnapped by them so I figured that she clearly had a n for it. After looking at who had kidnapped her, I figured that Alice would have found this to be a good opportunity to drag out a lot of people we need to get rid of. If we handle things properly here, we should be able to deal with one of the Imperial Princes, those in the Sorin Ducal house that might be hostile to the Vritara family, as well as those in the Kasarias kingdom that could have designs on the southernnds of the Earhart Empire. It¡¯s a good opportunity to remove a lot of dangers ahead of time.¡±

    Round up all the louts and behead them with a single swift stroke. It may be a bit hasty, but a good opportunity nheless. It would prevent a lot of future troubles if done correctly, especially if they managed to weaken the Kasarias kingdom to a point where they would be no threat when the Yverial Empire moved in the future.

    ¡°And? How do you feel about it?¡±

    This time, Teresa¡¯s question was pointed at Alice again. The girl in her arms was still retching, well, dry-heaving at this point, there seemed to be nothing left in her stomach. At this point it was more likely that she was so scared that her body did it as a way to distract her mind from the current situation. It was an understandable response if you considered her situation. As such, Alice kept stroking her back gently as she responded, asionally whispering soft words to the child.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good n, no? The Imperial Prince and some of the people in the Sorin Ducal family have a hand in the Kasarias Kingdom so sinking it into a bit of chaos is bound to drag out their hands. And once their hands leave theirfort zone they¡¯re bound to leave traces that we can then track all the way back to their necks. Internal and external enemies are dealt with using an excuse that is even eptable to the public and the nobility, it is efficient.¡±

    Investors had the ¡®terrible¡¯ habit of always wanting a return on their investment. And the partnership between the Kasarias kingdom¡¯s nobles and the nobles of the Earhart Empire was just that, an investment. Shake it up and the investors had no choice but to show their tails, if not their heads. Then you just had to drag them out. And since it was proven that these nobles of the Earhart kingdom had worked with those of the Kasarias kingdom,mitting more than a few crimes, the public wouldn¡¯t even protest when Alice killed them. Hell, they would probably cheer.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her answer was met with silence by Teresa. It¡­ Was the answer she expected, but that only deepened her pain. Like a sharp knife that dug into her skull and spun about within her brain, scraping and scooping against the side of her skull. Her tears fell with renewed strength as she turned to Gabriel again.

    ¡°Gabriel¡­ How many did you kill in thesest few days?¡±

    She didn¡¯t even know why she asked. She had trained under Gabriel, he opened the doors to this line of business for her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Yeah, that was the answer she expected. Why would he count? It was a pointless thing to do, it didn¡¯t further his current goal. But she knew.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s between 700 and 1100, depending on how many died, or will die, of their injuries afterward.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t updated the count after leaving the previous noble house so it didn¡¯t include the people who died in the Giselle estate, which was why she gave such a rough estimate. 700 people, what did that number really mean?

    ¡°700 people, Gabriel, Alice. How many husbands is that? How many fathers? How many wives? How many children are now orphans? How many children have lost their siblings? How many parents have lost their children?¡±

    Teresa¡¯s expression tore further. The hand Alice used to stroke Maraya¡¯s back stiffened, a quiver running up her arm and spreading to the rest of her body. Ahh¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you for allowing there to still be a semnce of hope. And because there was hope, Teresa kept crying, kept speaking so that she could empty out her heart.

    ¡°How can you reach your hand towards a child and act so nonchnt about it while simultaneously going around and creating several tens of more such children? Are they not worth your mercy? Are they not worthy of an outstretched hand?¡±

    Alice had epted the orphans, she had epted the abandoned. She herself had been abandoned, growing up without any input from her parents. She was practically abandoned by her family, so she sympathized with those who were abandoned and gave them a home. So how could she condone such a n? How could she condone and smile at what Gabriel did?

    ¡°I have never raised aint to your actions and schemes, I have even actively participated in most of them. I trained myself, studied for years on end, all so that I could help you with them!¡±

    Gabriel had warned her when they first met, and he¡¯d warned her againter. But still she trained, still she willingly chose to enter this line of business. She had killed her fair share of people for the sake of Alice and Gabriel, and she¡¯d neverined about it. But still, there was a reason for that.

    ¡°But that was because you never went too far. You schemed against those who would hurt you, you killed those who were terrible people. When you struck a target, you were as precise as possible. Gabriel, you could sneak into a noble estate with over a thousand residents and expertly kill only the three targets you sought.¡±

    They never went overboard. When they killed, they were like precise arrows. There was never a senseless loss of lives, it was always only just the exact people who could hurt them. That, she could ept. That, she could help with. But this¡­

    ¡°But this rampant murder, this indiscriminate ughter¡­ Have you lost your minds?¡±

    It was the only question she could muster when she saw the scene. Had they gone insane? Had they lost their minds? Was the time they spent apart enough to induce that much madness?

    ¡°Did you have to kill so many knights and servants to achieve the result you wanted? Did you have to storm the gates and kill without regard?¡±

    Teresa¡¯s teeth gnashed and creaked as she grit them, forcing out the words with each breath. It was a pointless question, one she knew the answer to all too well.

    ¡°No, Gabriel. I know you, you trained me. You could have entered those estates, assassinated four or five people, left tracks that led to the opposing faction, and then left without a trace. You have those skills. You could even have entered and assassinated just the targets that may prove harmful, there would be no need for a civil war.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t have been the first time. Gabriel was good at leaving tracks that led to other people. Part of the reason it worked so well was that he rarely left fake tracks, he always produced something that had actuallye from his target, incriminating evidence that would be enough to spur people into motion.

    Teresa sucked in a heavy breath, her throat felt sourer with each word, her insides colder with each breath. But she couldn¡¯t stop now. This, she couldn¡¯t ept. This she could not sit by and just watch. She had to talk now, she had to let them know what she now knew.

    ¡°But you were too focused on Alice. You saw that she was kidnapped, you realized that she wanted something, and you cast aside all other thoughts in favor of that. You abandoned everything else for it.¡±

    It was a simple truth, an undeniable truth. Gabriel had weighed the lives of those knights and servants against what he believed to be Alice¡¯s desire, and his own belief had won out. All their livesbined, and all the lives that could be lost in the civil war, none of them stacked up against what he believed to be Alice¡¯s desire. And because she realized that, she was forced to understand something, ept something.

    ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Gabriel. I can tell, I¡¯ve worked under you for a while. Ever since the trip to the Barong territory, you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    She had never told anyone, but when Gabriel decided to take responsibility for the knights that died while he was lying down and having a chat with Alice, Teresa cried. It was when she was alone in her room, where no one could see her. She cried tears of joy.

    He went about it somewhat wrong, but he took responsibility for the lives of people who had nothing to do with him. The Gabriel who had trained her would have just forgotten about those lives, he wouldn¡¯t even have registered them. But he had changed, Alice had managed to change him. And thus she cried.

    ¡°I thought it was for the better, I really did. I thought that maybe, just maybe, Alice had managed to mend those broken parts of you, that you could finally live a more normal life.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t live a normal life. She had trained under him, watched him for years. A normal life was impossible for him, he was too broken. But a slightly more normal life would still be possible, a life where he was more than just an emotionless doll that moved in whatever way was best for Alice. But was that really the case?

    ¡°But you¡¯re not repaired, are you, Gabriel? You¡¯re still broken, just in a different way.¡±

    No, it wasn¡¯t the case. It looked promising at first, but this had just proven it. Gabriel was still broken, and all it took for that to be apparent was a bit of separation from Alice. The pieces started to slide out again, the cracks revealed themselves. And the past peeked out from beneath those cracks. But really, how could it be any other way?

    ¡°And really, what else was there to expect? Alice herself was broken by her childhood and relied on you to be repaired. But how can someone broken repair someone else who is broken? Alice was simply broken in a different way, and in turn, she broke you in a different way.¡±

    Alice was abandoned, downright abused at some points even. It didn¡¯t take much to break a child. And then the two broken people met and tried to repair each other. But how could you give someone a piece you yourself didn¡¯t have? In the end, there would always be pieces missing if they kept trying to do it like this, there would always be broken parts that neither of them could fix.

    Teresa knew that now, or perhaps it was better to say that she understood that better now.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Her mouth opened, but the words got caught in her throat, the tears that stained her face along with the dirt leaving her an almost unrecognizable mess.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    She tried once more to get out the words, but they once more got stuck in her throat. How to say it? What to say? In this situation, with this understanding, how could she get it across?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Gabriel. Alice. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    In the end, Teresa made her choice. This was where she had to start, this was what she had to say first. She had been with them the longest. Trisha and Lawrence may have met them first, but Teresa had been closer to them, spending every day with them. Thus, she had spent more time with them. Thus, she had to say this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t see it earlier. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve looked away for so long. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t mend your broken pieces while you struggled together.¡±

    She¡¯d known for a while that they were broken, that both of them had parts missing. But she hadn¡¯t done anything about it despite being the most put together of them. The two of them were handling each other well so she had focused on her brothers instead, she¡¯d pushed them aside because things looked good enough. Thus, she had never even tried to help these broken people acquire the pieces they were missing.

    No more. She could turn her head away no more, not now that she had seen the true extent of their cracks. If she left them alone any more then it would only get worse, they¡¯d just feed each other further. And then¡­

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re broken, I know that it¡¯ll be hard, I know that you¡¯ll want to do what you know works efficiently and fastest¡­ But please¡­ Please don¡¯t keep doing things like this. I won¡¯t be able to ept it if you choose to do so.¡±

    She cried as she thought about it. If Alice and Gabriel kept going like this, if they kept insisting on tactics like this. Drawing in innocents without regard, murdering people in droves without a second thought just because it was efficient. What about the day they reached a point where she would have to stand in opposition to them?

    She envisioned the scenario, pictured the drawn swords, and cried a ceaseless torrent. Thus, she made her earnest plea to the two that had pulled her out of the slums and provided a safe ce for both her and her siblings.

    ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t go down a path I can¡¯t follow.¡±

 Chapter 112: Horn of Gabriel. (7)

    Chapter 112: Horn of Gabriel. (7)

    As one would expect, silence descended over the underground room as the tears streamed down Teresa¡¯s face. Well, only Gabriel and Alice were silent because of the tears, the little child in Alice¡¯s hands was probably holding her breath because she had no idea what was going on or what would be happening to her now.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gabriel and Alice locked eyes for a moment, wordlessly conveying their thoughts. It would be an understatement to say that Teresa was just one of their friends, if they could make her happy then they were willing to do just about anything. But the request she was making now¡­

    ¡°Teresa¡­ It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to fulfill your request, we really do want to do whatever we can to ensure your happiness. But this¡­¡±

    Alice rolled the answer across the tip of her tongue, unsure how she could best word it. They had enemies. Just the enemies she knew about were already numerous enough and influential enough to give her a massive migraine. If they included the enemies they would make, and those she didn¡¯t currently know of, it would be enough to make anyone want to just sleep and forget it all.

    ¡°I¡¯m not naive, Alice.¡±

    Teresa wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she spoke. Once her face was somewhat dry, she took the little Mara from Alice¡¯s hands so that she could take off the dress, its skirt now covered in vomit.

    ¡°I¡¯ve trained with Gabriel, and I¡¯ve seen enough of the world to know a few things.¡±

    Teresa¡¯s hand stroke the young child¡¯s back, her mana moving as she muttered a quiet spell. A dull green light shed between her fingers and then sank into Maraya, who quickly lost consciousness as she fell asleep.

    ¡°We¡­ Are trying to turn an illegitimate child into a Duchess, perhaps even Empress depending on what you decide in the future. There is no world in which we can do that without bloodshed.¡±

    Tears still marred Teresa¡¯s face, but her voice had regained most of the strength and calmness that Gabriel and Alice were used to. An abandoned illegitimate child, the shame of the Vritara family. How many would be against such a person bing the head of the family? Or even the empire if Alice was ambitious enough? They would have enemies, they would always have enemies, that was the nature of being in a position of power.

    ¡°But being forced to shed blood doesn¡¯t mean having to shed pointless blood, it doesn¡¯t mean shedding innocent blood.¡±

    That was where Teresa drew the line. She would shed blood for Alice, she had already shed plenty of blood for Alice. But it had all been necessary, they had all been actual enemies that they needed to get rid of.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop killing, I know that even hoping for something like that is foolish. Just please¡­ Don¡¯t drag in the innocent like you just did. Don¡¯t murder those who have nothing to do with our goals, don¡¯t torch families just because it would be the fastest way. n and kill properly. Only then can I follow you until the end.¡±

    Teresa looked straight at them as she made the request, as she drew the line in the sand for all to see. Of course, she did not miss the underlying truth that rose to the surface when she spoke.

    She said that Gabriel and Alice were broken, and that by being together they hadn¡¯t fixed each other but just broken each other in different ways. But wasn¡¯t the same true for her?

    Once upon a time, she only thought about protecting her brothers after their parents were killed. She ran and ran so that she could protect them, shying away from every confrontation because it would be dangerous. She was¡­ Peaceful. Or perhaps naive and harmless were better descriptors, she couldn¡¯t even think about killing others.

    But now, even while drawing a line, she only spoke of killing properly. How many lives were included in that one word, ¡®properly¡¯? Teresa did not know, but she knew that it would rise higher than she could ever expect. And yet she epted it.

    She had attached herself to the broken people that could protect her family, and thus she too had broken alongside them. In the end, they were all just broken in their own ways. In the end, they could only take pieces with simr edges and stick them together until they had something resembling a human.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alice and Gabriel locked eyes again. Teresa was pleading with them so earnestly, so sincerely, that it was hard to give an answer straight away. Well, at least for Gabriel it was. Efficiency¡­ If there was one thing he had learned recently, it was that old habits really died hard. Alice helped him be more of a person, but that didn¡¯t mean that the person he used to be just vanished.

    It was still there, lurking within him, swimming around in his stomach and heart like a shark waiting to strike. A momentary loss of focus, a slight bit of agitation, a few moments where no one was keeping an eye on him, that was all it took for those things to resurface.

    But looking at the light in Alice¡¯s eyes, he knew that she had already made up her mind. The beast within, he forced it down again. He¡¯d met up with Alice again so the unconsciously anxious part it turned out that even someone as broken as he had was calming down again, making space for his usual cold rationality.

    Alice had made up her mind, so he, as herpanion, would have to move in ordance with it. He struck for her, and he moved for her, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense to go against her desires just because of his nasty old habits.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    He exhaled a long breath as he spoke, his legs a bit unsteady as he rose, almost tumbling. He was able to maintain his expression andplexion, but that didn¡¯t mean that the repercussions that came with over-drafting his magic had disappeared. His stomach was roiling and the taste of vomit and blood still stung the tip of his tongue as the inside of his head rang with a low pipe-like sound. But if the n was going to change then it had to be done properly, and if things were going to be done properly then he had to set up for the changes immediately.

    ¡°Alice. For the moment, you can¡¯t leave this mansion. In fact, you can¡¯t show yourself at all. Neither can that child, everything that can be connected with the Kasarias kingdom must remain hidden, it¡¯ll make it easier tobat their uing allegations. Teresa, within the next few hours you need to show your face outside the mansion, bring along Edith and Bellona, make it look like you¡¯ve been teaching them recently.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s mind moved fast. The fuse had already been lit, the fire was starting to burn Kasarias. The number of things he could do were limited, but since Alice and Teresa had made up their minds it meant that he had to do whatever he could to ensure that his targets, and as few as possible others, died in the chaos that was toe.

    He removed the Kasarias kingdom armor that he had been wearing and switched into some clothes that were kept on hand in the underground room. He rubbed his eyes for a few moments as he had his back turned to Alice and the others, a wave of exhaustion was starting to wash over him. But he had to ignore it. Time was precious, and if he wanted to set up things properly then he was the only person on their side that could move. Forget could, he had to be the one to move.

    He finished changing and put away everything that he had been wearing. He would love to toss it into the darkness with magic, but he really couldn¡¯t cast any more spells right now. It wasn¡¯t even a matter of wanting or not, he really couldn¡¯t. He had not an ounce of mana left in his body, and if he used his Unique Magic to burn the world around him into mana then he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky that he¡¯d get away with just throwing up some blood.

    He spoke a bit more with Alice and Teresa, but they were both luckily very clever so they were already focusing on what needed to be done from now on. As such, he could get away with not having to say too much, they were already somewhat piecing together his n.

    Still, his feet stopped as he was about to leave the underground room. His mind was clearer now, more focused since Alice had returned to his side and the cor had fastened itself around his neck again. Hypocritical as it may be for him to say now, there was something he wanted to say.

    ¡°Teresa. Don¡¯t leave Edith and Bellona behind like that again, they¡¯ll get scared on their own. And introduce that child to them when she wakes up, having others in a simr situation around will make it easier for her.¡±

    Two little kids, left all alone in the mansion, still reeling from having taken their first life. They should not have been left alone, it was bad for their mental health. Of course, the hypocrisy spewing from him at the moment was not lost on him. He¡¯d been the one who left them behind to begin with so he didn¡¯t have the right to say a damn thing. But he still did.

    He rubbed the corners of his eyes once more after turning around and then left, making his way through the mansion with a casual yet slightly rushed gait. He made a small snack in the kitchen and then left the mansion with swift steps, quickly chewing on the food.

    His eyes were slightly sunken in due to over-drafting his magic, and because he had rubbed them so much they had turned rather red. One could tell just by looking at him that he was weary and exhausted. And looking at his casual yet rushed gait, one could tell that he was trying to hide his panic and unease by acting normal.

    It was exactly the image he wanted to portray to those that were undoubtedly keeping an eye on him. After all, he was currently someone whose fiancee hadn¡¯t been seen for quite a few days.

    While maintaining this image, he mounted a horse and quickly made his way into the city. He stopped at a few shops to pick up what some would consider gifts, and others bribes. Then, while maintaining his casual hurry, he made his way to the Crown Princess pce, ¡®stealthily¡¯ sucking in a few breaths before he whispered a few words to the gatekeepers. He quietly handed over some of the things he had bought along the way to the gatekeepers, as well as just in gold to some others.

    And then the gates to the pce opened. At a nce, how could outsiders not know exactly what had gone down at that moment?

    Gabriel allowed them to have their own little ideas as he entered the mansion, a butler swiftly guiding him to where the Crown Princess was.

    ¡°You¡¯ve kicked up a right mess.¡±

    The Crown Princess, Abigail, rubbed her forehead slightly after Gabriel sat down and everyone else was sent away. She naturally had little proof, but how could she not know that it was Gabriel who had killed the Third Imperial Prince and been active in the Kasarias kingdom thesest few days? The timing was just too perfect.

    And she knew Gabriel. They were separated early in their previous life, but she had still been with him for quite some time. She knew how her brother thought. And worse yet, she knew how those who trained him thought. Gabriel had acted, and both the empire and the kingdom were starting to boil over as a result.

    And now he hade to find her, meaning that it was likely that his n was entering its next stage. But his answer ran slightly contrary to her expectations.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already been scolded for it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, I need your help.¡±

    Scolded? Someone had actually scolded Gabriel for what he had done? Would it be Alice, or would it be one of the people working for him? Whatever the case was, Abigail was happy that there was someone out there who could have Gabriel change his mind and ns due to their scolding.

    ¡°Your father, he often puts on banquets to foster unity between all the nobles, doesn¡¯t he? I need you to make him put on such a banquet as soon as possible. If you use the death of the Third Prince as an excuse then it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±

    Yes, that was what Gabriel needed if he wanted to alter his ns on such short notice. Gather up the nobles of the Earhart Empire, put them all in one room for the world to see. After that they could proceed a bit more freely with the killing, keeping it strictly necessary this time.

 Chapter 113: Horn of Gabriel. (8)

    Chapter 113: Horn of Gabriel. (8)

    Gabriel didn¡¯t have to wait very long for the banquet he requested. It was probably a testament of Abigail¡¯s influence, but he received the invitation to the banquet a mere day after he visited her. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t hold the banquet the very next day, they needed to give the various nobles some time to prepare. Still, the date for the banquet was set a mere week after Gabriel visited Abigail so it was clear that it was a rather rushed event.

    Gabriel too needed some time to prepare, that was why he had requested that Abigail convince the emperor to not hold the banquet before at least four days had passed. As such, a week was perfect for him to gather what he needed. One of the required items would naturally side with him during the banquet, but he would have to convince or strike a deal with the other two if he wanted a majority vote.

    And thus, the day of the banquet swiftly drew near as he was busy connecting all the pieces of the puzzle. And finally, the day arrived, the nobles flocking to the capital in droves to attend the grand banquet. Carriages could be seen on every street, each one decorated as much as each noble house could afford. And naturally, Gabriel was also seated in one such carriage, approaching the Imperial Pce. But he wasn¡¯t alone in the carriage.

    ¡°How many of your pieces have you managed to push into ce?¡±

    A heavy voice, slow and clearly pronounced, with a tinge of weariness at its edges. A figure d in a suit as ck as the night, adorned with golden and dark blue threads, a dark blue half-cape covering his right shoulder. A scar went across his face, cutting diagonally down just between his eyes. A head full of ck hair that had been slicked back neatly, and a pair of striking green eyes that radiated majesty and authority.

    Edward De Vritara, the current Dragon Duke of Vritara, was sitting in front of Gabriel with his legs crossed.

    ¡°The pieces I can move have all been positioned, so on my end we¡¯re good. Is your puzzleplete?¡±

    Unlike their first meeting, Gabriel¡¯s demeanor was far less servile and humble, his tone more direct and casual. But that was only natural. Back then, they were a duke meeting one of the workers in his mansion, now they were a Duke and a Viscount of War cooperating on a n.

    ¡°Notpletely. There were three pieces that proved more resistant than initially expected. I had not expected that the wind and weather from outside had been potent enough to corrode the corners of my own puzzle. It is unfortunate that it ended up as such, yet it is also fortunate that I got the chance to discover the pieces before the rot encroached further upon the puzzle.¡±

    There was a slight furrow between the brows of the duke as he spoke, adding to the few wrinkles that spread across his face. There was still a quiet and subdued drawl to his voice, but Gabriel was sensitive enough to sense the soaring bloodlust that was simmering beneath the cid surface.

    ¡°I take it that it¡¯s the first?¡±

    Someone had touched something that they shouldn¡¯t have. But who in the empire would be brave enough to touch something belonging to the Dragon Duke? It wouldn¡¯t be the Emperor, he was too close to Edward to try something that foolish. As such, there should only be one other person. But evidently¡­

    ¡°The Fourth. The Crown Princess has also touched slightly upon one of them. It is a relief that she has not delved very deeply yet, it wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good if she had to get scalded by the hot water.¡±

    The fourth prince, huh. He wasn¡¯t a person that Gabriel gave a lot of thought, he wasn¡¯t very prevalent in any of his memories so Gabriel preferred to focus most of his attention on those he knew would be either useful or threats. But if he dared to touch the people of the Vritara duchy then he was either a foolish man, or secretly capable.

    But Abigail was also involved¡­ She also had outside knowledge of this world, just like he did, and she was the Crown Princess of the empire so she should be intimately aware of how dangerous the ducal families actually were. So if she still dared to meddle in their affairs like this then it likely meant that there was something there that she found worth the risk. He¡¯d have to question herter.

    ¡°I take it that the missing pieces won¡¯t affect the overall picture?¡±

    Gabriel picked up the teacup that stood at his side, the duke¡¯s carriage wasrge enough to house a tea station, and stable enough to allow each cup to restfortably. He didn¡¯t have a clear picture of the entire Vritara duchy and its vassals, but the duke hadn¡¯t spoken about it so he assumed that the missing pieces wouldn¡¯t prove to be too great of an obstacle.

    ¡°No picture isplete if even a single piece is missing, the most discerning eye will always find the fault. Such is doubly true when a second artist is trying to fill in the gaps with their own style.¡±

    The duke sipped his own cup of tea, ncing out through the window next to him. Marion and Francis were riding their own horses on either side of the carriage, one wearing a nk expression while the other had a slight frown at not being allowed in the carriage. The only one missing from their entourage was Alice, but she still had to stay hidden so she would naturally not participate here, she had her own tasks to handle.

    ¡°But that will only be true for my picture. I imagine that it will not affect yours too much in the long run. The darkness knows how to be properly careful now.¡±

    The duke put down his cup, his gaze returning to rest on Gabriel. He was just looking at him as he sat there, but it felt almost like needles pierced into Gabriel¡¯s flesh, a pricking sensation spreading across his body. Dukes¡­ They were difficult people to deal with. At least this one wasn¡¯t his enemy for the moment.

    ¡°This is a matter that concerns my wife, I will not allow a few missing pieces to affect the oue I desire.¡±

    Still, Gabriel had encountered pressure like this a few times back in his previous life so he was able to maintain his own cid smile. The duke looked at him for a few more seconds, seemingly trying to understand Gabriel.

    ¡°Indulge my idle curiosity, if you may. For what reason did you choose that child?¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences.

    It was a question Gabriel had been asked once in the past, by Alice herself, and it was certainly one he hadn¡¯t expected Duke Vritara to ask him. It was a question that could lead one to believe any number of things, but the nk gaze of the duke didn¡¯t betray any of his thoughts.

    ¡°There was no real reason. I needed to be used, and she happened to be there. She was just the first to reach for the sword¡¯s hilt.¡±

    It was not a reason that Gabriel was ashamed of, nor was it a reason he saw a particr need to hide. How it all started didn¡¯t matter, it was all about how it would end.

    ¡°She would be sad if she heard that.¡±

    Gabriel almost tilted his head when the duke responded, sipping his tea once again. Gabriel didn¡¯t like his nk expression, it was hard to handle people he couldn¡¯t get a proper read on.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t. She simply proimed that she would always choose me.¡±

    Gabriel mimicked the duke and drank some tea as he thought back to that day. The sensation of her hands folding behind his neck, the slight curve of her mouth as she locked eyes with him, the warmth of her forehead on his. He could not forget. The corners of his lips moved unconsciously as he thought back, but the duke simply turned his gaze sideways, ending the conversation while looking out the window.

    ¡°Then it seems you do not understand other peoples emotions.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The gates in front of the Imperial Pce were packed with carriages, a long line stretching through the streets. Just about every noble in the empire who wasn¡¯t ashamed of themselves had rushed here for the banquet. The invitation called it just a standard banquet, but everyone was able to sense the undercurrents rushing beneath the surface. The death of the Third Prince, the disappearance of Alice De Vritara, the unrest in the Kasarias Kingdom¡­ It would certainly be an eventful banquet.

    As Gabriel was riding on the carriage of duke Vritara, he was naturally able to skip the long line in front of the gates and head straight in. The guards had to be left outside, otherwise there would never be enough space for everyone inside. As such, it was only the direct lineage of the Vritara family, as well as him, that entered the pce.

    But as they made their way through the garden that served as the entrance, as well as the subsequent hallways of the pce, they received a fair few stares from the minor nobles or guards they passed. The reason was actually exceedingly simple.

    Marion and Francis, the two direct descendants and possible inheritors, were walking two steps behind Duke Vritara. And Gabriel? Well he was walking directly next to the duke, the two chatting quietly until they reached the gates that led to the banquet hall.

    ¡°Now entering! Duke Edward De Vritara and Viscount of War Gabriel Sakra Indra!¡±

    ¡°Now entering! Princess Marion De Vritara and Prince Francis De Vritara!¡±

    The order of entry was very important to the various nobles so there was no one that missed the different timings of when the people of Vritara entered, it was enough to let a fair few of them draw their own little conclusions.

    Gabriel, on the other hand, was a bit more focused on the order of things that he had nned. Well, the title used to announced Marion and Francis also caught his attention. They were known as possible inheritors of a duchy so they were properly announced with the titles of princess and prince, a right Alice was not afforded during the previous investiture. Well, she had been officially recognized as a possible inheritor at that very investiture so she should receive the proper title during her next banquet, it would be something to look forward to.

    He blinked twice to clear his mind and shake away they thoughts, focusing on the present.

    Theyout of the banquet hall was simple, at least at a nce. There were round tables scattered throughout the grand hall, each one seating anywhere between six and twenty people. The distance between each table was neitherrge nor small,rge enough for people to move freely, yet small enough for those on the surrounding tables to speak freely without having to raise their voices.

    At the furthest end of the room, just below the golden balcony, was the rectangr table reserved for the Imperial Family. Slightly elevated, three steps higher than the rest of the room, setting them apart even when they were all gathered.

    Very few people were currently seated, favoring to walk around and mingle. The servants were constantly moving about with trays of drinks and finger food, subtly setting the mood for the banquet and loosening the lips of the nobles that had already gathered.

    ¡°Now entering, Duchess Henrietta Arie Barong! Duke Johan Arie Barong. Prince Arioch Arie Barong!¡±

    Shortly after Gabriel and the Vritara family arrived, the northern ducal family made their entrance. The slight buzz that filled the banquet hall grew a bit louder now, a myriad of gazes turning towards the door. But shortly after¡­

    ¡°Now entering, Sir Michael Woodime! Ser Arlene Woodime! Sir Caine Woodime!¡±

    The eastern family had arrived, fueling the buzz and murmurs that already hung on everyone¡¯s lips. They weren¡¯t an official ducal family, but no one would be so foolish as to treat the Woodime couple and their adopted son as anything less than a ducal family. The nobles knew it, and the Woodime family knew it, which was why their entrance caused such a buzz.

    ¡°Now entering! Her Highness the Crown Princess Abigail De Earhart! Her Highness the Empress Dowager Regina De Earhart!¡±

    The nobles in the banquet hall did not get to rest for even a moment as another pair of important names made their entrance shortly after the Woodime family. The undercurrents were flowing and the rumors were already spreading like a gue.

    Gabriel eventually strayed from Duke Vritara, sampling the food and drinks while he asionally chatted with some of the nobles that had already gathered. Abigail met up with Caine, the Empress Dowager sharing a few words with the Woodime family. It all looked normal, the minutes turning to hours as time trickled away. And it was only then, more than a handful of hourster, that the announcers got to speak the next big name.

    ¡°Now arriving, Duke Elmar Gaun Sorin! Duchess Aldarin Gaun Sorin! Prince stair Gaun Sorin!¡±

    The Sorin family finally made their entrance, sauntering into the banquet hall. But Gabriel could tell. There was a slight pause in their gait just as they entered, just as everyone¡¯s eyesnded on them. They had probably noticed it. The hushed whispers, the inquisitive gazes, the subdued tension that lingered in the air.

    What did it mean to be a ducal family? It meant to be just beneath the emperor, so infinitely close to the highest authority in the empire. The privileges they enjoyed were beyond measure, their pride higher than the heavens. So during banquets like this, the ducal families always did the same. They waited until thest moment with making their entrance, only the Imperial family was allowed to arriveter than them.

    The Sorin family had upheld this tradition, all the other nobles had arrived in the handful of hours that Gabriel had been here.

    So why were the other ducal families already here? Why had the three other great families arrived so early? So close to each other? And why had the Empress Dowager and the Crown Princess showed up so early, separate from the rest of the Imperial family?

    The whispers were already running wild, spections flying so quietly that only those involved could hear them. The air felt thick and heavy, like a sickening sludge that blocked the throat when they tried to breathe. Even the more naive nobles could feel it. Something was going to happen.

    ¡°Now announcing, the Imperial Family! His exalted¡­¡±

    The announcers started to shout loudly, trumpets ying a familiar tune as the Imperial Family started to make their formal entrance. But the words were rather blurred to Gabriel, his gaze quietly surveying the banquet hall.

    Vritara, the Dragon of the south. Barong, the Lion of the north. Woodime, the Demon of the east. Sorin, the Phoenix of the west. Earhart, the Eagle of the center.

    Gabriel sipped the wine he was holding, he couldn¡¯t even tell what it was actually supposed to taste. All he felt was a dense metallic taste washing over his tongue as the deep red liquid passed down his throat.

    The pieces had been gathered, the fuse had been lit. As Alice would have put it, all he had to do now was blow the proverbial horn.

 Chapter 114: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole.

    Chapter 114: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole.

    ¡°It warms my heart to see all of you gathered here in front of me. The backbone of our great empire, the beating heart that ensures our continued prosperity.¡±

    The emperor stood at the edge of the balcony, gazing down upon the nobles that had gathered in the banquet hall. Anastasia De Earhart, the current empress, was standing at his side wearing the exact same smile as him. The princes were lined up behind him, but the gap left by the missing Third Prince stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone noticed it, but pretended not to so as to not agitate the emperor, who epted a ss of champagne from a servant that had followed them.

    ¡°Allow me to raise a ss to all you fine souls.¡±

    The empress and the princes¡¯ also received their sses, the servants in the hall quickly making another round to get everyone a fresh ss. Once they were properly supplied, they all raised their sses to toast with the emperor.

    ¡°To the continued prosperity and longevity of Earhart!¡±

    ¡°Hear Hear.¡±

    ¡°Hear.¡±

    ¡°For prosperity.¡±

    ¡°To continued wealth.¡±

    The raised sses were brought down as everyone took a sip, holding the sses to their lips until the emperor finished his own sip. It should be some of the finest wine the empire has to offer, made from extremely precious grapes. But the subtle aftertaste of apples and lemon ruined it. It tended to happen when you added things to wine that weren¡¯t supposed to be there.

    On the outside, the emperor looked the same as always, but he drained the entire ss of champagne in a single gulp so who knew how he was faring on the inside.

    ¡°Now then. Please partake in the sampling of refreshments we have prepared to whet your appetites, the main meal will be served shortly.¡±

    A graceful and elegant smile, slow and deliberate yet casual steps as he slowly made his way down the stairs. The emperor allowed everyone to take in his usual appearance, he probably had to work hard to stop any rumors about his mental health that might arise after the death of the Third Prince.

    Gabriel returned his ss to the tray of a servant that just so happened to be walking by, the taste still lingering in his mouth. He maintained his conversation with the baron he was currently talking to, but his eyes found Abigail across the hall.

    She probably sensed his gaze, turning her eyes over while she was talking with the Woodime family and the Empress Dowager. She raised her eyebrows as a quiet question, receiving a single blink from Gabriel as an answer. He blinked a few more times afterward, seemingly at random. Abigail furrowed her brows for a fraction of a second, eventually giving a minuscule shake of her head before turning her gaze away.

    Gabriel¡¯s own gaze turned back to the baron he was chatting with, he was speaking some nonsense about inviting Gabriel over to his territory for a small ¡®exchange¡¯ with his knights. It was an exceedingly inconsequential conversation so Gabriel was barely paying attention.

    His gaze returned to wandering, observing the various nobles in the hall. Abigail had yet to reveal the existence of poison magic to the world, and thanks to their short exchange now, he could confirm that she also hadn¡¯t told any nobles in secret. And yet¡­ Both the sses that Gabriel had drunk from ended up being poisoned.

    The second ss was the easiest one to exin, it had been handed to him by a servant so poisoning it in advance was easy. But the first ss he grabbed he took from a table, so unless every single ss was poisoned then the poison had to have been added after he picked up the drink.

    So either, someone here was stealthy enough to sneak poison into a ss he was currently holding, or someone in this room had learned of the existence of poison magic. Thetter wasn¡¯t that far-fetched even without Abigail revealing it, they could have learned something from Teresa¡¯s story, or perhaps they had an experience in the same vein as Teresa, with ovepping memories breaking their way into the present.

    Of course, that begged the question of exactly who had done it. Of course, the question wasn¡¯t because he was such a nice guy that he shouldn¡¯t have any enemies, it was because he had too many possible enemies so it was hard to pinpoint a single one. There was also the types of poison used. The first one had a strong metallic taste, while the second one was more reminiscent of apples and lemon so they were probably different poisons. As such, he also couldn¡¯t disregard the possibility that there was more than one party that had tried to poison him.

    He mentally organized the possible parties while maintaining his conversation, the chattering baron was a good way to keep others at bay while Gabriel organized his thoughts. But he wasn¡¯t a wall that could be held up forever.

    ¡°Forgive me, Baron rast, but may I intrude upon this conversation and share a few words with Viscount Indra?¡±

    The one who cut into the conversation had a rather robust figure, the slight bulging of his suit hidden by the half-cape that was draped over his shoulder. His tanned skin was decorated by a few scars, but his most striking feature were his eyes, dyed a deep and cold blue.

    ¡°Ah, of course, Marquis Giradin. Please, take your time.¡±

    The baron stepped back with a slight smile, bidding Gabriel farewell before he vacated the scene, leaving the two behind. Sawyer Giradin, current head of one of the two Marquis families that the Vritara duchy had. But perhaps more importantly in this moment was his other identity.

    ¡°Solomon has brought word. The routes have been changed suddenly so they could not deliver the gift and had to retreat lest they be discovered.¡±

    Royal Road''s content has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Solomon Giradin, inheritor of the Giradin estate. He was also the current ck Fox, the second-inmand of the Night Pack that Gabriel ran. And Sawyer, he used to be the leader of the Night Pack before Gabriel took over. It had been a while since Gabrielst received a report from Sawyer, it hadn¡¯t happened since Solomon took over three years ago. But Gabriel had given the Night Pack a few missions before the banquet, so Solomon couldn¡¯t attend since one of the missions required his personal touch. As such, the duty fell to Sawyer.

    ¡°A shame. But gifts can always be delivered in the future, please thank Young Master Giradin when next you see him, I will forever be in his debt for aiding me.¡±

    Gabriel thanked him politely, as a noble of lower stature should. His brows didn¡¯t furrow, but there was a trace of annoyance inside him. Solomon was supposed to nt a bit of false evidence in the estate of Marquess Haravat while she was busy with this estate. She didn¡¯t have any ties to the Third Prince, so for her to suddenly change the routes of her guards¡­ He disliked how many things were going against his ns recently.

    ¡°Viscount Indra, my wife would like but a moment of your time.¡±

    A voice tugged at the attention of Gabriel and Sawyer, an unexpected figure approaching them from the side.

    ¡°This lowly one greets the sun and moon of the empire.¡±

    ¡°This one sees the exalted ones that bless thends with light.¡±

    The two hurriedly bent their waists and greeted the neer, Arthas De Earhart, the emperor. The empress, was by his side, but the three princes¡¯ had scattered throughout the hall and were chatting with the various nobles.

    ¡°Please, rise. This is a banquet, there should be no need for such formalities.¡±

    The one who spoke this time was the empress, Anastasia De Earhart. Or as she used to be known, Anastasia Von Haravat.

    ¡°Please forgive the intrusion, Marquis Giradin, but I would like to have a word with our young Viscount. Would you allow me this selfishness for but a moment?¡±

    The empress was graceful and elegant, her long brown locks tied up neatly as they cascaded behind her. She had a pair of quiet green eyes that emted the same grace and elegance that oozed from every fiber of her body, she was a woman few were willing to say no to, and not just because of her status.

    ¡°It would be this lowly ones honor to grant the selfishness of the Empire¡¯s moon. Please, take as much time as you need, your Grace.¡±

    Sawyer knew when to take his leave so he stepped back without straightening his waist, leaving Gabriel with the empress and emperor. Naturally, the area around them had been swiftly vacated by all the nearby nobles so it truly was only the three of them.

    ¡°I believe this is our first time meeting, Viscount Indra. I am Anastasia De Earhart, I hope you are not offended that it took me this long to greet you.¡±

    The empress shed Gabriel a smile once it was just them. Quiet, calm, graceful, there wasn¡¯t a single speck in it, a single w anyone could point out. She stretched out a hand, her fingers adorned by rings studded with colorful gems.

    ¡°How could that possibly be the case, your grace? You are the moon of the empire, the burdens you shoulder are beyond my wildest imaginations. I am already honored beyond belief that you would take the time to remember my name.¡±

    Gabriel maintained his bent posture, bowing with utmost reverence. Of course, because he was bowing so deeply there was no way he could possibly see the offered hand. And if he couldn¡¯t see it, how could he possibly offer it the customary kiss of loyalty? It was a situation anyone could understand, he was simply too reverent and humble.

    And naturally, as the empress, Anastasia could not just keep her hand out for an extended period of time, so she pulled it back before Gabriel ever got the chance to kiss it.

    ¡°Please raise your head, Viscount Indra. I¡¯m afraid we will both suffer from early pain in our necks should we talk with our heads craned in this manner. And I do so wish to look into the eyes of those I converse with.¡±

    Gabriel finally raised his head after the empress requested it for the second time. He matched her gaze as they locked eyes, violet meeting green as the two looked at each other. One was calm and graceful, the other was reverent and humble. They simply looked at each other for a small second, appropriate smiles adorning their faces.

    ¡°I am d that you could make it to the banquet. Not just because of the short notice, but also because of the terrible situation with your fiancee. I can see that it is affection you greatly, has there yet to be any word of her whereabouts?¡±

    The hand of the empress stretched out again as she spoke, a mournful expression on her face. Her hand caressed Gabriel¡¯s cheek in the same way a mother wouldfort her child, her fingers tracing the dark bags Gabriel had taken great pains to prepare under his eyes. Her nails were well-kept but still rather long so they trailed just beneath his eyeball as sheforted him.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, your grace. I have dug high and low, but she truly seems to have simply vanished from the face of the earth.¡±

    Gabriel did not shy away from her hand, a thin and pale smile stretching across his face as he exhaled a long and weary breath. The empress removed her hand from his face before it became improper, shaking her head sadly.

    ¡°It must be a difficult time, being forced to simply wait at home, unable to do a single thing to help those dear to you.¡±

    She truly was the picture of a good empress, the mother of the empire, sympathizing with all of her subjects. And naturally, after sympathizing came morefort.

    ¡°But take heart, young Viscount, there will surely be news of her in the end.¡±

    A servant came over as sheforted Gabriel, offering a drink to the three. Since the empress grabbed a drink first, Gabriel had no choice but to take one as well, the two clinking their sses before taking a sip. Perhaps as one would expect, this wine was normal.

    ¡°I thank you for your kind words, your grace. And I too hold the same belief. We made a promise to each other so she will return to my side eventually, and then this will all finally be over.¡±

    Gabriel finished his sip and returned the empty ss to the tray that the servant was holding, allowing a hopeful smile to grace his face. Naturally, the empress responded with a smile of her own.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you are able to keep your spirit up, once you lose hope there is truly nothing left to do. So keep your head up, Young Viscount, it is too early to lose heart.¡±

    The empress returned her own ss to the tray, linking her arm with the emperor while leaning against him. It was a signal that the conversation was over, and since the emperor himself had nothing to discuss with Gabriel, they naturally turned to walk away. But as if remembering it at thest moment, the empress turned her head and shed Gabriel a vibrant smile.

    ¡°And oh, the doors to our pce will always be open to you should you feel that it bes too much to bear on your own. We will always be there to extend a hand to you in your darkest times.¡±

    Gabriel held his hand across his chest and bowed deeply once again, seeing the empress off with immacte etiquette.

    ¡°This one will forever engrave your grace and kindness into his heart, your grace. Please allow me to extend my gratitude in advance for when I inevitable must pass through your gates.¡±

    Finally, there was nothing left to say between them so they properly separated this time. And luckily, the emperor did not give anyone else time to move up for a talk with Gabriel. Servants flooded the room, carrying trays of food and drink that they quickly ced on the various tables. The banquet, and their proper discussions, would finally start.

 Chapter 115: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole. (2)

    Chapter 115: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole. (2)

    ¡°Please, join us in taking a seat, we¡¯ve had our chef and sommeliers prepare the finest of dishes and wine for us to enjoy during our gathering.¡±

    Emperor Earhart raised his ss as the servants started to flood the room, cing the various trays of food and drinks on the tables. His hand rested on the headrest of his chair, which look more like a throne than anything else. Since it was slightly elevated he could look down on the various nobles as they were making their way to their seats.

    The seats had been quietly separated by rank, with the lowest ranking nobles sitting further away from the emperor, but looking at the food that was brought out it seemed as if he didn¡¯t make the same distinction when it came to the food. Well, he couldn¡¯t make the difference in treatment too apparent, nobles usually had a lot of pride after all so it wouldn¡¯t go well for him if he needlessly poked it.

    But well, there was one seat in the banquet hall that was rather out of ce, almost painfully obviously so. Snuggly ced by the table reserved for Duke Vritara and his entourage, just below the seat of the emperor, was a chair with a name-card for Gabriel Sakra Indra.

    Naturally, the seating preparations for the dukes was a bit different from the other nobles, each of the dukes got a private table for them and their family. But it really was just for their families, their subordinates still had to sit at the other tables, separated by rank to promote ¡®more like-minded and easy-going conversation¡¯.

    So, why was Gabriel seated at the table of Duke Vritara, right by the emperor? Gabriel had made several preparations for today to ensure that things ran smoothly, but he hadn¡¯t tampered with the seating arrangement. It probably hadn¡¯t been duke Vritara either, it was an unspoken agreement between everyone that they wouldn¡¯t tamper with the seats.

    If a duke ced one of their subordinates closer to their own table then it could very easily be seen as favoritism on their part. Naturally, everyone engaged in favoritism, it was just how the world ran. But that didn¡¯t mean that the dukes wanted to make it that obvious, it would displease their other subordinates. And unhappy subordinates were more prone to betrayal, which no one wanted to happen.

    Thus, there were only two people in this room who realistically had the power to change the seating arrangement as they pleased. The emperor, and the empress. The emperor was a possibility, but if he had to judge based on the earlier conversation and the undertones of the empress¡¯ words, then it was likely empress Anastasia who had done something.

    Sure, one could say that it was done because he had proposed to Alice and would thus marry into the ducal family eventually. In fact, that was probably the reason to be given if someone did end up asking. But there was no precedent for such a situation, engagements were broken all the time so you would only seat others at the family table once the marriage was over and an heir was secured. Thus, empress Anastasia definitely had some other reason for putting his seat there.But that again just raised its own questions. He¡¯d understand if the emperor was hostile to him, but the empress had no reason to act against him. True, Gabriel had killed the Third Prince to frame the Kasarias Kingdom, but that prince had no rtions with the empress.

    The empress only had a single child with the emperor, the current Crown Princess, Abigail. Thus, even if the empress somehow figured out that he had been the one to kill the third prince, it should technically only raise her evaluation of him since it was something that aided Abigail.

    He had several questions, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about them in this situation and could only sit down in his designated seat. Duke Edward De Vritara also gave him a subtle look as they sat down so he was obviously also questioning the situation, wondering if Gabriel had orchestrated something. But the look Gabriel returned made it clear that this wasn¡¯t one his schemes.

    ¡°Then, without further ado, let us tarry no more and proceed with the festivities. A toast, to the Empire.¡±

    Emperor Earhart raised his ss once everyone in the banquet hall had gotten seated, forcing everyone to raise their own ss and down a mouthful of wine to maintain etiquette.

    The wine currently in their ss had been poured from fresh bottles so Gabriel was curious to try it. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t because he was fond of wine, it was to see if it was poisoned. His previous two drinks had been poisoned so if they also managed to poison this ss, while he was looking at it no less, then it almost guaranteed that someone in this room had learned poison magic.

    But when he put the ss to his mouth and downed the slightly tart wine, he couldn¡¯t detect any traces of poison, be it from the wine or the ss itself. Had the ones responsible for the two previous attempts given up, or were they simply biding their time? If he had to guess then it would be thetter, it was what he would do.

    The banquet proceeded as normal once everyone was seated, the various tables keeping their conversations to themselves. In normal circumstances the people present would probably get up from their seats to mingle with the other nobles, but seeing as the emperor had gone out of his way to prepare food they would have to eat while sitting it was clear that he had something to say to them. Thus, they all remained seated and filled the time with meaningless chatter.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition.

    Gabriel was among those who idled away the time, mainly chatting with Duke Vritara while simultaneously keeping an eye on the banquet hall. He was counting the minutes while doing the calctions.

    Officially, this was a banquet meant to ¡®foster unity between the nobles while reminiscing about the deceased Third Prince¡¯. But in truth, it was more like a court where the nobles would decide what to do with the Kasarias Kingdom.

    Thanks to Gabriel, it appeared as if the Kasarias Kingdom had killed the Third Prince, giving the empire a good reason to either invade or demand reparations. Given the current state of the empire, they would probably be somewhat split between the two options but eventually lean towards reparations.

    But Gabriel was here to ensure that the opposite happened. Alice desired the world, a home for them that stretched beyond the furthest horizon. As her knight, he would present it to her.

    That was why he had Abigail make sure that this banquet didn¡¯t happen too quickly, allowing him to contact several people so that he could ensure that things went his way.

    It was quite simple, actually. Once a suitable amount of time had passed, Gabriel would bring up the fact that Alice was missing but had been seen in Kasarias to ¡®beg¡¯ the Emperor for permission to move into Kasarias to bring her back. Naturally, this would be considered an incursion, if not outright invasion, depending on how you looked at it.

    Some nobles would be for it, seeing as Gabriel was a Viscount of War who had no vassals nor soldiers so he would be entering the country alone. Other nobles would be against it because they would not wish to set such a precedent, nor show such aggression since they wanted to avoid war.

    But Gabriel had gathered his allies already. The ducal house of Vritara, the ducal house of Barong, the eastern Woodime family. He had signed deals with all of them so they would support his request, giving the emperor little choice but to ept.

    Thus, Gabriel would be able to enter Kasarias under the guise of retrieving Alice. And while doing so, he would start attacking the nobles that had ¡®kidnapped¡¯ Alice, forcing those within this empire that were conspiring with Kasarias to bare their necks. And then he would cut them all in one fell swoop. Nobles, Kings, Princes, he¡¯d behead them all until no one could stop them from annexing the Kasarias kingdom.

    In theory, it was simple. As for the execution, all the pieces had already been set and the hand had been yed, it should be naught but a foregone conclusion. But life had a way of throwing wrenches into your ns when you least expected it. This time, the Imperial family were the ones who threw that wrench at Gabriel. Specifically, the Empress, who put down her ss and cleared her throat to draw everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°It pleases me to see so many of you here despite the short notice we gave you. But I pray that you can forgive us, for the news we wished to share with you were simply too grand for us to tarry further.¡±

    The mindless chatter that filled the banquet hall died down as the empress spoke, rising from her seat as she addressed everyone, finally getting to the cause of this rushed banquet.

    ¡°First off, as I am sure most of you have already heard, the Third Prince has been assassinated, with most evidence pointing to culprits either stemming from Kasarias or wishing for harm to befall Kasarias. Truly, a grievous insult towards our great empire. But where there is a shadow, one will always find light.¡±

    Gabriel had to stop his eyes from narrowing. She started by talking about the assassination, meaning that it would be considered nothing but a footnotepared to the actual information she wished to share.

    ¡°In truth, the First Prince has been in contact with the Yverial Empire for us for quite some time, we have been working towards ensuring an alliance that will help us deal with the demons lurking beyond our borders. Should it be sessful, we can finally extend our borders into the vast unchartednds we have previously only been able to wall off.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s finger started to quietly tap the table as he listened to the Empress speak. None of this was within the information he had about this world. From what he had gleaned, the Yverial Empire and the Earhart Empire always ended up at war with each other, there had never been talks of an alliance.

    ¡°And finally, our hard work has borne fruit! Through the ceaseless effort of our dear Auron, we have managed to reach an agreement, and alliance, with the Yverial Empire, ensuring our prosperity for generations toe.¡±

    The empress directed everyones gaze towards the First Prince, Auron De Earhart, who gracefully bowed his head as if it was nothing. If they ended it here, it would serve as a decent distraction from the death of the Third Prince. But sadly, they did not end it there.

    ¡°As a show of goodwill, both empires have decided to send a delegation across the ocean. The delegation will consist partly of diplomats and soldiers, as we intend to engage in several joint training sessions into the dangerousnds we aim to liberate on the two continents. Once both empires feelfortable with the results of the training, we intend tounch therge scale liberation operations. Our aim is to liberate thisnd of demons within this generation, ushering in a peaceful age for all of our descendants.¡±

    The empress used a plethora of buzz-words to incite the nobles, of course making sure not to mention just how they reached this agreement. It was a nice and safe way of speaking.

    But the more she spoke, the more Gabriel wanted to narrow his eyes. If the Emperor was speaking like this it would be one thing, he was the father of the First Prince. But the current Empress only had one child, Abigail. When Auron did something good like this it ended up threatening Abigail¡¯s position so the empress should not be this excited about it, the emperor should have been the one to announce it. Clearly, something was going on.

    And just as that thought struck him, the eyes of the empress turned towards him, still wearing that peaceful and exalted smile she had as she spoke about the age of peace they would usher in.

    ¡°And since we¡¯re already on the topic of the delegation, I would like to request that Baroness Visthar, Earl Aegon, Baron Marthas, Marquess ine, and Viscount Indra join them to the Yverial Empire. I can think of no finer nor nobler soldiers to represent our great empire in this endeavor.¡±

    Gabriel wanted to scoff, but held it down with a calm smile. So that was the ploy someone was ying at this time. Send him away before he can do anything as a noble, and probably do what you could to ensure that he died once he was hidden away in the Yverial Empire.

    The n had been found, and it was probably the Empress facilitating it, so he had the Where and the Who, but he still needed to figure out the Why.

    Being sent to another empire, far across the sea, while Alice was still ¡®missing¡¯ and could thus not join the delegation¡­ Now that certainly would be a hefty wrench.

 Chapter 116: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole. (3)

    Chapter 116: The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole. (3)

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes wanted to narrow sharply while his tapping finger wanted to pierce a hole straight through the table. But he knew better than that, he wasn¡¯t an amateur so he made sure to maintain his calm expression, shifting the curve of his mouth and general demeanor to match the situation.

    ¡°Your exalted majesty, Blessed Moon of our grand Empire, would you allow me to say a few words?¡±

    The Empress had stopped talking after ¡®requesting¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s cooperation so he took this chance to speak up, a smile that was a mix between being honored and being mournful pasted onto his face. The empress faced him with a regal and joyful smile, gesturing with her hand that he was allowed to express his thoughts.

    ¡°This little one is extremely humbled that you would request me for something as grand as a delegation to the Yverial Empire, it would undoubtedly be the greatest honor in my life. But my fiancee¡­ How can I leave when the whereabouts of my Alice have yet to be ascertained? With her having been seen in the Kasarias Kingdom, I would instead request that I be granted permission to go and look for her, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sleep soundly until I see her again.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s mind moved as he made his excuse. He listed his various enemies so that he could narrow down who had incited this, and why they had done so. If he truly had to leave for the delegation then there was a chance that Alice would have to stay hidden for quite some time, or eventually make up an excuse as to how she managed to escape. Whatever option was picked, she could not go with him to the Yverial Empire, she could not be seen there or it would raise too many suspicions.

    ¡°I understand your fears, Viscount Indra. And may I say that it warms my heart to see you care so much for your fiancee? Truly, such passion is rare in these days, far too many marry for the sake of convenience or gains. So to act so purely on emotions, so ardently for what your heart says¡­ It simply lights a fire in me.¡±

    Gabriel wanted to click his tongue, anyone who spoke such flowery words before responding to anything was sure to give an answer that would displease the other party. And sure enough, the empress was no different.

    ¡°And because I understand your fears, I will ensure that you can journey to the Yverial Empire for the sake of generations of peace with a light heart.¡±

    The empress¡¯ smiling face slowly moved slightly as she spoke, eventually resting on Duke Vritara, who was frowning slightly at the sudden events. Duke Vritara was different from Gabriel, he was one of the few dukes of this empire, he could afford to show his emotions like this in front of the imperial family.¡°Do not forget, Viscount Indra, but Alice De Vritara is not simply your fiancee, she is also a daughter of the Vritara family. I have no doubt that Duke Vritara will do everything in the power of his ducal house to find and reim his precious daughter, even if she should be held by the Kasarias Kingdom. So fear not, young Viscount Indra, I am sure you will receive the good news before you even reach the Yverial Empire.¡±

    Ha, so that¡¯s what her n was. Sharing a quick nce it was clear that both Gabriel and Duke Vritara reached the conclusion at the same time. Gabriel would be shipped far away from the empire and the Vritara family would bear the brunt of the damage that came from dealing with the Kasarias empire. So she, and whoever else was working with her, weren¡¯t just targeting Gabriel this time around.

    ¡°The Vritara duchy will naturally bring Alice De Vritara home, she is someone who holds the right topete for the seat of future Duchess.¡±

    Duke Vritara could only give a simple and exceedingly normal answer to the empress¡¯ statement. He could feel the gazes of some of the nobles lingering on him as the empress spoke, exerting a silent pressure. And somewhat strangely, he could also feel the gaze of his friend, the emperor. Or perhaps that was obvious, if the empress was taking action this openly then it was clear that the emperor was condoning it, if not participating in it.

    But again, it begged the question of why? Why was the emperor taking part in it as well, what exactly were they hoping to gain? For Arthas to take action against a friend¡­ The rewards could not be small.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Gabriel opened his mouth to speak again, but was quickly cut off by someone other than the empress.

    ¡°Oh yes. That reminds me.¡±

    Arthas De Earhart. The emperor moved his gaze slightly, gesturing over an attendant as he spoke. The servant brought over an ornate wooden box, opening it to reveal a thickyer of red silk upon which five scrolls that looked as if they were cast from gold rested. Arthas picked up one of the scrolls, his gaze resting on Marquess ine.

    ¡°Marquess Tishana ine, please rise to receive the Imperial Decree regarding your participation in the uing delegation.¡±

    For a brief moment, an instant so short that none could see it, Gabriel¡¯s nail scraped against the table as his rhythmic tapping faltered. His eyes really wanted to narrow so he had to fight to keep them normal, and he had to hold himself back quite strongly, otherwise he might have given Nergal permission to take a bite at the emperor.

    Arthas had only called up Marquess ine, it was only proper since she had the highest rank out of those who had been picked out for the delegation. So he was just following proper procedure, but the underlying message was clear.

    The empress had requested that they joined the delegation, but they never had a choice from the start. This was an Imperial Decree, an order given directly by the emperor and empress. Disobedience meant revocation of nobility.

    And when looked at from the outside, that was only proper. Who would disobey an order like this? Who would work against the future peace between the two empires? Who would try to sabotage the era where mankind chased out the demons and took over the entire world? All who dared even think such a thing should deserve far worse than just losing their titles.

    ¡°It is a great honor, your Imperial Majesties. I will assist the First Prince with every part of my being.¡±

    Marquess ine walked up and knelt down, epting the Imperial Decree with raised hands as she lowered her head, gleaming golden hair cascading down her back. The imperial family hadn¡¯t said anything, but since it was the First Prince that brokered the peace it was naturally implied that he would be taking the lead in the delegation, a fact the emperor casually confirmed.

    ¡°I am beyond thankful, Marquess ine. I can rest easy knowing that I am leaving my son in your capable hands. Please keep him safe for me.¡±

    The emperor smiled kindly, like a concerned father speaking to the general before he sent his son off to war. It was an excellent face to show the public and the nobles, so how could he not receive the reply he wanted?

    ¡°It will be as you desire, Your Majesty, I will protect him with my life should anything arise.¡±

    Marquess ine raised her head, a strong and determined expression on her face. Of course, Gabriel didn¡¯t believe either of their expressions. One was an emperor and the other a marquess, you did not reach or maintain a position like that if you weren¡¯t capable. And generally, this capability showed itself in the form of maniption and deceit, only a rare few people were able to both be and remain sincere in a position like this.

    Once Marquess ine returned to her seat, the emperor did not hand out the rest of the Imperial Decrees. He simply left them there in the box, the servant leaving it on a table close to the emperor without closing it. A quiet reminder, a subtle threat to those that had been called out.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition.

    Naturally, the banquet carried on afterward, the nobles sharing topics bothrge and small. The matter of the delegation naturally upied most conversations, with the Kasarias Kingdom¡¯s matter pushed further to the back. Not entirely forgotten, a few groups were still discussing how to handle it, even the emperor brought it up a few times. But it was much dimmer and far more subdued than Gabriel had intended for it to be.

    He wanted to have a quick talk with Abigail, but the emperor and empress kept her close at their side at all times so the best they could do was exchange a few confused nces. Evidently, Abigail herself hadn¡¯t heard about this in advance.

    Of course, they could still glean a little from how the emperor and empress were handling this. They were clearly trying to keep Abigail and Gabriel away from each other, meaning that they knew about the times Gabriel and Abigail had met. The meetings were supposed to be fairly secret, so for them to know about them it was clear that one, if not both of them, had informants in the Crown Princess¡¯ pce.

    Well, that in itself wasn¡¯t strange, what was strange was that they had managed to hide them from Abigail, who had a lot more information than normal people. Was it a sign ofck of trust, or a safeguard in case something went wrong? Time was probably the only thing that could answer that question.

    And just like that, time continued to pass as the banquet dragged on, the emperor eventually raising his ss.

    ¡°I would like to offer onest toast. To the future prosperity of our great empire!¡±

    ¡°Hear Hear!¡±

    ¡°To the empire¡±

    ¡°To his Majesty!¡±

    ¡°To prosperity!¡±

    The nobles raised their sses, all of them newly filled, and toasted along with the emperor to ring in the end of this banquet. Gabriel naturally also had to raise his ss and join in on the toast, he would have to talk with Duke Vritara once they got some privacyter. But it really seemed like the imperial family was intent on throwing nothing but wrenches into his ns.

    ¡°I know that many of you cannot way to go home to your families, but I¡¯m afraid that I must ask our present ducal families to remain behind. We must discuss in great detail about the uing delegation and what we can reap from it, so the ducal families and the imperial family must discuss at length so that we can see it from every angle. So please, if you have any work that must be done, have your butlers send it over. I am aware that this is highly unorthodox, but I am sure that you can understand the gravity of the situation and what it could mean for the empire.¡±

    The empress was the one who spoke up, but the expression and bodynguage of the emperor showed that he was in agreement with her. Normally, something like this would be told to the dukes in private so the imperial family had probably done it publicly like this to force them to agree.

    It was a risky move. The ducal families were not something that the imperial family wanted to mess with for no reason, a single ducal family revolting or trying to pull out of the empire would cause immense damage. Which meant that Gabriel could only further wonder exactly what they were gaining from this, it had to be immensely valuable.

    Thus, the banquet ended with Gabriel separated from both Abigail and the ducal families he had made deals with. Alice was his fiancee but he wasn¡¯t technically part of the Vritara family yet so he couldn¡¯t join them for the meeting with the Imperial Family. They had arrived together ready to stir up things ording to Gabriel¡¯s n, but in the end they had to leave separately without aplishing anything.

    But still, he maintained his calm expression as he moved away from the pce. The Emperor had already announced that the Imperial Decree would be sent out properly in theing days, meaning that he would make it extremely public to further lock down the ones they had picked out for the delegation. It didn¡¯t give Gabriel much time.

    ¡°Eat them? Late night snack?¡±

    A small voice rang in Gabriel¡¯s ears, he could practically feel Nergal¡¯s gaze from within the darkness.

    ¡°No. Leave them be for now.¡±

    He responded with a subdued voice, not even a whisper that could be picked up by the wind. There were currently seven people tailing him. Four of them were doing a rather ¡®terrible¡¯ job so they were probably bait meant to distract him, the three doing a good job of hiding themselves were probably the actual spies sent to track him.

    For a moment he had considered killing them, but it would raise a lot of questions if the spies just suddenly vanished like that. They were probably sent by the empress, and he wanted to gather some more information before he decided on how to act. Being careless now would not be good for Alice.

    So he went back to the mansion he and Alice currently resided in without raising a fuss, greeting Teresa and the two children Bellona and Edith before getting changed and entering the bath. The bathroom naturally didn¡¯t have any windows, so he cast his magic once he was sure that the spies that still clung to him couldn¡¯t see or detect him.

    ¡°Karas, Aset.¡± (Darkness, Switch.¡±

    An inky darkness welled up from beneath his feet and swallowed him, switching his position with one of the marks he usually kept active. As for the mark he switched with this time, it was the one in the hidden underground room where Alice was currently hiding while preparing her next moves.

    ¡°You returned without Duke Vritara, and seven new tails. I take it things haven¡¯t gone to n?¡±

    Alice wasn¡¯t even surprised by his sudden appearance, stark crimson eyes meeting his while she sat on her bed. Her purple hair was slightly wet and he could detect the faint fragrance of the soap she usually used, a mix ofvender and alpine wood, she had probablye out of the bath not long ago.

    ¡°Wait. Before you answer, take this please.¡±

    She raised her hand suddenly as he was about to answer, picking up a towel from next to her and holding it out towards him. He could tell what she wanted without her needing to say anything so he epted the towel and sat down behind her, slowly drying her hair.

    ¡°How was the banquet? More marriage proposals?¡±

    Alice was the one who broke the short silence that descended when Gabriel started to dry her hair, moving on to an entirely different topic from what they started with. Of course, the question she asked elicited a small smile from Gabriel.

    ¡°After that public proposal I believe that not even the brain-dead would propose to either of us.¡±

    Gabriel of course still remembered the public proposal during their investiture. More than just remember it, he could still taste it on his lips. After seeing a proposal like that, what noble family would try to hitch him with their daughter?

    ¡°You never know, most nobles aren¡¯t against taking a lover or two in secret, Earl Winston has even married three of his other lovers. You never know how nobles will act when they see a good bounty in front of them.¡±

    Alice leaned back slightly as she spoke, almost leaning her head against Gabriel¡¯s chest. Looking down from above he could see that her cheeks were slightly puffed out as she leaned heavily into her ¡®indignation¡¯. The scent of her soap hit him again, tickling his nose.

    ¡°No proposals, no attempted deals. A very tedious affair.¡±

    His nose came to rest on top of her head as he spoke, it was an act he had no control over, his body simply moved. On the outside they were very different, it would not be wrong to call Gabriel a cruel monster. But here, in this dim room where it was just them, they were simply Alice and Gabriel.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡±

    Alice¡¯s puffed up cheeks deted as a smile graced her lips, her eyes closing as she leaned her head against Gabriel¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I missed you, Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°I missed you too, Alice.¡±

    For a moment, the two indulged in the silence, the soft scents of the other. He could hear her heartbeat, and she could hear his. Both of them could feel the blood rushing through the veins of the other, the rising heat, the thumping that slowly grew faster. But before the heat became a me, they cut it off in favor of focusing on the current situation.

    ¡°So, who decided to mess with us?¡±

    Alice¡¯s eyes opened, her head tilting back so that she could look up at Gabriel, crimson melting into purple as their eyes locked.

    ¡°The Imperial Family. The First Prince has apparently negotiated an alliance with the Yverial Empire so we¡¯re going to exchange delegations in the not too far future. The emperor and empress were very insistent that I be part of the delegation that heads to the Yverial Empire, going as far as to drafting several Imperial Decrees. They n on leaving the search for you and dealing with the Kasarias Kingdom to the Vritara Duchy while I''m gone.¡±

    The emperor hadn¡¯t given an urate time for when the delegation would leave. But based on the fact that the empress said he would probably get news of Alice before he even reached the Yverial Empire, he could guess that they nned on sending them out quite quickly.

    ¡°Hah, someone must have jingled a particrly pretty set of keys in front of their eyes to make them drool like that.¡±

    Alice scoffed and stopped just short of cursing the Imperial Family, she couldn¡¯t even guess what sort of reward they envisioned that they would get from this. But it would surely raise quite a bit of displeasure among some of the nobles, especially the Vritara ducal family.

    ¡°Any ns on how to get out of it?¡±

    Alice¡¯s eyes were clear, the border between red and purple growing blurrier by the second as the two seemingly refused to break eye contact.

    ¡°Other than giving up my noble title?¡±

    At the moment, that was the only n Gabriel had. If the emperor hadn¡¯t brought out an Imperial Decree then he would have several other things he could try. But once an official order was brought out, they would have to dig a lot deeper if they wanted to find a proper solution.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    Alice still didn¡¯t close her eyes, nor did Gabriel. The scent of soap still hung in the air, red and purple no longer distinguishable from each other as Alice chewed on her next words, pondering the situation rather calmly.

    ¡°To go along with it or to refuse it¡­ Hmm, should we just go ahead and build a vacation home in the Yverial Empire¡­ Could just expand our home through it all¡­ Do you think our kids would like having an empire for their back garden? Hmmm, what to do¡­¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!