「WEST VILLA」
The training at the Utility Magic Department had continued into the night before G6, Edmund, and Lord Zen finally returned to West Villa. They parted within the quiet main building, leaving the corridors undisturbed as each withdrew to their assigned chambers.
G6 had barely entered her room when a blue shimmer gathered beneath her loose hair. Daunt emerged beside her and immediately began examining the furnishings, his nose passing close to the furniture as though the room required an inspection.
"So, this is your den, Reise?"
"You're supposed to be a secret. Stop popping in and out whenever you feel like it."
She looked through the empty sitting area toward the closed door.
"And where is everyone?"
"Are you quite serious? It is four in the morning. Even the most diligent of servants require sleep."
Daunt approached the couch and climbed onto it before G6 turned back.
"What the—? Off the couch. On the floor. Tina will have questions about the fur."
"Is this Tina the maid from your childhood? And why are you being so disagreeable?"
"Because I despise unnecessary social obligations. I already regret embedding myself at the Collegium."
G6 pulled off her coat and set it aside with considerably less care than Tina would have preferred.
"We're back to boring work in a few hours. This sucks."
"Or perhaps you have already secured what you wanted from that institution and now wish to direct your considerable energies elsewhere."
Daunt jumped down, his paws landing with a soft thud against the rug.
"Whatever."
He watched her cross toward the window. She stopped before it with her arms folded, looking over the dark grounds without appearing particularly interested in anything beyond the glass.
"What is it, exactly?" Daunt asked. "Our souls are bound, Reise. To an extent, so are our emotions. I can sense that something has been troubling you."
G6 remained silent long enough that he settled onto the floor rather than continue following her.
"It's just… I feel like a hypocrite. When I first arrived here, lost, I tried to… assimilate. I found Reise's diary. I said I would live this life my way."
Her voice lost its customary edge.
"The truth is, I don't even know what 'living' is supposed to feel like. I feel like a hollow machine that's had its core programming wiped."
Daunt said nothing. G6 continued watching the window, where her faint reflection rested over the darkness outside.
"I talk too big to that woman's ghost."
"Machine?" Daunt repeated, then let the unfamiliar word pass. "Be that as it may, what do you truly feel about the people here? Those who have been beside you all this time."
"They don't… hold significant value."
She answered without looking at him.
"I thought if I tried new things—things from my old world's stories, the cliché tropes—it might generate something. Fun. Excitement. When I went on that first hunting task, it didn't bring any sense of thrill. It just felt… procedural."
Her expression hardened as her attention returned to the cliff road.
"Until the cliff road. There… I felt alive. It felt more like me. It's difficult to suppress your fundamental nature. You understand?"
"I do."
Daunt's low reply carried none of his earlier indignation.
Poor child, he thought. She has been called chosen, yet she is still searching for something she knows how to be.
"Why not simply exist in the present?" he asked. "Act according to your nature until your purpose reveals itself to you."
"That's what I've been doing. Hiding in the shadows isn't new to me. It's more authentic than pretending to be a noble."
"You were reborn in a different time and place. It is hardly a simple adjustment."
G6 finally turned toward him.
"Aren't you going to ask about the things I say? The words that make me sound like two different people?"
"You owe me no explanations, child. I have lived for millennia. I have seen souls far more fractured than yours find their way."
"Make sense."
She released a short breath, and some of the tension left her shoulders.
"Anyway, I've got to clock in at the Collegium at eight o'clock. We might as well make use of the time."
G6 crossed to the desk and opened the drawer containing the Cryomancy tome. Its cover felt cold beneath her fingers, the texture unlike that of the ordinary books stacked nearby.
"Let's see what forbidden knowledge we can digest before the sun comes up."
She lowered herself onto the floor beside the bed and opened the volume across her knees. Daunt shifted closer, settling where he could read over her shoulder.
The opening passage spread across the old pages in deliberate, elaborate script.
"Of the Celestial Will, when the Heavens conspired to still the endless pool of blood, there was born Cryomancy.
It was the purest divine blessing, a shard of cosmic order given form.
Its one law is this: the soul must be a reflection of its own nature—a keeper of balance, a weaver of stillness.
But lo, it shuns not the soul touched by shadow, if that shadow was cast by another. It turns from the self-made stain, yet embraces the one marked by the sins of monsters in sheep's clothing.
For such a soul knows the cost of chaos, and the precious weight of peace.
Thus is Cryomancy bestowed: the power to bind the writhing chaos, to still the hidden evil that lurks in the world's dark corners.
So that, under its crystalline guard, the innocent may rest in untroubled silence.
Again.
Only one who kills can wield.
Thus ends the First Knowing."
"Freaks."
G6 turned the page.
"Of the Taking-Up of the Blessing, two gates must be passed: first, a Death; then, a Rebirth. The mortal self is shed that the appointed vessel may be filled.
Yet to wield and strengthen the Gift, one covenant stands above all: thou must align thy will with the Celestial Mandate of Order. Thy purpose is to scourge the world of those monsters who wear the skin of mortals, to see the corruption beneath the flesh and render it still and pure.
Heed the warnings written in the vessel's own flesh:
Shouldst thou wield the Gift before a new start of sacred cleansing, a cold ache shall gather in thy heart, a frost of divine displeasure.
Shouldst thou turn its edge against the innocent, thy heart shall be pierced as by a shard of everlasting ice, and cease its beat forever.
For this blessing seeks not the ambitious, nor the vengeful in their own name.
It seeks only the vessel whose soul, though perhaps scarred by the world's evil, holds no greed for its power—one who understands the duty is a burden, and the power, a solemn chain.
Thus ends the Second Knowing."
"This is too much poetry."
G6's gaze returned briefly to the warning concerning the heart. Daunt watched her examine it before speaking.
"Reise, you comprehend the tome's meaning, yes?"
"Yeah. I'm not internalizing it, though. I just like the part about 'cleaning.'"
She moved her fingers beneath the next page.
"Let's check the spells. I tried making a little ice to trip Edmund once, and it felt like my heart froze for a second. Probably because I hadn't done any 'cleansing' yet."
The needle she had formed beside his boot had been almost absurdly small compared with the pain that followed. The text gave her something against which to consider that reaction, though she had only the one attempt to examine.
Daunt lowered his head toward the book.
"Proceed with caution."
G6 turned to the first spell entry.
"Hmm. 'Fracture Point.' A precise 'shot' of cold that targets the structural weakness of an object, making it explode like glass."
She looked up.
"A bomb?"
"A mana blast, but more elegant! And colder. Get it? Cooler."
Daunt's tail struck the rug once.
"Keep your comedy to yourself. Next."
G6 moved on before he could defend the joke.
"Frost Shear?" he read over her shoulder.
"A thin, invisible blade of absolute-zero cold that cuts through armor by making the metal turn brittle and snap."
She nodded slowly as her eyes followed the accompanying description.
"You know, ice magic is legitimately cool. And these are just the basics."
Daunt rumbled in agreement.
"Reise! Check the intermediate spells."
She turned farther into the tome, locating the next section.
"'Rime Lock.' The moisture in the air is instantly turned into 'heavy' frost that pins an enemy to the ground with sheer weight."
Her gaze passed to the entry beneath it.
"'Phase Anchor.' Freezing the 'motion' of magic itself, allowing the user to literally catch an enemy's attack in their hand like a solid stone."
"That is lit," Daunt declared.
G6 looked toward him.
"Do you even know what 'lit' means?"
"No, but you use it when you find something exceptional. Hurry! The high-level spells!"
"We haven't finished the mid-tier yet. Stop skipping."
"Reise, the book has no feet. It will not run away."
"Ugh. Fine."
She flipped ahead. The descriptions grew denser as she moved through the advanced entries, their language returning to the same elaborate register as the opening passages.
"Hmm. 'Stillpoint Reclamation.' The caster chooses a single moment—a fracture in fate's ice. They then expend their entire essence to isolate that fragment of time, causing all causality to flow around it as they force it to thaw, re-form, and re-freeze correctly. The rest of reality remains untouched, but the caster's soul bears the frostburn of having personally re-sculpted a piece of eternity."
G6 stopped, keeping her finger beneath the final sentence.
"Wait. This sounds similar to one of my skills."
"Which one?"
"Author's Decree."
She remembered the name from the appraisal, along with the refusal to supply an operational description. Yesterday's direct access had shown her the familiar categories, but she had not examined that entry closely.
"You have the means to examine it yourself now," Daunt said. "The name alone will tell us little."
"Good point."
G6 focused.
"Status Window."
The blue display appeared above the open tome. She selected Author's Decree and watched the detailed entry expand.
This time, the explanation was available.
AUTHOR'S DECREE
Rewrites a single, small rule of reality within immediate vicinity once per day.
(Drains all your mana).
"It's also a skill to manipulate a small piece of reality," G6 said, reading the text. "It says it drains all my mana."
"Your reserves are immense, and you can draw from the environment," Daunt replied. "Neither is a reason to dismiss a warning like that."
Below the description, a smaller line caught her attention.
EDITED: You can use this without straining your mana due to your training. CONGRATS!
G6 stared at it. The abrupt change in tone looked out of place beneath the formal description, as though someone had interrupted a record to congratulate her personally.
Daunt leaned closer.
"What the hell is with the friendly tone?"
He looked from the lettering to her.
"And this is why I warned you about summoning the interface. Ordinary mortals require a tool—an orb or some other compatible instrument. Only direct subjects of the All-Seers can access it without one."
"I am not surprised if I am one of their so-called 'direct subjects' and couldn't care less, but what exactly is the difference?"
G6 indicated the open tome beneath the display, bringing his attention back to the two descriptions.
Daunt studied them.
"Author's Decree describes a small, immediate alteration to reality. This account of Stillpoint Reclamation speaks of selecting a particular moment to mend while the broader flow remains untouched. According to the text, its cost is borne by the caster's soul."
He paused over the passage.
"The descriptions suggest a distinction. They do not tell us how either would behave in your hands."
"You're smarter than you look."
"Insult noted. Now, the next—"
G6 raised one hand, her head tilting toward the door.
"Someone's approaching. Hide, Daunt."
His form dissolved into a blue shimmer that drew beneath her hair and disappeared into the chained rose behind her right ear. G6 dismissed the display but remained seated on the floor, the Cryomancy tome still open across her knees.
A moment later, the door eased inward.
Tina peered into the dim room. Her attention went first to the neatly made bed, and she hesitated when she found it empty.
"Is Lady Reise not home yet?"
"I'm right here, hon."
Tina startled, one hand rising to her chest as she looked down.
"Lady Reise! What are you doing sitting on the floor in the dark?"
"I felt like it. How was the house while I was away?"
G6 closed the tome with a soft thud.
"Quiet, my lady. What time did you return?"
"Stop asking questions."
The words came with a sharp, sarcastic smile.
"I suppose it's time to resume the charade."
Tina regarded her for a moment before turning toward the wardrobe.
"Will you be wearing a dress today?"
"Yes."
"Lady Brenda sent over two new dresses for you. One in black, one in beige. She said they were more to your… taste."
The wardrobe doors opened, revealing the garments among the other clothes.
"Brenda did? Let me see."
G6 stood and moved to the edge of the bed. Tina brought both dresses out, holding them where the available light caught their sleek lines and the high slits in their skirts.
There was little resemblance to the layers of pastel fabric G6 had once threatened to burn.
"Well, she actually has taste."
Her gaze lingered on the black dress.
"I'll go with the black. It fits my mood."
"A fine choice, my lady."
Tina laid it across the bed and began selecting the accompanying accessories.
"Will you be joining the others for breakfast later?"
"No. In fact, don't tell anyone I'm back yet."
G6's tone became brisk.
"If anyone asks, tell them I went straight to the Collegium. I don't feel like dealing with dramatic people before I've had my coffee."
"As you wish, Lady Reise."
Tina completed the preparations and withdrew, leaving the dress ready for G6 after her bath.
G6 waited until the footsteps faded before rising. She had nearly reached the bathroom when a thin ringing pierced her ears.
She stopped, one hand moving to her temple. The sound intensified, cutting through the room until the familiar furniture seemed to recede behind another image.
Bookshelves stood in darkness. A woman sat slumped over a table beneath them, tears moving steadily down her cheeks without changing the hollow expression on her face.
G6 recognized her.
The recognition gave her no time to understand the room around the woman, or why she was seeing it. Her knees buckled, and the floor struck hard beneath her.
"REISE! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Daunt's voice broke through the ringing.
G6 opened her eyes to find him crouched before her, his massive paws braced against her shoulders. The bedroom had returned, though her heart was racing and sweat cooled against her skin.
"What… happened?"
"I should be asking you that. Your presence suddenly felt weak. You looked as though you were fading."
She pressed one palm against the floor and steadied herself.
It happened again.
The image had disappeared, but the woman's face remained clear. It had been Reise, seated in a room G6 could not place from the glimpse she had received.
Her gaze moved toward the concealed compartment in the bedside table. She pushed herself upright and crossed toward it, with Daunt following close behind.
「WEST VILLA — DINING HALL」
7:00 A.M
"Why are we even here?"
Lord Keith entered the dining hall with the expression of a man who considered walking to breakfast an unreasonable demand. Lord Earl passed him and pulled out a chair.
"Stop complaining. Do you remember what Alistair told Prince Dio when he refused breakfast here the other day? 'None of you will be getting food if you make a fuss.' I, for one, would like to eat."
"Right. That grumpy old man."
Lord Keith dropped into the neighboring seat.
"Good morning, everyone."
Miss Eliza entered with her two attendants following several paces behind. Lord Keith answered with a lazy wave, while Lord Earl acknowledged her more properly.
Lady Brenda arrived before she had settled.
"I miss Lady Reise!"
"Manners, Brenda," Lord Earl warned.
"Whatever."
She took the seat beside Miss Eliza and looked toward G6's vacant place.
"Isn't she supposed to be back by now?" Lord Keith asked.
Before anyone could answer, Janin entered with a cart laden with covered dishes.
"Good morning, not-so-young lords and ladies."
"Hurtful, Miss Jan."
Lord Keith smiled at her, receiving no apology as she began distributing the plates.
"Only four settings?" Lord Earl observed.
"Prince Dio will not be joining you. He departed for the Main Palace last night."
"Ah. Understood."
"What about Reise?" Lord Keith pressed. "She is not back yet?"
"I could not say, Lord Keith. Please, enjoy your meal."
Janin offered a practiced smile and withdrew with the cart. Lord Earl turned his attention to the food.
"Eat well, everyone. We have a demanding session awaiting us in the Training Arena."
"Right. The knights are back."
Lord Keith took a mouthful before continuing.
"I can only imagine the chaos in the dormitory."
"The knights from the border expedition?" Miss Eliza asked. "Have they returned?"
"Unfortunately."
Lady Brenda rolled her eyes.
"They do have a talent for spoiling the mood."
"Are they… problematic?"
"Problematic? Miss Eliza, those men have a sense of superiority thicker than the palace walls."
Some of Lady Brenda's irritation gave way to enthusiasm.
"But the Five Angels outclass them in everything. Their faces? Divine. Their magic? In God Eldrin's name, they are strong. S-Rank."
"S-Rank…"
Miss Eliza's eyes widened.
"They sound reliable. I would love to meet them."
"You will probably meet the whole lot of them at the Training Arena eventually," Lady Brenda replied.
"Regarding that," Lord Earl interjected, "I would advise you to maintain a prudent distance."
His careful tone drew Miss Eliza's attention.
"Why? Am I not permitted to acquaint myself with those I may one day serve alongside?"
Her face fell.
"I suppose… it is because I am a commoner."
Lord Keith's eyes narrowed. Across the table, Lord Earl looked genuinely troubled by the interpretation.
"Miss Eliza, Earl is merely cautioning you," Lady Brenda said quickly. "As I told you, there are troublesome men among them. He meant no disparagement of your standing."
"Indeed," Lord Earl added. "It is only concern for your well-being."
"What a relief. And it is an honor that you would worry for me, Lord Earl."
Miss Eliza smiled. Lord Keith put down his utensils and stood, though he had eaten only a few bites.
"I am heading out. There are things to do."
"Already? Alistair will be displeased," Lord Earl said.
"Get off my back, Earl."
Lord Keith left before anyone could question him further.
Lady Brenda watched the door close.
"That is strange. Keith looks… genuinely angry."
「ROYAL COLLEGIUM — BASTION OF PHALANX」
The Bastion's normally orderly halls had grown louder since the knights' return. Men in training clothes passed between the staircases and adjoining corridors, their conversations carrying into offices where staff were attempting to begin the day's work.
"Good morning, Lord Keith."
A noble staff member bowed as Lord Keith passed. He returned a distracted nod and continued toward the stairs, hearing a quieter conversation from an alcove nearby.
"Gods, I heard those knights picked a fight with the recruits in the dormitory last night."
"Already? They only returned yesterday."
"At least they will be occupied tormenting the commoners now, rather than us."
Lord Keith climbed the stairs two at a time. He had begun whistling a tuneless note when he spotted Tina walking briskly toward G6's office.
He quickened his pace and came alongside her.
"Hello, Tina."
"Good morning, Lord Keith."
She acknowledged him with a professional nod without slowing.
"So, is Reise here?"
"Yes. She arrived early and is in her office."
"Really? I shall head there first, then!"
His earlier annoyance gave way to enthusiasm. He broke into a jog, leaving Tina to follow at her own pace, and threw open the office door.
G6 sat behind the desk in the black dress Lady Brenda had sent. Its elegant lines did little to disguise the rigid displeasure in her posture as she bent over a sprawling document.
Her pen moved across the page with sufficient force to make the work look personal.
"I can't believe I'm doing this shit."
"Reise! I missed you!"
Her scowl deepened without her looking up.
"Great. Another freak."
Lord Keith dragged a chair toward the opposite side of the desk and sat. The scratch of her pen continued through the brief silence that followed.
"Oh, come on. You were gone for three days, and all we have had is endless drilling. My rank has not budged."
"Your personal stagnation is not my concern."
"Meanie."
He looked around the room as Tina arrived and took her place near the door.
"Where is the little one?"
"Lilia is assisting Edmund at the moment," Tina answered.
Lord Keith turned back to G6.
"So, Reise. Are you finished with the Training Arena?"
"Unlike some, I have already achieved my objective."
She finally looked up, though the glance gave him little encouragement.
"Lucky you."
His shoulders dropped.
"I do not know how much longer this special training will last. It feels as though we are doing nothing but striking a wall."
"Get out."
Lord Keith pouted.
"Why do we not go and watch the recruits train? Now that the knights are back, their instruction is finally beginning properly."
G6's pen paused.
"Hmm… no."
She resumed writing.
"Are you not even curious about the Five Angels? S-Rank, Reise. Legends! Some are not even from the main family lines."
A dry scoff escaped her.
She remembered Greenhill's square, the large spells that had briefly stopped the wolves, and the creatures rising afterward. The three officers searching beneath the canopy remained an equally clear memory. Whatever the men had accomplished elsewhere, she had little patience for hearing the title repeated as though it should command her admiration.
Lord Keith tilted his head at her response.
"Then again, I forgot how much you hate drama. Those knights are behaving like complete asses this morning anyway."
"Explain."
He leaned back in the chair.
"The staff were discussing it downstairs. Apparently, some of the returned knights picked a fight with the recruits in the dormitory last night. They had scarcely arrived before causing trouble."
"Interesting…"
G6's eyes narrowed. She set down the pen, its metal striking the desk with a small clatter.
"Wouldn't the training arena be the perfect stage for them to flex that authority?"
"That is the spirit! Let us go!"
Lord Keith jumped to his feet. Near the door, Tina's shoulders lowered in quiet resignation.
"Alright."
G6 stood and smoothed her dress.
"Tina, finish this."
She indicated the waiting paperwork and crossed toward the door. Before Tina could formulate an objection, her mistress had left with Lord Keith following eagerly.
❈.❈.❈
The upper stone bleachers overlooked the sunken oval of the Training Arena. Knights occupied several sections of the grounds while recruits in black gathered for their exercises, the divisions between the groups visible long before Lord Keith began explaining them.
G6's attention found Lieutenant Libert leading the basic drills.
"Reise, look. See the man with blond hair? The one who looks like a painting come to life?"
Lord Keith gestured toward the center.
"That is Lieutenant Frenz Libert. One of the Angels."
"Whatever."
G6 examined the different uniforms.
"Why am I looking at four different colors down there? It's a mess."
"The silver tops belong to Silver Company. The gold ones are Golden Company, and bronze is Bronze Company. The black uniforms belong to the new recruits."
"You call a group of less than a hundred a 'company'?"
"What?"
"Nothing."
She shifted her attention along the field.
This world doesn't even know how to name its units properly.
A familiar, slight figure stood near one corner, his posture stiff and uncertain.
Pete. What's he doing here looking like a lost puppy?
"Reise, look. Silver's Chief is making his entrance."
Lord Keith nudged her and pointed toward a man crossing the arena with several knights turning to acknowledge him.
"That is the first son of House Vinesthorne. Just look at that smug face."
"And who is this insignificant pest?"
"Rarlen Vinesthorne. His father is Marquess Gerard Vinesthorne, the current head of the Upper Court. The main Sertiz family held that position before."
Former head… Like the Marquess Sertiz Zero mentioned.
Lord Keith continued watching Rarlen.
"He is only a year older than I am, and he was appointed Chief of Silver Company as soon as he left the academy, thanks entirely to his father's influence. A B-Rank affinity user. How impressive."
"That's a lot of venom for someone who, much like a certain slacker I know, only works here due to family reputation. We're not so different from that 'annoying face.'"
"What are you talking about? We are nothing alike!"
Lord Keith turned toward her in indignation.
"Why do you think I do not command a company? My father said I had to earn my place. And yes, his face is annoying. I wonder what he is preening about now."
"Let's eavesdrop on those lowlives."
Whisper of the Gale.
Wind moved across the training grounds, carrying the nearby conversations upward until the voices around Rarlen reached them clearly. Lord Keith looked from the field to G6.
"Surprised? You loser."
"My goodness. You really are the greatest snob here."
His grin remained as they returned their attention to the conversation below.
"—That is right. Silver Company captured the serial killer in Klament Town," Rarlen was saying to the knights gathered around him. "That is why we and Golden Company returned first. The Five Angels could not even track him, but to me? It was child's play."
"You are remarkable, Lord Rarlen!"
"Perhaps a promotion to Lieutenant will follow?"
"What a jerk," Lord Keith muttered.
"Exhausting," G6 said almost at the same moment.
He folded his arms along the rail.
"Well… at least they caught the rotten bastard. I suppose he deserves some credit for doing one thing right."
"Then why do you look so disgusted?"
"The bragging makes me ill."
Below, Lieutenant Libert approached the group.
"Are you going to stand here all day?"
Several knights straightened.
"Lieutenant Libert!"
Rarlen turned toward him with a smile that carried little warmth.
"My, Lieutenant. Do not be so dour."
"Why would I not be? There are recruits who require your attention more than your… retelling of events."
"Retelling?"
Rarlen gave a short scoff.
"Are you perhaps jealous that none of your Five Angels managed the capture?"
"Jealous? That is a bold accusation, Chief Rarlen Vinesthorne, especially from someone who has failed to notice that he is being eavesdrop of."
G6's brows rose.
"He's not as useless as I thought."
"We have been caught, Reise!"
Lord Keith sounded delighted by the prospect.
"So?"
"This is so much fun."
On the arena floor, Rarlen looked around sharply.
"What? Who?!"
Lieutenant Libert pointed toward the upper stone seats.
G6 and Lord Keith stood in plain view, looking down at him without any attempt to disguise their interest. Neither offered an apology or withdrew from the rail when Rarlen found them.
"If they were enemies, you would be dead long before you could claim your reward," Lieutenant Libert said. "Be more careful, Chief."
A small smirk touched his mouth before he turned away. Rarlen remained where he was, his irritation plain enough to be appreciated from the bleachers.
Lord Keith doubled over.
"HAHAHAHA! HE LOOKS SO STUPID!"
"Cut it, you annoying rat."
G6 continued watching the Chief.
"But he is indeed an idiot."
「MAIN PALACE — THRONE ROOM」
The King and Queen occupied the royal dais, with the two princes standing beside their father's throne. Below them, the three heads of the Pillar families sat in their designated places while the assembled nobility spoke in low voices across the hall.
"Silence."
The King's command brought the conversations to an immediate end.
"It is a significant relief that the serial murderer who has plagued our lands for years has finally been apprehended. Credit is due to Silver Company."
Captain Kepler, Vice Captain Cortez, and Lieutenant Nocturne stood near the Pillar heads, their expressions composed as the acknowledgment passed over the room.
"This will bring peace to our people, who have lived in fear," the King continued. "We shall hold a public trial in three days."
"If I may speak, Your Majesty."
Prince Dio took a measured step forward.
"What is it, Prince Dio?"
"I visited the dungeon and made a troubling discovery. The blood infused within the criminal contains traces of the long-lost affinity for Invisibility. As we all know, House Neviden perished with the late Count, leaving no heir and ending that bloodline."
"Your Highness, it could simply be an illegitimate line—"
"Allow me to finish before you leap to conclusions."
Prince Dio's gaze settled on the Middle Court noble who had interrupted him. The man fell silent, and the Prince continued.
"The criminal is a commoner. The blood was deliberately infused into him. We are all aware of the dangers of such a practice. Blood carries mana, and forcing it upon a commoner with low innate reserves can be catastrophic."
His attention returned to the throne.
"We must discover the source of the blood. The criminal himself has been of no use in questioning. His mind appears consumed by a ravenous bloodlust, likely a direct consequence of the illegal infusion."
"This is a grave matter indeed."
The King's brow furrowed. Before he could continue, another voice rose from the seated nobility.
"If I may speak."
Marquess Vinesthorne stood. Conversation did not resume around him, but several faces turned toward the Upper Court's leading figure.
"You may proceed, Marquess."
Queen Euphelia watched him closely.
"This criminal will be sentenced to death, will he not?"
"He has taken too many innocent lives," the King answered. "The sentence is death."
"However, as Head of the Upper Court, I wish to propose taking him into our custody until we ascertain the source of the tainted blood."
"That leech."
Prince Dio's muttered words were too quiet to carry beyond the dais. Queen Euphelia leaned forward slightly.
"Why would the Upper Court require custody of this particular criminal?"
Her voice remained smooth, offering the Marquess no open challenge beyond the question itself.
"The Royal Knights are already overwhelmed by the current irregularities. As His Highness has stated, the man is unresponsive. My office may be of assistance."
Marquess Vinesthorne inclined his head.
"My second son leads a division in Omnia, and my daughter is an intermediate mage in Sanctum. We have the resources."
"We support Marquess Vinesthorne's proposal," a noble declared from the Upper Court seats.
"I concur," another added.
"As do we."
Support followed from several places among the Middle and Lower Courts. The Queen's fingers tightened against the arm of her throne while the three Pillar heads remained still below the dais.
The King looked across the hall, allowing the murmurs of agreement to settle before answering.
"We shall render a decision following the trial."
The Marquess's expression tightened, but he bowed.
"As Your Majesty commands."
"This session is adjourned. We will reconvene in three days."
The King stood, and the room rose with him.
"Dismissed."
As the nobles bowed, Crown Prince Amir leaned slightly toward his younger brother.
"Leeches."
Prince Dio gave no answer. He followed their father from the dais, with Crown Prince Amir beside him and Queen Euphelia withdrawing behind them.
The three Pillar heads rose. Captain Kepler and Vice Captain Cortez fell into step with them, while Lieutenant Nocturne joined the departing group.
They had not gone far before Marquess Vinesthorne addressed Duke Worthon.
"Oh, Prime Minister of External Affairs… or should I address you as Duke Worthon?"
"Marquess."
Duke Worthon stopped without offering anything further.
"And Duke Nocturne. Duke De Lune."
The Marquess gave a shallow bow to each. Duke Nocturne acknowledged him with a curt nod; Duke De Lune made no effort to conceal his disgust.
"I have often wondered, Marquess… is your spirit animal, by any chance, a pig?"
Marquess Vinesthorne scoffed.
"Your Graces are the kingdom's most influential men. Do not think me so crude."
His gaze returned to Duke Worthon.
"Especially you, Duke Worthon. After all, your power and influence are said to rival those of the Royal Family itself."
He bowed again, deeper this time.
"If you will excuse me."
The Dukes watched him depart. Once he had moved beyond comfortable hearing distance, Duke De Lune spoke through his teeth.
"That son of a bitch."
"Trevon, language," Duke Nocturne said.
"What would you have me say, Severon, after that pig tried to snout his way into a vial of tainted blood?"
"Enough, both of you."
Duke Worthon's quiet intervention stopped the exchange.
"Their Majesties await us."
"Then we shall take our leave, Father. Your Graces."
Captain Kepler bowed.
"Very well," Duke De Lune replied. "Keep an eye on your little brother."
"I shall depart as well. Uncle Severon, Your Graces."
Lieutenant Nocturne offered his own bow, and Vice Captain Cortez followed suit before the three officers withdrew.
Duke Worthon turned toward the private door behind the dais.
"Let us go."
❈.❈.❈
In the Queen's private solar, the King, the two princes, and the three Pillar heads regarded Queen Euphelia in silence.
She sat with a cup of tea in her hand, appearing considerably more at ease than she had during the hearing.
"Explain yourself, my wife," the King said.
"I said we should allow Marquess Vinesthorne to take custody of the criminal."
The Queen took a measured sip before lowering the cup.
"But, Mother!"
Crown Prince Amir's restraint broke.
"You know why that swine wants him. He will experiment on the wretch, and who knows what horrors he might create? He could build an army with that research."
"I agree with my brother," Prince Dio added. "The risk is too great."
"Excuse me for saying this, Your Majesty," Duke De Lune began, "but what the hell is wrong with you, Euphelia?"
The Queen set down her tea.
"My husband, my sons… and my loose-tongued brother."
Her gaze passed over them in turn.
"I said allow. That does not mean he shall have him."
Something in her expression changed. The careful composure remained, but a familiar grimness settled beneath it.
Duke Nocturne glanced toward Duke De Lune.
"She is making that face again."
"It is giving me the creeps," Duke De Lune agreed.
"She is my wife," the King said with the weary pride of a man who had long since accepted what that entailed.
Queen Euphelia's mouth curved into a slow smile.
"Fear not. I know someone who can take care of this."
—To Be Continued…—