"Hm... You're surprisingly good at this."
Eren murmured it with his eyes closed, savoring the wine in one hand while his slave worked at the tension in his shoulders. She'd initiated this out of nowhere, which was obvious enough—she was desperately trying to get on his good side. A wise decision, considering the alternative was far less desirable.
"I... learned it," she said hesitantly.
"For Jason, right?" He asked it casually, watching as she bit her lip at the mention of the name.
"Tell me everything I need to know."
She let out a quiet sigh before speaking. "The Nevana household just announced the banishment of Eren Nevana."
He merely nodded, taking another sip. "Reason?"
"I don't know," she admitted, shaking her head slightly. "But maybe your sis—I mean, Ashley—knows something."
He took another slow sip of wine, letting it roll over his tongue. "It doesn't matter. In the end, everything falls into place. Eren is dead, after all."
"What else?" he prompted.
"Regarding what you requested... I still need some time to finalize it."
"How much time?"
"A-about a month," she replied cautiously.
He sighed. "Fine. What else?"
"According to Lisandra, the church received a prophecy. On the day of the Trinity Festival, the goddess's most favored—the Blessed Son—will be revealed."
At this, he fell silent.
That aligned perfectly with his knowledge of future events. That would be the day Jason was revealed as the Blessed Son, securing the church's protection and all the benefits that came with it. The nobles would scramble to form ties with him through marriage, throwing their daughters at him like offerings. And in the midst of it all, a dangerous villainess would emerge.
And he wanted that villainess.
She would be an even more useful pawn than Anna could ever hope to be.
"The festival... how long until it happens?" he asked.
"A month."
His eyes darkened. "Accelerate the process of what I asked for. I want it done in a week."
"But—"
"No buts." His voice was sharp, final. He stood abruptly, ending the massage without ceremony.
"I... understand," she said quietly, her hands clenched tightly by her sides. But she didn't argue, which was smart of her.
"Did you buy everything I asked for?" he asked.
Silently, she handed him a spatial ring.
He took it, inspecting it closely before slipping it onto his finger and channeling mana into it to test its contents.
"Hm. Well done," he remarked before glancing at her. "What's the pin?"
"My—"
"Wait, let me guess. 2630." He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"It was the most obvious choice. Your birthday—year and day. Don't overthink it," he said dismissively.
But she still looked startled, her mind clearly racing. How does he even know my birthday in the first place?
"You may go. I'll see you again in a week, dear Anna," he said before turning toward the other door, likely heading for the shower.
"Also, take that on your way out." He gestured toward the table without looking back. "You are to feed it to Jason when you get the chance. I want it done before I return—and trust me, I'll know if you don't."
Her gaze followed his gesture to the small vial of blue liquid sitting on the table.
"What is it?" she asked, a hint of apprehension creeping into her voice.
"It won't kill him. That's all you need to know," he replied dismissively, making no effort to elaborate further.
Her eyes darkened with resentment as she stared at his back. She clenched her jaw, stepped toward the table, picked up the vial, and cast him one last lingering glance.
Then, as if remembering something, he added without turning around, "And don't try anything foolish, or I might just forget everything I promised."
"W-Wait," she hesitated.
He stopped mid-step. "What?"
"Your hair..." she murmured, frowning.
Eren pulled a handful of it forward—and froze. His hair had grown long, reaching his waist. Worse than that, it had turned gray. Not normal gray. The gray of the aged, like someone decades past their prime.
"Go," he said quietly, his voice suddenly cold.
"But—"
"I said GO. Now!" he shouted.
Her body tensed and she hurried out without another word, the door clicking shut behind her.
"Ugh." He held his forehead, trying to steady his breathing.
For a while now, he had felt the pain building up inside him, his body burning with an internal heat that wouldn't fade, but he had forced himself to endure it, refusing to show any sign of weakness in front of Anna. Now, however, it was getting worse, spreading through his limbs like fire in his veins.
"I have to... leave before... she gets here," he stuttered, gasping for breath as he dragged himself toward the door in the corner. He reached it, gripping the handle with trembling fingers, and pulled it open, stepping into the bathroom with unsteady steps.
Stumbling over to the mirror on the wall, he caught sight of his reflection—and froze.
"What the hell is happening to me?" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
His hand trembled as he reached up, touching the mask that covered his face. Hesitation flickered in his eyes for just a moment, but he pulled it away, revealing the horror beneath.
"Ugh." He groaned, running his fingers over his face as if checking that it was real.
His hair—grey. Completely grey, not a trace of its original color remaining.
His skin—pale, almost lifeless, like someone drained of vitality.
And his eyes... They were no longer blue. Instead, an amethyst glow had begun to seep into his irises, overtaking their original color with an otherworldly light.
"Could... Could this be the drawback of the forbidden technique?" he murmured to his reflection. It was the only explanation that made sense.
From the moment he realized how powerless he was after reincarnating into this world, he had become obsessed with gaining strength. His desperate search had led him far and wide, driven by an insatiable hunger for knowledge and power. And then, one day, he had found that book.
He had stumbled upon it in the black market, a place he had only learned about through his knowledge of this world's future events.
But the book hadn't warned him of its consequences. It hadn't said anything about physical changes or how long the effects would last.
Even now, he could still feel the power coursing through him, just as he had on the day he first used the technique. But something was different. Something was changing inside him, twisting his body into something he didn't recognize.
"Wait... Why don't I just reverse my flow of mana?"