"Pff—!"
A stabbing pain exploded from his heart, forcing Puer to hunch forward instinctively. His eyes widened in horror as he looked down—
A dagger woven entirely from golden magical energy was already buried deep in his chest.
"Damn it…!"
Puer clenched his teeth, his vision darting frantically around before finally locking onto the distant crowd.
There—
A woman of breathtaking beauty stood among them, her gaze cold and merciless as winter frost. Her presence alone radiated a bone-chilling aura, as if the surrounding air had frozen solid.
Her hands were clasped together, fingers interlocked, golden motes of light shimmering in her palms.
"Y-you—"
Before Puer could even finish his final words, several more golden daggers pierced his body in rapid succession—
Ending his life completely.
"All taken care of~"
From afar, Ivsha watched as the necromancer's aura faded into nothingness. Only then did she relax, turn around, and make her way back to Kurose Akira.
Puer's death, however, was nothing short of a devastating blow for Wang Qi, who had been watching the battle from inside his guild.
His face instantly drained of color. Panic surged through him like a tidal wave.
"How could this happen…"
The dry words barely forced their way past his lips.
In his wildest dreams, Wang Qi had never imagined that the necromancer he had placed all his hopes on would die during this commission. He had poured every resource, every last scrap of expectation, into that necromancer—leaving the remaining two normal-rarity adventurers at only level five or six.
Now, his strongest combat asset was gone.
This wasn't just mission failure.
It meant his guild no longer had the ability to clear future tasks at all.
Without recharging—without whaling—his extraordinary game life would end right here.
Wang Qi wasn't the only one drowning in despair.
When Mero saw all seven Vowbound Knight undead reduced to dust, fury and bitterness surged into his eyes.
"Damn it… how did it end up like this?!"
He ground his teeth as he stared at Roxia, who was steadily walking toward the white rose petals.
She would ascend as the first-place finisher, using the petals to rise lightly toward the towering White Rose Flower, there to receive its blessing.
And all of it—
Every single thing—
Traced back to Loserine's appearance.
Her arrival had shattered the original plan beyond recognition.
Deep in Mero's heart, a hatred carved into his very bones surged uncontrollably. His hawk-like eyes locked onto Loserine, standing at the center of the battlefield, as though he wanted to tear her apart piece by piece.
Again.
It was her again.
Destroying everything.
If not for Loserine's existence, the Yerman Family would have vanished long ago, and the White Rose Flower should have withered away ten years earlier.
"Loserine…"
Mero growled her name under his breath, his voice trembling—but he didn't dare reveal himself.
If the Yerman knights learned that he was the one who had hired the necromancer, he wouldn't even leave behind a corpse.
All he could do was wait.
Wait until the Vowbound Knight selection ceremony ended.
Then seek an audience with that person—
And look for a way to turn the board.
While Mero and Wang Qi drowned in the agony of defeat, the arena erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Loserine! Loserine!"
Her name was shouted again and again, voices raised high as the crowd celebrated the continuation of her legend.
It was as if time itself had rewound—
Back to twenty years ago.
Back to the Yerman Family's most glorious era, when fifteen-year-old Loserine had effortlessly passed the White Rose Trial and become a Vowbound Knight in a single, dazzling moment.
Yet—
Loserine heard none of it.
Her hollow gaze drifted toward Kurose Akira in the distance, and a faint trace of joy surfaced within her.
Not in response to the cheers—
But because she had flawlessly completed the task assigned by the guild.
"Well done."
Akira nodded at her in satisfaction, offering silent praise.
At the same time, Ivsha had already returned to his side.
"Mr. Kurose Akira, the target has been eliminated," Ivsha reported.
"Good work. You did great."
Akira smiled and gently ruffled Ivsha's hair as a reward.
Of course—
To Ivsha, any physical contact with Akira counted as a reward.
It was enough to stir a sweet, tingling pleasure deep within her heart.
"Now," Akira said calmly, lifting his gaze, "all that's left is for Roxia to finish the Vowbound Knight trial."
He looked up toward the White Rose Flower above.
Roxia had already entered it, beginning the final trial.
As long as she passed, she would become this generation's Vowbound Knight.
And…
Akira's eyes shifted subtly, resting on Mero in the distance.
From the very beginning, Akira had suspected that the opposing guild had a hidden client behind the scenes.
Natasha had once speculated that it might be someone from another knightly family—but that was never a definitive conclusion.
So Akira had kept observing everything.
It wasn't until Loserine appeared that he finally gained a clear lead.
Mero's reactions—Roxia's uncle—did not align with what a Yerman Family member should display. There was no excitement, no pride.
Only fear.
Only rage.
It raised serious questions about his identity and motives—about what secrets he might be hiding.
And when Loserine annihilated all seven skeletal Vowbound Knights, Mero's reaction sealed it.
Akira was now certain—
Mero was the true client behind this mission.
Of course, eliminating the client wasn't a mandatory condition for mission completion.
And given Mero's special relationship as Roxia's uncle, Akira chose to leave the decision to her.
He would tell Roxia the truth.
As for how to deal with Mero—
He trusted that she would decide for herself.
"Look! The White Rose Flower is reacting!"
A sudden shout rang out.
Everyone's eyes snapped upward.
The White Rose Flower began to radiate dazzling golden light. Its once tightly sealed bud slowly unfolded, releasing a rich fragrance that refreshed the soul itself.
"She did it! Roxia succeeded!"
"To pass the White Rose Trial even after all that interference—what terrifying bloodline strength the Yerman Family has!"
"As expected of Sunset City's strongest guardian knight family. Even after that incident, their foundation is still something other families can't match."
"Roxia is amazing!"
"She and her aunt Loserine are truly the twin legends of Sunset City!"
"..."
Cheers erupted one after another.
Roxia's success seemed inevitable—no one questioned it.
The remaining eleven young knights who had failed the trial quietly sheathed their weapons and left the arena one by one.
As they departed, all attention focused on the White Rose Flower slowly descending toward the ground—
Waiting for Roxia to emerge.
Akira was no exception.
His gaze remained fixed on the falling White Rose.
The light blooming from it made his heart race. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, the sensation was oddly familiar—
Like the nervous anticipation of meeting a young, beautiful mother-in-law who practices yoga.
Even his body temperature seemed to rise slightly.
When the White Rose touched the ground, its petals fully bloomed, revealing a breathtaking sight.
Roxia stood atop the White Rose, reborn in a new posture, drawing waves of astonished gasps from the crowd.
However—
Akira wasn't looking at Roxia.
Because he saw something else.
A wisp of a soul stood beside her, atop the white rose—
And it was smiling at him.
…What?
Even stranger, no one else seemed to notice it.
Only him.
Wait—
Akira's pupils shrank.
That soul's appearance—
Was identical to Natasha, who was standing right beside him!?
What was going on…?
Before he could think it through, a notification abruptly popped up in his vision.
[Soul of the White Rose (Unlocked)]
[Hidden Quest Recommended Level: 25…]