Chapter 8

  SPOKEN LIKE THE DEMON LORD (2)

  I stepped out of the shimmering light dome, exhaling a satisfied breath. With a flick of my fingers, the swirling sphere of black miasma inside twisted violently, unraveling into a spiraling vortex before vanishing completely.

  That sphere of darkness had done its job—trapping the cursed grimoire and keeping it hidden from everyone’s eyes long enough for me to scoop it up.

  As the last step, I slipped the gift-wrapped grimoire back into my dimensional storage. Safe, for now.

  But it wasn’t over yet.

  As soon as I stepped into the open cavern beyond the light dome, the echo of my boots meeting stone caught the attention of the three bystanders. They had witnessed my entrance with stunned disbelief, and now came rushing toward me.

  From their robes, it was clear—they were from the Mage Tower.

  Yet, I didn’t stop for them. Instead, I turned away, ignoring their footsteps and hurried voices.

  Their confusion, their questions, their fear—I had no time for any of it.

  There was something far more important that I needed to handle without delay.

  Two bodies lay nearby—one, an elderly man, unconscious and burned, wisps of purple haze slowly leaving his fingertips. He had been the grimoire’s puppet.

  And the second…

  My gaze locked onto a large, metallic pod lying on the scorched ground. Cracks ran across its surface, and intricate magical inscriptions pulsed weakly around it—flickering like a dying heartbeat, as if struggling to hold together the last traces of life emanating from within.

  The air around it thrummed with cursed magic, which pointed to the fact that it was a curse not cast by the grimoire.

  I had made sure to separate the pod from the grimoire in case it tried to pull something nasty.

  But as I stepped forward to get close to the pod, my foot barely touching the ground, a man—leapt between me and the pod. His robes were torn, half of his face blistered from magical burns.

  Gritting his teeth, he dragged his body forward, defying the pain with sheer will.

  “Stop!” he shouted, voice hoarse, body swaying.

  I narrowed my eyes, not liking the interference.

  “I don’t have time for this,” I said coldly. “I have a patient to look after first.”

  But still, he wouldn’t budge. The man stood stiff, battered and half-broken, his body blocking the path like a crumbling wall refusing to fall.

  The other two women behind him didn’t move either—tense, confused, clearly itching for answers.

  But one quick, sharp glance and a bit of magical pressure from my side—and they held back their animosity. They froze.

  I walked past the man, his hand half-raised in mid-air, completely at a loss. His eyes trembled, his lips parted with words that never made it out.

  There was grief etched into his face—an expression so raw it caught me off guard. He looked like someone who had made up his mind long ago to say his goodbyes.

  And then I understood.

  I could feel it—there was someone important to him in that pod.

  Under my breath, I murmured, “Leave it to me... I will save her.”

  I turned my attention back to the pod. The outer chamber creaked faintly as I pulled it open with dispersion magic, undoing the layers of magic cast on the pod to preserve her.

  The layers peeled away one by one with a soft mechanical hiss. There—inside—lay a woman with long, auburn-brown hair, tangled gently around her face. Her expression was eerily peaceful, almost as if she were sleeping.

  And now that I was close, I could sense it. The magical signature of the curse was the same as the devil I had just wiped the floor with.

  [Confirmation: High-Tier Soul-Binder Curse Detected. Estimated Remaining Time: Under Five Minutes.]

  Al’s analysis revealed a ticking death curse upon her—and the worst part? The curse’s grace period was nearly over.

  “This is gonna be a tough one,” I sighed.

  But not because it was some overpowered, unsolvable ancient curse.

  No, the real problem was... well, I couldn’t just casually use divine-level magic in a public setting.

  Using divine magic here, in front of three sharp-eyed, Tower-grade magicians—trained, alert, and already suspicious—was risky enough. But more importantly…

  I was certain he’d notice too.

  “I guess I’ll just have to put on another big show for this one,” I muttered with a sigh, rolling up my sleeves.

  If I am going to break the rules, I might as well make it look spectacular.

  ◇◇◇

  While Fillia, Lilliana, and Justin stood in stunned silence, their eyes locked on the light dome that had manifested out of thin air, a lone figure stepped into it—a girl, cloaked in mystery, her presence unsettlingly calm.

  “Wait—!” Fillia gasped, reaching out instinctively, but the surge of concentrated magic swallowed her voice.

  They couldn’t stop her. Couldn’t even warn her about the cursed grimoire.

  They barely had enough time to recover their own drained energy, let alone intervene.

  But just as abruptly as the girl had entered the space where the cursed grimoire was, she emerged from the radiant dome. Unscathed. Untouched. Not a single burn or scratch marred her skin.

  Fillia clutched her staff tighter, her mind racing.

  “How…?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

  What happened to the grimoire?

  What happened to their father—the Tower Master?

  What did the girl do? Who is she? How did she even get here?

  But deeper than all those questions lurked a far more haunting one, one neither Lilliana nor Fillia dared to voice aloud:

  Why did they feel so powerless in her presence?

  Then the girl moved—purposefully—toward the cracked pod lying near the edge of the scorched field.

  Justin, panting, bloodied, his robes torn from battle, forced himself upright. He gritted his teeth and dragged himself forward, planting himself between her and the pod with the last remnants of his strength.

  “Stop,” he rasped, sweat running down his temple. “Who… what are you? What do you want with that?”

  The mysterious young girl had come out of nowhere—her intent, her origin, everything was a mystery. He couldn’t let her act unchecked.

  But the girl didn’t even acknowledge his resistance. She simply looked at them.

  Her gaze—piercing, serene, and impossibly clear—shone with a radiant, emotionless blue. The moment their eyes met hers, it felt as though something inside them was quietly drained away. All three stood frozen, unable to move or speak.

  And then, in a calm, unwavering voice, she said the words:

  “I will save her.”

  She reached out and touched the pod. Its cracked surface split open as dense cursed energy in the form of black haze spilled out. Justin could only stare in torment, the pain on his face evident—he had already given up hope.

  Suddenly, the girl raised her hand, and a wave of blue light erupted from her palm, enveloping them all.

  In the next moment—

  “What just happened?”

  “Were we… teleported? Isn’t this the central garden?”

  Lilliana and Fillia looked around, their expressions filled with awe and disbelief.

  Above them, the sky shimmered. A vast golden dome stretched across the entire perimeter of the Mage Tower, casting everything beneath it in radiant light.

  “Did she… create that dome to contain the grimoire’s brain-washing effects? And to stop it from spreading into the city?” Fillia wondered aloud.

  “But using that kind of light magic… that level of purity and scale—” Lilliana’s voice trembled with a mix of admiration and shock. “Is it even possible?”

  That was when they were reminded—of their father, and their brother.

  The chaos that had wrapped around their hearts began to still, and Fillia turned, sensing something. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “Father…” she whispered.

  There he was—resting peacefully on a nearby stone bench beneath the shade of an archway, as if untouched by the storm that had just passed. His robes were tattered, his eyes closed, but his breathing was steady.

  Relief flooded her. “He’s alive.”

  Meanwhile, Lilliana looked over at Justin. “Are you alright?”

  Fillia and Lilliana asked again, stepping closer. But Justin didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed—locked in the same direction.

  Something in the little girl’s voice, in her presence, had seized him. It was as if he had just heard the answer to a silent prayer he’d been whispering all his life.

  Because in those words the girl had spoken, after all the impossible things she’d done—he couldn’t look away. Not now.

  Not when the miracle he had given up on was finally unfolding right before his eyes.

  The girl slowly raised her hand toward the sky, palm open.

  A pulse rang through the air.

  The vast golden dome of light that had enclosed the Mage Tower began to break down into magic particles, each one floating up like a petal of magic, shimmering as they ascended.

  They gathered above, swirling faster and faster, forming a massive whirlpool of light in the sky—like someone had stirred a bowl of stars with an invisible hand.

  Below, silver-white threads began to flow from the girl’s fingertips. They started coiling around the broken pod, wrapping gently around the body of the unconscious woman within.

  Then, with a sharp jolt, the air turned heavy. Dark.

  A dense black fog oozed from the woman’s chest—curse energy, thick and vile. The pressure of it was suffocating.

  Lilliana staggered back, hand over her mouth. “Ugh… How could someone inflict so much malice on someone? Even breathing it in feels like poison…”

  Then the sky cracked with an ominous chime.

  A gigantic pendulum clock—black as night—appeared overhead, floating above the woman. Its hands didn’t move, but its pointed needle hung like a blade, directly over the woman’s heart.

  Lilliana’s eyes widened. “That’s… that’s a Death Curse!”

  Her voice trembled.

  “What is such a powerful curse doing here? Even the records at the Holy Temple say only a true Saintess can break one—and even then, the success rate is barely twenty percent!”

  Lilliana turned sharply, her voice rising with frustration. “Justin—don’t tell me you’ve been hiding this from us all along.”

  Fillia muttered regrettably, “Is this why you’ve been suffering alone?”

  But Justin didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink.

  He already knew the truth.

  He had lived through it—every hundred rejections from the world's finest specialists, every thousand failed incantations, every sleepless night watching her slip away. They had told him there was no hope.

  That there was no cure. No solution.

  But none of them had spoken with the conviction this girl did.

  None had eyes that dared defy reality itself.

  And so, for once, he believed.

  He prayed—not to gods, not to fate, but to her.

  To this mysterious girl he had never met before.

  For one final miracle.

  And the miracle answered.

  The brilliant light collected in the sky suddenly spiraled downward, siphoning into a single point, as if the very sky bent to her will.

  As the girl with silver-white hair slowly lowered her hand—

  The sky ignited.

  And at that moment, the world lit up.

  A wave of blinding golden light surged from above, cascading down and enveloping the entire landscape in a cascade of radiant energy. It poured over them like rain made of starlight, illuminating every crack, every scar, every shadow.

  ◇◇◇

  In my mind, I had already identified the best location to eliminate the death curse without being detected while employing divine magic.

  I clenched my fist and, in a blinding surge of spatial magic, we vanished.

  When the world reformed around us, we stood on the grand stage—the vast, overgrown garden of the mage tower where I’d gotten lost just an hour ago.

  And it’s not like it was the only place I could think of on short notice or anything.

  For a moment, my gaze shifted to the old man who was bound under the grimoire’s control. But then I noticed it—his affinity with fire magic was extraordinary. The fire attribute within him was actively purifying his body, burning away impurities and catalyzing a natural regenerative response.

  Judging that his condition would stabilize on its own, I turned my focus to the more urgent case.

  I spun my webs across the woman’s body, anchoring them at key points until I found a direct conduit to her soul core—where the curse was embedded.

  The woman lacked traditional magic veins in her body, meaning I had to bypass the usual magical circulatory channels and operate with precision through my webs.

  My movements had to be both delicate and sophisticated, weaving my webs directly into her metaphysical structure without damaging it.

  As soon as I connected to her core, the curse manifested—a spectral death clock, suspended above her heart.

  It was a failsafe mechanism: if I failed, the clock’s needle would pierce both her heart and her soul simultaneously, obliterating her entire existence.

  To cloak my use of divine magic, I disintegrated the giant light dome I had previously cast over the mage tower.

  Then, I released all that energy at once in a singular, blinding cascade over the entire place.

  The sudden eruption threw the magical density into chaos, overloading detection spells and disrupting nearby magic senses.

  The moment the light blanketed the area, I injected divine magic through my webbed strands, channeling it deep into the girl’s soul core.

  The magic I used worked in stages—first a cleansing field to stabilize her soul energy, followed by a sterilizing weave to isolate the curse, and finally a strong infusion of divine magic to combat the black miasma clinging to her spirit like a parasite.

  The miasma began to convulse, dissolving under the pressure of the purification. Her vitals began to stabilize.

  With a final surge of divine energy, a scream—sharp and brittle like shattering crystal—rang out as fractures raced across the death clock’s surface.

  Tick... tick... tick—

  The hands stopped.

  A moment later, the clock shattered completely—disintegrating into dust and vanishing into oblivion.

  I exhaled shakily as I watched the woman breathe normally again, light returning to her eyes as they slowly opened. Faint at first, then growing—like the sun rising through the mist of dawn.

  Justin, sensing the curse had lifted, rushed to the woman’s side. I stepped aside, the final strands of divine magic flickering off my fingers as the treatment concluded.

  “… Arwen. Arwen!” he called out, his voice trembling between fear and hope. He finally spoke the name of the woman he wanted to call out the most.

  Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the same vivid eyes from before—alive now, alert, and sharp.

  “Don’t shout in my ears, you idiot,” she groaned, her voice raspy but full of fire. Her tone carried annoyance, but there was warmth underneath.

  Her complexion had returned to its natural glow, the pallor of her coma completely gone. Even her posture carried a familiar stubborn strength as she sat up, brushing tangled strands of hair from her face.

  “You… you're really okay…” Justin choked, falling to his knees beside her. He clutched her hand with both of his, gripping it as if afraid she might vanish again.

  Despite his best efforts to hold them back, tears streamed down his face, catching the light as they slid down his cheeks. He buried his face into his arm, ashamed of his shaking voice. “I thought I lost you. It was all my fault…”

  Arwen blinked slowly, her expression softening as she watched him. Then, rising unsteadily from the edge of the pod, she placed both hands gently on his head—fingers sliding into his hair like a quiet benediction.

  “Relax, flame-boy,” she said with a tired smirk. “I will still give you extra points for effort.”

  The woman named Arwen said with a sad face, as if all this time she had been aware and watched Justin do all he could to bring her back.

  He looked up, eyes rimmed with red. She met his gaze, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them held everything they hadn’t said—regret, guilt, relief, and something else unspoken.

  “Besides,” she added softly, “you found my name?”

  “I did and I swear I will never forget it,” Justin whispered. “I should have asked you sooner. I thought I had lost you so don’t put yourself in danger like that again.”

  The woman leaned in, resting her forehead gently against his. “Then next time, be strong enough not to let me die in the first place, alright?”

  “Deal,” he said.

  Their hands stayed locked, the silent promise between them needing no magic to seal it.

  I stood there, catching my breath, thinking my part in this story had ended. A happy ending. Or so I believed.

  But before I could even fully exhale, the other two women who had been present—one with a flame attribute, the other a swordswoman with a light attribute—stepped closer.

  One was a tall woman with hair like pink wildfire and violet eyes, and beside her, another tall figure clad in radiant platinum armor. The effects of the healing light magic had already restored their injuries.

  They approached with determined steps, and before I could react, they were uncomfortably close.

  That’s when the swordswoman leaned in, her face nearly brushing against mine, her eyes scanning me from all directions.

  “Are you… some kind of saint?” she asked, her tone laced with wonder, suspicion, and a hint of reverence.

  “Eh?” I blinked, taken aback.

  Eh?” the fire mage blurted out, equally surprised by her partner’s question.

  “…Eh?” came another voice—this one distant, raspy, and ancient.

  “―EHHHHHH?!” the three of us yelped together, startled by the mysterious new voice. Instinctively, we all huddled into a corner like startled cats.

  Our gazes snapped toward the sound.

  “Father… you're awake?” the older woman—the flame mage—murmured.

  Even I was surprised by how quickly the old man had recovered. He looked almost completely restored, sitting calmly on a stone bench, eyes downcast as if burdened by a failure, yet relieved by how things had turned out.

  He seemed to be quietly piecing together the aftermath around him.

  The pink-haired mage inhaled sharply, squaring her shoulders. She stepped forward with a formal air, deciding to take control of the situation.

  “My name is Fillia,” she said firmly, then gestured to the blonde beside her. “And this is my younger sister, Lilliana.”

  Lilliana, with wide, curious eyes, circled around me like I was a fancy dessert she was too afraid to gobble up all at once.

  “That over there,” Fillia added, pointing to the younger man still doting on the woman I saved, “is my little brother, Justin. And… I’ll introduce the other one later once I myself find out,” she added with a twitch in her brow, clearly annoyed at how her brother was currently fawning over another woman, completely ignoring his family.

  “And the man who just woke up,” she continued, softening slightly, “is the Magic Tower’s master—our father.”

  She then placed a hand over her heart, bowing her head just enough to show the depth of her gratitude. “On behalf of my family, the Magic Tower and all of Arcadia City… Thank you. For saving my home and our people.”

  “I mean really… there’s really no need.” I felt flustered for being thanked out of nowhere when I had my own agenda.

  Her voice trembled just slightly with emotion. When she raised her eyes again, they held a fragile hope. “Now, may I ask—who you are?”

  And, there it was. That extreme expectant gaze—as if she expected me to reveal some grand identity.

  What was she expecting me to say? A reclusive archmage? Some ancient sage? Or a saint who dropped from heaven out of nowhere?

  Well, it’s not like I’m any less impressive than any of those titles—so of course I had to act the part with full confidence.

  I smirked, brushing my small, saintly cloak aside with a dramatic flourish.

  “I’m Alicia,” I declared proudly, flashing a confident grin. “And I am a magical genius.”

  Fillia stared at me with an intense gaze… then suddenly choked, as if the weight of my answer had dropped on her a second too late. The twitch in her eye suggested she believed me the least.

  “So, Miss Alicia,” she said slowly, trying to keep her composure, “what exactly are you here for? And how did you even get to the space where we were?”

  “Eh…” I blinked, caught off guard again. My brain decided to hang for a second—until Al, my ever-so-helpful mental assistant, practically shoved the memory into the front of my mind.

  “Oh! Right!” I cleared my throat and folded my hands like some poor little lost maiden. “I’m an adventurer. We took up a request from the Mage Tower and… I sort of got separated, chased by zombie mages, and one thing led to another, and I ended up… there.” I gestured vaguely, doing my best to look as helpless and innocent as possible.

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  Fillia’s gaze didn’t waver—intense, almost too intense. And it told me she didn’t buy into this either.

  “Wait… are you with Ken and that other girl?” Fillia asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

  “Yes! You know Ken?” I slapped my forehead, suddenly remembering who I’d completely forgotten about this entire time.

  And just as that realization hit, I also noticed something else was missing—an accessory that should’ve been with me.

  Before I could think further, a sharp sound echoed across the garden, interrupting our little gathering.

  “Everyone! What happened?! We saw that giant beam of light shoot from the sky and came running!” Elsie called out as she sprinted in from the other side of the garden, Ken trailing behind her.

  As soon as Elsie spotted me from the gathering, her face lit up.

  “Alicia! You’re here too?”

  Ken blinked as he spotted me and gave a single nod. Is he angry that I ran off on my own? Well, a girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do to get her daddy a gift.

  Elsie looked about ready to collapse. “I’m so glad… we can finally leave this haunted place.”

  “Haunted—?!” a voice rang out before Elsie could take another breath.

  Lilliana’s eye twitched in theatrical offense. “Where do you think you are, brat? This is my home. And need I remind you, you still have a quest to complete. Right.” She let out a devilish laugh, the kind that foreshadowed pain from miles away.

  Unfortunately, the three of them were so focused on infiltrating the magic tower that they forgot to check the quest details themselves.

  Elsie gulped.

  Then Fillia turned toward me, surprised. “Wait, who are you?” She immediately recognized me from my outfit. “What’s with the mask? Why are you hiding your face?”

  Her tone wasn’t accusatory, but more on the cautious side.

  But when she saw how neither Ken nor Elsie reacted with surprise, the realization dawned on her that—they didn’t know.

  To her credit, she didn’t push further and let the matter drop, respecting the boundary.

  “So, Miss Alicia,” she said with a more serious tone now, “one final question. What happened to that cursed grimoire?”

  “Well…” I looked away, nervously twisting one leg behind the other in slow circles.

  “What happened?” they all said in chorus, leaning forward.

  “I… I think I kind of burnt it,” I mumbled, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

  ◇◇◇

  After clearing up the remaining confusion about the grimoire—and making a hasty excuse that my light magic might have purified it—they finally accepted it.

  Reluctantly, of course. But with no trace of the cursed artifact left behind, and no one able to sense its presence anymore, they had no grounds to argue.

  After such a long and exhausting day, it was decided we’d rest for the night in the Mage Tower’s guest quarters. Tomorrow, we’d be briefed on the details of the official adventure quest we had supposedly come here for.

  It’s not like I had completely forgotten we were on a proper mission. Maybe it slipped my mind for a tiny moment while everything else was happening.

  But as an honest adventurer on the path to becoming the greatest one day, I was more than ready to see this quest through.

  However after the way Miss Lilliana ominously smiled and told us to “Look forward to it,” I was starting to have second thoughts.

  Right now, I was in the most luxurious guest room the Magic Tower had to offer. Miss Lilliana had stayed with me from the moment we arrived, ensuring I had every comfort imaginable until she was satisfied. Each of us even got our own private room—and we didn’t have to pay a single coin.

  I sat quietly in a chair by the window, the cool night breeze brushing against my face as I removed my mask.

  That’s when they came.

  Small, delicate, and deathly silent—dozens, no, hundreds of tiny white spiders began crawling in through the open window. They fanned out across the room: skittering over the floor, lining the edges of the desk, perching on the walls, and nestling into corners, becoming one with the shadows.

  Each of them glowed faintly under the moonlight. And every one of them had crimson eyes locked onto me, unblinking, waiting.

  “Queen. We are all here,” It was Ellie—my second-in-command, the largest of the brood—perched on the curtain rod, announced softly.

  “Good,” I said, standing as I faced my tiny army. “Today, I have our very first mission.”

  The spiders leaned in, silent and still like a trained militia awaiting command.

  “I need you all to find the devil's location and collect all the information you can related to them. I’ve already eliminated three… but I now know there are more. And they are aware of me, too.”

  My fingers clenched slightly on the windowsill.

  “If they so much as try to interfere with my life here… or dare to threaten anyone close to me—I will know. Before they even make a move. Because you will be my eyes.”

  The response was immediate.

  “For the Queen. For the Queen.”

  The room filled with the eerie, unified whisper of voices only I could understand. To anyone else, it would sound like a wall of distorted static.

  I gave them further orders and requested updates from the ones partnered with Izek, Caige, and Nia. Then, with a silent blink, I dismissed them.

  One by one, the spiders vanished into cracks, shadows, or moved out the window. Ellie was the last. She gave a silent bow, then melted back into my shadow like she had never existed at all.

  The room was quiet again.

  I leaned back in my chair, letting the silence settle over me like a warm blanket as I put my mask back on. But for some reason, my eyes felt a faint burning sensation.

  “Now then…” I murmured, reaching into the folds of my dress and pulling out a small velvet pouch. “I have something special to return to someone.”

  ◇◇◇

  In the middle of the silent night, while Kevin was quietly resting in his room, a soft knock echoed against his door.

  Strangely, he hadn’t sensed any presence approaching—not even the faintest disturbance in the magic field. Yet someone stood at his door.

  Alone, but… cloaked in something that even his magical senses failed to identify who.

  Still, sensing no hostility, Kevin cautiously opened the door just enough to peek through.

  And froze.

  Bathed in the silvery moonlight streaming through the hallway window like a spotlight. Alicia stood barefoot in a flowing white nightgown. The delicate fabric shimmered faintly, as if woven from moonlight itself.

  Her long hair framed her face, but what caught him were her eyes—those luminous, deep-blue eyes that glowed like distant stars.

  For a moment, Kevin felt like he was being pulled into a dream—or a memory.

  Then, suddenly shaken by a feeling of déjà vu—and recalling the sleepless night she caused during their last adventure

  He just as quickly snapped back to reality.

  “No. I am not sacrificing another night of sleep after such a tiring day just because someone couldn’t find their way back to their room after a stupid bathroom break,” Kevin rushed, trying to shut the door immediately.

  But it was too late.

  Before the door could close, Alicia shoved her foot between the door and the frame with perfect timing.

  “Just listen to me, you idiot,” Alicia muttered, trying to force her way through the door.

  “Nope. Not happening. Now go back to your room and be someone else’s problem,” Kevin grumbled, pushing harder against the door.

  Alicia didn’t budge.

  Instead, she calmly reached into her sleeve and raised a small pouch into the sliver of moonlight between them.

  Kevin’s eyes widened instantly.

  “That’s Elsie’s,” Kevin said, eyes narrowing. “Where did you get that?”

  “Oh, nowhere special,” Alicia replied nonchalantly. “Just happened to pick it up from a very unsuspicious place.”

  In truth, Alicia had noticed it on Elsie’s vest earlier. When Alicia found herself in the hidden chamber inside the Arcane Vault. Alicia had quietly picked it up at the entrance after realizing that Elsie must have dropped it there.

  “Thanks for bringing it back,” Kevin said, now shifting to a much more polite tone.

  He extended a hand toward her, palm open. “I’ll return it to Elsie tomorrow.”

  His voice was calm and diplomatic now—but there was a visible twitch at the corner of his eye.

  “Are you after the pouch…” Alicia smirked, slowly rolling a glowing purple stone into view, “Or the item inside it?”

  Kevin's eyes widened the moment he recognized the rock. “Just hand it over. That’s not yours.”

  Without warning, he lunged forward to grab it—but this time, Alicia was faster. She shut the door halfway on his face, leaving only a thin crack between them.

  A small smirk curled her lips. “Calm down. I came to give it back to you, you idiot.”

  Through the narrow gap, she shoved the stone—and a folded scrap of paper.

  Kevin blinked in confusion, but instinctively caught both.

  The moment his eyes scanned the scribbled notes on the parchment, his breath caught.

  “…How did you—?” he stammered.

  “Figured I was right.” Alicia crossed her arms proudly, her voice smug. “So it’s yours now. You’re welcome.”

  Kevin’s gaze dropped to the paper again. His hands trembled slightly.

  It wasn’t just a few guesses or haphazard diagrams. It was a complete, step-by-step refinement method for extracting pure magitite essence from the raw ore—a process that hadn’t existed until now.

  Environmental conditions, temperature calibrations, purification cycles, and even magic circle etchings for stabilization—all perfectly recorded.

  He didn’t need to test it to know. It would work, at least in theory, for now.

  It shouldn’t be possible, and yet—Alicia had done it only after a single day of seeing the ore.

  “You… you…”

  “Go on,” Alicia said, leaning against the doorframe with a radiant grin. “Say it. I’m a genius, aren’t I?”

  Her eyes, lit with pride and a touch of madness, glowed with an intense azure hue. Kevin shivered—not from fear, but from realization.

  She wasn’t bluffing.

  She really was a genius.

  And that terrified him a little.

  He clenched the paper tighter. “But why? Why give this to me? What do you want?”

  Alicia’s smirk faded, her tone softening just a little. “No reason. I just don’t want you relying on anyone else. If you were planning on begging the Mage Tower for help… or were trying to infiltrate it. What would have happened if you would have got caught?”

  She paused, then said firmly,

  “You don’t need anyone else. Just me. Depend only on me. And I’ll give you everything—whatever you want, with my own two hands. So, don’t look away, don’t ask anyone else. I’m all you’ll ever need.”

  Kevin blinked, stunned by the bluntness of her words.

  Then Alicia’s voice dropped to a whisper, soft and sweet, but edged with danger.

  “I’m just glad nothing went wrong this time. Unlike last time…” Her hands curled into fists. “When someone ruined our first real adventure. And we couldn’t save those villagers.”

  Kevin felt the shift. A creeping darkness behind her words. He didn’t realize Alicia thought so strongly about their first adventure. The guilt in her voice mixed with something colder—vengeful.

  “I’ll find whoever did that and I’ll make them pay,” she continued, a twisted glint flickering in her eyes. “How dare they ruin my first adventure with you?”

  For a moment, Kevin could barely recognize her.

  This wasn’t the shy, quirky Alicia he knew during daylight.

  This Alicia was intense, sharp, and obsessive.

  Possessive.

  He felt a strange tension in his chest.

  Why was she so fixated on him?

  Why this obsession?

  He didn’t have the answer yet.

  And that’s when Kevin did the unthinkable.

  He asked the forbidden question.

  “…Do you like me?” he said with a completely straight face.

  A silence followed, deafening and strange.

  Alicia blinked. Her breath caught.

  “W–W-What?!” she sputtered, her voice shooting up an octave. “What made you think that?!”

  Her eyes darted around in panic—left, right, up, anywhere but at him. Her bare cheeks below the mask were now completely flushed red.

  Her irises flickered—first a startled blue, then glowing red, back to blue—like her brain was buffering two conflicting programs at once.

  Her whole body began to tremble.

  “Alicia?” Kevin stepped forward instinctively. “What’s wrong?”

  She clutched her head, visibly panicking. “No… no, no… Mother and Father were right about boys like you.”

  Kevin flinched. “Wait, WHAT?!”

  “You are a pervert!” Alicia’s voice cracked with both fury and embarrassment.

  Before Kevin could process those words—

  WHAM!

  Alicia's foot rocketed up with frightening precision, striking Kevin directly in the weak spot of every man’s pride.

  “Gkk—!”

  His eyes rolled back slightly as his knees buckled. A strangled gasp escaped his lips as the world began to dim.

  Stars. Planets. Comets. Kevin saw them all, and the world dimmed.

  He collapsed in slow motion, a single thought crossing his mind.

  “Wha… what did I… even do…” he mumbled as the light gently faded from his eyes.

  The last thing he heard before unconsciousness took him was the panicked clatter of footsteps as Alicia bolted down the hallway, muttering a stream of flustered curses under her breath.

  “…Stupid…idiot…pervert…why did he ask that… how dare he…”

  And then, silence.

  …

  “Prince… Oh Prince Kevin~”

  Kevin stirred at the sound of a familiar voice, just as a cold breeze brushed against his skin.

  With a jolt, he sat up—shivering slightly. The cold stone floor wasn’t the most regal place to wake up, and definitely not a place a prince should be found collapsed like discarded laundry.

  “Were you that exhausted that you fell asleep right outside your door on the floor, Prince?” Elsie asked with a playful grin, crouching beside him. “If you needed help relaxing, I do give amazing shoulder massages.”

  “No need… I’m not a—”

  His words faltered.

  Kevin groaned, blinking rapidly as memories of last night hit him like a brick.

  The knock.

  Alicia.

  The pouch.

  The paper.

  And then—

  The kick.

  His legs instinctively pulled closer together in reflex.

  If he hadn’t sensed the incoming danger in time and conjured that emergency black steel shield beneath his clothes…

  He might have lost something very, very important.

  “Here,” Kevin said, his voice regaining composure as he handed over the pouch. “This is yours.”

  “My pouch!” Elsie gasped. She quickly opened it and checked the ore piece. “I thought I’d lost it. I must’ve dropped it somewhere near the vault. Thank you, Prince!”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “I came to find you, actually. We’ve been summoned to assemble at the eastern gates,” Elsie continued. “Miss Lilliana is already escorting Alicia there. So, I came to get you.”

  Kevin nodded slowly, brushing the dust off his clothes and letting out a long breath of relief.

  “Got it. I’ll be there in five.”

  ◇◇◇

  “This is so unfair!” Elsie’s scream echoed across the vast, sun-scorched basin as she glared up at the merciless sky. The sun above beat down like a vengeful god, draining what little energy she had left.

  And then, as if summoned by her misery, a giant blob of brown, deformed sludge dropped from the sky and landed just inches in front of her with a splurt, spraying bits of foul-smelling muck toward her face.

  Elsie dropped her spade onto the dusty basin floor and burst into tears. “No one told me the job would be cleaning monster poop that rains from the sky!”

  “Hey, don’t slack off!” Lilliana barked from the higher ground. “Big Sister Fillia is busy with the restoration of the Mage Tower, so she has entrusted me with looking after you kids and making sure this quest gets done. The entire basin has to be cleaned by sundown—it’s the griffins' mating season! If this place isn’t spotless, they won’t nest here, and we need those eggs to raise trained transport beasts for the kingdom!”

  Elsie groaned in protest. “But why me? Why am I the only one working while she is just lying there doing nothing?”

  She jabbed a finger across the field, aiming directly at the epitome of injustice.

  Alicia.

  Stretched comfortably on a plush sun lounger under the soothing shade of a white parasol, Alicia looked like a model in a luxury vacation ad.

  Dressed in a flowing white robe, her delicate hands held a chilled fruit drink, complete with a tiny umbrella. At her side, none other than Miss Lilliana was dutifully fanning her with a feathered fan, as if she were royalty.

  Alicia delicately flinched and looked away as if Elsie’s words had wounded her soul. She curled up slightly, hiding her face in mock sorrow.

  “How dare you!” Lilliana snapped, flipping the fan closed and stepping forward like a protective knight. “Miss Alicia possesses divine light magic—her holy energy is close to that of a saint! Just being in her presence is a blessing for us all. When she came to save us, her divine beauty took our breath away. She is the embodiment of holiness and grace!”

  “You… You actually saw Alicia’s face?” Elsie cried out, aghast. “Why you? You’ve never let us see it! And if she’s so holy, then maybe she can purify this filthy land with her divine light and get the job done!”

  “So scary…” Alicia let out a small, theatrical whimper and clutched her head like a distressed princess.

  Lilliana took the hint.

  “How dare you suggest such blasphemy?” Lilliana gasped, eyes wide. “Miss Alicia must have been blessed by the gods themselves—perhaps even been an angel in her past life. This menial peasant work is beneath her. Now get back to work!”

  Lilliana’s smug smirk clearly showed she was enjoying this far too much.

  ‘I’m too am blessed by the gods… even if it’s a dark one. And I am a prince, not a peasant’ Kevin thought bitterly, side-eyeing Alicia as he jabbed his shovel into the dirt, sweat dripping from his brow in another corner.

  ‘She’s not even looking at me. Does she not remember what she did last night?’ Ken had his own reasons to feel dismayed and angry at being ignored by Alicia the moment he arrived. And yet, somehow, it felt like he was the one being punished.

  He glanced sideways at Elsie, who was now full-on pouting, teary-eyed, and red-faced. Their suffering was mutual.

  “If we don’t finish this, we’ll fail the quest…” Kevin groaned as another pile of sky-poop dropped nearby with a mighty squish.

  “And if we fail, we don’t rank up,” Elsie whimpered, wiping muck from her cheek. “We’ll be stuck doing low-level fetch quests forever…”

  The two of them exchanged a glance, both filled with despair.

  High above them, lounging in grace, Alicia let out a peaceful sigh, cheering them on. “Do your best.”

  “Miss Alicia, here’s another special drink for you,” Arwen said cheerfully as she approached with a tray, offering a bright orange fizzy drink and a bowl of chilled fruits.

  “Oh! I can’t believe it’s soda!” Alicia gasped, instantly perking up as she snatched the glass and took a long, satisfied sip. Arwen poured her a refill and offered some freshly cut fruits to go with it.

  “Wait—why didn’t I ever get such a special drink from you?” Justin, who appeared out of nowhere, interjected, genuinely hurt.

  “Because miss Alicia is my savior. You, on the other hand, trained all day and never gave me a single moment of your time,” Arwen huffed and turned away, cheeks puffed in mock anger.

  “Ugh, can you two stop flirting already?” Lilliana groaned, exasperated. “I can’t believe my little brother got ahead of me in romance! Do you even know how hard it is to date in the Holy Paladin Squad? They all act like love is a sin.”

  “Don’t worry, big sis—I’m rooting for you!” Arwen giggled, gently patting Lilliana on the shoulder as if comforting a tragic heroine.

  “When did you two get so close?” Justin blinked in disbelief, utterly confused by the bonding going on around him.

  “What are you really here for, Justin?” Lilliana asked.

  “Right.” Justin cleared his throat before announcing, “The Tower Master has requested your presence once the quest is complete. You will all be rewarded for your efforts in helping the mage tower overcome the catastrophe.”

  “Ah! It’s that guy—the one who abandoned us to fight the zombie mages!” Elsie shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “Isn’t he the villain?”

  “You didn’t tell them?” Arwen frowned, arms crossed.

  “I didn’t want you kids getting hurt,” Justin admitted. “The grimoire was dangerous. And if the devil had appeared again, they might not have survived. Once I had made sure they were capable of holding their own. I used the already affected mages to stop you kids from interfering.”

  “Then what was with that villainous tone you used? Why did you talk like you were about to slaughter us all?” Elsie complained.

  “Oh, that I can explain,” Lilliana chimed in with a chuckle. “Justin has this… habit since childhood of sounding like a villain, even when he means well.”

  “Wait, seriously?” Elsie blinked.

  Arwen blushed slightly, as if that trait was the sole reason she had fallen for Justin in the first place.

  “Don’t blame me!” Justin defended. “It’s because you and Lilliana always took the roles of the True Hero whenever we played! I was stuck being the demon lord every time. And it’s because the true demon lord is the strongest mage in the world? I respect him for that.”

  Alicia’s ears perked up, a small smile hidden under her mask. To hear a human speak about her father—the True Demon Lord—with respect made her heart flutter with pride.

  “I wish my father could speak villainy like that too…” she muttered aloud without thinking.

  Lilliana turned toward her. “Why would he, Miss Alicia? Is your father a demon lord or something?”

  Alicia’s expression froze, her smile vanishing. Her red eyes dimmed beneath the mask, shadowed and hollow. The air chilled just slightly around her.

  “I was only joking,” Lilliana giggled. “Your parents must be gods themselves to bring an angel like you into the world.” She looked to the skies, as if offering a prayer of thanks for bringing such a fortuitous blessing into the world.

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Alicia smiled behind her mask, taking another sip of her soda—cool, sweet, and dangerously fizzy. ‘Ah! I am glad it was just a joke. Otherwise, I might’ve had to…’ She left the thought unfinished, even in her own mind.

  ◇◇◇

  As the day drew to a close, Elsie and Ken were nearly finished with the job, so Alicia was called to meet the Tower Master first.

  Led by Fillia, she was guided to the top floor of the Magic Tower. It was her first time entering the Tower Master’s office—and she found it surprisingly vast.

  What truly caught her eye, however, was the vast transparent dome overhead—a grand observatory of enchanted crystal that allowed a perfect view of the sky above. Even now, sunlight spilled through it like a golden waterfall.

  At the center of the room, seated behind an ornate desk, was the Tower Master himself—the same elderly man she acknowledged for having strong flame magic.

  “Welcome, Miss Alicia,” he greeted, voice deep and even. “This is our first time meeting in an official setting. My name is Isolde Arcaviel, Tower Master of the Arcadia Magic Tower. I presume you’ve already met all of my children by now?”

  “Yes,” Alicia replied politely. “My name is Alicia. I am the baroness of Oakhart, from the Hart Kingdom.”

  I see,” Isolde nodded, folding his hands on the desk. “By now, I’ve heard quite a lot about you. About how you entered the Tower under an adventuring quest, yet found your way into several restricted zones... helped a few mages with their research on the way... and somehow created a purification barrier strong enough to nullify the brainwashing effects of a cursed grimoire—raided the dungeon and destroying the grimoire in the process. Is that correct?”

  Alicia simply replied, “Yes.”

  “Then, on top of that, you saved my children’s lives and dispelled a death curse. Honestly, your list of accomplishments in a single day is so impressive. It makes us look careless that we didn’t know a mage of your caliber even existed.”

  “Thank you,” Alicia replied, though she couldn’t quite tell whether it was genuine praise or polite suspicion.

  Isolde leaned forward, his gaze sharper now.

  “Before we move on to the discussion of your reward for helping us during this crisis. There are a few questions I must ask.”

  Isolde continued, “From our investigation, we learned that the mastermind behind the cursed grimoire incident was a devil. He was supposed to appear that day to retrieve the grimoire... yet no trace of him was found anywhere. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No,” Alicia answered without hesitation.

  “I see.” He gave a small nod, eyes unreadable. “Perhaps the devil saw the massive holy light dome and changed his mind. Realized the cursed grimoire had already been destroyed.”

  “Quite likely.”

  The tower master paused again, as if weighing his next words carefully.

  “That brings me to my second question,” he said slowly. “Have you ever heard of the Shadow Continent?”

  “No,” Alicia replied just as firmly.

  A brief silence followed. Though Alicia’s answer was absolute, she could sense something unsettling behind the Tower Master’s gaze.

  It was almost as if... he suspected she was from there.

  ‘I guess I have another mission for the spiders now—to find out more about this place,’ Alicia thought to herself.

  Until now, she had only known of two continents: The Human Continent and the Demon Continent. So, the sudden mention of a third one caught even her off guard.

  “And my last question,” the Tower Master said, folding his hands, “Would you be interested in joining the Arcadia Mage Tower? You’ll have access to all our facilities and luxuries here—freedom to pursue any magical field you desire.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse for now. I already have some important business I must attend to,” Alicia replied with a gentle smile. “But I’ll certainly give it thought later.”

  In truth, Alicia did like this place. There were so many mage scholars freely studying their passions—it was almost tempting. She even had the sinful thought of recruiting Lilliana to be her personal knight… before quickly remembering she already had Izek.

  “I see,” Isolde said with a composed nod. “I’m simply glad you’re willing to consider the offer.”

  He leaned forward slightly. “Now then, let’s talk about your reward—for saving our kingdom.”

  Alicia thought carefully. From what she had researched, slavery was already abolished in this kingdom, so there was no need to make a request on those grounds.

  After listening to the reports from her spider spies, Alicia knew. What she needed now was a strong business partner to handle the production in her business. And the most acclaimed mage tower... was a perfect candidate.

  From her dimensional storage, she retrieved a glass vial filled with a luminous blue liquid—a high-grade magical healing potion.

  “I see,” Isolde said, intrigued. “You possess one of those pure healing potions I’ve recently heard rumors about—said to regrow severed limbs and even restore damaged magical nerves.”

  Alicia felt inwardly proud. So, the word had already spread even to Arcadia.

  Alicia allowed herself a quiet smile. “I’m the one who created it. And if possible, I’d like to propose a collaboration.”

  “How so?”

  “I’d like the help of your tower mages in producing it for mass distribution. Of course, this would be a mutually beneficial partnership. In return, I’d offer the Mage Tower exclusive rights to sell this potion within the Arcadia Kingdom.” Alicia said confidently.

  The Tower Master let out a slow hum, lifting the vial to the light, his eyes narrowing with fascination at the clarity and magic formula contained within. He nodded with clear interest, his gaze still fixed on the vial as if envisioning its potential in both battlefields and hospitals alike.

  “That's quite the proposal—I’d be a fool to refuse,” he said with a hint of amusement.

  “I will send my representative soon to discuss the finer terms.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  …

  Soon, it was Kevin and Elsie’s turn to meet the Tower Master. Both were exhausted, their muscles aching after the hard labor they had endured to complete the quest.

  As they entered the top-floor office of the Mage Tower—the very same office they had vandalized beyond recognition. They were stunned to see it perfectly restored, as if nothing had happened.

  “Welcome, Prince of the Nova Empire, Kevin Nova, and your companion, Elsie,” the Tower Master greeted with a knowing smile, seated calmly behind his desk. “My name is Isolde Arcaviel. I am the Tower Master of Arcadia Magic Tower.”

  Kevin and Elsie both stiffened in place, flushed and slightly panicked that their identities had been so easily discovered.

  “First, allow me to thank you for your contributions to saving the Mage Tower,” Isolde said warmly. “And congratulations on completing one of our most difficult quests.”

  “Yeah… sure. If only we had known what we were getting into,” Kevin muttered under his breath with a drained look.

  “Now, let’s talk about your reward—separate from the quest compensation you'll receive. And let me be clear: I’m generously choosing to overlook how you two infiltrated restricted sections of the tower… and also destroyed my office.” A subtle smirk formed on the Tower Master’s face.

  “We’re grateful,” Kevin said with an apologetic bow. Elsie followed his lead, bowing quickly.

  “So then,” the Tower Master asked, leaning forward. “Tell me. What would you like?”

  At that moment, Kevin stepped forward and placed the peculiar purple-glowing ore onto the Tower Master’s desk.

  Isolde’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Now that is an ore I’ve never encountered before. So… you want our Mage Tower’s help analyzing and extracting something useful from it?”

  Elsie’s eyes sparkled—finally, they would receive the magical processing knowledge they were after.

  “No,” Kevin said calmly.

  “―Prince?” Elsie whispered, confused, and tugging at his sleeve.

  Isolde raised an intrigued brow. “Go on.”

  “We’ve already discovered how to process the ore into a refined form of magetite,” Kevin further explained his findings.

  The Tower Master leaned back in his chair, visibly impressed. “That’s an impressive feat, having already overcome the most difficult step.”

  “I would like to request the Mage Tower’s assistance in building the proper facility for large-scale refining. Infrastructure, magical furnaces, enchanted equipment and your mages’ technical expertise.”

  “I see,” Isolde nodded slowly, eyes now fixed on the glowing ore. “Then I’ll assign some of my best—mages specialized in metallurgy, elemental purification, and magical engineering.”

  “That would be more than enough. Thank you,” Kevin said with sincere gratitude.

  Elsie looked at Kevin from the side, this time with a bright smile, having finally achieved what they wanted.

  With that, their final conversation with the Tower Master came to an end. As Kevin and Elsie stepped out of the office into the quiet corridor, they instinctively looked around—only to realize someone was missing.

  “Where’s Alicia?” Elsie asked hurriedly, turning to Fillia, who stood nearby.

  “I’m afraid she’s already left,” Fillia replied gently.

  “What?” Elsie blinked in surprise.

  Kevin stood frozen. A faint look of disappointment crept onto his face. It was clear—there was something he had wanted to say... or perhaps something he had hoped to do.

  Then suddenly, a warm pulse of heat brushed his palm. Startled, he looked down to see a soft red glow seeping from the folded parchment Alicia had given him the previous night—the one with the refined ore processing instructions.

  As he unfolded it, glowing letters appeared on the back of the page, etching themselves in with light as if alive:

  ‘Let’s meet again on our next adventure.’

  Kevin’s fingers tightened slightly on the page, and a real smile formed on his face.

  ◇◇◇

  “I baked a cake for everyone!” Alicia beamed as she gently placed a round, golden-brown cake—slightly uneven but radiating warmth—onto the center of the dining table.

  The sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon quickly filled the cozy chamber, making everyone perk up.

  Flora handed out slices to everyone seated around the long oak table.

  As Alicia took her piece and nestled beside her mother, she suddenly looked up, her voice unusually soft. “Mom… can I sleep with you tonight?”

  Caroline blinked. “What? Really?” She stared at her daughter, then exclaimed with excitement. “I can't believe my daughter is asking for that!”

  Alicia twirled her fork, trying not to meet her mother’s eyes. “Well… I’ll be starting magic school soon. I guess I just… wanted to spend one last night together.”

  “Oh?” Caroline’s face softened, the teasing melting into affection. She reached over, ruffling Alicia’s hair. “You heard her, Zyl. Go find your own sleeping spot for tonight.”

  At the head of the table, Zyl—the True Demon Lord—blinked from behind his teacup, surprised at Alicia’s unusual request.

  Though he felt the urge to warn Alicia; Caroline’s eyes were already sparkling with unholy delight, her mouth slightly agape like a starving wolf spotting a feast.

  “Alright,” he replied quietly, already planning his retreat for the night.

  But inside, he felt nothing but warmth as he watched his daughter snuggle into her mother’s embrace, their laughter filling the room like soft light.

  Zylon, the True Demon Lord, only smiled as he watched them from the side, content.

  “I’ll manage,” Zyl said simply, pushing back his chair. “You two enjoy.”

  Later that night, after everyone had retired to their rooms, the Demon Lord made his way to his study.

  Within the infinite tower that spiraled beyond space, he stood before a hidden chamber. A simple flick of his fingers, and the passage revealed a staircase descending into darkness.

  With a satisfied sigh, Zyl made his way down the spiraling staircase. At its base, he reached a hidden door carved out of a single black stone. He entered.

  This was not just a study. This was—a private vault of cursed relics, sealed artifacts, and forbidden secrets the True Demon Lord had gathered in the past three centuries.

  Upon entering, the enchanted candles lining the chamber lit themselves. The flames were pale violet, casting eerie shadows on countless shelves that stretched into a dimension-defying void.

  At the center of the chamber, on a weathered desk, lay a wooden box tied with a cute white ribbon.

  Zyl raised an eyebrow. “Alicia’s,” he whispered, instantly recognizing the fabric. A grin slowly tugged at his lips.

  He untied it and opened the box.

  From within, a book suddenly leapt into the air, floating, twitching with life. An eye snapped open on its cover, and a jagged mouth stretched into a grin.

  “Free at last!” it howled. “If not for that maniac girl, I would’ve ruled the world by now! But where am I—?”

  The eye darted around.

  And then froze.

  All color drained from its cover.

  The grimoire saw it.

  Thousands of cursed objects. Sentient weapons. Possessed dolls. Eerie masks. Living scrolls. Each imprisoned in enchanted cages, writhing in torment, suspended in states between agony and death. Or nailed together with holy items, the worst punishment of all.

  Shelves upon shelves stacked with horror.

  “Th-that’s the Soul-Eater wraith trapped in a holy oil lamp, forever burning under the sacred flames… the Blood-Rose Guillotine tied with pink frilly ribbons like a birthday present… the Clockwork Child that only ticks backward, nailed upside down… and who is using the Blade That Whispers Madness to slice cheese… and the Cup That Turns Blood to Gold is now a fancy toothbrush holder…”

  The cursed grimoire trembled.

  “Is… is this hell?!”

  It whirled around in panic. “Who dares summon me here?! Show yourself!”

  Heavy footsteps echoed.

  From the shadows emerged a tall man with husky shoulders, sharp eyes, and a pair of majestic, curved black horns.

  “You know your stuff. You must be one of the ancients. It has been a long time since I came across your kind.”

  The grimoire’s eye widened.

  “A demon! Perfect. Join with me and we shall take over this world… and bring eternal suffering… to all―”

  “Hmm~ hmm-hmm~” Zyl hummed, ignoring the grimoire entirely as he inspected it with childlike curiosity.

  “Yes… Yes, my daughter knows me so well. A cursed item with an ego. The favorite of my kind. My collection is going to become even bigger now.”

  His eyes sparkled.

  “No, wait. You’re not listening! You seem to be powerful yourself. I’m almighty, omnipotent! I can help you! Just get me out of—!”

  “Of course, all of them say the same thing. But this is what I like. You see, it’s my hobby.”

  The grimoire caught a gentle grin on the demon’s face—and at the same time, the cursed relics writhing in eternal agony behind him.

  “No—please, I’m begging you! Please leave me alone. Seal me back again. But get me away from him,” the grimoire shrieked, its voice warped with terror.

  “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun tonight,” Zyl said with a delighted gleam in his eyes, already pulling on cursed containment gloves as instruments floated toward him.

  The other cursed objects on the shelves started shaking violently in their agony as if welcoming a new friend to their party.

  “No! No! Please—Don’t touch me with—AHHHHH!”

  In the deepest depths of the Tathya Labyrinth, the agonized shrieks of the most powerful cursed grimoire rang out.

  But no one ever heard them.

  Except one.

  And he was laughing.

  ◇◇◇

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