“Who ordered it?”
The Emperor’s voice trembled. He fought to contain the rage building within him, his fingernails digging into his palms until blood dripped steadily onto the stone floor.
“Who… Who ordered such a thing?”
“How should I know? A re child, after all. Your sons are living well... wait.” The High Elder blinked, then sothing dawned on him.
He burst into wild laughter.
“Don’t tell you’re talking about that fool who died over ten years ago!”
Silence.
“Magnificent! What a devoted father you are—this is beyond shocking, it’s actually impressive!”
The High Elder shed tears of mirth as he spat his mockery. “Yes, I killed that half-wit. With the very Dark Relic Your Majesty personally bestowed upon , I personally ended that child’s life.”
“Who ordered you.”
“How does it feel? Learning that what killed your own son was sothing you yourself granted?”
“Who.”
“Ah, of course Your Majesty wouldn’t have known. You probably thought it was just so genius musician’s instrunt when you gave it to . But what can be done? Even if you didn’t know, it was Your Majesty who killed that child.”
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND TELL ! WHO! WHO ORDERED MY BOY’S DEATH?!”
The Emperor’s careful control shattered. His roar echoed through the dungeons, followed by ragged breathing that filled the sudden silence.
When he spoke again, his voice erged as barely more than ash. “Speak. Who ordered you to kill that child?”
The High Elder studied the Emperor’s face. “Is it really that important? Important enough to cast aside all your imperial dignity?”
“Just tell .”
“Your Majesty has grown old as well. Very well. I’ll tell you.”
The High Elder spoke as if discussing the weather. “House Artezia ca to . Said they’d make family head if I killed the Third Prince.”
I’d expected him to lie, but he was being surprisingly honest. He had to have an ulterior motive, though I couldn’t fathom what benefit he could gain from this confession.
Then understanding struck .
This wasn’t about benefiting himself—it was about harming us. The High Elder knew he was going to die regardless. Execution was assured, torture would continue indefinitely. So he was taking his revenge in the only way left to him.
The old bastard was brilliant in his madness.
The Emperor would verify this revelation. He’d investigate House Artezia from every angle, and inevitably find evidence—real or manufactured.
The Imperial family’s focused attention could uncover incriminating details about any noble house.
The Emperor would rage. House Artezia would learn they were suspected. And then…
War. The worst civil war from my previous life would unfold again. The Empire would fracture, and House Artezia would devour everything in the chaos.
Everything would proceed exactly as planned.
Sure enough, the Emperor turned to the imperial knight commander with blazing eyes. “Verify this imdiately. If it proves true, mobilize every soldier to utterly destroy House Artezia.”
The commander’s face went pale. Refusing this order would an his head. “Yes, I will obey your command.”
The Emperor departed without another word, summoning torture specialists to continue the High Elder’s interrogation.
I watched the scene unfold, understanding the trap we’d walked into.
* * *
That night, I slipped into the underground dungeon.
Guards were posted at every entrance, but the drugs I’d obtained from Lexa worked perfectly—they collapsed into unconsciousness within monts.
My footsteps echoed softly against stone as I made my way to the deepest cell. Inside, the prisoner groaned in pain.
“Hey.”
The High Elder turned his head, blinking in surprise. “Why are you here?”
“You’re curious?” I kept my expression neutral.
I lit a cigarette, the fla illuminating his battered face. Wounds covered every visible inch of skin.
“Do you want to live?”
“What?”
“I asked if you want to live.”
“Are you mocking ?”
I laughed softly and retrieved keys from the unconscious guard’s pocket. The cell door opened with a rusty screech.
“Does this convince you?”
“Are you insane?”
“I’m offering you an opportunity. It would be a waste to let you die like this.”
The High Elder’s hollow laugh echoed off the walls. His expression asked the obvious question—why would the person who most wanted him dead be doing this?
He had a point. Honestly, I wanted to kill him right now. I wanted to inflict pain worse than death itself. But I had a more pressing concern.
If things continued as they were, everything would unfold exactly as he wanted. War between Artezia and the Imperial family would reshape the continent, and in that chaos, the North would suffer. Lea would be hurt.
I couldn’t allow that.
“Go to the Demonic Realm. Even the Emperor won’t pursue you there.”
“Are you betraying the Emperor?”
“That’s not sothing you need to know.”
The High Elder studied my face for deception, found none, and smiled. “I don’t know what you’re scheming, but I’ll play along.”
“Good.” I tossed him a bundle of keys. “These should unlock your shackles.”
Getting him this far was my limit—escape was his responsibility.
“But you’ll need to eat this first.” I produced a small herb. “You know what Romatia poison is.”
“Worried I might kill you?”
“Sothing like that.”
Romatia temporarily prevented Aura usage, reducing even masters to ordinary humans. It was standard treatnt for prisoners of war.
The High Elder snorted derisively but swallowed the herb without complaint. “Very well.”
“Hurry. Other guards will arrive soon.”
I left the dungeon, hoping he would escape safely.
* * *
The High Elder moved through the darkness, his breathing labored. Ti was running short. At this rate, the Imperial family would recapture him.
The Demonic Realm... I just need to reach the Demonic Realm...
That brat Louis Berg thought it ant certain death, but the reality was different.
The Demonic Realm was still a place where living creatures dwelt. Dangerous creatures, yes, but survival was possible. So long as he procured Demonic byproducts, he could live comfortably within that realm.
Just wait... I’ll have my revenge!
His eyes flashed with renewed purpose.
Suddenly, sothing cut through the air.
Whoosh.
An arrow embedded itself in his thigh.
“What—?”
The High Elder stared at his leg in shock, then scread as agony tore through him. Without Aura to dull the pain, the single arrow felt like molten iron.
He covered his mouth, muffling his cries. Discovery ant death.
“Just a little more... just a little further.”
He dragged himself forward, leaving a trail of blood. His vision blurred from blood loss, but he could see it—the entrance to the Demonic Realm.
Thunk!
Another arrow struck near his waist. He collapsed, face grinding into muddy earth, but didn’t stop moving.
Like a wounded snake, he crawled with his palms pressed to the ground.
Survival instinct had awakened—the sa instinct he’d abandoned in the dungeon.
“I managed to survive this far... I’ll survive no matter what!”
He shrieked into the void, crawling endlessly toward salvation.
“That’s right. You could have survived. What a sha.”
A familiar voice drifted from the cliffs above. The High Elder spun his head wildly, seeing nothing but empty stone.
“Go a little further. You never know—maybe this ti you can live.”
“What is this! Co out! Show yourself!”
But the attacker remained hidden, speaking with maddening calm. “You’ll get caught at this rate. It’s only a hundred ters. Crawl that distance and you can live. Will you give up?”
The High Elder clenched his teeth. The entrance was right there. If he could just reach it...
He began crawling again. Step by agonizing step, dozens of movents across broken ground, until finally—
“Finally!”
He reached the threshold of the Demonic Realm.
“Good work.”
An arrow pierced his throat. Blood foad at his lips as he reached desperately toward the entrance. One step. Just one more step and he could live, but his body wouldn’t respond.
The High Elder’s hand trembled in despair as death claid him.
“You can’t be allowed to die comfortably.”
Louis Berg put away his bow, standing atop the cliff. He’d watched everything unfold from above.
He threw his lit cigarette toward the corpse and turned away.
Whoosh.
Flas engulfed the High Elder’s body. No one would ever find him now.
History would record that he’d escaped to the Demonic Realm, and the Emperor would never consider starting a civil war to hunt down a dead man.
Everything had been resolved perfectly.
Louis Berg scratched the back of his head and sighed quietly.
The long, bitter relationship with the High Elder had finally ended.
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