“Ack!”

The person responsible for causing this disaster by going on a rampage had apparently woken up.

The criminal’s condition, clearly not good, flashed through Siervian’s mind.

“Tower Lord, explain yourself.”

“A mage belonging to Magic Tower went on a rampage.”

“…I didn’t know I’d see someone like that in the empire. Why did the Tower Lord keep someone like that?”

“I apologize. The criminal’s name is Wilhelm, a commoner.”

The emperor’s face contorted at the Tower Lord’s brief report.

Karmen had just checked to make sure the tunnel wouldn’t collapse and now followed his master and reported.

“We’ve detained him inside just in case. I’ll bring him.”

The emperor nodded, and Karmen entered the tunnel. His blood and dirt-stained robe screamed exhaustion, but he didn’t forget to glance at Siervian on his way.

[Karmen Kasselov]
Mood: Relief

‘Looks like I upset Karmen, too.’

She thought she should lecture Karmen about not doing anything reckless once this was over.

Siervian patted Tanka’s back and waited for them to return.

Just then, the emperor, who had been silently watching his daughter’s actions, asked, “Siervy, what did you mean by healing magic?”

“Oh! Dad, I can do healing magic!”

“…Hmm?”

Then the Tower Lord nearby added his observation.

“Her Highness seems to have a knack for healing magic. I congratulate you.”

Even faced with such astonishing information, the emperor only twitched his eyebrows.

But Siervian’s eyes widened.

[Alderuan Erveldotte]
Thoughts: Healing magic! How could my Siervy be so talented at everything! Is she really a fairy of mana?!

Hmm, perhaps my daughter is too talented to be contained within this empire. It pains me to suppress such joyous emotions, my status is getting in the way.

‘Dad is thinking scary thoughts again?!’

Even after that, the emperor maintained an expressionless face, but he couldn’t hide his astonishment from her.

[Alderuan Erveldotte]
Thoughts: There’s no doubt that a grand festival was held in the fairy realm the day Siervian was born. Such a blessed child!

But this isn’t the time for that. I should hold a grand festival in the empire right away…!

After finally calming down, his gaze turned to Tanka.

“You there, mage.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. My name is Tanka Mallo.”

Tanka was still terrified of the emperor and hurriedly got up and bowed.

In front of him was the fearsome emperor, a far cry from the kind and gentle princess.

“Your spells are quite impressive.”

“Ah. There’s a child in the academy who’s talented in magic formulas. I tried applying a method to improve efficiency this time, I’m sorry for offending Your Majesty with my meager skills.”

“Hmm.”

‘Tanka’s talking so much!’

Tanka tried to downplay his contribution. Siervian wondered why and looked into his mind.

The reason was clear.

[Tanka Mallo]
Thoughts: I can’t let them see how capable I am. I don’t need any more work!

Of course, his efforts seemed to be in vain.

[Alderuan Erveldotte]
Thoughts: It wasn’t just about improving efficiency. Interesting. I should order him to submit a proper report soon.

‘Serves you right, Tanka.’

Her father was someone who wouldn’t waste talent like Tanka’s. She had a feeling that Tanka and Angel’s futures would be filled with endless work.

“The criminal is here.”

The commander of the knights who had followed the emperor spoke solemnly. The eyes of those resting after the battle turned sharp.

“Here he is, Your Majesty.”

Karmen and the Guild Master dragged the mage forward. He was being dragged on the ground because he couldn’t walk.

‘Why can’t I see his status window?’

Despite being said to have regained consciousness, the mage still hung his head low.

Curious, Siervian looked at the criminal as Delphi explained the situation.

“He lost consciousness again, but I can rouse him.”

Delphi’s eyes were filled with killing intent.

Understandably, his men nearly died because of the criminal in front of them.

“First, report the details of the situation.”

Father said this before questioning the man. She could guess why he did that from his expression.

[Alderuan Erveldotte]
Thought: He’s going to die soon.

‘We don’t have much time.’

Indeed, the mage’s condition seemed to be deteriorating. It was understandable, as he had forcibly twisted and exploded his mana, the source of his life.

“He broke this bead, and suddenly the mana flow in this area became unstable.”

Karmen took out one of the black beads that he had collected as evidence.

Guild Master Delphi, who was nodding beside him, also added to the explanation of the situation.

“After the bead was broken, the sound of a werewolf’s howl could be heard from afar. It was less than 30 minutes after the mana went berserk.”

“Hmm….”

Tower Lord had been listening to the detailed explanation, now stroked his beard and made a strange sound.

Father’s eyebrows, who had been casting a mana scan over the unconscious mage, also twitched.

‘Why is he doing that?’

[Alderuan Erveldotte]
Thought: The range is too wide for a mana explosion. There must be something more to it.

It was the same reason why Tower Lord had expressed his doubts when he first heard about the mana explosion.

However, Siervian felt that the situation was more serious.

“……Tower Lord, take that thing and investigate it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tower Lord quickly took the bead fragments from Karmen’s hand and put them in his pocket. Both Karmen, who handed him the fragments, and Tower Lord, had stiff expressions.

[Turana Ellison]
Thoughts: This is a big deal. If there are more of these things, the Empire will continue to be in danger…

‘Ah…!’

This was not something that could be dismissed as a problem with a single mage. If there were multiple beads like that, it would cause a bigger problem.

Of course, the mage who committed the act would also have to risk his life. However, even though we didn’t know who was behind it, there was a high possibility that they would try again.

“Wake him up.”

At that moment, Father finished organizing his thoughts and gave a cold order.

Guild Master Delphi stepped back silently as the commander of the knights approached.

The commander of the knights grabbed the criminal’s face roughly. Thanks to the fact that he had opened his eyes once a while ago, the criminal regained consciousness relatively easily.

“Ugh….”

The commander of the knights began his interrogation in a chilling voice to the criminal who was making strange noises.

“Wilhelm the mage, a commoner. Is that your identity?”

The criminal looked around with hazy eyes and did not answer, only grimaced. Then, the commander of the knights, who had briefly obtained permission from the Emperor with a nod, moved.

“Ugh.”

“Answer me.”

At that moment, Siervian’s eyes widened at the reaction of the newly visible status window.

‘The status window is flickering?’

Strangely, the reaction of this status window seemed to be related to the criminal’s life force.

“Yes… that’s right.”

And soon, when he came to his senses and answered, a more surprising fact was revealed.

[Wilhelm]
Job: Spy of Pacour (Lv. 65)
Thought: I’m… alive. What bad luck.

‘Pacour?’

“Why did you cause the mana explosion?”

At the knights’ commander voice, Wilhelm slowly turned his head. His gaze passed over the piled-up werewolf corpses and reached the Emperor.

Wilhelm realized that his plan had succeeded from that scene, and he let out a vile laugh.

“Cough.”

“Tell me right now!”

The commander of the knights could not use cruel methods because he was in front of the young princess.

Of course, even without that, the criminal in front of him would not be able to withstand severe torture. His body was already riddled with wounds.

“C-cough… cough.”

As if to show that his life was fading fast, the status window flickered more frequently.

Siervian was desperately thinking, as an unexpected name appeared.

‘Should I use healing magic to save him?’

However, his body still lacked mana.

“Tell me! Who is your mastermind!”

Now, Wilhelm’s condition had deteriorated to the point where blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth.

“It won’t work. Tower Lord, use magic.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tower Lord gathered his mana at the Emperor’s order. It was to cast a mind control spell.

Though mind-manipulation magic was forbidden, there were a few exceptions when it could be used. In a large-scale monster incident like this, it was obvious that interrogating the culprit fell under those exceptions.

Wilhelm kept laughing in front of the unfolding scene, as if he had no fear of death.

[Wilhelm]
Thought: Mind-manipulation magic? It’s too late.

“Something’s strange.”

“Everyone, look out…!”

The moment Siervian urgently shouted a warning, a clicking sound came from Wilhelm’s mouth.

“Ack!”

“Oh, no…!”

“Search his mouth!”

“Damn it.”

The guards rushed in and grabbed his jaw. However, the poison he had already swallowed took Wilhelm’s remaining life in an instant.

“What a cunning method.”

The Tower Lord looked at Wilhelm collapsing with a heavy tone. He hadn’t expected him to have prepared poison as well.

[Wilhelm]
Thoughts: This is all for the cause…!

“Cause?”

The status window she saw at the last moment made Siervian’s head even more confused.

* * *

“Why the hell did the princess go there in the first place?!”

Duke Pacour exploded in anger at the urgent news that had just arrived from the palace. This wasn’t the news he had been waiting for all day in his study.

Once again, the princess had interfered in his perfect plan and ruined everything.

“Goddamn it!”

It was such a waste to use “that thing” like this, and he had failed on top of that. The emperor had been tightening the duchy’s noose in every way possible, so he had needed a big incident to divert attention. If not, he would have used it more carefully.

The mage he had brainwashed over a long time, and “that thing” as well. The duke felt sick to his stomach thinking about the resources he had wasted with this failure.

“I thought that if monsters invaded the Imperial Capital, we could buy some time!”

The mine problem, which he had worked on for so long, had started to go wrong ever since Count Mirccino had stupidly gotten himself killed.

Come to think of it, the princess had also ruined Count Mirccino’s plan.

“That little girl definitely has something.”

There were even rumors among the knights that the princess had accurately identified the Werewolf King.

The duke himself hadn’t expected “that thing” and the mana rampage to summon the Werewolf King.

But the princess had conveniently solved the problem, which made it even stranger.

“Maybe I should have gotten rid of her sooner.”

There must have been a reason why his own blood, the empress, had been so wary of the princess.

He wished he had supported the plan to block her mana a little more seriously ever since she was young.

“Is there no one there?”

“Did you call for me, Your Excellency?”

It was too late for regrets. That’s why Duke Pacour decided to take action instead of dwelling on his useless thoughts.

The duchy’s secret would be revealed sooner or later if things continued like this. The emperor’s suppression was that skillful and fierce.

He couldn’t understand what made the emperor so openly hostile toward the duchy.

“What about what I told you to do last time?”

“…I have prepared it.”

His subordinate’s face darkened as he answered. It seemed he had a premonition of the duchy’s fading fate.

“Do it right away.”

The duke smiled wickedly at the thought of getting rid of the princess whom the emperor cherished so much.

—