Chapter 48

Fall

"...It's torn to shreds, this one."

Minister of Administration—Rad clicked his tongue as he folded the newspaper in half.

It was safe to say that ever since yesterday’s trial, not a single media outlet had published anything favorable about the Prince.

The Pontiff had personally appeared and shattered the basis they had presented, and the other accusations they had pinned on the Lionhearted were systematically refuted by various pieces of evidence.

Even the spirit of the Warden of the Realm, which they had summoned to render the trial meaningless, was subjugated by the Lionhearted and her husband.

'...There's not a single thing in our favor, is there?'

Rad scratched his head, chewing on that bitter thought.

It wasn't just any charge—they had accused him of treason. A crime punishable by death, no less. And now that man had been proven innocent?

It would’ve been stranger if his reputation hadn’t been destroyed. And this was assuming people hadn’t even found out they had forcibly summoned the Warden’s spirit...

"No matter how royal he is, if public opinion is this hostile, it’s dangerous for him to act openly. For now, it’d be better to operate from behind the scenes."

"……"

"I never imagined a spirit that had been strengthened that much would be defeated so easily."

Rad said this to the Prince, who sat across from him with his eyes closed.

Unlike his usual smile that seemed like a mask stitched onto his face, Rad now wore an expression laced with irritation—something rare.

"Your Highness? Are you listening?"

"Rad."

With his eyes still calmly shut, the Prince responded in a composed tone.

"Even I never heard anything about it being the actual spirit of the Warden of the Realm."

"Oh, really?"

"...We were going to use a substitute. Just make it believable enough to frame the Lionhearted."

When the Prince said that, Rad tilted his head and scratched his temple.

"But... I figured something like that wouldn’t have much impact."

"……"

"Sure, we didn’t even get the chance to pin the blame before we were completely overwhelmed, so it didn’t help in the end. But if there had been massive civilian casualties during that battle, wouldn’t it have worked out better?"

"……"

"And if, by any chance, we failed—if the Lionhearted herself had been forced to put it down—she might’ve suffered a deep emotional wound, enough to shake her to the core. It would’ve been perfect if her husband hadn’t meddled unnecessarily."

"……"

"Well, it’s a trivial matter anyway, so setting that aside—about our next move—"

Before Rad could finish, the Prince slowly opened his eyes.

What lay in those eyes was a pitch-black killing intent, as deep and sunken as the abyss.

At last, the qi in his body began to pulse.

Colors charged with physical force began to rise, forming brilliant, vibrant trails.

"...Your Highness?"

As Rad, flustered, asked again in confusion, the Prince responded not with words, but by moving his qi without hesitation.

Rad’s panic grew as he looked at the Prince, watching the qi coil around him like chains, binding him tightly.

"What is the meaning of thi—"

Once again, before he could even finish the sentence, the Prince’s gaze shifted.

—Triangle. Shatter.

Each strand of qi bent in three separate directions, crushing Rad where he stood.

Not merely applying pressure but wringing.

And not just wringing but grinding.

And not just grinding but shattering.

At the center of it all, Rad’s body crumbled with a sickening crunch, reduced to fragments in mere seconds.

Bones shattered, muscles tore, and intestines were pulverized, as blood spurted out in all directions.

As the Prince withdrew his qi, what remained of Rad—a formless, mashed pulp—dropped to the ground with a wet thud.

"……"

Still seated, the Prince leaned his head slightly back in silence.

His demeanor, calm for someone who had just committed murder, was reflected in the composed tone of his next words.

"Get up before I actually kill you."

Strange words, considering he was speaking to a corpse.

"...Oh come on, what’s with all the anger?"

—Yet, it didn’t seem strange at all once Rad began to slowly push himself up again.

Even as the Prince radiated waves of killing intent that felt sharp enough to split a man in two, Rad, in his mutilated body, replied indifferently.

His entire form, face included, had been mangled, and blood oozed from his mouth as he spoke. Yet his tone remained unnervingly calm, making him appear all the more grotesque.

"You’ve completely ruined it. This artificial body took a lot of work to make, you know."

As he said that, horns sprouted from Rad’s head.

Horns of a sinister hue, reminiscent of a demon’s. Wrapped in dark mana.

Soon, the demonic energy flowing from those horns began to envelop his body. It reattached shattered bones, regenerated torn muscles, and even restored his clothing.

It looked similar to the way Deathwish of the Holy Crown Kingdom or the Pontiff forcibly regenerated their bodies but something about it was fundamentally different.

Because this wasn’t his ‘real body’ to begin with.

In fact, this thing wasn’t even a man. Not the real Minister of Administration either.

It was ‘something else’ wearing that skin.

"Such incredible hypocrisy."

"What?"

"Even if it was a fake, you were still trying to use the Warden of the Realm to frame the Lionhearted, weren’t you? So it’s fine when you exploit others in subtle ways, but not when I do it blatantly? I’ve heard ‘humans’ tend to treat morality as flexible like that."

"……"

As if asserting that he wasn’t human, Rad’s words made the Prince glare at him in silence.

“Of course, that doesn’t really matter. But you must not forget the terms of our deal, Your Highness.”

Rad cracked his neck with a loud pop as he spoke.

“We are delivering the Empire to you.”

His fingers floated through the air, tracing an eerie arc as they circled Rad and then pointed back toward the Prince.

“And in return, you offer us a sacrifice.”

His body still regenerating in twisted motions, the way he spoke only made the atmosphere even more grotesque.

“Someone like the Lionhearted or her husband would do nicely.”

“……”

“So put in a bit of effort, won’t you? You’ve just been taking hits all this time, haven’t you?”

Rad chuckled and then stood up, brushing the dust off his body.

“Well, we’ve already smuggled enough weapons into the capital. Preparations for the next phase are also complete, so it’s fine for now but if we fall any further behind, things might get truly disastrous, you know?”

He winked deeply at the Prince as he said this.

“As long as you prepare the sacrifices properly, we’ll handle the rest. Got it?”

Then, whistling cheerfully, Rad sauntered out of the room.

The Prince quietly spat a curse under his breath.

“…Demonic bastards.”

…Of course.

It had been the Prince’s own decision to align himself with them.

He drank from the teacup in front of him with a bitter expression.

▣

-System Message

▶ Affection level with the target ‘Teresa Adelaide’ has increased.

▶ Bond level cannot be raised with this target. Skill cannot be copied.

▶ As compensation, a large amount of ‘points’ has been awarded.

▶ ‘Point Shop’ has been unlocked. You can now use points to gain various benefits!

“……”

Aiden gave a wry smile as he closed the window.

Sure, receiving rewards purely like this wasn’t bad but it wasn’t something he could just celebrate blindly either.

Considering the conviction the Warden of the Realm had shown, he couldn’t accept this so lightly.

Still, he couldn’t just ignore it either.

-Skill Info

◆ Mana Arts: The Savior’s Vow

※ Unique - This skill is possessed only by this character!

First Geas: Protect the world.

Second Geas: Defend the powerless.

This is the only vow offered to Urgan, the God of Ascension. Actions related to the vow grant significantly increased power.

This very window proved it.

‘I have to keep my word.’

He said he would protect it in her place. The fence that holds his family and friends—he said he would guard it for her.

If he didn’t want to be someone who spoke only hollow words, he’d have to grit his teeth and gather every means possible to make that happen.

In that sense, the newly appearing window was more than enough to catch his attention.

-System Message

▶ You have increased the affection level of a person whose affection was originally impossible to raise.

▶ A core axis of the scenario has shifted due to your actions.

▶ Additional rewards will be granted!

-Skill Info

▶ ‘Skill: Weaver of Fate’ has been activated.

▶ You have obtained ‘Remnant: Warden of the Realm – Resolve.’

▶ Can be used only once.

※ ‘Unique Ability: Origin’ is required to view detailed information.

“...”

Aiden blinked as he read the messages floating in front of him.

‘...Remnant?’

This was something he had never seen before.

-Skill Info

◈ Remnant: Warden of the Realm – Resolve

A skill containing the mental imprint of the target. It can unleash an extremely powerful effect once.

※ ‘Unique Trait: Origin’ is required to access full skill information!

“……”

...And on top of that, the explanation couldn’t have been more unhelpful.

There were no specifics about the effect—just vague phrases like “powerful” and “one-time use.”

Normally, he would’ve been complaining right away about what the hell this was.

‘...Isn’t this the first time?’

This was, in fact, the first time the system itself had ever directly described something as “powerful.” Not even Katya’s divine power or Noel’s qi, both of which showed overwhelming force, had received such a description.

But of all things, it required the awakening of the unique ability “Origin,” and that made things a little tricky.

‘This...’

Wasn’t that the ability that could only be awakened by completing a character’s personal quest?

He had already unlocked Katya’s, but Noel’s personal quest still felt far off. He didn’t even know where to begin with it.

And as if responding to that very question, a new window popped up in front of him.

-Tip!

▶ The target’s personal quest can be easily advanced through situations related to ‘Teresa Adelaide’!

▶ Make use of the connections between characters! Direct contact with ‘Teresa Adelaide’ will provide even greater assistance!

“……”

He stared at the floating system window in disbelief.

Was this a joke? How was he supposed to make contact and receive help from someone he just helped pass on?

‘...I’ll think about it later.’

There was no immediate way to resolve this. And besides, he now had something else to worry about.

* Quest Info

◈ Act I, Imperial Capital Fracture

* Chapter 2, Night of the Hunt

▶ Related events will soon be updated!

Aiden furrowed his brow and tapped his chin lightly.

In the end, Act I: Imperial Capital Fracture was a sequence of events starting with internal unrest in the capital and leading all the way to “rebellion.”

The smuggling of weapons in the prologue, the Ghost Knight Incident in Chapter 1—both had followed that pattern. And Chapter 2, Night of the Hunt, followed the same thread.

‘Was it… the beast rampage?’

It was another type of incident meant to sow chaos within the capital and disrupt its defensive structure.

The difference from Chapter 1 was that this one occurred right before the climax of Act I—the “coup.” Though it was labeled Chapter 2, it practically led straight into Chapter 3, which was the climax.

And accordingly, the scale of the event was far larger than before.

Beasts were inherently ferocious and powerful creatures. There wasn’t a single one that wasn’t dangerous.

The Night of the Hunt referred to an event where, over the course of an entire night, participants would attempt to subdue those beasts with minimal casualties.

But before he could dwell on it any further, another line appeared in the quest window, catching Aiden’s eye.

◈ Fake Marriage

...

★ You have handled the event wisely. Speak with the character to receive your reward.

…This was definitely that.

The same type of system window that had appeared just before Erger’s relationship shifted from a mere “Bond” to “Obsession.”

The kind that popped up right before a drastic change in one’s relationship with another.

“……”

“……”

Even now, Aiden could feel Noel, seated across from him in the office, glancing at him from time to time.

In fact, since the trial yesterday, they had been so busy with aftermath-related matters that they hadn’t exchanged a single word.

Because of that, there hadn’t been a proper moment to share a serious conversation but if she was being that blatant, he couldn’t just ignore it.

“...Is there something you’d like to say?”

The moment he said that, Noel took a deep breath and bowed her head low.

“Aiden.”

“Yes, I’m liste—”

“Thank you.”

“……”

Noel let out a long sigh, filled with relief, as if her chest had been about to burst with how badly she had wanted to say that.

“You essentially held a funeral in Teresa’s place. No amount of gratitude could ever be enough.”

“If that’s what you wanted to say, you could have told me anytime.”

As he scratched his cheek, Noel continued, as if she had decided to speak her mind all at once.

“Then… may I ask one thing?”

“Yes. Anything.”

“...How did you know?”

Her voice quiet and subdued, Noel met his gaze as Aiden gently turned toward her.

Clenching her trembling hands tightly, Noel asked him with sunken, sorrowful eyes.

“How did you know Teresa was holding on for that reason until the very end?”

“……”

To be honest, even Noel had begun to doubt it near the end.

She had thought Teresa Adelaide’s soul had been too corrupted to ever return.

That was why she had planned to end it with her own hands. Because she believed she had to be the one to lay her to rest.

At that, he tilted his head slightly and replied.

“I promised, didn’t I? That I’d prove to you the Warden of the Realm would never end up like that.”

“…But still, if that judgment had been wrong, you could’ve been in serious danger.”

“I told you from the start.”

Aiden cut her off with a grin.

“If you believe in her, then I believe too.”

“……”

“If you can’t trust your own fiancé, who else in the world can you trust?”

Even if someone lost their sanity.

Even if their ego crumbled.

Even if they couldn’t tell right from wrong.

If Noel was certain that Teresa wasn’t that kind of person, then she wasn’t. Aiden’s reasoning was simple and started from that single, unshakable belief.

“…To be honest, I figured I wouldn’t actually die even if it didn’t work out, so it might seem like I’m pretending to be cool, but—Sir Noel?”

He tried to lighten the mood with that comment, hoping to prevent things from getting heavy again, but Noel’s reaction was odd.

She just stared at him blankly, her eyes out of focus, as if she were completely dazed.

It was the kind of look that seemed to say, How can a creature like this exist in the world?

“…Sir Noel?”

“Ah, d-did you say something?!”

She snapped out of it the second time he called her name, visibly flustered and even stammering, which was unusual for her.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Instead of pointing out how strange she was acting, Aiden cleared his throat and smoothly shifted the topic.

At times like this, it was best to stick to business. He began flipping through a stack of papers left behind by Sir Stella and pulled one out.

“More importantly, I think it’s about time we set a date for our wedding.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Officially, we’re engaged. If we don’t schedule a wedding soon, people might start to suspect there’s something wrong between us. I figured we should block that in advance.”

Well, they were in a fake marriage agreement anyway. It wasn’t like setting a wedding date was something either of them would protest. Still, it was a topic that required at least a bit of discussion.

That’s the spirit behind the document he pulled out and as expected, Noel didn’t say anything as she looked at the paper Aiden placed in front of her.

“When do you think would be good? It doesn’t have to be exact, but we should at least settle on a general time frame.”

“……”

“…Sir Noel?”

“……”

“…Sir Noel…?”

“A-Aiden.”

Breathing a little unevenly, Noel stared down at the paper, her eyes darting back and forth as she finally opened her mouth.

One could almost imagine a swirling vortex spinning inside her eyeballs…

“Would it… would it be alright if we talked about this, um, a little later?”

“…Pardon?”

“I think… I need to think it over a bit—”

“……”

Something was clearly off.

It felt as if the very mention of the topic triggered an intense, visceral reaction in her.

‘…Why?’

She was the one who went as far as kidnapping him just to make this arrangement happen—so why react like this now?

He just couldn’t understand it…

“I-I’m sorry! I’ll think about it on my own for a bit!”

And with that, she bolted out of the office.

She left so hastily that the marriage registration form sitting on the desk fluttered in the breeze created by her rush.

“……”

Aiden stared wordlessly at the door that slammed shut with a bang.

…What?

The related quest had supposedly been handled wisely, and the system even mentioned some sort of progression as a reward but what was this supposed to be?

If anything, her reaction seemed even more complicated than before.

-System Message

Right on cue, as if to reflect the shift in their relationship, a system window appeared in front of him.

Aiden stared at it with a tense expression.

Given how she’d reacted, maybe her feelings had actually gotten worse…

▶ The bond type with target ‘Noel Astrea Simus’ has changed to ‘Extreme Love’!

▶ The target harbors such intense romantic feelings for you that rational judgment becomes nearly impossible when it comes to you. Significant changes will occur in the target’s behavior!

▶ From now on, the target will prioritize you in any situation!

▶ Increase the affection level to copy even more skills!

“……”

Aiden stared at the window, speechless.

Extreme Love.

In other words, love pushed to its absolute limit.

There were a lot of details written, but it could all be summarized like this:

Noel Astrea Simus had come to like him very, very, very much.

He alternated between looking at the marriage form she’d just abandoned and the system window.

“…What the hell?”

There was really nothing else to say.