Hasis opened his mouth in shock at my words but shook his head.

He murmured to Ilian:

“Hold out your palm.”

Ilian obediently extended his hand.

Well, that made sense—if he didn’t, who knew where he might get stabbed.

Slash.

In the blink of an eye, a wound about a hand-span long appeared on Ilian’s palm.

The blood flowing from the wound dripped onto the magic circle below.

The magic circle that had been glowing gold suddenly erupted with crimson wind.

I stood quietly in the middle of that whirlwind.

A blood covenant is the strictest of all magical contracts. It also consumes so much magical power that people rarely use it.

But honestly, this level of magic consumption didn’t matter much to me.

[Latrebiache (Covenant Complete).]

As I softly uttered the activation word, the red wind immediately subsided.

Simultaneously, the chains binding Ilian’s body shattered with a clang.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

I extended my hand toward Ilian.

“With your life at stake.”

Ilian looked at me glumly before reluctantly taking my hand.

Then, with no trace of his previous expression, he smiled casually again.

“Sure, I’ll do my best, little miss.”

* * *

The covenant with Ilian was successfully completed.

Hasis still wore a disapproving expression, while Lerrhagen said nothing and merely observed what I was doing.

After completing the covenant, I was about to restore my destroyed room when I suddenly remembered that despite the external attack, no one had come to my room. I decided to first dispel the magical barrier surrounding my room.

As I was heading toward the balcony, Lerrhagen suddenly stopped me.

“Don’t go out. It’s spatial distortion.”

“What?”

Just as he finished speaking, a strong gust of wind swept through, and the room that had been in ruins instantly returned to its normal state.

I laughed hollowly at the peaceful scenery outside the balcony, which showed no sign that any commotion had ever occurred, and looked at Lerrhagen.

However, without adding anything more, I sent a magical telegram to Rigan.

A few minutes later, Rigan came to my room with a face still half-asleep.

“Now you’re calling me in the middle of the night… Who is that?”

Despite the situation, Rigan was impeccably dressed. He adjusted his glasses when he saw Ilian who had suddenly appeared in my room.

Seeing the wary look that instantly crossed his face, I simply shrugged.

“He’s my first brother. Say hello.”

“…?”

Rigan’s face changed strangely at my absurd introduction.

He looked around at Hasis, me, and Lerrhagen in turn, seemingly trying to assess the atmosphere in the room.

However, realizing that none of us had the personality to explain anything to him, he nodded in resignation.

“I understand. You want me to show him to a room?”

“I like your perceptiveness that kicks in at the right moments.”

“Please follow me.”

Rigan obediently followed my instructions, even though this would normally be the head lady-in-waiting’s job.

However, just as he was about to leave the room, he hesitated, seemingly noticing something.

“Your Majesty, the wound on your face…”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“But it’s bleeding?”

“Is this your first time seeing blood? Stop talking and take that guy to his room. Details tomorrow morning. I’m tired.”

Rigan didn’t add anything more when I mentioned being tired.

Leaving with a “Have a peaceful night,” he exited the room, and once again the room was filled with silence.

I gently touched my cheek with my hand.

As the wound healed instantly, a short sigh escaped me.

“Now then—”

But before I could finish, Lerrhagen, who had been standing quietly until now, suddenly disappeared.

I hesitated, then let out another long sigh. Lost in thought, I turned my head and spoke to Hasis, who was standing beside me.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“Hey, you.”

But instead of answering my question, Hasis posed one of his own.

“What are you thinking? Why do something so reckless?”

“Reckless?”

“If you really wanted to keep him alive, you could have imprisoned him. No, that would have been the more rational approach. But you… No, before that, do you even believe what that guy said?”

Hasis’s face showed clear signs of confusion as he spoke.

Looking at his face, I smirked.

“No, not at all. Of everything that guy has said since entering this room, the only truth might be that he’s a prisoner from Death Gorge. Honestly, I don’t even know if that’s true.”

“Then why!”

“But isn’t it interesting?”

“…What?”

Hasis looked dumbfounded for a moment.

I smiled deeply. Then I shrugged toward Hasis.

“He’s prey that walked in on his own. I don’t see why I should let him go.”

“Just for that reason?”

“That’s part of it, but you must have noticed too. How many clues this prey that walked in on its own could bring us.”

“That’s true, but still—”

“Enough, just leave. I’m tired.”

Hasis looked at me with an expression that showed he couldn’t understand my attitude at all.

Of course, from his perspective, that was understandable, but I didn’t elaborate further.

Finally, Hasis sighed deeply and messed up my hair.

“I really don’t get it. Kid, you’re too reckless.”

“Tsk. Again!”

“Sleep well.”

After saying that, Hasis left my room.

I clicked my tongue and stared at the closed door. Then, fixing my disheveled hair, I pressed my lips tightly together.

I turned my gaze back to the balcony. There wasn’t a trace of the earlier battle to be found.

However, the black magic energy that had attacked me still lingered vividly in my body, and the deadliness of that knife aimed at me remained just as real.

The vivid sense of powerlessness that had crept through my entire body tormented me.

But at the same time, remembering Lerrhagen’s magic that had counteracted all that powerlessness, I sighed.

“Haa. How annoying.”

I smiled bitterly and finally turned away.

‘I really don’t want to do this, but I guess I have no choice.’

Eventually, muttering that to myself, I returned to my bed.

Of course, sleep didn’t come.

* * *

“This is your room.”

The room, far more luxurious than expected, seemed excessive for a sudden nighttime intruder.

Ilian, who was looking at the brightly shining chandelier as soon as he stepped into the room, spoke to the young man standing behind him with a cold face, probably the emperor’s aide.

“Thanks. Ah, what should I call you?”

“Rigan. I serve as Her Majesty’s aide.”

Unlike the various expressions he had shown earlier in the room, the aide’s eyes were now extremely cold. Ilian looked at him curiously.

Thinking that this handsome young man must be a dog who only wags his tail in front of his master, Ilian smiled and opened his mouth.

“Got it. I’m Ilian. Since we’re about the same age—”

Slam.

Before Ilian could finish, Rigan closed the door. Faced with such uncompromising coldness, Ilian shrugged.

Then, looking around, he smiled strangely.

“Ah, I really didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”

Born in the back alley of a small country that no longer exists, he had been unlucky from birth.

For some reason, he had been sickly since birth and always needed medicine, and while his parents were responsible, they had no money.

Eventually, to earn money for their son’s treatment, they jumped onto a carriage with their eyes closed, and inside was an unnamed nobleman.

Commoners from the back alleys suddenly jumping onto a nobleman’s carriage.

Normally, the coachman would have tossed them a silver coin and moved on.

But somehow, the carriage door that would normally have remained shut opened, and the nobleman who emerged muttered while biting his lip.

– I’m in a foul mood. This is perfect.

What followed was unremarkable.

The nobleman’s kicks were merciless, and his fists were cruel.

His parents died from the beating in front of their coughing child, and he watched it happen.

There was no mourning or funeral for their miserable deaths. He could do nothing as he watched the knights, on the nobleman’s orders, pick up the bodies and throw them in the trash.

The rainy weather was routine, the dirty, filth-filled back alleys were normal, and the bodies of mere commoners thrown in the trash were expected, so no one paid attention.

The child cried for a long time next to his parents’ bodies that day.

Afterward, the child wandered the back alleys for a while, and by chance discovered a talent for alchemy, but there was no one to teach him.

His talent was used for pickpocketing in the back alleys, and on days with no success, he would make stones appear to be silver coins to buy food.

Having learned alchemy without a proper teacher, he lacked theoretical knowledge but became truly exceptional in practical applications.

As time passed, the child became a young man, and one day a man claiming to be a count appeared before him.

– Are you that alchemist? I’ve heard you’re quite famous in these back alleys. You’ll have to help me.

After that, the young man manufactured all sorts of rare magic stones to be presented to nobles and royalty.

Most of the magic stones he created were used for the nobles’ entertainment and luxury, and occasionally for purposes too unspeakable to mention.

The nobles became obsessed with magic stones that fulfilled their obscene desires, and eventually rumors about him reached the king’s ears, and he was invited to the palace.

There, he met the baron who had killed his parents.

– I hear you’re quite capable?

– You flatter me.

– I heard you’re from common stock. If your blood is dirty, you should at least have some ability, shouldn’t you?

– …

– Well, anyway, the purpose of commoners is all the same, isn’t it? Being used is an honor too. Hahaha.

At that, the boy—no, the young man Ilian had now become—smiled.

A week later, the king died.

Ten days after that, royal family members began dying one by one, and two dukes and three counts died.

And a month later, the baron’s family fell into ruin, with no survivors.