“Welcome, Lou.”

Having the Crown Prince as the first person I met upon returning to the capital was truly annoying. I forced myself to smooth out my crumpling expression and greeted him politely.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I apologize for requesting an audience so suddenly.”

For some reason, the Crown Prince slightly frowned.

“There’s no need to speak so formally.”

“It is only proper for a subject to show respect to their lord.”

“…Let’s just sit and talk.”

For some reason, he pulled out a chair for me even though no one was watching and invited me to sit. I thanked him demurely.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

‘Ugh.’

I felt like gagging inwardly, but then our eyes met.

“You look like you’re gagging inside.”

“Th-That can’t be true.”

‘What a sharp guy.’

Caught off guard, I pretended to drink tea to hide my embarrassment. A tart aroma filled my mouth. The cool lemon tea suited my taste perfectly. The Crown Prince smirked.

“Well, someone as respectful as you would never do that.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

My throat kept feeling dry, probably due to my mood. Not even five minutes had passed, and my teacup was empty. The Crown Prince extended his long arm to refill my cup and then asked abruptly,

“So, what did the Pope say? About that ridiculous fate of yours.”

I gathered my thoughts and answered.

“His Holiness personally proved Shahar’s safety. He is indeed from the underworld, but he is a very safe and strong stone, fully qualified to be my mate.”

I didn’t mention what the coal had done to the Pope. There was no need to reveal the coal’s abilities to the Crown Prince after our engagement was broken.

I placed the certificate written by the Pope on the table. The Crown Prince glanced at it and laughed incredulously.

“Taking a stone as a mate, I can’t tell if I’m the one who’s rigid or if the world has gone mad.”

“There’s nothing strange about it. Your Highness should let go of your prejudice and acknowledge Shahar as my mate stone.”

“Are you serious?”

“I told you, it’s my fate.”

“Ha, should I be thankful it’s not a man?”

“I am male, descendant of the sun.”

The coal spoke in a displeased voice, seemingly offended by having his gender denied. The Crown Prince looked exasperated.

“I can’t get used to a talking stone.”

“Anyway, I have more to tell you.”

“What strange story are you going to tell me this time?”

Instead of answering, I handed him the hydra’s mana stone. The Crown Prince immediately picked it up and examined it.

“It’s a mana stone. And a high-grade monster’s mana stone at that.”

“We encountered a hydra on the way here. This is its mana stone.”

“What?”

The Crown Prince stood up abruptly and approached me, checking me over.

“Are you alright? You weren’t hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

Even after hearing my answer, he didn’t let go of me for a while. Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with Iscallion right after dealing with the hydra.

I had genuinely worried about him, but not Pinion. I silently admired his acting skills, which had not diminished even after our breakup.

‘He’s really putting on a show even when no one’s watching.’

“A hydra is a monster that even elite knights struggle to handle.”

“Yes. Thanks to Sir Roengreen dealing with the hydra, I was able to stay safe.”

I shamelessly lied. Iscallion’s abilities had to remain a secret.

“Roengreen, huh. Well, as long as you’re safe.”

“You can guess why the hydra appeared, right? The transcendent beings have started to notice that the master of Mount Acheron is gone.”

“…I’ve made some preparations, so you don’t need to worry. There’s no way a transcendent as powerful as Enril will appear in this era.”

The Crown Prince was right about that.

The age of dragons had long since passed. Enril’s existence was special in the original story for that very reason.

“But we can’t be complacent as long as Mount Acheron is close to the capital. We don’t know how strong the transcendent beings are or what abilities they possess. Plus, we can’t determine their numbers. If they start invading Mount Acheron one after another, defending it will be twice as difficult. And Your Highness can’t go out to battle every time.”

The Crown Prince bit his lip.

“Is there another way?”

I confidently squared my shoulders.

“We need to find a new master for Mount Acheron as soon as possible. Someone friendly to humans. Leave it to me.”

Finally, I had a chance to do something useful.

***

Finding a transcendent being friendly to humans was like searching for an oasis in the desert.

As humans prospered, other races were pushed to the outskirts, leading to several major conflicts. It was an inevitable result.

Despite knowing this, I stepped forward confidently because I had a plan.

After Enril, the last male lead, left, the coal took his place. So, it was a simple and logical conclusion that the coal could take over Mount Acheron as well.

Moreover, the coal was the lord of the underworld. He was as strong, if not stronger, than Enril. There couldn’t be a more reliable master.

The reason I didn’t immediately tell the Crown Prince about my plan was simple.

I wanted to wait for the right moment to reveal the coal dramatically, enhancing the impact. That way, I could boast about my achievement later.

“Right, Shahar? There’s no need to feel burdened. Enril was sealed and slept all the time anyway. There won’t be much to do.”

I was confident the coal would accept the proposal.

Even a coal with the title of the Master of Mount Acheron sounded much cooler than just a coal.

But the coal rejected the proposal outright.

“It is forbidden for a judge of the underworld to intervene directly in the human world. I came here solely as your mate.”

“What? But you protected me with a shield last time. And you showed Tartarus to the Pope…”

“Protecting a mate is an exception. Also, showing an illusion to the Pope is not a problem.”

“Then what do I do? I’ve already boasted to the Crown Prince. Do you know any friendly transcendent beings?”

“Why don’t you take the role yourself?”

“Are you kidding? How can a powerless human like me be the master of Mount Acheron?”

Compared to transcendent beings, and even among ordinary people, I was just an average person.

“I will protect you. And your necklace.”

“This?”

I lifted the necklace I always wore. Since Iscallion started staying at the mansion often, I wore it almost every day.

“It contains Enril’s power, making you a suitable successor. It will also make it easier to use the dragon’s power. The hydra probably targeted you because of the necklace.”

“No, that’s too much. Besides, the necklace wasn’t meant for that.”

“The purpose doesn’t matter. The fact that Enril’s last relic is yours is what’s important.”

“Hmm.”

I fell into thought. Becoming the master of Mount Acheron had many personal benefits.

Except for the road leading to the eastern coast, the development of Mount Acheron had been extremely limited to avoid provoking the sealed dragon.

‘If I own it, all the undeveloped mines will be mine.’

But that was only if the Emperor recognized me as the master.

Currently, Mount Acheron was officially state property. With Enril gone, the Emperor wouldn’t easily give up the mountain.

“But the Emperor won’t allow it.”

“If you want it, it will happen.”

Knowing how he threatened people, I could never let him face the Emperor.

I had let it slide with the Pope, who wasn’t directly related to me, but the Emperor was different.

I couldn’t afford to make an enemy of him for the sake of a comfortable future.

Even if the Emperor recognized me as the master, it would be meaningless if other transcendent beings didn’t accept it.

Claiming legal ownership in front of different species with entirely different lifestyles and cultures wouldn’t work.

I could easily imagine a future where I died before I could present the deed.

No amount of money was worth risking my life for.

“Hmm, I don’t think I can do it. Can’t you just recommend another transcendent being? Someone with a good personality.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve spent too long in the underworld…”

Indeed. He was introverted from every angle.

“I understand.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just have to embarrass myself and face the consequences. I have no reputation left to lose anyway.”

“……”

“No, actually, it’s not okay!”

I slammed my fists on the table and stood up.

“Huff. I guess I’ll have to beg for a divine oracle. After all, it’s the gods’ fault for not doing anything until Lina escaped. I’m just an innocent victim caught up in this mess!”

Even as I spoke, I felt a surge of indignation.