“Long time no see…….”

It was a voice I had heard somewhere before.

 I hurriedly searched my memory.

Where did I hear it? Where? Ah, I remembered.

‘Gabe Jenade….’

It was the master of the South Magic Tower by the side of Duke Angellus and Dorothea.

 He was the one who had encouraged me to preside over Dorothea when she collapsed during the last founding ceremony.

 He was closely associated with Duke Angellus, so I had to be careful.

 I called out to Greed, hoping he might have some information I couldn’t.

 ‘Greed. Do you know that person?’

 […….]

‘Greed?’

It was strange.

Despite claiming to prioritize the economic of language, Greed, who loved to talk in reality, couldn’t possibly be this quiet.

Moreover, he didn’t respond even when I called him. I grasped the communication device hidden in my dress, out of sight of the other party.

If necessary, I was determined to send a signal to Raeyan, who would be lying in ambush nearby.

 First, I needed to find out why the man in front of me approached me and what his intentions were.

 I asked in my normal voice; the same one I’d used to shoo away the swarm of flying insects earlier.

 “Do you have any business with me?”

 “I just wanted to see your face, but it’s a shame it’s a masquerade.”

Despite my efforts to keep my identity concealed, the man subtly indicated that he knew my status.

Even though I had changed my eye color, it was a futile effort if the other party already knew my identity.

Abandoning the nonchalant attitude, I asked straightforwardly.

“Did the Magic Tower Lord and I have such a close relationship?”

“This is a one-sided thing.”

 “We only met a few times.”

Even with my less-than-welcoming response, Gabe just stared at me with sharp eyes.

It felt like a sensation of crawling bugs, an uncomfortable gaze.

My figure briefly reflected in Gabe’s violet eyes.

“I’m personally interested in the lady.”

 “That’s truly regrettable.”

Even with my sarcastic tone, Gabe didn’t bat an eye.

Instead, he stared at me intently as if peering through, speaking calmly with an unyielding voice.

“So, I came here to offer some advice.”

“…Advice?”

What advice? As I muttered quietly, Gabe took a step closer and whispered in a low voice.

 “The God of the Underworld is watching you.”

 “What?”

The God of the Underworld is Irkala.

A being seeking to grasp this world in its clutches.

I and Raeyan were the only ones who knew I was a match for Irkala.

I gave him a skeptical look, but he added without a change in expression.

“Be cautious.”

What does this man intend? I stared into his violet eyes for a long time, yet I couldn’t grasp what he was thinking. Even without a mask, it would probably have been the same.

Then it happened.

A shadow flickered beyond the balcony door.

 Duke Kreundel had returned from dealing with the drunkards.

 ‘Thank goodness. Nothing happened.’

Relaxing a bit was it a mistake? Stepping back, Gabe spoke a few words.

“Let me give you one last gift.”

“What kind of gift—”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Kyaah! A high-pitched scream echoed from inside the mansion.

 “……!”

As I drew the curtain, the scene inside the mansion came into view. A corner of the transformed banquet hall was engulfed in flames.

Amidst the chaos, something caught my eye. It was—.

“…A demonic beast?”

Why would a beast suddenly appear in the capital city, inside a nobleman’s mansion? I had never heard or seen such a thing.

 It wouldn’t have just happened naturally.

Swiftly turning my head, I found what I was looking for.

A rift.

A small but noticeable tear in space in front of the fireplace.

Through that gap, it was evident that the beast had emerged.

In that moment, the voice of Gabe Jenade, who had suddenly promised to give a gift, echoed in my mind.

Urgently looking back, Gabe was nowhere to be found.

“Did he escape?”

‘As expected, the rift during the founding festival was also this man’s doing.’

Seeing that he was talking about the god of the underworld, Gabe Jenade also seemed to be related to Irkala. Meanwhile, the situation at the banquet hall reached its worst.

I don’t know how the fire started, but the mansion was burning brightly with strong alcohol and carpets as firewood, and two more demonic beasts jumped out of the rift and threatened the people.

 “Don’t worry, Lady. I’ll handle this!”

Bold but foolish youths, holding candelabras, tried to block the beasts but were effortlessly knocked away like paper dolls with a single gesture from the beasts.

“Kuhuk!”

“Kyaah! What do we do?”

Startled ladies screamed.

When I unconsciously took a step forward, someone stood in my way.

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave like this?”

“Raeyan.”

Even though I hadn’t signaled Raeyan yet, the severity of the situation prompted him to abandon hiding and approach me.

Seeing Raeyan without a mask in the masquerade hall was strange, but with everyone running away in panic, no one paid much attention.

After glancing at the chaotic scene with the monsters, Raeyan suggested to me.

“Since no one here knows you came, it’s okay to leave like this. Why get involved in troublesome matters?”

Raeyan’s words made sense.

Moreover, considering the events happening inside the capital, the imperial knights would be dispatched soon, and it was a small rift that could be dealt with somehow.

However, this was the ‘gift’ that Gabe Jenade had given me.

To no one else but me.

“If I received a gift, might as well open the box myself.”

“What?”

“It means I won’t run away.”

While suggesting that I should leave, Raeyan quickly stepped back, seemingly aware that I would say something like this.

“Understood.”

“But just in case, Raeyan, you should also wear a mask, just in case….”

Before I could finish my sentence, Raeyan snatched the mask of a fleeing young man and put it on his face.

He ran out of the building, unaware that his mask was off.

“Raeyan, you have quite the skill set, don’t you……?”

 “I had to survive somehow.”

Having fallen from grace and turned into a destitute mercenary just to make ends meet, he must have honed his skills in the back alleys.

Touching the edge of the mask as if it were uncomfortable, Raeyan asked.

 “What are you going to do now?”

 “We need to find the medium of the rift.”

Considering the experience from the previous Founding Festival, there must be a medium that causes the rift.

Back then, it was an altar, but what about now? Is it because the rift is smaller? When I examined it with my eyes, I couldn’t find anything suspicious.

“Lady?”

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached me, and as I turned my head, I saw Duke Kreundel. He looked at Raeyan by my side with caution and asked.

“Who is this person?”

“It’s okay, Your Grace. He’s my escort.”

“I see. I am rather glad to hear you have an escort. Then, I must apologize. ………I’m sorry, Lady, but I think I’ll have to take care of this situation.”

Although no one had instructed him, Duke Kreundel seemed to be informing the capital of the appearance of the beasts and assisting people in evacuating.

Leon Kreundel was a truly selfless man.

 “Lady, you should also hurry and leave this mansion.”

“No, I will stay to close the rift.”

Different from my personal reasons for staying, Duke Kreundel, upon hearing my statement, showed a somewhat surprised expression and then nodded.

“Then, I’ll leave closing the rift to you, my lady.”

Although I said I would close the rift, rushing into it recklessly would be dangerous.

I didn’t know how many more times the rift would appear, considering that Jenade could create rifts. Each time, I might not be able to purify and close the rift. If significant damage occurred, the blame would undoubtedly fall on me for failing to close the rift.

 ‘One miracle is enough.’

For now, I’d hold out until everyone was evacuated, and then I’d cleanse the place once the people who could see were gone. As if sensing my intentions, Raeyan stepped forward.

 “Ian?”

“I’ll buy time. Find the medium by then.”

Kreundel, who had been silently watching us, also approached the beasts.

“I will protect the rear.”

However, Duke Kreundel was currently unarmed. How would he face the beasts barehanded?

“Your Grace, without a sword, how…”

“It’s okay.”

Duke Kreundel raised his hand.

Wondering what he was doing, I looked at his hand, and suddenly, it twisted as if transforming into a beast’s paw.

 Duke Kreundel rarely used his powers in public, so this was the transformation power I had only heard of in rumors.

Both men rushed towards the monsters in the flames simultaneously. Despite not knowing each other’s identities, their cooperation was surprisingly good.

Thunk!

 Duke Kreundel attacked the beast first, turning his gaze away.

 Slash-.

Raeyan took advantage of the gap and cut off the beast’s head.

Watching the scene, I took a deep breath and tied my messy hair back together.

I had work to do, too.

 “Let’s hurry.”

I needed to find the medium as quickly as possible to prevent more beasts from appearing.

***

The office of the Duke of Perdia.

Sylvester was receiving reports from his two sons.

“We issued a warning to that area. If the same incident occurs again, it would be advisable to strip them of their status.”

“Then do so, Jansi.”

While Jansi continued his briefing, a regular knock echoed in the room.

“Come in.”

The man who entered reported to Sylvester.

 “Milord. Currently, an order has been given to all the blood relatives of the four major families in Somnia to gather together.”

 “What’s happening?”

“It’s a rift.”

“A rift?”

 “Yes. It is said to have appeared, unusually, in the middle of a mansion in the city center.”

A rift in the middle of a city center? Except for the rift in the sky during the founding ceremony, rifts typically appeared in remote, sparsely populated mountainous areas.

If it happened within Somnia, summoning all the members of the noble blood from the four major families, regardless of the size of the rift, was not an unusual response.

Jansi asked the subordinate.

 “Where is the location of the rift?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Haam.

Carlot sat back and yawned, casually listening to their conversation with one ear while letting it through the other one pass.

The men hesitated before giving the location.

“At Madam Montgomery’s mansion.”

Thud!

“Ah!”

Carlot jumped up, his face pale, and exclaimed loudly.

 “Carl.”

Jansi called his younger brother’s name warning him of his misbehavior, but Carlot paid no heed.

 “Sister Lili!”

At the unexpected mention of Elodie’s name, Sylvester and Yansi both turned their gaze towards Carlot. Carlot shouted through clenched teeth, unable to contain himself.

 “Why is it that everywhere she goes, there’s trouble!”

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