TL/Editor: raei
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: none
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"So you''re giving up your im to the throne?"
After watching Evelyn briefly, this question left Zion''s lips.
The Second Princess nodded.
"Yes, I never once thought the throne suited me. I was willing to shoulder that burden since there was no one else qualified, but now that''s no longer necessary."
Because she had finally found someone worthy of bearing that burden.From Evelyn''s description of the throne as a burden, Zion could tell she truly had no lingering attachment.
''Even in the chronicle, Evelyn cared more about her family''s safety and the empire''s stability than the throne.''
Pursuing the throne had merely been a means to that end.
"From what I can tell, Rubrious already seems to be on your side... In that case, I rmend holding the coronation ceremony and ascending to the throne as soon as possible. Given the current situation."
Evelyn continued calmly while looking at Zion.
"Of course, Diana and the Fairy Forest will oppose it, but you''re now strong enough to ignore that level of resistance."
"I''ll think about it."
Though he answered this way, Zion nned to dy his coronation until after visiting the Beast Sea and Fairy Forest.
That timing felt optimal to him.
"Very well, then I''ll wish you luck from afar."
With these words, Evelyn turned and began leaving the training ground as if her business was done.
Though she had given up a goal pursued nearly her entire life, her expression showed relief rather than bitterness.
"Afar? You''re leaving the imperial pce?"
"I need to go to the demon realm border. There''s unfinished business from myst regr patrol. I n to conclude it this time."
At that moment, Zion''s eyebrows twitched slightly as he watched Evelyn''s retreating back.
''Is it already that time?''
His eyes grew cold with this thought.
There was a reason for Zion''s reaction.
''ording to the chronicle, the Second Princess never returns from this border patrol.''
Because she meets her death there.
The world contained something called coercive force.
A type ofpulsion making events flow as originally destined.
Therefore, history didn''t change easily even when recognizing and trying to twist the future.
This exined why events simr to the chronicle kept urring despite Zion causing numerous incidents that could each shake the entire empire.
Thus this incident would likely follow the chronicle too.
Unless Zion intervened himself.
''I''ll need to change my schedule.''
It seemed he would have to visit the demon realm border before the Fairy Forest and Beast Sea.
''Though I need to handle this first.''
With that thought, Zion turned his attention from the now-vanished Evelyn to Thierry, who had approached silently.
"We''ve obtained information about Ouroboros''s headquarters."
The Shadow''s leader bowed his head and spoke quietly.
"Tell me."
Some things could be left alone without much inconvenience, yet would still somehow be irritating.
Ouroboros was such an existence to Zion, which was why he nned to uproot thempletely this time.
He had intended to deal with them before the great war anyway.
"By interrogating the member Your Highness captured earlier andbining our gathered intelligence, we''ve narrowed it down to three locations. However, we''ll need more time to identify the exact one. They''re hidden more secretly than expected..." ?
Zion''s eyes sank deep in thought at these words.
''With Evelyn''s death approaching, I don''t have much time to spare on Ouroboros.''
Yet he couldn''t utilize knowledge from the chronicle either.
Even in the chronicle, Ouroboros''s headquarters location remained unknown.
That left only one option.
"We''ll have to spread bait and make them reveal themselves first."
As Thierry received instructions from Zion, slight confusion filled his eyes.
"But Your Highness... mightn''t Ouroboros ignore this bait?"
"They''ll have to take it. They''re the desperate ones, not us."
Zion had reason for such certainty.
The sessive losses of "Frost Queen''s Authority fragments" and resulting n failures.
Moreover, their central branch and various capital branches had been destroyed, and Sharin May, one of their executives, had died.
Yet despite such sacrifices, they had achieved almost nothing.
''The attack during thepetition was probably a hastily arranged n to divert attention, thinking I would move to eliminate them soon.''
Of course, thatplete failure had only worsened their situation, making proper judgment impossible.
''They must be desperate for meaningful results.''
With such impaired judgment, it would be nearly impossible to spot the 1% falsehood Zion had hidden within 99% truth.
''Though since they''ll need to move secretly before taking the bait, I can''t use well-known martial groups or figures...''
He needed people.
Specifically, people both little-known and overwhelmingly powerful.
As Zion mentally sorted through potential operatives, his eyes suddenly gleamed.
"Speak of the ogre and it appears."
As Zion smiled saying this, his eyes fell upon-
"Master High!!!"
A woman happily waving while approaching from the training ground''s edge.
---
"Ah, this is really fucking annoying."
As these low words left Archdemon of Madness Acrimosia''s lips- RUMBLE!
The surrounding space began crumbling in response.
Unlike usual, the deep voice seated before her didn''t try stopping her.
"Things are gettingplicated."
Even they found this situation extremely irritating.
"Maybe I should''ve just killed him when we met before."
Acrimosia was referring to Zion Agnes.
The cause of their anger and currently their second biggest concern after the Archdemon of Jealousy.
"That one person has derailed far too many things."
From the fallen angel n to the imperial pce, Lezero, and nts.
And now even their great war preparations were in crisis.
"I hear he''s even dered preparation for war against us."
"Though it was inevitable, I never expected things to progress this quickly."
"The situation is developing more urgently than anticipated. It seems the empire can no longer remain passive. They''ll need to take action soon."
"Hmm..."
As Acrimosia pondered with folded arms at the deep voice''s words, her eyes suddenly lit up as if recalling something.
"How about this? Before the war starts, let''spletely clear out the border area first. Isn''t that force the most troublesome right now? We don''t need to be cautious anymore."
"That''s a good idea, but given the timing, they''re probably more alert than usual. Mediocre forces won''t be enough."
"Then we just need forces that aren''t mediocre."
"You can''t mean... sending one of the Great Demon level?"
"Exactly!"
The Archdemon of Madness snapped her fingers.
"That level would certainly handle any variables. But don''t you and I need to deal with Jealousy?"
"We still have one spare hand."
With a grin at the deep voice''s words, a single word left Acrimosia''s lips:
"Pride."
---
On a deserted outer road of the capital Hubris.
In the surrounding bushes, over ten people dressed entirely in ck were secretly hidden.
"Check your stealth and presence-concealing formations, then standby."
Richt, their leader and an executive of Ouroboros, quietly instructed his subordinates while fixing his gaze on the road''s end.
He was here because of recently obtained intelligence.
Top-secret information that their information department, rivaling the empire''s highest-ranking information guild, had obtained at great sacrifice.
''ording to the intel, a top-grade magical engineering core with output matching the floating city''s suspension core is being transported to the imperial pce along this route.''
For preparations for the uing great war.
Ouroboros had moved to steal the core as soon as they obtained this intelligence, which was why Richt was here now.
''If we detonate this core in the capital''s center, we could achieve the same effect as the "Frozen Night" n we couldn''t execute before.''
Truly devastating power.
''We must seed.''
Richt''s eyes grew cold with this thought.
This theft could instantly make up for the organization''s recent failures and numerous member sacrifices.
That''s why he hade personally.
''Plus we can strike a blow against him.''
He recalled one particr person.
Zion Agnes.
The one who had cornered his organization and their number one target for elimination.
If this n seeded, they could not only destroy half the capital but also severely damage Zion Agnes''s war preparations.
''We''vepleted every possible preparation. Now we just wait for their arrival.''
The possibility of this being a trap never crossed Richt''s mind.
They had already verified the intelligence dozens of times before moving and confirmed no ambushes within a certain radius, all to prepare for potential traps.
Moreover, they had even confirmed that the core had disappeared from its secure storage in the floating city''s first-ss magic workshop.
Then-
"They''reing."
A subordinate whispered to him.
Looking in the direction indicated, Richt saw several magical cars rapidly approaching.
"Therge car in the center carries the core. Target that one."
Richt crouched lower, feeling the magical core detector in his pocket vibrating softly.
VROOM!
As the approaching magical cars finally passed through the road between their hidden bushes-
"Now."
At Richt''s coldmand-
BOOM!
Pre-nted magic circles activated, causing a massive explosion.
The magical cars flipped from the st.
Then-
SWOOSH!
The hidden Ouroboros members began charging at terrifying speed toward the central car.
"Attack! We''re under attack!"
"Stop them from approaching!"
Slightly dyed, mages emerging from the cars began unleashing indiscriminate spells at Richt and his members.
CRASH!
Perhaps due to needing to move secretly?
Though few in number, these mages were exceptionally skilled.
Even Richt''s hand-picked elite subordinates struggled to handle them.
"ARGH!"
"Gu-guh!"
Several members suffered potentially fatal wounds from the mages'' spells.
However-
''We''ve broken through!''
Despite this, Richt''s expression behind his mask was bright.
His goal had never been eliminating the mages but stealing the core, and he was one step from achieving it.
CRACK!
Using his subordinates'' lives as shields to reach the core-carrying car, Richt unhesitatingly drove a crystal awl from his pocket into the car door.
FLASH!
Blue light burst from the densely carved runes on the awl''s surface, rapidly enveloping the car.
"N-no! They''re trying to spatial transfer the entire car! Stop them, stop them!"
The head mage''s urgent shout came toote.
The blue light had alreadypletely covered the car.
FLASH!
With an immense surge of light, Richt and the car vanished without a trace.
---
After what felt like an eternity of wavering, distorted vision-
WHOOSH!
The blue lightpletely disappeared, fully restoring Richt''s sight.
Then-
"Haha... HAHAHA!"
Loudughter burst from the kneeling Richt''s mouth.
Beyond his restored visiony a familiar scene.
It was Ouroboros''s headquarters that he had grown ustomed to seeing.
"Sir Richt! Did you seed?!"
Other members began approaching him.
"Not sure yet."
Though he answered this way to his subordinates'' question, the word "sess" had already appeared in his mind.
The core detector in his pocket was still vibrating.
''Now, let''s check.''
CRUNCH!
Without hiding the joy filling his eyes, Richt grabbed and tore off the car door.
As the car''s interior gradually became visible, his joy peaked.
"...Huh?"
The joy in Richt''s eyes suddenly turned to confusion.
What he saw was a top-grade magical engineering core filling the car''s interior - and beside it, a woman.
As he sensed the bloody aura emanating from her, his expression twisted.
"Hello?"
The woman - Liushina - smiled eerily at him.