"The time of his prison break was 11:22 PM. The association's overseers detected it immediately through surveillance, but there was no way to stop it."
At 1 AM, Castorice received a call from Go Gunhee.
She hadn't slept particularly late.
Normally, she'd already be asleep by this hour, but since she didn't actually need sleep to replenish her energy, it was more like a habitual meditation.
When the phone rang, she answered it right away.
But the news from the other end left her puzzled.
A prison break? How was that possible? Those were shackles capable of restraining the magic of dragons and angels.
Some Monarchs might be incredibly powerful, but from the ones she'd faced so far, at the very least, the Monarch of Fangs shouldn't possess magic on the same level as dragons or angels.
How could he possibly break through such a seal?
As if sensing Castorice's confusion, the voice of the elderly man on the line was tinged with complex emotions.
"It was less of a prison break and more of a jailbreak. Judging from the surveillance and the residual magic at the scene, someone severed both his hands, helping him free himself from the shackles, and then opened a gate."
Ah... that was indeed the only way to help someone bound by anti-magic stone cuffs.
In other words, getting help from someone else.
After all, if you were the one shackled, there was simply no way to break free on your own.
"The Monarch of Transfiguration..."
Castorice immediately identified the prime suspect for the jailbreak.
Suspect was putting it mildly—it was practically certain.
Information about the Monarch of Fangs hadn't leaked.
The only people who knew were Go Gunhee's close associates. The two people directly involved, Castorice and Cha Hae-in, wouldn't have spread the word.
That left only the other Monarchs, who would know and possibly even stage a rescue.
"Does the association need help?"
Castorice asked immediately.
Even though she was lying low here, that place was where she'd started and lived the longest in this world, and most of her friends were there.
"Not for now."
Go Gunhee pondered before replying. "Although he escaped, he vanished right after the breakout. So far, there's been no large-scale destruction, and he's left no trace."
That's what he said, but in reality, only a few hours had passed since the Monarch of Fangs' escape.
In those few hours, Go Gunhee had only conducted the most basic investigations.
While that would be sufficient in ninety percent of situations... the other party was a Monarch. No definitive conclusions could be drawn.
Moreover, Go Gunhee was well aware that the other party now knew his condition.
If they truly intended to do something, their first move should have been to come for him, making him the primary target.
But that hadn't happened.
"I can't be sure what they're thinking. The main reason for this call is to ensure you don't miss the news of his escape, so you can avoid misjudging any situations you might face."
Go Gunhee said.
"Thank you, I understand."
Castorice nodded, her voice returning to its usual calm and gentle tone, carrying a hint of concern.
"Please don't worry excessively, sir. Your health cannot handle too much strain. If anything truly happens, you can notify me promptly."
The young woman's concern soothed Go Gunhee's agitation considerably.
He could sense that after he had set aside his own interests and sincerely offered her advice, her attitude toward him had softened a great deal.
This helped him understand why only Cha Hae-in and Han Song-Yi had truly managed to become close friends with Castorice.
Unfortunately, being in his position meant he inevitably had to consider far more than the average person.
"Hahaha, don't worry. I won't be heading to the Underworld just yet."
Go Gunhee chuckled. "Alright, it's you who should be careful. Japan is different from Korea. Their Hunter Association's control over Hunters far exceeds ours."
"While you don't need to worry about strength, you should still be wary of traps in other areas."
His concern wasn't entirely necessary, but Castorice accepted it graciously. "I'll be careful."
It was already late, and on his end, Go Gunhee still had to expand the search while placating the diplomats from the United States. He had a great deal to handle. After exchanging a few more words, the call disconnected.
Placing her phone on the bedside table, Castionice sank into thought.
Only five Monarchs remained now: the Monarch of Fangs, the Monarch of Transfiguration, the Monarch of the Beginning, the Monarch of Destruction—who was feared by the other Monarchs—and the Monarch of Shadows, who was most likely inside Sung Jinwoo, waiting to seize his body at any moment.
To be honest, Castorice hadn't paid much attention to these Monarchs at first.
Holding to the principle of 'if they don't bother me, I won't bother them,' she had never considered actively hunting them down.
After all, in a previous world, even inherently evil cursed spirits were allowed by Amber to remain in this world.
The world had its own balance and rules of operation. Even though she had the power to change things, she wouldn't arbitrarily alter things according to her whims.
Because she considered herself human, and the world didn't need so-called gods.
But the current situation was different. This world lacked a force capable of balancing the Monarchs.
The Fragments of Brilliant Light should have been that force, but their moral sense was too high; they were unwilling to seize their hosts' bodies, leaving them unable to match Monarchs who had completely taken over their hosts.
No matter how much she admonished herself not to let power breed a sense of superiority or a condescending view of others, she couldn't help but entertain the thought, 'Find the Monarchs and kill them.'
Amber understood the principle of 'pruning the excess branches.'
Beings that couldn't participate in the world's food chain to maintain balance could, in the name of 'for the world,' be trimmed by her.
Yet... she had never truly taken action.
Perhaps now was the time to do it. This attempt might also provide useful experience and ideas for her main self.
Contemplating her next move, Castorice decided to discuss this with Sung Jinwoo once he emerged from his exclusive dungeon.
Although Sung Jinwoo was currently very focused on increasing his strength, it would be disastrous if he accidentally ran into another Monarch and got stabbed in the back by the Monarch of Shadows.
Even if she could resurrect him, Castorice didn't want him to face a death that wasn't unavoidable.
Soon, the sky began to brighten.
Having decided on her plan, Castorice intended to conduct a worldwide search.
This wouldn't be easy for her, as she wasn't the type with exceptionally powerful sensory abilities.
To search for someone across the entire world, she would need to personally travel everywhere.
If the enemy circled around her during the process, the difficulty would increase exponentially.
But... she happened to have nothing pressing to do at the moment. Since she was free, traveling around might be nice.
Just as Castorice was about to inform Shimizu Akari and Tawata Kanae of her departure, she sensed an immense surge of magic unfolding in the sky.
It was the aura of a gate. Someone had opened a gate in Japan.
The Rulers? No.
Although the Rulers also opened gates—or rather, they inevitably opened gates continuously to strengthen this world's power—this was different. A gate of this magnitude could hardly be called a trial.
It was opened by the Monarch of Transfiguration.
Gazing at the massive magical aura spreading across the sky, far surpassing that of an A-rank gate, Castorice had no choice but to change her plans yet again.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.