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"Why were you sent after my son?"
"To murder him, Your Majesty."
"With what?"
"A poisoned knife coated in anti-dragon venom."
"From where do you come? Who is your family? Tell me about your past."
"The Vultarn High Dominion. I was born in some nameless town there, a poor bastard. My mother was a Demon from Spiritias. My father was human. She died giving birth to me. My father was an alcoholic gambler who died after angering the wrong people. I lived with my older brother. He was abusive and exploited me for money."
"…"
Gustaf remained silent for a moment as he listened to Zorba's responses during the ongoing interrogation. Cardoon Zorba was a deeply disturbed young man who had endured immense suffering throughout his life.
As a Sinner, he exhibited clear mental illness, though Gustaf couldn't pinpoint it exactly. On the surface, Zorba seemed completely sane, but a lingering madness glinted in his eyes—perhaps psychopathic tendencies.
"So your Third Eye and horn come from your Demon mother from Spiritias," Gustaf observed.
Spiritias was one of the three Fantasy Worlds that merged with Earth during the Dimensional Convergence, alongside Yggdrasil and Zipangu. It was a realm defined by constant war, where every person developed a Spirit in their Spirit Orb, a magical organ near the heart.
In a world where everyone was born with power, conflict was inevitable. Only in the last five thousand years had a single man risen above the rest. He halted the Demon Invasion from the realm known as "Hell" and even merged Hell with Spiritias to save it after defeating Lucifer, the King of all Demons.
Thus, Spiritias gained a massive "Demon Continent." Demons were integrated into its species. When the Dimensional Convergence occurred, some ventured uninvited into Earth—including Zorba's mother.
"You haven't developed a Spirit Orb?" Gustaf asked.
"No. Unlike my talented older brother, I was worthless trash with no future," Zorba said with a bitter smile. "My brother, on the other hand, was born with a Spirit Orb. At age ten, he awakened his Spirit—a powerful Flame Wolf."
"And according to your confession, you possess the Spiral of the Desecrated Soul," Gustaf continued. "You… killed your brother, didn't you?"
"…"
Zorba's third eye, mostly closed until now, slowly opened, revealing red irises.
"I did."
"And may I ask why, Zorba?"
"Because I hated him, and because I wanted power."
"I see… Such a mindset is not welcome in the Frostbane Kingdom. Killing for power is forbidden. You would face prison for that, you know?"
"…I am well aware, Your Majesty."
"Now, how did you convince my son to take you as a subordinate? What did you say to him? Did you manipulate him? Brainwash him?"
"Nothing of the sort, Your Majesty… Your son is truly an incredible person I admire. He's powerful, confident, and has a clear goal—a vision of an ideal future."
"…What? An ideal future? My son?"
"Yes… Louis… He wants a world where we Sinners, and others like us, can live peacefully and happily. A world without discrimination, where we can coexist… But he also refuses to let the world end, so he constantly strives to save it.
The Dimensional Convergence brought worlds together that should never have met, and we Sinners were born from that clash. Isn't it ironic, Your Majesty? We are called Sinners… as if society judged us guilty before we even existed. As though we are disgusting mistakes—a Sin against creation itself."
Gustaf fell silent. He didn't share such views, but he was stunned that his son had inspired such loyalty in this clearly psychopathic young man so quickly.
"Hm. That's enough for today. Rest for the remainder of the day, Zorba. I'll return tomorrow for further questioning."
"Thank you. It was nice speaking about my past with Lord Louis's father. You're a good listener."
"Hm…"
Gustaf walked away. Zorba remained in the containment zone, staring at the blank white ceiling with a calm smile.
Before meeting Louis, he had been lost and terrified. But since hearing the prince's words and being saved by him, his mind had never felt clearer.
"Mother… father… brother… I think I've finally found my purpose. It is to serve Lord Louis. Please watch over me, wherever you are."
Gustaf glanced through the glass one last time and froze at the sight.
"He's praying?"
♢♢♢♢
(Listen While Reading Recommendation: ECHO (feat. XYUA) )
When Louis finally returned home and headed to his room, he encountered Elises and Fernand again. The two knights stood silently, as they often did, rarely addressing him directly. He had spent months training with them, growing closer, but all that time was gone now. They were strangers once more, and perhaps, as before, they held little respect for him.
"Hello, Elises, Fernand. Thank you for your hard work."
"A-Ah, Your Majesty? You've returned!"
"Are you all right, Your Majesty?"
"I'm quite fine… Starting tomorrow, I plan to train physically and test the limits of my powers. I want both of you to join me."
"S-Sparring? Are you certain?"
"Wait, what powers?"
"I'll show you tomorrow. For now, you may take the rest of the day off."
Louis walked away, reaching his room. There, a tall giantess tended to his freshly washed clothes. She had finished cleaning and was humming softly while gazing at the sunset on the horizon.
"Oh? Lord Louis? You've finally returned! I was so worried."
"Catrise…"
"Hm?"
Though Louis could hide his joy at seeing his knights alive again, he couldn't contain it with Catrise. Realizing how deeply he loved her as family, he felt foolish for never expressing it before—for never making her feel truly appreciated and cherished.
Though he hadn't witnessed her death, he still remembered her ashes, her large bones scattered on the ground beside him, covering his body. He had struggled to process the loss while fighting to avenge them all.
"Your Majesty?"
Catrise startled as Louis approached, stopping before her with a conflicted expression. His face showed little emotion, but his eyes revealed clear sorrow. Catrise sensed a hint of happiness too. Even if this world wasn't exactly the one he knew, Louis still saw her as the devoted maid who had always stood by him.
"What's wrong?"
"…Catrise, thank you for being here. For cleaning, for the chores… for cooking, and for always worrying about me."
"…?"
"Thank you… for caring about a flawed person like me."
"Oh… Why are you saying these things so suddenly? What happened? I… well, of course I care about you. Are you sad? Do you need a hug, my prince?"
Catrise's eyes welled with tears as she smiled, wrapping him in her massive giantess arms. Louis felt no discomfort—only reminded of his mother's hugs, for she too had been giantess-sized.
He stood there silently, accepting her embrace with a faint smile. Eventually, he looked up and caressed her face, relieved to feel her warmth again. Yet the memory of her ashes and bones lingered.
"I'm sorry, Catrise… I'm sorry…"
"Why? What's wrong?"
Louis stepped back, leaving his maid confused and even more concerned.
"…No, it's nothing," he said with a light smile. "I suppose it's dinner time. Shall we eat together?"
"Together?" Catrise blinked. "W-Well, if you insist… I wouldn't mind. But I must warn you, Your Majesty—as an Ice Giantess, I eat a lot!"
"Haha, that's fine," Louis smiled. "My mother ate plenty too. Her table always overflowed. It was a sight to see her devour a whole roasted giant wild boar."
"Oh yes, your mother was quite the glutton. I suppose it comes with being a dragon," Catrise said. "Although… you've barely eaten lately. I'm glad your appetite is back, Prince Louis."
"Yes… I suppose I needed to eat more. My body has grown stronger," Louis said. "I haven't told you yet—I've awakened to Tier 8."
"Truly?!" Catrise gasped. "A-A Spiralwalker?!"
"Yes," Louis nodded. "About that… I should take my pills now."
"Oh!" Catrise beamed, thrilled to see Louis taking his medication—something he often forgot or avoided, insisting he wasn't "crazy." "Very well. I'll prepare dinner. Let's celebrate your Awakening tonight! You finally have the strength you've always desired!"
"Yes… I suppose I do," Louis nodded. "Let's go."
That night, Louis enjoyed a grand feast with Catrise. He even invited other servants to join, surprising them with his unexpected kindness.
♢♢♢♢
Louis's kindness, however, proved short-lived.
The next day, he trained his two knights mercilessly, wielding his sword with masterful precision and overwhelming Elises and Fernand.
From one day to the next, Louis had surpassed them in strength. Though they could match him if they combined forces, they had yet to learn the Dual Aura Technique.
"Y-Your Majesty! What's with this sudden surge in strength?!" Fernand asked in disbelief, barely blocking Louis's relentless strikes.
"A-Aren't you going too hard on us, Your Majesty? Please show mercy to this humble knight!" Elises pleaded.
Yet Louis's eyes burned with ferocity. He targeted their weak points, then corrected their stances. It almost felt as though he was teaching them instead of the reverse.
"Come on, is this all you have? Go all out! Use everything you've got, you two! I won't hold back! We all need to grow stronger!"
Fernand and Elises endured Louis's grueling training for five straight hours before he finally allowed a break. He bathed and headed underground, meeting Mirai as promised. While walking, he checked his status. His stats hadn't surged dramatically again, but he remained satisfied with his growth from his previous life.
"With these base stats, mastering the Heaven and Earth Essence Gathering Method should be much easier. Sitting meditation is inefficient, though. Constant exercise accelerates it…"
This was one reason he pushed his knights so hard. Another was his anger at their weakness—he wanted them stronger quickly. And truthfully, he still harbored resentment toward Elises for fleeing in the past.
Well, he hadn't come to meet Mirai just to chat.
"Prince Louis…! You're already here. Sorry I'm late."
Mirai appeared, her voice echoing behind him. Louis turned to see her wearing a white blouse and black skirt, fishnets, and boots.
Her black hair with red streaks was tied into two small pigtails, giving her a fresh, different look.
"Um…" she flushed, noticing his stare. "D-Do I look strange?"
"No, you look good," Louis said honestly. "I just didn't expect the change. Meanwhile, I look the same as always."
"Oh no, the uniform you've chosen today is different, and it fits you so well," Mirai said with a light smile. "As a prince, you always wear your clothes perfectly."
"I must. I represent the country," Louis replied. "Now, shall we have a meal before we go have some fun?"
"Fun? A-Ah, sure…" she nodded. "The cafeteria again?"
"I wish there was better quality food down here, but it can't be helped," Louis shrugged. "The cafeteria it is."
They walked to the cafeteria and enjoyed a meal together. Mirai eagerly asked all sorts of questions about the surface world, learning about nobles and many other things. This reminded Louis to contact Agustina. While chatting with Mirai, he sent her an email—almost identical to the one before—regarding the deal he wanted to make.
Although he had reached Tier 8, meaning he no longer needed the ingredients he originally planned to gather, those materials could still strengthen his Magic Affinity. They might also help his Abilities evolve further. Rising through the Ranks wasn't enough, after all.
Even at Tier 8, he was still assimilating the changes. If he could use the planned materials to concoct a powerful Elixir, it would help his Spiral grow much stronger.
"Hm, I've eaten far better food. Next time, I'll bring Catrise here and have her prepare something in advance," Louis sighed, disappointed with the quick, cheap cafeteria meal.
"Really? There's tastier food than this?" Mirai, who had mostly eaten nutrient-optimized meals with little flavor throughout her childhood, looked amazed at the idea of something better than instant ramen.
"Yes, there is," Louis smiled. "Here, this is the lunch Catrise prepared for me. We can share it."
"Ooohhhh!" Mirai's red eyes widened as a basket emerged from Louis's shadows. He opened it, revealing several neatly packed sandwiches, freshly squeezed fruit juice, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and pudding for dessert. "W-What's this? Can I really eat?"
"Yes, take one— Hey!" Louis grew irritated as Mirai grabbed two sandwiches and began devouring them bite by bite.
"Wow…! This one has egg and bacon?! Cheese too…! And this one has a hamburger, right?" Mirai marveled. "Wow… I've always dreamed of eating this after reading food magazines… I'm so happy right now… I'm in my happy place… heh."
"…" Louis made a bitter face, biting his lip. He had planned to eat two and share only the third. "You're quite greedy, huh?"
"A-Ah… I'm sorry…" Mirai apologized, already finished with both sandwiches.
"Well, this better be worth it," Louis smiled. "We're done here. Let's go to the sparring area."
"Sparring area?" Mirai asked curiously.
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