It had been ten days since Ern had not returned to the Princess’s Palace.
Epherna’s patience was slowly reaching its limit.
Even a few days without seeing Ern’s face was enough to make her feel a burning thirst.
As the heat rose in Epherna’s neck and tension mounted, the atmosphere in the Princess’s Palace grew colder.
“I apologize, Commander Schneider. The Princess has been under a lot of stress lately…”
“Yes… It’s alright…”
Schneider nodded with a reluctant voice.
He had been startled when ordered to mobilize the entire army to search for Ern Astra, but thanks to Merien quickly intervening with words, he was able to collect his thoughts.
‘It seems Epherna was driven to speak out in frustration.’
What Epherna originally intended to discuss was not this.
She wanted to propose a slight modification to the ongoing military reorganization that had been in progress since the end of the war.
Externally, the country was almost stable now, so she thought it was a good time to organize the military to suppress and eradicate the Evergreen faction causing trouble internally.
Even though she was contemplating this, she wondered if it was right to bring it up now, given her unstable mental state, and so she spoke up.
“The Princess seems tired, so I’ll come back tomorrow.”
However, the one who had scheduled today’s meeting was none other than Epherna herself.
“No. I’m fine. I’ve made a poor impression.”
She straightened herself and fixed her posture, her eyes narrowing.
“Are you really alright?”
“I’m fine. But we should discuss the military reorganization.”
Though it was uncomfortable, if she missed today, who knows when she would have another opportunity to talk.
Schneider, with a doubtful heart, began to listen to her.
“Recently, many regions have experienced riots caused by cults derived from Evergreen. And in baronial and viscount domains, it’s often not possible to suppress such riots with just regular soldiers.”
Repeatedly, if Evergreen had only continued their moderate missionary activities, there would have been no issue.
The Empire permits religious freedom as long as it does not exceed human decency.
But Evergreen caused t*rrorism, kidnapping, and murder throughout the Empire’s territories, and Epherna concluded that she could not leave them alone.
“Honestly, I don’t know much about military matters. To reorganize the army efficiently, I need your advice.”
“It might take a while to explain.”
“That’s fine.”
*****
After a long meeting with Schneider, Epherna could only rest at dawn.
“Rest comfortably.”
“…Yes.”
Having washed herself clean, Epherna opened the bedroom door.
Her steps were heavy and laborious.
Was it the fifth day of working non-stop through the night?
She wasn’t sure, but she knew one thing.
If she had not restructured her body, she wouldn’t have lasted even three days, let alone five.
An ordinary person would lose their sanity after staying up two nights straight.
When there’s a lot to do, mental strength is consumed even more.
Epherna had scraped through her mental reserves after more than three days without rest, and as a result, her current state was at its worst.
And at this moment, she was targeted.
Epherna’s stress had reached its peak.
The moment when she was most vulnerable, excluding Shir.
“…!!”
Swoosh—!!
A sharp object grazed her face.
Sensing the presence of an assassin, she immediately deployed a barrier to protect herself, but.
Crash—!!
It shattered in less than a second.
Epherna’s instinct kicked in.
It was a strong opponent. Very formidable.
[Contractor!]
Sensing the danger, Shir revealed himself.
Puffing up his fur and adopting a defensive stance, he spread his energy in all directions.
The assassin’s position was detected, and Epherna summoned her mana.
Although she tried to draw the magic diagrams in her mind and prepare an offensive spell, she realized.
‘It’s too cramped.’
Since the Princess’s Palace was filled with Merien and various other maids sleeping, powerful and wide-area magic was restricted.
Thus, she had no choice but to simplify the diagram.
-I got caught.
With a man’s voice emerging from the darkness, a dagger-like projectile aimed at her gap sliced through the air.
Swoosh—!
A needle-like hole was made in Epherna’s delicate hand.
As she was about to scream in pain from this first-time agony, a shadow appeared.
Shir reacted like lightning, enveloping her and inflating his energy.
However, as if waiting for him, the assassin swiftly froze Shir.
Epherna saw him and was certain.
“Evergr…!!”
The assassin tightened his grip around her neck.
The breath she was about to take was cut off.
Epherna looked at the man clad in a black cloak.
“…!!”
The man had skin that appeared not human but dark and rotten.
It wasn’t just painted for disguise—it seemed as if his flesh had decayed and was rotting.
“I will take the Sun.”
The man murmured.
As he placed a bead from his pouch against her head, Epherna instinctively felt the threat to her life.
Summoning her will’s mana, she grasped the man’s wrist.
Golden flames ignited from her whole body, burning the man.
The man calmly spread dark energy around him.
The Sun and Blizzard raged fiercely, consuming the space.
Boom!
The hand gripping her neck tightened.
As her breathing became constrained and her consciousness wavered, Epherna tried to cast the prepared spell.
However, the spell was canceled as the mana dispersed in the air.
A piece of paper, appearing as a scroll, was torn from the man’s hand.
It was a scroll that temporarily blocked mana.
Had he prepared thoroughly?
Ignoring the fleeting thought, Epherna raised her will’s mana even more.
Boom—!
A massive flame, as if it would set the entire room ablaze, erupted from her body.
The flame clearly pushed against the man’s body, but.
The last thread of her consciousness was on the verge of breaking.
The flames, which had been spewing like a breath, gradually diminished.
As the air was blocked, her vision blurred, and the strength in the hand gripping her wrist waned.
Just as her consciousness was about to fade.
She heard it.
“…Who are you?”
*****
Suddenly.
A foreboding feeling emerged.
– You won’t be able to get out no matter what you do for a week.
A whole week, to be exact.
It’s not as if they’re planning to lock you up and let you starve to death for a month.
For someone superhuman, a week is a period you could easily endure.
What exactly are they trying to do?
The reason behind it.
That curiosity. It felt like it was scratching at my brain, making it impossible to stay still.
I infused my entire body with mana and strength.
Using the anxiety that felt like it could explode and overturn the world as fuel, I struck the ground with all my might.
Kwaaaang-!!
The anxiety wasn’t alleviated with just one strike.
Kwaaang-!! Kwaaang-!!
My fists hammered the ground as if they were about to shatter.
The space vibrated with a tremendous shockwave being generated.
But it wasn’t enough.
It was ominous.
I had a premonition that I might lose what’s mine.
Moreover, every cell in my body was speaking.
It urged me to get out of here.
To go out and protect something.
Protect what?
The instincts of a dragon nearing maturity spoke.
Your own.
Ern’s pupils were vertically slit.
Tiny scales began to appear on his fists striking the ground.
Kwaaang-! Kwaaang-! Kwaaaang-!
When did it start?
The process of mana infusing into my fists became natural.
No. More than that.
Mana is gathering.
Summer and Autumn are coming together.
Even Winter, which was once strong, is now approaching, glancing cautiously.
The energies collected at the ends of my fists merged.
As if they were one from the beginning, they naturally filled each other’s gaps.
The certain power formed spoke.
What do you desire?
Is it really asking because it doesn’t know?
I want to leave. This space.
Is it just my feeling? It seemed like someone was speaking.
It said it would grant that wish.
A white space appeared on the ground where my fists had been pounding.
It was connected to some place.
“…!!”
Ern stopped abruptly, startled.
The place reflected in his eyes was none other than the Crown Princess’s palace.
A small castle with a corner room burning with bright yellow golden flames.
*****
A man in a black cloak with a black face wore a desolate expression.
“How….”
How could this be possible?
The man, whose face was distorted beyond recognition, could not continue speaking.
He merely conveyed his frustration with a look that seemed he was about to die from curiosity.
“…”
Ern, without even acknowledging him, cut off the man’s finger with a face etched in sorrow.
“Ugh…!!”
The man bit his tongue hard to endure the unbearable pain.
He had enough immunity to withstand torture.
Even if Ern asked something, he was confident he would never reveal any information until death.
Ern didn’t cut off the finger to ask something or get an answer.
He just wanted to see the man’s suffering face.
To satisfy himself.
To calm the fury that had penetrated his mind.
Cutting off the finger was just a minor wound.
