Chapter 97 

“Daphne.”

Edmund immediately approached her. Daphne's lips parted soundlessly, her face a picture of confusion. Her throat was hoarse, and her voice refused to come out.

As she clutched her neck in distress, memories of the excruciating pain, like her body being torn to shreds, seeped back into her mind.

“...!”

Unable even to scream properly, Daphne gasped for air, her body trembling violently. Edmund caught her hands just as she tried to claw at herself and turned to the Archmage.

“What’s happening to her?”

“It’s the aftereffects.”

The Archmage bent down to pick up the robe he had dropped.

“She was struck by dark magic. The aftereffects will be severe. Child, you should’ve waited just a little longer. It wouldn’t have been this painful if you had.”

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, the Archmage strode out of the room.

Edmund pulled Daphne into his arms and gently rubbed her frail back. Her already thin frame had become even more emaciated during her unconsciousness.

“You’re safe now. Please, try to calm down.”

Her body continued to shudder intermittently, until she suddenly collapsed in his arms, utterly spent and unconscious.

Without hesitation, Edmund lifted her and carried her out of the room.

“Madam…”

“She’s merely fainted. There’s no need to worry.”

At that, Baroness Nouvelle shut her eyes tightly and let out a sigh of relief. Alec stepped forward to approach Edmund.

“Your Excellency, allow me to carry her.”

“No need.”

Edmund turned away, dodging Alec’s outstretched hands.

“I’ll do it.”

Embarrassed, Alec lowered his hand.

“Johann, go to the study. I want a full report on what’s happened.”

— — — 

Johann relayed everything that had taken place. Edmund sat silently for a moment, absently tapping his desk before finally speaking.

“Kill the Chambermaid and the Chamberlain. Then throw their corpses to the monsters.”

They were still being held in the underground prison, awaiting punishment.

“Understood.”

“And Damian…”

Edmund trailed off, letting out a faint sigh as he rubbed his brow.

“Still no news?”

“Nothing new, Your Excellency. It seems he had an appointment with someone and stayed there for quite some time.”

Damian’s actions during Edmund’s absence were troubling. He had always been an obedient son, never once rebelling, and their similar temperaments meant they rarely clashed.

“Report to me immediately if anything else happens.”

“Yes, understood. Also, I gathered some information from the slave traders.”

Johann shared everything he had learned.

“Send men to the nearby villages and see if there were any other incidents... That’ll be all.”

Edmund spoke while staring fixedly at the door.

— — — 

As Johann opened the office door, the Archmage, who had been standing just outside, naturally stepped inside.

“Child, what kind of grudge did your wife incur?”

The Archmage let out a deep sigh the moment he entered. Edmund furrowed his brows at the unexpected question.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s no ordinary grudge. Unless... was it you who earned someone's hatred?”

Edmund remained silent, not because he didn’t understand, but because he knew all too well. As someone who held high rank and had swung his sword on battlefields for years, it was impossible not to have made enemies.

Faces and names he couldn’t recall flashed through his mind. There were simply too many to count.

“Surely you know. I’ve spent years at war. There’s no way I haven’t made enemies.”

“It’s not that kind of grudge.”

The Archmage shook his head with disapproval.

“This runs deeper than hatred. It’s been in the works for a long, long time. Before her condition worsened, did you notice anything... unusual?”

“Unusual…”

Edmund searched his memory. There was only one thing before Daphne's condition deteriorated.

“…The Saintess.”

He muttered the word under his breath, then quickly summoned Benjamin.

“Bring me the magic stone the Saintess blessed with divine power.”

Benjamin soon returned with the stone and handed it to the Archmage. The moment he examined it, the Archmage’s face twisted in shock.

“This can’t possibly be from the Saintess. I haven’t seen divine power this corrupted since…”

“Since when? Do you mean the Great War?”

The Archmage nodded and set the stone down.

“People think celestials are holy and pure, but in truth, they’re no different from demons.”

A deep, undiminished hatred crossed the Archmage’s face.

“The celestials hunted humans to harvest divine power. This stone has the same energy.”

In short, the divine power wasn’t naturally generated. It had been artificially created by taking human lives.

“I don’t know how this thing came to be, but it’s incredibly dangerous. With dark magic mixed in, it’s practically poison. I’ll keep it safe.”

With a snap of his fingers, the stone vanished without a trace. The Archmage then turned his gaze sharply to Edmund.

“Is there something you wish to say?”

“By the way, child…”

His eyes narrowed as he suddenly stood and approached Edmund.

“Did you meet him?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Then why… Why do I sense his presence on you?”

The Archmage scrutinized Edmund intently.

“…No, never mind. I must be getting old, seeing things that aren’t there.”

He stepped back with a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

“I heard you were looking for someone. I’ll help.”

“There’s no need.”

The Archmage shook his head. Truthfully, if he truly wanted to find someone, he always could. If he hadn't yet, it likely meant that person no longer existed in this world.

As the Archmage turned toward the door, Edmund called out.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. But I suspect they’re nearby, so I’ll remain in the north for now.”

“Understood.”

“Your wife won’t recover completely. Since you interfered, you’ll have to bear the consequences… But if her condition worsens, come to me.”

Edmund nodded. The Archmage paused mid-step and turned around.

“Child, remember this well. I don’t meddle in human affairs. So don’t come asking for help when danger comes.”

“I understand.”

Throughout his years wandering the continent, the Archmage had helped humans thousands of times and been betrayed just as often.

Humans all die eventually. That was the conclusion he came to over the years. He had long since stopped placing any value on them.

Even if Edmund were to beg for help at death’s door, the Archmage had no intention of saving him. When they first met, Edmund had been barely twelve. The Archmage never formed emotional attachments to humans, and that’s why, no matter how much time had passed, he still called Edmund ‘child’ instead of his name.

“And one last thing.”

The Archmage looked Edmund up and down.

“Quit the cigarettes. They’re bad for you.”

And just like that, he vanished. Left behind in his place was a bracelet, one that helped suppress Edmund’s aura.

* * *

“Your Excellency, I’ve retrieved the magic stone from the specified location.”

Up close, the stone was far larger than Alec expected. Even considering his own height, the thing stood over two meters tall.

“We won’t need it for now. Store it away safely.”

“Yes, understood.”

Originally, it had been meant for Daphne’s use. But with the Archmage’s help, she was already on the mend. There was no need for it now.

“Your Excellency… if I may… how did you handle all those monsters?”

“I killed them.”

“Pardon?”

At Alec’s stunned response, Edmund blinked as if confused by the question.

“There were too many of them. The stone was too big to move discreetly. If I tried to bring it back quietly, they would’ve tracked me and launched an attack. I had no other choice.”

“…I see.”

The memory of the thousands of sleeping monsters flashed vividly before Alec’s eyes, and all he could do was nod awkwardly.

“I’ll take my leave, then.”

— — — 

After leaving the office, Alec began preparing to send men to the snowy mountains. Suddenly, he glanced up and noticed the sky had turned dark. From a distance, something like a sandstorm was blowing in. He squinted at it carefully.

“…!”

Realization dawned, and his face turned pale with shock.

It wasn’t sand. It was black ash, ashes from the countless monsters Edmund had obliterated, now carried on the wind.

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