Chapter 235
KABOOM!

The explosion turned the grand hall into chaos. People rushed toward the exits to evacuate, while wizards pushed against the flow, entering the building. The massive crowd tangled and surged, shaking the atmosphere into disarray.

“Ahhh!”

“Clear the way! Move, damn it!”

“Please remain calm and exit slowly.”

“It’s dangerous! One at a time, please!”

“Ah! It hurts! It hurts!”

“Careful, please! Ugh!”

People stumbled helplessly, screams echoing from all directions. The confusion was raw and unfiltered—too primal for the dignitaries present.

Romandro groaned, exhaling deeply before shouting,
“The Ministry of Magic will handle this! Maintain your composure and dignity!”

“Isn’t this a monster? A monster!”

“Everyone, clear the way! Exit in order of rank!”

It made sense. This was the great empire of Bariel, a land with almost no monster-related incidents compared to other nations. Its people enjoyed the finest lives in peaceful times.

Monsters were nothing more than gossip fodder here. Some probably didn’t even truly believe monsters existed.

SWOOSH!

BANG! BOOM!

Ian’s attack struck directly at Arsen’s heart.

But the boy countered it with a small gesture. The two opposing forces clashed and repelled each other, dissipating like golden sand scattered in the air. Arsen watched this with a meaningful smile.

‘What’s going on?’

Had Ian held back? Was it because of the divine light nearby? Or the priests? The priests were still breathing. Maybe Ian had a hidden motive. Or perhaps he was genuinely outmatched. Whatever the reason, it worked to Arsen’s advantage.

Ian studied the demon’s face and smiled alongside him.
“How foolish. You still cling to the will to live.”

At Ian’s signal, the wizards began drawing magic circles. They traced runes at every exit—windows, doors—any passage leading outside. It was as if they were erecting invisible walls.

“I warned you myself, many times. If you are a monster, you will die here. This will be the last place your human feet touch.”

ZIIIIING! ZZZZZING!

The wizards activated the magic circles, and the priests joined in, adding their sacred power. This was a monster recorded since the founding of the kingdom. Simply piercing its heart wouldn’t be enough.

More importantly, what if the monster left a curse upon death? What if another monster infiltrated the royal family again? The only way was to completely excise and burn the rotten wood.

“Ah!”

With each pulse of light in the magic circles, Arsen felt his breath catch. When the monster tried to flee, Ian quickly conjured dozens of concentric rings.

“Binding!”

The incantation flashed as the floor cracked beneath them. Magical energy surged through the fractures, then locked onto Arsen’s position from the ceiling.

BOOM! BANG!

As Arsen tried to snuff out the light, Ian relentlessly attacked—slowly, deliberately, as if to distract.

Arsen quickly scanned the room and spotted Dilaina, unconscious and supported by guards. They were just about to leave the hall.

“Mother!”

A sharp crack echoed from behind. Dilaina’s head snapped back. Jin turned in shock, only to see Arsen looking at them with tears in his eyes. The guards panicked and tried to move, but seemed bound by some invisible force.

“Mother. Will you abandon me? Just like you did to Jin, will you do the same to me?”

“Ah…”

“Arsen! Please, stop!”

Dilaina groaned in pain, and Jin shouted with fury—a deep, long-suppressed anger. Ah, so that’s it! Arsen cried out with a predator’s delight.

“Jin! Want to hear something fun?”

SWOOSH!

CRASH!

Arsen’s gaze locked onto Jin. Just as Ian tried to condense his magic to block the demon’s whispers, the third captain, Beols, suddenly flew in and slashed at Arsen’s face with his sword. Arsen twisted away, but his right ear was torn.

“Ahhh!”

“You filthy creature! Do you know where you are? You dare disturb the imperial palace and His Majesty the Emperor—!”

“Captain Beols! Step back! No!”

Beols lunged to finish Arsen, but his attack froze midair. Arsen clutched his wounded ear, panting and shedding tears.

‘Black tears?’

“How dare you! How dare you! You—agh!”

ZIIIIING!

The monster’s roar exploded instantly. Beols convulsed violently—his body trembling from the clash between his will and the monster’s control.

“Beols!”

Brainwashing meant the self was being consumed. It was one of Ian’s greatest fears.

Fortunately, since the host was a child, the intensity of the struggle was limited. Before the breath left, it was impossible to brainwash many at once.

That was why Ian tried not to provoke him and kept him restrained…

SWISH.

The sword aimed at Arsen suddenly swung toward Beols’ neck. The boy cursed with venomous hatred, eyes white with fury.

“I’ll tear you apart!”

CRACK!

Beols stabbed himself in the neck.

Blood sprayed over Arsen, who laughed breathlessly. The scene was gruesome and horrific, yet his voice was oddly delicate, creating a strange dissonance.

“L-Lord Ian, what should we do?”

“…Keep drawing the magic circles without stopping. Guards, escort His Highness Jin.”

“Your Highness, you must go. Release Lady Dilaina.”

“L-Let me speak, Mother. Please listen. It could be different.”

“He’s bound by an unknown force. Come here!”

Following Ian’s command, the guards lifted Jin. The grip on his dress finally slipped from Jin’s hand. Tears streamed down Jin’s face as he clung to the last image of his mother.

ZIIIIING!

The guards suddenly staggered and collapsed, dizzy. Jin fell to the floor as well.

“Jin! Listen carefully! I never used my power against your mother!”

Jin flinched as he tried to rise. Fear flickered across his face. What was this demon saying about his own face?

“Your mother’s abandonment was her choice alone. Even if not me, you would have been abandoned. Don’t blame me, my poor little brother.”

“…Lies.”

“Not lies. Have you heard about Ian’s mother, Philia? She used her power too, but she resisted until the end, and I failed. If Dilaina had even a shred of love for you, she wouldn’t have treated you like this.”

KABOOM!

Ian shot a beam of light into Arsen’s crown, as if to silence him. But Arsen, fueled by momentum, struck it away with all his might and shouted again, his expression pure and innocent, claiming complete innocence.

“One more!”

“Your Highness, it’s a lie. Please cover your ears and leave.”

“Ian, that’s royalty! Ha ha ha!”

“…!”

Such a sudden, baseless claim? Everyone knew Ian’s father was Derga and his mother Philia. Even the wizards, who had been tirelessly drawing magic circles, stopped in surprise.

Ian calmly condensed his magic to its fullest, as if ready to blow that head clean off.

“Jin. Didn’t you realize? Ian wouldn’t help someone like you without a reason! He has his own agenda! Once I’m dead and only you remain, he’ll show it! He’s more dangerous than me, so be careful! Ahahaha!”

KABOOM!

Ian’s attack pierced Arsen’s neck. The boy bent over, spewing black blood, but never stopped laughing. Remarkably, his voice remained clear and bright.

“Don’t believe me? Want me to show you?”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“Ahhh!”

“L-Lord Ian, this is—ugh.”

“Step back! Step back! Ugh!”

Arsen melted away. Having exhausted all his power to maintain human form, only a puddle of viscous liquid remained, with a twitching head and heart.

“Only royalty are blessed against mental domination! Look! Jin, my brother! Who’s still standing here?”

The wizards all collapsed forward, groaning in pain. The priests, wrapped in sacred light, reacted even faster and had long since fainted.

Jin backed away, looking around. Only he and Ian remained breathing before the demon’s breath.

“Sir Ian?”

“…Your Highness.”

Ian said nothing, only grasped Jin’s shoulder and pushed him back. Slowly, step by step, Jin realized he was already outside the door.

“Sir Ian!”

“I’ll see you later. Is anyone there?”

“Your Highness, this way!”

“Ian! Wait!”

SQUEAK.

THUD!

Jin tried to break free from the guards and approach Ian, but couldn’t. The door was firmly shut. Or perhaps it was Ian’s inscrutable gaze that held him back.

“Hahaha!”

Every time Arsen laughed, his heart thudded violently, though only his head remained.

Ian walked through the fallen bodies. With every step he took, ripples spread out, and new magic circles formed beneath his feet. Unlike the wizards who painstakingly drew each one by hand, Ian was creating them simply by perceiving them.

Zzzzzing.

“So fitting for a monster—ugly to the very end. I can’t let you go quietly. Feel every ounce of pain you can bear before you die.”

“Hahaha… ha…!”

Arsen began to wheeze. Ian bent down and picked up the sword lying on the ground. Now even Arsen’s face was starting to melt away. He was preparing his desperate final stand in his own way.

“I once thought it was fortunate to have met you. Over time, your wickedness would have only grown worse, making things difficult. But no… you should have died the moment you were born ten years ago. No—better yet, you should never have been born at all.”

“…Ian. There’s something I need to tell you too.”

A poisonous aura rose from the oozing slime that clung to Arsen’s body. The energy thickened, and Ian frowned. The stench was unbearable.

“You will never get what you want. I know this. The next Bariel is calling Jin.”

That was why Jin had come down as a sibling. It was a warning: if you crave the throne, it will not be yours.

Ian gripped his sword tighter and kept walking, as if it were obvious.

“Well, that’s good to hear. I also believe Jin must be part of the future Bariel.”

“…!”

Arsen shouted desperately, spreading the poison even thicker. It was so potent that magic couldn’t dispel it. This was the source of Arsen’s power—the curse rooted deep since the kingdom’s founding.

“Come on, try stabbing me! If you kill me, you’ll die too. And if you die, Jin won’t last long either!”

Ian stared silently at the heart still beating wildly in Arsen’s chest. If he died, he could already guess what would happen to Jin’s position in the palace. Predators like Haiman and the hyenas would tear the young prince apart.

But if he failed to deal with Arsen here—

‘Time is on Arsen’s side.’

He would regenerate, strangle Jin again, and bring Bariel to ruin. Beyond Arsen, other monsters would seep into the palace.

“…Monster. That’s not even a choice.”

Zzzzzing. Zing!

Ian summoned all his strength. The magic circles scattered throughout the hall ignited simultaneously, converging toward Ian’s sword. Like the flow of the cosmos, countless lights shimmered faintly, enveloping him.

“Ugh…!”

Arsen’s poison flared up one last time, refusing to die quietly.

Screeeech.

Boom.

The hall’s doors burst open. Ian turned around, sword raised high in the air.

“Quite the party for broad daylight.”

It was Gale. Despite the thick miasma of Arsen’s magic filling the hall, he walked in without a problem. Flicking his cigarette, he greeted Ian casually.

“Mind if I join in?”