Yuri and her companions were warmly welcomed by Marie-Rose as they entered Valshard Castle.
Dinner was served.
Francesco, meeting Marie-Rose for the first time, couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I’m Francesco.”
“Yes, I’m Marie-Rose Antre.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh my, what have you heard?”
“Well, compliments, mostly.”
“Compliments?”
“Well…”
Francesco struggled to find the right words, and Marie-Rose tilted her head in curiosity.
“Was that just a casual remark? If so, that’s quite…”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“How thoughtful of you.”
“Huh?”
“Meeting for the first time and already trying to say something nice.”
“Oh, yes. Hehe…”
“Though it was a lie.”
“Hmm…”
While he was still flustered, Yuri focused on her meal.
Having teased Francesco enough, Marie-Rose turned her bright eyes toward Yuri.
“Your Highness. Should I start calling you ‘Your Majesty’ now?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
“Yeah, Marie-Rose.”
“Hm?”
Yuri pulled a gift from her pouch.
“And here, take this.”
“What is it?”
“A present.”
Yuri held out a butterfly-shaped hairband she’d bought at Elaine’s shop.
“Oh my…”
Jared, watching nearby, thought Marie-Rose would be delighted. After all, she had shown interest in Yuri before.
But unexpectedly, Marie-Rose’s expression wasn’t exactly pleased. Instead, she accepted the gift with a strangely bittersweet smile.
“A butterfly shape? Did you pick it because of my tattoo?”
“Not really. It just reminded me of something.”
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
Marie-Rose’s usual bright smile returned as she placed the hairband on her head.
The jewels on the band sparkled dazzlingly under the hall’s lights.
Even Jared, who knew little about accessories, thought it suited her perfectly.
“I’ll treasure it. Since it’s a gift chosen with me in mind by our Majesty.”
“Yeah.”
Jared tilted his head, sensing Marie-Rose’s disappointment but unable to pinpoint why. Maybe she didn’t like the design of the accessory.
“Hmm…”
As he sighed, Simon leaned in and whispered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Feels like the mage is disappointed.”
Jared, acting as deputy commander of the Vengeance Knights, spoke casually to the others.
“Ah…”
Simon smiled slyly.
“You don’t know why?”
“Do you?”
“I have a rough idea.”
“So the gift wasn’t that great?”
“Hahaha…”
Simon glanced at Yuri and Marie-Rose, who were engrossed in their conversation and paying no attention to them.
He lowered his voice further.
“Sir Jared, I grew up as a bastard and had to read the room a lot.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Thanks to that, I’m pretty good at romance. It’s all about reading the signs.”
“So?”
“Think about it, Jared. This isn’t just anyone—it’s His Majesty. If he truly had feelings for the mage, would he give such a gift at this point?”
“Hm?”
“Though it looks like a token of affection, it’s really just a polite gesture. Like when he bought us those spellbooks. You see what I mean?”
Jared felt something click.
“Oh, I get it…”
He imagined Yuri liking someone. Knowing Yuri, she wouldn’t openly show it in a situation where she was risking her life fighting the empire. She’d probably pretend not to care at all and only approach after everything was settled.
She gave the gift so casually because she truly had no feelings.
“Now I think I understand.”
“That’s it. The mage must have sensed that.”
Guinness, who had been listening nearby, chimed in quietly.
“And there’s more. The gift is butterfly-shaped, right? That’s a problem.”
“Why is the butterfly shape a problem?”
Simon frowned.
“Isn’t it because the mage has a butterfly tattoo?”
Guinness shook her head.
“That’s true, but there’s a superstition that giving winged objects to someone means they’ll fly away. It’s taboo to give something with wings to someone you like. Even when eating chicken, people avoid giving the wings. Hehe…”
Jared and Simon sighed.
“That’s such an outdated superstition.”
“From what era is that…”
As the three chatted idly, the meal came to an end.
Marie-Rose rose from her seat.
Her red dress rippled softly with a gentle sound.
“That was a pleasant meal. Shall we get going?”
“Yeah.”
Yuri stood as well.
Jared, Simon, and Guinness, who had been whispering among themselves, looked up blankly, not understanding what was going on.
Yuri said, “You all rest here. I’m going to stop by Marie-Rose’s workshop.”
“No, we’ll come with you.”
“Really? It might be dangerous.”
“We’re willing to take that risk.”
The three stood with determined expressions.
“We can’t just send Your Majesty alone.”
They had heard rumors that mages were gathering in Valshard to research dark magic.
They were the enemy they’d have to face soon. No matter the danger, they had to see it for themselves.
“Then let’s go.”
Following Marie-Rose’s lead, Yuri and her group descended into the castle’s underground.
The temperature dropped gradually. Without sunlight, only the wall-mounted lights illuminated the stairs.
As they hurried down, shadows flickered across the walls.
Soon, they reached the end of the underground passage.
An unpleasant feeling already crept over them.
“Something’s…”
Jared’s heart pounded as he pointed beyond the door.
“I think there’s something there.”
An inexplicable unease rose within him. It felt like they shouldn’t go any further. His heart raced, and his breath came shallow.
Standing before the door, Yuri glanced back at Jared with a sly smile.
“Hey, you look like you’ve turned pale.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Can you really handle this already?”
“Yes.”
“Good…”
Yuri opened the door.
A long corridor stretched ahead, and at its far end, they sensed the presence of someone.
Marie-Rose called out, “Hernando?”
Her voice echoed.
Soon, a familiar face appeared.
“Long time no see.”
Hernando was waiting for them, looking exactly the same as before.
“Oh…”
They all approached him.
Hernando extended his hand to Yuri, who was at the front.
“Long time no see. Are you ‘Your Majesty’ now? You seem to have grown.”
“You haven’t changed at all.”
They shook hands.
But Hernando’s face twisted slightly.
Yuri was gripping his hand tightly.
“Ow, that hurts.”
“While I was struggling, you were resting comfortably here?”
“W-What are you talking about? I’ve been working hard, not resting.”
“Is that so?”
“Ugh…”
Yuri chuckled and released his hand.
“Then I’ll have to show you properly.”
“Really now…”
Though they hadn’t met in a long time, there was no awkwardness between them.
Hernando pointed to Francesco standing beside Yuri.
“And who’s this?”
“Sir Francesco. Known as the Holy Knight.”
“Oh, the Holy Knight from the Ten Strong?”
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hernando, a mage.”
“Ah, yes. I’m Sir Francesco, a paladin. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Francesco bowed politely to Hernando.
Yuri’s eyebrows twitched.
It seemed like everyone but her treated Hernando with great respect.
“Sir Francesco, why are you suddenly so formal?”
“Why?”
He tilted his head in confusion.
“A mage of this caliber deserves respect.”
“A mage of this caliber?”
“Don’t you feel it?”
Yuri looked at Hernando, puzzled.
Come to think of it, Moyongchan had also treated Hernando with great respect when they first met, calling him a great hero. Even her father, Fiore, was polite to him.
And now Francesco was doing the same.
“Hmm…”
Yuri knew Hernando was a skilled mage, but she didn’t sense the overwhelming presence that Moyongchan or Francesco seemed to feel.
As she scrutinized Hernando, he smiled.
“Don’t worry too much. My abilities just don’t affect Your Majesty.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a saying: only those who’ve tasted meat know how to enjoy it.”
“Hm?”
“For example, to judge someone’s character, you first need to have a character worthy of judgment. Someone who’s never had manners can’t judge others’ manners.”
“Are you insulting me?”
“On the contrary.”
“How so?”
“Someone as upright as me tends to admire those who are rude.”
“That’s definitely an insult.”
“It’s a metaphor.”
“An insult disguised as a metaphor.”
“Oh dear…”
Marie-Rose scolded them as they bickered loudly after their long-awaited reunion.
“What are you two doing? You’re echoing down the hall. Stop fighting and come inside.”
“It’s not an insult, it’s a compliment.”
“You said I’m rude…”
“Enough!”
As Marie-Rose dragged Yuri away, Hernando smiled softly.
Fiore, Moyongchan, and Francesco were all powerful warriors who had reached the Ten Strong. Such strength inevitably came with a strong sense of destiny.
Therefore, they were deeply impressed by Hernando, the master of the ‘Heaven’s Mandate Insight’ technique.
The stronger they became, the more they sensed something indescribable from Hernando.
But Yuri Briole was an exception.
A transcender of the heavenly mandate.
What meaning could destiny possibly hold for someone who had escaped the sky’s net?
To Hernando, she would always remain just a mage who could cast a few spells.
And Hernando was quite pleased by that fact.
“You were calling me rude earlier, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“See, Marie-Rose? I told you it’s true.”
“Alright, alright.”
Hernando just laughed.
The revelation that Cedric was a fiend of dark magic had been a shock even to Hernando. He worried that Yuri might fall into despair.
But when they met again, Yuri Briol was as steadfast as ever. It seemed she had no intention of giving in.
Hernando led the others forward.
“Let’s go, everyone.”
Yuri, who had gone ahead, stood inside the workshop with her arm linked through Marie-Rose’s.
“This is my workshop.”
All sorts of strange tools and potions were neatly arranged. The air was thick with an odd scent. But what caught their attention most was a single book floating in the center of the room.
“That’s…”
“A replica.”
“A replica?”
“A grimoire of demons.”
Marie-Rose spread her hands toward the book. The cover opened, and the pages fluttered rapidly, though most were blank.
Hernando, who had followed, explained.
“The demon grimoire we obtained is only a few pages long, but the lingering will embedded within is so strong that we were able to create this copy. Its power is faint compared to the original, though.”
Hernando and Marie-Rose had reconstructed the parchment they recovered after killing Okua and Gert, fashioning a facsimile of the demon grimoire.
“Now, Your Highness, it’s your turn.”
Hernando guided Yuri to stand before the replica.
“This is something only you can do.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Hernando’s eyes shone with conviction.
“We managed to extract some information, but it’s not enough. The demon grimoire is a magical entity with its own consciousness, and only the wielder of the Soul Severance—Your Highness—can cut through its dark magic. Only Yuri Briol can endure this deception and see its true nature.”
Yuri gazed at the demon grimoire floating in midair.
It was just a leather-bound book. Though parchments had been inserted, it was fundamentally different from the original demon grimoire.
Yet even so, it had blossomed into a weakened version of the demon grimoire.
What exactly was this demon grimoire?
“Let’s go.”
At Hernando’s words, Yuri stepped forward without hesitation.
Not because she felt confident. She didn’t have the luxury to gauge whether she would succeed.
She simply had to do it.
“Once you step inside the magic circle, that’s when it begins.”
Beneath the replica demon grimoire lay a circular symbol, with a hexagram at its center, surrounded by arcane characters whose meanings were unknown.
All the patterns were arranged through precise geometric calculations, repeating under a set of rules to form the magic circle.
Though Yuri wasn’t versed in magic, she could sense how powerful this circle was.
And through it, she deeply understood just how dangerous this replica truly was—barely sealed, barely contained.
Yuri drew her sword, Guilty.
A cold aura flowed from the blade.
She discarded the scabbard, gripping Guilty tightly as she took another step forward.