"I can actually use the Witch's Eye too? I thought only women could be witches…"
A flash of surprise crossed Kurose Akira's eyes as he stared at the prompt before him, his heart surging with excitement.
Of course, he was perfectly clear about one thing—this didn't mean he had inherited the title of "Witch." It was far more likely that he had merely obtained a fragment of a witch's power. Compared to Vivian, who could directly wield magic drawn from the Night itself, his situation was clearly different.
"Mr. Kurose, look at this!"Ivsha's voice suddenly rang out by his ear.
Akira turned his head—just in time to see a strange, snow-white little insect crawl out of the Lord of Sunset City's brain.
[Soul-Devouring Insect (Rare): A worm capable of devouring souls. Extremely dangerous! This monster must be fed with the soul of its owner!]
A dangerous insect?
The moment Akira finished reading the description, the Demonflame Silver Phoenix Butterfly swooped down from above. Without hesitation, it engulfed the Soul-Devouring Insect in black flames, burning it into a writhing mass before piercing it with its slender proboscis and swallowing it whole.
"You—!?"Akira's eyes flew wide open in shock.
You greedy little thing—spit it out right now!
"Chirp chirp chirp~"The Demonflame Silver Phoenix Butterfly fluttered its wings happily, as if thanking him for such a generous offering.
Seeing that, Akira's heart softened instantly.
…Fine. Eat it, then. There's no way I'd keep something that disgusting around anyway.
Besides, the good stuff in the lord's mansion doesn't stop there.
With that thought, Akira bent down and picked up the golden short sword that had belonged to the Lord of Sunset City.
[Sunset Short Sword (Elite): Symbol of the Lord of Sunset City. Attack +250!]
"Should this be returned to Roxia and the others? After all, it's the symbol of the city lord," Akira muttered under his breath. There was no way he was staying here to become a city lord himself.
He didn't have that kind of free time—and judging from the guild's growth trajectory, surpassing a mere city lord was only a matter of time.
Akira stored the Sunset Short Sword in his inventory, then turned and headed deeper into the lord's mansion in search of treasure.
However, before he'd taken more than a few steps, a group of people arrived at the mansion gates.
"Mr. Kurose…"
After repelling the beast tide, Roxia and the others had rushed straight over to the lord's mansion.
But when they arrived, all they saw was a charred, headless corpse.
"Whose body is this?"
The crowd exchanged confused glances, unable to identify the remains.
It wasn't until someone recognized an unburned ornament on the belt that realization struck.
"This… this is the lord's body?"
"Damn it! He killed the city lord!"
"Seize them!"
"We must kill them and avenge the lord!"
The knights and soldiers loyal to the city lord raised their weapons, ready to apprehend Akira.
"Wait!"
Roxia stepped forward at once, stopping them. The knights of the Yerman Knight Family immediately obeyed her command, blocking the soldiers outside the mansion.
"Roxia, he killed the city lord!"
"Are you trying to protect someone who murdered the lord?"
The lord's knights demanded angrily.
"I believe we should first hear Mr. Kurose's explanation," Roxia said calmly, turning her gaze to Akira. "He wouldn't kill the city lord without reason."
Akira had no interest in wasting words. He directly activated the player recording function and projected the footage for everyone to see.
On the blue holographic screen, the Lord of Sunset City spoke animatedly about his deeds, his passionate expression making it hard to believe he was recounting something so utterly vile.
Especially when he proudly mentioned that he had once touched the sole of the Black Night Witch's shoe—and regarded it as an honor.
The crowd's faces darkened instantly. Some even flushed red with suppressed rage.
The players who had come over just to watch whispered among themselves:
What kind of hardcore simp is this?
When the video ended, Akira looked around and asked calmly,"Now… do you understand?"
"This…"
The crowd fell silent, exchanging helpless looks.
Who could have imagined that the city lord they had loyally served was someone who harbored such obsessive longing for a witch?
For a moment, everyone was at a loss over how to handle the sudden death of the Lord of Sunset City.
Fortunately, with the Six Great Knight Families present, his death would not plunge Sunset City into chaos.
Or rather—this was a city protected by the White Rose. Here, the status of the Oathbound Knights surpassed that of the city lord.
One was authority.The other was the soul.
That was one of the reasons Roxia's words carried such immediate weight.
"Since the truth has been revealed," Roxia declared, assuming her authority as an Oathbound Knight, "take the Lord of Sunset City's body away. Tomorrow, we will conduct a formal judgment of his crimes. At the same time, detain all of his relatives and close confidants. The witch brought this city to the brink of destruction—we cannot allow the witch's apostles to continue operating within Sunset City!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Everyone moved at once, sealing off every corner of the lord's mansion.
Watching this, Akira couldn't help but frown slightly.
Hey—he hadn't finished looting the place yet.
At that moment, Roxia walked over to him, amazement shining in her eyes.
"Mr. Kurose, you're truly meticulous. To think you even preserved evidence using magic like this—impressive!"
"…"
Akira didn't answer, merely smiling faintly.
He just liked recording his life, that was all.
Then he took out the Sunset Short Sword—the symbol of the city lord—and handed it to Roxia.
"Here. Take this."
"The city lord's sword?"Roxia accepted it, letting out a quiet sigh. "Ever since the current king of the Star Kingdom consolidated power, the guardian families of the Seven Valkyries have gradually lost control over the cities. Some authority was transferred to the city lords and the Law Enforcement Knights. I'll safeguard this for now, until the next city lord sent from the royal capital takes over Sunset City."
"Can't a city lord be chosen from Sunset City itself?" Akira asked curiously.
"No."Roxia shook her head.
Akira stroked his chin. The Star Kingdom seemed far more complicated than he'd expected.
Just as he was lost in thought, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Mr. Kurose, please come to the place where the White Rose blooms."
"Natalia…?"
Akira's eyes flickered. He immediately recognized the voice.
"I'll be away for a bit. Stick with Roxia and the others," Akira instructed Loserine and the rest before striding decisively toward the massive white rose.
When he reached it, a single petal drifted down gently, as if inviting him upward.
Akira stepped onto the petal, and guided by its movement, ascended to the top of the enormous white rose.
The moment he arrived, the rose slowly bloomed. Radiant light spilled forth, breathtakingly beautiful.
Within the bud stood Natalia's soul, gazing at him with a gentle smile.
"Natalia…"
Akira was about to speak when she interrupted him.
She floated lightly to his side, lifting her right hand to softly caress his cheek.
"Thank you, Mr. Kurose," she whispered. "You saved me… and you saved this city."
"Ahem… it wasn't that amazing…"Akira laughed modestly. Savior sounded a bit too flashy—though he certainly wouldn't mind wearing such a title overhead.
"There's no need for humility. I witnessed everything."Natalia smiled warmly, then continued,"So~ I will grant you a special reward~"
"A special reward?"Akira's curiosity flared instantly.
"Yes~ a reward just for you~"
As she spoke, Natalia's slender fingers brushed lightly across his face, then naturally came to rest against his chest.
The sensation was… how to describe it—like a gentle breeze. Subtle. Comfortable. Intimate.
Unfortunately, her form was only a soul, not her physical body.
If it were her real body…
Before his thoughts could finish, Natalia's soul gently parted his clothes.
Her soft voice rippled through the air.
"Mr. Kurose's physique~ is even better than I expected~"
Gulp.
Akira's expression tightened slightly. Something about Natalia felt… different from before.
While he was still processing that change, she stepped closer and whispered tenderly,
"Now~ allow me to bestow your reward~"
Her soft red lips brushed against his forehead.
Akira thought that would be the end—
—but suddenly, an overwhelming suction surged through his entire being, plunging straight into his soul!
It was as if some mysterious force was stirring the deepest layers of his soul, churning and overturning everything within.
Only after a long while did his soul finally calm.
And at that very moment, Akira realized in astonishment—
An independent space had formed inside his soul.
Within it was endless darkness, yet at the turn of his will, scenes could shift freely. However… only backgrounds existed. Nothing more.
As Akira reeled from the earth-shattering change within him, Natalia's soul appeared once more inside this private space.
"This is a type of soul magic," she explained with a smile. "It constructs an independent domain, effectively protecting your soul from harm. But~ its uses go far beyond that~"
As her words faded, Akira watched as the garments on Natalia's body drifted down like falling petals, one by one.
Gulp.
His throat bobbed involuntarily, anticipation burning in his eyes.
"Now~"Natalia smiled with half-lidded eyes. Her peerless beauty was like a goddess bathed in morning light—something one would gladly burn everything for.
"Let me help you experience communication that reaches deep into the soul~ This is a unique secret art for nourishing the soul~"
[You have learned Soul Secret Art — Soul Star Whisper (Advanced)!]
(What follows is an extended depiction of learning the soul secret art. Approximately ten thousand words omitted…)