"Let us immerse ourselves in this drama together, boy."
The Black Night Witch's manic laughter echoed like a wandering specter, shrill and unhinged, the cackle of a madwoman that sent chills straight down the spine.
At the same moment—
An unbearable, soul-rending pain exploded from Kurose Akira's left eye!
"Damn it!"
The agony was so intense that Akira clenched his teeth hard. Bloodshot veins crawled across his vision as he covered his left eye with his hand. He knew exactly what this was—
The backlash from the Magic Eye's inheritance.
What he hadn't expected… was that it would suddenly trigger the Black Night Witch's memories!
No—
Wait.
Maybe this wasn't just memory.
Akira slowly lifted his left eyelid. A faint golden shimmer flickered within his pupil. Through his fingers, he fixed his gaze on the Witch of the Night in the distance.
That eerie smile of hers—
It was like a declaration of ownership, as if she were announcing to him that this power ultimately belonged to her alone.
But Akira knew the truth.
The Black Night Witch was already dead.
What remained was nothing more than a lingering remnant of will, sealed within the Magic Eye.
"What is your real objective?" Akira forced the words out, suppressing the searing pain as he glared at her.
Yet the torment was too overwhelming. His speech slurred, his thoughts blurred, and his consciousness was steadily dragged into chaos.
In response to his question, the Black Night Witch only answered with waves of cruel, distorted laughter—
No explanation.
No mercy.
—
"Mr. Akira? Mr. Akira, can you hear me?"
"Master! Wake up, quickly!"
"Guildmaster, what's wrong?!"
"..."
Kurose Akira jolted awake, gasping sharply as he sat up in bed.
He found himself back in the guild quarters, surrounded by familiar faces. Every member was gathered around his bed, their expressions filled with worry.
"What… happened?" Akira asked hoarsely.
"You were clutching your left eye and crying out in pain," Beatrice replied softly.
"Guildmaster, are you alright?" Beatrix leaned in as well, concern written all over her face.
"I was holding my left eye the whole time…?" Akira took a deep breath, then smiled reassuringly. "It's fine. Just a sudden backlash from one of my powers."
"The Magic Eye?"Lucia's gentle voice came from the side.
She was seated on a wooden chair near the wall, quietly observing him. With so many people crowded around the bed, Akira hadn't noticed her at first.
"Yes."Akira nodded. He had never intended to hide the existence of the Magic Eye from the guild.
Lucia explained calmly, "Since it's power derived from a witch, it's normal for remnants of her will to linger within it."
"But remnants are just remnants. As long as your strength continues to grow, you'll be able to suppress its side effects."
"So that really was… the witch's remnant?" Akira murmured.
He recalled the scene from earlier—the burning inferno, the laughter—but the exchange with the Black Night Witch felt as though it transcended time itself.
As for side effects, aside from the intense pain in his eye, there didn't seem to be any other immediate issues.
Still—
What exactly did she mean by 'this drama'?
And 'the betrayal from the night'…?
The words lingered in his mind, unsettling and unresolved.
"I'm going to take a shower. Give me a moment."
Akira stood up and walked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
Not long after, he emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still damp. It didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Master, let me help you get dressed~"Alice immediately stepped forward.
While she was helping him change, Ivsha entered the room holding a letter.
"Mr. Akira~ You've received a letter~"
"Hm?"
Akira took the envelope from her. The familiar rose emblem on the seal made him understand instantly who it was from.
He opened it.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
[Are you free tonight? I'm inviting you.]
…She was getting more and more concise.
That said, Akira had been planning to look for Idise anyway. There was no reason to refuse.
"Let's head out. We'll start today's assignments."
"Yes, sir."
Once dressed, Akira led the guild members out toward their mission area.
—
Time flew by.
By evening, the group returned to the guild through the teleportation circle's flash of white light.
Akira sat down on the sofa and submitted the day's completed missions.
They had cleared four D-rank commissions, earning 12 gold coins and 150,000 EXP.
Combined with the EXP he hadn't had time to spend earlier—thanks to being rushed off to the Elven Kingdom by the elf sisters—the total EXP stored in the pool had accumulated to 240,000.
That much EXP?!
He'd be crazy not to power-level them!
Loserine: Level 28 → Level 38, EXP -62,150 (EXP cost halved)!Ivsha & Alice: Level 22 → Level 27, EXP -72,000!Beatrix & Beatrice: Level 20 → Level 25, EXP -66,000!Lucia: Level 18 → Level 25, EXP -40,400!
Total EXP consumed: 240,000.The EXP pool was drained completely.
"EXP halved really is a god-tier talent…" Akira muttered.
Loserine required far less EXP to level up than normal adventurers. Her levels skyrocketed with absurd efficiency.
That said, once adventurers reached level 50, special advancement materials would be required. EXP alone would no longer be enough.
After wrapping up, Akira carefully reviewed the guild's finances.
At present, the guild possessed 70 gold coins.
It sounded like a lot—but in reality, it was nowhere near sufficient for long-term operations or upgrading everyone's equipment.
As mission difficulty increased, gear upgrades were unavoidable.
Ordinary equipment wouldn't cut it anymore. Ideally, every member should be outfitted with at least Elite-grade gear to comprehensively boost combat strength.
However, a single piece of Elite equipment cost anywhere from 3 to 10 gold coins.
Outfitting everyone with full sets…
That was a heavy burden for the guild's current finances.
"Haah… When I get back, I'll at least buy each of them one piece. After that, we can start preparing to challenge higher-difficulty demon nests."
Murmuring to himself, Akira stood up and stepped into the teleportation circle, heading to Idise's territory for their meeting.
—
The moment he arrived at Idise's estate, the fragrance of roses in the air made him feel slightly intoxicated.
But for some reason, mixed into that scent was a faintly unfamiliar sweetness.
…A succubus's aura?
He didn't dwell on it and walked straight inside.
At the moment, Idise was seated in a pavilion within the garden, reading a book.
Beside her stood a woman with blue, curled hair who immediately caught Akira's attention.
She was focused on painting—not Idise, but a rose blooming in the distance.
"You're here~"
Idise noticed Akira and waved to him lightly.
Akira walked over, his gaze shifting toward the blue-haired woman.
"And this is…?"
"She's the second princess of the Star Kingdom—Catherine," Idise introduced.
"Hello."Catherine smiled faintly at Akira, then returned her attention to the canvas.
"The second princess…?"
Akira was puzzled. Why had Idise arranged for him to meet the Star Kingdom's second princess?
"Have a seat," Idise said with a smile.
Once Akira sat down, she gently closed her book.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you. Of course, it's something you won't refuse."
"…What is it?"
Akira frowned slightly. What could possibly be something he couldn't refuse?
"It concerns the White Rose…"
Idise crossed her legs elegantly and took a sip of red tea, a mysterious glint flashing in her eyes.
The moment she finished speaking, Akira understood.
Indeed—he couldn't refuse this.
"Did something happen to the White Rose?" he asked.
The answer, however, came not from Idise, but from Catherine.
"The Guardian Flowers across the Star Kingdom are withering one after another," Catherine said calmly as she painted. "The Blood Camellia, Violet, and Blue Lily—three Guardian Flowers are already on the verge of collapse. Recently, the White Rose has also begun to show signs of decay."
Akira frowned and looked toward Idise.
"Yes," Idise nodded. "Everything she said is true. And this should be a method left behind by the Black Night Witch."
"The Black Night Witch…"
Akira's brows knitted tighter.
She wasn't just trying to destroy the White Rose—she intended to wipe out all seven Guardian Flowers?
What exactly was she trying to achieve?
"This is a struggle for power," Catherine said, setting down her brush. Her sky-blue eyes locked onto Akira, her tone grave. "It's obvious my father has sided with the Black Night Witch. He wants Vivian to become the next ruler."
"Perhaps~"Idise echoed casually.
"So I hope you can stop the White Rose from withering," Catherine continued. "At the very least, it must last until the Star Ceremony concludes. By then, we'll have a way to deal with the root cause."
"..."
Akira fell silent, deep in thought.
He understood why Idise had called him here—but there was still something bothering him.
"I heard the Star Kingdom intends to invite foreign armies to assist with clearing demon nests," Akira said slowly. "They're even allowing them to enter the royal capital. Why?"
"What? That's happening?"Catherine looked genuinely shocked. This was news to her.
"The reason is simple," Idise replied calmly, smiling. "That dying king would only allow foreign troops into the capital if he was confident he could make his enemies stay there forever."
"As for what he plans to do with them… even I haven't uncovered that yet."
"Make his enemies stay in the capital forever?" Akira asked, perplexed. "Isn't he afraid of retaliation? The Sun Theocracy alone is several times stronger than the Star Kingdom."
"Finding a scapegoat…" Idise said softly. "Is that really so difficult?"
That single sentence made everything click for Akira.
As for who that scapegoat would be—
The demons in the nests?
Or someone else entirely?
"Regardless of their goal, if we want to seize control of the Star Kingdom, we'll have to face all of this," Idise said, gently swirling her teacup. "I need your help. If you're willing to stand on my side, I can fulfill any request you make."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted casually toward Catherine, seated nearby.
That look carried a clear implication—
Even offering the second princess as his personal maid was not off the table.
Catherine's heart trembled slightly.
She understood then that she, too, was nothing more than a chess piece in Idise's hands—with no room to resist.
"You want to use my Magic Eye to deal with Vivian?" Akira asked bluntly.
"Correct~"Idise smiled, resting her cheek against her hand.
"So, are you willing to accept this commission? Of course, if that's still not enough—I also have several hundred young succubi waiting to be nurtured. As long as you believe your body can handle it~ I can give them all to you."
As she spoke, she lightly traced her lips with her fingertip, her expression alluring enough to steal one's soul.
—
The scene shifted.
Akira was already back at the guild, repeatedly turning over the information Idise had given him.
The old king's true intentions were still completely unclear.
Was it really just to ensure Vivian's ascension?
Or was he attempting to extend his own fading life through some hidden means?
"Tomorrow… I should talk to Lucia," Akira muttered. She might be able to offer some insight.
But for now, he needed to take Loserine with him to Sunset City.
"Loserine, come with me."
Akira knocked on her door.
Loserine opened it immediately. "Is something urgent?"
"Yes. Let's go. Now."
There was no time to explain. Akira grabbed her hand and rushed toward the teleportation circle.
After the flash of light, they appeared within the familiar Yerman Castle.
"Go find Roxia. Then meet me in Natasha's room," Akira instructed.
"Understood."
Loserine nodded and headed toward Roxia's quarters.
Akira, meanwhile, went straight to Natasha's room.
He knocked lightly.
"Natasha, are you asleep?"
"Mr. Akira?!"
The door opened almost instantly.
Natasha stood there in a thin nightgown, her eyes bright with expectation.
"Mr. Akira, this late at night, why—"
Before she could finish, Akira's gaze instinctively dropped to her status panel.
[Withering]
His expression darkened.
He placed a hand gently on her fragrant shoulder and asked seriously, "Natasha, have you felt unwell lately?"
"Unwell?" Natasha shook her head softly. "Not really… I just feel very tired all the time. Even when I do nothing, I feel sleepy…"
Akira's brow furrowed.
The White Rose's withering had already begun.
Facing this reality, anxiety welled up in his chest.
How could he help Natasha escape this fate?
Even Idise and the others were powerless against it…
Wait—
In that instant, inspiration struck.
Akira remembered the Soul Necklace Natasha wore—and the Valkyrie remnant spirit sealed within it.
Maybe she knew how to suppress the White Rose's decay!
But—
He recalled his first encounter with the Valkyrie.
Back then, he had barely glimpsed her before being coldly rejected.
Would he be able to communicate with her this time?
No matter the outcome—
He had to try.
"Natasha, could you give me your Soul Necklace for a moment?" Akira asked gently.
"Mm."
Natasha removed the necklace from her slender neck and handed it to him.
The instant Akira's soul power flowed into the necklace—
A vast, overwhelming divine force slammed into his consciousness.
At the same time, a cold, furious rebuke echoed once more in his ears:
"Human! Why have you come back again?! Get out!"