Chapter 33
The Tiger’s Mouth
After Luciella left.
Viscount Sitri Belstad, the daughter of Viscount Belstad, pushed away the Third Prince, who kept wanting to stay by her side, and stepped outside the imperial palace.
CLANG! CLANG!
Inside the rattling carriage, the only person present was her alone.
Yet, for some reason, she muttered to herself inside the carriage.
“Whose doing could this be…?”
She spoke naturally, as if someone were present before her.
“Do you have any suspects, Seere?”
– I apologize. We have yet to grasp any leads.
“Do you not know how much power, wealth, and time went into elevating Gude to a high-ranking familiar? The only human capable of assassinating him is ArchDuke Quihiller.”
– However, there is no evidence that he has made any moves.
Sitri clicked her tongue in irritation at those words.
“You think I don’t know that? Where on earth did that thunder-stripped fool crawl out from…!”
The innocent, sparkling impression of the Viscount’s daughter she displayed around the Third Prince was nowhere to be seen.
Her beautiful face now carried a decadent, gloomy aura.
Anyone who saw Sitri now would unanimously agree:
Even if it were merely an aura, no human could twist the energy around them in such a way.
– Recently, Rohan’s side sent an official warning… Could it be related to that?
Before Sitri, something liquid-like and squirming had materialized.
“Ah, that? The dark magician, that Lich bastard Caslay Lichmond, died suddenly, didn’t he?”
-Yes. Caslay Lichmond was one of Rohans’ core assets. Reports indicate traces of his residual magic were detected near the empire’s border.
“TCH! That cunning Lich must have hidden his heart nearby, didn’t he?”
– “……”
“Pathetic. All that scheming led to such a futile end.”
Seere fell silent at Sitri’s scoff.
In truth, he believed the words “scheming” and “cunning” fit the black-haired woman before him better than anyone else in the world.
Even if she was his master, such hypocrisy!
“Regardless, we cannot tolerate unknown forces. If even the magicians couldn’t find traces, spatial magic or an artifact must have been used. Find the enemy’s trail and report back immediately!”
-I shall heed your command, my lord…
Seere bowed formally to Sitri and vanished abruptly.
Staring at the empty space where he had been, Sitri contorted her face like a vengeful spirit.
“We were so close…! In just a few years, I could’ve crushed Iblis’s nose…! Who dares interfere?!”
Gude Belstad had been Sitri’s masterpiece, her finest creation as a high-ranking familiar.
She had endured countless hardships, borrowing power from other demon kings while he couldn’t fully utilize his strength.
Despite his lacking appearance, she had grown somewhat attached…
‘Ugh! Where will I find usable pawns now?’
Crucially, Viscount Belstad had been her sole source of abducting outstandingly beautiful boys and girls to offer to Sitri.
With that supply cut off, she was furious.
After gripping her hair for a while, Sitri finally exploded.
“AAAAAH! Whoever you are… I won’t let you die easily once I catch you!”
Her scream nearly caused the coachman to drop the reins.
***
When Elvin Kepler decided to monitor Rudian’s every move, the Kepler family—a pillar of the Psychic Luminous—welcomed his decision with open arms.
“A wise choice. ‘Adora,’ was it? We cannot trust those with unclear motives. Elvin, we expect you to thoroughly uncover their vile intentions.”
“But Father, the psychic theories they provided are genuine. All our researchers agree they’re theories from a far more advanced era, beyond what we’ve studied. For them to hand over such a treasure so readily…”
Matheus Kepler, the current family head, paused at his daughter’s words.
“Your point has merit. However…”
Matheus frowned, recalling the past.
“Not a single person who claimed ‘world peace’ as their banner ever pursued it to the end. Remember that.”
His words held truth.
“World peace? A mere signboard for ultimate hypocrites.”
Even those who genuinely held such goals inevitably corrupted themselves after tasting power.
“The Psychic Luminous has witnessed countless such individuals over millennia, recording every one without exception. Did you not receive that education?”
“That’s true, but…”
The commonality among those who preached world peace was the unspoken preface: “under our order.”
“Moreover, their motives are suspect—possessing such systematic theories yet using the ‘Green World’ to gain psychic abilities.”
“……”
For a moment, Maria recalled Rudian’s face, which had smiled with something akin to pity.
She still couldn’t comprehend that expression.
‘That smile didn’t seem fake…’
Steeling herself, Maria spoke firmly.
“However, opposing them now is unwise. Even if they are evil, we must repay what we’ve received. The decision to ally with them rests solely on me.”
“…Ahem!”
Matheus coughed awkwardly at Maria’s strong stance.
If Maria insisted this much, even Matheus couldn’t argue further about Adora.
Though he still led the Psychic Empire, much internal authority had already shifted to Maria.
As the one who facilitated this transition, undermining Maria’s authority here would reflect poorly.
“Very well. I leave Adora entirely to you.”
“Thank you, Father.”
“However, Elvin’s surveillance of Rudian is non-negotiable. Since he proposed it himself, observe him thoroughly.”
Thus, Elvin’s surveillance of Rudian was finalized by mutual agreement.
***
The very next day.
“……”
Rudian stared blankly at Elvin, who had barged into his dorm room.
“…What brings you here?”
“What do you mean? I’ve come to live in the dorm.”
“The academy dorms are single-occupancy, no?”
Elvin replied nonchalantly.
“Bad luck—no rooms left. The rooms are spacious enough for two anyway.”
It was technically true.
Each room was twice the size of Rudian’s old house, sometimes feeling too empty for one.
Elvin plopped onto the bed.
“Your sword forms are still rudimentary. I don’t know how you awakened magic, but it must be your family’s secret.”
“…Tch!”
Of course, someone observing closely would notice.
“I could shorten your foundational training.”
“…You’re offering to teach me?”
“What’s with that disrespectful look? I’m called the academy’s top genius.”
“Right, you are.”
He kept forgetting due to his original role as a mid-boss.
“Thinking I can’t teach while pursuing two paths myself, are you?”
“……”
Rudian averted his eyes and coughed.
“Ahem! N-No, not at all.”
“Was that the truth?”
Elvin’s face clearly read, ‘This is ridiculous.’
“Regardless, swordsmanship is minor. You vowed to prove your justice through action, but don’t assume I’ll just watch.”
Naturally, Rudian had no intention of leaving Elvin idle.
‘Obviously. Why else propose this?’
Fortunately, Elvin seemed willing to cooperate against demonic forces.
“Your assistance is always welcome.”
Elvin Kepler, heir to the Psychic Luminous, wielded immense power beyond his Delphione Foundation sponsorship.
-Name: Elvin Kepler
-Age: 24
-Title: Psychic Prince
– Race: Human
– Strength: 22
-Agility: 24
-Vitality: 25
-Magic: 22
-Psychic Power: 115
-Total Combat Power: 4,130
The unique “Psychic Power” stat elevated his combat strength far beyond ordinary knights.
‘…He’s strong.’
He slightly surpassed both Alec Hyuma (pre-demonization) and Viscount Gude Belstad.
For his age, Elvin was less a genius and more a monster.
In the original story, his psychic abilities alone pushed the protagonist’s party to the brink.
After organizing his thoughts, Rudian spoke again.
“I have a plan. Will you trust and follow me?”
“Already scheming? With our current strength, it’s like sticking our heads into a tiger’s mouth.”
“Of course.”
At their level, they could only dismantle a few lower-tier factions.
“Then we just need a helmet that remains unbothered even if the tiger clamps its jaws.”
“…A helmet?”
As Elvin tilted his head, Rudian smiled knowingly.
“It’s a metaphor. Why fight demons bare-handed?”
“……?”
This world was the chaotic fantasy <The. Chro. Seven.>.
Game-breaking items were everywhere—if one knew where to look.
The only difference was that others didn’t, while Rudian did. A “minor” detail.
Schedule: Pending
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