Although Kalos was the lord of Esper, he barely involved himself in managing the territory.

The affairs of the underground world were enough of a headache.

He left the territory management entirely to the administrators to ensure it ran smoothly even in his absence, only intervening when problems arose.

As a result, the administrators of Esper territory rarely had to face Kalos directly.

They had even less occasion for face-to-face reports.

Moreover, since all the territory’s administrators were underground residents who knew Kalos was the lord of the underground, they found it very difficult to meet him.

“……”

“……”

But now, facing Kalos, a heavy tension flowed among the administrators.

The most nervous among them was the director of the Magical Beast Training Center.

Although there was a separate culprit who released the magical beasts.

If the Magical Beast Training Center had properly controlled the beasts from escaping in the first place, this terrible situation wouldn’t have occurred, so as the director, he couldn’t avoid responsibility.

“This incident is largely the fault of the training center, so the responsibility……”

“The control of magical beasts at the training center……”

As expected, when that topic came up, the training center director spoke in a trembling voice, trying to survive and somewhat alleviate his unjust situation.

“Of course, failing to properly control the magical beasts is the fault of the Magical Beast Training Center, and as the director, I take responsibility and will accept punishment for that part… but I believe we should first catch the vicious culprits who released the magical beasts.”

Kalos rested his chin on his tilted arm and looked at the training center director.

“By ‘culprits,’ do you mean there’s more than one perpetrator?”

Seeing Kalos show interest in his words, the training center director’s expression brightened.

“Yes, yes! If there was only one culprit, they couldn’t have released 7 magical beasts all at once without being noticed by others. So we’re estimating there are multiple culprits, and at least one of them must be someone who knows the structure of the Magical Beast Training Center well.”

An administrator sitting across asked in surprise.

“Are you saying it’s the work of an insider?”

“There’s a very high possibility. The Magical Beast Training Center has a maze-like complex structure with traps set up everywhere to prevent magical beasts from escaping, yet the culprits managed to escape smoothly with the beasts.”

“Oh my, that complicates things……”

If it really was the work of an insider, it would mean that person had betrayed Kalos.

Who would dare betray him, the lord of the underground?

It was something unimaginable for underground residents, so all the administrators were surprised and murmured amongst themselves.

Kalos, who had been quietly listening to the administrators’ conversation, raised his hand.

At that, the administrators all fell silent at once, without anyone taking the lead.

Kalos looked over the administrators and said.

“If it’s about finding the culprits who released the magical beasts, I’ll handle it myself.”

They thought he would at most entrust it to Deuce, but he was going to take charge personally.

The administrators were surprised, but on the other hand, they thought it was natural for him to step in, as it might involve punishing a traitor.

Kalos slightly raised the corner of his lips and said.

“So I want you all to focus all your efforts on restoring and stabilizing the territory. To prevent any further gossip from outside.”

“……”

Under the pressure weighing on their shoulders, the faces of the administrators all turned ashen.

“I hope to hear good news at the next report.”

Kalos gave the administrators a big assignment and left the meeting room.

Deuce, who had been waiting outside the door, handed him his coat.

Putting on the coat, Kalos walked ahead and asked Deuce.

“Did you find anyone carrying a different energy?”

Although the training center director said there was a very high possibility it was the work of an insider, Kalos didn’t think so.

There was no possibility of it being an insider.

More precisely, it meant that no underground resident under Kalos’s protection would betray him of their own will.

In such cases, there was only one possibility to consider.

Someone was controlling the culprits who released the magical beasts like puppets, forcing them to betray Kalos.

It might seem like a far-fetched guess at first glance, but unfortunately, Kalos thought this hypothesis was certain because he had experienced a similar incident in the past.

That’s why he secretly ordered Deuce to find out if there was anyone carrying a different energy within the territory.

Deuce followed closely behind Kalos and reported.

“I found one. A man named Gilbert who works at the Magical Beast Training Center had an alien energy completely different from your energy, my lord.”

As expected. Kalos’s lips curved askew.

“So where is that guy now?”

“He’s dead.”

Tak. Kalos’s steps halted.

“Yesterday, they found his body in a pile of collapsed buildings.”

Kalos turned to look at Deuce.

“Was the alien energy on the man’s corpse?”

“Yes. It was all over his body.”

All over his body? That was like advertising that he was the culprit.

Kalos frowned.

Of course, if that guy was really the culprit, he might have done so to flaunt what he had done, but it was unsettling how blatantly the energy was left on him.

If that was the case, it would have been better to move directly rather than using a puppet.

Then he could have released more magical beasts.

He could have killed Irene for sure.

“……”

Suddenly reminded of Irene, Kalos looked towards the opposite corridor.

Her fever had gone down and she wasn’t seriously injured, so he thought she would wake up soon, but two days had passed and Irene still hadn’t opened her eyes.

According to Jessie, ‘that woman’ from before had woken up after just one day, so why couldn’t Irene wake up even after four days?

Was there another problem?

If so, what could it be?

Annoyed by the shapeless anxiety, Kalos wrinkled under his eyes and turned his head again.

Worrying about Irene wouldn’t make her wake up anyway.

For now, confirming the identity of the energy left on the corpse was the priority.

“Where is that man’s body now?”

“It’s in the northern morgue. I’ll guide you there.”

As Deuce was about to lead the way, Kalos waved his hand.

“It’s fine. I’ll go alone, you stay here and guard the castle.”

Deuce’s expression darkened.

“But……”

“It’s alright.”

Knowing what Deuce was worried about, Kalos spoke firmly.

“……”

Usually, he would back down when told like this, but not today.

It meant he was that worried about Kalos, and also that there was a big problem with him.

“I said it’s alright.”

Kalos knew this fact well too, but he didn’t back down.

If the culprit was really ‘that guy,’ it would be dangerous to leave the castle without Deuce.

“I understand.”

Deuce reluctantly accepted Kalos’s order.

“I’m counting on you.”

Kalos patted Deuce’s shoulder before walking towards the far end of the corridor.

*

The northern morgue was filled with the wailing of bereaved families who had lost their loved ones.

Naturally, all eyes were focused on the lord who appeared in such a place.

However, everyone just watched cautiously without approaching Kalos.

Most of the residents living in Esper territory were underground residents, so they knew Kalos’s true identity and didn’t dare approach him carelessly.

The humans who didn’t know Kalos’s true identity were too scared to approach him.

At that moment, someone rushed out from inside.

“You’ve come, my lord.”

It was the manager of the northern morgue.

“I came to check the body of a man named Gilbert.”

“Gilbert? Ah, you mean the guide who came in yesterday. This way.”

The manager immediately guided Kalos to where Gilbert was.

Kalos’s expression wrinkled as he examined Gilbert’s body.

‘It’s gone.’

No alien energy could be felt from the corpse at all.

Deuce wouldn’t have lied.

The alien energy that had been on the body must have dissipated in the meantime.

‘This is troublesome.’

If he had figured out the identity of the alien energy, he could have known for sure who the culprit was.

…No, maybe there was no need to know.

There was only one person who would do such a crazy thing in his territory in the first place.

Thinking of ‘that guy’ naturally reminded him of what happened back then.

“How… how could this happen? How could you do this to my sister…!”

It was an old incident, but it felt as vivid as if it had happened just yesterday.

“I told you, Kalos. If you touch my sister, I will never forgive you.”

It’s a misunderstanding. I never touched your sister.

“Don’t lie. If it wasn’t you, who else could have killed my sister? There’s even clear evidence!”

What evidence are you talking about?

If it wasn’t something I did, there couldn’t be any evidence.

“I begged you not to touch my sister. I begged you earnestly as a friend. So why didn’t you listen to me? Why……”

Why don’t you listen to me?

I’ve told you many times that I never touched that child.

But I didn’t think I was completely blameless.

If I had taken her hand when she reached out crying, begging me to look at her just once, she might not have died.

“You need to know too. How terrible it is to lose something precious… you need to feel it too.”

So when his old friend cursed him, he accepted it calmly.

Thinking that he was just too angry now.

That he would lift the curse when time passed and his anger subsided, I had thought lightly.

“This fight won’t end until one of us, you or I, dies.”

I guess I took it too lightly, Dale Barans.

*

“……”

As Irene’s eyelids, which hadn’t moved for a week, trembled slightly, Jessie, who had been sitting by the bedside, jumped up.

“Young miss, are you conscious?”

“……”

“Young miss!”

No matter how many times she called, Irene’s eyelids only trembled without rising.

As much as she wanted to, Jessie couldn’t shake Irene’s shoulders hard to wake her up.

That might strain Irene’s body, so Jessie just gripped the innocent blanket tightly and shouted.

“Please wake up, young miss! It’s already been a week!”

As if Jessie’s desperate plea had worked, the eyelids slowly rolled up.

“Young miss!”

The unfocused golden eyes rolled to take in Jessie’s joyful face.

“Je…ssie?”

“Yes! It’s me! Are you conscious?”

Irene nodded slightly and looked at the ceiling with elaborate patterns drawn on it.

This is… Esper Castle.

As her foggy mind gradually cleared, the events before she lost consciousness came back one by one.

From going out to see the festival, to being attacked by magical beasts, to Kalos saving her when she was in danger.

“Come back… with me, Irene.”

She vividly recalled him reaching out his hand asking her to return together, and her decision to stay by his side instead of running away.

Was it just a rash decision swayed by the emotions of the moment?

In that life-threatening and anxious state, she had eagerly grasped Kalos’s outstretched hand.

Now that peace was restored, Irene let out a slight laugh at herself for having such thoughts.