It was a deep dawn.

“Fire! Fire!”

“Fire!!!”

“Fetch water, quickly!”

Ding, ding, ding, ding, urgent bell sounds echoed as if they were under attack, and it was none other than the Everrium Viscount that was being spread out. Even in this deep dawn when even the patrol reduced the brightness of the fire, the Everrium Viscount’s residence, the safest place in the Viscount, was brightly shining.

No, it was burning fiercely.

“Oh my, what should we do!”

“They say the lord is still inside!”

“Viscount! Viscount!”

Servants who barely escaped shouted, calling for Yulrian. In the disaster they encountered in the middle of the night, they were in chaos and not in their right minds. Although magicians came out and poured water relentlessly, the fire was not easily extinguished.

“Bring more water, quickly!”

“Viscount! What should we do!”

“Fire! It’s spreading!”

“Prevent the fire from spreading by demolishing the houses!”

“Oh no, everyone evacuate!!!”

As the entire mansion burned fiercely, the surroundings turned into a fiery hell in an instant. The raging flames, like devouring darkness, roared with a red tongue and were not easily extinguished. They reached out in all directions and touched everything.

The spreading fire from the main mansion swallowed the backyard, garden, the annex and the bustling streets in front of it, all constructed after the main mansion. With the rapid spread of the flames, the scene turned into chaos with the cries of those who could not evacuate in time and the cries of those who barely saved their lives.

In the vortex of chaos, no one appeared who claimed to have seen Yulrian until the end.

“…Thus, Viscount Yulrian Everrium has died.”

After Mitchell’s report, a heavy silence settled.

Outside, birds chirped, and the morning sunlight pouring down was unusually bright. However, the expressions of those gathered in the dining room were infinitely dark. Even the delicious breakfast with rising steam now looked like a mere painting. It was not stimulating their appetites; it couldn’t even provoke hunger.

It was all because, last night, Viscount Everrium had died.

Officially, the cause of death was stated to be the inability to escape due to a sudden explosion and subsequent fire. However, Mitchell’s report was slightly different.

“You investigated the body?”

“Yes, just in case, I performed an autopsy, but there were no signs of burns in the nasal cavity.”

The report from the undercover Guild member Copelador, who infiltrated as a medical examiner, was like this. This fact had not yet been revealed to the public, so it would remain buried forever.

With a troubled face, Benjamin, lost in thought, said, “Not having signs of burns means he was not breathing when the fire broke out.”

“That seems to be the right judgment.”

“The estimated time of death?”

“It doesn’t differ significantly from when the explosion sound was heard. Whether he died just before the explosion sound, at that moment, or when the fire really broke out, it couldn’t be distinguished.”

“The only meaningful gain is just one thing, that the cause of death is different from what is known to the world.”

“I’ll continue to investigate.”

“No, you’ve worked hard. You probably couldn’t even close your eyes properly. Go inside and rest.”

Even under Benjamin’s command, Mitchell’s expression did not seem to ease.

Whether it was because of his words or not, Mitchell was now extremely tired. After going to the prison with Ivan yesterday to carry out the orders received, there was Greta in the Windsor. With the damages caused by Greta’s attack and the possibility of hidden accomplices or magical detection, he had conducted investigations until deep dawn.

Now that he thought he could finally get some sleep, there was a fire at Viscount Everrium’s residence. Gathering reports coming in every moment, he spoke to those who were trying to have breakfast. Mitchell felt like he could collapse right away, but unfortunately, he couldn’t rest.

“Now, then……”

Benjamin let out a deep sigh and took a deep breath. He pressed hard near his stiff Adam’s apple.

“How should we counter Hwangbi?”
The exhausted Mitchell had a reason he couldn’t rest even at this moment, and that was because of Greta’s claim.

“The news of Viscount Everrium’s death in a fire has spread widely throughout the entire Soljerion Empire. What does this mean?”

“He was the assailant.”

Jürgen replied coldly to Benjamin’s words.

“I heard that the mage’s magic remains as evidence in the bloodline. Is that correct, Your Excellency?”

“Yes. Magic is the most certain evidence that contains an individual’s unique characteristics.”

“But there is only one exception, isn’t there?”

Benjamin’s expression darkened instantly at Jürgen’s words. A stifled groan came out between his tightly closed lips. Yulrian, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, sighed deeply, just as Benjamin did earlier.

“Family members have similar characteristics in their bloodlines……”