But just as he was about to pull the door handle, a sinister shadow loomed in front of Gallio.

“You were here. Gallio Turner.”

“H-How did you get here?”

“Forgot? This place is between the realms of magic beings and humans. I can freely come and go up to here.”

When the client replied in a low voice, Gallio bit his lip.

To appear at such a timing when he couldn’t use black magic or necromancy at all.
Gallio was engulfed by a sense of despair and took a step back.

“The whole kingdom seems to be in an uproar. They say you tried to assassinate the royals using the Repel family, but it ended in failure. Is that true?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

The man looked at Gallio, who was avoiding eye contact, and asked another question.

“I’ll ask just one thing. What happened to the task I requested? Finding her traces, that is.”

“I selected individuals who met the criteria and compiled a list. If you wait a few more months, I can report on the progress after a swift recovery.”

It was true that Gallio created a list that met the criteria to deceive the man.

This was because there was a need to buy time until he completely obtained Bella’s soul.

However, he had no intention of revealing that Bella was the possessor of the soul sought by the client.

As soon as he found out, it was obvious that he would be killed.

However, when the man pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, Gallio’s complexion turned pale.

The list Gallio had investigated was in the man’s hands.

“You found this in the mansion that you abandoned. At first, I was perplexed. I didn’t think you would treat my request so lightly.”

“T-That’s… I can explain!”

“Aside from whether you tried to kill the royals or not, I can’t overlook the fact that you ignored me and acted recklessly.”

As the man finished speaking, he suddenly grabbed Gallio’s neck.

Although Gallio begged for mercy, lifted into the air by the overwhelming force, only gasping sounds came from his tightly constricted throat.

“You’ve already lost your usefulness. Whether a wicked person like you knows that I’m alive or not, it will only cause harm to my future if you recognize it.”

“Cough, cough. Let go of me for now…”

“Considering our past, I’ll end your life without causing much pain. Gallio Turner.”

Thunk.

Gallio’s body, pierced through the neck in an instant, crumpled onto the ground, gasping.

Although his mouth seemed to be opening as if he had something to say, the deceased had nothing more to say.

The man, who had cleanly restored his face and hands with magic, left the scene without hesitation.

His name was Lannian.

He was Bella’s fiancé from a past life.

Three days had passed since the Assassin Guild collapsed.

In this short period, Cain, Wilhelm, and I became the talk of the town within the capital.

Having obliterated the most terrifying guild even in the underworld, rumors spread like wildfire.

Especially in my case, the rumor that I had established facilities for children from the underworld further enhanced my favorable reputation.

Moreover, significant changes were occurring within the kingdom.
During this time, with the evidence I had gathered, along with the testimony of the sane Charlotte, the Turner family completely collapsed. Of course, the Repel family was no exception; a court ruling was made to confiscate a significant portion of their assets and dismiss Charlotte from her position as the head.

While it was partly acknowledged that Charlotte had been influenced by Gallio’s mind-controlling magic, it was inevitable to completely avoid charges of condoning her crimes, conspiring with her, and attempting to kill Raven and me.

“I’m truly sorry, Princess. I don’t have words to say. I can only express my gratitude for sparing my life.”

“Although the court was in your favor, forgiveness is not complete. Charlotte, now that you’ve barely saved your life, I hope you live doing many good deeds in the future.”

I watched Charlotte shedding tears in her prisoner’s attire. She had completely freed herself from Gallio’s mental manipulation, but she showed signs of self-blame, and her face seemed quite battered, perhaps due to that.

In reality, for her, the fact that it ended here might have felt like a miracle. Even if she was considered one of her father’s wives on paper and Wilhelm’s birth mother, attempting to assassinate the royals was tantamount to a treasonous crime.

“If you hadn’t testified for me, I would have been a dead woman. I am truly grateful for your kindness.”

“It’s not all for your sake. You’re also my brother’s mother… So I spared you because of that.”

There were some places where sympathy could be felt for Charlotte, thoroughly exploited by Gallio, but Wilhelm’s role played a significant part in my decision.

If he had been an unsuitable older brother like the ones in fairy tales, my decision might have been completely different.

However, Wilhelm was a somewhat aloof but quite decent child, and I decided not to deprive him of the presence of a mother.

One is enough to go through the pain of separation from a mother who does not want to be separated.

After Charlotte was expelled from the capital, news came that her body was found in Gallio’s hiding place outside the capital. To be precise, it wasn’t a body; they only discovered his clothes and traces near Gallio’s hideout near the borders.

But seeing his favorite accessories found nearby, the investigation concluded that Gallio’s death was certain.

‘In the end, the Turner family disappeared, and the power of the Repel family has greatly weakened. Thanks to that, the Elder Council is on the verge of a crisis. Everything is going the way I wanted it to… Why do I feel so uneasy?’

In fact, the reason was something I knew better than anyone else.

The last words Gallio uttered before disappearing.

His expression and intonation when he asked if the memories of his past life remained were vividly etched in my mind, making me feel more uncomfortable than ever.