Responding to Reynold’s call, Count Ermeints marveled at how quickly his request had been concluded. Thinking that Nihil’s reputation for dominating the underground was not just an illusion, he went to meet Reynold with light steps.

However, what awaited him was not news of the completed request, but the sight of Reynold in tatters. His appearance, with bandages wrapped tightly around his entire body from head to toe, was that of a critically ill patient who might not make it through the day or night.

What on earth happened? Count Ermeints sat down in front of Reynold, unable to hide his bewilderment.

“You’ve come. Please, have a seat here.”

Count Ermeints sat down with a sour expression.

“You look terrible.”

“There were some complications.”

“Given your condition, it doesn’t seem my request was successful. Why did you ask to see me?”

“I wish to proceed with the contract immediately.”

“So now you believe what I said? That she is indeed Ryston’s daughter?”

“That part has not been definitively confirmed, but it doesn’t matter. I will carry out the request you gave me, Count. Please prepare the down payment right away.”

“You mean you want a useless plot of land from my territory? Alright, fine. I’ve already prepared the land deed.”

“Did you bring it?”

Count Ermeints nodded and gestured to his attendant. The attendant who came with him handed over the documents.

“Please check them.”

Reynold briefly checked the documents before putting them away.

“Aren’t you going to stamp them?”

“My lord will affix the seal after final review.”

“Huh, what kind of situation is this? A contract is supposed to be a two-way process. Shouldn’t we be making the contract face to face?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll arrange a meeting soon. You can stamp the request contract then, Count.”

Count Ermeints frowned, showing his displeasure.

“For a matter of this level, we could have just exchanged documents by mail! Why bother calling me here and there?”

“Actually, there’s a separate favor I wanted to ask, which is why I invited you here.”

“A favor?”

Count Ermeints couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

He was in no position to take action on anything. In such poor health that he was bedridden every day, what could he possibly do? If he had the strength to do something on his own, he wouldn’t have reached out to such a gloomy underground organization in the first place.

Yet here they were, not only failing to complete the job but asking for assistance from the client. At this point, it was inevitable that his trust in their professionalism would be shaken.

“It’s to finish the job as smoothly and perfectly as possible.”

“Is that so? Well, let’s hear it then.”

“First, we’d like you to discreetly arrange a meeting with Baron Ryan Eadalyn.”

“Ryan? That’s not difficult, but why him?”

“We need to preemptively recruit someone close to Riley Eadalyn. He seems suitable for our purposes.”

“Do you really need to go that far? Is separating that wench from Givnen Lianster such a difficult task?”

“At first, I didn’t think it would be complicated, but now it has become so.”

“Why?”

“Because Givnen Lianster will no longer leave any openings. Also, she’s not a woman who will be easily fooled. In fact, she’s far more dangerous than Givnen Lianster.”

This incident served as a good opportunity to confirm Riley Eadalyn’s value, but conversely, it made Givnen Lianster aware of the enemies targeting Riley Eadalyn.

Now that he knows this, Givnen Lianster will protect Riley Eadalyn more strictly than before. We were lucky to create an opportunity this time, but to be honest, there’s no guarantee we can create such an opportunity again.

“You’re saying that lowborn wench is more dangerous than the Archmage of Horizon? What nonsense. At this point, I’m doubting your professionalism. I came all the way here, and not only can you not handle one simple task, but you’re asking the client for help?”

“To separate that woman from the Archmage, we need to deal with the Archmage. Does this seem like a problem that can be easily solved to you?”

“I just asked you to separate that wench from him. Does that necessarily mean you have to kill the Archmage? Couldn’t you send someone to attempt a kidnapping, or disguise it as an accidental death? There should be many ways.”

“There are shadows specifically assigned around that woman. And she is under both surveillance and protection under Givnen’s palm. It’s safe to say there’s almost no way to extract her separately. And even if we managed to snatch her away, we’d likely be caught. Givnen Lianster would have taken measures to track her.”

At Reynold’s words, Count Ermeints rubbed his throbbing forehead and sighed.

“Is it even possible to deal with Givnen Lianster?”

“We dealt with the previous Archmage, so why couldn’t we handle this one?”

“!”

“We don’t set separate time frames for our requests. The request to deal with Givnen Lianster is still ongoing. And once we take on a request, we always complete it.”

Count Ermeints was left speechless, his mouth gaping.

The fact that the previous Archmage had been assassinated was something Count Ermeints knew well from what he had heard. However, he had suspected that it was Givnen Lianster who had killed the previous Archmage, Yung.

Givnen Lianster benefited the most from Yung’s death, and although he was Yung’s disciple, he had been the subject of ominous rumors since childhood, so it didn’t seem impossible.

But it wasn’t him?

“Was it really you who dealt with the previous Archmage?”

Reynold shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“How can I believe that?”

“If you can’t believe it, there’s nothing we can do.”

“……”

“Whether to continue with the request or not is for you to decide, Count. What will you do?”

What should I do?

Count Ermeints pondered for a moment before rising.

“I’ll decide after confirming who this ‘lord’ of yours is that I’m supposed to contract with.”

“Very well. We’ll see you on the contract day.”

Count Ermeints snorted and turned away.

Thinking he would at least see the face of whoever was hiding behind such a shadowy organization.

[This is the timeline separator]

Riley did not join the Horizon students but returned to Blestige with Givnen. Givnen did not take Riley to the mansion, but went straight to the magic tower to find Arpeggio.

“…Damn, what’s this?”

Arpeggio expressed his displeasure towards the two uninvited guests with visible disgust.

One should have been in bed at this hour, and the other should have just returned from Lurat, so why were they crawling in here together?

One was originally an eyesore, and the other, while not unpleasant to look at, was a very troublesome existence. So it was only natural that Arpeggio’s face soured at the simultaneous appearance of two unwelcome presences.

“Check her condition.”

“Why are you coming to me about your condition? Go to your personal physician. Do I have to nurse patients now?”

“Not me. Her.”

Givnen gestured towards Riley. Arpeggio blinked, looking at Riley, then quickly realizing something and approached.

“Why does she look like this?”

Although most of the visible external injuries had been healed, Arpeggio immediately recognized that Riley’s condition was not good. When Riley looked at him curiously, Arpeggio sighed, placed his hand on her head, and closed his eyes.

“The inside is a mess. Did you use magic?”

“…How did you know?”

“How? Your mana circuits are tangled. The flow is unstable.”

While the doctor had said there was nothing wrong, Arpeggio judged that Riley had suffered some internal injuries.

Givnen, as if he had expected this, asked in a serious voice.

“How severe is it?”

“It’s not serious, just minor. I can realign it.”

“Then do it quickly.”

“I was going to do it anyway, but when you talk like that, it makes me not want to.”

Arpeggio clicked his tongue and tapped Givnen’s forehead with his hand.

“This brat is getting more and more ill-mannered as time goes by.”

“Using violence on a sick patient? That’s too much.”

“You call this violence? Vio~lence? Violence is barging in here and demanding this and that, you X.”

“Alright, I get it, just do it quickly.”

Arpeggio glared at Givnen with a fierce expression before sighing and taking Riley’s hand, beginning to cast a spell. As he cast the spell, Riley felt her body lighten remarkably and a refreshing sensation. Her complexion improved, and she quickly began to look more lively.

“What did you do?”

Arpeggio grumbled in response to Riley’s question.

“I restored the tangled mana circuits to their original state, maximizing circulation. When mana circulation improves, the damaged parts of the circuit will heal on their own.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s a unique magic that not just anyone can do. Even this guy can’t do it.”

“Really?”

Riley turned to Givnen, who nodded with a furrowed brow.

“It’s magic he created himself, so it’s not something I can do.”

“…So that’s why you brought me here. Can mages create their own magic? That’s fascinating.”

“Not all mages can create magic. It’s only possible for genius mages like me.”

Arpeggio puffed out his chest proudly. Givnen, as if it wasn’t worth listening to anymore, took Riley’s hand and pulled her along.

“We’re done here, so we’ll be going.”

“You opportunistic bastard, just taking care of business and leaving?”

“Didn’t you want us to leave quickly? You’d be annoyed if we stayed anyway.”

Realizing he had a point, Arpeggio waved his hand as if to say ‘get out quickly’.

“Fine, just get out. And please stop dropping in unexpectedly.”

“See you tomorrow, Master.”

“I told you, I’m not your master. Ah… just go already.”

As Givnen left with Riley, Arpeggio’s expression became seriously grave.

“What kind of magic did she use… to suffer such internal injuries.”

It was fortunate that the mana circuits were only slightly tangled. Upon closer inspection, there were traces of injuries from tremendous shock all over the circuits. There were signs of explosive mana release that could have burst the circuits entirely, not just tangled them.

This couldn’t have been caused by light magic, so questions naturally arose. Something tremendous must have happened, and if it required such powerful magic… it must have been no ordinary incident.

Even the fact that someone who should have been bedridden crawled all the way here…

‘Has it finally begun….’

It was an outcome he had anticipated since Givnen brought her here, no, since Yung left such a last will to Givnen.

‘So it ends up like this after all, Yung.’

He still couldn’t understand why Yung had entrusted Riley Eadalyn to Givnen. I wouldn’t have done that. While wondering what on earth he was thinking to do such a crazy thing… in a way, he could understand.

It must have been a difficult choice for him, either to kill a friend’s child or to bring them close for protection.

His choice not to kill his friend’s child with his own hands ultimately resulted in passing on the karma he couldn’t resolve in his own generation to his most beloved disciple. Perhaps he thought Givnen would break this terrible cycle of karma.

Yes, you probably had no other choice but to entrust it to the next generation.

But…

‘…Can those two young ones handle it?’

I suppose it’s my karma to live on alone and watch all of this unfold.

How long must I watch my precious people die?

Arpeggio got up and opened the storage. He then took out several bottles of alcohol, opened them, and began to drink heavily.

Hoping the effects of alcohol would suppress this damned guilt.

[This is the timeline separator]

When Givnen and Riley returned to the mansion together, the servants were in an uproar.

Why were they entering together? To begin with, Givnen, who should have been bedridden, being absent had already turned everything upside down, and now the Riley who had attended the welcome party and the missing master were entering side by side. What on earth had happened overnight?

Curiosity bloomed in the servants’ minds. As everyone’s nerves were on edge about the two who had entered the bedroom, the door opened and the head maid Sophia came out.

“The master and young lady wish to dine alone in the bedroom, so prepare a simple meal and send it up to the bedroom. He especially instructed to pay attention to the food for young lady Riley. I’ll tell you to prepare only the menus that the young lady likes, so get ready.”

After Sophia left, Richel shrugged and said,

“The master must have been unable to bear missing our young lady!”

“So he followed her to the academy event?”

“He must have been so bored with the young lady gone all day when she’s usually by his side.”

“I see!”

Richel proudly boasted about Riley being loved by Givnen as if she herself were the one being loved. She also exaggerated stories about how much he cherished and loved Riley. The servants focused on the stories Richel was pouring out as they went to the kitchen to prepare the meal with the chef.

And so, the infamous scoundrel who had been trailing all sorts of scandalous rumors had somehow become a pure-hearted lover.

·

·

·

Meanwhile, at the same time.

“…They said there would be penalties for skipping the welcome party, what should I do?”

Riley was worrying about something utterly trivial.

To worry about academy points after going through such an ordeal. Givnen found it unexpected. After the last kidnapping incident, it had taken quite a while for her to calm down after being so frightened and withdrawn.

“Are you alright?”

“About what?”

“I mean, aren’t you scared after what happened? You seem much calmer than before.”

Strictly speaking, it was like being stranded.

Although she hadn’t been directly attacked by enemies, those hours of enduring the fear of darkness and magical beasts were indeed a time of survival struggle.

But it certainly wasn’t as terrifying as that ‘kidnapping incident’ last time.

“Since I wasn’t directly attacked… it seems less scary than that time. Back then, I was directly threatened… Of course, when I recall encountering the magical beasts, it still sends chills down my spine…”

Why was it less frightening?

Thinking about it, the answer came quickly.

“I think it’s less scary now because I have the confidence that there’s someone protecting me. Back then, I thought I was alone.”

I can’t protect myself, and there’s no one to help me. Completely alone. That fact might have made it feel more sorrowful and harsh out of fear. There was no trust between Givnen and me at that time, and it really seemed so hopeless that I thought I would die helplessly.

However, this time, I thought Hilla would bring a rescue team, and Ban protected me from the threat of magical beasts. I wasn’t alone. Just having someone to rely on gave me a sense of security.

“And…”

“…”

“I endured by thinking of you. Senior Ban said that they weren’t after me, but were using me to target you.”

“…”

“You were lying sick in bed, and I couldn’t give up and break down there. I thought I had to do something, so I used magic. Of course, it was completely failed magic. I didn’t really do anything.”

Givnen, who had been silently watching Riley, reached out and fiddled with her bangs.

“You did well.”

“…I didn’t do anything.”

Instead of answering, Givnen recalled the place Riley had left in such a mess.

Using magic on a scale typically seen in magical beast subjugation, and now she’s making such a fuss?

“I think if I could use magic freely, the situation wouldn’t have become so serious.”

“…”

“That’s why I want to work harder.”

“…”

“So I can protect myself. The enemies targeting you… they won’t try to take me hostage to kill you. So I’ll study hard and learn diligently.”

That small gesture of clenching her fist and making a resolution looks so cute it’s troublesome. Givnen finally couldn’t resist and embraced Riley. Then, burying his face in her hair, he said,

“It’s almost my birthday.”

“Oh? When?”

“In two weeks.”

“Ah…”

“Every year, there’s a birthday celebration party. It’s a mandatory event regardless of my wishes. I’m thinking of announcing our marriage then.”

“…Has the wedding date been set?”

“Considering the academy schedule, we’ve set it for the end of the year. What do you think, is that okay?”

“I’m grateful if you do that for me.”

“Once the marriage is announced, things will get much noisier.”

“…But there’s no helping it, is there?”

“I wanted to keep it a secret until the wedding if possible, but now there’s no point.”

The fact that Riley’s existence has already been exposed to some unseen enemy. At this point, Givnen judged that he should no longer hide Riley’s existence.

“Being in the light is better than in the shadows.”

“…”

“It’s better to reveal your existence to many people. The more eyes following you, the more cautious the enemy will have to be. Of course, as your existence becomes known, you might gain more enemies. Still, making flashy moves that catch as many people’s eyes as possible will be safer in terms of security. Because that many more eyes will be watching.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Having resolved to marry him anyway, being the talk of many people’s mouths was something she had to endure. It was something she was already prepared for, so it’s fine.

“You can resent me if you want.”

“?”

“But you see, I have to go all the way with things I desire. Now I’ve really lost any thought of letting you go. Though I barely had any to begin with.”

Riley tilted her head and looked at Givnen. She seemed not to understand what he was saying.

Givnen didn’t say anything more. Instead, he tightened his arms around her and, with his eyes half-lowered, thought to himself.

This woman’s body, heart, time, life.

He decided he would desire and take everything of hers.

Even if she clings to him crying and begging to be let go in the future.

He will never let her go.