In a distant land, a familiar figure sat atop a bloody mound of high-level monster corpses, his imposing scythe embedded in a shattered skull beside him.
This ominous presence was SøulEatƐr—a Dragonsbane Guild member tasked with completely breaking Haxks Starfrost, one way or another.
Heavy clouds smothered the sky, an appropriate backdrop as a holographic interface hovered before him. He briefly savored the levels and proficiency points earned from his freshly completed quest before shifting his attention to a newly uploaded livestream on QTube.
The footage covered the failed coup by the Mhaledictus to overthrow the reigning sovereign of the Arcanium Kingdom—an uprising stopped almost entirely by a single individual: Haxks Starfrost.
SøulEatƐr paused the video, a sadistic grin spreading across his face as he zoomed in on the profile of a silver-haired boy wielding a massive greatsword.
"It's about time we met," he murmured. "Wouldn't you agree?"
***
As the sun began its customary descent beyond the distant horizon, Daisuke carried Lumielle on his back as they made their way toward the city.
The corruption. The uncertainty. The suffering—it was finally over. By all accounts, the moment should have been one of triumph and celebration. Daisuke had even gained a new weapon and a rare skill, stepping noticeably closer to the goals that drove him forward. And yet, not even a flicker of satisfaction stirred within him.
Instead, a bitter aftertaste lingered in his mouth.
If he had to name its source, it was the price of their victory. Baldin was dead. Elowen was dead. And there had been nothing—absolutely nothing—he could do to change that.
Blame came easily, but nowhere to settle. Baldin, for his choices. The Mhaledictus, for their rot. Or the king, whose weakness had allowed that rot to take root in the first place.
The die had already been cast.
There was no value in pointing fingers now. What was broken had already shattered, and no amount of resentment would piece it back together. All that remained was to rebuild—to tend not only to the wounds carved into stone and flesh, but to the quieter ones left behind in the heart.
Lumielle's body shuddered as she sobbed, each quiet tremor rippling through Daisuke as well.
When a person died, something left them behind—the spark that granted life, the essence that made them human. And if that was true, then didn't death also strip away sin? Perhaps whatever guilt remained no longer belonged to the dead, but to the living who clung to it.
Neither Lumielle nor Daisuke wished to carry that weight. As far as they were concerned, Baldin and Elowen were victims of the same cruel conflict.
Rather than abandoning the couple to the elements, Daisuke took the time to bury them side by side among the ruins. He was certain that this—resting together, undisturbed—was what the late Guildmaster would have wanted.
***
On their return to the orphanage, Daisuke and Lumielle reunited with Reneal and Lyndoria, both of whom were visibly relieved to see them unharmed.
"…Thank you," Lyndoria slurred over the princess's shoulder while embracing her, hot tears pooling in her eyes.
Daisuke barely had time to register the warmth of the moment before Reneal seized his hand in an earnest, almost overwhelming handshake, gratitude written plainly across his face.
When they reached the orphanage gates, Sister Aeliana, Valerie, and the children came rushing out to meet them, tears and cheers blending into one emotional outpouring. The elven children flocked to Lumielle, clinging to her as if afraid she might disappear again, while the Slum Sprites swarmed Daisuke with equal fervor.
Mina, Alia, Ryo, and Leo hurled themselves at him without restraint, wailing openly as they soaked his clothes with tears—and quite a bit of snot.
"Eww~" Theo cringed.
As if struck by the same unspoken cue, everyone who had rushed outside parted in unison as Leopold stepped through the front doors. The armored soldier moved aside and folded into a crisp bow, allowing a familiar figure to emerge into the light.
"F-Father!" Reneal cried, already breaking into a run.
Lumielle followed far more slowly, her steps sluggish, as though she were moving through water. The lingering effects of the narcotic still clung to her body. Yet with every inch she closed between herself and the waiting king, she felt the crushing weight on her shoulders—the responsibility she had carried for far too long—begin to ease.
For the first time in many moons, she felt light. And when the man drew her in beneath his arm alongside her brother, something torn deep within her chest finally began to mend.
"I'm so very sorry," the man whispered, his voice thick with repentance.
The words were few, yet they carried such profound weight. Lumielle and Reneal broke down at once, tears spilling freely as everything they had endured finally caught up to them.
Later, the events that had unfolded while King Vaelmir's was bedridden were carefully recounted, bringing him fully up to speed. In time, he confessed that he had come to realize Cassius had infiltrated their ranks with the sole intent of seizing the throne—and the authority bound to it—to advance the Mhaledictus's dark ambitions.
Cassius had worked patiently, cultivating the trust and favor of influential nobles while quietly disposing of those who refused to align with him. It was a calculated effort to fracture the opposition, ensuring they would be too weak to retaliate should matters devolve into open conflict.
During this exchange, Daisuke also learned the full truth about Reginald's father—a gifted chemist and alchemist once commissioned to devise a cure, or even an elixir of eternal youth, for the former king.
When his early trials failed, the Mhaledictus—already embedded within the court—approached him with an offer. They demanded that he refine their narcotics to make them more addictive, or else develop an even more potent alternative.
He refused.
For that defiance, he was banished. But exile was only the beginning. As a final cruelty, he was bound by a magical vow of silence—a «mana oath»—that would crush his heart the instant he revealed the truth.
Unable to warn even his own family, the man was left to watch his life unravel in silence. That injustice became the spark that ultimately destroyed everything he loved.
Daisuke's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. Lumielle and Reneal. Baldin and Elowen. The Percival family and many others—so many lives have been affected by the Mhaledictus. They have to be stopped.
With Leopold's support, King Vaelmir eased himself into a chair around the kitchen table. A wan smile passed between him and his children before his gaze settled on them both.
"Lumielle. Reneal." His voice was gentle, but weighted with fatigue. "Forgive me for saying this—especially when my own selfishness led us here—but…" He paused, his expression turning solemn. "In the frail state I've been reduced to, I can no longer govern as I once did. This kingdom deserves a ruler who is strong, and one the people can truly place their trust in."
"…Father," Reneal murmured.
Vaelmir managed a small, fond smile. "I believe the two of you should resume your campaign for the throne. Until the day comes when a new ruler is decided, we will stand together—restore the people's faith, and undo every scar the Mhaledictus has left upon this realm."
"Right!"
Both of them agreed.
***
Upon King Vaelmir's return to the palace, a public announcement was held soon afterwards. To the people's astonishment, they were informed that their sovereign had not only survived, but had returned.
A carefully curated account of recent events was shared—chief among them was the Mhaledictus's conspiracy to assassinate the king and seize the throne.
As expected, quite a few people were disgruntled about the whole situation and weren't readily able to forgive the circumstances that led to the coup in the first place.
King Vaelmir made no attempt to beg for absolution. He stated plainly that he was not asking to be forgiven—only for the chance to set things right. He vowed to work tirelessly to restore the people's trust and to repair the damage inflicted upon their home.
As a first step, he announced the indefinite cancellation of the war and pledged to strengthen the kingdom's defenses while pursuing reconciliation with Wavecrest Port. He also promised tax relief and financial assistance to help citizens and businesses recover from the prolonged recession.
For now, these measures were enough to calm the unrest.
The public was also informed that Haxks Starfrost, Princess Lumielle, and Prince Reneal had played key roles in saving the realm from a grim fate. A festival would be held in their honor at the city square, open to all. Until then, however, priority would be given to repairing the physical damage left behind by the Mhaledictus and their loyalists.
On that front, every dignitary found to be complicit in the corruption that had plagued the kingdom was stripped of their titles, estates, and fortunes before being imprisoned for treason.
Ordinarily, such a crime would warrant execution. However, the king believed he bore part of the blame. Had he not allowed his grief to consume him, he reasoned, his subjects might not have been so easily led astray.
The Zepharion Church also harbored sins that demanded reckoning. Yet a full investigation could not be launched without navigating a labyrinth of political roadblocks and veiled resistance from allied nobles and governing bodies.
Justice, it seemed, would be slow in coming; the guilty would not feel the king's hand for some time.
In the meantime, however, no misstep would go unnoticed. Their movements were shadowed by spies and royal envoys, and their correspondence intercepted and scrutinized.
Sanctions were also carefully applied, binding their influence and curbing their freedom. Each restriction was a reminder that, though immediate punishment was impossible, the eyes of the crown were unblinking.
Lord Reezen Thalrindor, Knight Commander of the Luminous Knights, quickly regained his composure once the mind control was broken—an intervention made possible by Elyndra Everhart, Captain of Lunarel's Court Mages, who had at last descended from the magic tower.
With their wills restored, both willingly resumed their duties in service to the king.
Leopold's path diverged. Drawn by curiosity toward Daisuke and the ambitions that surrounded him, he expressed a desire to follow. Though the sentiment was appreciated, he was told the timing was wrong—the kingdom still required his strength and leadership.
In light of that, the former commander accepted a new role, becoming the captain of Lumielle's personal order of knights.
As for Mariam, she left no room for debate. She firmly claimed her place as Reneal's new personal assistant, intent on seeing him through the turbulent years ahead.
Roselle, the information broker who introduced the brilliant plan to corner the Mhaledictus, couldn't be located once the dust had settled. She would've been congratulated and rewarded alongside Daisuke, but it would seem she preferred to keep her name outside of the limelight.
After the truth about Stynx came to light, the Forensics Guild—prompted by Lumielle's insistence—reopened the investigation into Arabelle's murder.
Their renewed analysis revealed a chilling connection: the scars encircling her neck mirrored those on Stynx's mother. Each mark bore traces of scorched skin—a clear signature of the false prince's affinity for fire.
Corroborating the evidence, both victims had died from the same type of trauma, cementing the case. Stynx had confessed to killing his mother, and his DNA was discovered beneath her fingernails.
Ultimately, it was determined that Hynes Primrose had been blackmailed. For this reason, he was honored alongside the soldiers who had fallen defending the kingdom from the homunculus spawn, receiving a dignified and respectful funeral.
Stynx, his mother, Cassius, and several others, however, were denied such mercy. Their remains were sent to the mausoleum, cremated, and irrevocably disposed of—a grim testament to their crimes.