The king, Leopold von Grimholde, rose slowly from his throne. A lifetime of war clung to him like a second cloak, carving hard lines into his face and leaving a distant coldness in his eyes. The word companion no longer stirred emotion in him; those bonds had long been severed by bloodshed and betrayal. Leopold lived now for himself—yet the kingdom's fate was so entwined with his own that its people survived only because they remained part of his self-interest. To him, the realm was not a domain to govern, but an extension of his very flesh, a body he could not allow to fall.
The king began to walk toward Reiji, and the sheer weight of his presence made Reiji's entire body tremble.
What's happening to my body…? It's moving on its own. Is this some kind of skill? Or am I just that afraid of this guy…? Reiji wondered silently.
As the king approached, Sel's eyes narrowed, sensing something was wrong. Suddenly, Reiji's limbs felt lighter—too light. It was as if he'd returned to his old body back on Earth, a body without magic or mana to reinforce it.
Why is my body acting like this? Ever since the king stood up and started walking toward me…
The thought barely formed before a hand gently touched his shoulder.
It was the hand of the king.
"You may be at ease," Leopold said. "You helped save my people and my kingdom. There is no need for you to remain kneeling. The same goes for you, Mrs. Sel, was it?"
Sel's face twitched at the title. Being called Mrs. stung her pride, but with her head still bowed, no one noticed the discomfort passing through her expression.
A forced smile replaced the grimace as she lifted her head and stood.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We were simply showing our gratitude for your generosity toward us—and your grace toward the people of Grimholde," Sel replied.
"Oh? Is that so? I am glad to hear it," the king said with a faint nod.
Reiji, however, saw through her façade entirely. He knew how sensitive Sel was about her age.
Oh, Sel… if the king knew what you were thinking right now, this kingdom might have just lost its ruler, he thought, forcing an awkward smile in Leopold's direction.
But still… why does my body feel lighter? It's like the weightlessness I've had since coming to this world is gone… Reiji wondered, looking down at his hands in confusion.
The king noticed this.
"I hope the two of you are not troubled by the kingdom's unique blessing," he said calmly.
"Unique blessing? Like a skill?" Reiji asked.
"Yes," the king replied. "This crown possesses the ability to limit the mana and spell activation of others when they are within its range."
This ability works by restricting the mana veins in the body. Just as the body is filled with countless blood vessels, mana veins run through us in the same way—guiding the flow of mana throughout. The crown simply blocks those mana veins. You could call it a mana clot, much like a blood clot.
As Reiji listened to the king's explanation, he glanced toward Sel to gauge her reaction. She seemed unmoved, likely because she already understood how the crown functioned. Yet something about her expression was… off. Disturbed, even.
Did she notice something? Reiji wondered.
"You do not need to apologize to us, Your Majesty," Sel said at last, as though she had reached a conclusion in her mind.
She bowed her head. "We understand what a king means to his kingdom. Measures like these must be taken for the ruler's safety."
I'm not sure what she's thinking, but if it's Sel, she can handle whatever's bothering her, Reiji thought.
"Ha… ha… it is as you say," the king replied with a weary laugh.
Before he could say more, shouting erupted outside the throne room. Guards stationed at the doors were in a panic, struggling to halt someone forcing their way in.
Ren, who had been kneeling before the throne, sprang to his feet and positioned himself in front of Reiji and Sel, hand on his blade, ready for the intruder to break through.
Reiji, Sel, and the king all stared at the trembling doors as the noise intensified.
Reiji looked toward Sel again in confusion. But then his eyes drifted to the king—whose expression looked tired, burdened, touched by a faint sadness. As if he had been waiting for the moment he knew would come.
"This is bad," Sel muttered. She already knew who was coming.
And then it hit Reiji. There was only one man in the entire kingdom reckless enough to storm the throne room like this.
"It's Kael… isn't it?" Reiji said, eyes fixed on the doors.
'If it's Kael, everything will be fine… I stopped him before. It'll play out the same way. My skill wil—'
His thought froze, His skill wouldn't work.
The crown was suppressing his mana.
Reiji felt his heart drop.
"Damn it! This was a setup!" Sel shouted.
The doors burst open with a thunderous crash. Smoke billowed into the throne room, masking the entrance. As it thinned, the massive silhouette of a muscular man emerged.
Before the smoke fully cleared, the man shot forward with unbelievable speed—so fast that Reiji, Ren, and even the king couldn't track his movements. In an instant, he appeared before Ren.
Ren tried to draw his sword, but Reiji's vision was suddenly splattered with blood. He turned just in time to see Ren's headless body slump to the floor.
The world suddenly dulled. Reiji's ears muted. Everything felt weightless—dreamlike.
Kael's fist shot toward Reiji, aiming to do the same to him, but Sel reacted instantly, yanking Reiji back as she leapt away, crashing into the throne behind her.
"You're a fast one, ain't ya?" Kael said, stepping over Ren's corpse. "Even with your mana suppressed, you still reacted. You really are out of this world, runt."
"Tch…" Sel muttered as she pushed rubble off herself and Reiji.
'The only reason I could react to him… is because my true power doesn't rely on mana. Mana is just the substitute. My real energy source is what's temporarily keeping this world from collapsing'. she thought.
As Kael approached, the king stepped directly into his path.
"Hey, old man. What do you think you're doing? Move," Kael growled, towering over him like a mountain.
"You can't kill them, Kael," the king said, spreading his arms to block the way. "They saved the kingdom of Grimholde. They do not deserve to die."
"Huh? Why should I care who they saved?" Kael leaned forward. "You did your part. Now move so I can finish mine."
A job? Sel thought, eyes narrowing. Given by who? Who would want Reiji and me dead? No one outside Grimholde even knows we exist… so who?
She grabbed her arm with a grimace. This body is such a pain…
Reiji lay on the floor, staring blankly ahead, his face drained. He looked dead already.
"Damn it… I wish we had more time, Master," Sel whispered. "Why does this have to happen…? All because of you." she said with a sigh.
Her gaze shifted back to Kael.
"I'm not moving," the king said firmly. "It was a mist—"
His sentence died mid-word.
A dull, heavy thud echoed through the hall as the king's severed head hit the floor.
"We only needed the crown," Kael said coldly. "So stop talking like your opinion mattered."
He stepped over the body and charged at Sel with lightning speed, attempting to decapitate her as well. She dodged by the narrowest margin. But Kael wasn't concerned with her, His eyes were on Reiji.
"You really are an idiot," Kael said, drawing a short dagger. "Leaving your comrade to die just to save your own skin."
He plunged the dagger into Reiji's chest, piercing his heart.
"There. The job's done," he said with a grin.
"So you really were after Reiji," Sel said, her eyes fixed on the bloody dagger.
"All of that was just an act, wasn't it?" she continued. "You knew the one who deflected your attack last time was Reiji. You played dumb to lure us here. It was all a trap."
Kael laughed. "Ha! You caught me."
He pressed his foot onto Reiji's corpse. "But you were too late, aren't ya?"
Something's wrong, Kael suddenly thought. She's way too calm… Did I misunderstand their relationship? No…
"Hey. What did you do?" Kael demanded.
"... Why don't you open those eyes of yours and see for yourself?" Sel replied with a mocking smile.
Kael looked down.
A thin line traced across Reiji's neck—widening—until his head slid off his shoulders and rolled on the floor.
Sel had killed Reiji before Kael even stabbed him. She had made absolutely certain she was the one to do it.
"What the—?"
Before he could finish, Sel charged at him with all her strength, aiming to strike a fatal blow.
"Dammit, this runt is such a pain to handle" kael said as he turned to face sel.