_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"I will never… lose to that piece of trash."
Noren's neck stiffened as she glared upward, her eyes full of unyielding defiance.
"And you, you filthy—ahhh!"
The fire in her chest was instantly crushed by the agony tearing through her very soul. Within seconds, the proud princess was reduced to tears. All the venom and arrogance that once defined her were stripped away, leaving nothing but pain and despair.
Her eyes rolled back. She went limp.
Smack!
Edgar's hand came down sharply across her face, leaving a red mark blooming on her cheek.
"Ah—!"
The sting jolted Noren awake. Her gaze immediately turned venomous again—but before she could speak, the curse punishment surged.
"No!!"
She screamed, writhing in torment as the contract's power flooded her nerves, snuffing out all reason.
Edgar let out a quiet sigh. "Honestly, I'm doing this for your own good."
"You… you're joking, right? You—ahhh!"
Ignoring her pain, Edgar continued in his calm, low voice. "I actually understand you quite well, Noren. Ever since you were little, your sister was everything to you. Just having her look at you with that gentle smile made you feel happy."
"But then everything changed when Freya became a Hero. She was elevated above everyone—praised, adored. And you? Your level cap locked you in place. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't move forward."
"At that time, they called you the royal failure, didn't they?"
Though Edgar's tone was calm, each word struck Noren like a hammer. Those memories were the ones she'd buried deepest—the ones she never wanted to face again.
"But now," Edgar said softly, "haven't you noticed? The chains that bound you are gone."
He leaned closer. "Your strength has already reached new heights."
Still trembling, Noren finally looked inward—feeling her body, her mana, her power. Her eyes widened.
Her magic… had doubled.
Her body felt stronger than she ever thought possible.
He wasn't lying?
Is this… the blessing of being his servant?
A spark of heat flickered deep in her eyes. The pain in her soul began to fade, replaced by something else—something intoxicating.
"And," Edgar went on, "there's more. You'll soon form an even deeper bond with your beloved sister."
"For instance… she'll be the one helping you reach your next level."
At that, Freya's lips curved in a soft smile.
"Big sister…"
Feeling her sister's presence through the contract, Noren's heart trembled. Memories bubbled up—warm, shimmering memories of the gentle girl who once looked at her with pure affection.
That sense of happiness was so overwhelming, she broke down crying.
Watching the sisters finally bridge the gap between them, Edgar felt a rare touch of emotion.
As their master, he couldn't not lend a helping hand.
Fortunately… he still had plenty of Level-Breaker Elixirs to spare.
A few days later—
After a short rest, Edgar's group was on the move again.
Aside from the Star Elf, everyone's level had reached the critical threshold. Their bodies, however, needed time to recover.
Even with Edgar's healing magic and the Phoenix's Tears, the mental fatigue of battle couldn't simply be washed away.
Meanwhile, chaos had erupted in the royal capital.
Hawkeye was dead. Princess Noren had been captured. The entire kingdom was in an uproar.
Even commoners had heard that the king's pride had been struck down.
"Master," Noren said, analyzing the situation, "if you plan to attack the capital, I suggest waiting a bit. Father must've gathered a large army by now. But he won't be able to sustain it for long. If we stall, we can strike when their morale fades."
After dozens of rounds of pain, submission, and reconditioning, the kingdom's proud strategist now spoke like a devoted aide.
Edgar smiled faintly and rested a hand on her head, gently running his thumb through her hair.
"Tactics matter when both sides are evenly matched," he said lightly. "But when one side's power is overwhelming… strategy becomes irrelevant."
"..."
Noren thought of her own defeat and fell silent.
…Yeah, he wasn't wrong.
But wait—didn't that mean she was useless now?
Her shoulders drooped, like a balloon losing air.
"Miss Noren, are you alright?" Anna asked, touching her forehead in concern.
"I'm fine," Noren muttered.
"Don't be sad," Anna said kindly. "There'll be plenty of other worlds to conquer. I'm sure your talents will shine again on the battlefield."
Noren froze—then her eyes lit up, full of life again.
That's right!
She'd almost forgotten. Her master planned to conquer entire worlds. There'd be countless chances to prove herself!
She clenched her fists, determination blazing in her eyes.
Freya noticed and raised an eyebrow.
"…Seriously?" she thought. "Did she already forget how much she was crying a few days ago?"
Edgar and his team rose into the sky, flying swiftly toward the royal capital.
They were already close.
Less than an hour later, the colossal city loomed on the horizon, rising from the plains like a slumbering giant.
On the city walls, soldiers stood ready, packed shoulder to shoulder.
The gates below were under strict lockdown—every merchant and traveler was being searched.
The atmosphere was tense, every guard on high alert.
Then someone shouted, "Look—up there!"
Six figures descended from the clouds.
The soldiers' eyes widened in disbelief.
"That man… and the two princesses?! It's really them!"
"Target sighted!" someone yelled. "Close the gates!"
The command spread instantly. The city gates slammed shut as horns blared and troops scrambled into formation.
Even from afar, Edgar's group could hear the thunder of mobilizing soldiers.
By the time they reached the gates, the walls bristled with archers, bows drawn tight.
"Stop right there!" shouted the captain atop the wall. His voice wavered slightly, but he forced himself to sound bold. "You actually dared to come here, Edgar! Release the princesses and surrender peacefully, or else—"
Boom!
He exploded mid-sentence.
The world fell silent.
Every soldier froze, staring in horror. Their commander—an elite warrior—was gone in an instant. None of them had even seen what happened.
Edgar lowered his hand. "Too much talking."
He flicked his wrist casually toward the gate.
A vortex of magic roared from his palm, slamming into the fortress wall. The impact shook the entire structure like an earthquake.
Boom!
A deafening blast ripped through the air. Part of the gate—and a large section of the wall—was simply gone.
Edgar frowned slightly. "Hmm. Guess I overdid it."
The city, after all, was now part of his property. He wanted to keep it in good condition.
"F-fire! Fire the arrows!" someone screamed.
Thousands of arrows darkened the sky like a rainstorm.
Edgar simply snapped his fingers.
A pulse of light shimmered around him.
The next instant, every arrow vanished—then reappeared, reversed, and impaled the archers who'd fired them.
Silence fell once again.
The invasion had begun.
"..."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________