Only after Imshi had left did Hel finally let out a long breath.
She hadn't even managed to lure the king over yet, and instead had already attracted such a dangerous troublemaker.
Fortunately, she had been alert enough to fool her. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Because of Imshi's order, everyone present was kept under guard, forced to remain there and await the king's decision.
They waited for half a day, until the sun had fully risen.
At last, the current king of the Gordon Kingdom arrived—a bearded, middle-aged man.
He wore luxurious, finely tailored silk robes, clearly having just come from some important meeting.
Behind him followed more than a dozen royal knights in heavy armor. As soon as he reached the garden, he casually waved his hand.
The knights immediately drew their swords and closed in.
"Kill everyone here. Leave no one alive," Rowan III said coldly, then turned away, as if unwilling to let the servants' blood stain his eyes.
After the knights had surrounded them, he added another icy command:
"Dispose of the Netherworld Flower that ate Belladonna as well. As a mere consumable, it doesn't deserve to feed on just any blood."
With that, he waved again. Two knights who had stayed close to him followed as he prepared to leave.
But just as he was about to go, Hel's mental power emerged from beneath the ground and reached his feet.
In an instant, Rowan III's expression changed. He cleared his throat and called out loudly:
"Wait."
His timing was perfect. One knight's blade was already pressed to the court mage's neck—any later and the man would have lost his head.
"Take them away first."
Rowan III turned back toward Hel and the maid. After pretending to think for a moment, he questioned the personal maid:
"If I remember correctly, you're Belladonna's personal maid. Take me to her room. I have some things I want to ask you."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
The maid nodded nervously and hurriedly prepared to lead him away.
But Rowan III's next words made her shudder.
"You come along as well."
"Huh?"
The maid turned back in alarm. Only after realizing he was referring to Hel did she quickly look away again.
It didn't take long for the three of them to return to the Second Princess's room.
Once inside and with the door closed, Hel dropped all pretense.
She sat back down on the sofa, turned her back to Rowan III, and smiled.
"So—you're the current king of the Gordon Kingdom, right?"
At the same time, she used her mental power to force Rowan III to walk in front of her.
Now that they were in a safe place, Hel didn't bother controlling his facial expression anymore.
Rowan III's face instantly lost its former cold authority and was replaced by pure terror.
"Y-You are…!"
"If I don't tell you to speak, then don't speak. Understand?"
Hel said calmly.
The Beast Authority was troublesome like that—either you fully controlled someone's mind, or you had to issue endless commands in advance to stop them from causing trouble.
No autonomy at all. Just annoying.
'If only I had a Corruption Authority instead…'
Hel sighed inwardly, then continued:
"What is the identity of that flower cultivator named Spur?"
"H-He's an important figure from the Church. He came to the royal family to spend his retirement in peace."
"So that's how it is."
Hel rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
'If that's the case, then his strength won't be simple.'
"What's his level?"
Rowan III hesitated, then shook his head.
"I'm not certain, but he's definitely stronger than me. Even Bishop Flint—who's about my level—treats him with extreme respect. No… calling it 'respect' is too generous. It's more like flattery."
"I see."
Hel sensed that Rowan III was at Tier 6, Five Stars.That meant Spur was at least peak Tier 6, or possibly even a Saint-tier powerhouse.
A Saint-tier mage quietly living here in retirement, combined with the top-tier magic he had previously used—
There was no doubt he was extremely dangerous.
Mages, unlike knights who rely on youthful vitality, only grow stronger with age. While knights weaken as their blood energy fades, a mage's mental power continues to grow—only declining shortly before death.
So Spur was absolutely not someone to provoke lightly.
'Still, even without alerting him, I can achieve my goal.'
Hel moved on to her next question.
"Who else in the city is Saint-tier?"
"At the Perez Estate in the northern part of the city, there's a Saint-tier expert from the Ymir Empire. And next to him, there's another person.
I'm not sure of his strength, but since he's close to that Saint, I assume he's Saint-tier as well."
"Anything else?"
"N-No."
"Good."
Hel nodded, once again convinced that sneaking in quietly had been the right decision.
If she had really charged in head-on like Niv suggested, she might've ended up facing three Saints at once.
Whether she could win aside, she simply didn't see the need to fight them.
After all—silent profit is the best profit.
"Next question. You know where the Flower Witch is sealed, right? Who has the authority to open it, and where is the seal located? Tell me everything."
"Y-Yes…"
Rowan III's mouth moved, but it was clear he was struggling to resist.
He knew that if the Flower Witch were lost, the Gordon royal family wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.
But he overestimated his willpower—and underestimated the absolute control of the Beast Authority over beings below Saint-tier.
The information about the Flower Witch was forcibly dragged from the depths of his memory.
"The authority to access the seal is in my possession. The entrance to the underground chamber sealing the Flower Witch is beneath the fountain in the Sky Garden."
Sweat streamed down Rowan III's temples as he finished speaking.
"Sky Garden… that name sounds familiar."
Hel murmured softly.
But the next moment, the look in her eyes toward Rowan III turned distinctly dangerous.