Chapter 22: Your Face Is Glowing

The scream from the Blood Crystal necklace—

It sounded like the wail of someone facing cosmic horror itself.

Still, the Guild Master quickly dismissed his confusion.

‘Come on, it can’t be an actual scream.’

Surely a spirit wouldn’t scream out of fear.

Maybe just some kind of dramatic… soul howl?

Like a spiritual version of a battle cry or something.

Relieved, the Guild Master smiled and issued a command, lacing his voice with magic.

“Seems you like it. It’s a gift from me. Think of it as part of you from now on, and never take it off.”

“Huh?”

Chloe froze.

She tried to hide it, but the Guild Master caught the twitch in her eyes.

She was clearly shaken.

The spirit’s control, the pain, the forced submission—

He assumed she’d felt it.

“You… you can’t do this to me!”

“Silence. Enough with the whining.”

Her reaction was defiant, but that was as far as she could go.

Smirking, he gestured her out with his chin.

“Still don’t get it? How do you think you ended up wearing the necklace before I even explained anything?”

She had already been subdued—

Long before the necklace even touched her skin.

“…Ugh.”

Chloe lowered her head, shoulders trembling.

Her pale earlobes flushed red with shame.

She had tried to act bold for a kid, sure.

But this was her limit.

Satisfied, the Guild Master waved her away.

“Now get out. I’ll be busy with the banquet tomorrow.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Chloe bowed and left the room.

Though her face still showed resistance, her steps followed the order without hesitation.

“Amazing effect. Almost a waste on a child,” the Guild Master chuckled to himself.

Meanwhile, outside—

Chloe’s face was burning red.

With shame.

‘Yikes… the Lord really saw right through me. I only accepted it because it looked fancy…’

The moment he handed her the necklace, she’d put it on.

Because it looked valuable, and she couldn’t help thinking about the resale value.

Such was the life of someone hardened by Roontravale’s brutal survival game.

But being read so easily made her want to crawl under a rock.

And to top it off?

He gave it to her as a gift.

“Just how big-hearted can a man be…?”

A necklace inlaid with gemstones, handed over just to soothe a homesick girl.

That wasn’t something your average person would do.

Even the gruffest salaryman would be moved by that.

Chloe gave the necklace a grateful polish.

🔗 Utilizing function of [Grimoire of Nexor]…

⏳ Translation Complete

✨ Spell interpreted and acquired.

[Acquired: Corrupted Spirit Magic [Blood Attribute] (Unique)]

✨ Copied successfully.

🌿 1 Spirit Magic spell acquired.

⭐ Magic Level increased by 3.

⭐ Level Cap raised by 9.

As usual, Clicky’s nonsense rang out in her head.

Chloe ignored the noisy system alerts.

…Tremble!

“Hm?”

Did the necklace just… shake?

Chloe blinked.

For some reason, her body felt strangely light and refreshed.

*

“Let’s at least attend the banquet, for the Lord’s sake. I’ll turn him down after it’s over.”

The next day, after a good night’s sleep in a comfy bed—

That was my decision, dressed and ready to head out, still wearing the slightly dulled gemstone necklace.

[You think talking will work?]

“It’s hard, but sometimes being clear is better. If I act wishy-washy, they’ll just think I’m trying to up my value.”

Sometimes, sincerity only works after you take a hit.

A truth proven by those passionate sons online who always bet their moms on their claims.

It’s like that.

Like the Yakuza cutting off a finger to apologize.

‘Even those old legends had moments like this.’

Why else would Kim Yushin cut down an innocent horse?

A Home Service Rental Girlfriend (a.k.a. parasitic pleasure)—Kim Yushin got hooked and broke his mother’s heart.

“Why’d you go to the courtesan house again?” asked his mother.
But really, what could he say? That he just went to say goodbye to his rental girlfriend?

That’s when you need a little white lie.

“Ah, Mom! I dozed off after drinking, and the car drove itself there!”

Sometimes, good intentions call for creative storytelling.

Just like how General Kim Yushin beheaded his own prized horse to prove his spirit.

And I too am a proud citizen of South Korea—

Heir to Unified Silla’s legitimate cultural domain.

So naturally, I must follow in the footsteps of the Great General Kim Yushin, who couldn’t even become king, but lived like one.

“I need to show my resolve if I want to leave the corrupt art world behind. Only then will they believe me.”

[Wouldn’t quitting outright be smarter?]

The system’s protest only confirmed I was on the right path.

‘Besides,’

I’m not just doing this for ideological reasons.

There’s a party.

‘Maybe I’ll even get a confession from some noble heir.’

And if he’s a noble, rejecting him won’t be easy.

So let’s make it clear right from the start—

That I’m someone dangerous to mess with.

I grabbed a kitchen tool I’d stolen earlier.

A gleaming blade reflecting candlelight.

Mental breakdown mode: ON.

Oh warriors of the martial world, witness me!

If anyone asked about the Sacred Empire, the Empress could sum it up like this:

Not all that sacred.

Not really an empire either.

A bastard of church and state,

A uniquely chaotic nation with no real foundation.

Jelania, the Empress who ascended the throne with the blessing of the twelve gods of Roontravale, held no illusions about it.

“I wish I could abdicate like Mother did.”

Even on her birthday, she couldn’t catch a break.

Weighed down by constant duties, she turned to her chamberlain.

“Is the girl—Chloe—here for the banquet?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We received confirmation from the Artist Guild.”

“Oh? Finally?”

News good enough to wipe away days of fatigue.

Her ample chest fluttered with anticipation.

Her steps quickened on their own.

“What do you think? Has our empire finally produced an artist worthy of the title?”

“You’ll see with your own eyes soon enough, Your Majesty.”

“Hmph. You sure take your time saying you’re not sure.”

Despite her chilly tone, the Empress hurried forward.

It was sometime after the war-torn previous era that the great powers of Roontravale started investing heavily in the arts.

It all started when that desert heretic—known as the Rock King—threw down the gauntlet in cultural victory.

Beep beep boop. Do humans consider this grotesque thing art now?

Grotesque? This shrine to the Earth Mother has a 50-year history and is a national treasure of the Sacred Empire!

We worship the same goddess. But this is what our shrine looks like—about 300 years old, I believe?

The previous Empress—Jelania’s mother, the great Karlin—

was the most fearsome war sovereign in history.

And yet, for the first time, she returned defeated—blank-faced and speechless.

In battle? 

It had been a draw at worst.

But in culture? An utter, overwhelming loss.

And to the so-called barbarians they’d always looked down on.

With wounds of war and cultural humiliation piled on,

Karlin had finally chosen to abdicate.

Don’t be too discouraged, Your Majesty. There’s nothing to be done. The Sacred Empire is… simply a relic of the past.

Take that back, right now…

And don’t lump us in with Fleurden. At least we’ve got Yaltarion.

‘Those arrogant brutes! How dare they—!’

It was like watching Chinese kimchi dominate abroad while being a proud Korean.

The Empress gritted her teeth, chewing over the humiliation, and poured budget after budget into cultural development.

But…

Your Majesty! We built the temple, but it collapsed again!

You want the hymns rewritten? Wait… heresy?

We understand you want “fresh” sculptures, but what kind of freshness, exactly? You want us to figure it out?!

Those who know, know—

You can’t rush culture.

The will was there, but the reality just wouldn’t follow.

The Empress’s stress grew deeper.

Then—

A draw against the granddaughter of Yaltarion?

A young genius burst onto the scene like a comet.

That’s how the Empress first heard of Chloe.

“I don’t care if it’s painting or whatever. As long as she can represent the empire’s art—I’ll take it!”

Just once. Just one time, she wanted to say it:

“You guys don’t have a once-in-a-lifetime genius like this, do you?”

It had been a long, bitter road.

Clenching her fists with remembered humiliation, the Empress muttered,

“Let’s go. I must see her face.”

“Well… about that… the situation’s gotten a bit complicated…”

“Hm?”

The Empress frowned.