episode_0009

In fact, Aria didn’t know much about the group called Masinism.

The first time I heard the name of the group was from a messenger from the church who came to deliver the news of Eugene’s death.

I don’t know if it was aimed at me or if it didn’t matter to anyone.

They had hidden a book of black magic in the academy’s library.

She was caught in that trap, waiting for the day when the cursed woman would die.

I reunited with Eugene, who had been fighting the demon cult underwater for some time.

‘And Eugene lost his life to defeat the Demon King to lift my curse.’

Aria bit her lip so hard that it almost split as she recalled the memory from back then.

I had no intention of letting something like that happen again.

When I think about it calmly, information about the Masin Church may have already been spread publicly before the return.

Those who worship the demon god would have no choice but to show up in the war started by the demon king, his representative.

But she was confined in the mansion and lived isolated from the world.

After that, I stayed in the greenhouse called Eugene’s residence and was unaware of the outside world.

‘I need information.’

It is highly likely that the group called Masinism had been operating secretly beneath the continent’s surface for a long time.

To stop them, we desperately needed intelligence to respond.

‘But how do you gather that information?’

Julian Dustin said he caught a man who claimed to be a cult member.

‘Then he must be being held somewhere in this Dustin mansion.’

Aria turned her gaze to the group of Northerners heading to the banquet hall for the after-party after the meeting, with Eugene among them.

Eugene looks around as if he is looking for her.

‘This time I’ll protect you.’

I will never lose him again, not ever again.

Even if there is blood on these two hands.

“Mirage Vision.”

The moment the magic power of the heart flowed, Aria’s appearance gradually became blurred like a mirage.

Before the regression, this is the first magic used since the magic circuit was damaged by the curse.

But she skillfully cast her magic, as if the gap in time didn’t matter.

Aria was called the flower of high society, or a villainess… .

She was born into the Floris family, a renowned magical family, and received thorough, systematic education from a young age.

Thanks to this, he was a prodigy who was mentioned several times as the next great wizard in the Magic Tower.

‘If you don’t have information, just dig.’

Aria looked at Eugene, who was still searching for her from afar.

Soon, he turned his steps in the opposite direction and headed towards the basement, where the prison was presumed to be.

***

A few days before the Northern Self-Restraint Conference.

A place in the north where there are few people and little traffic.

“So does that mean that the brother who was inspecting the Dustin County was captured by them?”

A man wearing black clothes similar to priestly attire.

The person who was prostrating himself in front of him answered the question he asked with a cold sweat.

“Yes, I should have been more careful with my actions. It was my fault.”

“How is that your fault, brother? It’s all my fault.”

“That’s not true… .”

“No. Just as God leads the lamb, I should have guided the subordinate well… This is an unfortunate accident that happened because I failed to do so.”

The man in the black priest’s robes closed his eyes tightly for a while and prayed as if he was truly in pain.

“So? Why did the captured brother inspect the Dustin County? I didn’t give him any specific orders.”

“That’s… I got information that the successor there was a spirit master with the best requirements as a sacrifice, and to confirm that… .”

In that moment, the man who had been mourning over his brother’s misfortune until just a moment ago changed his demeanor to something ominous.

“Spirit Master? I didn’t receive that information in advance?”

“hwa, I don’t want to cause unnecessary concern because the information was uncertain… .”

“To report on important matters related to the offering to Him after the preemptive strike? How disrespectful.”

“Ah… Hey, forgive me!”

“Please repent and forgive my sins.”

bang-!

In that moment, a black sphere shot from the man’s hand and crushed the head of the person lying face down in front.

A corpse lying on the ground with its head crushed.

One, the man shouted in a loud voice without even looking at it.

“The ungodly man has just been punished, but we still have a godly brother who has been caught while carrying out his mission with great importance! There is a lamb who is desperately waiting for our help! Brothers, we must save him! ”

As the man looked around, shadows of suspicious people wearing the same black priestly robes began to move all at once.

The man smiled in delight at the eerie sight.

“Now, let us bring judgment upon the unbelieving families who have touched our brothers! And let us give the sacrifice of courtesy the glorious opportunity to become one with Him!”

““Yes, Your Majesty!””

The advance party broke through the strict border in the north.

With bated breath, the first external activity of the secretly active Masin Church began.

***

Arriving at the banquet hall, the after-party venue, I searched for Aria, who I hadn’t seen for a while.

I looked around the entire banquet hall, rejecting the offers that kept coming in and out, saying, “Let’s have a drink after a long time,” but… I didn’t get much out of it.

‘It’s not here either. I thought you’d be here first since I hadn’t seen you since the conference room.’

I scratched my head in frustration and worry.

At that time, I was wondering if I should go back to the conference room and look for it, or at least grab a passing employee and ask around.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

“… Julian?”

“Here, take this! I brought this for you.”

Julian approached me, holding two glasses full of beer in each hand, and handed one of them to me.

It wasn’t a situation where I could drink leisurely, but he kept pouring me drinks, so I had no choice but to accept the glass he offered me.

“So? You’re not hanging out with the kids, what are you doing out of spite?”

“Oh, Julian. Have you seen Aria? She hasn’t been seen since the meeting ended earlier.”

“… Aria? Why is that woman suddenly looking for you?”

A casual question I asked to gain some cooperation from the mansion’s resident and heir apparent, received an unexpectedly sharp reply.

I frowned slightly and looked down at him, who was a head shorter than me.

Then, Julian raised his head and looked up at me as if to ask what was wrong.

“Did I say something wrong? Why are you making that face?”

“That’s wrong… Why are you reacting like that? Aria disappeared right in the middle of your family’s mansion, aren’t you worried?”

“That’s a strange thing to say, Eugene. Why should I worry about that woman?”

“… What?”

I glared at Julian, who kept reacting unnecessarily and sensitively.

Usually, when I frown or glare, they usually tuck their tails in… .

He looked at me with the same expression as if he were a friend who had known me for a long time, without any hint of embarrassment.

“I thought it was just a coincidence… You’re really weird. Why do you care so much about that woman? Did you forget what happened the last time we met?”

Half a year ago, when I was struggling with what to do about my relationship with Aria, Julian suggested that we break off the engagement.

He strongly insisted that holding on to something foolishly would only make both parties unhappy, and that they should know when to let go.

“You definitely accepted my story at that time. In fact, the reason you announced your intention not to attend a while ago was because you had to go to the palace to submit the paperwork for the breakup of the engagement, right?”

“You, how did you… .”

“Does it matter now? What matters is why you suddenly changed your mind. You said you were going to give up? You said you were going to let me go? You said you didn’t love me as much as before?”

Julian’s voice, as he snapped, was filled with anger and resentment.

I couldn’t understand why he was so angry.

It’s true that we’re close, but in the end, it was me, not him, who was involved.

“But why on earth did you bring that woman here? Why did you change your mind now?”

“Aria refused to break off the engagement. And she also showed a different side than before… .”

Words that sounded like excuses came out of my mouth.

“Only? For that reason? If you decided to break off the engagement, you should have pushed it forward without hesitation. Just because you showed me a change right now, are you going to fall for it? What if you go back to how you were before?”

“That… It’s not too late to think about it then. If things go back to normal like you said, then we can just break off the engagement as planned, right?”

Honestly, I don’t know either.

If it had changed in an instant, if it had gone back to its former self in an instant, why would I have just let it go?

-There will be no breakups or divorces in our lives. Do you understand?

… maybe I just wanted to believe those words for the last time.

“Eugene, are you really stupid? You can say something like that after being treated like that? How could I have treated you all this time…!!”

Julian must have reached a critical point where he couldn’t stand to feel frustrated.

At that moment, I was trying to say something with an angry expression that I had never seen before.

Kugu palace!

The ceiling of the banquet hall collapsed.