White Horn had captured the archmage Lumina.

The Holy Radiance Azval's testimony left everyone bewildered.

“Th-the Apostle captured the archmage?”

“Sir Azval! What in the world do you mean?!”

“Explain what happened!”

Every cleric in the great assembly hall was watching Azval. He felt rather awkward under the weight of their attention.

“Ah, well, you see. How do I explain this...”

Seeing his difficulty, Director Rohagen spoke up.

“We can hear the details later. First, let us deal with the immediate crisis.”

Rohagen raised a hand. Several holy knights immediately hurried forward and took the fallen archmage into custody.

Azval spoke.

“That's right. We need to stop the summoning ritual first. The spell array's catalyst still hasn't been destroyed.”

Rather than listen to every little detail, they needed to deal with the task at hand. With the archmage captured, the Church would now be able to stop the summoning ritual with ease. If they could just halt it, none of the kingdom's people would have to leave.

The Apostle had made that possible.

Everyone gathered in the assembly hall was utterly bewildered by the situation, but they set their thoughts aside and began to move. They all headed straight for the center of the spell array.

The operation to destroy the catalyst had begun. Roughly forty minutes remained until the deadline.

* * *

Daylight slowly broke. The royal capital was bustling from early dawn. As always, everyone was hurrying about.

Only one thing was different: the reason they were busy. Ordinarily, their livelihoods kept them occupied from dawn, but today, everyone was rushing about because of the events of the previous night.

Once the evacuation order was rescinded, residents who had been fleeing began returning to the royal capital one by one. Alongside them, countless nobles and clerics continued to arrive from across the kingdom for an emergency royal conference and Council session.

The crowds outside the city gates were fit to burst.

Inside the royal capital, things were just as hectic. Priests, sacred soldiers, Inquisitors, bishops, holy knights, and more: regardless of rank, all the clergy were engaged in a large-scale effort to remove the remnants of the summoning ritual.

The Church had even formed a special task force to track down the Apostle who had appeared the previous night. Naturally, no trace of the thirteenth end was found anywhere.

He had already turned human.

Yohan was as busy as everyone else in the royal capital. As soon as the sun rose, he went straight to the palace for a private audience with King Roderick.

In the palace drawing room, Roderick's eyes wavered as he looked at Yohan. Yohan had not uttered a single word. He had simply been staring at him.

Roderick felt as though he were sitting on thorns. Unable to bear the discomfort, the king spoke first.

“... Watcher of the Abyss, just what are you?”

The false Yohan (Ilea) had unmistakably been dragged into a separate space by Lumina's magic last night. No sooner had he vanished than an Apostle appeared before the king, and Muel's summoning ritual began shortly afterward.

Absurdly, it was the Apostle who had stopped that catastrophe.

After all those events, Yohan had come to see Roderick again. Roderick could make no sense of what was happening. The king was nothing but a figurehead.

After watching him in silence, Yohan slowly spoke.

“Roderick, there's still life in those eyes of yours, I see.”

Muel's snow-white demonic energy was barely sustaining Roderick's aged mind and body. Even now, with Muel's contractor Lumina under arrest, that energy remained within him.

It was probably still present because Lumina had yet to die. The moment she died, Roderick would likely lose his vitality as well. Soon, the king would have no choice but to return to his feeble former self.

Roderick spoke.

“This vitality is mine and mine alone! Don't even think of taking it from me again!”

Last night, the false Yohan (Ilea) had briefly extracted the demonic energy from Roderick's body. The experience had been utterly horrific for him.

The king feared losing Muel's demonic energy more than death itself. He did not want to become dim-witted and frail again.

Yohan gave a quiet snort.

“You won't be able to keep Muel's demonic energy anyway. The moment Lumina dies, that vitality will disappear too.”

The interrogation of the archmage Lumina would begin soon. As the chief culprit behind last night's incident, she would have to pay the proper price.

She would probably die after brutal torture. Naturally, Muel's demonic energy would vanish too.

Despair settled in Roderick's eyes.

“No. I don't want to go back to how I was. Watcher of the Abyss, you should be able to help me. Please, protect Lumina!”

Yohan's lips stretched into a smile.

'He's quicker on the uptake than I expected.'

The king knew exactly how he could survive. He needed to join hands with Yohan, who held all the power here. Yohan already had Count Staviana's backing; with the royal family's authority behind him as well, he could certainly prevent Lumina's death.

“Why should I save Lumina's life?”

Roderick spoke with desperation written on his face.

“We know each other's secrets. We have both joined hands with Demons. If I fall, do you think you will escape unscathed? I will never die alone.”

The king believed Yohan was the Apostle's thrall. His assumption was wrong, but Yohan did not bother correcting him.

Yohan snorted.

“You fool. Our circumstances are entirely different. It comes down to evidence. Lumina will name you, but what about me? Will she really mention me?”

In practical terms, Yohan had no connection to this incident. Even if Lumina mentioned him, there was no evidence to link him to it.

King Roderick was different. Muel's demonic energy was unquestionably flowing through his body. However refined that energy might be, a thorough investigation by the Church would inevitably expose its true nature.

“Y-you will surely have to shoulder some risk as well.”

Yohan shrugged.

“Well, it's a risk I can easily handle.”

“But...”

Yohan clicked his tongue and cut him off.

“Roderick, you witless king. This is no time for threats. You should bow your head and ask to negotiate. I'm the one holding the sword by its hilt. Do you really think you can intimidate me?”

Roderick swallowed hard.

“N-negotiate. Yes, negotiate. Let us help each other. First, please save Lumina's life.”

“And what can you give me in return?”

The king's eyes darted about. After a moment, he spoke.

“From this moment on, the royal family will support the baronial House of Miyatro at every turn.”

It was not a bad offer. If Yohan added royal authority to the Count's power that already supported him, he would truly be able to do anything he pleased. No one in the kingdom would be able to resist him.

Yohan spoke with an indifferent expression.

“Not particularly tempting. Why don't you try being a little more generous?”

He intended to use this opportunity to bleed the king dry.

“T-then tell me what you want.”

Yohan pretended to consider it. In truth, he had already decided on his answer. After letting the silence linger briefly, he spoke.

“Rather than merely supporting me, why don't you put yourself entirely at my beck and call?”

The king's expression hardened. He stared blankly at Yohan, then suddenly slammed his hand down on the armrest.

“Do you truly lack even the slightest sense of propriety?!”

Yohan showed the king no respect whatsoever. Ever since gaining leverage over him, he had constantly treated him as an inferior. Now he intended to use him as a slave.

No statesman in history had ever treated a nation's sovereign in such a manner. They would at least observe the barest courtesies.

Yohan was different. He did not even regard the king as a king.

He spoke calmly.

“If you refuse, so be it. Lose that vitality, Roderick, and waste away until you die. Posterity will remember you not merely as an incompetent king, but as an apostate who bargained with a Demon.”

Roderick was cornered. Unless he joined hands with Yohan, he could not protect Lumina. He had no choice. He would have to become Yohan's slave.

Yet he could not readily agree. His royal pride would not allow it: he had been born into the highest nobility and lived a life more privileged than anyone else's.

Roderick trembled as he glared at Yohan, tears welling in his eyes. The king felt utterly humiliated now.

“... One day, I will repay this indignity.”

Yohan snorted and rose from his seat.

“I'll give you time, so think it over carefully. You have until the royal conference this evening.”

All the initial decisions concerning last night's incident would be made at that conference. Yohan, too, intended to decide his next moves based on its outcome.

He rose from his seat. Roderick spoke, his voice tight with desperation.

“W-we aren't finished talking. Where are you going?”

Yohan gave a derisive laugh.

“Unlike you, I have many people to meet. Send a messenger once you've made up your mind.”

He immediately left the drawing room. King Roderick watched him go, his body twitching.

* * *

Count Staviana set out for the royal capital as soon as he heard the news. The matter was so urgent that he did not even take a carriage. Instead, he rode with a few knights.

He reached the royal capital in exactly ten hours. The moment he entered the city, he headed for Baron Miyatro's mansion.

Every eye in the royal capital followed his progress. Whispers rose here and there.

“He's meeting the Baron before even seeking an audience with His Majesty.”

“There certainly seems to be something between His Excellency and the Watcher.”

The Count did not so much as glance at them. Ignoring everyone who approached to greet him, he went to meet Yohan.

He entered the mansion's office. Yohan gave him a cursory glance before returning his attention to a letter.

The Count spoke first.

“You've certainly stirred things up. Was this all your doing?”

The royal capital had been turned upside down. In the Count's estimation, Yohan was the only person who would plot something like this.

Yohan murmured, his face expressionless.

“... Well, not quite. You can hardly call me the mastermind when I'm actually a victim too.”

It was difficult to know how to explain it.

The Count's brow furrowed slightly.

“What in the world are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand.”

Yohan simply continued to study the letter in silence.

“Hmm.”

At his thoughtful murmur, the Count sighed and stepped closer.

“What have you been studying so intently all this time?”

Yohan thrust the letter toward him.

I will accept all your conditions.

The royal family's official seal was stamped at the bottom.

When the Count tilted his head, Yohan gave a quiet chuckle.

“The king has become my slave. Count, I now have the king's authority behind me on top of your power.”

The Count studied the letter for a moment, then spoke with an expressionless face.

“... Then the day I see Yeriyan will come much sooner.”

Yohan nodded.

“That's about the size of it.”