Sweetheart 039

After the completion of the royal marriage, a grand festival was planned in the imperial capital, but it was all canceled. The reason was Josephina’s collapse after receiving a divine prophecy.

The temple announced that the prophecy was flawless and Josephina’s fall was merely due to overexertion from the marriage preparations.

However, the public was skeptical. Such an incident was unheard of for Josephina, who never missed an opportunity to flaunt her power and authority. If anything, she would appear more publicly under the guise of illness, using her condition as a tool for sympathy.

Her unusual quietness post-receiving the prophecy for the first time in decades caused unrest among the people.

Observing this unrest, there was one who reveled in it.

“Ah, the scent of unease. How delightful.”

It was the Tower Master who had entered the capital with Sigmund earlier that day.

He was originally a dark wizard.

Dark wizards were instinctively drawn to negative human emotions like anxiety and fear. Their penchant for torture, kidnapping, and massacre had its roots in this instinct.

The Tower Master sniffed the air as if intoxicated.

“Ah, perfect. Just a little more intensity would be ideal. A massacre or something would spice things up. Though I could easily… eeek!”

Pop! The Tower Master, lost in the ambiance of the city, screamed and vanished into thin air as Sigmund crushed him for his disturbing thoughts.

Sigmund, who was biting into an apple, glared coldly at the dispersed particles of the Tower Master in the air, then turned his gaze back outside.

The temple glowed starkly against the darkness. Soon after, the Tower Master reappeared with a pop.

“Seriously! Why do you keep bursting me?”

“You burst because you do things worthy of it.”

“What’s wrong with a dark wizard acting like one?”

“I spared you despite being a dark wizard because you know how to control your instincts.”

Sigmund’s gaze at the Tower Master was icy and stern.

“Had you not been able to control yourself, I would have obliterated you long ago.”

This was a chilling warning from Sigmund, implying that he could do so at any time in the future. The atmosphere was drastically different from their usual bickering, filled with an oppressive aura.

Faced with the wrath of a transcendent being, the Tower Master’s soul instinctively trembled.

After a moment of subdued behavior, he mumbled rebelliously.

“Who said anything about committing a massacre?”

Then, he flew around more tamely than before. He lost his composure when he saw someone anxiously staring at the temple, but quickly regained it under Sigmund’s stern gaze.

The Tower Master glanced towards the black walls of the fortress, where a barrier against major magical creatures should have been erected, but felt nothing.

Whistling, he remarked:

“Whistle. It seems everything is going according to you two’s plan.”

His comment suggested a hint of skepticism, implying that while stopping Balenos was part of the plan, the future might not unfold as intended.

“There will be no deviation. The blessing of the dragon is passed down through bloodlines,” Sigmund confidently stated.

Gilliard, the Dreamer, is one of the twelve guardian families under the dragon’s blessing, possessing the ability to see the future and understand the essence of all events. 

Mano, the current Queen Mother of the Principality, also belongs to the Gilliard bloodline and had recently awakened her powers.

However, Gilliard wasn’t limited to her.

“Dietrian is the only son of Gilliard.”

Although there was another son, he had died seven years ago, meaning Dietrian was the sole heir to this power.

Amidst the heavy sound of the wind, Sigmund whispered:

“Therefore, the boy will eventually come to know all truths.”

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