Isaac sat calmly on a wooden rocking chair, a glass of wine in one hand. Beside him stood a maid dressed in a long black-and-white gown, her silky black hair swaying gently in the wind as she fanned him with a feather fan.
"What a beautiful day… and even more beautiful to see your students train with such passion," Isaac said in a relaxed tone, sipping his wine.
The maid's features were exceptionally delicate—pale skin, glowing blue eyes that shimmered in both day and night, and hair so black and smooth it danced with every gust of air.
"True, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves… except Lady Marian. She's just sitting on that tree trunk, staring at the birds," the maid said sweetly, eyes closed.
"Lady Marian comes from a noble lineage and carries herself with a certain dignified pride… but she's in love with the Mad Prince," Isaac replied with a sarcastic smirk, winking at the maid.
The maid lightly tapped Isaac's shoulder with the fan and whispered close to his ear, her voice honeyed.
"Spare me such nonsense, Saint… do you really think the prince cares about love? His only obsession is revenge on the Nine Kings—especially Jin Lee."
"Haha… My dear Melina, sometimes a man needs a beautiful woman in his life. Depression and endless battles… they get you nowhere," Isaac replied, gazing into her eyes.
"Like us, for example?" Melina asked with a playful tone.
"Oh my, look who's getting all romantic," said Marceline with a teasing smirk, placing her hand on Jolin's shoulder. The two girls exchanged mischievous smiles.
Melina calmly resumed fanning Isaac, shooting a sarcastic glance toward the two.
"Says the ones who are head over heels for Prince Faithless."
Kaidos, Erik, and Tawakizra paused their sparring session and laughed quietly among themselves. Their faces flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm only into his muscles, meow~," Jolin said playfully, placing all ten fingers on her cheeks.
"He's not even taller than me, Saint," Marceline added shyly, twirling a strand of hair with her finger.
Isaac smiled with a calm chill, and Melina followed. Everyone seemed relaxed and joyful… except Lady Marian, who remained seated on the tree trunk, burdened by heavy thoughts.
"That aura around him… the same one he had when he tried to kill me. Thinking about it makes it hard to breathe. Yet when I look at him… he looks like someone carrying the sorrows of the world."
She let out a long sigh, placing her hand under her chin with a faint smile.
"Am I falling in love with the emperor's son? How absurd. I wanted to kill him—and now I can't stop thinking about him."
At that moment, a man wearing a long black coat and a brown hat approached Isaac and whispered something into his ear.
Isaac's expression shifted instantly to a serious one, and he headed toward his small manor. Erik noticed and asked curiously:
"What's going on? A special guest, perhaps?"
Kaidos nearly smacked Erik with a wooden blade, but Erik dodged by activating his vanishing technique.
"Haha! You bastard, Kaidos—you just hate being interrupted."
"In battle, would you pay attention to someone else's chatter?" Kaidos replied coldly.
Tawakizra leaned silently against a tree, his eyes half-shut, and murmured to himself:
"Unwelcome guests have arrived."
Isaac entered the library, with Melina floating beside him. Her fingers intertwined sweetly, her feet no longer touching the floor—almost like a ghost, cold mist rising around her.
He opened the door slowly with a cold, unreadable smile.
There stood a woman dressed in an ultra-tight black maid outfit, her midriff and chest slightly exposed, showing the faint muscles of her toned body. The outfit cut high on her legs, with white thigh-high stockings. Her short, messy blonde hair framed her cold expression and strange smile, her green eyes sharp and observant.
Two other women stood silently behind her, like twin guards. Isaac shut the door behind them. Melina drifted to a corner, hovering oddly as if weightless, her aura frigid as ice.
"Well, what an unexpected visit… The Royal Housekeeper of Alexandria. Your presence, as always, is… delightful, Elizabeth," Isaac said as he sat, placing a finger thoughtfully against his chin.
"As always, I prefer to look elegant when meeting you, Saint. You look more charming than ever," Elizabeth replied in a sweet voice.
"Oh, even as an old man, I'm still a magnet for the ladies," he joked, shaking his head.
He glanced toward Melina, who wore a lovely but clearly irritated smile. Isaac smiled gently at her and said:
"Looks like my lady is feeling a bit jealous. So tell me, Elizabeth, what brings you all the way from the capital to this uncivilized village?"
Elizabeth leaned into the sofa, dragging her fingers through her hair as she spoke with a deeper tone:
"You know I despise coming here. But these are high orders—from the Fifth Emperor, Sairon, relayed through the First King, Jin Lee."
"You manipulative genius… Jin Lee, you're fooling the world into believing the emperor is still alive. Your brilliance makes me want to strangle you," Isaac thought to himself.
He rested his elbow on the table, interlocking all ten fingers.
"So, what are these new 'orders' from Emperor Sairon?"
Elizabeth slowly opened her green eyes and spoke quickly:
"Since your village belongs to the Lucia Kingdom… it's now subject to new taxes and levies."
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "And how much are we talking about?"
"Just a symbolic amount, for such a small and crumbling village. Around… two thousand Nis."
Both Melina and Isaac were struck with shock. That number was outrageous.
"And when the emperor set this absurd amount, did he bother to consider how a village like this could pay it?" Melina asked sharply.
"I wouldn't know, dear. But if you're unhappy, you have three options," Elizabeth replied calmly. "One: Pay the tax without complaint. Two: Visit Jin Lee and tell him it's unreasonable. Or three: Start a revolution against the kingdom."
Both guards echoed the final sentence with the same flat tone:
"And personally… I prefer the third. The kingdom has become like a whore—touched by anyone who pleases."
"What a vivid comparison," Isaac smirked. "But from the way you talk, I take it you're not fond of the kingdom."
"Not at all. I hate this job too. But I need money for my family—and the palace weather is lovely," she added, caressing her neck in frustration.
"No problem. I'll pay the tax."
Elizabeth and Melina both looked stunned.
"But where will we—"
Isaac raised his hand, cutting Melina off. He turned to Elizabeth, fingers steepled, and spoke with a cold voice:
"I'll pay the tax. But only under one condition: I want a letter from him personally, commanding me to do so. Otherwise… not a single Nis."
Elizabeth smiled, rising to her feet with a spark in her voice.
"You're not easy to bargain with."
"No, I am. I'm just annoying with my conditions."
She walked toward the door with her two guards. Her hand on the knob, she looked back at him.
"You really aren't afraid of the First King."
"And he… isn't afraid of me either," Isaac replied instantly, like he'd rehearsed it.
Elizabeth gave a sweet smile and left. Once gone, Melina leaned close and whispered in Isaac's ear:
"And how do you plan to get that kind of money?"
He placed his fingers around her waist, pulled her gently into his lap, and replied in a calm tone:
"You know the emperor is dead. This is just one of Jin Lee's twisted games… he's terrifyingly brilliant."
Then, with the same tone:
"He doesn't care about money. He only wants the answer… that makes him smile."
In the Kingdom of Lucia, at the Royal Palace…
The atmosphere was dark and beautiful. The moon shone brightly above the kingdom, casting its glow over the breathtaking architecture built in a magnificent Victorian style that evoked both fear and beauty.
Inside the royal palace, in a massive, grand chamber, there were nine doors. Three on the left side, and three on the right. Behind the colossal imperial throne—crafted from rare golden tiles and encrusted with pearls—stood a giant door adorned with carvings and symbols: a sword igniting the sun, and a moon conversing with a black hole.
At the far end of the hall, two more massive doors mirrored those designs.
In the center of the hall was a large and majestic table, with nine chairs designed in a heavy Victorian and regal style. A tenth throne—lavishly encrusted with pearls—was reserved for the emperor himself.
Around the chamber stood several giants, each holding a sharp sword that shimmered with moonlight. But there were only two figures present in the hall: the First King, Jin Li, and a mysterious person seated upon the tenth throne.
"Do you truly believe your plan will work, Jin Li?"
spoke a girl with a distorted, deep voice.
Jin Li replied, twirling a glass of wine in his right hand, his tone sly and shrouded in darkness:
"Licking wine is not the same as drinking it. We can't measure things yet. We need time. And everyone… will eventually fall into the trap."
"Philosophical words don't suit a brilliant butcher like you—the one who killed the Fifth Emperor…"
the mysterious girl spoke, her voice imposing.
"Thank you for the compliment, my lady," Jin Li answered with calm composure. "But sometimes… philosophical ambiance is necessary to convey deeper meanings."
"Do you think Faithless truly died when his head was cut off?"
Her eyes glowed a terrifying purple, forming a six-pointed star.
"No," he said, clearly uneasy, tapping his finger on the table. "That creature is the one thing that could ruin my plans. But I hope… he is dead."
"I agree. A monster like that doesn't die easily. But at least we have Vergil, a weapon of great power,"
she said, resting her fist on her cheek.
Then she continued in the same tone:
"But there were two letters you sent that struck me as… odd. One was to Saint Isaac, the other to the Duke of Suna Kingdom. And more strangely—why did you want to hold a tournament?"
He answered her in a heavy voice, his eyes glowing like needles piercing the horizon, and a cold smile playing on his lips as he tapped the table:
"It wasn't my idea. It was… Lord Noctus's idea."