"I won't be able to attend the Academy on Wednesday," I began.
"Why not?"
"I'm going to win the Beaumonts over for Elara. Even if I'm not sure I'll be needed, I want to be there just in case. I need you to come up with an excuse for me to miss classes until Friday."
"So you want to skip classes... Now you're starting to sound more like one of my students," she laughed, clearly amused. "I can find an excuse, but you might have to take Elena with you."
At the mention of the professor, I could already see where this was going.
"Why do you keep trying to set me up with her so much?"
"I just think I have better chances with two," she replied with a mysterious smile. "Besides, she's my disciple. I know her well enough to be sure that if I don't intervene, she'll stay single forever."
"Weren't you single for a very long time too? And anyway, I don't think our relationship is close enough for you to be making these kinds of decisions."
At that moment, her expression changed. She looked at me with clear annoyance and grabbed my face with both hands, forcing me to meet her gaze.
"We may have moved quickly, but that doesn't mean I'm with just anyone," she declared firmly. "You can't avoid me anymore. I don't know how many women you have, but you can't deny that we have a relationship. And remember—I'm not just anyone in this empire."
The pressure of her hands on my face wasn't violent, but the intensity of her stare reminded me exactly who the woman in front of me really was.
"Alright," I replied, keeping my composure. "I'll take Elena with me. But don't blame me if things don't go the way you want."
Sylvia loosened her grip and recovered her feline smile, satisfied with my answer.
"I trust you'll know how to handle her, Cassian."
…
Princess Elara glanced nervously from side to side on the street, clearly uncomfortable.
Finally, a luxurious carriage appeared and stopped in front of her. An attendant opened the door and motioned for her to get in. Elara, eager for the interaction to end quickly, stepped inside without hesitation.
Inside the carriage sat a woman she respected to the point of admiration.
"Miss Vane, it's an honor," Elara greeted with impeccable etiquette. Anyone watching would find it impossible to believe that, in secret, she was a masochist.
Elizabeth nodded.
"If you're going to be Empress, remember to never bow your head to a noble of lower rank."
"I… Yes! I understand."
"I've already contacted Marquis Beaumont, so he'll be expecting us," Elizabeth continued. "However, he still doesn't know the real reason for our visit."
"May I know how we're going to convince him to give me his support?"
"You really have no idea about anything, do you?" Elizabeth said coldly. "For an imperial princess, you should start paying more attention to what's happening around you. There are two things the Beaumonts need—things that will make it impossible for them to refuse us. First, grain. I can get as much as we want with money alone, so that's not an issue. The second… grain won't solve anything if they keep getting attacked by corrupted beasts all the time."
"Corrupted beasts? Since when have they become so common?"
"It seems like it started recently, though they appear to be targeting the Beaumonts specifically."
"And what do I need to do? I'm not strong enough to help with that," Elara asked, worried.
"You just need to smile and act like you're the one behind everything. The Master and I will take care of the rest."
"Master… so you call him that too."
"And you should stop doing it," Elizabeth replied sharply. "You haven't done anything to deserve it."
Elara looked at her in disbelief.
"This is going to be a long trip…" she whispered under her breath.
Meanwhile, at the Beaumont Mansion:
"Lady Elizabeth will be visiting us in a few days. We need to prepare everything so she feels comfortable," the Marquis ordered.
"Marquis, what do you think is the reason she suddenly changed her mind? Just over a week ago she rejected us with complete indifference."
"I don't know. But the Valois are asking for an arm; perhaps Nexus will settle for a hand," he answered with resignation.
The butler left the room with a somber expression. He quickly headed to a dark room and pulled out a letter.
"Send this to the Duchy of Vitalis urgently."
A shadow seemed to receive the order, took the letter, and vanished into thin air. The man left in the room let out a heavy sigh.
"I really don't know what they're looking for with all this… Those gods in the capital only give orders, but this is just killing their own believers…"
Elsewhere, in a hidden kingdom near the capital yet concealed from the world, the soul count was rising steadily.
"I still don't know if we'll reach the number we need before they arrive," a voice commented from the shadows.
"It's just a courtesy, Zarian. Those people told us that if we do this, they'll let us leave with them once they finish what they're looking for in this world."
"Even so… we've been waiting for so long. Why are they suddenly urging us to hurry now?"
"I don't know. I noticed something quite strange happened among the mortals a few weeks ago. Maybe… No, it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, the important thing is that we're finally one step closer to freeing ourselves from this rotten world."
…
Cassian finished a long day of classes and returned to his room.
"Master, Elara and Elizabeth have already departed," Adela informed him. She looked hesitant, as if she wanted to ask something else.
"What is it, Adela?"
"During the tournament you said that, besides getting rid of Damian, you would also investigate the corrupted beasts… but in the end you never told us what it was about, Master."
"It's not something good, Adela. And it's far beyond your power for now."
Adela frowned, her pride clearly hurt.
"Am I really that weak?"
Cassian looked at her with remorse.
"It's not that, Adela. It's simply something that doesn't follow the rules of this world. I don't want to scare you with something that isn't going to happen yet."
"Master… Do you think there's a way for me to break through the seventh circle faster? You said you would help Sylvia surpass the ninth…"
"Mmm… You know I can't use the same method with you that I used on the shadows," Cassian thought, remembering the small army of mages and warriors from the seventh to ninth level he had nurtured. "But I suppose I can give you a push."
Seeing the disappointment on her face, he took out something he had already prepared in case she ever asked.
"First, you'll have to take this pill. Then come closer; I'll help you assimilate the energy. This might help you develop a technique similar to cultivation, but adapted to the system that governs your body."
Adela took the pill without hesitation and sat down in front of him. Cassian placed his hand on her back and began helping her digest the energy, forcefully breaking through the limit via her channels.
"Ah!" Adela let out a pained groan, clenching her teeth.
"Hold on. You could say I'm trying to do something that shouldn't be possible for you, so endure it," he ordered, his voice tense.
Sweat began to soak Cassian. He knew that the slightest mistake could leave Adela crippled for life, unable to use any kind of energy ever again. It was a battle of wills against the very nature of her body.
After nearly half an hour, Adela successfully reached the Seventh Circle. Excited, she jumped to her feet, feeling the torrent of new power coursing through her veins.
"Incredible… Master, I don't just feel more energy—I can control my attribute much better than before," she said as a kind of black smoke rose from her hand.
But when she looked at Cassian, her joy turned to concern. He was visibly exhausted.
"Go prepare a bath, Adela," he asked.
Worried but aware that both of them were drenched in sweat and grime after the process, she hurried to prepare the hot water. Cassian watched her leave and let out a long sigh of relief.
"A little more and I would never have forgiven myself…"
He shook his head, trying to shake off the fatigue, and headed to the bath to relax with his maid.