Chapter 198: One Year Later

In the Weaver Empire...

News of what had happened in Frein reached the ruler of that region.

There were three such rulers in Weaver; power struggles and the way the empire had been divided prevented any one of them from claiming the entire territory for themselves.

"Queen Denisse..."

An ominous silence hung over the hall.

As the woman seated at the head of the chamber listened to the informant’s report, her expression did not change in the slightest.

"Did you say that an entire squad, led by one of this empire’s Swords..." She paused for a moment, wondering whether she had heard correctly, before continuing. "...exploded into a shower of blood, and not a single one of them survived? Is today the day someone decided to joke with Denisse?" she added with a hint of irony. "I know that bastard Reeve enjoys this sort of thing, but this..."

"I don’t think this has anything to do with him," a man’s voice interrupted from within the hall. "If this is true, it’s something we should discuss with the other two. We may even have to consider speaking with the Goddess..." he muttered the last part under his breath.

"Don’t speak of that woman."

Though her gaze drifted away from everyone in the room, the discomfort in her eyes became increasingly apparent.

"Your Majesty... did you really have a falling out with Clarisse?"

"She and the other two aren’t playing fair anymore. I can’t even understand what they’re trying to accomplish."

"The Corrosion has to happen..."

Her brow furrowed.

"Is that what you believe? All I see is a bunch of selfish people trying to save themselves. Has the Beast Federation said anything?"

"They’re holding their position. They don’t dare move against the dragons or the seraphim."

The informant who had delivered the news began to grow anxious as everyone ignored him. Listening to the matters they were discussing kept him from interrupting, but at this rate, it felt as though what had happened in Frein would simply be brushed aside.

"Your Majesty... if you don’t intend to investigate what happened in Frein, then I’ll have to speak with the other two rulers. Someone has to understand how serious this is."

Denisse’s eyes settled on the small-framed informant.

"You said they died out of nowhere. What exactly do you expect me to do? I’m already furious that we’ve lost so many people."

"But..." The man hesitated before speaking again.

"Do you at least know if anything unusual happened?" Denisse demanded. "Other than, of course... the beasts attacking them."

"You didn’t see it, Your Majesty!" The informant lowered his head guiltily before continuing with conviction. "Whatever happened to those soldiers is a threat to everyone."

The seriousness in his voice created a different kind of tension. At first, those present had almost treated his words as a joke. Now, they had no choice but to take them seriously.

The only queen among the three rulers of the Weaver Empire rose from her seat.

"I’ll go to Frein."

"Your Majesty!"

"I have to see it with my own eyes... if there’s even anything left by the time I arrive. And if it’s truly as serious as you say..." She bit the inside of her cheek in irritation. "...I’ll try speaking with Clarisse."

Several people in the hall lit up with excitement. The respect they held for the "Goddess" was unmistakable. Although Denisse was far from pleased by that devotion, she couldn’t deny the importance that woman held within the empire.

...

Inside Cassian’s Space...

"Mm... haaah..."

The man lying on an enormous luxurious bed stretched lazily as he covered his mouth with one hand, slowly opening his eyes.

Adela had been awake for quite some time already, and as though she possessed a sixth sense, she appeared at just the right moment to help him get dressed.

"Master, breakfast is ready."

"Mmm."

He gave a lazy nod.

"How’s the training going?" he asked.

"It’s going well, Master. I thought it would take less time, but I’m doing my best so we can return as soon as possible!"

"Don’t push yourself too hard. There’s no rush."

The maid’s serious expression broke for an instant. One corner of her lips curled upward as she silently celebrated in her mind.

Her monopoly over her master’s time and attention was still absolute.

Check!

A grin spread across her face before she could suppress it.

Cassian let the change slide and pinched one of her cheeks, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Come on. I’m hungry."

He walked past her and out the door.

Adela blinked several times before hurriedly following behind him.

Breakfast passed peacefully, and afterward Cassian accompanied Adela during her training. While she remained fully focused, he silently watched over her.

It was a routine that repeated itself for quite some time within that space...

"Master! Breakfast is ready!"

"Mmm... Come here, Adela."

"Huh? Should I help you get dressed? But you haven’t even gotten out of bed..."

Before she could finish speaking, he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her onto the bed, and positioned himself above her, leaving her no room to escape.

The maid blushed and spoke shyly.

"Master... If you were feeling that way, you only had to tell me and I..."

"Adela."

His serious voice cut her off.

"Don’t you think this has gone on long enough?"

"Long enough..." she whispered. "What are you talking about, Master?" she asked, pretending not to understand.

"We’ve been here for a year, Adela. I’m sure you could’ve broken through your limit a long time ago."

She bit her lip and looked away.

"I don’t know what you mean... I still have a long way to go..."

The sharpness in his eyes softened slightly.

"One more month. We can’t avoid reality forever."

She puffed out her cheeks in protest, but eventually gave a small nod.

That afternoon, inside the room she had been using for her "training," she finally showed that she had gotten serious.

Gathering mana, she attempted to break the suppression according to the method she had learned—the one best suited to her. The dense mana within the space made gathering enough energy to force the restriction embedded within the essence of her soul much easier.

However...

The first time she circulated mana with the genuine intention of breaking through, she realized the restriction hardly seemed to be there anymore.

Breaking it was a thousand times easier than it would have been outside, as though the limit had never truly existed—or had simply dissolved amidst such overwhelming familiarity.

Realizing there was no longer any way to avoid advancing, darkness enveloped her. The moment she officially reached Transcendence, she turned toward the man watching everything, a helpless expression on her face.

"Master..."

"Since you broke through earlier than expected, we can leave sooner," he declared with amusement.

"Master!" she complained, puffing out her cheeks as she released a burst of her newfound power, venting her frustration at the surroundings.