There are no eternal secrets in this world.
No matter how much effort was put into hiding the fact that Belial was still alive, there was never any real expectation that Lorenz would remain ignorant forever—at least, not as long as Belial hadn’t left Meinhardt.
It wasn’t surprising. Just… a little earlier than expected, which was mildly unsettling.
Since it wasn’t entirely unforeseen, I figured it was about time I shared some of my own secrets as well.
“I am the only one capable of neutralizing the power you wield.”
I was talking about Deviation Interference.
If I could max it out at 100 percent, then neither Variants nor mages would stand a chance against me.
That would mean the North had a real fighting chance.
Perhaps recalling some of our past experiments, Nox flashed a savage grin.
“Shame we made a Blood Pact. Times like these make me regret it.”
A distinct wave of killing intent washed over me.
Saying I wasn’t afraid would be a lie.
But I didn’t back down.
This was about the lives of those I loved. The land they had spent their entire lives building and protecting. I refused to let something as trivial as fear get in my way.
‘System. Is there a way to use Luck for something other than just defense? Maybe like Miracle Points or something similar to Heart?’
There had to be things that could only be accomplished through sheer luck.
The System deliberated for a moment before responding sullenly.
[(╯︿╰)]
[This is a field where interference is difficult.]
It said difficult, not impossible.
That was all I needed to hear.
I pushed harder.
‘Hurry up! Just make something! I don’t care about anywhere else, but here—this situation is different!’
Under the pressure of my relentless demand, the System displayed a sorrowful expression before a message popped up.
[NOW LOADING…….]
Meanwhile, Kyle continued steadily descending the staircase. As I exchanged a few more messages with him, I confirmed his estimated time of death.
Nox, with his gaze lowered, seemed to be murmuring to himself—likely communicating with other mages. Then, his eyes suddenly shifted toward me.
[Shu. I’ve reached the bottom floor.]
[The attendants have started attacking.]
[There’s a magic stone in their hearts. It looks similar to the beast cores found in Variants.]
A beast core!
If I absorbed those, I could increase my Luck stat.
I hurriedly responded.
[Collect the cores. I need them. What’s on the lowest floor?]
[A bedroom.]
At that moment, Nox’s eyes narrowed.
He must have realized that his attendants were falling at Kyle’s hands.
A tense silence filled the laboratory.
I suddenly felt grateful for the Blood Pact. If not for it, I probably would’ve been ripped apart by now.
[Nox’s… coffin is there.]
Just then, a system window popped up in front of me like a warning.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time until death: 0 days remaining.]
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time until death: 0 days remaining.]
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time until death: 0 days remaining.]
…It meant Kyle was in danger.
I quickly sent a message.
[You’re in danger.]
[Don’t open it.]
[Be careful.]
At the same time, Nox suddenly rose to his feet, extending a hand toward me.
Was he planning to strangle me again like last time?
I instinctively stepped back.
But before I could take more than a few steps, my back hit the cold, steel shelves behind me.
I felt both fear and satisfaction at the same time.
The fact that he was reacting this strongly was proof that Winter’s Heart was safely secured underground.
“I’d love nothing more than to snap your neck right now…”
Nox let out a deep sigh.
“But we have a guest. Stop your annoying little games and tell your duke to come up to the parlor.”
“I doubt they’re here to see us.”
“Oh, they’ll want to meet.”
With just that one sentence, I immediately realized who the guest was.
“The Emperor has arrived.”
A surge of anger rushed through me.
It should have been enough that he had taken the throne—why go out of his way to hunt down those he had already defeated in the political struggle? Was the imperial throne really such a coveted position that even after securing it, he would go to such lengths?
He could’ve just sat back and enjoyed his reign. But no, he had to stir up trouble for others who were living their lives in peace. Greed truly ruins people.
Fine. Just as Nox suggested, I needed to meet him in person. I had to hear what was going through his mind, and I needed to gauge how he would react now that he had realized Belial was alive.
“Aren’t you curious, kid?”
As I was sending the message asking Kyle to come to the parlor, Nox called out to me with a smirk.
“Who among us will survive until the end? Who will kill whom? And who will escape death?”
I grinned back.
“You’re in for a rough time. Survival happens to be our specialty.”
***
When the thick carpet in the center of the parlor was pulled back, a teleportation circle connecting directly to the Imperial Palace glowed with a soft blue light.
I had always known that the vast distance, along with the stronghold of the Blake territory, made normal travel between the two nearly impossible. But watching Lorenz appear so effortlessly through the magic circle made my stomach twist in frustration.
“No need to glare like that.”
Lorenz tilted his head slightly, fixing me with that perpetually melancholic gaze of his.
“This isn’t the first time the Imperial Family and the Northern Mage Corps have cooperated. We’ve had to borrow their strength more than once to eliminate political opponents.”
Kyle had silently returned to my side at some point. The moment Lorenz appeared, he drew his sword and took a defensive stance.
I pressed close behind him and whispered,
“Did you know about this, Your Highness?”
“I suspected. But I didn’t realize the corruption ran deep enough to warrant a direct connection to the palace.”
Lorenz, having arrived through the teleportation circle, leisurely took a seat on the sofa. He motioned toward the seats across from him, inviting us to sit, but Kyle and I remained stiffly standing, glaring down at him and Nox.
Lorenz turned to Nox.
“You didn’t mention meeting the two of them.”
“They’re trapped like rats in a cage anyway. Might as well let them know what’s coming. Consider it a bit of entertainment.”
So that was it.
Nox was planning to imprison both of us in the Mage Tower. And obviously, that was at Lorenz’s request.
I recalled what he had said earlier.
The Emperor had realized Belial was alive. And he was using that as a pretext to launch an invasion of the North.
Meanwhile, Nox planned to take advantage of the situation—securing more Winter’s Heart materials to perfect his research.
For the Emperor, locking Kyle away was a tactical move. A leaderless army was far easier to dismantle.
The Frost Tower was already sealed off. The doors leading outside were not easily opened, and even if we did manage to escape, the journey back to the estate would take significant time.
Annoyingly, Nox’s words were painfully accurate.
We really were like rats trapped in a cage.
I could still use Reload and return to the castle…
But the problem was Kyle.
I couldn’t just leave him behind.
Yet, I had no solution.
The sheer helplessness of the situation pressed down on me, making my frustration all the more unbearable.
‘System. Isn’t there anything we can do? We can’t just sit here and die!’
A moment later, a system window popped up.
[☆Limited-Time Luck Corner!☆]
[Items can only be added within the Domain of Deviation. Updates will be halted once you leave this area.]
So, the System could interfere at least a little, thanks to being inside Nox’s domain.
Even that damned mage had his uses sometimes.
I eagerly gestured at the empty air, urging the System to show me more.
[Luck Compass | ♣ ×5000 | Allows you to set the destination of a teleportation magic circle once. The altered magic circle will be destroyed after use.]
[Luck Alarm Clock | ♣ ×3000 | Wakes you up to your very soul!]
[Current balance | ♣ ×50]
What the hell is the alarm clock even for? And why is the description so vague?
But… the compass might actually come in handy.
Luckily, there was a teleportation magic circle right in front of me.
The parlor of the Mage Tower was connected to the Imperial Palace. If I could alter its path to lead directly to Blake Castle instead, Kyle and I could escape instantly. Destroying the magic circle afterward would not only ensure our safety but also trap these bastards here for a while.
The only issue was gathering the massive amount of Luck required…
I nearly coughed up blood after accumulating just 100 points. Forcing 5,000 into my system might actually kill me.
I couldn’t use my own life force for this.
Even if it got Kyle out of here, he wouldn’t be happy about it.
I racked my brain, searching for another option. Then, I subtly jabbed Kyle in the side and sent him a message through the Messenger.
[Those cores you mentioned in the attendants’ hearts… did you collect them?]
It seemed that while I was lost in thought, Kyle, Nox, and Lorenz had been exchanging words.
Judging by the sharp look on Kyle’s face, it hadn’t been a pleasant conversation.
Without missing a beat, Kyle answered Lorenz’s question while discreetly slipping a small object into my hand.
A beast core, just as expected.
A familiar faint blue glow flickered inside the small stone.
I quietly gripped it and began absorbing its energy.
[Current balance | ♣ ×55]
This is it!
I quickly lowered my head, hiding my triumphant smirk.
Nox had mentioned earlier that Winter’s Heart was stored in this tower. Most likely in his coffin at the very bottom floor.
And Winter’s Heart, the beast cores, and the magic stones inside the attendants’ hearts…
They were all made by draining the life force of others.
Which meant this tower was practically overflowing with my Luck.
[Your Highness.]
Feigning exhaustion, I leaned against Kyle and sent him another message.
[Listen very carefully to what I say from now on. You need to follow my lead exactly, got it?]
Kyle turned his head toward me, his lips curling into the most gentle, reassuring smile.
[I always respect your judgment.]
With the most reliable ally in the world by my side, it was time to strip this tower of every last scrap of Luck it had.
