"Farewell, Hulim Heyerar—don’t miss me too much~!"

  At the entrance of the Nameless Magic Pharmacy, Irus waved to Hulim and called out.

  "Not a chance! If anyone’s going to be missing someone, it’s you who’ll miss me, Irus!"

  "Hahaha, so unforthcoming!"

  Amid Irus’s laughter, Hulim watched her fade into the distance.

  Only when the carriage had completely vanished from sight did Hulim tear her gaze away.

  She glanced back at the pharmacy’s closed doors behind her.

  "I hope I really get to taste your special blended flower tea again someday......"

  Graduation was drawing near,

  and soon enough, she would embark on a new journey.

  Would she ever return to Langard then?

  How many of the people she’d met in Langard would she see again......

  Hulim stood at the pharmacy’s entrance for a long time.

  Jingle~!

  A soft breeze stirred the wind chime hanging above the door, letting out a clear, tinkling sound.

  Hulim finally murmured to herself:

  "......Time to go back."

  She turned and left, thinking—if their true bond was only just beginning, they would meet again eventually......

  ......

  In a dark underground chamber,

  flames glowing with an eerie purple light flickered to life along the walls one after another.

  Beneath their glow, the chamber was no longer pitch-black—but it felt even more eerie and cold......

  A man clad in a black robe, with shoulder-length black hair and eyes so dark they seemed to swallow all light, stepped inside.

  He walked slowly toward the highest seat in the chamber.

  With each step he took toward it, the figures standing like statues on either side knelt down on one knee.

  These were no statues—they were living people, motionless and rendered statue-like by the dimness......

  The black-haired man reached the highest seat and sat down.

  "......"

  From his perch, he stared silently down at the hall below, his empty, lightless eyes giving no hint of his thoughts.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The silence lingered for a long while.

  Finally, one of the two figures standing closest to him on either side of the hall dared to speak:

  "......Lord Cassim, did you summon us with a command?"

  The pitch-black eyes turned toward the speaker, who instantly felt as if pinned under the gaze of an unbeatable beast—a cold chill creeping up their spine for no reason.

  "Ah, right...... I did summon you for something."

  Cassim said in a flat tone.

  "......"

  Not a single person below dared to reply.

  Anyone foolish enough to think he was rambling from confusion would be beyond saving.

  No one could fathom Cassim’s true intentions......

  "I called you here for one thing only."

  At these words, the speaker let out a silent sigh of relief—if Cassim had serious business, he wouldn’t act arbitrarily toward his subordinates.

  "The Lord’s plan has reached a critical stage."

  The speaker’s newly calmed heart skipped a beat.

  "The Altar Pillars must be completed as soon as possible—and that requires a great number of high-quality sacrifices."

  The figures exchanged uneasy glances.

  They all knew how stringent the requirements for completing the Altar Pillars were. Normally, Gulos obtained sacrifices by kidnapping or purchasing slaves through various channels, slowly building the Pillars over time. But to finish them at such short notice—where would they find so many high-quality sacrifices?

  "Lord Cassim, finding so many high-quality sacrifices in such a short time is...... difficult," one of the other closest subordinates hesitated to point out.

  "There is a place,"

  Cassim spoke again.

  All eyes snapped back to him.

  "Langard—that Manacos Magic Academy has them ready-made, does it not?"

  "Manacos——?!"

  The two closest subordinates gasped in shock.

  "Lord Cassim, this must not be! Have you forgotten—the Saint resides in Langard! If we step foot there, we will never return!"

  "Yes, Lord Cassim! Manacos cannot be the target!"

  Both begged him to reconsider.

  But Cassim’s expression remained unchanged.

  "You are right—the Saint is a great obstacle. But only if the Saint is still in Langard."

  The hall fell deathly silent.

  "Lord Cassim—are you saying......" the subordinate on the left asked cautiously.

  "Exactly."

  Cassim’s gaze swept the hall.

  "For the next few months, the Saint will be occupied with another matter—and will not remain in Langard. This is our chance."

  "......"

  After a moment of silence, every figure in the hall bowed deeply.

  "We shall obey Lord Cassim’s commands without question!"

  The eerie purple light cast shadows over their bowed faces, making them look even more sinister and dark......

  ......

  ......

  Inside Alicia Serions’ palace,

  Hulim, Miko Kedar, and Alicia sat sipping tea in leisure.

  One cube, two cubes, three cubes, four cubes......

  As Hulim dropped more and more sugar cubes into her cup, the other two in the room broke out in a cold sweat.

  Noticing their stares, Hulim looked up.

  "Want to try?"

  "No, no, no!"

  "Absolutely not!"

  Miko and Alicia shook their heads so fast they blurred.

  They had no desire to taste what was, for any normal person, a lethal level of sugar......

  "Shame."

  Hulim looked genuinely disappointed—as if mourning their inability to appreciate proper tea—and lifted her cup to take a small sip.

  A look of pure contentment crossed her face.

  "......"

  The other two felt their hair stand on end at the sight.

  "Ah, r-right! Alicia—you never told us the full results of what happened earlier! Could you explain?"

  Miko’s eyes darted everywhere, desperate to change the subject before Hulim could press them further.

  "Ugh, the earlier...... oh, right! I never did!"

  Alicia froze for a moment, then hastily picked up the thread, equally flustered.

  "......"

  "Ahem!"

  Clearing her throat, Alicia began:

  "You already know the outcome for the four factions. For now, Third Brother has been completely eliminated from the succession struggle."

  "Fourth Sister’s faction suffered heavy losses from fighting both First Brother and Third Brother—especially her later conflict with Third Brother—and she’s now the weakest of the remaining three."

  "First Brother’s faction and mine suffered minimal losses in the struggle. And since we were rewarded for our service afterward, my losses were fully recouped. That said, First Brother remains the strongest of us all......"

  "......"

  Hulim sipped her sugar-laden tea, watching Alicia. She hesitated for a moment, then said nothing at all......