Inside the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Human Empire, candles flickered, casting long shadows against the stone walls.
“Sok — the matter of restructuring the Brave’s party.”
An aged but vigorous voice drifted slowly from the direction of the Dragon Throne.
The King’s fingertips brushed against the carved armrest, his gaze buried in the shadows.
“How is it going?”
Sok stood bowing in the center of the hall, his black robe draping onto the floor.
His head was lowered deeply, his voice steady and calm.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, everyone has agreed. Except for the deceased Mage and… the unaccounted-for Master Lü Erlu.”
The King voiced the name under his breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Hearing the answer he had dreaded, he slowly shook his head.
“Sigh, Lv Chen. This is a chance to save your life. Why don’t you understand?”
Sok’s fingers, hanging at his side, tightened ever so slightly.
He stole a quick glance at the King’s expression before ducking his head again.
“Your Majesty, the Senate has already made their decision. They will send people to deal with those who are disobedient and difficult to control.”
“What?!”
The King suddenly sat upright.
The Dragon Throne was struck with a *bang*, and even the candlelight trembled.
“Preposterous!”
The King’s aged voice surged with fury.
“To make such a decision without even consulting me, the King?”
His gaze swept toward Sok, his tone laced with blatant reproach.
“You are my Minister of Internal Affairs! When you received news from that side, you didn’t even speak up to object?”
“…”
Sok lowered his voice even further, hiding a trace of imperceptible bitterness.
“We both know the truth. Once the Senate is involved… this matter is out of both of our hands.”
The hall fell into a dead silence.
*Crackle.*
Only the sound of the burning candles remained.
The King stared at the cracks in the armrest of the Dragon Throne for a long time before collapsing back powerlessly.
His back sank into the wide seat, his eyes filled with a complex sense of regret.
It was as if he were feeling the injustice for the man far away in the Castle.
“Lv Chen, Lv Chen,” he murmured, his voice as light as a sigh.
“Why didn’t you learn from the Mage? He used a fake death as his root to protect himself. You aren’t greedy for wealth, nor are you greedy for power. Yet after resigning, you insisted on staying to live in the Castle.”
The King shook his head, his tone filled with the helplessness of seeing someone fail to live up to their potential.
“You have too much prestige now. To be so high… makes it difficult to control you. The Senate feels they have no choice but to eliminate you.”
These words were spoken very softly, yet they carried a heavy sense of destiny.
Sok stood in place, motionless.
The folds of his long robe obscured the dark light in his eyes.
No one saw the extremely faint, cold arc that curled at the corner of his mouth.
The King rubbed his brow, his tone exhausted.
“Now, even I cannot protect you… I can only hope you can look after yourself and survive this calamity.”
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the pitch-black night sky outside the window.
His voice dropped so low that only he could hear it.
“After all, I know that we both come from the same hometown.”
‘Who wasn’t once a genius youth? Mr. Transmigrator.’
After a moment of recovery, the King turned and gave his orders.
“Sok, stall this matter for as long as you can.”
Sok bowed his head and slowly replied, “Yes.”
However, a trace of undetected craftiness was hidden within that voice.
His hand, hidden in his sleeve, quietly gripped a metal plate.
It was a Senate Token.
Sok slowly withdrew.
***
*Creak~*
The stone doors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs closed behind him.
The moment he stepped into the corridor, his suppressed ecstasy could no longer be contained.
The corners of his mouth arched upward uncontrollably, the curve growing wider until his steps even became light and brisk.
“Lü Erlu… Lü Erlu…” he whispered, his voice full of the laughter of a man whose scheme had succeeded.
His fingertips tightly gripped the cold Senate Token in his sleeve.
‘I finally found my chance. To uproot a genius like you, who has been pressing down on me every single day.’
The shadows of the corridor covered half of his face, leaving only his teeth glinting coldly in the dim light.
‘If you must blame someone, blame yourself for not knowing the ways of the world. You didn’t even understand the logic of making a timely escape. You clearly held immense prestige, yet you insisted on being indifferent to power and wealth. How could the Senate not view someone like you as a thorn in their side?’
“Heh… Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
He stopped abruptly, throwing his head back and laughing softly.
His laughter grew louder, carrying the resentment and malice he had suppressed for years.
‘You thought you could live a peaceful life just by resigning? Once prestige becomes an eyesore, it becomes a death warrant. Just wait. Soon… you will pay the price for being so out of place.’
Sok smoothed his robes, retracted his smile, and regained his usual composure.
However, deep within his eyes, that killing intent only grew more intense.
***
In Ziya’s room, the warm yellow oil lamp flickered.
Lü Erlu closed the thick storybook, having just finished the tale of the Human Brave subjugating the Dragon Queen.
Xiao Ziya was curled up in her soft bedding, her eyes full of curiosity.
“So, the Human Brave defeated the Dragon Queen just like that, Father Lord?”
“Yes, the story is over. It’s time for bed.”
He made a move to stand, preparing to extinguish the oil lamp on the desk.
“But Father Lord!”
Xiao Ziya hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.
“Did the Dragon Queen do something wrong?”
Lü Erlu’s movements stalled.
The light from the oil lamp reflected on his face, and his expression became somewhat complex.
“The story didn’t say, Xiao Ziya.”
He avoided his daughter’s gaze, keeping his tone as gentle as possible.
“It’s late. Hurry up and get ready—”
“Father Lord~” Xiao Ziya shook his sleeve, rubbing against it like she was acting spoiled.
“Just tell me what you think! I’ve been so good lately, and I’m really curious!”
She kept her big, round eyes open, reflecting the dancing candlelight.
They were clear, without a single trace of impurity.
Looking at his daughter’s expectant face, Lü Erlu sighed softly.
“Sigh, I really can’t do anything with you.”
He sat back down and spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic.
“If you ask me, I’d say this is cause and effect.”
Xiao Ziya tilted her head, her pointed ears twitching.
“Cause and effect? What does that mean?”
“It means every cause has a consequence.”
Lü Erlu’s gaze drifted toward the window.
“The Dragon Queen might not have done anything wrong, but her existence threatened the territory of Humanity and infringed upon their interests. That is the cause. Being subjugated by the Brave is the consequence she had to endure.”
Having lived nearly 30 years and raised three monster girl daughters, Lü Erlu’s thoughts had gradually matured.
He no longer felt that everything was dictated by a “writer of fate” he had imagined.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at his daughter’s innocent face.
“Just like some people who only want to live a peaceful life, but because of their very existence, they block the paths of others. Without even knowing it, they sow a dangerous cause.”
Xiao Ziya blinked, seeming to understand but not quite.
“Then… can we just not let the bad consequence grow?”
Lü Erlu smiled.
“It’s very difficult. Once certain causes are sown, they are no longer within your control.”
He reached out and extinguished the oil lamp.
The room instantly fell into darkness, leaving only the faint moonlight filtering through the window.
“Alright, it’s really time to sleep. Goodnight, my Xiao Ziya.”
Gently tucking the corners of his daughter’s quilt, Lü Erlu turned and walked toward the door.
Behind him, Xiao Ziya had already begun to snore softly.
His silhouette looked exceptionally silent under the moonlight.