Chapter 47: The Seals Beneath the Crown

Jarha felt an urgent need to leave.

She stood.

“Duke Lamu,” she called.

Lamu turned, his eyes filled with pity for some reason.

Frowning slightly, Jarha continued, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m quite displeased. I’ll take my leave. We’ll discuss this later…”

“Sit.”

Gaon’s cold voice cut her off.

…!

Jarha flinched, staring at him.

Scowling, she opened her mouth.

“What did you—”

But she was interrupted again.

“Don’t do anything stupid. Sit.”

Jarha froze, staring at Gaon.

Her escort tamer, Bebe, stepped forward.

“How dare a mere mage speak to the princess like that!”

At Bebe’s outburst, Gaon didn’t respond verbally.

Instead, he unleashed Pacheongi, dominating the space and pinning Bebe down.

Boom!

“Ugh!”

Bebe was slammed to the ground, not just restrained but crushed.

Gaon spared Jarha and the other escorts, limiting their movement only.

Why target Bebe so harshly?

There was a reason.

Painless Secret Art.

Bebe had tried to pierce his own chest with energy-infused fingers, likely to activate the Painless Secret Art.

Gaon approached him, injecting Pacheongi to inspect his body.

…As expected.

He smiled—seals were present in Bebe’s brain and heart.

Gaon dismantled the seals and knocked Bebe out, then turned to Jarha.

Her eyes shook under his gaze, but she could do nothing.

Gaon approached, injecting Pacheongi.

…Tch!

He chuckled inwardly—Jarha had seals in her brain and heart too.

She was Abyss.

This makes it likely they’ve been involved since the kingdom’s founding.

If Jarha was Abyss, King Parn likely was too.

Gaon dismantled her seals, knocked her out, and checked the other escorts.

“Wow…”

After finishing, he let out an exclamation.

Every single one was Abyss, each with seals.

He looked at Lamu, whose face was heavy with distress.

“No need to feel troubled,” Gaon said.

“What do you mean…?”

“They’re all Abyss.”

…Tch.

Lamu’s face showed shock.

He’d hoped Jarha, at least, wasn’t involved, as it would lower the chances for Parn.

Krung.

Kring approached the unconscious Jarha.

…?

Gaon looked at it, puzzled, as it returned with her pouch.

Krung!

“Something in the pouch?”

Kr!

Gaon checked it—an artifact with a subspace.

Inside was an unidentified egg.

He pulled it out.

“Gasp!”

Lamu let out a startled sound, clearly recognizing it.

“What’s this?” Gaon asked.

“A Melid egg,” Lamu replied.

“Melid? The 6th-grade beast?”

Gaon knew Melids—5th-grade at birth, 6th-grade as adults, notorious for their ferocious nature, earning the moniker “tyrant.”

Was this that Melid?

“Yes,” Lamu nodded.

Gaon understood why Kring brought it.

Examining the egg, he realized it was dead—just a mass of energy now.

Makes sense why Kring wanted it.

He placed it before Kring, who looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“Go ahead, eat it,” Gaon said with a smirk.

Kring swiped its paw, shattering the egg and revealing a massive energy mass, which it swallowed in one gulp.

Kr!

Kring roared with satisfaction, then glanced at Bresa, who flinched and looked away.

“Uh…” Lamu asked nervously, “Does it eat living beasts too…?”

“No, just dead ones. No need to worry,” Gaon reassured.

Lamu sighed in relief.

Gaon looked at Jarha and the escorts.

“Now, I’ll extract information.”

Their rank in the Abyss was unclear—they might know little.

But Gaon intended to get everything he could.

“It might be hard to watch,” he warned.

The process wasn’t gentle and could be shocking.

“I want to hear it myself,” Lamu said after a moment’s thought.

“Alright.”

Gaon nodded, waving his hand.

Jarha and the escorts floated orderly in the air.

He woke Jarha first.

“Ugh…”

She groaned, opening her eyes.

“Three minutes,” Gaon said, injecting Pacheongi.

…?

Jarha was confused—three minutes?

But then—

“Aaagh!!!!”

The Bone-Severing Tendon-Twisting technique began, and she screamed.

Gaon frowned slightly at the piercing sound, waving his hand to form a barrier around her head, muting it.

He moved to Bebe, waking him.

“Three minutes,” Gaon repeated, injecting Pacheongi.

“Ugh…”

Bebe began screaming as Gaon muted him too.

He continued with the other escorts, repeating the process.

Lamu, watching, swallowed hard.

He didn’t know the pain, but every one of them foamed at the mouth.

“Heal.”

Gaon cast Heal on all of them, including Jarha.

Lamu was certain—they’d spill everything.

And one more thing:

I must never cross him.

“That’s all I know!” an escort tamer stammered.

Gaon knocked him out, thinking, This is worse than I thought.

The interrogations revealed Bretan’s situation was dire.

They planned to end it all in a year…

In one year, the Abyss intended to activate the Ritual of Sacrifice in every high noble house, without exception.

Even Jarha didn’t know the plan beyond that.

The branch leader would know.

Gaon thought of King Parn, the 2nd Division’s 1st Branch Leader, who likely knew the full plan.

He turned to Lamu, whose face was etched with shock.

Understandably—learning everyone was set to die in a year was jarring.

“No time to dwell,” Gaon said.

Lamu snapped to attention.

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Is there a place to lock them up securely?”

“You’re not killing them?”

“Not yet.”

Gaon wanted to kill them, but couldn’t—Jarha likely had a soul stone linked to her.

Killing her would alert others, creating variables.

Gaon wanted to deal with Parn, the branch leader in the capital, without complications.

“For now, you can keep them here,” Lamu said.

“The office’s magic circle ensures no one but me can enter.”

“That’s fine? Isn’t that circle meant for other purposes?”

Gaon knew of the circle—a one-use, volatile one, which is why he hadn’t mentioned it.

“It’s not what I planned for, but it’s meant for times like this,” Lamu said.

“Alright then.”

“Are you heading to the capital now?”

“Yeah. Want to come?”

“I must.”

Lamu wanted to confront Parn himself—why had he done this?

But he had one concern.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” he asked, his voice and eyes full of worry.

“What, think I can’t kill the king?”

“No, I believe you can.”

Lamu knew the royal family’s power and Gaon’s strength.

The royals stood no chance, especially with their strongest asset—a 7th-grade beast.

He glanced at Kring.

At least top-tier 7th-grade.

Lamu had once tried to capture Kring in the Astarek Mountains with Bresa and failed—its defenses were impenetrable.

He hadn’t seen its attacks, but they were likely as formidable.

With Kring, no one in Bretan could stop Gaon.

“Then what?” Gaon asked, curious.

“Others who don’t know the truth might misunderstand if I join you. If you kill Parn…”

Lamu believed Parn had to die for the kingdom’s future.

But to those unaware, Parn’s death would be shocking, and they’d seek revenge.

They’d harbor ill feelings toward Gaon, and false rumors would spread uncontrollably.

“It’s fine,” Gaon said with a smile.

Giving the Abyss time to care about others’ perceptions would lead to greater harm, as it had in the past when many died because he hesitated.

“They’ll change their minds once the truth comes out. I’ll bear it until then.”

A clear justification made enduring negative perceptions worthwhile—they’d fade with the truth.

“…Impressive,” Lamu said, looking at Gaon with respect.

Gaon waved it off.

“Impressive, my foot. No time for this—let’s move.”