Discre Punisher was having a one-on-one meeting with Antares van Helios, the emperor of the Helios Empire.

“Kyung is no fun.”

“… … .”

“I really doubt I’m talking to a human.”

Antares murmured as he looked at Discre, who did not respond to anything he said.

“Kyung, there must be something you want to ask me? Isn’t it?”

“What question do I dare to ask Your Majesty?”

“You’re all nice, but you’re overly cautious. that’s… … . It’s really disappointing.”

“… … .”

Distre broke into a cold sweat at Antares’ words. If he puts his mind to it, not only Discre, but the entire Punisher family could be in danger.

The Emperor’s absolute power makes that possible. That is, it is said that there is no choice but to be conscious of each and every remark.

“For what reason do you think I sang the sutra this time?”

“Isn’t it about Her Highness Stasia, who will transfer to Skientia next semester?”

“Right. Then, what can Sir Stasia do for you?”

“Aid in each life… … You’re not saying the same thing.”

“Sir, do you know why I nominated Stasia as the successor despite so many objections?”

Stasia is crazy. That was a fact known to most members of the imperial palace, even if they were not members of the imperial family.

That’s why when he designated her as the successor, there was a stir.

Originally, it was an issue that nobles from all over the world would raise. It’s just that Antares had the power and power to suppress even that.

Not only is he not a child of his wife, but he is of mixed blood with demons. A heterogeneous being born from a night of playing with fire.

In other words, Antares used his strength and power to raise a child of that size as the heir.

“Isn’t it because Her Highness Stasia thought of the Empire the most?”

That was the reason why Antares chose Stasia. He said it was because she thought of the empire the most.

“Could it be that he chose Stasia because of just that pun? Kyung is more naive than I thought.”

“… … then?”

Antares answered Discree’s question with an eerie grin.

“That child has the power most suited to absolute power.”

What Antares paid attention to was Stasia’s unique power, which appeared because she was of mixed blood, the ability to peek into the opponent’s memory by absorbing blood.

“As long as I’m here, I can’t help but wonder what the people around me are thinking. So what if there was no need to even doubt it in the first place?”

“that… … .”

“Stasia is lacking in many ways. But when that child becomes emperor, who will dream of treason?”

How can you hold a vain heart toward someone who can read your memory?

Antares thought that the power the emperor needed most was insight. Who knows if those right next to you might be dreaming of treason? That’s why it’s Stasia.

It’s not insight, but isn’t it more capable than that.

“But even that child is not enough. No matter how much you can read memories, you can’t even notice that you’re sinking into the bog if you can’t understand people’s minds.”

“Then our mission is to teach Her Highness the human emotions? That’s why you sent Your Highness to Schientia.”

“right. But that’s not all. i like you That’s why he chose the Punisher family, an aristocrat in name only. If so, why do you think that would be?”

“… … Is it because we resemble Her Highness Stasia?”

“It’s because Kyung was in the same situation as Stasia, but she escaped.”

The situation of the Punisher family and Stasia is somewhat similar.

The Punisher family killed their emotions in order to live as executioners, and Stasia whose emotions were diluted after countless blood-sucking activities.

That’s why he appointed the Punisher family’s Discre as the commander of the Corps, which he wouldn’t have cared about in the first place.

“What I want to ask of you is, of course, Stasia’s convenience, but… … . How did you get your feelings back? Yes, like that child named ‘Lucia’. I want you to make it like that.”

For an instant, Discre felt a tightness in his throat. It feels like a noose is hanging around your neck.

The emperor knew of Lucia’s existence. Of course, if you do research based on interest, you can find out enough.

However, it would not be something that the emperor, who is always under heavy workload, would recognize.

Because Discree made it that way. He deftly changed the subject so as not to catch the emperor’s gaze.

Still, the fact that the emperor knew about it.

‘Besides us, His Majesty has other sources of information.’

And some of them must have permeated into ＜Tenebris＞ as well.

The Emperor is suspicious of everyone. The same goes for ＜Tenebris＞, which corresponds to his direct corps.

I didn’t mean to be careless, but… … .

The emperor was more extreme than that.

“Stasia has the strongest weapon that a powerful person can possess. But like I said before, that’s not enough. It’s a feeling.”

Antares granted Stasia the right to live and die for death row inmates.

That meant getting in touch with a lot of emotions. But it failed.

The intense fear of death by death row inmates was hard for Stasia to understand.

“Wouldn’t that child change if he tasted various emotions? Of course, it would be even better if you experienced it yourself.”

＜Skientia＞ is evaluated as a small world. The reason the princess was enrolled was not to study, but to meet various people.

“Whether that child will become a monster or a human… … . I mean, I was really looking forward to it. dragging.”

* * *

king of the dead.

The name [Myungwang] was never light. Even if it is a half-baked and immature existence.

Marie Sistus is a person worthy of the nickname of the King of Death.

“Ahh… … .”

Fraud that erodes.

eroding death.

Stasia felt death indirectly from Mari’s power, which seemed to dye the space itself into ＜Underworld＞.

“What an overwhelming power this is… … .”

Stasia was not weak.

Isn’t she the most powerful imperial family in the world?

Even if they don’t have talent, what can make them comparable to those with talent is the empire’s overwhelming financial power and power.

Furthermore, she is a dhampir who becomes strong by drinking her blood.

Just a moment ago, the blood of about 70 death row inmates was covered.

Even so, it was pushed back in firepower.

“Kuk!”

I’m behind in firepower, but what about technology? Stasia had no choice but to retreat and run away from Marie’s constant attacks.

To make matters worse, there would be no existence in ＜Tenebris＞ that could intervene in the middle of the battlefield where bloody wings and dark morale raged.

“ah… … !”

Stasia, who was walking backwards feeling so isolated, tripped on a stone and fell.

It was an absurd mistake that she made because she had only developed her strength without any professional training.

‘this… … .’

Stasia thought as she looked at the huge sword that had arrived in front of her eyes.

Yes, the existence’s movement, which seemed to embody death, could elicit a feeling of fear from her.

‘The scenery they were looking at!’

I was finally able to understand.

The reason for the miserable feelings of death row inmates who died while looking at themselves.

It felt like this.

As soon as Stasia understood the fear of death, she hugged her shaking body and closed her eyes tightly.

“stop.”

However, the sword did not fall towards her.

There was someone who stopped it.

Stasia narrowed her eyes and looked up at her opponent.

Oz Quo Vadis.

With a frown on his face, he was using magic to block the huge sword of death.

However, as if that were not enough, the incarnation’s black magic penetrated and deeply lodged in Oz’s arm. Even that would have been cut off if Marie hadn’t stopped.

“Um… … . Oz, are you okay?”

“… … no, not at all. Now I can’t tell if it’s phantom pain or just pain.”

Oz frowned and looked at Marie with a fierce face.

So many things happened that he even forgot what purpose he went to the leading department.

Oz grunted wildly at the throbbing pain in his limbs.

“Get rid of your power right now. number of animals. Who would do this?”

“Yes… … . sorry. I don’t know what, but I was wrong… … .”

She didn’t even seem to know what she was doing.

It must be because she is basically in a drunken state of unconsciousness along with her characteristic of lightly considering the weight of life.

“Marie, you will never drink again. If Baekyang asks you to drink, just hit it with a blow.”

“Is Baekyang going to be your family?”

“… … I’ll explain that separately later, so why don’t you let go first?”

Marie obeyed Oz’s words and collected the fraud she had scattered.

It was like a well-behaved dog.

“ah… … .”

Stasia looked blankly at Oz, who was able to remain resolute in the face of overwhelming death.

It’s a great mindset.

If what she is feeling right now is what those who are about to die feel, how about someone who can bravely deal with it?

Could there be something about him that she doesn’t know about?

Stasia, who had been staring blankly at Oz for a while, eventually lowered her gaze and stopped as if nailed to the bloody arm.

‘What I don’t understand… … .’

What she lacks.

The driving force to overcome beyond understanding.

‘If you just swallow this… … !’

Stasia reached out her hand as if possessed towards the flowing blood.

“majesty?!”

Despite Lucia’s dissuades, who hurriedly shouted at her, Stasia caught the blood dripping from Oz’s wrist with her fingers and inhaled it.

“ah… … .”

a drop.

You can’t know a lot with just one drop.

The amount of blood soon becomes the amount of memory.

For Stasia, this behavior is just a kind of tasting and a greeting to understand the other person.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate.

I want to know about the opponent. I wonder what special human blood would taste like, even in the face of death.

“Ugh?!”

But Stasia realized something was different.

The standard itself is different from the blood I have drunk so far.

What was contained in it was so thick that it far exceeded the amount of blood he had drunk so far.

can not understand.

“What is this… … .”

An overwhelming memory in a single drop.

I couldn’t understand even when I saw it. It’s not a matter of emotion. I couldn’t accept the memory itself contained in the blood.

“Ugh?!”

What kind of dense life is this?

Stasia could not stand the heat flowing through her body.

The blood is too thick.

That drop was thicker than the blood of 70 people she had just drunk.

It was an overwhelming life, like being addicted to it, drinking blood and tasting it for the first time.

“I don’t know… … .”

I do not know. No matter how closely you examine the memories that pass through your blood, you cannot understand it.

The permeating memories repeated to disappear in an instant, as if they did not deserve her yet.

“I don’t know about this… … .”

I can not know. That’s why I want to explore more until I know.

“ha… … .”

Stasia started to turn red in an instant. The blood of 70 people was pushed back by a single drop.

She drinks blood to understand others. I don’t care about taste, and everything is for the sake of the empire. But now it’s different. Beyond understanding, I just wanted to crave blood.

As if intoxicated, she reached again for the dripping blood.

“Your Highness, no!”

But fortunately, there was someone who stopped it.

They were the agents of ＜Tenebris＞ who rushed to the middle of the battlefield belatedly.

“ah… … .”

Stasia stumbled and collapsed at the same time as the dissuade.

“Damn it… … .”

As much as they attended the princess, they could see what state she was in now. Anyone could see that the capacity was exceeded.

It’s just a drop. In this state, furthermore, if you drink that blood, the situation could get out of control.

“Ula, bring a change of clothes right now. And the rest will be cleaned up from now on.”

Lucia accepted the blood-drenched Stasia and gave orders in an orderly manner.

It was when Ulla left the spot in an instant and the agents of ＜Tenebris＞ began to clean up the scene in a familiar way.

“Lucia? what are you doing there… … .”

A familiar voice echoed through them.

“Uh… … therefore?”

Eleanor, who came to find Marie, who had become unconscious while drunk, appeared at the chaotic scene.

Her gaze surveyed the scene.

“no… … .”

And Lucia felt an indescribable sense of guilt for meeting Eleanor.

can’t be repaired

There is no way you can fix it.

If it was only this moment, it could be rectified, but the actions it has shown so far have been too blatant.

Eleanor is quick-witted.

If she is usually sensitive to the gaze of others, she should be able to easily understand that the current situation is not normal.

Lucia and the people Eleanor encounters are systematically moving at her command.

And at the center is Stasia Van Helios, a celebrity that even Eleanor knows.

Then what about Lucia?

Eleanor from the beginning. Yes, the day Lucia approached him, he already knew that she was hiding something.

But he just didn’t care because he knew that she was adjusting to his picky self.

Also, what about Oz?

Oz and Lucia seemed to know each other before Eleanor introduced them.

And Oz was the one who knew that Eleanor was actually Chrysos’s royal family.

Lucia and Oz sometimes met alone. The two were sharing a secret of something.

“Lucia… … .”

Eleanor knew.

In fact, she had known for a long time that the people around her were hiding something from her.

And at this moment, the things that have been revealed are as follows.

own identity.

A secret the two share.

Organized people in similar outfits.

and Stasia Van Helios.

Eleanor recalled all the information as if putting a puzzle together and put the question in her mouth step by step.

“Is he actually an imperial spy?”

And that unconfident answer he spat out hit the mark.