Chapter 141 – The Seed of the Curse

As she had suspected, the archives of Duke Rikeran’s estate held forbidden texts related to sorcery. Evelyn drew a long, steadying breath before carefully examining the ancient book. However, it wasn’t long before a flicker of unease clouded her green eyes.

「 The seed of the curse takes root within the human soul. Pluto harnessed fear, dread, and despair to magnify the power of his sorcery. With that dominion, he stole the lives of countless souls. 」

Thud—

Evelyn was so startled that she dropped the book she was holding, and it fell heavily to the floor.

With both hands pressed over her mouth, she blinked rapidly, as if struggling to steady her thoughts. The forbidden text she was reading seemed less like mere records of sorcery and more like a chronicle of its very origin.

“No way, Pluto…”

A man once granted power by the Moon Goddess, yet who turned that very gift against her to bring about her fall. She couldn’t shake the thought that he might have been the very disciple Diana had cherished so dearly.

Trying to calm her racing heart, she bent to retrieve the fallen book and continued reading.

「 Pluto desired to become a god. To fulfill that wish, he trained sorcerers so that humankind might worship him as their deity. 」

The deeper she delved into the crimson-bound volume, the more questions stirred within her. No matter how much power Pluto had once been granted, he could never have rivaled his own master, Diana.

“The Moon Goddess isn’t someone who could be killed in a fit of rage…”

What, then, had truly happened? Moreover, the source of the curse lay in the Kingdom of Robenia, a land with no ties to the Empire of Baltian. However, why was the power of the curse now spreading through Baltian? Evelyn wanted to know the reason.

‘If I read this book to the end, will I find the answer?’

Unsolved riddles churned restlessly in her mind. Still, she decided that what remained must be studied later at the marquis’s estate since time had already slipped too far away.

To avoid stirring needless suspicion, she gathered several other volumes before leaving the archives.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

“I have been expecting you, Lady Inevasel.”

After her visit to Duke Rikeran’s estate, Evelyn had sent word to the guildmaster of Hermes, asking to meet at the earliest opportunity. Thanks to Marcen’s ready agreement, she was able to find her way into Aclo’s den without delay.

“And what matter brings you to me this time, I wonder?”

The guildmaster was ever perceptive; he must have already guessed that she intended to raise an unusual subject. In the past, she would have simply written him letters requesting information. This time, however, she had chosen to move in secret.

Evelyn took a sip of black tea to wet her throat before speaking of the true purpose of her visit.

“Not long ago, I read an ancient text concerning sorcery, and it left me with certain questions.”

“Hm. May I ask what questions those might be?”

At the guildmaster’s courteous inquiry, she gave a slight nod before parting her lips.

“Why is it that the power of the Kingdom of Robenia’s sorcery is spreading within the Empire of Baltian?”

Marcen stroked his chin in silence for a moment before replying in a low voice.

“There was, among the imperial bloodline, one ancestor touched by Robenian blood, an emperor who became utterly consumed by sorcery.”

“…Pardon?”

The revelation struck so far from her expectations that she could only stare at the guildmaster, her lips parted in shock. No such account could be found in the historical records of the Baltian Empire.

‘I never imagined there could be a connection like this.’

What she had overlooked was the simple truth: it was all too common for imperial houses to forge alliances through marriage with foreign royalty. Of course, the imperial family would’ve erased every trace of that ancestor, hiding the shame of a royal who had fallen into sorcery’s grip.

The next moment, Marcen leaned forward and posed a solemn question.

“Aren’t you curious about the mad imperial royalty’s final fate?”

“Wasn’t he beheaded or exiled?”

Since he had meddled with such a forbidden power, she assumed he would’ve been punished accordingly under imperial law.

The guildmaster gave a single nod, as though she had brushed close to the truth, and continued calmly.