(Third POV)
In the shadowed depths of the Cardinal's office, the atmosphere was heavy, thick with tension and the flicker of uncertain candlelight. The grand hall, usually a place of serene authority, now felt stifling—almost oppressive.
The Cardinal sat behind a vast oak desk, his fingers steepled beneath his chin, his expression dark. His crimson and gold robes draped over his shoulders like a mantle of power, but tonight, they felt heavier than usual. Across from him, a subordinate stood rigid, hands clasped behind his back, eyes downcast in reverence and fear.
"Say it again," the Cardinal ordered, his voice low but sharp, like the bite of a winter wind.
The subordinate swallowed hard. "Paul Greyrat has returned to Millishion, Your Eminence."
A suffocating, absolute stillness fell over the room. The Cardinal's gaze bore into the man, and for a moment, the subordinate wished he could vanish into the floor.
"Are you certain?" the Cardinal asked, his voice deceptively calm, though a storm brewed beneath the surface. "You saw him with your own eyes?"
The subordinate hesitated, then nodded sharply. "No, Your Eminence. But the guard who reported it swore it was him. He recognized him unmistakably."
For a long moment, the Cardinal said nothing. Then, slowly, he slumped back into his chair, his fingers drumming against the armrest in a restless cadence. His jaw tightened, the flicker of candlelight casting sharp shadows across his face.
"Another failure," he muttered, the words laced with bitterness. Whether they were directed at himself, his subordinates, or the indifferent gods, even he wasn't certain. "How many more must I endure?"
The subordinate remained motionless, sweat beading on his brow, each drop a silent testament to his fear. He dared not speak, lest he draw the Cardinal's ire upon himself.
The room stretched into an uncomfortable quiet, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire. Finally, the subordinate found the courage to clear his throat. "There is… more to report, Your Eminence."
The Cardinal's gaze snapped to him, sharp and expectant. "Then speak. Do not test my patience further."
The subordinate hesitated, his pulse quickening. He knew that whatever he said next might only add fuel to the fire already burning behind the Cardinal's eyes.
"It's about Paul Greyrat," he said quietly, his words hanging heavy in the air. "And the blue-haired Demon girl."
The Cardinal's eyes narrowed further, suspicion sharpening to dread. "What about her?"
The subordinate swallowed hard. "She has been seen entering the city together with Paul Greyrat."
The words struck like a hammer. The Cardinal's hands clenched the armrest, his composure cracking as fury flared in his eyes. "Impossible," he hissed. "How could this happen? Two groups. Two of my best assassin teams. And neither succeeded?"
The subordinate flinched, his throat dry. "I-I don't know, Your Eminence. There were... no survivors to report back."
The Cardinal slammed his fist onto the desk, the sharp crack echoing through the chamber. "Incompetence! I gave explicit orders. And now they walk freely into my city?" His voice trembled with rage. "This has been nothing but a total disaster! Does no one know how to execute an order?"
His breathing was heavy, controlled only by sheer will. Finally, he slumped back into his chair, his hands briefly covering his face before dragging down along his jaw. He stared at the ceiling, the weight of his failure pressing down upon him.
"How many more times will I be made a fool?" he whispered, his gaze lost in the wavering candlelight, as though the shadows might offer solace.
Silence greeted him, unkind and unyielding.
The subordinate stood frozen, daring not to move, not to speak. The question had not been for him, but it echoed in the heavy air between them.
Finally, the Cardinal's hands dropped, his gaze hollow yet burning. "Find out the blue-haired Demon girl is the one called Roxy Migurdia and what happened to the assassins. I want answers. And I want them quickly."
The subordinate bowed low, trembling. "Yes, Your Eminence. I will see to it immediately."
The Cardinal's gaze burned as he stared past the flames of the candles, already calculating his next move. "And send word to the others. If Paul Greyrat and his companion are here... then it's only a matter of time before the storm breaks."
The subordinate nodded and hurried from the room, leaving behind the oppressive silence and a man who would stop at nothing to ensure his dominion remained unchallenged.
Once he was left alone, the cardinal slumped back into his chair, rubbing his eyelids as he spoke out his frustration.
"If only... if only the Blessed Child of Memory was still in my possession, then I could try to instigate an execution."
The cardinal's eye opened once more, remembering the woman with whom he had a deal.
"Paul Greyrat. Did he meet with an informant that night? Or could it be..."
Claire Latreia. She was the one who informed the cardinal about the night Paul would disappear into, to send out assassins who wouldn't all engage into battle against Paul, but his plan didn't account his skill of detection.
"That woman's been no use," the cardinal said with a sigh.
Unbeknownst to him, in the corner of his room, a spirit, invisible to the eye, has been transmitting his every word to the creator of it.
***
A hut on the Demon continent, just three days away from the Labyrinth named White Fire Coffin, made just recently with the defenses of Barrier Magic, there sat Kagami inside, clothed in his shadowy garment and mask, leaning casually against the chair he sat on, arms and legs crossed as he tilted his head back, dreading his hat to fall off.
"Hmmmmm..." he hummed, thinking about what intel he just gained listening to the cardinal. "So, Roxy was the target. Does that mean the descendants of Rudeus Greyrat are still a possible threat to the Hitogami of the branch timeline, or is that wannabe-god unaware of its collapse? Either way, he's targeting Rudeus and those tied to him. I'll need to keep my gaze on Millishion and the other apostle candidates as I continue my experiments. And the Blessed Child's disappearance. He must've seen it coming."
Kagami had originally planned to kidnap Millishion's Blessed Child of memory, but Hitogami must have foreseen those plans and took precautions against Kagami.
"Maaaaaaaaan," Kagami lightly scoffed. He put his hands on his head and leaned on his chair so much that it balanced on its two back legs.
"I know that children born with a blessing have weak fate, but I really hoped to turn her into a tool. Reading someone's memories would have come so much in handy. Well, I guess I have to settle for you for now."
Finished talking to himself, he leaned forward again, looking at his other target.
On a stone pedestal, the only things covering her naked body were two pieces of cloth covering her chest and genitals. It was the heavily sedated Elinalise Dragonroad, kept in a slumber ever since her kidnapping.
Approaching her, Kagami gazed down at her tranquil face, the weight of his decision pressing as heavily as the sedatives coursing through her veins.
"I'm sorry, Rostelina. You, Paul, and Rudues will be the only ones who will benefit from this timeline. And although you and the rest of this world won't have that much time left, I hope to gain the knowledge to fix you so you can enjoy the years you have left."
After another moment of silence, he brushed his gloved fingers on her abdomen before taking out a set of Magic Tools designed as surgery tools, laid across a metal tray.
"Alright," he whispered, determination threading his voice. "Let me free this version of you from this curse… and end what has lingered for thousands of years."
With those words, he initiated the procedure on the elf woman, revealing what had been regarded merely as a curse instead of a measure of assistance from a long time ago.
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