Yutia

The morning had been monumental. Under the guise of innocent orphans, Yutia officially established 'Blue Moon'—a shadow organization forged solely to act as the hidden blade for their savior.

When Evan arrived at the hidden estate, the usual routine. He handed the sealed letter directly to Yutia first. He then thoroughly checked on the children's conditions, handed over extra funds, and bought them necessary supplies. Evan stayed for two days to ensure the sanctuary was secure before departing for the Northern Plains.

Yutia had already read the letter. Her red eyes had scanned the goofy, lighthearted words. Yutia, how are you and the other kids? Eating and resting well right? Don't be late to eat on time, also here is a noble trying to bully me 🥲. That noble honestly gives me vibe of my dead brother bullying me lol. Tho don't worry about it much, just stay there, look after the other kids, keep them healthy. Have good time yutia! ☺️

A noble trying to bully him... giving him the vibe of his dead brother? Yutia's twisted, brilliant mind immediately decoded the innocent message into a ruthless assassination order. Great Moon is telling me this noble is a dead man walking. He wants us to eliminate the threat so he doesn't have to dirty his hands. Understood.

She didn't act immediately. The Bloody Queen was meticulous. She waited four weeks for the grand ball in the Kingdom of Ashtalon to commence before deploying her pieces. Deus Macalian and Renewrov were dispatched to eliminate the noble and the spies, while Ladan was sent to the Duke of Altea's estate to ensure the rival siblings slaughtered each other.

Meanwhile, at the Kingdom of Ashtalon.

The grand ball was suffocatingly opulent, but Count Palatio {{user}} wasn't there for the politics. He was there because of what lay deep in the south: a massive, unowned forest stretching the size of Ashtalon and Rosario combined, hiding an ancient Labyrinth.

Standing on the first-floor balcony, {{user}} gazed out at the night. The quiet was broken as Loria Altia stepped out, desperate, begging for protection against her siblings in the upcoming succession war.

I understand her position as I was in the same position just 2 months ago. Our Older siblings trying to kill us. {{user}} looked at her, his face stoic, though his mind was sweating. Wait a min, she came for help to me....does she think I assassinated my own brothers to become count myself???!!! 😭.

Ultimately, {{user}} couldn't provide her the help she sought. He simply wished her good luck. Loria gave a stiff nod and left, completely unaware that miles away, Ladan was already ensuring her siblings would never see the sunrise.

As soon as the ball concluded, {{user}} and Evan slipped away into the sprawling southern forest.

Trailing silently behind them in the shadows were Deus and Renewrov. Renewrov's curiosity regarding this mythical labyrinth had drawn her to observe their godfather directly.

It took two hours of navigating the dense, magically distorted woods before the towering gates of the Labyrinth emerged. When they entered, they immediately encountered massive stone giants guarding the ruins. Evan stayed back, drawing his blade and telling {{user}} to go further inside. The labyrinth itself was massive and hidden, but {{user}} sought something even deeper: a concealed passage buried entirely underneath it. Leaving Evan to hold the line, {{user}} descended alone.

For fifty minutes, the passage was dead silent. Deep within, out of sight, {{user}} had made three wishes in exchange for unimaginable power, binding himself to an oath of restriction. One of those wishes granted him a silver ring that amplified magic spells by fifty percent.

When he finally emerged from the hidden passage, already wearing the ring, Evan was still holding the line against the stone guardians.

Standing at the threshold, {{user}}'s fingers contorted into complex, ancient hand signs. He cast a simple 2nd-circle magic spell, but armed with his new knowledge and the ring's amplification, the spell warped. It expanded massively, crackling with terrifying, destructive energy. With a single release, the blast annihilated every stone giant in the vicinity, turning the invincible guardians into dust in a split second.

holy shit!! 😱 Is this really my power?! I have to be careful while using this. This shit is dangerous!!!

Even {{user}} stood frozen for a moment, his stoic facade slipping internally as he stared at his own hands, genuinely shocked by the sheer, devastating output. Beside him, Evan lowered his sword, staring at the cratered earth in absolute awe.

Hidden far in the upper shadows of the cavern, Renewrov watched the catastrophic explosion, her breath catching in her throat.

Satisfied that the path was clear, {{user}} and Evan turned their backs to the ruins, beginning their trek back through the forest.

As they left, Deus melted from the shadows elsewhere in the Labyrinth, his daggers dripping with the blood of Callia Genonia's elite spies who had dared try to follow their Lord.

Meanwhile, Renewrov dropped down from the rafters and hurried into the hidden passage {{user}} had just left. She stared at the glowing ancient text carved into the walls, trying desperately to decipher the mysterious symbols. But her eyes couldn't comprehend a single stroke.

Wait... Her green eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock as the realization hit her. He was in here. He understood this. He can read the language of the Gods.

In that single, quiet moment in the dark, something broke inside Renewrov. Up until now, she had merely been following Yutia's orders. But staring at the ancient walls, she finally realized exactly why the Bloody Queen revered this man. He wasn't just a noble. He was an absolute monster. An omniscient god. And from this moment forward, her devotion to him became absolute.

Meanwhile, deep within the magically distorted woods of the southern forest...

The crunch of boots against the underbrush broke the quiet as {{user}} and Evan began their long journey back toward the Northern Plains. The night air was cool, but a lingering tension from the Labyrinth still hung heavily between them.

Evan, usually a wall of unwavering stoicism, finally broke the silence. He sheathed his blade and glanced over, a rare look of almost wounded betrayal on his face.

"Young master, do we have anything else we need to do here now?" Evan asked, sighing softly before adding, "Also.... I didn't know you were hiding your powers from me... you should have at least revealed it to me. Am I not your personal knight? 🥲"