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‘People who casually exchange harsh words often have a certain understanding between them.’  

Just looking at the speed with which the Emperor and Dunadan reached the same conclusion, it would seem a convincing statement.  

“… If this spreads, it’ll turn into chaos.”  

“I agree, Your Majesty.”  

There is one fact universally known to those who wield supernatural powers:  

Every power is, without exception, a unique gift bestowed upon them by a deity.  

It’s a power in its purest form, which must not be damaged or altered.  

Once born under the domain of a certain god and granted a power, the person is bound solely to that power.  

To handle a different power, they would have no choice but to forsake their original one.  

To wield more than one power at the same time is an exceedingly rare talent, almost unheard of.  

After all, it would mean that person was chosen by multiple gods at once.  

Yet, here we are.  

That Aiden guy used not just one but two of the rarest and most distinct powers simultaneously.  

The pure white energy that only Noel could wield, and the divine power that only the royalty of the Holy Kingdom could use.  

Both are notoriously difficult to master, each in their own right.  

“I was expecting something interesting, but…”  

The Emperor muttered as he sharply closed the folder that was lying on the table.  

Inside were photos, quickly snapped by someone on the scene, capturing the moment.  

The image clearly showed Noel’s reversed forcefield being ripped apart like cardboard as Aiden burst forward.  

“Only two people among the Holy Kingdom’s royal family could pull off something similar.”  

“The Pope and Deathwish?”  

“Yes.”  

“Quite an extraordinary talent.”  

Of course, it might be premature to place him among the monsters that represent entire nations already, but it’s undeniable that he’s shown the potential to rise to that level.  

On the bright side, the majority who doubted that he deserved the title of Lionheart’s Groom will likely change their tune, just based on this.  

The immediate goal has been achieved.  

But, in a way, it’s almost problematic how well it was achieved.  

The Emperor, with a furrowed brow, lit his pipe again.  

Having sat on the Empire’s throne and seen all sorts of things, his mind remained cool and calculating, despite the initial surprise.  

“Dunadan.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

“Make sure to keep the lid on this tight.”  

“Understood.”  

“Just keeping it tight won’t be enough. If needed, pull personnel from the Imperial Assassination Bureau and assign surveillance to everyone involved.”  

“Some leaks may be inevitable.”  

“I’m not hoping for perfect silence. But even showing that the Emperor himself is taking this seriously should hold things down for a while. Anyone trying to lay a claim on that guy will be picking a fight with me.”  

It doesn’t make sense for talent like his to remain completely unknown forever.  

But at least, for now, the timing isn’t right for this to get out.  

The continent is still recovering from the devastation of the war.  

In this situation, if such a tempting ‘prize’ were to suddenly appear, it’s not hard to imagine the chaos it would cause.  

And that’s not the only reason to avoid it.  

The Emperor and Dunadan both shared the same thought:  

“Too precious to give away, don’t you think?”  

“Absolutely.”  

The Emperor and Dunadan exchanged knowing smiles.  

Handing over a winning lottery ticket like this to someone else would be too painful to bear.  

“Since Noel’s already got him hooked, let’s just keep him in our grasp for now.”  

Who would have thought that guy, who seemed like a nobody, would turn out to be such a treasure?  

The Emperor glanced back at the photo of the pillar of fire.  

It was indeed a fascinating sight.  

“Noel’s pure white energy and the rare, ultra-hot divine power of royalty…”  

Energy, by its nature, doesn’t have any particular attributes, but it excels in sheer output and volume.  

Divine power, on the other hand, has a destructive power through its heat, though it’s hard to maintain high output for long.  

However, the pillar of fire that Aiden had shown was a mixture of the ‘output’ of pure white energy and the ‘attack power’ of divine fire.  

As if the two traits had merged.  

Divine power, pouring out like Noel’s pure white energy.  

“Could it be…?”  

The Emperor chuckled, stuffing more tobacco into his pipe.  

No matter how you look at it, that’s too far-fetched of an assumption.  

To combine and mix the advantages of two different abilities?  

If something like that were truly possible…  

‘That’s omnipotence. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of monster he could become in the future.’  

***

System Log  

▶Contacting “Emperor of the Empire,” Lionel XIII.  

▶ Contacting “Dragon Hunter,” Dunadan U’Zal.  

These are key supporting characters that can influence the story.  

▶ Your influence on the main storyline is increasing.  

A new special ability is unlocked!  

—  

Skill Info

Weaver of Fate  

[Noel Astria Simus]  

Bond: Stage 2  

Pure White Heart  

Qi Enhancement: Consecration  

[Katia Heinkel Craven]  

Bond: Stage 1  

First Vow  

[Lionel XIII]  

Bond: Stage 1  

You can copy one skill.  

[Dunadan U’Zal]  

Bond: Stage 1  

You can copy one skill.  

Aiden stroked his chin as he looked over the newly acquired information.  

It seemed that his predictions had hit the mark.  

‘I really stood out, didn’t I?’  

Aiden had thought there might be a response if things went well, but he hadn’t expected such tremendous firepower.  

Thanks to that, he managed to snatch up skill-copying rights from these extraordinary individuals.  

No complaints there.  

However…  

—  

[Quest Info]  

[The events listed under this section will incur significant penalties if failed!]  

[Sham Marriage 

– You have been selected as Sir Noel’s spouse.  

– Maintain the contract with your partner until the end!]  

[Act 1, “Cracks in the System”

– Your contact frequency with key figures in the scenario is steadily increasing.  

– Soon, you will be officially integrated into the storyline.  

The direction of the scenario will be determined by your actions!  

A related event is set to occur soon. (D-3)]  

It’s good that he got skill-copying rights to prepare for the upcoming event, but…  

He wished something more manageable had fallen into his lap.  

This feels a bit over the top.  

No way.  

Not the ‘Main Scenario’ of this world that he had been desperately trying to avoid!  

The moment he dreaded—getting dragged into the main plot—was now right in front of him.  

Gathering skills and preparing only shields him from the immediate dangers, but replacing the actual protagonist?  

That wasn’t in the plan!  

‘I’ve got to escape this somehow…’  

From the very beginning, the goal had never changed.  

He had no desire to imagine what kind of hell would unfold if he got pulled deeper into the core of the scenario.  

On top of that, a new event that would drag Aiden in was set to occur within three days.  

‘If I think positively… at least I know something definite is happening then, so I can prepare.’

Up until now, he had been blindly dragged into unknown events.  

But now, with the listed event, he could at least guess what type of situation was coming.  

Whether or not he could escape the scenario would likely be decided here.  

“…”  

Aiden began digging through the vague memories of the original story that still lingered in his mind.  

Based on the direction of the story, he could roughly guess what kind of event it would be.  

If it’s an event significant enough to be directly tied to the storyline, it’s safe to assume that there’s little chance of it being a peaceful gathering for a casual chat.  

There would be violence, blood, and someone’s suffering.  

In that case, what he needed most was a combat-related ability.  

—  

[Omnipotence [Stage 1]  

You can combine two or more abilities to produce a more powerful effect than the original.]  

—

[Currently Discovered Combinations 

Flame of the Guardian (Pure White Heart ↔ First Vow)  

Traits: High Output, High Firepower  

It unfolds divine power based on pure white qi.  

It is more powerful than regular divine power and affects a wider range than when using divine power alone.  

※ As the skill level increases, the number of abilities that can be combined increases, and additional effects are unlocked.  

※ Increase the number of abilities you can handle to raise the skill level!]  

—  

[Origin [Locked]]  

This skill is locked.  

In that sense, while the things written here may not entirely suit his aptitude, they were still quite reassuring.  

After all, these were the things that would save his life when the event occurred three days later.  

‘Combining abilities to amplify their effects…?’  

Aiden still didn’t fully grasp the concept of these supernatural abilities, so he couldn’t tell how effective this would be. However, with this kind of trait, he could make at least one reasonable assumption.  

The more abilities he had, the wider his range of options would become.  

So, the best choice at the moment…  

[Dunadan U’Zal 

Bond: Stage 1  

– You can copy one skill.]  

It had to be him.  

When Aiden selected the window, a list of skills possessed by Dunadan filled his view.  

Most of them looked terrifying, befitting someone with the title of “Dragon Hunter,” but Aiden was only looking for one.  

[System Message 

Copying the “Universal Ability: Divine Power.”]  

This was the power of divine law, used by the warriors of the tribal alliance through their sacred prohibitions.  

Aiden would have to learn how to handle it over time, but given his current abilities, there was nothing else that would yield such efficiency.  

Of course, even in such a situation, some things remained constant.  

Aiden glanced at Noel standing nearby and spoke.  

Even after the chaotic incident from yesterday, her demeanor was almost unchanged.  

“Is there something you’d like to ask me?”  

Sensing his gaze, Noel smiled gently and threw the question at him.  

Despite the large-scale incident that had just occurred, Noel remained composed. Her polite demeanor and the smile she wore like a mask were unshaken.  

“…No.”  

He recalled how terrified she had been yesterday when he used the divine power, but now, sitting with her in the office, things felt the same as usual.  

When Aiden voiced his thoughts as a question, she answered with the same calmness.  

“Indeed, I was quite surprised when I saw it for the first time—”  

“For the first time?”  

“Didn’t I mention it before? I brought you here because you’re someone who can’t be measured.”  

“…”  

“To be honest, I don’t remember, but you’ve made it very clear that you’ve known me for a while, Aiden.”  

‘Oh. That’s right.’  

Now that he thought about it, he had spun a lie just recently to get out of a tricky situation.  

From Noel’s perspective, it probably felt like another hidden truth about this mysterious person had come to light.  

“You’re still not going to tell me what you meant by what you said before, are you?”  

With a smile, Noel rested her chin on her hand and asked in a subtle, pressuring tone.  

It was quite intimidating, but there was no way Aiden could tell her the truth.  

After all, he had never met her before!  

“Then just stay as you are. It’ll be more fun for me to find out on my own.”  

“…”

Seriously, there’s nothing to find out.  

Aiden sighed internally and leaned back in his chair, trying to find some semblance of comfort.  

But, of course…  

[System Message]

A sudden window popped up, robbing him of even this small respite.  

[Deathwish 

Katia Heinkel Craven’s affection for you has increased!  

▶ Bond level has risen!]

[Skill Info 

<Weaver of Fate>  

Only you know the truth of this world. Build bonds with key figures in the main story to unlock new rewards!]  

[Katia Heinkel Craven 

– Bond: Stage 2  

– You can copy one skill.]  

Aiden frowned deeply.  

‘What now?’  

***

There was a room in the royal palace of Craven that no one dared enter.  

The lights were always off from morning until evening, and strange sounds echoed from inside at all hours.  

It was often used as a prank to scare new employees, with senior staff telling them it was a haunted room, and the success rate was surprisingly high.  

However, no one would dare joke about it in an official setting.  

Everyone in the palace knew very well whose room it was.  

“Katia.”  

The First Prince of the Holy Kingdom, Alester Fenshus Craven, spoke again in a worried tone.  

Thanks to the soft glow of the golden robe, symbolizing the rightful heir, Alester could clearly see what his ‘younger sister’ was doing even in the darkness.  

“Did you hear me, Katia?”  

In place of an answer, a gunshot rang out.  

The sound of flesh tearing and bones shattering filled the room.  

Even though such an event was far from ordinary during a casual conversation, neither of the two in the room changed their expressions.  

Neither the First Prince, who witnessed the gun being fired, nor the Second Princess, who had fired it at her own forehead.  

“I told you to stop doing that.”  

However, Alester’s voice remained calm as he watched, as if he were scolding a child for playing an inappropriate prank.  

It was as though he had seen this countless times before.  

In fact, the tone in which he spoke was met with a voice as innocent as a child’s in response.  

“Oh, I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”  

Even after shooting herself in the head, Katia showed no signs of concern.  

…  

Alester glanced toward the dark corner of the room with a troubled expression.  

A sticky, unsettling sound, as if something were being gouged out, could be heard from that direction.  

Though the darkness obscured his view, he could guess what was happening to his sister’s head, which had been pierced by the bullet.  

It was an inexplicable, disgusting, and revolting phenomenon—no matter how one described it, it would be difficult to escape those categories.  

Katia Heinkel Craven, a prodigy among the royal family of the Holy Kingdom, possessed overwhelming talent.  

She was a monster whose abilities ranked among the greatest of all divine users in history.  

But the nature of her supernatural power could only be described as a “curse” for her.  

Alester lowered his gaze and continued in a resigned tone.  

“It’s a mission. Mother gave the order herself. She said there’s someone important in the Empire.”  

“Someone important?”  

“He possesses divine power. And he’s not even royal.”  

That piece of information seemed to surprise Katia as well.  

Her bright golden eyes, easily visible even in the dark, blinked at Alester, glowing faintly.  

“How is that possible?”  

“They said he’s a wielder of multiple abilities.”  

“I thought that was only theoretical.”  

“He’s been discovered.”  

“And how credible is it?”  

“Quite high.”  

Katia blinked a few times in silence, clearly processing the information she had just received.  

Despite her bizarre behavior, her mind worked with surprising speed.  

“Then we need to bring him in.”  

Without needing further explanation, she quickly deduced what the Pope wanted.  

Alester nodded with a bitter smile.  

“You’ll have to go in person. Use force if necessary, but make sure to bring him back.”  

“Me, personally? Isn’t that overkill? Like using a sword to kill a chicken? Has the Holy One finally lost it?”  

Alester’s bitter smile deepened at her blunt blasphemy.  

In truth, she wasn’t entirely wrong.  

Bringing that man to the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t be difficult.  

Since divine power belonged solely to the royal family of the Holy Kingdom, if it manifested in an outsider, they had every right to investigate. The justification was on their side.  

But still…  

If they were sending such an unstable… ‘monster,’ there had to be a reason.  

“He’s the Lionheart’s Groom.”  

As soon as those words left his mouth, Katia’s eyes narrowed.  

“Since this is about her groom, there’s no telling how Lionheart might react. And more importantly, the Emperor of the Empire has already declared his intention to protect him. A conflict might break out.”  

“The Lionheart’s Groom?”  

“Yes. His name is…”  

“Aiden Kellerman.”  

Alester’s eyebrows arched in surprise.  

“…That’s right. How do you know that? He was completely unknown until yesterday.”  

“I was a bit curious.”  

Katia yawned and rolled around on her bed.  

If not for the grim setting, she would have looked like a lazy cat.  

“Brother, this Aiden… how strong is he? What’s your take on him?”  

“Based on the rumors, he’s formidable. He’s bound to become even stronger, if not now, then soon enough.”  

“Strong enough to kill me?”  

Alester bit his lip hard enough to draw blood at the innocent question.  

He knew exactly what she meant by that.  

“…It’s entirely possible.”  

“Oh.”  

Katia smiled broadly.  

“Then we definitely have to bring him in.”  

They call her “Deathwish.”  

A woman with that nickname gave a pure, radiant smile and responded.  

“I’ll be going then. To the Empire.”  

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