Several weeks passed peacefully.

Or at least—

That was how Clay viewed it.

Inside the large mansion near the Border Town, his daily life had slowly become extremely simple.

Wake up.

Eat.

Sleep.

Walk around occasionally.

Go back to sleep again.

And repeat everything the next day.

The chaos outside no longer mattered much to him.

The beasts were being handled.

The tribes were listening obediently.

The border town had become far safer compared to before.

Even the terrifying creatures wandering nearby had begun avoiding the massive walls surrounding the town.

Everything seemed calm.

Peaceful.

Exactly the kind of life Clay wanted.

Right now—

He sat lazily on a chair near the dining table while staring blankly at the food placed before him.

A servant carefully poured tea nearby before immediately leaving after bowing respectfully.

Meanwhile—

Clay stretched his arms slightly.

Then sighed.

This is nice...

No battles.

No danger.

No problems.

Just food and rest.

Perfect.

He picked up a piece of meat slowly before taking a bite.

Then paused.

His brows furrowed slightly.

"Hm."

Something felt strange.

He looked around casually.

The room remained quiet.

The servants nearby carefully avoided making noise.

Everything looked normal.

Yet—

Clay slowly realized what bothered him.

"Maid Cy isn’t here?"

He muttered absentmindedly.

Usually—

Whenever he woke up or ate meals, Cerys would already be nearby.

Standing quietly.

Watching him silently.

Or preparing things before he even asked.

But now—

Nothing.

Clay leaned back slightly while chewing slowly.

Then shrugged.

"Whatever."

Probably busy back at her kingdom.

After all—

She still had her own matters to handle.

Clay no longer thought deeply about it.

Instead—

He continued eating calmly.

The warm food actually tasted pretty good today.

The meat was tender.

The soup was rich.

The tea smelled pleasant.

He honestly felt increasingly satisfied with his current life.

No terrifying destiny.

No becoming the final villain.

No endless fighting.

Everything was already changing exactly the way he wanted.

Even his system had become unusually quiet lately.

Which Clay appreciated greatly.

Because every time it spoke—

Trouble usually followed afterward.

Meanwhile—

As Clay continued eating peacefully—

A familiar presence suddenly appeared behind him.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

It simply emerged quietly.

Like darkness taking form.

Then—

A familiar voice spoke.

"Young Master."

Clay blinked once.

Then turned his head slightly.

Cerys stood there calmly in her maid outfit.

Her posture remained elegant as always while her crimson eyes quietly stared toward him.

"I’m back."

Clay looked at her briefly.

Then nodded casually.

"Oh."

"You’re back."

There was no dramatic reaction.

No emotional greeting.

Just calm acceptance.

Because in Clay’s mind—

Her returning already felt natural.

He placed his utensils down slowly.

"Where were you?"

Cerys lowered her head slightly.

"There was a problem in my kingdom."

Clay immediately became interested.

"Hm?"

"What kind of problem?"

Cerys answered calmly without hesitation.

"The beast situation worsened."

"The surrounding territories near the capital began suffering repeated attacks."

"Several noble families panicked after hearing reports about evolved beasts appearing farther away from the frontier regions."

Her tone remained steady.

"As the Forshaw Family’s representative, I needed to help organize preparations and defenses."

Clay slowly nodded.

That actually made sense.

After all—

The beasts really were evolving faster lately.

Even the border town experienced increasing attacks over the past weeks.

Although the walls and defenses easily handled most of them now.

Still—

The other territories probably suffered much worse.

Meanwhile—

Cerys continued speaking naturally.

"The nobles became nervous after hearing rumors."

"They feared the beast tide would eventually spread deeper into the kingdom."

"Many families started strengthening their territories and gathering soldiers."

She paused briefly.

"Princess Cerys herself also became involved."

Clay raised a brow slightly.

"Oh?"

"What did she do?"

Cerys answered calmly.

"She began preparing the kingdom for the future dangers posed by the beasts."

"She warned several important figures that the creatures would continue evolving rapidly."

"She advised them to prepare supplies, strengthen walls, and organize stronger hunting groups before things become uncontrollable."

Clay slowly blinked.

Then leaned back slightly.

"Hm..."

That answer immediately made him suspicious.

Because—

Very few people actually knew the full situation regarding the beasts.

Especially the part about their rapid evolution.

Clay narrowed his eyes slightly.

"How did she know that?"

The moment the question came—

Cerys felt her chest tighten slightly.

But outwardly—

Her expression remained perfectly calm.

Because the truth obviously could not be spoken.

She could not tell him that she herself was Princess Cerys.

Nor could she reveal that she personally investigated the situation after witnessing everything surrounding the Bersuka Tribe and the evolved beasts.

So—

She lied again.

Carefully.

"The princess seemed to discover that my family possessed information regarding the beasts."

"She approached us privately."

"And after negotiations..."

Cerys lowered her head slightly.

"My family sold the information to her for an acceptable price."

Clay’s brows knitted together slightly.

"Sold?"

"Yes."

Clay stared at her quietly now.

His eyes narrowed further.

Then he suddenly asked—

"Did you personally tell her?"

The atmosphere immediately became heavier.

Cerys almost felt pressure crawling across her skin.

Because Clay’s suspicion suddenly became much sharper.

Even though his expression still looked relaxed—

His gaze felt unusually focused now.

Cerys quickly answered.

"No."

"I did not tell her directly."

Clay continued staring silently.

Cerys maintained calmness outwardly despite feeling increasingly pressured internally.

Because technically—

What she said was true.

"Maid Cy" never directly told "Princess Cerys."

Since they were the same person.

Still—

The lie felt dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Clay tapped the table lightly.

"You sure?"

Cerys nodded immediately.

"Yes."

Then—

Without hesitation—

She raised her hand slightly.

"I can swear an oath if Young Master desires."

Clay blinked once.

"Oh?"

Cerys spoke clearly.

"I, Maid Cy, swear that I did not directly tell Princess Cerys about the beast evolution myself."

The oath formed smoothly.

No backlash appeared.

No rejection.

Because technically—

The statement remained true.

Clay watched her carefully for several moments afterward.

Then finally—

His suspicious look relaxed slightly.

"I see."

Cerys quietly exhaled inwardly.

Meanwhile Clay leaned back again before grabbing his tea calmly.

"Okay."

"As long as you didn’t directly tell her."

Cerys lowered her head respectfully.

"Yes, Young Master."

The atmosphere finally relaxed again.

Then—

After several seconds of silence—

Cerys suddenly spoke once more.

"Young Master."

"Hm?"

"What should I do now?"

Clay blinked once.

Then looked at her strangely.

"What?"

...

Meanwhile—

Far away from the Border Town.

Far away from the peaceful mansion where Clay lazily spent his days eating and sleeping.

Far away from the walls, guards, and growing settlements—

A lone figure sat atop a ruined cliff beneath the darkening sky.

Maxwell.

The wind moved quietly around him while countless broken rocks surrounded the area nearby. The traces of violent battle still remained scattered everywhere.

Burned earth.

Crushed stone.

Shattered trees.

Signs of destruction stretched across the land endlessly.

Yet Maxwell did not look at any of it.

Instead—

He stared upward.

Directly toward the sky.

His golden eyes looked hollow.

Empty.

As though he was trying to look beyond the heavens themselves.

The expression on his face no longer resembled the proud genius from before.

Nor the confident young man who descended into this lower continent believing he could dominate everyone here.

Now—

He simply looked tired.

Broken.

Lost.

Several moments passed in silence.

Then slowly—

Maxwell lowered his gaze slightly.

His hands trembled faintly.

Not from fear.

Not from exhaustion.

But because every time he calmed down—

He remembered it again.

His master dying.

That final smile.

That fading spirit.

That moment when the old man pushed him away to survive while remaining behind alone.

Maxwell clenched his fists tightly.

The veins on his arms bulged slightly.

Yet even then—

The anger inside him could not fully overpower the emptiness.

Because the old man was gone.

Gone completely.

No soul fragment remained.

No lingering presence.

Nothing.

The one who stayed beside him for years—

Had disappeared forever.

Maxwell slowly closed his eyes.

And memories began surfacing endlessly inside his mind.

Years ago—

Back when everyone mocked him in the higher Mana Dimension.

Back when his bloodline awakened too slowly.

Back when his own family viewed him as useless.

Weak.

A disappointment.

He still remembered it clearly.

The mocking laughter.

The disgusted looks.

The whispers behind his back.

"The Dragon Bloodline of the Aurelius Family produced this?"

"What a disgrace."

"He can barely control mana properly."

"He’ll never awaken the White Heaven Dragon Body."

"He’s unworthy of the family name."

Maxwell’s fists tightened harder.

He remembered how his brothers looked down on him.

How the servants secretly pitied him.

How even distant relatives openly insulted him during gatherings.

And worst of all—

His father never defended him.

Never once.

That man simply watched coldly from above.

As though Maxwell did not matter enough to protect.

Then—

One day—

When Maxwell sat alone after another humiliation—

Someone appeared.

An old man.

A wandering spirit hidden inside an ancient relic.

At first—

Maxwell feared him.

Distrusted him.

But the old man only laughed warmly.

"You look miserable, brat."

That was the first thing he said.

Maxwell still remembered becoming angry afterward.

Yet the old man kept talking casually.

"Want strength?"

"Want revenge?"

"Want everyone who mocked you to regret it?"

Back then—

Maxwell hesitated.

But eventually—

He nodded.

And everything changed afterward.

The old man trained him personally.

Taught him ancient dragon arts.

Guided his cultivation.

Corrected his mistakes patiently over and over again.

Even when Maxwell failed repeatedly—

The old man never abandoned him.

When Maxwell nearly destroyed his own mana veins during training—

The old man saved him.

When Maxwell lost control of his bloodline—

The old man suppressed it himself.

When Maxwell became arrogant—

The old man beat him harshly and forced him to calm down. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

When Maxwell doubted himself—

The old man mocked him until he stood back up again.

Little by little—

Maxwell became stronger.

Faster.

More talented.

The same people who once mocked him slowly changed their attitudes.

The same family members who ignored him began paying attention again.

Even his father finally acknowledged him slightly.

And through all of it—

The old man remained beside him.

Guiding him.

Protecting him.

Teaching him.

Maxwell slowly lowered his head now.

His expression became painful.

Because the last memory still refused to leave his mind.

That final moment.

The broken shield.

The black smoke.

The endless daggers.

The old man standing before him alone.

Smiling calmly despite knowing he would die.

"How unexpected..."

"Go now."

"Leave me alone."

Maxwell’s breathing became uneven slightly.

Because even at the very end—

His master still protected him.

Still prioritized him.

Still believed in him.

Meanwhile—

What did Maxwell do?

He escaped.

He ran away.

His fists trembled harder now.

The cliff beneath him cracked slightly from the pressure leaking out unconsciously.

Then suddenly—

Maxwell slammed his fist against the ground violently.

Boom!!!

The entire cliff trembled.

Rocks shattered instantly.

His expression twisted with fury.

"DAMN IT!"

The roar echoed across the empty wilderness.

Birds scattered far away.

Nearby beasts fled immediately after sensing the violent aura erupting from him.

Maxwell breathed heavily afterward.

His eyes reddened slightly.

Because no matter how much he replayed everything—

The conclusion remained the same.

His master died because of them.

Because of that maid.

Because of that terrifying shadow assassin.

Because of the people connected to the Border Town.

Maxwell’s jaw tightened.

Then slowly—

His eyes darkened further.

"No..."

His voice became colder now.

More dangerous.

"That maid alone couldn’t have become that strong..."

His thoughts immediately returned toward the source of everything.

The person Borzoi repeatedly mentioned during battle.

The one everyone feared.

The one even the terrifying Bersuka warrior obeyed absolutely.

Young Warchief.

Clay Valmont.

Maxwell’s expression slowly distorted with hatred.

Because the more he remembered—

The more furious he became.

That maid possessed Berserk power gifted by him.

Borzoi became stronger because of him.

The Bersuka Tribe served him.

Even the anti magic power originated from him somehow.

Everything pointed toward one person.

Clay Valmont.

Maxwell slowly stood up.

The air around him became unstable.

Golden dragon scales slowly appeared across portions of his skin before fading again.

His eyes stared toward the distant horizon coldly.

"It was his fault..."

His voice sounded low.

Dangerous.

"That damn maid..."

Then—

His killing intent erupted violently.

"No."

"Her master."

The surrounding ground cracked instantly.

"Clay Valmont!"