Magnus clutched his injured arm. He hadn't anticipated things unfolding this way. He had been ready to handle Aldric, his old friend, but Haru had caught him completely off guard. Amidst the kingdom's turmoil, Magnus had assumed he could manipulate the king's decisions as he always had. But who could have predicted that the seemingly cocky stranger would possess the advanced magical knowledge and skill to actually injure him? Not only had Haru attacked him, but he had also used an unknown ability that weakened his magic significantly even if temporarily. There were so many unaccounted factors on top of him being injured.

If only he had been prepared for such an adversary, he might have defended himself better. As he tried to make sense of the situation, a sudden realization struck him. His eyes locked onto Haru. "A summoned?"

"Magnus!" Aldric's voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. "Why did you do it? Why did you betray the kingdom?! We trusted you!" The pain and betrayal in Aldric's voice was palpable.

Magnus knew there was no turning back, no way out of this situation. With a resigned sigh, he dropped his façade. "Trust? Yes, you did trust me." A devilish smile crept across his face. "You made it quite easy...."

"I don't understand. Why would you do all of this?"

"Why?" Magnus's expression turned belligerent. "Because you never deserved the wear the crown."

"..."

"Do you remember, the day after we graduated from the academy, when you told me about your wish to explore the Greater Wilderness of Kladin? I believed in that… if only for just a bit…" Magnus's voice held a tinge of melancholy. "Two ambitious young men with something to prove, wanting to be great adventurers. It was a struggle at times, but slowly, we made a name for ourselves. The party grew, and we climbed our way to being S-rank team. Our name became so well known, eventually we were invited to meet with the king and that's when you met her…"

His voice turned erratic, bitter memories surfacing. "I could've accepted it… The fame, the glory, it didn't really matter to me. But you… why did you have to steal her away?"

"Magnus, what are you—"

"YOU DIDN'T DESERVE LYSANDRA!" Magnus roared, years of resentment boiling over. The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. "I knew her first. I loved her long before you ever came into the picture. The moment you two met, I knew I’d lost her. She was captivated by your charm, and before I knew it, she was part of our party. I had to watch as you grew closer, helpless as she slipped away. Then one day, you both decided to quit adventuring and get married. The king approved, the kingdom celebrated—even though it was unheard of for a princess to marry a commoner. That was the beginning of the end for me. From that day on, I gave up. I drifted, aimless, until you found me again, your eyes full of pity… You thought you could ‘help.’ You brought me to the castle—with a son already in tow. And then, you offered me a job as your royal advisor, like it was some grand gesture." His laugh was bitter, anger twisting his features. "It was the greatest insult I ever received. Now, I look around and see everything that should’ve been mine."

Aldric’s voice wavered. "I only ever thought of you as my friend, Magnus. And just because you knew Lysandra first doesn’t mean she had to love you back."

“You don’t know anything!” Magnus’s voice trembled. “I knew everything about her—her favorite foods, her favorite places, her hobbies. I memorized every detail, every little thing, because I knew—I knew—one day we’d be together. Unlike you, I was part of her world. I was nobility.”

He paused, taking a breath as if the weight of his past was suddenly suffocating him. “I never told you, did I? You knew I was a noble but I never told you about the details. My family… we were more than just mere nobles. We operated one of the largest expedition ventures. We carved out new lands in the Greater Wilderness, expanding the human territories. You know as well as I do, adventurers like us—we’re scouts, we seek out habitable areas and clear out the monsters. But it’s the kingdoms that make those lands habitable, that build something lasting.”

Another pause, this time longer. Magnus’s eyes grew distant, lost in his memories. “It was going to propel us to newer heights. But we were arrogant… We knew about the demons, but we got too close. They attacked. The land we’d expanded became infected. My father… he sank everything into that operation. When it failed, the debtors came knocking. They harassed my family, drove them to despair until… until they ended their lives.”

Magnus clenched his fists. “I knew Lysandra before all that. We used to play together as children. But when my family fell, the king saw no reason to keep close ties with us. Maybe out of pity, maybe just to throw me a bone, or maybe he believed I wouldn't be able to achieve it, but he promised her to me if I achieved the rank of Stellar Mage. It was a rank only one other had in all of Cranch at the time.”

He looked at Aldric with hatred. “That was my only goal. I joined the academy, joined your party, sacrificed everything all to further my goal. And then… I finally did it. At the height of our party’s fame, I achieved the title of Stellar Mage. I thought… I thought I’d finally get what was promised to me.”

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Magnus’s voice cracked as he took a shaky breath. “But then, out of nowhere, the king sent us an invitation. I thought it was because of my accomplishment. I thought… But I was wrong. He had forgotten our promise and in his old age, his mind grew weak. He let Lysandra join our party and when the two professed your love for each other, he readily agreed to it. Why else would he approve of his daughter marrying someone like you?”

His voice turned venomous. “Your entire life is a mockery of mine. And now, I might as well tell you: your son was right. I’ve been sabotaging the kingdom for a long time. Even before the plague hit, I was weakening it from the within.”

Despite already knowing the truth, Aldric felt the full weight of Magnus’s admission like a physical blow. Words failed him as Magnus continued, “Lysandra joining the party was the beginning of this kingdom’s downfall. Traveling with us around with us filled her head with grand ideas—sweeping reforms, she called them. And when her father died, she finally had the power to put those ideas into motion. Abolish the slavery system? I almost laughed in her face. Do you have any idea how much our kingdom relies on the labor, the economy, built on the backs of slaves? Do you even know the history of Cranch? The founder himself helped to subjugate the other races to bring humanity into our golden age. We of the Seven kingdoms stand on that foundation—humans on top, others below. Remove that, and the entire structure collapses

Magnus’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “That’s why I supported her in her decision abolish the slavery system. I knew it would backfire and drag the kingdom down with her.”

Aldric’s fists clenched, blood seeping through his fingers. He wasn't really listening to what Magnus was really saying as only one question burned in his mind, though, he already knew the answer. “Was it you? Did you kill her?”

“It was me,” Magnus said, almost bored. “She lowered her guard in those final days, and I slipped the poison into her tea. She never suspected a thing, even at the end.”

Placing his arms out, he laughed. “Standing by her deathbed, I felt relief. Years of humiliation—gone. This plague was a blessing. Honestly, it was exhausting always putting up a face, pretending I was happy seeing you two." Sneering at Aldric, he continued, “You’re a puppet king. It's only fitting that Cranch falls with you. I’ve been offered real power from those who wish to see the kingdom disappear, wealth beyond anything you can imagine. I wasted my time on Lysandra, but now I thank you from saving me a life from that delusional woman. I guess what they say is true, Losers always find each other in the end.”

"AGGHHHHHH!"

Aldric charged forward, his sword struggling against Magnus' infused cane. Though his one arm was injured, it didn't hold him back from his preparations.

"You shouldn't have let me talk for so long," Magnus said with a sinister smile.

The ground beneath Elric suddenly splintered, the floor cracking open as a dark abyss yawned wide. Elric flailed, grasping desperately for something—anything—to stop his fall.

"Elric!" Aldric’s voice rang out, his focus momentarily diverted. That split second was all Magnus needed. With a swift motion, he swiped his cane upward, conjuring a razor-sharp blade of wind that sliced through the air. Aldric barely had time to react as the magical blade severed his left arm. The limb hit the ground with a sickening thud, and blood spattered across the stone floor. Magnus quickly retreated, his laughter echoing out.

Cael, ever vigilant, darted forward. He caught Elric by the arm just as he was about to be swallowed by the darkness below and landed on the otherside safely

"You bastard!" Cael roared.

But Magnus paid him no heed. His gaze was fixed on Aldric, who was clutching the bloody stump where his arm had been. "The life of a king doesn’t suit you, old friend," Magnus taunted. "Once, you would have dodged such an attack with ease. But look at you now—weak, pathetic. It would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic." He chuckled lowly. "I wonder if you can even handle what’s coming next."

Magnus’s cane began to glow with a malevolent cyan light. The guards who had once stood against the crown now clutched at their heads, screaming in agony as the light consumed them. Their bodies convulsed, skin bubbling and twisting into something monstrous.

Cael watched in horror as the transformation took hold. "W-What’s happening?"

"They’ve been implanted with demon seeds," Haru said calmly, his tone suggesting as if he had seen all this before. The soldiers’ skin darkened to a mottled red, their features distorting into horrific parodies of humanity. Their screams became guttural roars, echoing through the chamber as they lunged at the remaining guards.

The once-human creatures tore into them with savage ferocity, their inhuman strength overwhelming any resistance. Blood spattered the walls, and the air filled with the sound of dying men.

One of the demonified guards tore through two soldiers with ease, its twisted form moving with unnatural speed. It then locked onto Cael, who stood firm with his sword raised, determined to protect his brother.

The Captain of the guard rushed forward, his blade flashing as he tried to fend off the abominations. But his strikes merely caused them annoyance even as his blade tore through flesh. Never had he faced such creatures who didn't even feel pain. He looked desperately to the young princes but he knew he wouldn't reach in time.

Aldric turned back toward Magnus, who was still laughing mockingly. With a casual flick of his cane, Magnus blasted a gaping hole in the castle wall. He stepped onto the air as if it were solid ground, ascending toward the sky. Before leaving, he cast one final glance at Aldric. "Though I won’t see you die today," Magnus sneered, "I’ll savor the moment when this kingdom crumbles, and you’re one step from the grave. When that time comes, I’ll finish the job myself. I’ll bury you next to Lysandra, and I’ll dance on both your graves!"

His laughter rang out as he continued forward, moving further and further away.

Aldric’s jaw clenched, his heart torn between the need to save his people, protect his sons, and the burning desire to chase down Magnus, the friend who had betrayed him so completely. But the decision was made in an instant—his sons came first.

Just as he moved to act, Haru materialized in front of him. In his hand, a sword taken from a fallen guard. With a single, precise motion, Haru plunged the blade into the demonified guard who was after Cael and Elric. The creature let out a horrific screech before collapsing as it withered away to ash at Haru’s feet.

> Minus Strength Lv 2

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