As I tried to savor the lavish feast before me, my gaze suddenly locked with that of King Gaspar. His piercing eyes seemed to probe my very soul, searching for even the faintest trace of deception.

And in that moment, something inside me snapped—a deep-seated rage, a visceral hatred I had been suppressing for far too long. After all, I had known the truth from the start: King Gaspar was no mere man. He was a demon disguised as a king.

My expression hardened, any pretense of courtesy vanishing from my face. Slowly, I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword, ready to act.

Seizing a brief moment when the king’s attention wavered, I abruptly rose from my seat. With a single mental command, I activated my [Mana Amplification] ability. The world around me seemed to slow, granting me all the time I needed to strike.

I launched myself at Gaspar, my blade slicing through the air with superhuman speed. Before anyone at the table could react, my sword found its mark, cutting clean through the king’s throat.

Blood erupted in a violent spray, splattering the horrified nobles seated nearby. Gaspar’s body slumped lifelessly onto the table, his severed head tumbling onto the floor with a dull thud.

A suffocating silence fell over the room as every pair of eyes turned to me, wide with disbelief. Then, as the gravity of my actions set in, I let out a chilling laugh—devoid of humanity and dripping with malice.

“Hahaha! Don’t you fools understand anything?” I exclaimed, my voice cold and detached. “Your precious king was nothing more than a demon! A monster disguised as a man who has manipulated you for years!”

The faces of the nobles contorted in horror, some letting out screams of terror. A few knights seated at the table began to reach for their swords, but I halted them with a single commanding gesture.

“Don’t bother, you stupid humans,” I sneered with disdain. “None of you stand a chance against me.”

Bending down, I grabbed Gaspar’s severed head, lifting it high for all to see.

“Behold this wretched thing! This is the true face of your demon king!”

The nobles recoiled in disgust, some choking back sobs of terror. Only one man, dressed in luxurious robes, dared to speak.

“You despicable assassin! How dare you strike down our sovereign?” he shouted, his face twisted in fury.

I offered him a mocking smile, letting Gaspar’s bloodied head drop slightly.

“Your sovereign, you say? Can you not see how thoroughly this tyrant has deceived you?” I retorted, my voice sharp and unyielding. “Under his so-called just and benevolent rule, the people of Valoria have lived in fear and oppression! Even a whisper of dissent was punishable by death!”

I paused, letting my words sink in as I scanned the horrified faces of the aristocrats.

“This is the truth that demon hid from you all these years! Valoria was nothing but a kingdom of terror, enslaved by a bloodthirsty monster!”

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A ripple of outrage and disbelief swept through the assembly, some finally beginning to grasp the magnitude of my revelation.

“But… why? Why would you do something like this?” a woman cried, tears streaming down her face.

I shrugged nonchalantly, a cynical smile playing on my lips.

“Why, you ask? Because my mission was of the utmost importance. I couldn’t afford to let that foolish demon king interfere with my plans.”

I paused briefly, savoring the shock that rippled through the room.

“You see, I was sent here to retrieve an ancient artifact—the Demon’s Vein. And dear Gaspar, with his obsession for control, would have been quite the thorn in my side.”

The faces of the nobles grew even paler, some letting out horrified gasps.

“The Demon’s Vein?” one man choked out, panic written across his features. “You’re mad!”

I chuckled darkly, entirely unfazed by their reactions.

“Mad? Perhaps. But at least I’m not blind to the true nature of this world,” I shot back, my voice laced with scorn. “Unlike you naive humans, I’ve long understood that the only way to survive is to become stronger than the demons that surround us!”

I tightened my grip on Gaspar’s severed head, a glint of mania flashing in my eyes.

“And that’s why I won’t hesitate to use the Demon’s Vein to achieve my goals, no matter the cost!”

An eerie silence gripped the room, the nobles paralyzed by the sheer horror of my revelations. Only a few dared to meet my gaze, their terror palpable.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the hallway. Moments later, a squad of royal guards stormed into the dining hall, their swords drawn.

“Stay where you are, traitor!” one of them commanded, pointing his blade at me. “By order of King Gaspar, you are under arrest!”

A derisive smile curled my lips, and I let out a hollow laugh.

“Too late, fools,” I said coldly. “Your precious king is already dead.”

Before they could respond, I raised Gaspar’s severed head, presenting it as irrefutable proof of my deed.

“See for yourselves! Your king is nothing but a lifeless corpse now!”

The guards recoiled in shock, their faces twisting in revulsion at the grisly sight. Some looked as if they might vomit, horrified by the gruesome display.

“Monster!” one of them cried, his voice trembling with rage. “You’ll pay for this abomination!”

I laughed again, my tone mocking.

“Oh, but I have no intention of paying for anything,” I replied coolly. “You see, my mission is far from over.”

Without warning, I hurled Gaspar’s head toward the guards, forcing them to dodge. Seizing the moment of chaos, I vaulted over the table, leaping over overturned dishes and shattered porcelain.

“Stop him!” one of the soldiers shouted, but it was already too late.

With a swift motion, I reactivated my [Mana Amplification], pushing my speed far beyond human limits. In the blink of an eye, I darted past the guards, racing toward the exit at a breakneck pace.

The screams of terrified nobles mingled with the frantic orders of the soldiers, creating a cacophony of chaos. But I paid no mind. My sole focus now was on securing the Demon’s Vein—no matter what it took.

As I sprinted through the palace corridors, a single thought burned in my mind. Yes, today I had crossed a line, one I could never return from. Nothing would stand in my way now.

A twisted smile spread across my face. After all, wasn’t this the price of reclaiming my title as the supreme mage?