Caron swung his sword. A deep sense of misery twisted within him, but he forced his emotions down. This was the work of the Malevolent Emperor. It was he who had turned the knights of the Ducal Family of Leston into these abominations. The head of the Oceanwolf Knight standing at the very front dropped cleanly from his shoulders, severed by Caron's blade. They were long dead. What stood before Caron now were mere puppets, moved by the Malevolent Emperor's dark power, lingering only as shades of their former selves. "Young Master, is this the future you wished for?" "Azureocean Castle abandoned us." Voices steeped in black mana echoed around him like a chorus of the damned. Yet Caron didn't shy away from those voices. He allowed their bitterness to reach his ears. He couldn't pity them. That would only defile what they once were. Pale purple rifts split open from above, pouring down a wave of dark blue moonlight. The light rode the tide, spreading in every direction. Mana as hard and sharp as any steel, forged by a knight who had reached 8-Star, marked the Oceanwolf Knights' final farewell. There had been thirty Oceanwolf Knights stationed here. Everyone who had been dispatched to the Imperial Palace was present. Caron recalled the name of the one who had overseen these knights. And the knight bearing that name was watching Caron from not too far away. "Young Master Caron," a familiar voice called out to him. The voice belonged to a man who had spent considerable time at Caron's side, even among the Oceanwolf Knights. Hans, the knight placed in charge of this deployment under Halo's command, glared at him, violet light flickering in his undead eyes. "I did my best to take care of you, didn't I?" Hans continued. "Hans," Caron replied quietly. "But why did you abandon me?" Hans demanded, bitterness seething in his voice. "Where were you and what were you doing when I died such a horrible death?" The familiar voice struck like a blade laced with hatred. Caron had known this would happen the moment he realized Marionette had been invoked. That twisted spell was a grand performance, a hellish play that dragged on until the subject's mind broke completely. This was all karma in the end, resentment sent by those he had failed to protect. Caron gazed calmly at Hans's half-twisted face. A faint smile touched his lips as he said, "You're right. I really was too late." Guillotine's blade shimmered with sorrowful light. Dark blue light flowed endlessly from the blade like the tides themselves. Caron recalled a conversation he once had with Hans. It had been on the train to the capital, when he was summoned by the emperor himself. Hans had been on guard duty, and they'd talked quite a bit along the way. "Young Master Caron, if I happen to die while on duty... Please have some pity for me," Hans said. "What do you mean by that?" Caron asked. "You know, look after the family I leave behind... things like that." "Our house would take care of that. Why are you asking me personally?" "Because you've got a kind heart, Young Master Caron. Haha! I just felt like you'd treat them well." Knights lived with the sword—and died by it. They were always prepared to face death in the line of duty. Many Oceanwolf Knights had died this way before, and now, it was simply Hans' turn. Caron knew that someday his turn would come as well. Knights didn't fear death. They only hoped that theirs would be a noble one. So, Caron didn't pity Hans. "I never said this before, Hans, but... I was actually reincarnated. I thought I'd gotten used to losing people because of the memories from my previous life," Caron said quietly. Hans was already dead. What stood before Caron now was nothing more than an undead being. And Caron knew that well. His words weren't meant to be heard—they were a confession to the dead. "But I guess... I really wasn't used to it after all," he continued. To say he felt no sorrow would've been a lie. But sorrow wasn't the only thing flooding his mind now—there was something stronger, something heavier, rising above it. "Just like I promised, I'll take care of your family, Hans," Caron said, forcing a strained smile. "Not just through the house, I'll do it myself as well. That's what you really wanted, right? Congratulations. Your family's now one of the wealthiest in all of Azureocean Castle," he said with a joking tone, even if Hans couldn't possibly understand anymore. Caron needed to say it —for his own peace of mind. His ocean surged with violent waves. Standing at the heart of that ocean, Caron raised his sword high. Chimeras rushed at him in a frenzy. The grotesque creatures, fuming with feral bloodlust, came charging straight for him. And alongside them, the knights followed suit. Former Oceanwolf Knights, once loyal and proud, now twisted by dark mana—racing toward the very man they had once served. The dark mana tore through the battlefield like a tempest, merciless and all-consuming. And the Mad Dog of the Ducal Family of Leston saw it all. He carved each terrible moment into his memory, one by one, branding the karmic debt owed into the backs of his eyes. Now was the time to speak the words he hadn't had the chance to before. With a voice far more solemn than ever, the Mad Dog declared, "I, Caron Leston, speak on behalf of the Lord of the House... to all of you." At last, the ocean swallowed the knights and chimeras alike. The monstrous shrieks of the charging chimeras fell silent, and the knights who had screamed curses at him froze mid-attack. Everything stopped—as if time itself had frozen. Only Caron moved freely within the great tide. "Due to your sacrifice, the vile conspiracy festering within the royal family has been exposed. And so..." Caron continued as he brought his sword down. From Guillotine, a surge of immense power tore the sea asunder. Dark blue petals scattered across the water's surface—an offering of flowers for fallen comrades. "As of this moment, your mission has ended," Caron concluded. There were petals, sea, and moonlight... In the dark blue glow of the sea, someone's final mission came to a close. Caron slowly sheathed Guillotine, the blade sliding home with a quiet finality. Then, he lifted his gaze toward the ceiling of the security zone, where a violet eye had been watching him for some time. There was no question who it belonged to. "...Thanks for the gift," Caron muttered. The thick dark mana that had filled the security zone was dissipating rapidly. The violet eye stared at him until the very last second—and then, just like that, vanished without a trace. The Marionette curse that had haunted the security zone disappeared with them, and for the first time, the true state of the room revealed itself. There were tools and apparatuses used for manufacturing chimeras, and corpses of researchers scattered across the floor. Among them lay the broken bodies of the chimeras and the knights of the Oceanwolf Knight Order. "Hah..." Caron let out a deep sigh and gave a small flick of his fingers. In response, Pluto consumed the bodies of the fallen knights. However, it was the royal family's duty to handle the researchers' corpses. Caron approached one of the chimera corpses and slowly extended his hand over it. Even in death, the creature pulsed faintly with dark mana. More than half of the chimeras had been implanted with the knights' cores. It was one of the most horrifying things imaginable—blending the remains of humans and monsters into these abominations. Caron wondered what would have happened if these creatures had escaped the lab. There was little doubt that the Imperial Palace would've been engulfed in catastrophe, just as it had been fifty years ago. "Pluto, disengage the barrier," Caron instructed. Pluto, obeying Caron's command, released the barrier that had sealed off the security zone's entrance. The moment it disappeared, the soldiers waiting outside rushed in. At the front of the formation stood Commander Hollander. The moment they crossed the threshold, the soldiers all flinched. Even with all their training, what they saw inside the zone was nothing short of a nightmare. "Are you alright?" Hollander asked. Caron nodded, though his expression remained tight. He answered, "Physically, yes." "Then...?" Hollander trailed off. Caron lifted a hand and pointed to his own head, then said, "...I'm losing it." "What exactly happened here?" Hollander asked. "We found the missing Oceanwolf Knights," Caron answered. At that, Hollander fell silent. He didn't need to ask further. The stench of death in the room, the shattered bodies—everything spoke for itself. The knights' fate was unmistakably grim. "May they rest in peace," Hollander said solemnly. "Let's hold that off until we clean up this mess," Caron replied, steadying his voice. He couldn't afford to let grief or vengeance cloud his judgment now. He'd already suspected that the knights dispatched to the palace had met a tragic end. But seeing it—confirming it with his own eyes—had stirred a storm inside him. Caron reached into his pouch of dimensional space and pulled out a communication orb. It was a secure communication orb, personally provided by the Master of the Magic Tower. As Caron infused the orb with mana, a familiar voice crackled through from the other side. "Speak, Caron." Clutching the device tightly, Caron responded, "I've secured evidence that the royal family has been conducting research into dark mana. In accordance with the oath between the Ducal Family of Leston and the royal family, our forces are now authorized to enter the palace." There was a pause before Halo asked, voice low and measured, "What of the Oceanwolf Knights stationed at the palace?" "They're all dead," Caron answered flatly. "Fortunately, we've retrieved their bodies." His voice was stiff and formal, stripped of emotion. On the other end, Halo let out a quiet sigh. After a moment, he asked in a softer tone, "What is the next step?" "A detachment from the Imperial Guards and the Royal Guards is currently securing the teleportation circle in the garden. Once it's in our hands, mages from the Magic Tower will activate it. That's your signal to enter the palace," Caron answered. "Have you identified the one behind this?" Halo asked. To that, Caron answered without hesitation, "It was the Malevolent Emperor. He's returned and is in the palace again." He already had a good idea where the Malevolent Emperor would be. As soon as the call ended, Caron planned to head there. Perhaps sensing this, Halo's voice dropped into a warning tone. "You've done more than enough, Caron. Wait for the main force to arrive. Hugo and the others have convinced Duke Salmon to join us. His troops will soon breach the capital. Don't rush in." It was more than advice—it was a warning, heavy with a grandfather's concern. A warning not to throw his life away. But Caron gave a faint smile and replied, "Do you know what my lifelong goal is? To become the greatest troublemaker." "...Caron!" Halo shouted through the communication orb. "And what's the first trait of a troublemaker? Not listening to the elders of the family," Caron added. "It's dangerous," Halo warned him. "No, this was all orchestrated by the Malevolent Emperor just for me. He's waiting alone for me to get there. That means I have to go," Caron replied firmly. He knew the Malevolent Emperor hadn't descended in his true form—but that didn't matter. Another long sigh came through the communication orb. Halo had realized he could no longer stop his grandson. Thus, he said, "Then please... Be careful. Don't overdo it." Taking a step back was the greatest consideration he could offer his grandson. Even through the orb, Caron's anger was palpable. "Thank you," Caron said. "I'll see you at the Imperial Palace," Halo said. With that, the transmission ended. As Caron tucked the communication orb into his coat, Commander Hollander approached and reported, "There's a battle happening in the garden, but it should be wrapped up in ten minutes. What are your orders?" "We will move immediately," Caron answered. "Then tell me the destination. The soldiers... They've seen the horrors in the palace with their own eyes now," Hollander said. Caron drew in a deep breath. There was only one place the Malevolent Emperor could be. "The main palace," Caron declared. Hollander's lips tightened, and he gave a slow, solemn nod, then said, "Then let's move quickly." "Thank you for your support, Commander," Caron said. Without hesitation, he stepped forward. The final act of this entire conspiracy was now within reach.