Isolde stepped toward the center of the room in her silver armor and sapphire blue cloak, which swept across the wooden floor, while the golden radiance of the Divine Panopticon slowly faded.
She then noticed a blackish-red glow beneath one of the pillars inside the room that was the exact location of the ritual curse object.
Without hesitation, Isolde dug beneath the base of the pillar and discovered a small pouch containing a green-eyed white pig’s bristle, the stench of goat blood, goblin ear ash, a mysterious tiny bone, a small piece of paper inscribed with ancient demon tongue incantations, and several graveyard soils all combined together inside that small pouch.
Next, Isolde performed an advanced tracking procedure to locate the origin and network of the curse using a specialized Tier 7 long-range curse-tracking magic called “Klątwa Skanowanie”.
Once the source and energy pathway were precisely traced, Isolde felt the lingering waves of demonic magic aura flowing densely from the southern direction.
From the direction and characteristics of the curse, she immediately guessed with absolute certainty that this was the vicious doing of Duke Vallière and his faction.
Then, Isolde chanted a spell in the language of the Elves capable of sending the malicious energy back to its master or sender.
Without wasting any time, Isolde immediately neutralized the cursed object using basic holy magic, Purification.
A radiant, holy white light instantly enveloped the ritual pouch, cleansing the entire room of the remaining foul demonic stench until not a trace was left.
As the curse was eradicated, Sir Raymond’s condition gradually improved drastically his previously blackened skin returned to normal, and his breathing became steady.
Meanwhile, the rest of the God’s Punishers squad was deployed to comb the surrounding area, but they found nothing until dawn approached.
The morning sun finally broke through, illuminating the ice towers of the capital city of Gimle with a piercingly cold light.
Inside a special guest room at the House of Silver residence, the morning atmosphere was filled with a warmth that contrasted sharply with the terror of the previous night.
Elena, who had barely slept at all after waking up in the middle of the night due to the chaos, was busy bathing her beloved younger brother, Aiden.
With eyes still slightly narrowed from sleepiness, Elena tenderly poured warm water over little Aiden’s tiny body using a small ladle, pouring out her deep affection.
Once finished and having dressed Aiden in warm clothes, Elena immediately lay down on the plush bed alongside her younger brother.
She hugged Aiden tightly, letting fatigue drag her consciousness into a deep morning sleep within his safe embrace.
Inside that embrace, Aiden could only let out a resigned sigh, allowing his adult soul to accompany his older sister as she rested.
However, that morning tranquility was not shared by everyone.
In the outdoor training yard, Edward stood alone holding his wooden sword.
As soon as he heard the news from the knights regarding the curse incident that had nearly claimed Sir Raymond’s life last night, a blaze of anger ignited in his chest.
Edward clenched his left fist until his knuckles turned white, glaring sharply toward the southern fortress of the enemy faction.
Within his heart filled with fury, he swore coldly, “When I eventually inherit the position of Head of the Silver Family, I will not be as gentle and patient as father. I will surely burn the House of Vallière to the ground without leaving a single descendant behind!” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Meanwhile, far away, in stark contrast to Edward’s anger, a tense atmosphere enveloped the private basement of the House of Vallière’s residence.
The elderly shaman, who had just recovered from the backlash of magical energy, walked limping into Duke Archambaud’s private study.
With his head bowed in trembling fear, he reported the total failure of the ritual.
”Your Grace the Duke…
the curse ritual did manage to penetrate and injure the target, but the holy power from the church suddenly intervened and completely destroyed the effect of the ritual object,” the shaman reported with a hoarse, fear-filled voice.
Duke Archambaud sat upon his stone throne draped in a black velvet cloak, narrowing his sharp eyes.
Instead of being angry, the duke’s lips curved upward into a dangerous, crooked smile.
He knew very well who wielded holy purification magic that powerful—who else could it be but an Inquisitor of the Holy Church.
”It doesn’t matter,” Duke Archambaud replied in a low, cold, and authoritative tone.
”Even though that ritual object was destroyed, the spiritual poison that flowed last night has already damaged their commander’s stamina.
Sir Raymond will not be at his peak performance.
If he dares to step in at tonight’s banquet, one of our two special hybrid pawns will surely tear his body to pieces with ease.”
The dirty game had reached its decisive stage, and the tenth birthday celebration of King Gyo’s daughter—cloaked behind the grandeur of the palace mask—was ready to witness true bloodshed.
The sun, which had earlier shone coldly on the eastern horizon, now slowly crept downward, yielding the throne of the sky to the spreading amber twilight over the icy city of Gimle.
Behind the granite stone walls of King Gyo’s Palace, preparations for the evening celebration proceeded in a silence fraught with tension.
Inside the master bedroom, Sir Raymond stood straight in front of a large silver-framed mirror.
Although his skin color had returned to normal thanks to Isolde’s purification magic, traces of exhaustion were still clearly etched beneath his eyes.
The mirror reflected the figure of a veteran knight whose shoulders felt burdened by thousands of destinies, yet he had no choice but to don his ceremonial armor engraved with the silver crest of the House of Silver.
”Sir Raymond, are you sure your body has fully recovered for tonight?”
Edward’s firm voice resonated from the threshold of the dressing room.
The northern noble youth and eldest son of Duke Richard stood tall, clad in a high-collared formal suit trimmed with thick fur typical of northern nobility—elegant, yet designed to allow flexible combat movement.
His gaze betrayed high alertness.
As the primary heir bearing full responsibility for escorting and protecting his family’s safety at such an important event, his military instincts went on full alert.
Sir Raymond turned his head, smiling faintly as he firmly patted Edward’s shoulder.
“This old body might have lost a bit of its inner vitality due to last night’s spiritual poison, Edward. But the escort and honor of the House of Silver before the king must not look shaken, especially in front of the poisonous snakes from the southern faction.”
The magnificence of the Grand Hall of Gimle Palace that night dazzled the eyes while suffocating the senses. This story is hosted at g.com.
Thousands of ice crystals suspended from the high ceiling reflected rainbow light from magical lamps, creating a grand atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the latent danger creeping behind the stone pillars.
Luxuriously dressed nobles, ministers, and faction elites mingled, concealing malicious intentions behind subtle smiles and sips of warm wine.
In a corner of the room slightly hidden from the crowd, the House of Silver contingent prepared themselves.
Freya was present alongside her children—Edward, Elena, and Aiden—stepping gracefully among other family relatives.
Aiden, now over two years old, looked utterly adorable in a cute and warm winter outfit—a special gift bought by Elena when they visited a boutique around the city square some time earlier.
That soft fur-lined attire made the tiny boy look like an endearing little bear, contrasting with the tension beginning to creep through the hall.
Suddenly, the resounding blast of royal trumpets echoed loudly across every corner of the room, instantly silencing the bustling chatter within the hall.
”His Majesty King Gyo and the royal family have arrived!”
The stout figure of King Gyo, draped in a white lion fur cloak, walked gracefully toward the main throne.
Behind him, members of the royal family followed in a formation that reflected the intricate political intrigues of the palace:
From the first wife, the 25-year-old crown prince attended with a sharp gaze full of political ambition.
Following closely behind him were the 15-year-old princess and her younger sister—the princess celebrating her tenth birthday today—smiling sweetly to greet the invited guests.
Then, from the second wife, an 18-year-old prince was present.
From the third wife, a twin pair of a 12-year-old prince and princess walked side by side.
Lastly, a loyal concubine appeared, cradling the youngest princess, who was only one year old, within her embrace.
All the attending nobles bowed respectfully in unison, creating a solemn, majestic atmosphere charged heavily with political pressure amidst the splendor of the icy palace walls.
King Gyo sat firmly upon his white lion throne, while the princes, princesses, King Gyo’s wives, and the concubine occupied their respective seats of honor in strict accordance with the kingdom’s rigid and intrigue-laden hierarchy.
In a secluded corner hidden from the main spotlight, Edward tightened his grip on the lapel of his thick fur-trimmed northern formal suit.
His sharp gaze never left the line of palace guards, ready to anticipate any movement, no matter how small.
Meanwhile, near Freya, Aiden—wearing his tiny bear winter outfit—let out a small yawn, his short fingers rubbing his eyes with sleepiness.
Yet, behind his cute appearance and eyes narrowed against exhaustion, the adult soul within the two-year-old toddler’s body was fully alert.
Aiden was well aware that this false calm was merely a superficial shell, and the climax of the horrifying storm that had been creeping since last night would erupt precisely today.