Adonis slowly walked towards them.
She didn't reach for her sword.
No, instead, she dropped her sheathed sword to the ground, as if it was a hindrance.
She intended to face them with her bare hands.
The beasts eyed Adonis warily as she approached.
"Money... If you kill people, money comes out... Money!"
As Reed had expected, they were consumed by the delusion that killing people would yield money.
"Give us the money!"
The man holding a dagger disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was in front of Adonis.
The dagger aimed for the gap between her armor, targeting her carotid artery.
Just as his blade was about to make contact,
Bang!
Dust rose into the air.
Reed doubted his eyes.
Adonis's fist was covered in blood and flesh, and the monster targeting her neck was now embedded in the ground.
It was like an old movie, where the process was cut, and only the result was shown.
'She took him down in one blow.'
Humans enhanced by the Desire Masker were all monsters.
But Adonis Hupper was a superhuman who surpassed them.
It was clear who the real hunter was in this place.
"Kyaaaak!"
Crunch!
"Give us the money!"
She moved slowly, with heavy steps, and crushed the heads of the monsters that charged toward her.
"Uwooooh!"
Finally, the largest man, with a bear-like roar, charged at Adonis.
His arm was as thick as her waist, making the difference in size apparent.
Thud!
But Adonis's hand grabbed and snapped him like a twig.
Reed, who was briefly worried, felt embarrassed by the destructive sight.
It took only one minute to subdue the monsters that attacked the merchant guild.
Adonis brushed off the blood and flesh from her hands.
"Listen, citizens of Cohen!"
Adonis's shout echoed throughout.
"As long as the king lives, there is nothing that can threaten the existence of Cohen! All of this is the will of our Lord, Althea, and the will of the great king, Morgan Hupper! Worship the king!"
"Knights of Cohen!"
"Alté, please watch over our king!"
The voices of people offering prayers to the god and showing respect to the knights filled the area where chaos had once been.
Only then did Reed understand why they had intentionally caused chaos.
'Create chaos themselves. And then clean it up. Then...'
They would gain fame.
The power of the kingdom would be displayed, and everyone would praise and trust the kingdom without question.
"What an amazing show of force. I can't tell who's the monster and who's the knight."
Freesia's face was filled with a childlike smile.
"It's a shame for that girl. She certainly has the qualities to become a king, but she can't be one."
Reed's eyes were filled with determination.
He was definitely swayed.
However, he tried not to show it to Freesia.
"What do you think, Reed?"
"I also think she is a person worthy of being a king."
A flawless superhuman.
To some, she was an idol; to those who couldn't worship her, she was a source of fear.
"But you said she can't become a king. Is there a reason?"
"It's not a big reason."
Although she said it wasn't a big reason, Reed concentrated on every word as if he wouldn't miss a single one.
"Well, it's just that a woman being possessed by a man is a bit... you know?"
"…!"
Possession.
Upon hearing that word, all the repulsive elements clicked together like puzzle pieces in Reed's mind.
"Do you mean that Morgan Hupper will possess his son, Morgan the Second?"
"Yes, that's how it is."
Freesia nodded casually.
'Then Morgan the Second so far...'
Was not Morgan's son, but Morgan himself.
Maturity beyond his age.
An awakened mind, driven by the conviction that he must rule the country after his father's death.
Lies.
Everything was a lie.
In fact, it was Morgan himself.
"Isn't it fascinating? The wise king who watches over all people is after his own son's body. He's afraid that everything he has built will become futile, so he creates chaos himself and desires eternal life."
Freesia twirls with her fan open.
She looked around the city once again.
A smile formed naturally.
A wicked, childlike smile.
"I really like it here. It's an interesting city."
Having escaped Freesia's amusement, Reed sat quietly leaning back in his office chair.
'Morgan the Second...'
He recalled Morgan from “Disaster 7”.
-Your loyalty will be rewarded.
-It is my duty to carry on the will of my father, Morgan, and watch over the people.
With a disgusting face, he blatantly lied.
He deceived everyone, taking the life of his own son to survive.
'Freesia must be the one helping him.'
Morgan probably asked Freesia, the master of dark magic, for help, and Freesia was searching for a solution in response to his request.
Why would Freesia research such magic?
The nuances suggested that she was undoubtedly in cahoots with Morgan Hupper and she wouldn't have informed the workshop.
The workshop's magicians mainly researched white magic, which emphasized ethics, so it was natural that they wouldn't touch dark magic, which was uncomfortable even for the tower's magicians.
'Adonis...'
Captain of the Third Knight Order, Adonis Hupper.
And the third disaster, Adonis.
'Did Morgan Hupper push Adonis to make the Second succeed?'
What if the death of that noble was also intentional?
The last moment Adonis faces.
In a situation where the protagonist could show mercy, she responds like this.
-I have been betrayed by the people I have respected and loved all my life. There is only one place left to go.
Saying this, she takes her own life with her sword.
The noble soul that could have been a virtuous knight devoted loyalty to a twisted being tainted by the light of corruption.
Reed closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
'Why did I come here?'
He always felt pity for the seven disasters Reed created.
Characters who, despite having experienced great setbacks, had the chance to overcome obstacles and make a leap forward.
However, he pitied the seven disasters that became hideous monsters by Reed’s hand.
Adonis falling into danger, and the noble that tried to assault her were all orchestrated by Morgan Hupper.
'In order to become a wise king... No, to maintain his rule, he led his own bloodline to ruin.'
He tore down his daughter's reputation as a knight and stole his son's body, extinguishing his soul.
Hypocrite.
Reed let out a hollow laugh.
"Isn't this just like the final boss I used to be?"
Fearing death and using his children to escape.
He couldn't admit the limits of his abilities, and it was no different from Reed who drove multiple people to ruin.
'If I interfere with his plan, I will surely be at odds with Freesia.'
Not knowing her motives, but as a self-willed woman, she would undoubtedly be ruthless.
However, it doesn't matter.
She is not on my side.
She is on no one's side.
'If she doesn't agree with me, I have no choice but to turn her into an enemy.'
He finally made up his mind.
Reed picked up his pen.
***
Cohen Kingdom's Third Knight Order Captain's office.
The soldier who just finished the shift report spoke.
"… That's all I have to report."
"Soldier, you've worked hard. Go and rest for today."
"Yes, sir!"
After the soldier saluted respectfully and left.
Someone else entered the room.
It was a servant.
"Sir, Captain, there is a letter for you."
"A letter?"
"Yes, there's no sender, so it's a bit concerning, but what should we do?"
A letter without a sender.
Depending on the commander's discretion, it could just be burned.
"Leave it and go."
"Yes, sir."
The servant placed the letter on the desk and saluted Adonis.
Adonis used a knife to tear open the letter with an invisible seal.
-You will become a king.
The elegant handwriting did not seem to be written merely as a joke.
'Who sent this?'
Although she couldn't tell who sent it, Adonis could feel the sincerity emanating from it.
That someone genuinely cared for her.
