Upon returning to the castle, I received a brief update on the current situation from Siron, the head butler dispatched by the royal family.
“So, you’re saying that over seventy percent of the Shylock fief’s population has declared their support for me?”
“Yes, my Lord. While the direct support from the royal family might have played a part, Lady Elfried’s efforts were substantial.”
I slowly perused the report Siron handed to me. It summarized the ongoing construction status of the Sixth Lord’s Domain, the current condition of the Shylock fief, and outlined the core administrative issues of the First Lord’s Domain. Everything from minor fief complaints to a long-term roadmap for the development of the Sixth Lord’s Domain was methodically organized. Since I had taken the position as the Lord, countless responsibilities rested upon me. However, the sole solace was the small population of the fief, neighboring the Magic Realm, which limited the scale of problems. Strangely, recent documents indicated an unexpected rise in the population over the last month.
The cause was none other than Elfried’s peculiar behavior. Though I had previously believed her absence was merely due to a nomadic nature, it turns out she had been traveling around, offering free treatment to the people.
Calling herself a Saint, she preached various heroic tales about me, the new Sixth Lord.
“…”
The Shylock fief, located in an extremely harsh and remote area due to proximity to the Magic Realm, suffered frequent appearances of Demon Beasts. Amid this, the lack of specialized medical personnel meant suffering for the locals who seldom received appropriate treatment. Elfried’s efforts in personally visiting and treating people in the name of the divine had unexpectedly swelled the numbers of her followers beyond expectation.
There was neither cause nor reason to halt her, as what she did benefited the people.
“Lord of the Sixth Domain.”
“Yes?”
“A formal declaration has arrived from the Star Sect. They declare that Lady Elfried’s impersonation of a Saint gravely tarnishes their honor and demand that you immediately stop these acts and compensate them accordingly.”
The issue was that her actions had drawn the attention of the Star Sect. The Sect, which strictly regulated the use of divine power as solely belonging to the divine, viewed her impersonation of their symbol, the Saint, as akin to pressing their trigger-button.
Moreover, the fact that a woman, who they thought had been silently exiled to Blackmore, was now openly impersonating a Saint greatly infuriated them. Despite the reality that she was the true Saint and the other a counterfeit, expecting logic from such a deceit-prone group was as futile as seeking sanity from charlatans.
There were two options:
– Bowing to their demands by apologizing and providing compensation.
– Or deliberately cutting ties with the Star Sect.
While the former would undoubtedly be the smoother path, I had no intention of taking it. The Star Sect wasn’t the kind to settle with one concession, and frankly, their very essence was distasteful—excessively selfish and mean-spirited, much like my former graduate school professor.
Elfried’s salvation since the beginning had always predicted this confrontation with the Star Sect.
I pulled out elegant stationery from the drawer and scribbled a few words before handing it to Siron.
“Siron.”
“Lord of the Sixth Domain.”
“Please send this communication back to the Star Sect. Henceforth, their communications will be ignored without exception. There is no need to report to me about them anymore.”
“I shall carry out the order promptly.”
Siron took the letter, bowed respectfully, and quickly exited the room. His unwavering obedience was characteristic of someone from the royal family’s notorious and meticulous Internal Affairs division.
“Hmph.”
I turned my gaze inward again. While becoming enemies with the Star Sect posed no significant issue, it necessitated readiness for what was to come. The Star Sect is a typical fantasy world religious organization that exploits people’s wealth under the guise of divinity and spares no vile or malicious means—a standard cliché. They might attempt assassination or poisoning at any time, and currently, I had no means to counter such attempts. Without the Power of the Rune, I’m just an ordinary human in every aspect—from dynamic vision to cognitive abilities.
No matter how potent the Rune abilities might be, my human body remains just that—fragile. An ambush could kill me before I could even use them. However, thanks to the absorption of Ouroboros, a fragment of the Outer God, I no longer lack in mental stamina.
A new strategy was imperative.
“…It’s really urgent, isn’t it?”
Most importantly, I am the Sixth Lord among the Lords. Due to my status, I’ll face countless powerful adversaries, with each encounter likely fraught with peril. The issue is their ignorance of my capabilities. If they had ever seen me wield the Power of the Rune, they wouldn’t dare treat me lightly, but only a few people, including Arkhan, have ever witnessed my abilities. To them, I’m an ordinary person who inexplicably ascended to the Sixth Domain position.
“Maybe there’s a way…”
I had absorbed two Runes:
The Rune of Time and the Rune of Space. Time, space, and infinite cycles—although no one in the original story possessed these three powers concurrently, I was still inexperienced in wielding them. However, they seemed combinable into a constant defensive system.
“Accelerate.”
As I muttered the activation phrase, a golden mist rose from the tips of my fingers. It spread thin, forming a translucent, golden barrier encompassing me.
“Enough mental stamina…”
Previously, maintaining this state would’ve drained my mental stamina instantly, but now, with the power of the Ouroboros, the stamina lost was cycling back, regenerating.
“Divide.”
The tattoo beneath my left eye glowed golden. The space around me cracked like glass, and the golden barrier isolating me from the world began to form.
Even physical movements and my outward appearance remained unchanged when I checked in a mirror—this level of isolation should protect me against physical strikes.
But caution was needed. Various special abilities existed on the continent, including those that could bypass spatial restrictions, affecting the target with certainty.
As long as time flowed, some cracks in my enclosed space could form—it wasn’t eternal. So additional safeguards were essential. I recited another incantation.
“Reverse.”
The tattoo beneath my right eye illuminated, and once again, I layered another “Reverse.”
…The flow of time within the isolated space completely halted. Usually, because the mental stamina cost was too high, I only used this layered “Reverse” for brief invincibility. But after absorbing the Rune of Space and entering the final stage of enlightenment, and acquiring the power of circulation, mental stamina exhaustion was no longer a concern.
The transparent barrier separating the space, along with stopped time, effectively created an eternal void. Although I depleted 30% of my mental stamina instantly, it gradually recovered thanks to Ouroboros.
“…Did it work?”
I needed to test my abilities. Just as I moved,
“Lord, it’s Siron.”
Siron, who had just left, was back. Curious to know what he wanted, I looked at him. He appeared perplexed.
“A visitor has arrived at the castle.”
“Visitor?”
“…The First Lord has come. He wishes to see you, Sixth Lord.”
The First Lord, Mage Ekyon—the first man to earn the title of Magister, the pinnacle of mages, and a legend at the top of the continent.
It seemed Grandmaster Quan’s prediction about the other Lords visiting wasn’t false. With no real excuse to decline the meeting, I sighed and responded,
“…Guide him to the reception room.”
*
The First Lord, Mage Ekyon.
Quietly following the man who introduced himself as the head butler, he wore a dark robe.
“Sixth Lord residence is rather… modest.”
Observing the surroundings, he was intrigued. A mundane royal official had been appointed to the long-vacant Sixth Lord position, sufficient to spark his curiosity. Though he wouldn’t have personally visited just for that, a recent report from the Grand Lord drew him.
“Outer beings…”
Ouroboros—a fragment of an Outer God existing on the fringes of the world. Ekyon had read brief accounts of it in ancient texts.
Now, it was said its remains existed within the organization of Magisters. As a mage, it held immense research value. He requested its loan from the Grand Lord for study purposes, but was told he must obtain the Sixth Lord’s approval.
That’s why he was here.
“Nice to meet you. I am the First Lord, Mage Ekyon.”
“…Luke Richter.”
Ekyon studied Richter carefully. In every aspect, just a commonplace human—no traces of magic, no atmosphere peculiar to sorcerers, just an ordinary person with a handsome face.
But something was amiss. As soon as Ekyon made eye contact, cold sweat trickled down his brow. A highly adept mage’s heightened senses screamed with warning.
“…I have heard stories about you. A royal official, they say?”
“What’s your purpose?”
“Despite appearances, you’re quite impatient. Let’s take things slower for a chat. We’ve met through some destiny, after all.”
Ekyon extended a hand, proposing a handshake. Between high-level mages, it was customary to exchange magic through the handshake to gauge each other’s capabilities. It was common enough not to appear rude.
“Alright.”
Luke accepted the handshake, calm and expressionless. Ekyon immediately channeled his magic into the contact, trying to analyze Luke’s abilities.
“…?”
Nothing. The magic he unleashed was disappearing entirely, as if into a bottomless cauldron.
“What…?”
Magic, the world’s foundational energy, can’t simply vanish without reason—it can be disrupted or redirected, but the absolute disappearance without trace was impossible. Even the Grand Lord couldn’t perform such a feat.
Ekyon poured more magic, but every ounce was obliterated without a trace. His eyes flickered with confusion.
Then meeting Luke’s gaze,
“!!!”
A slight smirk on his lips, a chilling smile.
Dark eyes stared menacingly at Ekyon, inviting him to continue.
