Keleanos wiped the blood from his mouth, still supported on either side by the two maids as they steadied his steps.

  “It can’t be…” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the vial. The golden sigil in his eyes blinked out of existence, unable to be used anymore.

  “Keleanos, you should sit down.” Eden and Martha guided him to the nearest chair and eased him into it.

  He let out a long breath and leaned forward, elbows braced against his thighs, hands covering his face as his shoulders sagged beneath an invisible weight.

  “Give me a moment,” he said, his voice hollow with defeat. "Analyzing the drug backfired on me."

  The maids exchanged a look of deep concern.

  After another breath, he straightened slowly, the throbbing in his chest subsiding.

  “You probably don’t understand why I’m reacting like this,” he continued. “I don’t blame you.”

  A dry smile tugged at his tired expression, the streetlamps outside casting pale light across his face.

  “I tried to keep it buried,” he said quietly, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the chair, “but I suppose it can’t stay that way anymore.”

  He exhaled.

  “You two… you know what made us Remnants, don’t you?”

  They nodded, solemn.

  “Of course you do. Olivia—or the Agathion faction as a whole—would know after everything that happened. Henrietta and the others never tried to hide it either.”

  His voice grew heavier, weighed down by old wounds.

  “I…” He paused. “Watching everything vanish around me—buildings, people—reduced to ash and carried skyward, as if swallowed by the maw of some cataclysmic beast…” His jaw tightened. “That isn’t something you forget.”

  Eden’s fingers curled slightly at her side, knuckles whitening, though she said nothing. Martha, next to her, looked away, her eyes fixed to the floorboard.

  “My mother was a smart woman. I take that from her.” A rare warmth touched his smile—something fleeting, almost fragile. “And though it may sound strange coming from me… she was beautiful.”

  Martha and Eden remained silent, listening as he spoke of the death of a Valkyrie.

  “She had a rough temperament,” he added softly, “but she was my mother. She defended our city long before I was ever born.”

  His gaze fell to his right hand. With a quiet breath, he spoke a single name.

  “Eschaton.”

  Light flared around his forearm. For a brief instant, an ebony-black gauntlet materialized, humming with a low, ominous vibration—before dissolving into drifting particles of light.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “I try not to use it,” he said. “This artifact was never meant for me. It belonged to my mother.”

  The faint smile that followed only deepened the ache in the maids’ chests.

  “I was never meant to be a warrior like her.”

  His voice softened, almost ashamed, as if admitting that truth had always felt like a failure.

  He paused, then lifted his head.

  “But that’s not why I showed you this.” His gaze sharpened slightly. “As I said, my mother—Rakia—was exceptionally intelligent. She possessed knowledge you wouldn’t expect from her appearance alone.”

  “For example…” He met their eyes directly. “She understood the creation of medicinal concoctions.”

  Eden’s eyes widened.

  “Wait—” she said slowly. “Didn’t you mention medicinal plant extracts earlier?”

  The pieces clicked into place.

  "Yes. It cannot be a coincidence." His expression finally hardened. "I know most of the Valkyries’ personalities through the others’ stories. My mother was the only one who cared about creating medicine."

  "While we could be facing Varellia, who had a hand in advancements across many fields, the one who actually perished was Valkyrie Skadii—her mother."

  His voice carried conviction, as though the truth were slowly unraveling itself through his words.

  "So that leaves only one individual with the knowledge required to make this drug." He let out a hollow laugh. "An individual… a person. Right."

  He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, a faint, bitter smile forming.

  "Yivern isn’t a person."

  The name lingered in the room, echoing as though it were forbidden to be spoken aloud.

  A vehicle passed outside, its headlights spilling into the room. Shadows stretched across the walls before vanishing, leaving the two maids frozen in shock.

  "T-The Devourer we’re facing is…" Eden stammered, pushing her glasses back up her nose with trembling fingers.

  Keleanos opened his eyes and stared out the window, his gaze distant and melancholic.

  "It is most likely Yivern, disguised as my mother. There is no fundamental proof beyond the composition of this drug, which is why I cannot state this with absolute certainty."

  He bent his right arm and gripped the back of the chair, lifting himself with visible exhaustion.

  "Now that it has been said—Martha."

  Called out, the maid turned to him, her usual calm demeanor firmly in place.

  "Could you relay everything to Olivia? And I mean everything." She nodded in response.

  "Also, I need you to be direct. Would you mind starting with this before explaining the rest?"

  "As you suspected—"

  "Valkyrie Rakia…"

  The name lingered in Olivia’s mind as Martha finished her report.

  She bowed slightly, then stepped back and rejoined the line of maids.

  "This is difficult to process. Fortunately, I have a reliable friend who summarized everything clearly enough."

  Martha smiled warmly, lowering her gaze at the praise.

  "So, the drug is made by the Devourer itself."

  Olivia tapped her fingers against the armrest, her thoughts swirling.

  "Zara."

  The crimson-haired maid startled at the sudden call and stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back.

  "Yes?"

  "Wasn’t it a woman who gave the man this drug?"

  The simple question instantly soured Zara’s expression.

  "Damn it!" She clenched her fists, teeth grinding together. The others understood her frustration immediately.

  "Honestly, if the dealer really was the Devourer itself, I’m glad you lost track before anything happened."

  Zara looked toward her Master, who appeared more relieved than annoyed.

  "Remember—we know nothing about our enemy. This isn’t something you should blame yourself for."

  "We’re not even certain it was the Devourer directly, or merely a pet acting on its behalf." Olivia stood and walked to the window. "For now, we’ll let Keleanos continue investigating."

  Her eyes swept across the city. It was deep into the night, and for the first time since their arrival, the rain began to recede.

  Through the clouds, a thin ray of moonlight broke through, illuminating the main street below.

  "..."

  Olivia stared at it for a moment. Under the pale glow, the buildings seemed to lose their color.

  This… must be my imagination. I might be tired.

  The clouds surged again, sealing the gap and swallowing the light, leaving only streetlamps and neon signs behind.

  As the rain intensified once more, she turned away and returned to her seat.

  "We have more to discuss. Martha, when you return to Keleanos, I want you to—"

  Giving her orders, Olivia prepared for what was to come.

  The first stirrings of chaos had already begun, as Keleanos walked alone through the streets of this nameless city.