Chapter 13: Temporary blindness

[The Scepter of the God of War!

Zong Mi had been quietly keeping track of the scepter’s location all this time, yet he had never managed to discover where it was stored.

He memorized its position.

Then, without warning, he drove his elbow backward and used the momentum to roll over on the bed, roughly shoving the person on top of him away with his knee.

“Let me go.”

Zong Mi’s voice was icy, like a freezing wind sweeping across the Siberian plains.

Unlike the previous two future visions he had experienced, this one was different.

He might return to Starlight City’s Grand Cathedral in the future, and he might even visit the Assassin Temple of Gazi. But a room of this caliber in the Holy City could only be encountered during this mission.

Based on that deduction, if this future were truly destined to happen, it would likely occur within the next few days.

“Just as expected of Teacher. You still have the strength to move even in this condition.”

Even through the cloth covering his eyes, the king’s voice remained sweet and cloying, like honey mixed with poison.

And indeed, Zong Mi currently had no strength to resist.

His entire body felt weak and limp, as though all energy had been drained from him. Even lifting a hand was difficult.

So he quickly equipped his Player System and checked the debuffs affecting him.

The result was shocking.

A long list of negative status effects hung over his character panel.

Taken together, he was probably weaker than a player who had just left the beginner village.

Normally, Zong Mi was cautious and suspicious by nature.

For him to end up in such a miserable state, he had most likely been set up by someone.

“Ah…”

In the darkness, every sensation became amplified.

Most noticeable was the gaze fixed upon him like a venomous snake.

“I still remember the word Teacher once told me long ago.”

“Later, I searched through countless records before learning that it was a taboo that had existed for many years.”

Back when he was bored, Zong Mi had once explained the concept of ‘love’ to the young Louis.

On the Descending Continent, that word had always been a forbidden concept.

After numerous wars and shifts in power during the post-Gods Era, many people had forgotten it entirely.

Naturally, Louis had never understood it.

Yet whenever he sat alone upon the throne and thought about Zong Mi, he would remember that distant story.

The time they had spent together was limited, but Louis repeatedly revisited every memory.

He didn’t understand the meaning of that word.

Nor did he understand the lonely, mocking expression that had crossed the blond bard’s face when he spoke it.

“If the word was created, then surely it exists for someone to fill its meaning.”

“You can teach me slowly.”

Louis smiled arrogantly.

His voice drifted beside Zong Mi’s ear.

“If Teacher prefers facing me like this.”

Heh.

Zong Mi laughed coldly.

At first, he had intended to use this fragment of the future to gather clues.

Even though he remained at a disadvantage and was the target of unwanted obsession, he had not been particularly angry.

Because once he saw a future, he could prevent it from happening.

But now—

He was genuinely angry.

“Get lost.”

The word escaped through clenched teeth as he abruptly cut off the flow of magic around his eyes.]**

A sharp pain exploded through Zong Mi’s head.

The future scene shattered like a broken mirror and scattered into countless fragments.

His ability to observe the future was a passive skill.

Normally, it could not be interrupted once activated.

Forcing it to stop came at a price.

For example—

Temporary blindness.

Zong Mi did not move.

He maintained the exact same posture, pinned against the door.

Even his expression remained unchanged.

No one could tell what had just happened.

“What is it?”

His prolonged silence had clearly pushed Louis’s jealousy to its limit.

“So Teacher’s favorite was Fourth Brother after all?”

The fingernails of Louis’s hidden hand dug deeply into his own palm until blood flowed.

Yet outwardly, he only smiled.

A cruel smile.

“Let me think… My Fourth Brother didn’t have a very pleasant ending either.”

“I put him inside an Iron Maiden.”

“Teacher probably doesn’t know what an Iron Maiden is, right?”

Because of his rising anger, Louis completely missed the brief moment during which Zong Mi had been most vulnerable.

“It’s a very interesting torture device from the Skaman Empire.”

“It is forged entirely from iron and shaped like a human figure, with a woman’s mask placed on the front.”

“The interior is hollow.”

“The front opens like a door.”

Louis’s expression became increasingly cold.

“When the door closes, the spikes inside gradually pierce the victim.”

“No matter how loudly they scream, nobody outside can hear them.”

“All anyone sees is blood flowing out from beneath it.”

Throughout the entire explanation, Louis kept his eyes fixed on Zong Mi’s face.

Yet he found no reaction whatsoever.

The lack of response left him strangely frustrated.

“Teacher has always been like this.”

“It feels as though nothing in this world can truly catch your attention.”

He sighed dramatically and stepped closer.

Their faces were separated by only a small distance.

“Though perhaps that’s exactly why—”

Why he found him so impossible to let go of.

Before he could finish speaking, a rhythmic knock suddenly sounded from outside the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“What is it?”

Louis frowned in annoyance.

“Your Majesty, the Church requires your signature and seal on the cooperation agreements.”

The alliance between the Skaman Empire and the Temple of Dawn required extensive confidentiality agreements.

The late Pope’s side would be represented by the Council of Bishops.

But Louis himself was required to sign personally.

There was no avoiding it.

Furthermore, the Skaman Empire intended to influence the upcoming papal election, meaning Louis still needed to negotiate with the Church’s senior clergy.

“How irritating.”

The king muttered a curse.

“It seems we’ll have to stop here for today.”

“I’m very happy to have met Teacher again.”

“But we’ll have plenty of time in the future, won’t we?”

After a moment’s thought, Louis finally withdrew his hand and stepped back.

To Zong Mi’s surprise, he even apologized sincerely.

“I’m sorry.”

“I was simply too excited to see Teacher again.”

Louis had always been patient.

He had once endured years of humiliation, lowering everyone’s guard before striking decisively when the opportunity arose.

Someone who emerged victorious from the bloody succession struggles of the Skaman Empire could never be truly kind.

Only after the sound of footsteps disappeared did Zong Mi quietly let out a breath.

His eyes still had not recovered from forcibly interrupting the vision.

“Wind, lend me your strength.”

[Level 4 Word of Power — Success]

A gentle breeze rose from nowhere.

Faint green currents swirled through the air.

Their magical presence was extremely subtle.

Only a powerful mage would likely notice them.

As expected, although Louis had left, he had arranged plenty of surveillance.

Zong Mi would need to think carefully about how to obtain the Scepter of the God of War.

Since his eyesight had not yet recovered, there was no point rushing.

The nearest watcher remained some distance away.

For once, he relaxed slightly and leaned against the door.

Among his seven legendary quests, the Scepter of the God of War was one of the most difficult.

He had never expected to obtain it quickly.

The item represented generations of royal authority within the Skaman Empire.

According to legend, it had been bestowed upon the empire’s ancestors by the God of War during the Age of Gods.

Any ruler who wielded it would receive the god’s blessing and emerge victorious in battle.

Because of that belief, the scepter had become the ultimate symbol of imperial authority.

It even appeared within the empire’s national emblem.

And Louis carried it everywhere.

Stealing it would require considerable effort.

Still…

If he could determine exactly when the future vision took place, he might be able to work backward from that information and locate the scepter.

Perhaps he could even turn the situation to his advantage.

Zong Mi was deep in thought when a voice suddenly spoke nearby.

“My most loyal collaborator, it seems you’ve encountered a bit of trouble.”

The moment he heard that voice, every muscle in his body tensed.

His vision remained completely black.

To make matters worse, the speaker was a high-ranking spellcaster.

No wonder his wind magic had failed to detect him.

Cyril should have been accompanying the Council of Bishops to finalize agreements with the Skaman Empire.

Yet for some reason, after making an excuse, he had followed the path where he had seen Zong Mi disappear earlier.

The bard’s magic had always puzzled him.

Even in the Pope’s study, Cyril had witnessed him casting spells through methods that seemed entirely unconventional.

There were no obvious gestures, no standard casting procedures.

Unfortunately, he had never observed the complete process, leaving him without enough information to reach a conclusion.

From Cyril’s perspective, the blond man leaned lightly against the door.

His clothing was slightly disheveled, and he looked somewhat tired.

His face remained as beautiful as ever.

Only those gray eyes lacked focus.

The sight made the bishop frown.

“Yes. A small and insignificant problem.”

Zong Mi’s voice remained calm.

“Though perhaps…”

“Your Excellency the Bishop would be willing to do me a small favor.”

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