The deepest part of the Magic Tower should have been one of the safest places in the royal capital.
Yet at this moment, a dead silence hung over the corridor leading deep into the dungeon.
The guards originally tasked with watching the area lay scattered across the floor, completely devoid of life.
Alicia led several attendants down the long corridor, stopping in front of the cell at the very end.
Soft light illuminated the inside of the cell, where Ignatius sat before a low table.
He was dressed in loungewear, and though a bit of color had returned to his face after resting during this period, he still appeared somewhat gaunt.
A few books sat on the low table, alongside several sheets of paper covered in writing.
Holding a book in one hand and a pen in the other, he occasionally jotted things down on the paper. Had this not been a dungeon cell, the scene would have possessed the warmth of an ordinary elderly man reading late into the night.
Hearing footsteps, Ignatius looked up.
He first glanced at the guards lying dead in the corridor, then shifted his gaze to Alicia standing outside the cell door.
A trace of curiosity flashed in his eyes as he recognized her.
“Is there a reason for the Eldest Princess to visit so late at night?”
His tone was calm, his previous self-assured demeanor long gone. At this moment, he resembled nothing more than a knowledgeable old man.
Alicia stood outside the cell door with a gentle smile. It was completely different from the smile she had shown Setis; this one was filled mostly with nostalgia.
There was also a hint of joy from a long-awaited reunion. Looking at her old acquaintance, she spoke softly.
“Long time no see, Daschi. It seems you've been living quite well here.”
The moment those words fell, the pen in Ignatius's hand froze in midair, and his expression shifted abruptly.
Daschi—
That name should not have come from her mouth.
At least within the kingdom, no one besides Hogg should have known it.
Ignatius slowly raised his head. The calmness on his face vanished bit by bit, replaced by gravity as his pupils dilated.
Then, a realization crossed his mind, causing his voice to tremble slightly.
“You are...”
He stared at Alicia's familiar yet foreign face, finally finding the answer in a memory buried long ago.
“Princess Gorman?”
The smile on Alicia's face deepened. She nodded gently, her tone carrying a hint of delight.
“Yes, it is me. We haven't met in over fifty years, yet you could recognize me at a single glance. As expected of you, Daschi.”
Ignatius fell silent, his fingers tightening slowly around the pen.
After the brief shock, his mood rapidly sank.
The awakening of Princess Gorman's memories meant only one thing—that event was coming.
He had once thought that after over fifty years of silence, Princess Gorman's faction would no longer push forward with it.
He had also thought that he might be able to quietly await death in these final days, ending his life as a human.
But now, it seemed nothing was over. Had that tiny spark finally erupted into a raging fire at last?
Alicia raised her hand and pressed it against the sealing chains outside the cell door.
The moment her palm touched those magic chains personally placed by Hogg, dark red patterns surfaced on their exterior.
The sealing magic instantly flickered out.
Click.
The door opened. Alicia stepped slowly into the cell, nodding approvingly at Ignatius.
“Daschi, you've worked hard during this time.”
She extended her hand, offering an invitation.
“Let us go.”
Ignatius remained unmoved. He sat before the low table and slowly set down his pen.
At this moment, his heart was exceptionally calm. Letting out a long sigh, he asked in a low voice:
“Your Highness, must you really go that far?”
Alicia nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“Yes, of course.”
Her expression remained completely unchanged, but beneath her casual demeanor, he felt an unyielding, bone-chilling coldness.
Ignatius closed his eyes, seemingly finding it difficult to accept this outcome.
After a long while, he let out another soft sigh, summoning all his courage to speak again.
“In that case, Princess.”
As he spoke, he slowly bowed his head toward Alicia.
“Please forgive this subordinate, but I can no longer serve you.”
The cell fell quiet for a moment, and the smile on Alicia's face faded slightly.
Ignatius continued:
“As you can see, I am already a broken man. My mana foundation is destroyed, my body is decaying, and my remaining lifespan is negligible... Even if I leave this place, I can do nothing.”
His voice was very soft, but every word was exceptionally clear and resolute.
This was his final stand as a human—no matter how despicable he had once been, and no matter what sins he had committed, he was still a human.
Born as a human, he would die as a human—this was his bottom line.
“I am quite content with how I am now.”
He looked at the books and papers on the table, a sense of unprecedented peace filling his eyes.
“Now, I read and write every day, occasionally reflecting on things I couldn't figure out before... I want to live for myself in the final moments of my life. I hope Princess will grant me this wish.”
Alicia watched him quietly. There was no anger in her gentle eyes, only a trace of regret.
“It does not matter.”
She said softly:
“I will help you recover. With the aid of this power, your body will become even better than before.”
Ignatius shook his head in refusal.
“Thank you, Your Highness, but there is no need. This is truly... for the best.”
He then raised his head, looking at the former princess clad in the shell of the Eldest Princess. His voice remained calm as he voiced his truest thoughts at this moment:
“I am already tired.”
With those words spoken, Ignatius finally laid down the burdens he had carried for so many years.
“If you are still willing to listen to a word of advice from this subordinate, then let it end here. The Ranchiloko Dynasty was destroyed over five hundred years ago... Those who died will never return, and those who live should not be dragged into the abyss of the past.”
There was one most important point he did not state aloud—he did not believe the princess's plan could actually succeed.
Even with the power of the Abyss, she might not survive those two slaps...
Whenever he thought of that scene, his heart felt incredibly relieved.
Alicia stared at him for a while, letting out a soft sigh.
“Is that so... What a pity.”
Her tone sounded somewhat sorrowful, but in the next second, her tone shifted.
“But I am sorry, Daschi. This time, you do not have a choice.”
Ignatius's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to move, Alicia gave a look to the attendant behind her.
A guard strode into the cell.
Ignatius tried to stand and retreat, but his current body simply did not allow him to make any effective reaction.
In the next instant, the guard's body suddenly collapsed, melting into a pool of pitch-black viscous substance as if he had lost his bones.
It writhed and twisted continuously on the ground, making an eerie, teeth-chattering sound.
Countless tiny tentacles shot out from it, lunging fiercely at Ignatius.
“Your Highness—”
He only had time to utter two words before those dark things burrowed into his mouth, nose, and eye sockets. His body instantly stiffened, convulsing violently.
Ignatius clawed desperately at his own throat with both hands, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes reflecting pain and reluctance.
But this struggle lasted for only a few seconds. Black patterns spread from his neck all the way to his cheeks, eventually fading slowly.
The cell fell quiet once more. A moment later, Ignatius slowly stood up.
His previously hunched spine straightened bit by bit, and a bizarre lifelike vitality reappeared on his face.
He looked down at his hands, then raised his eyes to look at Alicia.
The fatigue, hesitation, and reluctance in his eyes had completely vanished. In their place was a near-mechanical deference.
“Ignatius” knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Alicia.
“Princess.”
Alicia nodded in satisfaction, turning to walk out of the cell.
“Let us go. The preparations outside should be almost complete.”
Ignatius followed respectfully behind her, joining the ranks of her entourage. Gorman's steps grew light and brisk, seemingly quite happy. Glancing back at Ignatius, she smiled and said,
“Come with me to witness the destruction of the kingdom, Daschi.”
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