Chapter 174

“This is the last question. Why on earth did you do this?”

Even Ernst, who had realized Isabella’s intentions, couldn’t understand her reasons at all.

A woman who had everything, even killing her own child, destroying everything she had built—why?

Before swinging his sword, he had to hear it.

“Now you won’t even show respect to your mother? How sad. How did you grow up to be such a rude child? I never raised you like this…”

Isabella exaggeratedly sobbed and twisted her body, still maintaining an utterly playful attitude. It was as if all of this was just entertainment for her.

Ernst pressed the blade against her neck. The cold steel touched her transparently pale skin.

“I won’t let you babble nonsense. Answer me! What is your reason for trying to destroy the Empire, Isabella Benes?”

“Reason? Well… because it’s fun.”

Isabella caressed the blade pressing against her neck, her delicate movements as if trying to please a man.

“Fun? Did you just say fun?”

The sword trembled slightly. Ernst’s anger pierced through Isabella’s skin.

The back of her neck, torn by the blade, turned red.

“Don’t make such a scary face. Of course, I’m not joking.”

Despite the blood streaming down her collarbone and soaking her chest, Isabella smiled calmly. There was no sign of pain or fear, only a bewitching expression that was utterly chilling.

Ernst felt a cold shiver run down his spine, his fingertips trembling.

“As you said, there is a reason. But why should I tell you? To a bad child who grew up pointing a sword at his mother’s neck?”

Isabella grabbed Ernst’s blade. Blood flowed down her hand once again.

“If you’re curious, why not throw a tantrum in my arms like when you were little? If you make me happy enough, I might tell you.”

As she caressed her blood-stained chest with her right hand, Isabella stuck out her tongue at Ernst.

“Enough of your nonsense…!”

Ernst’s patience had reached its limit.

There was no point in continuing the conversation. It was clear that Isabella would only mock him and never give a proper answer.

Cutting off all hesitation, Ernst finally swung his sword.

**Isabella’s head was severed in one swift motion.**

—-

“Haah… Haah…”

Ernst exhaled heavily as he looked at the scene he had created.

‘Is it over? Just like that…?’

On the luxurious bed, the headless body of a naked woman twitched uncontrollably.

Blood gushed from the severed neck, staining the sheets red, and obscene fluids spurted from between her trembling legs. The rolling head was smeared with the pale excrement it had expelled.

It was a disgusting and grotesque death.

The corpse of his mother, slain by his own hand. Ernst turned his head away, afraid that memories from his childhood would resurface.

Disgust weighed heavily on his chest.

He didn’t regret it. It was something he had to do, something he had always intended to do. It just happened sooner than he had expected.

For the sake of Josef and Matthias’ revenge, for Leonor’s future, for the well-being of all the people of the Empire, he had sacrificed his own life to kill his mother.

‘With this, the throne will go to Leopold.’

No one would follow a prince who killed his own mother. Even if Isabella had claimed she intended to destroy the Empire, who would believe her? Ernst himself hadn’t even fully understood her motives.

Given that Isabella’s goal was to incite a civil war, this outcome was somewhat fortunate.

With the tragedy of a prince killing his own mother, the Third Prince faction would lose both leadership and justification, scattering like rats in a disaster. Leopold would then ascend to the throne without any hindrance.

Once Ernst was stripped of his title for matricide, Leopold would be the sole heir, eliminating the need for any voting.

With the empire stabilized, even if other races invaded, they could be held back. As long as a civil war didn’t break out, the elves would remain silent, and the remaining two races could be defeated with the cooperation of the Imperial Army and the Elector Counts.

‘As for Leonor, I’ll have to entrust her to Princess Ai-shan Gi-or.’

Isabella’s words had made him slightly uneasy. She had spoken as if she was certain the eastern Ka`har would invade.

If they tore up the peace treaty and turned back into enemies, Princess Ai-shan Gi-or’s position would become quite difficult. But given the reputation she had built over the years… perhaps it wouldn’t be a major issue.

In any case, it was no longer something he could be involved in.

Sighing, Ernst looked back at Isabella’s corpse. Her face, still smiling, was covered in fluids, and her empty eyes stared blankly at the sky.

Perhaps it was a final act of filial piety or respect. Ernst picked up his mother’s severed head.

Slimy substances stuck to his gloves, but he paid no mind as he faced the head and spoke his final words.

“You deserved this, so don’t feel wronged. Go ahead and wait. The day I follow won’t be far off.”

Leopold wouldn’t let him live, so his remaining days were numbered. Though he never fully understood why she had done all this… it was enough.

When his father died, defeat seemed inevitable, and with Matthias’ death, the battle was already lost. But by killing the mastermind behind it all and protecting Leonor, he had done enough to clean up the aftermath of defeat.

Yes. This was his final act.

**”Isn’t that a bit too soon?”**

“What…!”

Startled, Ernst dropped the head. The severed head had spoken to him, smiling.

The head, which had fallen onto the bed, spun around and faced Ernst.

“What… what is this?!”

**”Ernst, Ernst. To cut off your mother’s head without hesitation, that’s too much. Your neck, your chest, it’s all so…”**

“It hurts so much I feel like crying,” she said.

Tears of blood streamed from Isabella’s eyes.

A severed head cannot speak.

No lungs, no vocal cords, since they were left with the torso.

So, what on earth is happening now?

Faced with this chilling phenomenon, no different from a devil’s prank, Ernst instinctively took a step back.

The next moment, a pitch-black darkness rose from Isabella’s corpse.

Mana.

A thick, impenetrable curtain of mana swallowed Isabella’s body.

“Mana, you say…?”

Suddenly, Ernst remembered what he had said to Leonor.

He had compared Isabella’s actions to those of a monster, but… he never imagined it could actually be true.

He had never even considered it.

He thought she was human, at least in form. How could he have known she wasn’t human from the start?

Now, he finally understood why she wanted to destroy the Empire.

‘Because she was never human to begin with…!’

She had to be killed.

Gritting his teeth, Ernst swung his sword at the surging curtain of mana.

Jin’s blade cut through the mana, splitting it in two.

The severed darkness melted into the air as if dissolving.

Beyond it, there was nothing.

Only the torn bedsheet fluttered; Isabella’s body, which had been lying there just moments ago, was gone without a trace.

‘She disappeared…!’

“Shall we play tag?” came a seductive, melting voice, as something licked the back of his neck.

Ernst reflexively twisted his body and swung his sword.

The tip of the sword stopped, caught on something.

“That’s dangerous,” the voice teased.

He tried to pull it back, but the blade was stuck as if wedged in a rock.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, Ernst looked at the woman holding his sword.

The woman who had been his mother moments ago, and a lifeless corpse just before that.

Her golden hair writhed like snakes.

The surging mana wrapped around her flawless, naked body like a dress, undulating.

Her purple eyes glowed with an eerie light.

“…A demon? No, a witch…!”

“You dare speak so to your mother? Not entirely wrong, though,” Isabella said, sticking out her tongue and laughing.

Her long tongue wriggled down to her chin.

Ernst broke into a cold sweat.

Witches. Beings that only appeared sporadically in history books.

Those who sold themselves to evil spirits, becoming monsters beyond human.

“Even if she’s a witch, Jin’s sword should have killed her… How is she still alive?”

Jin’s sword severs mana and scatters it.

Even monsters cannot heal wounds inflicted by Jin’s blade.

Unless they were undead spirits, beings like demons or witches couldn’t ignore such attacks.

“Curious…? You’ll find out soon enough,” Isabella said, pointing to the wall with her fingertip and laughing.

From the room where the playthings had been chased away, screams erupted.

“Ahhh! What is this! My head!!”

“What… what is this!?”

Something thudded to the ground, followed by the sound of something round rolling across the floor.

Six men screamed in terror.

Strangely, no women’s screams were heard.

“A bit noisy. It’s better to put them to sleep,” Isabella said, waving her finger.

The commotion in the next room instantly quieted.

Six more thuds followed.

“So, Ernst, you’re smart… Can you guess how your mother came back to life?”

“Don’t tell me…!”

A chill ran down his spine.

Considering the screams from the next room, there was only one possible answer.

“You transferred your death to someone else…?”

“Correct. That’s right. As expected, my son is quick to understand. …A pity. If only you were a bit less clever… you might not have dared to raise your sword against me.”

[Reincarnation of the Underworld]

A forbidden art that transfers one’s death to another, allowing resurrection.

One of the powers granted to her by the evil spirit.

“Such a thing… how is it possible!?”

“Everything is possible. What is possible and what is not is not for you to decide, Ernst.”

Ernst let out a groan.

He couldn’t grasp the full extent of her powers, which made the situation even more despairing.

He had no idea how many times she could resurrect or by what principle.

But he had to fight.

His mother was a monster.

A witch who sought to destroy the Empire, devour her children, and spread death across the world.

She was a being who should not be allowed to live.

“If one death isn’t enough, I’ll just keep cutting her down until she stays dead!”

“Give it your best shot,” Isabella mocked, spreading her arms wide.

A swirling wave of mana surged toward Ernst.

Ernst clenched his teeth and awakened his latent power.

The blessing of his achievements descended upon him.

The power of a master.

The pinnacle of what humanity could achieve.

But before the tidal wave of darkness, it was nothing more than a faint candlelight.

Darkness enveloped him.

A nightmare from which he would never awaken.