Lloyd spoke to the Black Knife Assassins in hopes of breaking down the barriers between them.
For now, the Black Knives followed his orders and carried out his tasks with care. But this wasn't because of any real connection with him. Their obedience stemmed from the fact that he was the Empyrean chosen by the Moonlight Two Fingers. In truth, their allegiance lay with the Moonlight Two Fingers, not with him.
Of course, in practice this made little difference. The Moonlight Two Fingers favored him greatly, and because of Ranni, even seemed a bit infatuated with him. If he hadn't trusted the Moonlight Two Fingers, he would never have sent her into this dungeon, nor allowed her to live within his own castle.
But trust wasn't really the issue here.
Because of the Two Fingers, Lloyd would inevitably be working alongside these Black Knives, as well as the Shadow Beasts lurking outside. Even if they disliked him, as long as he remained aligned with the Two Fingers, they would continue to obey his orders. And if they refused, the Two Fingers had ways to force compliance.
But was there any need to let things reach that point?
There was no conflict between them. In fact, they might end up living side by side for years to come—especially now that some had entered his castle as maids.
Since they weren't enemies, Lloyd saw no harm in showing goodwill. He didn't expect them to place him above the Two Fingers, but at least by easing their tensions, their future interactions would be smoother.
That was why, on the way to the Shadow Beast, he had pulled out the Alluring Skull, let them enjoy themselves with it, and only then departed.
And now, for the same reason, Lloyd extended goodwill again, trying to dispel their distrust and close the gap between them.
His approach worked. The tension between him and the Black Knives faded, and the distance between them truly lessened.
The problem was, perhaps a little too much.
Lloyd didn't realize what his words meant to them.
Ever since leaving the Numen village, the Black Knives had become rootless drifters. They had betrayed the Hornsent, lost their homeland, and in their search for purpose chose to become Black Knives. Despite their strength, they lived like hunted vermin.
When the Golden Order Dynasty rose, they thought their hardships had finally found meaning. Yet they soon watched that brief glory collapse, as the dynasty descended into Hornsent corruption...
They drifted without end, taking on dirty work that clashed with their true nature. Mainstream society feared and rejected them. They watched evil upon evil unfold, powerless to intervene. At times, they even wished death would simply take them...
And then, in that moment of despair, Lloyd extended his hand.
First, he accepted the Moonlight Two Fingers. Then he gave them a new home, wiped away the past they wished to forget, and welcomed them into his castle. There, they could finally lay down the blades that went against their Numen nature and take up work they actually enjoyed...
Finally, when all was done, he stood before them, touched their faces, and told them to leave everything to him.
For the first time since leaving the Numen village, the Black Knives felt something they hadn't known in years—stability.
Not even Marika or the Golden Order Dynasty had ever given them that.
Even at the height of the Golden Order's prosperity, to outcasts like them it was a realm they could only watch from afar, never step into.
But here, they could move freely. They didn't have to worry about the stares of others, nor fear any consequences.
And the one who gave them this freedom was a man.
A man who fit perfectly within their aesthetic.
Gulp.
The sound of swallowing echoed, followed by several more.
The noises were faint, and swallowing wasn't strange in itself, so Lloyd didn't pay it any mind.
He spoke with them a little longer, discussed compensation, and gave Tiche a golden branch for easy contact. Then, under their watchful eyes, he departed.
As for why they let him leave so easily? That came down to the kindness of the Numen and their high moral standards.
Otherwise, with their strength, had their morals been any lower, they wouldn't have gone all these years without even tasting a drop of blood...
...
After leaving the Golden Dungeon instance, Lloyd followed his usual routine, taking care of various matters.
First, he went to the Roundtable Hold to defile Chaos. Afterward, he dragged Elizabeth out and fed her blood.
Once Elizabeth was satisfied, he visited Renna, delivering the materials Messmer had traded earlier. He then massaged Latenna's small feet, helping her digest the power contained within them.
But after finishing, Lloyd noticed something strange.
Latenna's feet had changed. Her skin looked smoother, more radiant, and silkier to the touch than before. They bore no trace of dirt—only a faint, delicate fragrance...
"Of course. She cherishes those little feet of hers. Not only does she take care of them herself, she even insisted I design them for her."
Renna teased from the side, making Latenna lower her head and stammer.
"Well... since you made them for me, and you come to care for them so often, I just... I just..."
Her words trailed off. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, her voice uncertain.
"You... don't hate them, do you? My feet..."
"Not only do I not hate them—I like them very much."
Lloyd gave her small feet a light squeeze and smiled.
"They're cute, and they feel wonderful."
"...I'm glad you like them."
[The bond of their Covenant grew stronger]
After finishing with Latenna, Lloyd turned to Renna.
Out of curiosity, he leaned closer to look at the papers scattered beside her, especially the blueprints of the Albinaurics.
"What are you trying to see?"
Seated in her chair, Renna tilted her head up at Lloyd's looming face. On a whim, she hooked a finger under his chin.
"Just looking."
"Hmph. Then look."
She gave a soft snort, finger brushing his chin, before returning to her work.
Renna never asked much of Lloyd, nor did she feel she had any deeper thoughts about him. As long as he came by occasionally to warm her, she was content.
[The bond of their Covenant grew stronger]
After spending time with Renna, Lloyd went to check on the maid group, then headed into the Dungeon to see Roderika.
After long battles, Roderika had completed the Path of the Novice.
The title above her head had evolved from 'Spirit Tuner' to 'Spirit Summoner,' and now to 'Master Spirit Summoner.'
With that change came a rise in her soul strength and overall power.
Now, without Lloyd's help, she could summon three 'Hero'-tier spirits at once. She had even mastered a method, separate from Lloyd's, to restore Spirit Ash to soul form through spirit tuning. In terms of combat strength, she had become one of the more formidable figures in the Lands Between.
The others had also grown after training. Irina and Therolina, having absorbed the gains from their last dungeon run, had improved in different ways—though not as dramatically as Roderika.
As for Nepheli, her case was unusual.
Because her base attributes were already high, the dungeon had barely increased her strength. As for Intelligence, her mind wasn't something that could simply be enhanced, and in the Lands Between, Intelligence tied more to Glintstone than raw intellect. Raising it wouldn't have made much difference anyway.
And yet, strangely, after returning, even though she hadn't received any direct enhancement, Nepheli's control over the storm had sharpened. Her movements and adaptability grew more agile, and her overall combat power improved.
When Lloyd asked her how this came about, Nepheli stammered for a long while before finally, with flushed cheeks, answered honestly.
"It was... in the underground dungeon..."
What? The underground dungeon has that kind of effect?
As Lloyd blinked in surprise, Nepheli bit her lip, as if steeling herself, and whispered.
"Next time... take me there again..."
"I want to go back. If I can, I'll grow stronger, and I'll be able to help you more..."
Since Nepheli had requested it herself, and her reasoning seemed sound, Lloyd didn't refuse. He was curious if that place held some hidden function and planned to investigate further the next time he went in.
After talking with his little bread, Lloyd sought out Nadisha—his original Finger Maiden.
Since Nadisha had served as steward in the Golden Dungeon instance and seemed skilled in such duties, Lloyd decided to have her oversee affairs in the town and his castle, both of which now housed many people. It would also give her something to do.
Naturally, Nadisha didn't refuse his request. When Lloyd escorted her inside, she was briefly startled by the towering Black Knife maids, but quickly adapted. She earnestly carried out the work Lloyd assigned, managing matters within the castle and even across the town.
After assigning Nadisha her tasks, Lloyd moved on and summoned Fretia's soul for her daily nourishment.
By now she was so practiced she needed no prompting. The moment she appeared, Fretia crouched before him, bowed her head, brushed her hair aside, and took his offered finger into her mouth, drinking the souls from it.
Though much of her consciousness had already recovered through this long feeding, Lloyd had once asked if she wanted another method—such as him forming the essence into a lump for her to consume instead.
But Fretia didn't mind. Since this method was faster and more efficient, she saw no point in fussing over meaningless pride. Better to keep things as they were and recover sooner.
After feeding, Fretia raised her head, held Lloyd's arm, and gently licked away the lingering traces to ensure nothing was wasted before standing up again.
"Lloyd... I..."
"You want to go, don't you?"
Lloyd knew she had always longed to enter the [Land of Final Defilement]. Even when unconscious, her hand would instinctively reach toward that place.
He hadn't let her go before because of her condition, fearing that in such a state, she might easily run into danger.
But now, looking at the White Witch before him—her consciousness mostly restored, her spirit form solid and stable—Lloyd gave a nod. Then he summoned Asimi, who had recently gained new insights in the Eternal City and just finished digesting them.
After calling her out, Lloyd gently pampered his little white flower, caressing her cheek and planting a few affectionate kisses, before telling her about his plan to have her help with that dungeon.
"You'll go together. Fretia knows the [Land of Final Defilement] well, and your combat power is stronger." He handed over a specially crafted Ruin Stone. "If you run into enemies you can't handle, or find yourselves in danger, activate this. I'll come to you in spirit form. Don't hesitate to use it—don't try to save it..."
After giving his instructions and preparing them, Lloyd escorted the two to the dungeon entrance. Once they stepped inside, a small window popped up on his system interface.
It was a third-person view—a live feed of the two exploring that world.
"That place isn't really a dungeon, but another world. With fragments of its essence, I can give you this little feature."
Alice briefly chimed in before returning to her tinkering.
Lloyd stayed in place, watching the monster-slaying live feed with interest. There wasn't much to see—just the usual clearing of enemies. With Asimi's overwhelming strength, it was more or less a complete sweep.
What fascinated him most wasn't the fights, but the window itself. He started musing—since chat groups already existed, maybe asking Alice to set up a proper livestream later wouldn't be such a bad idea...
As Lloyd stared at the little feed, lost in thought, the Golden Branch trembled. A notification appeared on his system interface.
[Queen of the Full Moon: There's been an incident at the academy. Can you come?]
[Ashen One: I'll head over right away.]
After receiving the message, Lloyd minimized the window, opened the map, and teleported to the academy.
He'd meant to go directly to the Grand Library, but for some reason, both it and the teleport points within the academy were disabled. He had no choice but to teleport to the sealed gate outside.
As soon as the teleport finished and he landed, he knew something was wrong.
Before him was not the elegant, mysterious academy he remembered—one that exuded dignity even in times of war—but a smoldering ruin. Buildings lay in collapsed heaps, fires raging, as though some great disaster had struck.
What the...
As he thought this, the Queen of the Full Moon emerged from the ruins, accompanied by a stranger.
She looked like a young girl, slender and beautiful. But on closer inspection, her joints were uneven, mechanical in nature, and faint blue motes of light floated around her.
That was the glow of Ergo.
"What the hell happened here?"
Lloyd glanced at the two in confusion.
"A puppet rebellion? Foreign invaders? Or did something fall out of the sky..."
"Neither."
The Queen of the Full Moon's face was dark.
"Those idiots were trying to invent a 'high-compression magic engine' so they could make wrist-mounted duel discs. They blew themselves up."
Lloyd froze, then let out a breath.
That fit perfectly with his image of mages in a fantasy world—always courting disaster unless they were blowing something up.
"Then why call me here..."
The Queen of the Full Moon turned to look back at the ruins, her expression growing even colder.
"Do you have any idea how many Runes it would take to rebuild this academy?"
"Never mind. It doesn't matter if you don't."
She pulled out her staff, weighed it in her hand, and gritted her teeth.
"Because I don't care to count either."
"Do me a favor—use your Law to cast 'Immortality' on them."
"I'm going to kill them three times—no—"
Her face twisted as she raised her staff.
Above the sky, a full moon slowly formed.
And then it fell.
"At least ten times!"
Boom—