After another day of classes, at two o’clock the following Friday afternoon, Eros and Undine boarded the steam train back to Indiles. Since it was Friday, the academy would be closed for the weekend.

  Upon exiting the train station, a luxurious carriage that had been waiting for some time rolled slowly toward them. Once they boarded, the carriage sped down the streets toward the inner city of Indiles.

  Sitting inside, Eros casually lifted the window curtain to peer outside. One look was all it took for him to realize something was wrong—the number of patrol guards in Indiles had increased significantly. A squad was stationed at almost every short interval. Did something happen in Indiles?

  He immediately questioned the driver. The driver replied respectfully: "In the past few days, several cases of 'perverted serial killings' and mass poisonings have occurred in the western and southern districts of the outer city. It’s said the death toll has reached over three hundred, but the culprits have yet to be captured."

  "Because of this, His Imperial Majesty and the ministers are furious. They’ve ordered the Police Department to intensify patrols and apprehend the killers as quickly as possible."

  Perverted serial killings? Mass poisonings? Over three hundred dead! This is likely a supernatural incident, Eros thought grimly. And that 'poisoning' is probably a code for corruption. Otherwise, with this level of security, they could find a fly with a limp; it was impossible for the killers to remain at large for days unless they weren't exactly human.

  The driver, assuming Eros’s silence was due to concern, offered some comfort: "Don't worry, Your Highness. The patrols in the inner city are even stricter, and no murders have occurred here yet. The killings are all happening in the outer city, and the victims are mostly commoners."

  Eros nodded. "I see." He didn't say another word, and the driver focused on the road.

  Upon returning to the Ducal Mansion, Eros met Estelle, who had just returned from the family estate, along with someone he found both surprising and expected: Madam Florika, whom he had previously met in the library.

  The moment Madam Florika saw Eros, her beautiful eyes flooded with a mix of complex emotions—hope, gratitude, and fear. Knowing what was on her mind, Eros scanned the surroundings. Seeing no outsiders, he whispered: "Irina, come out."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  As the words left his lips, Irina’s figure emerged from his shadow. She looked at her mother, who was already sobbing, and called out softly, "Mother!"

  Florika rushed forward and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. When she had first received word at the family estate that her daughter had been sacrificed, she had nearly fainted. It wasn't until she learned that, thanks to the Artifact Spirit, Irina had become Eros’s shadow and might still be saved, that she finally let out a breath of relief. Driven by worry, she had accompanied Estelle back to Indiles after the delivery of the Ancestor's Divine Kingdom fragments.

  Florika had initially feared that her daughter might be nothing more than a literal shadow, but Eros had given her a massive surprise. Aside from the fact that she couldn't wander too far from him, her daughter was indistinguishable from a normal person.

  Watching the mother and daughter embrace, Eros awkwardly turned his face away. There was no other reason—the "Impact" caused by the four mounds of white, tender flesh pressed together was a bit too much for his eyes to handle. Like mother, like daughter, he mused.

  Estelle watched the scene with a faint, gentle smile. It was only then that Eros noticed his mother looked off—her complexion was haggard, and there were dark circles under her eyes. What’s wrong? A flicker of worry rose in his heart.

  He walked to Estelle’s side and took her hand in his. In the next second, a faint green glow emerged as the power of life flowed from his palm into her body. Estelle froze for a moment but didn't pull away. After a while, her voice softened. "That’s enough. Mama feels much better now."

  Undine had clearly noticed her mother’s state as well. She stepped forward and hugged Estelle’s other arm, her face full of concern. "Mama! Did something happen?"

  Estelle let out a heavy sigh, her mood turning somber. "I returned to Indiles yesterday at noon. In the afternoon, your grandmother, the Countess of Bain, came to see me."

  "Did Grandmother say something?" Undine interjected.

  "Mhm." Estelle nodded slowly, her voice growing more sorrowful. "She said that Elsa has returned to the side of the Lord. Her lost soul has finally found peace in the Lord’s Kingdom."

  Undine opened her mouth but found no words to say. Seeing her children’s worry, Estelle comforted them softly: "Don't worry about me. For Elsa, this might be a blessing. She was missing for nearly twenty years in a place as twisted and eerie as the 'Domain of Sins.' I cannot imagine the suffering she endured."

  "My mother also worried and prayed for nearly twenty years. Her passing is a release for herself, and for my mother as well."

  "How did Grandmother confirm Aunt Elsa’s status? Was it through a Church Diviner?" Eros asked, voicing his doubt.

  Estelle nodded. "Every Thursday, your grandmother goes to the Church and pays 100 pounds for a Diviner to check on Elsa. In the past, every divination received a response, meaning Elsa was alive but trapped. But starting last week, there has been no response at all. Furthermore, news came from the Church that the Domain of Sins in the Martigordon Mountains collapsed because of the awakening of some 'Evil God'."

  The words left nothing more to be said. If the Domain had collapsed, Elsa’s death was a certainty. That was why the divination failed—how could a deceased soul respond?