Rupert's proposal to establish cinemas across the Empire where people could watch animations was undeniably intriguing.

“So, you're suggesting that we set specific screening times and sell tickets for entry?”

“Yes, and during times when no films are showing, we could operate the cinema as a tavern with performances by theater groups or orchestras.”

Indeed, this idea wasn’t bad at all.

Setting up cinemas in cities or territories with a sizable population would require substantial initial capital, but the advantages were clear.

One of the biggest strengths was that animations—something even nobles couldn’t easily purchase—would be available for viewing, not owning. This would be a significant draw.

“Would it be possible to produce animations regularly enough to support this?”

“If we animate the works we've already completed, we shouldn’t run out of content for some time.”

Additionally, once a certain amount of time passed, they could simply restart the cycle of screenings from the beginning, making the idea even more feasible.

As Rupert envisioned, if they diligently searched for locations and prepared the cinemas now, they could likely open them just in time for the animations’ completion.

In the end, Esteban agreed to support Rupert’s plan, and as a result, Rupert decided to invest all the prize money from the recent Agora, with Esteban also committing the merchant guild’s reserves.

“You mentioned a shark.”

Rupert had shared a story about sharks with Esteban, who had hesitated due to the significant capital involved in the venture.

• There are creatures in the sea called sharks, besides whales.

 

Esteban had never seen a shark himself, but he had heard of them. Fishermen had often spoken of how fearsome and vicious they were—so much so that if one ever encountered a shark while in the water, death was almost certain.

• Did you know that sharks must keep swimming to breathe?

 

Rupert’s explanation that sharks breathe by swimming, allowing water to flow over their gills, was fascinating.

He even mentioned that sharks swim while they sleep, continuing to breathe. Rupert likened themselves to sharks.

“We are the front-runners right now. But as always, those who follow behind will have their own advantages.”

Esteban agreed with that sentiment.

After all, the Yuren Merchant Guild had only become one of the Seven Great Guilds by following the paths paved by those who had gone before, learning from their mistakes.

“Someone has to keep expanding the market.”

Fairy tale books and manga were still novelties.

Therefore, Rupert explained that it was up to them, as the industry leaders, to blaze the trail so that others could follow, eventually expanding the market and bringing benefits to them as well.

Hearing this, Esteban felt his heart race, much like the first time he had encountered Rupert’s fairy tale books.

 

“What is the purpose of your existence?”

Dread felt his entire body tremble as a cold voice echoed through the dark basement.

‘They formed an alliance!’

Recently, several branches that Sataniel had scattered across the Empire were being attacked.

The most shocking part was that those branches had been completely annihilated without causing any significant damage in return.

Shhk.

“Arghhh!!!”

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before him, and the arm of Lotus, one of the twelve lieutenants standing nearby, was severed, blood spurting like a fountain.

“Do not scream. Next, I’ll take your head.”

Step, step.

Sataniel began slowly walking around the kneeling lieutenants.

The nine remaining lieutenants, aside from the three who had already fallen to the allied forces, held their breath, not even daring to raise their heads. They stared at the floor, praying that their lives would be spared.

“Lotus, I see your arm is growing back.”

“Yes, it is…”

“You all inherited my blood when I made you the servants of the night.”

These lieutenants, who had received Sataniel’s blood stolen from the Pureblood lineage, were now part of his elite force.

Perhaps it was thanks to the Pureblood lineage, but Lotus’s severed arm was already regenerating, regaining its form.

“You recover even when wounded, never age, and possess unparalleled strength and tireless bodies. Yet we, the servants of the night—”

Bam!

As Sataniel’s voice rose, his fist smashed into the basement wall, creating a deafening noise.

“How is it possible for you to be defeated by such inferior beings?”

“It isn’t! If you give us one more chance—”

Boom!

It happened in an instant.

Before Lotus could finish pleading for another chance, his head was obliterated by a single punch from Sataniel.

“Ugh!”

No matter how powerful the servants of the night were, they couldn’t regenerate their heads. It was their only weakness, along with sunlight.

Seeing the brutal end of Lotus, who had been no less powerful than themselves, the Dark Elves who had become servants of the night couldn’t help but feel a resurgence of fear they had long forgotten.

“Don’t ask for a chance—tell me how you plan to resolve this.”

“…We’ve recently reviewed the movements of the allied forces.”

“And?”

“They also know about the Blue Flower in the south. Their initial attacks seemed to target southern bases.”

“Stand up and continue explaining.”

“Thank you!”

Sataniel, intrigued by Dread’s report, sat back in his chair.

Dread then stood up and began pointing at the map of the continent, tracing the path of the allied forces.

“However, their recent movements suggest that they are heading toward areas unrelated to our bases.”

“Could it simply be that they don’t know the locations of our branches?”

“That’s possible, but based on the documents recovered from the last branch they attacked, I believe there’s another explanation.”

One of the branches operated by Jerus, which had been destroyed by the allied forces, contained important information regarding the Blue Flower.

Sataniel’s current anger stemmed largely from this fact.

The most critical information had fallen into enemy hands—the one place it should never have ended up.

“Surely not…”

“Yes. Although we haven’t yet discovered the exact location referred to in the documents, I believe they may have figured it out.”

Crash!

The sound of an armrest being crushed.

Sataniel’s expression shifted from anger to alarm.

The mere possibility that the allied forces could reach the Blue Flower first was enough to fill him with unease.

“But we’ve already thoroughly searched the area around there. Based on our analysis of their movement patterns, the likely destination is… the Somerset Estate.”

“Can you be certain?”

“…Yes. The forest within the Somerset Estate is vast, once even called the Southern Maze.”

As Dread suggested that the Blue Flower might be hidden there, Sataniel fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.

Then, he spoke.

“Summon all personnel from every branch.”

“Yes!”

Sataniel believed that the allied forces had been able to win against their branches so far because their forces had been scattered.

Now, he resolved to gather all his forces in one place, wipe out the bothersome allied forces once and for all, and lay waste to the Somerset Estate if necessary to find the Blue Flower.

‘Up until now, I’ve avoided direct conflict with the humans to minimize complications. But once I get my hands on the Blue Flower, there will be no reason to hold back.’

Even Sataniel, with his Pureblood lineage, found the Empire’s military power daunting, which was why he had operated in secrecy.

But that was about to end. Once he secured the Blue Flower and transcended the limits of the servants of the night, no one would be able to stand in his way.

 

“What in the world did you teach Lady Ada?”

Owen asked Alain, flabbergasted.

“…Believe it or not, I didn’t teach her this.”

Alain, just as shocked as Owen, replied in disbelief.

The clearly visible handprint on the chest of Owen’s armor, with the surrounding area twisted as if a whirlwind had struck, resembled a work of art.

“If it had been just a bit deeper…”

Owen shuddered at the memory of the recent incident.

While sparring with Ada as usual, he had allowed her to land an attack—strategically, not carelessly.

After all, how much power could a little girl’s palm strike have? It was a reasonable assumption.

But Owen had nearly been dealt a fatal blow by that very palm strike.

‘Ugh!’

The immense recoil had sent Owen sprawling.

‘Ada has vanquished the witch Owen!’

‘Arf!’

Lying on the ground, Owen had witnessed Ada raise her fist in triumph while Lash howled in celebration beside her.

After a brief victory pose, Ada had quickly mounted Lash and vanished from the estate grounds.

“Did you see her movements at that moment?”

“Of course I did. It gave me chills.”

Owen had long suspected that Alain had been teaching Ada hand-to-hand combat techniques.

He hadn’t known it before becoming an expert, but after that, he realized Alain was a formidable fighter, and it became clear that Alain had been training Ada.

“She spun! Before delivering that final blow, she transferred her body’s rotational momentum from her feet to her hand.”

“So that’s why it left this mark.”

Owen nodded as he traced the whirlwind-like handprint on his chest.

“In the East, they call that technique fa jin.”

“There’s still so much I don’t know. I had no idea such techniques existed.”

Despite having been knocked down by Ada, Owen wasn’t discouraged. Instead, he was excited, thinking about how he could incorporate fa jin into his swordsmanship.

Alain, on the other hand, was lost in deep thought.

‘I never taught her fa jin. How did she learn it?’

Alain had known Ada was talented, but he had thought she was still too young to learn such an advanced technique, so he hadn’t taught it to her.

So, had Ada developed the technique on her own? If so, her talent was truly astonishing.

And there was something else.

‘Fa jin can make up for a lack of strength, but considering her physique, Ada shouldn’t be able to generate such destructive power…’

The clear handprint on Owen’s armor.

Even with fa jin, such force was impossible for a child Ada’s age.

‘Did she find some kind of elixir in the forest?’

But Alain shook his head.

Even with an elixir, she wouldn’t have become this strong.

Not unless she had consumed dozens of elixirs.

And even the best elixirs would cause side effects if taken in such large quantities.

Unless, of course, there was a skilled doctor nearby who could perfectly balance the effects of dozens of elixirs.