What does it take to become a Monarch?

Was it as simple as reaching the ninth tier, or was there something deeper-something darker?

To the common folk, it might seem like a matter of raw talent or providence, as though destiny merely selected its rulers. But those who wore the crown of true Monarchs knew the unspoken truth: their thrones were built not of glory, but of sacrifice.

To stand at the summit of the world, blood had to be spilled. Choices had to be made, choices that clawed at the soul and left marks that no power could erase. For every title, for every accolade, there was a debt-a cost paid not in gold but in pain and anguish. Some his own, some in others...

Ivan knew this better than anyone.

The horrors he had endured-and inflicted-on his path to the top were memories he dared not recall.

Alcohol was a great means to forget.

With enough power, the alcohol could get anyone to forget. Even a Monarch was no different. While there were spells that could achieve similar effects, they weren't quite the same.

Ivan used to be addicted to the alcohol.

He loved it.

Relished it.

It helped him forget the pain, and through such a cycle, he found himself at the peak of the world.

He had reached a point where he could overlook the world.

And it was also at that point that he decided to stop.

At this point in his life, no one had the authority to command him. How could they? He was the strongest. He was the one who commanded. He didn't have to do the things he used to do.

He could start anew.

...And the first step was dropping the alcohol, which he did.

Nearly a decade had slipped by since those days, and Ivan had nearly forgotten the taste of alcohol. That familiar blend of bitterness and sweetness that once granted him a means of escape.

He no longer needed it.

"....It's been a while."

Leaning his head back against the chair, Ivan's finger drummed against the wooden table. As his thoughts lingered over the wine bottle, he licked his lips.

They were strangely dry.

"I must be tired."

He wouldn't usually be this fazed by something like a wine bottle.

When someone reaches a certain level, their mental stability heightens. It took a lot to shake a Monarch's heart.

But if they were tired...? That was a different story.

The more tired one was the weaker their mental strength was.

"I guess I really am."

Sending a clone so far away did indeed consume a lot of mana. When putting it that way, it only made sense. Not only that but taking into account the fact that he had been working since dawn, it was only natural that he was tired.

Picking up his pen, Ivan looked at the case review and licked his lips once more.

"I'll finish this up and get some re-"

Ivan suddenly paused.

Flicking his head up, his eyes rested on a wooden case that rested on the sofa opposite him. "What?"

His expression began to change then as his eyes narrowed.

Pressing down on the communication device, he quickly called for Clara.

"Hey, Clara. Did you forget to take the gift?"

He didn't have to wait long for the reply. It came within moments.

-Hai! It looks like I forgot it! I'm deeply sorry.

"It's okay."

Ivan moved his hand away from the communication device and leaned back. He was a little annoyed but kept his composure.

Picking up the pen, he resumed his case review.

But...

Tak-

Dropping the pen, Ivan leaned back against the chair.

'I can't work like this.'

Despite his best efforts to concentrate, Ivan's gaze kept drifting back to the box. It was as if the object held some inexplicable allure, drawing his eyes to it again and again, no matter how hard he tried to resist.

It made it hard for him to focus.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

"I guess really am tired."

He reminded himself to take a rest after he was done. Since he couldn't focus, he decided to take a little break to wait for Clara to come. Closing his eyes, he decided to get some shut-

eye.

As the surroundings turned quiet, Ivan's brows slowly started to knit together.

Yet again, the bottle lingered in his mind.

The box refused to leave his thoughts, its presence lingering in his mind like an annoying fly that he couldn't swat away. Coupled with the heavy silence that enveloped him, the

atmosphere grew increasingly stifling.

Covering his mouth, Ivan tried to bring his thoughts away from it.

But...

"...."

He couldn't stop himself.

Lifting his head to stare at the box, he felt a lump form in his throat. For a brief moment, he

started to recall the sweet yet bitter taste he had thought he had forgotten.

He licked his lips.

How many times had he done so over the past few seconds?

His hands started to itch.

His heartbeat increased, and his lips pressed tightly.

To Tok-

"I'm here! I'm sorry for suddenly intruding."

Entering the office was Clara who rushed towards the bottle. She was just about to reach it

when she paused.

"Sir, Ivan?"

Her worried tone snapped Ivan out of it as he lifted his head to look at her.

"Yes...?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"No, it's..."

With some hesitation, she swallowed her saliva and spoke,

"You look a little pale. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Pale?"

Turning his head to look at his small mirror, Ivan's expression subtly shifted upon seeing his

reflection. It was as Clara said. His face was pale, and so were his lips.

When did...

"You must be tired, right? It tends to happen."

Clara's voice echoed in the background.

"I've seen how hard you work. You have been up since early in the morning for the past week,

leaving at night. I think you should get some rest."

"Ah, yes. You're probably right."

Ivan rubbed his head, shifting his focus on the case review in front of him.

His palms felt strangely sweaty.

"....Let me just get this done."

"Oh, I see." Clara looked worried, but she pressed her lips and stopped speaking.

"Then..."

Hesitantly looking at the bottle in front of her, she placed it on the table.

"...Why don't you have a little drink?"

Ivan's brows furrowed tightly as he raised his head.

"Didn't you hear me before? I don't like drinking."

His voice even rose a little.

However, Clara didn't flinch.

"I know, I know, but in your current state, you deserve to drink a little."

"No! I won't drink!"

Ivan's voice boomed throughout the office. This time, Clara did flinch, even taking a step

back.

"Ah."

Seeing the look of fear on her face, Ivan snapped out of it and pursed his lips.

"Sorry, I guess I really am tired. I'm not usually like this."

"I know."

Clara replied, her voice a soft hush.

"...I just thought that it might help you, sir."

"Help me? Why would it help me?"

"Because, sometimes... It's okay to forget."

"Uh?"

Ivan looked towards Clara's direction. At that moment, she sat down on the seat opposite

while placing the box down.

"I don't know what made you decide to stop, but sometimes, one needs to release all their

bottled-up emotions."

Her voice was soothing, pleasing to the ears as Ivan listened.

"....I'm sure someone like you has a lot of bottled-up emotions, right?"

"Yes, of course I do."

Ivan answered in a low tone, shifting his attention to the case review paper.

"There's a lot of things that bother me lately, and I didn't think you'd make it into it.

"I see, I didn't mean to annoy you."

"Did you, now? It looks an awful lot to me like you're trying to get me to drink. Do you think

I'm stupid!?"

Bang!

Ivan smacked his fist against the table while standing up. His imposing presence instantly brought Clara to her feet and she brought her hands forward.

"Sir, you're misunderstanding. You're misunderstanding. I'm really not-!"

"...Of course, you'd say that."

Flicking his hand, the box floated in the air and arrived right before Ivan who tore it open and

retrieved the bottle.

"Why do you want me to drink it? Is there some sort of poison in it? Is that what it is?"

"How could...?"

Plop!

Flicking his thumb, the cork of the wine flicked away.

"Come here!"

"Hiep!"

Raising his other hand, Carla's body flung in his direction, his hand clamping on her neck.

"W-What a..?"

"You want me to drink it? Fine, but you drink along with me."

"!!"

Taking the bottle, he directly shoved it into her mouth. Carla's eyes widened considerably as

her face paled. She tried to resist his grip, but how could she?

There was no way for her to resist Ivan.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

As her limbs flailed weakly, Ivan relentlessly forced the wine deeper into her mouth. Crimson

streaks began to trail down from the corners of her lips, pooling below, while her eyes rolled

back, leaving only a chilling white behind.

Eventually, her resistance stopped, but Ivan was so out of it that he didn't notice it.

"Drink! Drink! Drink it!!"

His eyes were red as he shoved the drink down the throat. He was so absorbed in his actions

that he hadn't noticed that Carla had long stopped breathing.

"Drink it! How is it? Does it ta-"

It took him a good minute for him to realize, and only then did he stop.

But by then, it was already too late.

In his momentary moment of craze, he...

Drip! Drip...!

The faint, rhythmic sound of wine dripping onto the floor echoed eerily in the otherwise

silent room. Ivan stood motionless, his hand trembling as he stared blankly at the lifeless

body before him, his eyes turning haze.

"W-what... what..."

It all happened so fast that he still hadn't realized what had happened.

Once he did, however...

Thump!

He let go of Clara's body and slumped down on his chair.

With a blank look on his face, his eyes fell on the bottle on his table.

"....W-what happened? How did...?"

***

Tr Trr-!

The loud sound of the alarm woke me up early in the morning. Rubbing my eyes, I checked the

time; 3:35 A.M., and massaged my face.

It was quite early, but this was usually the time when I started training.

Classes usually tended to start at around eight in the morning, but I liked to take the entire

morning to train in advance and get myself read. Furthermore, today I made a certain appointment with someone.

"He'll come later, so I'll spend the next few hours training by myself."

Sitting up, I rubbed my face one more time before heading to the shower, changing, and

heading for the training grounds. The training grounds weren't far.

They were right next to the dorms, and I arrived in no time.

I half-expected the place to be completely empty, but much to my surprise, I heard faint

muffled sounds coming from within.

'Wow, there's someone so diligent?' Surprised, I reached for the door and opened it.

Clank! Clank-

Instantly, an explosive sound reached my ears, almost shattering my eardrums as two figures

stood in the middle of the training grounds, sparring with one another.

I felt an intense pulse of mana sweep in my direction, forcing me to squint my eyes.

Even the ground vibrated at the sheer impact of the force behind the punches.

However, it wasn't the sounds that shocked me.

No, that was fine.

What truly surprised me were the two figures that were fighting.

'Kaelion? Caius?'

Why would they...?