Chapter 6: The Court Grand Mage

*1*

Before Nadine and Katherine could escape from the sinister underground facility—

“Well, well. Of all the surprise visitors.”

—a man’s voice called out to them, flat and emotionless. There was something about its emptiness that sent a shiver up their spines. The sight of the figure before them threatened to make Katherine’s legs give out.

“Wh... Who are you?!”

His face was shrouded in shadow. Katherine held her staff at the ready as Nadine pulled out a combat knife.

Then they heard the clack, clack of dramatic footsteps... and the man stepped into the light.

He was pale, with sharp eyes and a faint smile. Katherine’s first reaction: wow, he’s actually kind of hot. But those dark, murky eyes evoked a deep, primal fear she couldn’t explain. Almost like he wasn’t human.

“Run,” Nadine whispered.

“What?”

“Please, Katherine, you have to run. We can’t...”

No... Her voice was less of a whisper and more of a barely restrained scream.

“We can’t fight him!”

Katherine’s eyes widened. Did Nadine just tell me to run?

Her chest ached.

For years she’d worked her ass off. As an adventurer, as a Mage—and often, the only woman in the party. And this wasn’t the first time she’d been given similar orders. Far from it.

Stay back—it’s not safe for a woman. The men will handle this. You get out of here.

She knew they were only trying to protect her, but... it always left her feeling so powerless.

Men need to be strong to protect women, while women need to be protected.

From an early age, she remembered the red-faced middle-aged men who would frequent her grandmother’s restaurant... and the comments they would make to her every night.

“You’re a pretty girl, Katherine.”

“I bet you’ll find a good husband someday.”

“Get yourself a real man to protect you.”

They always waited until her grandmother was distracted with other work to say these things, too. And perhaps their hearts were in the right place—perhaps they were only looking out for her well-being. But their comments festered in her chest like a disease.

And as time wore on, she only heard more of the same sentiments—at the Imperial Magic Academy, in adventuring school, and even after she graduated. But it wasn’t what she wanted.

“...No, you.”

“Wait, what? Katherine?”

“I said, you run!”

Katherine turned back to the expressionless, dark-haired man and held her staff at the ready. Deep down, what she always wanted was—

“You hear me?! You’re the one who’s going to escape, not me! I’ll buy you some time, so... use your agility or whatever and get out of here! I know you can do it, Nadine!”

“No... I can’t just leave you!”

—to protect someone else.

That was her deepest, most desperate wish. She still remembered the way little Anca had looked at her during the duel, her eyes full of trust.

“After what you’ve seen, I’m afraid I cannot simply let you escape,” the man stated mechanically. But Katherine didn’t back down.

“Quiet, you. I’m gonna bust out my albino foxkin secret technique!”

“Katherine!”

“Run for it, Nadine! Round and round the wheel turns... O holy Amaterasu, ignite your flames and let your sacred mirror shine! Foxfire Flash!”

The next instant, a blinding light erupted from the tip of Katherine’s staff—multiple times, in quick intervals. This spell was designed to dazzle the eyes; in combat it created a split-second distraction.

“Nngh... Be safe!” Nadine shouted—and then she took off running.

Meanwhile, she thought to herself... how could that man have managed to conceal his presence from her? Who was he?

Nadine bit her lip. She knew she didn’t have the strength to fight him, and she knew Katherine wasn’t fast enough to escape him. Ultimately, this was the best choice available to them.

Promise me we’ll meet again, Katherine!

She could hear spells exploding somewhere behind her... but Nadine didn’t look back.

She needed to hurry and find the others ASAP.

*2*

Meanwhile, in the western tower, the topic of conversation was nearly identical:

“You want me to... escape? What for?” asked Laplace.

Likewise, Tanya wasn’t sure why the princess was quite so panicked. What was she afraid of? Tanya had no idea. All she knew was that Arianora had an intense reaction to the name Laplace.

Running from Laplace would make sense—after all, she was the mythical Wicked Dragonwhore or whatever. But no... Arianora seemed to fear for Laplace’s safety.

“You want me, the Great Sorceress, to turn tail and run? I’m afraid that’s a tall order, Ari.”

“Listen, Princess... I don’t think you understand just how strong we are.”

“Oui, oui! Surely you saw us at the Sparring Tournament, did you not?”

Tanya nodded in agreement. They wouldn’t go down easily—or so she hoped, at least. Sure, their opponent was the so-called “immortal” Court Grand Mage who had sealed Laplace away for 300 years, but they weren’t exactly pushovers themselves, right?

“I know, but... you mustn’t stay! You have to run!” Arianora insisted. She was clearly terrified of something, but what?

Laplace let out a sigh. “Fine, fine. C’est bon, d’accord. But could you at least explain why? If you must know, I’m simply burning with the desire to punch Fa—er, Maxwell—right in the face.”

At this, Arianora’s gaze wavered... in the direction of her bound and gagged attendant, Vis.

“Is it something you don’t want her to hear?”

“No...”

Arianora and Vis held eye contact for a moment, and then Vis quietly nodded.

Who IS this woman? I can’t quite get a read on her, Laplace thought to herself. Something about her seemed... inconsistent, though Laplace couldn’t put her finger on what.

Then Arianora began to speak—quietly, but firmly.

“I’ll give you the short version. This information is all strictly confidential, of course... and... once I’ve explained everything, it is my sincere wish that you, Lady Tanya, and you, Lady Laplace, will help me find a solution to that which troubles me.”

Her expression didn’t belong to a thirteen-year-old girl, but an Aweigkorrt... a nation’s ruler.

“Over the past 300 years, Lord Maxwell has been using his authority as Court Grand Mage to create... a dreadful weapon.”

“A weapon, you say?”

“Yes. And if he captures you, Lady Laplace, he will seize all of Pajan within an instant.”

At this, Tanya hastily cut in. “Look, uh, I don’t see where you’re going with this, Your Highness.” All she knew was that it sounded really, really bad.

Arianora closed her eyes and sighed quietly, as if to keep herself calm. “Forgive me. It appears I’ll need to explain in greater detail.”

And so she recounted the evil deeds of Maxwell the Court Grand Mage.

Once upon a time, 300 years ago—Pajan was at war, Laplace was the perfect super-soldier, and immortality was almost within Maxwell’s grasp. These three things corrupted him deeply.

Laplace had served to bring him glory, but now her existence poisoned his heart.

“Using the technology he’s honed over the past 300 years, he’s now trying to mass produce Lady Laplace.”

“Mass produce a knockout like yours truly?”

“Yes. You see, after he sealed you away... he came to sorely regret it.”

“...Really now?”

“He missed having the power to dominate foreign countries, and he believed you were the missing component to unlocking his own immortality.”

“Oh, right. So that’s what he regretted. Got it.” Laplace let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Just a component. I should’ve known.”

Indeed, these days she knew better. These days she understood that Maxwell was only interested in her not as a daughter, but as a tool he could use.

“Maxwell would always tell me that you had a rebellious glint in your eyes. And although you complied with his orders, deep down, you opposed him.”

“Hahaha! How very perceptive. Truth be told, I wanted to stand up to him—I just didn’t know how.”

“Because of that, he has spent every waking moment of the past 300 years trying to create a version of you that he can control like a puppet. And after dipping into the imperial treasury time and again... at long last, We are the end result.”

“...‘We’...?”

“Yes. We are mere vessels created in her image.”

“...What?”

“However,” Arianora continued, “We are far from complete. Maxwell has said that he requires the blood of the Dragon God—Lady Laplace’s blood—to finish Us. Thus, he has said he would need to break the powerful seal upon you in order to perfect his creations.”

It was a serious story, to be sure, but Tanya couldn’t help but scoff at him silently. What, you can’t reverse your own spell? What kind of Mage are you?

“But Maxwell has already learned of your revival. He knows you are here. Please, I’m begging you... Without your blood, his despicable desires will never come to fruition. Ever. That is why I need you to escape.” Arianora hesitated, then finished, “Or failing that... you must defeat him and cure Pajan of this corruption!”

Her tone was desperate. Pleading.

“I don’t care how long We are forced to suffer—you mustn’t let Maxwell complete Us, no matter what!”

“Hmmm...” Laplace murmured to herself.

So all that glory and prestige STILL isn’t enough for him? He STILL wants to be immortal? Of course. He’s not satisfied with JUST mass-producing a bunch of miserable little girls. No, he’s a filthy beast that bites the hand that feeds him. And someone needs to put this rotting zombie back in its grave.

“Très bien. Just so we’re clear, I was already planning on punching him, but I can end his life if need be. He has no business being immortal, that’s for sure.”

But first...

“Now then, could you tell me a bit more about these ‘vessels’ you speak of?”

*3*

“ ‘To all the little girls out there who dream of adventure...’ ”

Arianora Aweigkorrt could only pray that, in her next life, she would have the freedom to pursue her dreams.

Arianora (or as she was known then, Nameless Girl) was born inside an incubator deep underground, where no sunlight could reach. It was a small, cramped space, and she was but one of many, many Others. She couldn’t remember when it had happened, but at some point she gained sentience, right there in the tank.

These girls were artificially created with the blood of the White Dragon, the Black Dragon, and who knows what else. Above all, They existed to serve Maxwell.

He created vessels of all different kinds. Either They were used as disposable guinea pigs in his experiments, or They were left in their tanks to rot; once Maxwell determined that the power They possessed was lesser than that of the Great Sorceress, They were deemed worthless in his eyes.

They were tools to be used up and thrown away. And when Their bodies decayed, They were repurposed as nutrients for the next girl. Floating lifelessly in their tanks, they were all merely Nameless Girls. Created only as tools, born only to ultimately die.

They were pawns. Stepping stones to a perfectly subservient Laplace. Here in the laboratory, that was all They could ever be.

And yet...

“I shall give you a name... Henceforth, you shall be known as Arianora Aweigkorrt.”

Suddenly—through luck or misfortune, she couldn’t be sure—one Nameless Girl had a name.

The Emperor of Pajan was a painfully mediocre man. He had no ill intent, but he lacked ambition. Nor did he possess the courage to break away from those traditions that survived through sheer inertia.

Maxwell was a legend. He wielded powerful influence over the Aweigkorrt royal family. And the Emperor was not strong enough to oppose him.

Only once had he and his beloved Empress managed to conceive a child. Tragically, the pregnancy ended in stillbirth, and the Empress had sunk into a deep depression.

Then he showed up—the parasite who had clung to Pajan for the past 300 years. It was Maxwell, the legendary Court Grand Mage. And he told them he could replace the child that they’d lost.

“We can summon your beloved daughter back into this world.”

With the technology he had fervently dedicated his life to researching, such a thing would be all too easy, he told them.

To toy with human life was terribly taboo, but the emperors of the past had all turned a blind eye to Maxwell’s misdeeds. And now the present Emperor looked upon this forbidden technology—and rejoiced.

And so the little guinea pig was scooped out of her tank and given the name of Arianora, the precious princess of Pajan. Meanwhile, Maxwell’s distasteful experiments continued... but the Emperor did nothing to stop him. Those nameless lives meant nothing to the named.

Newly imprisoned in the role of princess, the little girl thought to herself:

What makes me so different from my “useless” sisters? What am I? What are We? And... why am I the only one given the privilege of a name?

*4*

“...So in the end, I’m not a princess. I’m just a counterfeit—an impostor wearing her name,” Arianora explained as Laplace and Tanya listened quietly. “We are not people; We are merely tools for Maxwell to use. He deemed Us convenient to have, and so We were created. That is the only reason We exist.”

Now that she had said her piece, Tanya timidly spoke up. “Princess...”

“Lady Tanya, I told you, I am no princess. I am merely one of Them.”

I’m not worthy of any special title. But as long as I keep serving my purpose—as long as I help Laplace escape, thereby preventing Our full transformation into weapons—the world will remain at peace.

But before she could put this concept to words, Tanya spoke again.

“But then... how come you’re playing along?”

“Wh... What?” Arianora faltered. “Well... because...”

But before she could find the words, something clattered to the floor. All three turned in the direction of the sound. Arianora gasped.

“Vis...?”

It was Arianora’s attendant. Thus far she had sat there in silence, but now she was aggressively fighting her restraints, trying to break free. Arianora drew in a breath at the sight.

Meanwhile, Laplace put a hand to her chin in contemplation. “Hmm... It appears as though she’d like to say something.”

“...Lady Laplace, if you don’t mind, um, could you...”

“Free her?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm... Well, I don’t mind, as long as she doesn’t start yelling for help... Plus, this seems important.”

Laplace snapped her fingers. A split-second later, the dam burst and Vis’s voice erupted from her mouth.

“—With all due respect, Her Highness was only doing her duty!” she shouted. “She never asked for this, but nonetheless, she pours her heart and soul into her work, all for the citizens of Pajan! I’ve seen it for myself—I was right there with her every step of the way!”

“Vis...!”

As an attendant, she was always close at hand—and always eager to nag. But truth be told, she cared more than anyone. She knew Arianora was an impostor; she knew the suffering Arianora willingly endured night after night, all so she could faithfully uphold her role as princess. Vis saw it all.

“Our princess is a good person.”

A good, kindhearted, nameless person.

“Please, Lady Laplace. You have to escape from Ode Castle... and never return. If you wish to see Arianora safe, then you must leave this country.”

The look in her eyes was dead serious.

“Hey...!” Tanya objected. She knew they had a point, but she took offense to the idea that fighting wasn’t an option.

But Laplace held out a hand to stop her and turned back to the others.

“Now, now, I’ll thank you not to underestimate me.” She grinned. “Just because she has a role to fill, or because she’s trying her best, you think that’s reason enough not to challenge the status quo? Non, non. That’s unacceptable.”

Slowly, softly, Laplace floated up to the ceiling, her long dark hair billowing around her like she was underwater. Her eyes were shining with determination.

“In case you missed it the first time, allow me to repeat myself. I’m going to punch him in the face, and then I’m going to end his life. Comprenez-vous?”

“B-But...”

“Non, non. No buts about it! You think you’re safe just because you don’t make waves? Playing nice won’t save you. Trust me, I know.”

“But that’s...”

“Are you hearing me? All it did was create the miserable predicament you find yourself in today. Maxwell helped create a world in which young women are forced to give up their dreams and... and do battle in stripper armor, for crying out loud! It’s time he got his just deserts, don’t you think?”

Because I sure do.

“Rest assured, I have absolutely no intention of letting him get away with this.”

“Oh, Laplace,” Tanya sighed as she gazed at the other woman’s beautiful face. Frustratingly beautiful, in fact.

Then she snuck a glance at Arianora and found her staring firmly up at Laplace, refusing to concede. Man, they really are identical.

She took in a deep breath and shouted:

“It’s our job to brave danger! We put the ‘venture’ in ‘adventurer’!”

Naturally, everyone flinched in surprise.

“Aaaah!”

“Whoa!”

“Good gravy! What’s gotten into you, Tanya?!”

But she ignored them. “You’re coming with us, right, Prin—er, Ari?”

“Huh? Where are we going?”

“To beat the crap out of Maxwell, duh!”

The pink-haired Magi-Knight held out her hand. Arianora and Vis stared at it blankly, then looked up at her.

“WHAT?!”

“What on earth are you proposing?!”

They were baffled. What was the significance of this gesture? To them, it was all too foreign.

“Listen up, Ari. We have two options: solve the problem or run away. And neither me nor Laplace is gonna pick the second one.”

After all, how could we?

“Remember when I made that big, self-important speech dedicated to ‘all the little girls out there who dream of adventure’?”

“Yeah...?”

“Well, you’re one of them, right?”

At this, Arianora’s eyes widened. All this time, she’d simply accepted the abuse as the way things were—had simply existed to serve her purpose. But this woman standing before her saw her as... a girl with a dream?

“Oh, okay. Now I get it,” Laplace laughed. “Putting the ‘venture’ in ‘adventurer,’ eh? In that case, that would make Ari an adventurer in her own right, wouldn’t you say?”

“Uh...?”

“Think about it! You brought us into your room, told us your biggest secret, and now you’re trying to aid us in our escape!” Laplace nodded to herself, satisfied. “That’s a pretty big venture, don’t you think? You’re not just dreaming of adventure; you’re living it!”

The next thing she knew, Arianora had taken Tanya’s hand.

“I, um...”

“Will you take us to Maxwell?” Tanya asked. She nodded firmly.

“You most certainly will not!”

“Vis!”

“If Her Highness must go, then as her attendant, it is only proper that I accompany her!” Vis shouted.

Arianora blinked in surprise. “Y-You can’t, Vis! You...!”

“No, Princess... This responsibility is mine to bear.” Her eyes hardened with determination.

“Oho,” Laplace chuckled. “D’accord, d’accord. I get the feeling she won’t take no for an answer, anyway.” She snapped her fingers. “Well, the more the merrier, if you ask me! Are you ready to punch stuff?”

“Darn right!”

“Y-Yeah!”

“Then let’s go.”

In that moment, Laplace grinned like a mischievous little girl... and Arianora found herself entranced.

To her and the rest of the Nameless Girls, Laplace was the Original. And if even she wanted to fix her past mistakes... then perhaps Arianora could forge a new life for herself, too.

*5*

Meanwhile, Katherine cursed her own folly.

Grrr! How could I let myself get distracted by a pretty face?!

Truth be told, the magic circle at her feet was so advanced, she could scarcely comprehend its structure. All she knew was that it was pinning her feet in place, draining her mana. Before her stood Maxwell, the Mage of legend, looking very pleased with himself.

“Heh heh... I see now... The mana of the albino foxkin... I hadn’t considered it before now. Why, it’s... it’s marvelous!”

Katherine stared back dismally as he chuckled. Just you wait until I bust out of this trap, buddy.

He reminded her strongly of one of the regulars at the Little Vixen—a drunken old geezer her grandmother once described as “a sad little man clinging to his former glory.”

This was the Court Grand Mage who had sat at the center of the Empire for centuries?

*6*

There was a light snapping sound—and a moment later, all the guards of Ode Castle were fast asleep.

“There we are. That’s one problem we can cross off the list,” Laplace mused to herself.

Meanwhile, Tanya was in awe. Now there’s a real Sorceress for you—she put the whole castle to sleep! Almost like something out of a fairytale... Actually, now that I think about it, there’s already at least one fairytale that clearly includes her, so I guess that makes sense...

“Alrighty then, let’s get going!”

And so the four of them—Tanya, Laplace, Arianora, and Vis—descended through the slumbering castle.

“...In the event anyone tries to harm Her Highness, I shall deal with them myself,” Vis declared, holding a short sword at the ready.

Laplace giggled and did an aerial backflip to show off. “You’re the one who chose to tag along with us, so you’re free to do as you like. But let it be known, I’ve already decided I’m going to protect Ari.”

“You presume to refer to her with a nickname? Such insolence!”

“Well, it doesn’t really make sense to call her ‘Princess’ after the conversation we just had, don’t you think? Besides, nicknames are fun.”

“Rrgh... You had better get Her Highness out of this mess. Or I swear to god...”

“Don’t worry, Vis! Lady Laplace is really quite powerful! You’ll see!”

Tanya brought up the tail end of the procession, keeping a watchful eye for any would-be assailants. Come to think of it, she’d taken up the rear a lot of times back when she was in Ryan’s party. Well, except for areas where traps abounded, in which case they suddenly changed their tune to “Ladies first!”

Man, those guys were such assholes! I hope your teeth fall out, Ryan!!!

With Arianora leading the way, they soon arrived at a staircase hidden in the dungeons—a staircase that led to Maxwell’s laboratory.

“Oh dear... To think we’d end up going full circle, right back to where we started... I can’t believe I overlooked this,” Laplace sighed.

And so, licking their lips in trepidation, they headed down the spiral staircase. And after a long, long time... the stairway suddenly opened up.

There, waiting for them, were rows upon rows of glass tanks, a single human figure contained in each one. Some looked identical to Arianora; others had slightly different features.

“Ah, yes... I had a feeling you would come. When I saw you in the arena, I was sure I had to be dreaming, but evidently not... Long time no see, Laplace.”

His soft baritone voice echoed across the laboratory. He sat in the very center, surrounded by tanks on all sides, a king on his throne.

Arianora flinched. “M—I mean—Lord Maxwell...”

Tanya positioned herself in front of the Princess, shielding her. In addition to the tanks, there were dozens of other instruments, the likes of which Tanya had never seen before... but based on the magical mechanisms positioned throughout the room, she could tell at a glance that all of them were used for the extraction and exploitation of other people’s mana. To be clear: deeply forbidden magic.

A chill ran down her spine. What exactly did he do in here? What did he do to this tiny girl every night?

Laplace moved to the forefront of the group, bobbing up and down in midair as she glared at the man before them. Behind her, Tanya stared up at her. It’s going to be okay, Laplace. We won’t let this creep beat us.

Then Laplace’s shapely lips parted... and she addressed Maxwell directly.

“You...”

Her crisp, firm voice rang out across the room as she asked—

“Wait, sorry, who are you supposed to be?”

“WHAT?!” Tanya shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Gah! Tanya, will you calm down?!”

After what you just said?! I think I have the right to be a little confused! Do we have the wrong guy or something?! Hello?!

“What’s going on? I don’t understand... Is that not Maxwell?”

Puzzled, Laplace tilted her head. “I mean, judging from his mana, it’s definitely him, but... I’m afraid I don’t recognize him at all. Last time we saw him, at the arena, I didn’t really get a good look at him, so I simply assumed... but this? Non, non! The Maxwell I remember wasn’t this handsome! And is it just me, or does he look a little too young?”

While the Maxwell she remembered was fairly gifted as a Mage, frankly speaking, he was leagues away from anything even in the ballpark of “handsome.” After all, it had taken a large sum of money in order to acquire a descendant of the Dragon God as his wife. In addition, something about the way he carried himself just radiated creeper vibes.

Then he began to laugh.

“Heh heh... pffhaha! Hahaha!!! Oh, how very human you’ve become, my sweet Laplace. Is it not only natural for one’s appearance to change over time? But... I suppose you didn’t get the memo, hmm?” Maxwell(?) chuckled, seemingly in spite of himself.

Meanwhile, Tanya was starting to panic. Seriously, what if we got the wrong guy? We can’t risk hurting an innocent man! Wait... She’d realized something. Have I... seen this guy somewhere before?

“Um... L-Lord Maxwell... He...” Arianora began in a trembling voice.

“Foolish little girl, surely we needn’t tell the whole world.”

“Man, where have I seen him before...? Oh!”

“Perhaps it is time I shed this form. It was only meant to be temporary, after all.”

“What?!” At this, Tanya suddenly remembered where she recognized Maxwell’s face. “That’s right! Weren’t you at the Sparring Tournament last year?!”

“...I don’t know. Was he? Heh heh... Normally I keep the face hidden with a mask or a cloak, but I daresay this reaction is entertaining.”

“I knew it! That’s the star of last year’s winning team!”

Last year, Tanya had participated in the Sparring Tournament with Ryan and the rest of their party—and this man had been there, too. As she recalled, he had demonstrated extraordinary strength in the championship round singles match. Yes... This smirking man sitting before them was the spitting image of that competitor.

At one point she’d noticed that he’d stopped coming by the Adventurer’s Guild... but thinking back, there were rumors that his reward for winning the Tournament was a cushy job at the Imperial Court...

“What’s going on...?” she murmured to herself, perplexed. Had Maxwell entered the Tournament under a fake name?

“Oh, I see now,” Laplace mused under her breath. “I knew you couldn’t possibly be immortal, you rat bastard. You’ve abandoned your own body, haven’t you?”

“What? Abandoned... his body?!”

“Oui, oui. He looks nothing like the man I remember... which can only mean he’s been transferring his soul from body to body, like a hermit crab. How uninspired.”

Instantly, the man’s shrill laughter pierced the air. “Hahahaha! Close, but no cigar! Do you really think I wasted these last 300 years researching hackneyed old transmigration magic and nothing else?”

Just then, Tanya spotted a figure behind Maxwell:

“What the... Katherine?!”

“You’re kidding!”

A foxkin Mage lay unconscious, hands and feet bound together, in the center of a magic circle. It was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, their good friend Katherine.

“Oho! So you do know each other... This albino foxkin mana is simply exquisite, I must say. I’d heard rumors that one who consumed beastkin mana would be possessed by fox spirits, but in actuality it seems rather compatible with the humanoid form. Fits like a glove.”

“Mon dieu—you’re draining her mana?! Stop that at once!”

Laplace was viscerally reminded of the plot Maxwell had once hatched—to absorb mana from unsuspecting civilians using a large number of cursed orichalcum coins. This was, of course, the very same plot that Laplace foiled, only to be thanked by getting sealed away for 300 years.

The human body could only withstand so much mana exhaustion. In the early stages, the victim would merely fall unconscious, but further depletion could result in permanent physical impairment and even death.

This despicable man had tried to drain mana from the most populated city on the continent, all to further his own immortality. Fortunately his plans were dashed, and the cursed coins were relegated to mere paperweights gathering dust on antique store shelves... but his obsession never faded. Why was he so desperate, to the point that he’d abandon his own body?

Maxwell smirked at them.

“With this, I can finally complete the perfect Bride!”