Still underground inside the make shift lab that was built, Raze sat on the table, watching Magus Alice. She had been in that same position for the past two minutes, completely unmoving. He didn't dare use soul magic to check on her; he was afraid it might interfere with whatever she was doing and cause a backlash. So he waited patiently.

A few minutes later, one of the abominations suddenly began to tremble. Its head shook slightly before it started thrashing violently, as if fighting against something unseen. It slammed into the chains restraining it, bang, bang, bang, over and over again. The struggle continued until Raze noticed a thin trail of blood trickling down Magus Alice's nose.

Still, he didn't move, it barely looked like she was breathing at all.

He could sense that she was very much alive, and that was enough for him. He didn't want to make a rash decision that might hamper the progress she had made so far By accident.

After nearly twenty minutes, her eyes finally opened. She wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand and took a few steps back, creating some distance between herself and Raze.

"That was a lot," she muttered, holding her head as a sharp migraine throbbed inside her skull, she felt like her head would fall off.

"So?" Raze asked. "How did it go?"

"I should be more excited about this," she said, "but I'm too exhausted to even show it." She exhaled slowly. "Your hypothesis was correct. There is a soul inside an abomination. And within that soul lies its true self."

Raze's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened.

"This is something we should have realized long ago," she continued, "but no one ever noticed. The soul is buried deep within the darkness of demonic energy, hidden so thoroughly that it's nearly impossible to detect. I had to damage my own soul in a very specific way just to maneuver inside and see it."

Raze wasn't surprised. That explained the blood from her nose.

"So what's the next stage?" he asked, hopping down from the table.

She turned her gaze toward the chained abominations. "The next stage is simple. I think I can take it from here. I originally thought I'd need your help for several days to create the antidote, but after what I've seen, I can manage it on my own."

She glanced back at him. "And since you have your own preparations to make, you should go and start handling them."

"Oh? Is that so?" Raze said, curiosity creeping into his voice.

She caught the look on his face and smiled. "If you're wondering how I plan to do it, I'll write everything down and give you a full report."

Raze nodded in appreciation before turning toward the stairs. "If that's all, then I'll be on my way."

She nodded and waved at him with a gentle smile.

Raze climbed the stairs and left her behind. He didn't truly need her explanation; he already had the knowledge from the Dimensional Library. Still, he was curious about the path she would choose. Knowledge was never wasted, especially to him.

Once he was gone, Magus Alice leaned heavily against the table and suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood. The damage she had inflicted on her soul was far greater than she had admitted. To reach the depths of the demonic energy and locate the hidden soul, she had been forced to reshape her own.

Despite the pain and the blood staining her lips, she smiled.

If there was anything she truly loved, it was experimentation, and pushing the limits of soul magic.

[...]

After leaving Magus Alice, Raze returned to Oden the next day. He arrived with Fey, Elaine, and Ella, opening the gates directly into their house within the estate. From there, he headed straight to his office, where Seraph was already managing affairs in his absence.

When she saw him enter, she rose from her seat and bowed. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon," she said.

"It wouldn't be fair to leave you here alone for too long," Raze replied. "I should at least finish some things before I run off again." He paused. "What's the situation? How have things been?"

A small smile appeared on her face, the kind that suggested she had interesting news. "The wealthy men and merchants of Oden are pushing back against your orders," she said.

There was a faint eagerness in her expression, as though she had anticipated this outcome.

"Oh?" Raze replied, smiling as well. "Tell me more." He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"I made sure to meet every single one of them as your representative," she explained, "though I concealed my true identity. Each of them claimed that Oden survives because of their contributions, clothing, pharmaceuticals, farming, and several other sectors. Because of that, they believe they hold significant power over how the town is run."

She continued, "I couldn't get in contact with the two men who came to meet you before, the ones you threatened, and it doesn't seem like they passed the message on to the others in their group. As for those who did learn what happened, they still don't seem to care. They believe they have enough people and influence to cover up their past actions and prevent any connection between themselves and the Viscount."

"At least, that's what they think," she finished.

"Oh?" Raze said softly. "So they believe we can't bring them down?"

"Indeed. You may be a baron," she said, "but they think you're from a small town, without the resources needed to conduct proper investigations or expose their links to the Viscount."

Raze nodded slowly. "That's good. If they won't hand things over willingly, then I suppose it's time we meet them. Or rather, force their hand."

He leaned forward. "I'll be calling a meeting at the town square. Everyone in Oden will attend. We'll be signing contracts for the rebuilding of the town. The raw materials and supplies needed for reconstruction are already on their way, and anyone who signs will be part of the rebuilding effort and reap the benefits of the new Oden."

His smile sharpened. "As for those who refuse, and those tied to the wealthy men who have been bleeding the town dry, we'll cut them off entirely. Pharmaceuticals will be supplied directly from Ribest. We'll build our own pharmacies and train our own practitioners, healing magic, alchemy, elixirs, everything. We'll teach it all ourselves."

"The goal," he continued calmly, "is to strip these men of their influence. To make them understand that whatever power they once held is no longer relevant in the new Oden. We can survive, and thrive, without them."

"Young master," Elaine said carefully, "it sounds like you're trying to enrage them."

Raze grinned from ear to ear. "And how did you know?" he replied cheekily.

She let out a quiet sigh but said nothing more. She knew that once he had settled on a plan, he would see it through. And if this was the path he had chosen, then he already had contingencies prepared in case things went wrong.

There was no need for her to worry.

"So what conditions do you want to bring Oden up to?" Seraph asked. "Do you want to make it similar to how developed Ribest is?"

Raze shook his head. "No. Ribest is my sanctuary. Oden, and every other land we've gained, is merely an extension of it. They'll be developed, of course, but any land that isn't Ribest will always remain one step behind in comparison."

He continued evenly, "Ribest is meant to be the center of everything. Even the people of Oden will still travel there for certain things. Oden may be more accessible, and its people will have easier access to Ribest since they're under the same rule, but many things simply won't exist here. And even the developments that do will never match what Ribest has."

"And if we replicate something from Ribest?" he added. "I'll just return there and upgrade it further." He leaned back into his chair.

"Ribest is and always will be the main location of everything that has to do with me, and so it has to be more advanced in order to pull more attention."

"So why not change the name of Oden to Ribest? It's your land now. You have the right to do that," Seraph explained.

"No, I'll not do that. Oden is its own place, and all the people here have the right to still have their land," he said, and then got up to his feet.

"All that's aside, let's get a move on. It's time to change Oden for the better," Raze said with a grin plastered on his face.

They saw the smile and could only shake their heads. That grin was never a good sign; it always came with him plotting something.

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