The old man, Eve, Victoria, Grey, and Sophie watched as the princess stood victorious, drenched in blood. She had proven herself beyond doubt.

Despite leading one of the weakest groups of followers, her mastery of the Lightning Gold Grimoire, which unleashed devastating attacks, and the Wind Silver Grimoire, which granted her effortless speed, had carried her to triumph.

Her victory was no fluke.

From his icy throne, the King nodded in approval.

"Thank you, my king," the princess respectfully said, bowing her head slightly.

"Hahaha! No, it is I who must thank you," the King replied, his voice filled with pleasure. "You are among the bravest and wisest of them all."

"Such praise is unworthy of me, King," she humbly refused. "The credit belongs to my two Grimoires."

"No," the King countered firmly. "There are many who possess Grimoires like yours, some even stronger. But in the end, Grimoires are nothing more than tools, the true power lies in the wielder." His words rang with praise before his voice rose to announce:

"From this day forth, Princess Ana shall be crowned the direct heir to the throne, Crown Princess Ana!"

At once, the nobles stood and showered her with praise, hurling flowers toward her bloodstained figure.

It was a strikingly ironic sight, delicate blossoms raining down upon the drenched and battle-worn Ana, beauty and brutality colliding in a scene both mesmerizing and strange.

Ana basked in the rain of flowers, standing tall with unmistakable pride.

'If this were Earth, it would be the cruelest of scenes,' Grey thought. 'How could a father allow his own children to be slaughtered like this?' His modern mindset was crumbling inside, nausea churning within him at the sheer cruelty, even though his outward expression remained calm.

What unsettled him most was Ana's prideful demeanor, she had butchered her brothers and sisters, and yet she flaunted the victory without the faintest hint of remorse.

Perhaps this was simply the common sense of this world.

'No,' Grey realized bitterly, the three worlds he had been so far were all soaked in cruelty. This might only be the tip of the iceberg that he has seen for these three worlds as well.

'Sigh.' Grey shook the thoughts from his head. His blue pupils drifted toward Sophie, who had remained silent all this time, quietly watching the scene unfold.

"Do you regret it?" he asked.

Sophie flinched slightly, then turned to him with a confused look. "What?"

"You could have had me defeat them all," Grey said evenly. "Then you would be the one crowned as Crown Princess. Wouldn't that have been easier for you? You wouldn't have to live in fear of being assassinated by her."

Sophie's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Yes, that would have been the most beneficial for me. However…" Her gaze softened, "That path would have required me to carry the burden of killing all my brothers and sisters."

At that moment, Grey paused. His blue pupils flickered as he studied her soft expression. He remembered clearly, this mature woman had chosen to follow him ever since the Book Taming Ceremony. Even when he treated her harshly, she remained by his side.

Even now, after returning with Lucie from the other kingdom, Sophie was still there.

He knew the weight she carried. Scorned by her own siblings as the daughter of a whore, cast out and forced to endure countless injustices, she had suffered more than most.

And yet, despite all of it, she still carried that gentle side within her, the part of her that refused to kill her brothers and sisters.

Even if the world was cruel… even if this was the darkest of eras… there were still people like her. This warmed Grey's heart.

Grey slowly stepped toward her under Sophie's puzzled gaze.

"Can I hug you?" he asked.

"Sure," Sophie replied, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Without another word, Grey wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he could. He shut his eyes, letting the warmth of the moment wash over him.

Sophie's lips curved into a soft smile as she gently patted his head.

Sometimes, when weariness gnaws at your soul, all you need is a simple embrace to make the world feel lighter.

For the first time in a long while, Grey felt true peace, his inner peace.

And just like that, the coronation drew to a close. Grey was about to leave with Sophie when a voice rang out from the throne.

"Master Grey."

Grey stopped in his tracks, turning toward the King with a cold tone in his voice. "Yes?"

'Did I do something wrong?' the King wondered, panic already creeping into his heart. He forced a smile as he spoke, "Master Grey, although Princess Sophie did not win, your performance in the battle was extraordinary. You even helped the old man advance to the Mythical Rank. For that, our entire kingdom owes you gratitude, and I would like to reward you."

Grey's gaze remained cold. "What is it?"

To him, this so-called king, who could watch his children butcher one another and still shower praise without the faintest shred of compassion, was no different from the monsters he despised.

There was no reason for him to even associate with such a man.

"This," the King declared with a clap.

Two burly servants staggered forward, carrying a small box suspended between them on a heavy pole. Despite its size, their muscles bulged grotesquely, veins bursting as though their very fibers were tearing apart under the unimaginable weight.

Two healers followed closely behind, writing in the Grimoire constantly just to keep the two men moving. At last, after a grueling effort, the servants reached Grey. The moment they set the box down—

Rumble!

The ground trembled violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the tiles, shattering them under the box's crushing presence.

'What the hell is this?' Grey's pupils narrowed in disbelief as he stared at the small box.

"Open it," the King said with a gentle smile.

Everyone held their breath. The nobles, the newly crowned Crown Princess Ana, Sophie, the old man, Victoria, all eyes were fixed on the small, unassuming box.

As Grey slowly lifted the lid, a faint presence leaked out, subtle at first, but heavy enough to make hearts pound. It was unmistakable the presence of the Mythical Grimoire.

The moment the box was fully opened, the presence reached its peak.

When Grey looked inside, his body froze on the spot. There were…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.