Their steps halted in front of a spacious room arranged like a royal chamber.
A red carpet stretched from the entrance to the high throne at the far end. White pillars adorned with golden carvings rose along the sides, and crystal chandeliers hung majestically from the ceiling, reflecting warm, elegant light.
On the throne sat an Elf woman.
Gamma. An elegant smile graced her lips, just beneath it a small beauty mark accentuating her charm.
Her long dark gown was slightly open at the chest and back, enhancing both her beauty and authority.
Of course, she was not alone.
At her side stood Nu.
A young woman with delicate features, dark brown hair and eyes, wearing the black-and-white one-piece Mitsugoshi uniform. In her hands was a data board filled with reports.
Besides Nu, several General Members in Mitsugoshi uniforms were also present.
As Gabriel entered the room, Gamma immediately rose from her throne.
With a professional smile, she began descending the steps.
Nu followed, half a step behind her.
Gabriel stopped.
His right hand rose slightly in front, as if signaling that there was no need for them to walk further.
But before a single word could be spoken—something… characteristic happened.
Gamma's heel caught on the edge of her own gown.
Or maybe the air itself.
No one could say for sure!
Her body lost balance.
With an expression still trying to remain elegant yet clearly too late, she stumbled forward and fell.
Gamma tumbled down several steps.
CRASH…! THUD…! CRASH…!
Her flowing gown flared wildly, her heels clanging against the marble, until finally—she came to a stop right in front of Gabriel.
Her face pressed against the cold floor.
Silence.
Nu's eyes went wide.
"Gamma-sama...?!"
The data board in her hands nearly slipped. She immediately rushed forward, her expression panicked though she struggled to maintain a professional demeanor.
The general members quickly approached.
Meanwhile, Gabriel knelt calmly before the fallen figure.
Without saying a word, he produced a clean handkerchief and offered it to her.
Gamma slowly lifted her face.
Confusion marked her expression.
Her gaze shifted from the floor… to the handkerchief… and finally to Gabriel's face.
"You're having a nosebleed," Gabriel said flatly.
Gamma blinked.
Then she touched beneath her nose.
Red.
Blood was indeed trickling thinly from her nostrils.
"Ah…!" She hurriedly accepted the handkerchief. "I-I'm so sorry…! I was too hasty in welcoming Ash-sama back that—"
She stopped as more blood dripped.
Gabriel exhaled slowly.
After Gamma finished wiping, he raised his hand and gently touched the tip of her nose with his index finger.
Pale white mana flowed softly.
The small wound from the earlier impact immediately regenerated; the broken blood vessels healed as if nothing had ever happened.
Gamma froze for a few seconds, her face slightly flushed—whether from embarrassment or from being too close.
Meanwhile, Nu finally reached Gamma's side and knelt, followed by the other General Members.
"Gamma-sama," Nu asked, "are you alright?!"
"You have a nosebleed…" added one of the General Members.
Gamma quickly sat upright, trying to regain her composure.
"I-I'm fine! It's just a minor incident!"
Gabriel stood slowly.
"As usual," he said calmly, "your falling position never fails to impress."
Gamma froze.
Nu froze as well.
Several staff around the room pretended not to hear anything.
Gamma lowered her head slightly, her shoulders trembling faintly.
"Th-that's… not something that should be praised, Ash-sama…"
Yet behind her embarrassment—her expression actually looked… slightly proud.
Gabriel tilted his head a little.
"Then why does your Ki feel proud?" he asked casually.
Gamma froze.
"E-eh?!" she stammered, reflexively clutching the edge of her gown. "I-It's just a misunderstanding! I'm not—at all—!"
Her aura, however, grew increasingly chaotic—a mix of embarrassment, nervousness… and happiness that couldn't be hidden.
Gabriel smiled.
This time, it was different.
Warmer.
Rarely seen.
He raised his right hand and gently patted Gamma on the head.
The touch made Gamma tense for a moment.
"Whatever it is… I'm glad you're alright," Gabriel said softly. "And your business for Shadow Garden has grown this much, without me noticing."
His eyes met hers directly, without a trace of irony.
"You deserve recognition."
His hand slowly lowered.
"I'll give you a reward later. You may ask for anything."
Gamma froze.
Her face flushed brightly.
"An-anything…?" her voice faltered. "I-Is that… included—"
She stopped herself, her imagination running far ahead.
"I… I'm just doing my duty," she continued quickly, trying to regain professionalism. "If Ash-sama deems my efforts worthy, that's more than enough…"
Yet her eyes clearly betrayed that she was already compiling a very long list of requests.
Meanwhile, Gabriel's gaze shifted toward a nearby podium.
Upon it stood a grand throne.
A trace of a familiar presence lingered faintly there.
"Hmm," he murmured. "That's Cid's throne, isn't it?"
Gamma quickly responded, "Correct. That is Shadow-sama's throne. If Ash-sama desires one as well, I can immediately order its construction."
"No need," Gabriel replied curtly.
He stood up.
Gamma and Nu rose as well, following his lead.
Gabriel walked toward the large window on the side of the room.
The midday breeze drifted in, bringing a gentle coolness.
He raised his hand and gave a slight wave toward a tree not far from the building.
"Long time no see, Zeta," he said calmly. "Still fond of hiding as usual, huh?"
The leaves shifted.
From the foliage, Zeta's head slowly emerged. His movements were almost like a cat unwilling to fully leave its hiding spot.
His sharp eyes stared at Gabriel without blinking.
Gamma and Nu now stood beside Gabriel.
"Oh, and Zeta," Gabriel continued, as if discussing something trivial. "This might sound cruel."
A brief silence.
"Could you lend me your left hand and some of your blood later?"
Nu tensed.
Gamma froze.
"I need your flesh, bones, and blood. There's a magical ritual I wish to perform," he added casually. "As for the severed part, I will regenerate it later. There will be no side effects."
The room fell silent.
Zeta remained perched in the tree.
His gaze did not waver.
However, his tail moved slowly—not out of fear, but… curiosity.
"Very well," Zeta replied briefly, without hesitation.
As if being asked to hand over a hand was a completely ordinary request.
Gabriel nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Gamma and Nu in turn.
"By the way…" he said casually. "You already know the purpose of my visit to Mitsugoshi, right? From Alpha's letter?"
Gamma nodded immediately.
"Of course. You requested an additional supply of Mithril in large quantities—and specifically did not want to use the reserves from Eta's workshop."
She gestured toward Nu.
Nu promptly handed over a neatly bound stack of reports.
"These are the full details, Ash-sama: raw metal quantities, purity levels, distribution channels, and the funds already spent."
Gabriel took them.
His gaze swept quickly over the numbers, the percentages of purity, the mana conversion estimates, down to the operational costs detailed to the smallest fraction.
A gust of wind suddenly flipped the last page, and he caught it with his fingers.
"Efficient," he murmured softly.
Gamma straightened her shoulders slightly—she clearly caught the subtle praise.
Yet beneath her professionalism, one thought continued to gnaw at her mind.
She glanced briefly at Zeta outside the window, then back at Gabriel.
"Ash-sama…" she said more cautiously. "May I ask… why did you request Zeta to sever his hand?"
Nu fell silent as well, holding her breath.
Gabriel cast a quick glance at Gamma.
Then his gaze returned outside the window, staring at the pale sky with an expression that was unreadable—calm, yet too deep to be called peaceful.
"As I said before," he said softly, "there's a magical ritual I wish to perform."
He slowly closed the report map in his hands, his movements precise and measured.
"Its name—True Magic: Materialisation of Soul."
Silence.
It wasn't the weight of mana that made the air feel heavy, but the significance behind the words.
"Magic that can resurrect someone from death," he continued, "with the primary medium being the memory of the deceased."
"Flesh, blood, and bones from the same bloodline merely serve as a catalyst to make mana consumption more efficient."
His gaze shifted briefly to Gamma, then to Nu, before returning to the window.
His thoughts revolved around the magical ritual to be performed.
This plan wasn't an impulsive decision. Rather, it was something long kept in a corner of his mind—structured, analyzed, perfected.
It was only recently that he had remembered it again.
At first, he had intended to postpone it. He wanted to first master Haki from the world of One Piece and Senjutsu from High School DxD.
But now… he already possessed that magic.
The reason to wait was no longer relevant.
Even so, Gabriel still intended to study Haki and Senjutsu in the future.
Meanwhile, upon hearing this, Gamma's heart seemed to skip a beat for a fraction of a second.
Nu tensed unconsciously.
Resurrect… from death?
This was certainly no ordinary magic.
It was the domain of gods.
In Gamma's mind, countless possibilities immediately arose—the consequences, the price to be paid, and what Gabriel's plan might be.
With a voice almost trembling, Gamma finally asked, "Who… are you planning to bring back to life?"
___
Author's Note:
Hey, don't make me read this alone. Come on, support me! Give me all your power stones, muahaha~!
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