Murphy held the cool glass of water, the chill spreading from his palm.

He cast a final glance at Aurora’s slender silhouette by the window before downing the glass of water.

Setting down the glass, he stood up.

He offered no farewell. Just as he had countless times before when leaving to attend to the affairs of his domain, he walked to the door with a steady gait.

The moment he pulled the door open, Aurora’s voice came from behind him, soft yet incredibly clear:

"Be careful, brother."

Murphy’s steps faltered for an imperceptible moment, and then the heavy oak door closed silently behind him.

In the bedroom, only moonlight remained, streaming in to illuminate Aurora’s solitary figure at the window. It was a gentle light, as if it could brighten the entire early summer night.

...

Deep in the night, the continuous mountain ridges resembled the jagged spine of a great beast, their silent, stark outlines traced by the dim starlight.

Murphy’s figure flitted silently through the forest. Occasionally, he would push off a protruding rock, launching himself forward like a deep blue streak of light that merged with the night. He cut south at a speed far surpassing that of a swift horse.

The mountain wind was piercing, whistling past his ears, but it couldn’t shake him in the slightest.

His breathing was long and steady. The surging Qi within his body was an inexhaustible spring, sustaining this superhuman mode of travel.

The wind howled, but his thoughts were even colder and clearer than the mountain wind.

’Margaret.’

’The woman who called herself "Maggie" and presented herself as his slave.’

Murphy was well aware that beneath this so-called "slavery," she retained some degree of autonomy.

She was certainly bound by the magical brand of [Control Human], making it difficult for her to defy his direct commands or will. Yet beyond that, she remained the Duke Temeris—a woman with independent will, ambition, and a vast network. She was also the inheritor of the title "Enchanting Witch."

Over the past ten years, Murphy had not been blind to the inconsistencies.

’After the border war, how had she leveraged her role in "mediating" the conflict between the Northern Douglas Clan and the Royal Family to gradually earn their trust and favor, ultimately ascending to the position of Duke?’

’How much of her intelligence network, her connections to other clandestine Wizard Organizations like the Eye of the Profound and Ashen Words, was she truly sharing with him?’

’And then there was her current identity—the "Enchanting Witch."’

’This title hadn’t come from nowhere. It belonged to an older, more mysterious system of succession, one deeply connected to the legendary World Origin of the Wizard World.’

’Among them, the one most frequently mentioned in the past ten years was the "Mechanical Witch."’

’Othilia.’

Murphy had never forgotten that name.

Thirty-seven years ago, on a scorching summer day in Duval Castle, he had met the young Wizard Apprentice with black hair, black eyes, and an innocent smile.

She was the first Wizard Apprentice he had personally encountered after crossing over to this world, and she was the first person to nearly kill him.

She was also the source of the grade 3.0 Black Light Mana he possessed.

Over the past decade, rumors about Othilia, the "Mechanical Witch," had certainly surfaced across the Continent.

Her movements were secretive, and she acted rarely, but every appearance caused a massive sensation.

Her activities seemed to be concentrated more in the southern nations and overseas. On the surface, she had no interaction with Margaret, who was a Duke based in the Southern Territory of the Vilt Kingdom.

But in Murphy’s eyes, it was precisely this "complete lack of connection" that was the most illogical.

’Both belong to the legendary Witch succession. One wields the power of "Enchantment," while the other commands the secrets of "Machinery."’

’The sources of their powers might be completely different, but at the level they operate, there should be a connection.’

’Especially since Margaret has attained such a high position, with vast resources and connections at her disposal. How could she have no contact whatsoever with another Witch?’

’Not to mention they’re cousins.’

Murphy had, of course, tried to probe her.

At times, when Margaret was immersed in that pathological attachment and obedience to him, he had seemingly casually asked about other Witches, especially rumors of the "Mechanical Witch."

Margaret’s response was always flawless.

He had even used the power of [Control Human] during their most intense mental clashes, when her defenses were at their weakest, attempting to dig into her deeper memories.

However, he found nothing.

’That’s highly unusual.’

The more Margaret acted as if she had no connection to Othilia, the deeper Murphy’s doubts became.

’It doesn’t align with the ancient connections that might exist within the Witch succession, nor does it fit the breadth of intelligence someone in Margaret’s position should possess.’

But...

Murphy’s figure paused for a moment atop a solitary stone pillar. He tapped his toes lightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the deep valley below and, in the distance, the faintly visible, scattered lights of the Douglas Duke Domain.

’But, the letter Margaret left this time seems to be forcibly dragging some hidden clues into the open.’

’She explicitly mentioned "Enchantment" and "Machinery," "origin" and "shackles." She mentioned going to retrieve something that "originally belonged to us."’

’In her parlance, the word "we" didn’t refer to him and her. It seemed to refer to an older community of interest, one that shared her origins.’

’The explosion in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, the opening of the fissure in the Deep Red Wilderness, the injury of the Church Court’s top expert, the weakening of the Holy City’s barrier...’

’All of this seemed like an arrogant move by the Tower of Secret Silver. But if I connect it to "retrieving something," the pattern becomes clear.’

’Create massive chaos, draw in and severely injure the most powerful Watchers, and then, at the moment the barrier is weakest and attention most divided, slip into the core area to take the target.’