Murphy’s voice was calm, yet it seemed to freeze the very air around them.

Beneath his hood, the Shadow Hunter’s expression flickered.

After the initial shock and searing pain, the cunning and survival instincts of an Official Wizard kicked in, his mind racing.

He panted, his voice hoarse and probing.

"Heh... *cough, cough*... That last strike... took a lot out of you, didn’t it? Such power is far from ordinary. Wielding something like that must place a heavy burden on you, right? Otherwise... you wouldn’t be standing here wasting your breath on me."

His eyes scanned Murphy’s placid face, searching for any sign of mental exhaustion or physical weakness. At the same time, the shadows at his feet began to creep outward.

"What happened today... perhaps it was a misunderstanding. I admit, I underestimated the... protective power here." His tone reluctantly softened. "I only came here seeking wealth, or certain... knowledge. We can discuss terms. I’ll leave immediately and guarantee I’ll never set foot in the Southern Territory again. There’s no need for you to take another risk for an enemy who’s already injured and willing to pay a price, is there? After all, your most precious treasure is already safe."

Murphy listened in silence, his expression unchanging. He neither confirmed nor denied the man’s speculation about the "burden."

Only when the Shadow Hunter had finished did he speak, his voice even colder than before.

"Harm my daughter, and you die."

Those six words were delivered like a final sentence, absolute and leaving no room for negotiation.

The Shadow Hunter’s face went rigid. A flicker of savagery crossed his eyes, but it was overwhelmed by a chilling mix of shocked fury and disbelief.

He hadn’t expected the man to be so absolute.

"You..." He started to say something more.

Just then.

TAP, TAP, TAP!

Hurried, staggering footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by a suppressed groan of pain.

"M... Miss... Leia..." The lady-in-waiting, Annabelle, supported herself against the wall, painstakingly making her way toward them.

She was in a worse state than before. Her left arm hung limply, clearly broken, and a bloody gash marred her forehead. Her face was as pale as a sheet, but her eyes were filled with frantic anxiety.

She had used the last of her strength to follow the sounds and find them.

Her gaze went past Murphy to the scene beyond: the Shadow Hunter kneeling on one knee, bleeding profusely, and behind Leia, an unharmed Eleanor. Her eyes widened in disbelief, then she let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. Her legs went soft and she nearly collapsed, holding herself up by sheer force of will.

Leia, too, was finally starting to recover from her shock. She stared at Murphy’s staunch back, then at the Wizard—who just moments before had seemed as indomitable as a Demon God, now a pathetic, grievously wounded figure. A storm of emotions crashed through her.

’He... he actually... wounded an Official Wizard?’

’And it looks like he has the complete upper hand?’

This completely upended her understanding—and possibly everyone’s—of the limits of a Great Knight.

But Eleanor, held protectively in Leia’s arms, showed no surprise at all on her little face.

She even tugged gently on Leia’s sleeve and said in a small, clear voice, "See, Leia? I told you Father was strong."

Her tone was filled with absolute pride and trust, as if the scene before them was the most natural thing in the world.

The Shadow Hunter took in Annabelle’s arrival and the reactions of Leia and Eleanor, a dark premonition growing ever stronger in his heart.

’His reinforcements have arrived, and my injuries are getting worse...’

’Even if they’re not much of a threat, the scales of this negotiation are tipping completely out of my favor.’

A muscle in his cheek twitched, and his gaze flickered wildly. At last, as if he had made a great resolve—or perhaps, had simply accepted that the circumstances were beyond his control—he let out a ragged breath. His voice was even more hoarse, now tinged with compromise.

"Fine... fine! Governor of Melfield, is that right? I admit defeat. I was in the wrong today... I’m willing to pay a price... I have an ancient relic, an Ancient Witchcraft Artifact related to ’Shadow’ and ’Space’... just let me... leave!"

As he spoke, he used his uninjured left hand to painstakingly retrieve a square, palm-sized object wrapped in Shadow Cloth from within his robes, making as if to toss it over.

His posture was utterly subservient, as if he had truly abandoned all resistance and was only begging for his life.

Murphy’s gaze fell upon the object in the man’s hand. His eyes were deep and unreadable, betraying no hint of whether he would accept or refuse the offer.

Seeing this, the veins in the Shadow Hunter’s eyes became more prominent. His voice suddenly rose, laced with the madness of a cornered animal. "What more do you want?! Do you really intend for us to die here together?! I admit you’re powerful, but the last stand of a cornered Official Wizard, even if it can’t kill you, will be enough to destroy this entire corridor, including the ones behind you..."

His words cut off abruptly.

Murphy cut him off, his voice utterly placid. "No."

"No to what? No to mutual destruction?" the Shadow Hunter asked instinctively.

Meanwhile, a faint flicker of hope rose in the hearts of Annabelle and Leia, who were watching the scene with rapt, nervous attention.

’Perhaps this unbelievably powerful Governor is actually willing to accept the deal to avoid a more devastating outcome?’

’Compromising with an Official Wizard felt like letting a tiger back into the wild, but if it meant ending this crisis without any more bloodshed and ensuring Miss Eleanor’s absolute safety...’

’...it seemed like the most ideal outcome.’

However— 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The situation changed in an instant!

A flash of utmost viciousness and cunning suddenly blazed in the Shadow Hunter’s eyes, which had been filled with pain and submission!

He never believed for a second that Murphy would let him go. The so-called negotiation was nothing but a ploy to create one last, desperate opportunity!