Having successfully restored Golden Solstice Moon's sanity, Florin immediately reported the news to the Dwarf King, Geumgang Paljeong.
"... Is that so?"
Geumgang Paljeong stared at Florin with an expression of disbelief. However, trusting her words, he quickly issued a command to his subordinates.
"Summon Doo Amri."
Doo Amri, the King's advisor and a seasoned diplomat, was called forth without delay. Wasting no time, Geumgang Paljeong set out to meet the Golden Solstice Moon.
When he finally laid eyes on his great ancestor after several long days, he immediately sensed the change.
The wise and tranquil light in Golden Solstice Moon's golden eyes swept away his lingering doubts.
'He's truly... returned.'
How could such a miracle have been possible?
What kind of magic had Florin used?
Questions flooded his mind, but he stilled his thoughts and bowed respectfully before the Divine Moon.
"It is an honor to stand before you again, Great Ancestor."
— It's good to see you as well. I've... caused quite a shameful scene, haven't I?
"Not at all. Regardless of the form you take, we will honor and serve you for eternity."
— You are... far too kind.
"But..."
Raising his head cautiously, Geumgang Paljeong met the wise golden eyes of the Twelve Divine Moons and asked.
"May I ask... What exactly happened?"
Geumgang Paljeong had already suspected something.
He knew that the turmoil surrounding their great ancestor had not been natural.
Someone must have interfered… manipulated his emotions or tampered with his mind.
Yet this was the Golden Solstice Moon, one of the Twelve Divine Moons.
It was impossible for human mages, who still lacked the knowledge to manipulate emotions or thoughts, to affect such a being—especially a Divine Moon.
"Pale Yellow Autumn Moon…"
At that moment, Doo Amri spoke a phrase that froze the room.
"What does that mean?"
The Dwarf King asked again, and Doo Amri responded.
"She is one of the Twelve Divine Moons, yet entirely erased from history. Sealed away by the Progenitor Mage shortly after her birth, she has neither worshippers nor records to mark her existence."
"I've never even heard of such a Divine Moon..."
Florin asked.
"What are her abilities?"
Doo Amri shook his head. He didn't know the specifics. Instead, Golden Solstice Moon answered in his place.
— She governs emotions. Desire, in particular, is the core of her strength.
"... So, something like controlling emotions?"
Florin's thoughts immediately turned to Pink Spring Moon, another Divine Moon tied to emotions. The idea that another being shared such powers left her shaken.
— Their abilities are different. Pink Spring Moon is like an unshakable shield, protecting emotions. On the other hand, the Pale Yellow Autumn Moon is like a blade, capable of shattering minds and spirits into pieces.
"That's..."
— It happened not long ago. About two hundred years, I believe.
Florin and Geumgang Paljeong exchanged troubled glances. The words 'not too long ago' and 'two centuries' felt jarringly mismatched.
— I saw her face for the first time then. We exchanged a few words.
"What was she like?"
Doo Amri quickly asked, and Golden Solstice Moon shook his head.
— She carried dangerous ambitions. Unlike the rest of us, she possessed ambition—a craving for the world.
"How is that possible...?"
The Twelve Divine Moons had been forged with overwhelming power but stripped of mortal desires. They were meant to exist in peace, untethered by greed or ambition.
This was the will of the Progenitor Mage who had created them.
But it seemed that the Pale Yellow Autumn Moon had somehow been immune to that control.
— As she departed, she said this… She wished for me to understand her. And since then... two hundred years have passed.
Golden Solstice Moon had been overwhelmed by the emotion of greed and turned into a twisted version of himself—a Divine Moon who tormented the dwarves.
What was even more unsettling was that he hadn't been aware of it at all.
— Perhaps I grew complacent after years of peace, but even so... To think her power could ensnare me without my noticing it. What a terrifying ability.
"So emotions and the mind... Even the mighty Twelve Divine Moons are not immune to such attacks?"
— Exactly.
At this point, Doo Amri, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. He appeared somewhat puzzled.
"But if she possesses such overwhelming power, why hasn't she acted for the past two hundred - or even a thousand - years?"
— That... I cannot say.
Pale Yellow Autumn Moon's ability had the potential to shatter human civilization.
If she wanted, she could easily take control of the world. Yet, the fact that no news of her had emerged suggested that some restriction was keeping her in check.
— When she visited me back then, she asked for my cooperation. Since I refused, I never heard what her plans were... But it does make me wonder—did she really need my help?
"Cooperation...?"
Florin frowned.
If Pale Yellow Autumn Moon was strong enough to bend even the Twelve Divine Moons to her will, why would she bother asking for assistance? Why wouldn't she simply take what she wanted?
"I see."
At that moment, Doo Amri nodded and raised three fingers.
"I have three hypotheses. First, the Progenitor Mage may have placed a different kind of restriction on her."
— A different restriction?
"Yes. Since stripping away her desires was impossible, the mage may have bound her with physical limitations, such as preventing her from leaving certain areas."
— That's possible. But the one who visited me at the time was her true body.
"Then let's consider the second hypothesis," Doo Amri continued. "Her ability might not be as overpowered as it seems."
Hearing this, Golden Solstice's eyes narrowed.
— What do you mean by that?
"I mean no disrespect to the Great Ancestor. What I'm suggesting is... Perhaps Pale Yellow Autumn Moon can only mentally control a limited number of people at a time."
— Hmm...
"I see. As expected of Doo Amri, that's quite a plausible theory."
"And lastly, my third theory ties into the second. Pale Yellow Autumn Moon may have already been active for some time. If her ability has limits, she might be targeting key individuals - those in positions of power - and influencing events from the shadows."
Even so, dominating the world wouldn't be as simple as controlling a few rulers.
Even if she mentally enslaved the emperor of Skalven Empire, the strongest nation, a war against the rest of the world would likely result in swift retaliation.
The neighboring Adolevit Kingdom and Pung Empire were still standing strong. Additionally, organizations like the Mage Association and the Five Magic Academies of Arcanium wouldn't simply stand by and watch.
In other words, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon could be hiding, controlling someone of high status and waiting for the perfect opportunity to seize global power.
This hypothesis seemed the most likely.
"That's a deeply troubling thought."
The question remained, who had Pale Yellow Autumn Moon already taken control of?
Was it the Queen of Adolevit?
The Emperor of Skalven?
The Principal of Stella Academy?
The Tower Master of the Full Moon Tower?
Not even the most powerful authorities in the world were immune to the influence of the Twelve Divine Moons.
It meant that anyone in the world's ruling class could be a suspect or a victim.
"Your Majesty, if you could control just one person in the world, who would it be?"
"Hmm…"
Geumgang Paljeong pondered the question carefully.
If his goal were world domination, and he could control only one person...
"It would have to be the Emperor of Skalven Empire. Their military strength is unmatched—arguably the strongest in the world."
"What about the Elf King?"
"Me? Hmm... I suppose I'd choose Elthman, the principal of Stella Academy."
"I see."
Their answers were predictable—and likely correct.
Both the Emperor of Skalven and the Headmaster of Stella stood out as the most plausible targets for someone with ambitions of world domination.
"I have a completely different opinion."
"Oh? What is it?"
"There are other powers with military strength comparable to Skalven and abilities rivaling Elthman. However, these forces remain hidden, operating from the shadows beyond the Central Continent's reach."
Doo Amri raised four fingers.
1. Grand Duke Selphram, the guardian of the Arctic Iceberg Mountains.
2. Businessman Melian, the heart of the southern Waning Moon Plains.
3. Admiral Halicevale, commander of the East Sea Dragonwave Fleet.
4. Hae Seong-Wol, the Tower Master of the Full Moon Tower, the pillar of the Western Desert.
"These figures hold immense influence across their respective continents, outside the Central Continent's reach."
"Indeed... That's a valid point."
"There's merit to that argument."
Each of these individuals wielded extraordinary power and authority, making them just as dangerous as Skalven or Elthman.
"For starters... Businessman Melian of the Starcloud Trading Company isn't likely."
"Oh? And why is that, Elf King?"
"Someone I trust has a personal connection with Melian and vouches for their character."
"Ah, you mean that boy?"
Hearing this, Geumgang Paljeong nodded in agreement.
"If it's Baek Yu-Seol we're talking about, his insight is reliable. If Melian had been brainwashed, he would have been the first to notice."
"He's likely crossed paths with the Tower Master of Full Moon Tower as well. While we'll need to verify it, we can probably set him aside as a suspect for now."
"Then that leaves only two suspects..."
Geumgang Paljeong's expression grew troubled.
Grand Duke Selphram and Admiral Halicevale.
Both were powerful and enigmatic figures, and the thought of confronting them weighed heavily on his mind.
"Ah! I've got it!"
Suddenly, Geumgang Paljeong turned to Florin and suggested.
"Why don't we leave this matter to Baek Yu-Seol?"
"To Baek Yu-Seol...?"
"Yes. Let's be honest… if we go there ourselves, do you really think we'll uncover anything? If we could tell at a glance whether someone's been brainwashed, wouldn't we have already noticed it during our past interactions?"
"That's... True."
They had interacted with countless people in high society, including Class 9 mages.
Yet, no one had ever raised suspicions about being under mental control.
If no one had noticed anything unusual, it meant that ordinary methods wouldn't be enough to uncover the truth.
"We need that boy and the unique insight he possesses."
"Yes, and... I was already planning to bring him here to give him a gift."
"A gift? What kind of gift?"
Florin smiled warmly.
"A personal gift from me."
"Hah. That boy is truly blessed."
For the Elf King to personally prepare a gift—this was both rare and unprecedented.
***
Far to the east, deep beneath the seas hundreds of kilometers off the Aether Continent—
The 'Alamanca's Deep Sea.'
This vast underwater domain, ruled by Sea King Alamanca, had been designated an absolute forbidden zone centuries ago when the land sank beneath the waves, rendering it inaccessible to humans.
If humans were ever to set foot in this place, they would supposedly face the endless terror of the abyss—or so the legends claimed.
In reality, however, the true reason this area was labeled forbidden was the presence of one of the Twelve Divine Moons, Scarlet Summer Moon.
— Sigh... Still no news.
On the pristine shoreline of an unnamed island, a red-haired man lay sprawled across the sand, his sunglasses tilted slightly as he basked in the sun.
— Shouldn't they be showing up by now...?
This was none other than Scarlet Summer Moon, one of the great Twelve Divine Moons.
Not long ago, he had visited his future bride, Hong Bi-Yeon, and placed a blessing upon her heart.
His blessing, however, was a double-edged power. A blessing when she was near him, but an uncontrollable curse when she was far away.
Scarlet Summer Moon let out a frustrated sigh, recalling the last moment he had witnessed between Baek Yu-Seol and Hong Bi-Yeon.
The warmth in their eyes as they gazed at one another had been maddeningly irritating, yet strangely entertaining.
Why?
Because he wanted to witness the moment Baek Yu-Seol was forced by fate to sacrifice his beloved to Scarlet Summer Moon.
At the time, he could have defeated Baek Yu-Seol by force and taken Hong Bi-Yeon with him.
But he chose not to, because he was waiting for something more entertaining.
Waiting for something more satisfying… watching Baek Yu-Seol surrender her willingly, compelled by fate.
But now...
— Why hasn't there been any news?!
If Baek Yu-Seol had made a move, Scarlet Summer Moon should have heard by now.
Yet, it seemed the boy was still staying at school, making Scarlet Summer Moon feel restless.
To make matters worse, Hong Bi-Yeon's curse also seemed to be stalled, showing no progress whatsoever.
The flame burning within her heart was supposed to grow, compelling her to seek him out. Yet nothing had changed.
— What on earth is going on?
For a mere human to remove his blessing was impossible.
— No, this won't do. I need to find out what's happening...
Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept across the beach, and a gray rift began to form in the center of the sand.
Crack!!!
The space split open, and out stepped a gray-haired man.
— Fawn Prevernal Moon... Why now, of all times? This is an important moment.
The man spoke in a cold, mechanical tone, devoid of any emotion.
— I've secured the cooperation of Purple Winter Moon.
— Wait, seriously? Then we're almost gathered?
— Not yet. We've agreed to meet immediately, so prepare to move.
— What? Aren't the Twelve Divine Moons never supposed to gather in one place?!
Scarlet Summer Moon's voice rose in disbelief, but Fawn Prevernal Moon remained unfazed.
— It doesn't matter.
Without elaborating further, Fawn Prevernal Moon disappeared back into the gray rift.
His abrupt and insensitive behavior was frustrating, but having already agreed to support his plan, Scarlet Summer Moon had no choice but to follow along.
— Tsk... This couldn't have come at a worse time.
He didn't even have time to figure out how to win over his bride, and now he was being dragged into yet another mess.
— Still... Without that guy, I wouldn't have been able to leave the depths and roam freely on the surface...
Muttering under the blazing sun, Scarlet Summer Moon grudgingly stepped into Fawn Prevernal Moon's portal and disappeared into the swirling gray void.