(3rd Person POV)
Magnus stood there—frozen. His breath caught in his throat, disbelief tightening around his chest. His daughter knew. She knew he was one of the masterminds behind Operation Pendragon.
The very operation where Arthur was to be captured… extorted of his patents, wealth, and company shares—everything he had built. The plan had been simple: force Arthur to surrender all to the Horn and Wales Kingdoms. A 40-60 split had already been agreed upon, favoring the Wales side.
Months of secret negotiations. Strategic positioning. And three of the feared Great Knights were deemed more than enough to handle one director.
Yet now… silence.
"How do you know this?" Magnus demanded, voice taut with barely suppressed panic. His wary gaze locked onto Mary's unmoving expression. His hands trembled ever so slightly.
Mary's smile was cold. Unreadable. Of course, she had promised Arthur never to reveal the truth—that Arthur had defeated all three Great Knights alone. It would break the world's understanding of power.
So she lied smoothly.
"Arthur anticipated the attack," she said. "He set a trap. The Great Knights walked right into it."
Magnus's eyes shot open, lips parting in horror. "A trap?" he echoed, voice hoarse.
'That explains everything…' he thought. 'No contact. No return. No reports. The plan… went horribly wrong.'
"And you expect me to believe," Magnus growled, trying to gather his authority, "that Arthur Pendragon—some showman—took down three Great Knights just like that?"
Mary tilted her head, amused. "You don't need to believe me. Just ask yourself—why haven't you heard from them? Why hasn't a single report come back? Why is Arthur still alive, unharmed, and walking free?"
Magnus's heart sank as dread crept up his spine. Her words clawed at a fear he dared not voice.
'If Arthur managed to trap the Great Knights… and they've been captured, then—he already knows who gave the order.'
He had placed great faith in the loyalty of the Great Knights to Wales—but now, seeing Mary speak so casually about the mastermind behind Operation Pendragon, Magnus could no longer ignore the truth.
Somehow, the Great Knights had talked. The operation had been compromised.
As if reading his thoughts, Mary spoke, her voice calm and cutting. "And yes—Arthur knows. He knows exactly who orchestrated the plot to capture him. That includes you… and several high-ranking officials from Wales."
Magnus fell silent, his mouth slightly parted. For once, the King had no words.
"You've underestimated Arthur, Father," Mary continued, her tone laced with a faint smirk. "You thought him just a boy with a few patents and an ego. But he had the power to bring down three Great Knights. If he wanted to, he could find a way to bring you down too."
A threat.
Magnus knew one when he heard it.
His eyes narrowed. "So that's it... That damned Arthur sent you here—to threaten me? To blackmail your own father into submission?"
Mary didn't answer. She simply smiled, the kind that offered no warmth—only finality.
Magnus exhaled heavily, the tension in his shoulders collapsing as he sank back into his chair. The strength and regality that once filled the room seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Very well," he muttered. "I'll make the necessary arrangements. The Hellfire Bank will become the central bank of this kingdom."
Mary turned without a word, her cold snort the only response as she walked away.
But inside, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. She had done it—avoided conflict, protected her family, and fulfilled Arthur's demands without a drop of blood spilled. She only hoped it would be enough.
---
The next day, Arthur accompanied the two sisters—Firfel and Sylwen—on a shopping spree. They were chauffeured in a luxurious black car to the heart of Hellscape Mall. As they stepped out, passersby immediately noticed them. Arthur and Firfel had already become well-known figures in Horn City—glamorous, untouchable.
A magical barrier shimmered faintly around them, keeping the growing crowd at bay. With several guards flanking their sides, they entered the mall like celebrities.
Inside, the air buzzed with excitement and music.
"Oh, look at this!" Firfel's eyes sparkled as she lifted a sleek black device from a display. "It lets you listen to music anytime—it's called a Hellfire Walkman!" She turned to Sylwen, practically bouncing. "You have to try this."
Sylwen gave a small smile, nodding. Of course, she already knew of it—Arthur's inventions were no secret to her. But watching Firfel's enthusiasm made everything feel fresh.
As they explored, Sylwen wandered into a boutique and tried on a flowing sapphire-blue dress. When she stepped in front of the mirror, even she was caught off guard.
Her reflection was… beautiful. Regal. Alive.
"Big sis! You look stunning!" Firfel beamed, hands clutched to her chest in awe.
Arthur, standing nearby, nodded in silent approval. "Not bad," he said with a small smile. "You might outshine your sister today."
The sisters laughed.
Their spree continued—appliances, fashion, cosmetics, jewelry. Firfel dragged Sylwen to the tech section and bought her a new H.E.S console. "Now we can play together when you're free," she grinned.
They splurged unapologetically on rare accessories and expensive enchanted earrings that shimmered with mana. Firfel even bought matching rings for them. "Sister rings!" she declared.
Arthur simply followed with a bemused look, his card getting swiped again and again.
"They're really not holding back, huh," he murmured, watching the total stack up. "My poor card."
Still, he didn't mind. His wealth was absurd. A few million credits meant nothing to him.
Thanks to the Hellfire Bank system, the shopping process was seamless. No need for pouches of gold or physical cash—just a swipe, and done. And with competitors like Fantasia Plaza adopting the system too, cashless payments were quickly becoming the norm.
Even car dealerships were joining in. Some smaller vendors in Horn City now accepted credit cards and debit payments through the Hellfire financial network.
Arthur smiled to himself.
Everything was moving according to plan.
And today, at least, he got to enjoy a simpler pleasure—watching two reunited sisters experience joy... and drain his wallet in the process.
As for the Great Knights and that rich heir his people had captured?
Arthur wasn't the least bit bothered. If anything, he found them… disappointing.
'They've already spilled everything to Lance,' he mused, lounging comfortably as he sipped from a chilled glass. 'Not completely, of course—but enough to strip them of value.'
Still, they might have a future use.
Arthur's gaze drifted to the air, opening his system interface with a flick of thought. He was already considering whether to recruit the surviving Great Knights into his own organization. Perhaps even revive Royal Coat.
Yes. His body was still perfectly preserved in the Inventory Storage, suspended in stasis like a corpse inside a freezer—only better. Time didn't flow in that space. Decay was nonexistent.
He could have brought the body to his Divine Realm, which also supported preservation. But ever since the realm was upgraded and shifted to the Divine World, saturated in higher-dimensional energy, Arthur wasn't certain how a mortal body would react there.
'Inventory will do just fine,' he thought. 'Safe, quiet, frozen in perfect condition.'
And now, he had the perfect item to bring the knight back.
A smirk formed on his lips as he summoned the image of the item from his system: the Revival Ring, a rare find from the Divine Shop.
Unlike the older revival method—like when he brought back Lance's elite team, which cost him 300 Divine Points—this ring required only a trace of pure divine power. Efficient. Clean. No point drain.
'He won't come back the same, of course,' Arthur thought. 'But loyalty can be restructured. Memories can be adjusted. A Great Knight with the right tweaks could be very useful…'
His eyes glinted with purpose.
---
Meanwhile, the reach of Hellfire Bank had begun extending beyond the Horn Kingdom—making its way into the neighboring Morningstar Kingdom at a surprising pace.
Normally, expansion into a foreign kingdom would take months of bureaucratic wrangling, but thanks to Arthur's personal connections within Morningstar's high society—and the coordinated support from the Big Four Banks of Horn Kingdom—progress had become lightning fast.
Those Big Four partner banks were now functioning as extensions of Hellfire Bank's network, smoothing the transition into unfamiliar economic terrain.
Already, Hellfire credit and debit cards had begun circulating among Morningstar citizens, sparking waves of curiosity and disbelief.
"A card that lets me spend money I don't have... and I can withdraw my own money from a magic box?"
"That's too good to be true!"
These were common reactions on the streets.
Automated Teller Machines—labeled simply as ATM—had appeared in strategic corners of Ferland, the capital city. Some were installed next to Hellfire Bank branches, while others stood alone in busy public spaces, like squares and bus stations.
The marketing blitz was relentless: TV commercials, billboards, flyers, and bus stop. Hellfire Bank was suddenly everywhere.
Of course, this ruffled feathers—particularly among the old banking powers of Morningstar. One of the most threatened was Ferland Bank, an institution proud of its legacy and used to monopolizing financial trust in the kingdom.
They weren't going down without a fight.
Within hours of the ATMs going live, reports emerged: several machines had been stolen or smashed by thugs—no doubt hired muscle trying to sabotage Hellfire's entry.
The message was clear: You're not welcome here.
But Hellfire didn't flinch.
In fact, their counterattack was elegantly timed: a televised announcement from Hellfire Studio.
"Coming soon to Morningstar: our most ambitious film yet — Titanic. Advance tickets available now at HellfireStudio.Hell.
Available exclusively via debit or credit card."
There was no trailer. No sneak peeks.
Just the title.
And yet, the buzz it created was seismic.
"A new Hellfire movie?"
"Titanic? Just the name gives me goosebumps!"
"Wait—tickets are already on sale? Online?"
"Only for cardholders?"
"Damn it! I need a Hellfire card now!"
Movie enthusiasts with internet access rushed to the website—only to be halted at the payment page.
They didn't own a card.
The demand surged overnight. Hellfire Bank branches in Ferland were soon flooded with applicants. Even those who'd once scoffed at the idea of plastic over coin were now eager—if only to secure front-row seats for the film everyone would be talking about.