Even though I was stronger than Theresia, that didn't mean she couldn't fight me. If we were to battle seriously, I would have to pay a heavy price to bring her down.
She possessed the bloodline of a ruler for a reason, and the only reason I could suppress her was because of the three pieces of information I knew about her:
her pride, her deeply hidden tendencies, and lastly — her luck.
As for the blackmail I used against her, if she truly wanted to ruin my plans, she could simply tell her father. If that happened, both I and all my plans would disappear from this world without leaving a ripple.
But Theresia would never do that. Because of her pride — and her sadistic side — she would rather defeat me herself than run to someone else for help.
Her arrogance would push her to crush and humiliate me with her own power, so from now on, I needed to slowly draw out that hidden side of hers.
"Oh right… System, what is Theresia's current love level toward me?"
"Ohh? That's actually good news."
With that, I walked toward my two sisters, who were still lying on their beds.
When I reached them, I could still see the pain etched on their faces. I purchased a special medicine from the system, then gently gave it to both of them.
A few minutes later, the wrinkles on their foreheads eased, and they looked much better. That was when Theresia entered the room. Her face was flushed, and the stains on her dress were gone.
When she looked at me, her expression turned cold.
"So this is your true nature, huh?" Theresia said sharply.
I was impressed — even after everything that had happened between us, she still stood before me without fear.
"Yes, that's right, my princess slave."
My words immediately made her anger spike, but she managed to keep herself composed.
"You should know that once all of this is over… I'm going to kill you."
"Of course. I'll die happy knowing I was the first person to strike a princess."
"You…!"
This time, instead of exploding in rage, Theresia took a deep breath to steady herself.
"I don't know how you've become this strong, but one day, I'll kill you with my own hands."
I grinned and stepped closer to her. She didn't flinch but stared straight into my eyes. I was still shorter than her, but I met her gaze without fear.
"Princess, you belong to me now, so don't act so arrogant."
I didn't want to waste more time dealing with her — my sisters' situation was far more important. I carefully lifted Rena into a princess carry and used Levitation Magic to make Invidia float beside me. Then I turned to the cold-faced Theresia.
"Lead the way, my slave princess."
Theresia led us forward. Along the way, several people questioned us, but she handled them flawlessly.
After a few minutes, we arrived before a massive door without guards or visible protection. I was confused by this, but noticing my puzzled look, Theresia answered coldly:
"There's no need for guards. This chamber can only be opened by someone with the Emperor's token or a special bloodline like mine."
After saying that, she made a small cut on her hand and pressed it against the door. It vibrated slightly before slowly opening.
Inside was nothing but darkness — a deep, endless darkness. After opening the door, Theresia turned to me.
"Once you pass through this door, you'll be transported into the World of Chaos."
"Once you enter, I don't care what happens to you," she said, her mana flaring to intimidate me, "but nothing bad must happen to Invidia and Rena."
I smirked and walked forward without fear. But just before stepping into the World of Chaos, I gave Theresia a light slap on her rear.
Pak~
"Huh~?"
Her flustered expression was a delightful sight, and before she could explode in anger, I stepped into the darkness.
The moment I entered, it felt as if I were falling into a void. Something scanned through my body, probing my secrets.
After a few moments, I found myself standing in a room where everything was pure white. As I looked around, I spotted Invidia and Rena lying unconscious on the ground. I rushed toward them.
"Eh… what's going on?"
"B-Brother… where are we?"
As I approached, I saw that they were awake, though their bodies were stiff and their minds disoriented. After checking them and confirming they were unharmed, I let out a sigh of relief.
"It's alright. You don't have to worry about anything."
But then, a voice echoed around us.
"Young man… you're wrong. They should be worried."
Suddenly, the space around us rippled, and a figure materialized before us.
The one who appeared was a handsome middle-aged man with golden hair and emerald-green eyes.
The moment he appeared, I felt as though the entire world was pressing down on me. It was difficult to breathe. When I looked at the man before me, I was shocked — I had seen his face many times in the palace portraits.
Lukas Helios — the founding king of the Helios Empire, a legendary figure.
When he appeared, both Invidia and Rena were just as stunned. They too had seen his portrait displayed near the throne.
"Zeref, what's happening?"
"Brother, what is going on?"
Both of them asked at once. Before I could respond, the man answered their unspoken questions himself.
"You two are here because you are on the verge of awakening your bloodlines — and you are in grave danger."
Lukas' words left them speechless. They were smart enough to grasp the meaning without needing further explanation.
"Normally, if multiple people enter, the program separates each of you and assigns individual trials."
"But seeing two girls of my lineage and a boy of such rare talent… this is the first time I've intervened personally."
He said this and then turned his gaze toward me.
"Do you know how surprised I was to learn that you've reached Silver rank at the age of twelve?"
"What!!"
Invidia and Rena reacted in shock. To their knowledge, their brother should only be at Low Bronze Rank. After all, I had never told them about my true training or strength.
"Even in my era, your talent would have been considered extraordinary."
"That's why I must ask you, boy… are you truly prepared to take on a trial meant for all three of you?"
"Trial? Zeref… what's going on here?"
This time, Invidia spoke again, her face pale and full of concern. With a sigh, I walked over to them and began explaining everything.