Vale stood before the colossal raven in silence, his gaze slowly traveling across its immense frame. Illu had changed again.
The creature's body was covered in black, bladed feathers that seemed to drink in the surrounding light, while six ivory-white eyes stared sightlessly into the world and yet somehow always appeared focused on whatever they wished to observe. Its skull-like face was monstrous even by the standards of Beast, and the countless tendrils hidden beneath its feathers shifted restlessly in the shadows around its beak. Every part of the raven radiated danger. Every instinct a sane person possessed should have screamed at them to run.
Yet Vale felt none of that fear.
Only relief.
Standing beside him, Ivor studied the raven with narrowed eyes and folded arms..
"To think such a creature was hidden beneath the colosseum all this time," the butler muttered.
Illu's blind eyes shifted toward him. For a moment, neither moved. The bird's expression remained impossible to read, while nearby Shade stood in his usual silence with his arms crossed over his chest. Dark mist rolled continuously from the living shadow's body, obscuring nearly every detail of his form and leaving only a pair of softly glowing crimson eyes visible beneath the darkness.
Vale paid neither of them much attention as he finished fastening the final straps around the strange black gloves covering his hands and forearms. The material appeared ordinary at first glance, but the faint metallic sheen beneath the surface hinted at the craftsmanship involved. He flexed his fingers experimentally and watched the gloves move with perfect responsiveness.
"You sure these can withstand Illu's feathers?" he asked.
Ivor immediately scoffed, sounding genuinely offended. "Please. You think I cannot create something that simple?"
Vale rolled his eyes.
"I was just asking."
"A question that insults my profession."
"You say that about every question."
"Because most of your questions insult my profession."
Nearby, Illu shifted his weight, and the movement alone was enough to make the stone floor groan beneath him. The raven had grown enormously over the past few months. Standing fully upright, it now towered nearly eight meters into the air, while even its resting posture left it close to five meters tall, large enough to dwarf most homes within the city.
A true Category Four.
One that had long since entered the upper echelon of such creatures.
Vale stepped forward and Illu immediately lowered his massive skull toward him. The creature clicked its beak once before speaking.
"Careful."
Vale simply smiled.
"Don't worry." He rested a hand against the raven's beak. "These should keep me safe. Besides, I still need to ride you when we break out of here, remember?"
Illu remained silent. Several black tendrils slowly emerged from beneath his feathers and curled around Vale with cautious curiosity. Strangely enough, the enormous raven seemed nervous.
Vale extended a gloved hand toward the creature.
His fingers brushed against the razor-sharp feathers.
Nothing happened.
No cuts appeared, no blood followed, there was no resistance whatsoever.
His eyes widened slightly as he pressed harder, but the result remained the same. The feathers felt impossibly soft beneath his touch, more like velvet than something capable of slicing through steel. A grin spread across his face and he leaned his full weight against Illu's side.
Still nothing.
The bladed plumage failed to leave so much as a scratch.
"It works." Vale turned toward Ivor with obvious excitement. "It actually works."
The butler looked entirely unimpressed.
"Of course it works. I made it."
Vale laughed. "Why are you so negative today?"
Ivor stared at him for several seconds before one eye twitched.
"Because I am a butler."
Vale blinked.
"And?"
"A combat butler," Ivor corrected. "But still a butler."
He gestured broadly around the cavernous chamber.
"We are standing beneath an arena where people routinely beat one another to death for entertainment. There is a giant demonic raven, a sentient shadow, and somehow none of that is considered unusual anymore."
Shade glanced toward him.
Ivor immediately pointed.
"See? Even that sentence should not be normal."
Vale looked at Shade, then Illu, before finally turning back to the exasperated butler.
"Fair enough."
Ivor sighed.
"Thank you."
Vale removed the gloves and handed them back before stepping toward Illu once more. This time he reached out with his bare hand and scratched gently beneath the creature's beak.
The raven immediately lowered his head.
The sight would have been adorable if the creature involved wasn't capable of leveling entire buildings.
"Anyway," Vale said, turning back toward Ivor, "the gala is tonight, right?"
Ivor froze. The expression on his face emptied so completely it was almost unsettling.
"Yes."
"Anything I need to do beforehand?"
The butler's eyes grew with agonizing slowness. "You didn't prepare?"
Vale shifted awkwardly. "No?"
The silence that followed was so profound that even Illu seemed uncomfortable. Shade actually took a step backward.
"You didn't prepare," Ivor repeated, sounding less like a butler and more like a teacher discovering his student had forgotten an examination. "You knew about the gala. You knew it was tonight. You knew representatives from every major faction in the kingdom would be attending. And despite all of that, you prepared absolutely nothing."
Vale offered a nervous smile.
"...Maybe?"
Ivor covered his face with both hands and released a long, suffering sigh. "I have given you far too much credit."
"Is that bad?"
"We are leaving."
"What?"
"We are leaving."
Before Vale could react, Ivor seized him by the arm and started dragging him toward the exit.
"Now. Before you embarrass the Royal Library."
Vale stumbled after him, eyes widening. "Wait, what about-"
"No."
"I wasn't even done talking-"
"No."
"Illu-"
"No."
Vale sighed in defeat and glanced back one final time. The colossal raven watched him leave while Shade silently dissolved into darkness, flowed across the floor, and wrapped itself around Vale's metallic arm. Moments later the shadow condensed into the shape of an ordinary black bracelet, a recently acquired ability that remained incredibly useful despite how unsettling it looked.
Vale lifted his arm and examined it.
"Still creepy."
The bracelet pinched him.
"Ow."
The next several hours passed in a blur. Within the hour they had arrived at one of the most prestigious clothing establishments in Irea, a fact Vale regretted the moment he stepped inside. Luxurious suits lined every wall, each crafted from rare materials harvested from powerful creatures. Some fabrics shimmered faintly beneath the lights while others carried subtle enchantments woven directly into their threads. The prices alone were enough to induce cardiac arrest.
Ivor, naturally, took complete control of the establishment.
Within minutes several employees had surrounded Vale. Measurements were taken. Fabric samples appeared from nowhere. Notes were exchanged in rapid succession while needles flashed through the air with frightening efficiency.
Vale suffered.
"Can't I just buy a suit that's already finished?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you represent the Royal Library."
Vale groaned. "I represent myself."
"No." Ivor didn't even bother looking up from the catalog in his hands. "You represent the Library."
He pointed directly at Vale.
"You are effectively Lord Drago's heir."
Vale blinked.
"What?"
Only then did Ivor glance up.
"Did he not tell you?"
"No."
The butler stared at him for several seconds before releasing another weary sigh.
"Of course he didn't."
The remaining hours vanished beneath endless fittings, adjustments, and increasingly specific arguments over details Vale neither noticed nor understood. By the time everything was finished, evening had already settled over Irea.
Standing before a mirror, Vale was greeted by the familiar absence that always awaited him. No reflection stared back. No face. No body. Only his clothing, metallic arm, and Shade's bracelet occupied the glass. The sight still bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Fortunately, the suit was magnificent.
Black fabric accented with subtle silver detailing gave it an elegance that felt refined without becoming excessive. It fit perfectly.
Vale adjusted the collar and nodded approvingly.
"This is amazing."
"It will suffice," Ivor replied.
Vale groaned.
"You really can't be satisfied."
"Not when I am responsible for you."
Soon afterward they departed. By the time they reached the royal castle, the sun had long since disappeared beyond the horizon. Massive gates stood open before them while lanterns illuminated marble pathways winding through the grounds. Nobles, commanders, scholars, merchants, and dignitaries arrived in lavish carriages from every corner of the kingdom.
The gala had already begun.
Ivor carried Vale's armor and weapons in a secured bag as they passed through security without difficulty. Their names granted immediate entry, allowing them to move through the vast halls of the castle itself. Towering statues lined the corridors, paintings depicting centuries of Irean history covered the walls, and enormous golden chandeliers bathed everything in warm light. Wealth, authority, and power seemed woven directly into the architecture.
Eventually they reached the final set of doors.
Beyond them waited the grand hall.
The gala.
The people who controlled the kingdom, the people who wanted to control it, and perhaps most importantly of all,
Wolf.
Ivor stopped and slowly turned toward Vale. Any trace of his usual irritation had vanished.
"We are about to enter."
Vale nodded.
"No matter what happens, do not make a fool of yourself."
"That's a lot of pressure."
"I'm serious."
The butler stepped closer, his expression hardening.
"And avoid Wolf at all costs."
The name alone made Vale focus. His thoughts immediately drifted toward Ares' warning: missing prisoners, disappearing citizens, and a predator hiding behind politics and influence.
"I'll stay away from him."
Ivor studied him for a moment before finally nodding.
"Good."
A servant pulled open the massive doors. Golden light spilled into the corridor as music and conversation poured outward from the hall beyond.
Vale inhaled deeply.
Then smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The sort that usually preceded trouble.
"Alright," he said, stepping forward before the doors had fully opened. "Let's see what this gala is really about."