Kiev—the capital of Antioch Highblood within the Elysium Empire—breathed with a life of its own.
Stone-paved streets pulsed with movement.
Merchants called out from every corner.
Carriages rolled past in controlled chaos.
And above it all—
towering structures of aristocratic dominance loomed like silent watchers.
Amidst it—
Azriah walked calmly.
Blindfold gone.
Eyes newly healed.
Not fully natural—
but functional.
Through them—
he saw more than sight.
Mana flowed.
Invisible currents shaped reality itself.
Sham walked beside him, arms crossed.
"…Remind me Why are we in a market ?"
Azriah didn't slow.
'I have a princess to scam.'
Sham stopped mid-step.
"…A what?"
Azriah smirked faintly.
'Scam.'
Sham blinked.
"…Care to explain?.'
Azriah continued walking.
'Diana's mother suffers from mana deviation and of course it was for a political scheme as everyone should have guessed and it was none other than the dearest 1st empress jealous of her beauty.'
A pause.
'What are The royal healers doing—'
Azriah didn't let him finish and said.
'—are all bought by the empress.'
Sham narrowed his eyes.
"So no one can cure her."
Azriah nodded slightly.
'Exactly.'
A faint smirk formed.
'Except…'
Sham caught it immediately.
"…You."
Azriah chuckled softly.
'Originally-
'The cure was discovered by our dearest meatshield uhmm sorry Emryn.'
Sham groaned.
"Of course it was."
Azriah's smirk deepened.
'That's how the romance begins.'
A pause.
Then—
his voice sharpened.
'But not this time .'
Sham raised an eyebrow.
"And what do you get out of it?"
Azriah's eyes gleamed.
'More than just the Whisper of Spirit.'
Then a devilish grin spread on his face—
'The Elysium treasury.'
Sham stared.
"…You're robbing a royal family through medicine."
Azriah shrugged.
'It's called negotiation.'
Sham sighed.
"…You're unbelievable."
Azriah stepped into a narrow alley—
and entered a rundown shop.
Dust coated the shelves.
Strange herbs hung from the ceiling.
The air smelled… questionable.
An old man looked up lazily.
"…Customer?"
Azriah didn't waste time.
"I need moonflower,Mandragora roots."
Another.
"And ground stabilizers."
The old man blinked.
Then smiled.
"… Quite Expensive purchase."
Azriah placed coins on the table.
"Not a problem."
Moments later—
he exited with a small pouch filled with ingredients.
"Come again!" the old man shouted.
Azriah didn't turn back.
Sham glanced at the bag.
"That's the cure?"
Azriah shook his head.
'Part of it.'
They walked further.
Soon—
another shop caught his attention.
Weapons.
Blades lined the walls.
Axes.
Spears.
Artifacts disguised as junk.
Azriah stepped inside.
He scanned casually—
then suddenly stopped.
A dagger.
Simple.
Unassuming.
But—
wrong.
Through his vision—
it pulsed.
Cold mana.
'…Relic.'
Sham leaned in.
"…Hidden well."
Azriah picked it up.
"…How much for this thing?"
The shopkeeper glanced over.
"…1500 septims no less."
Azriah scoffed.
"1000."
"1500."
"1000."
"1400."
Azriah tilted his head.
"…Illegal relic possession is a serious offense."
Silence.
The shopkeeper froze.
"…You wouldn't."
Azriah smiled faintly.
"1000."
A long pause.
"…Fine."
Transaction complete.
As Azriah stepped out—
the shopkeeper wailed behind him.
"Never come again!"
Sham snorted.
"…You are a natural scammer you know that right?"
Azriah flipped the dagger once.
'Thats called efficiency you old bones.'
They walked on.
Street food caught his attention.
Skewers.
Grilled.
Simple.
He bought a few.
Sham stared.
"You're eating… now?"
Azriah took a bite.
'Preparation is important.'
Sham shook his head.
"…You're ridiculous."
A pause.
Then—
"…Shouldn't we head to a waypoint?"
Azriah continued eating.
'No.'
"It's late."
'Doesn't matter.'
Sham frowned.
"…It's been a month."
Azriah nodded.
'Yes.'
Sham looked at him.
"…And the Emperor?"
Azriah smirked.
Then—
'Busy The Auremonts fucked up bad this time.'
Sham blinked.
"…So—"
'Two months for handling the beauty enthusiasts.'
Sham sighed.
"…You planned this didn't you?"
Azriah didn't deny it.
As the sun dipped—
the city shifted.
And far away In the royal castle of elysium—
Diana Elysium stepped out of the royal library.
Her thoughts were restless.
A letter.
From Azriah.
He said he would come.
And yet—
she hadn't believed him.
Until now.
"…Ridiculous."
She exhaled.
Still—
she found herself waiting.
Then—
a voice interrupted.
"Diana."
She froze.
Alden Stormveil.
Her maternal cousin.
Flanked by two guards.
His perverted gaze which swept over her chest then at her face—
She felt disgusted.
"…You've grown even more beautiful."
Diana stiffened.
Before she could react—
his hand reached her cheek.
She closed her eyes.
Not in acceptance—
but in restraint.
She couldn't act not for her but for her mother.
Then—
BANG.
The sound echoed.
Diana's eyes snapped open.
Three bodies lay on the ground.
Unconscious.
Alden.
His guards.
Collapsed.
And standing there—
Azriah Antioch.
He bowed slightly.
Dramatic.
Effortless.
"How is my beautiful princess faring?"
Diana stared.
Then—
at the bodies.
Then—
back at him. She looked like a fish out of the water.
"…What did you do?"
Azriah straightened and said flatly with a smile-
"I don't like ugly people."
Silence diana didn't expect that answer
"…You didn't have to knock them out?!"
Azriah shrugged and said.
"So were you expecting him to touch your body and let his perverted gaze put on your body? I didn't you were like that. For that i am sorry."
He grabbed Alden—
dragged him—
and tossed him into a corner like discarded trash.
Then—
with casual ease—
he picked up the guards—
and threw them out the window.
Diana stared in horror.
"…You—"
Azriah raised a hand.
"Don't worry princess They'll be collected."
A unnecessary pause.
"Maybe?
He stepped closer.
Like a knight he knelt who is kneeling in front of his princess he said.
"I have arrived with the cure may fair lady."
Diana blinked.
"…Wait wait When did you come?—how did you enter the palace?—did the guards see you?—"
Azriah stood again.
"hold your horses and take a breather and don't worry they didn't see me and if the guards saw me—"
A pause.
"—it would be embarrassing."
Diana stared.
Speechless.
Then—
"…The cure?"
Azriah nodded.
"I have it."
Relief flooded her instantly.
"…Then please follow me."
She turned.
And led him.
Through guarded halls.
Hidden paths.
Silent corridors.
Until—
they reached the chamber.
Diana entered first.
Azriah followed.
Inside—
artifacts filled the room.
Monitoring devices.
Stabilizers.
Seals.
All focused—
on one figure.
A woman lay upon the bed.
Frail.
Pale.
Pink hair—
dimmed.
Eyes closed.
Breath shallow.
The Second Empress.
Diana stopped beside her.
"…Mother."
Azriah stepped forward slowly.
His expression shifted.
Focused.
Serious.
'…So this is it.'
Sham whispered.
"…Can you actually cure her?"
Azriah didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
he reached into his pouch.
And smiled faintly.
"Of course."
Because this—
Was never a gamble.