Chapter 113: Echoes of a Name

Chapter 113: Echoes of a Name

The soft hum of arcane lights filtered through the war room, casting deep shadows along its obsidian walls. Volundr stood at the center of a circular array of projected sigils, each one flickering with faint energy as the last of the day's intelligence filtered through secure channels.

Kuroka lounged against the doorway, arms folded, ears twitching slightly. She had joined him not out of duty, but curiosity.

"Another silent night?" she asked, her voice playful but perceptive.

Volundr didn't answer immediately. His crimson eyes narrowed as a new symbol pulsed into view—an encrypted seal known only to a handful of noble Devil houses. The encryption was familiar… disturbingly so.

He raised his hand and expanded the projection. A black envelope—sigil-sealed and bearing the mark of House Belial, one of the former noble houses aligned with the original Leviathan.

He tapped the center, and the message unfolded in holographic script.

"A name stirs from beneath the frost. Leviathan breathes still. Secured. Sealed. Unaware."

The silence in the room thickened.

"Ingvild Leviathan," Volundr murmured.

Kuroka's golden eyes sharpened. "Didn't she vanish during the collapse of the original Satan Faction? I thought even Katerea believed her dead."

Volundr nodded slowly, already processing layers of implications.

"She was hidden—not by rebels, but by nobles loyal to her bloodline. Ones who had no faith in either the Old Satan supporters or the new regime."

He walked to the map at the side of the chamber and drew a sigil over the northern sectors of the Underworld.

A region rarely spoken of. He recalled rumors: sealed mansions shrouded in ancient magic, isolated from government eyes and completely off political maps.

"She's alive," he said, "and those nobles intend to keep it that way. From everyone."

Caelum entered the room then, brushing dust off his shoulders from the training courtyard. He paused upon seeing the tension in the air.

Volundr gestured him over. "I have a new assignment for you. It's delicate, and you'll need to move quietly."

As Caelum approached, Kuroka raised a brow. "You're involving him already?"

"He needs to learn the gravity of our world," Volundr replied. "And this—this is no longer a rumor. It's a potential revolution."

He turned to Caelum. "There are noble houses tied to the original Leviathan. Isolated, old, proud. Your mission is to trace them. Look for any signs of enchantments, sealed grounds, missing lineage records. Anything. But do not confront them. Just watch. Learn."

Caelum nodded, sensing the weight of the name. "Ingvild Leviathan… Is she dangerous?"

"Not in the way you think," Volundr said. "Her blood sings with the Sea Dragon's call. She has the potential to rival a Maou in power—but she was left to slumber in isolation."

Kuroka stepped forward, tail flicking. "And you plan to make her your Queen?"

Volundr gave her a knowing glance. "If she chooses to walk beside me, yes."

Kuroka's smile twisted. "Then prepare for war. Those nobles won't give her up easily. Not to the son of Agares. Especially not to one who refuses to bow."

Volundr's expression darkened, but his voice was calm.

"If they want to keep her locked away," he said, "then they've already made themselves my enemy."

Silence returned, heavy with intent.

Outside, the magical wind of the Underworld howled gently across the black stone spires.

And in the hidden north, somewhere beneath ice and wards older than most Devils could remember…

a girl with Leviathan blood stirred faintly in her dreams—unaware that the world had started moving toward her once again.