They were nearing the abandoned ruin of Long Night Castle, its broken towers like jagged teeth against the pale northern sky.
Osha still could not bring herself to meet the Crown Prince's gaze directly. Those eyes, she knew, were portals to hell itself.
Looking into those clear, beautiful orbs of jade and gold, who could have imagined that behind them lay a mind that could create such torment without hesitation or remorse?
She had been told, in the aftermath of her ordeal, that a "core" had been successfully implanted within her skull.
How had it been placed there? She dared not dwell on the question overmuch.
The memory of that despairing pain—which her mind forced her to relive in every quiet moment—had given her the courage to ask that question once. Only once.
But the gentle, calm voice that had answered her still haunted her dreams: "Anesthesia is harmful to the brain, which is why I chose not to use it on you. No need to express gratitude—simply remember it in your heart."
And remember it she did, though not with thankfulness, but with bone-deep terror.
She dared not harbor even the slightest hint of hatred or rejection toward her benefactor. What if that "core" nestled against her brain could somehow transmit her emotions to him?
She hastily severed all such disrespectful thoughts before they could fully form.
No, she corrected herself. His Highness acted solely out of concern for my wellbeing. How else could I have obtained such power?
Thank you, Your Highness. Long life to Your Highness. I shall remain forever loyal to Your Highness...
Joffrey could easily perceive Osha's inner resistance.
He had pried open her skull like a craftsman opening a particularly stubborn oyster—could he truly begrudge her some measure of discontent? Such thinking would be dangerous indeed, both for him and for her.
Ding~
A crisp sound, like crystal striking crystal, emanated from his waist.
He withdrew a piece of perfectly transparent, colorless glass from his belt pouch. A faint message of light appeared upon its surface: "May 10th, 9:00 AM, Osha, a commoner from Ghost Shadow Forest City in the Outer Province, sends greetings to the throne."
It seemed the wildling woman had been well trained. She had been using the core to send these punctual greetings for several days now, never delaying even by a minute. Impressive, in its way.
He tapped the message box, causing four options to materialize below it:
"Send 'The throne is well. Osha, a commoner, today is another pleasant day.'"
"Send 'Read.'"
"Send 'Do not disturb frequently.'"
"Do not reply."
Joffrey smiled with wicked satisfaction and decisively selected the first option.
The information rune image embedded in the glass instantly transmitted the preset message to the "core" within Osha's skull.
The corresponding information rune within the core triggered its predetermined operating path and relayed the received message directly to Osha's brain.
Thus, Osha beheld another "Crown Prince"—one visible only to her—waving in greeting and speaking the same words she had heard on previous days: "The throne is well. Osha, a commoner, today is another pleasant day!"
Naturally, she alone could hear these words, as before.
Nameless gods beyond the Wall, she thought frantically. If this continues much longer, I fear I shall never forget this face, never forget this voice!
Osha carefully examined the light blue interface that only she could perceive.
The so-called "daily tasks" had vanished from view, leaving only unchanging text and patterns upon the ethereal display.
There was also that small box that shifted position occasionally, moving of its own accord across her field of vision.
So, today's task is completed? she wondered.
Osha's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed slightly.
The task had been simple enough, yet she had not dared approach it with anything less than absolute diligence.
She remained ignorant of the precise means by which this "core" accomplished its mysterious functions, but she understood with terrible clarity that this dreamlike interface floating before her eyes was far from natural. She existed now under a never-ending, invisible scrutiny.
The light blue interface constantly reminded her of the core's presence, nestled against her very thoughts. Freedom had become an impossible luxury, as distant as the summer that had fled before the advancing winter.
There was no escape after all.
She silently savored the bitterness and despair, as she had done each day since the procedure.
But for reasons she could not fathom, a strange thought suddenly blossomed within her chaotic mind: Why escape?
What's so terrible about this arrangement?
She almost instinctively rejected this notion, but some peculiar enchantment compelled her to continue pursuing it. The more she contemplated it, the more reasonable it seemed.
That's right, she mused. Why should I wish to escape?
His Highness has neither harmed me nor deceived me.
This core truly does possess extraordinary power—it is nothing less than a gift from the gods themselves.
No, it is clearly the very will of the gods made manifest!
Pain, it seemed, had become fertile soil for the seeds of faith.
Osha's expression gradually transformed, becoming almost fanatical in its intensity.
Yes, of course! The gods have bestowed such magnificent power to send His Highness against the White Walkers, to save the world from endless night, to establish a paradise upon the earth!
The divine messenger has chosen me as his instrument—why should I resist such an honor?
Having found this justification, Osha ceased her futile resistance, allowing the invisible shackle to embed itself more deeply within her soul.
The contract magic energy stored within the core immediately merged with her consciousness.
According to the terms of this mystical pact, Osha willingly offered all that she was, and in exchange, the Crown Prince would permit her to continue serving him loyally, until death released her from her obligation.
Joffrey sensed the contract taking effect and felt profound satisfaction.
Osha's will had proven remarkably resilient. One could only imagine how overwhelming the core's influence would be upon a person of lesser determination. The contract rune would shine brilliantly indeed when brought to bear upon such malleable minds.
He was particularly pleased that the core had already demonstrated its ability to function independently, and even generated a slight surplus of energy.
This version of the core contained several elements he had carefully integrated: an information rune image, a restoration rune image, a single-use contract magic energy, and fire magic energy.
The information rune image was programmed to continuously project a translucent rectangular blue light screen with fixed text patterns directly into the host's brain, and to transmit received information to "Navi"—his name for the crystalline device that functioned as both receiver and display.
The restoration rune image could convert unused magic energy within the core back into source energy for storage, functioning essentially as a mystical battery.
The contract magic energy enabled the binding of individuals to unbreakable, irresistible terms.
And should some unexpected complication arise, the fire magic energy could trigger the core's self-destruction, eliminating the host in the process.
In essence, he had created a crude version of a mobile communication device, though it relied not on code and programs but rather on information reaction paths that he had painstakingly inscribed one instruction at a time.
His transparent glass "Navi" served as both server and a more sophisticated receiver, linking him to his creation.
The core required hundreds of written instructions:
Project a translucent rectangular blue light screen with unchanging text patterns to the host... Display white numbers that change in accordance with the passage of time... Regularly present "daily tasks" and transmit preset specific information to "Navi" based on the host's reactions...
The instructions for the server "Navi" were several times more complex.
Though cumbersome, the process was still far simpler than the programming methods of his previous life. There was no need to consider implementation details—any instruction could be added at will, which was the true marvel of magic.
Naturally, Joffrey had labored to create this core primarily to benefit himself.
He had already encountered the upper limits of conventional magic:
Redundant rune energy storage limit: 100 units, with a recovery speed of 5 units per day;
The total storage capacity for magic energy produced by all runes was 2000 units, with a recovery speed limit (related to the total amount of rune energy) of 100 units per day.
Note: One unit was defined as the amount produced by a single rune over 24 hours.
Under these restrictive conditions, the upper boundary of his personal magical strength had been firmly established.
Breaking through this limitation would obviously require considerable time and effort.
Before that breakthrough could be achieved, he needed to circumvent these restrictions to obtain greater power.
The core represented a promising result in this endeavor.
During the past few days, it had consumed less than a single unit of magic energy in total, yet had produced more than ten units, all of which had been converted into source energy for storage.
The output of magic energy clearly exceeded the normal accumulation rate of the runes themselves.
But why? Joffrey wondered.
His thoughts turned to the eight preserved heads he had studied in Wolfwood, and to the mysterious connection between source energy and soul consciousness.
He had verified a promising avenue of research: the human soul could generate additional source energy, which could then be harvested and stored through various media for conversion by runes and subsequent use.
Endless magical power, he thought, with a smile that would have chilled Osha's blood had she witnessed it. Unlimited potential.
The wind howled across the barren landscape as they continued their journey toward Long Night Castle, each step bringing Joffrey closer to the boundless power he craved.
==============================================
Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================