Chapter 90: Glück

On a whim, Macht falls upon a noble's carriage headed to the Fortress City of Weise, killing every guard. The passenger proves to be Glück, the city's feudal lord, who calmly notes how easily his finest men were felled. When the lord reaches into his coat, Macht raises his sword to the man's throat, only for Glück to draw out a cigarette case and ask for one last smoke. The demon obliges, observing that although the noble lacks a killer's bearing, his eyes hold one.

Glück admits to ordering many rivals dead and to carrying guilt for it, a confession that catches Macht's interest, and the demon shares his search for emotions he cannot feel. The lord then recounts his life. Weise is a rotted place where disgraced nobles scheme for power, and though Glück ruled in name only, he stayed idle until his son was murdered for publicly begging those nobles to mend the city. His son's death hardened him into a man willing to assassinate the corrupt to seize real control.

Asked why he is sharing all this, Glück reveals he is bargaining. A life steeped in malice leaves him fit to teach Macht the feelings he lacks, but only if the demon kills his cunning, well guarded political enemies in return. Macht agrees and methodically destroys the ruling family's allies, after which Glück installs him openly at his side as the mage of his house.

Macht ambushes and meets Glück, the ruler of Weise, beginning the partnership at the heart of the Golden Land's origin. The two strike a bargain trading lessons in human emotion for political murder, and Macht wipes out the noble family that had held true power over the city, clearing Glück's path to rule.

Issued April 20, 2022, the chapter takes the title Glück from the lord it introduces and runs in volume ten of The Golden Land arc. It frames the bond between Macht and Glück as a deal between two killers, one seeking to feel malice and the other already drowning in it, and sets the stage for the demon's eventual public role within Weise.