Princess Illien Marcia looked like a beautiful doll.

Not yet asleep, she sat in a comfy chair by the large window overlooking the lake, staring outside with hazy eyes.

Seemingly lost in thought and unaware of their presence, the princess belatedly turned her head towards the door. Then her eyes widened upon seeing Rosha peeking in.

“…!”

The startled princess jumped up and pressed herself against the wall.

Seeing her wary demeanor, Rosha raised both her hands to reassure her.

“Your Highness, I apologize for startling you. May we speak for a moment?”

She gently persisted.

“I’m Rosha from the Aper family. It’ll only take a moment.”

She assured her once more.

All she promised was to have a chat and leave. But no matter what she said, the princess just kept shaking her head.

Froy, who had stayed outside the bedroom and was observing, murmured quietly.

“I didn’t expect it to be this bad…”

Then, it happened.

“Hey, move out of the way.”

Koko, which had been in her pocket, chirped softly and flew towards the princess.

At the sudden appearance of the bird, the princess, who had halted her actions, curiously looked at it and then reached out her finger.

The bird willingly perched on her finger, hinting at the princess’s head with a small gesture.

‘Hmm…’

Upon closer inspection, it was evident.

The entangled magical traces indicated deliberate brainwashing.

‘…There’s no choice.’

Rosha wondered how many years the princess had been like this.

As she examined the tangled flow, Rosha used [The Guiding Lantern].

Sssssha-

The summer palace at night.

Moonlight softly descended into the room from the wide window overlooking the lake and forest.

Amidst the tranquil motion, a golden line appeared, guiding Rosha in her task.

While the princess was distracted by Koko, Rosha approached and carefully manipulated the magic following the golden trail.

It felt like threading a very fine needle.

Despite her confidence in handling magic after 18 years of practice, she was cautious not to make any mistakes.

Now, she could guess why the God of Prophecy had given her this quest.

Because at this moment, the only one capable of undoing the princess’s brainwashing might be the 18-year veteran magician and owner of [The Guiding Lantern].

Then, suddenly:

“Ah!”

The princess, who let out a surprised voice for the first time, swiftly turned her head and looked at Rosha, trying to say something.

Patiently waiting, disjointed words eventually came out.

“I’ve heard about you. I’ve seen you.”

“How?”

“From a great being. In a dream. From another world. From a day in ancient time.”

What on earth was she talking about?

Rosha paused, mid-magic manipulation. Prophecies were usually vague, but this was excessively so.

Was it because the princess’s mind wasn’t fully recovered?

As if proving her thoughts, the princess mumbled anxiously.

“But my father… said not to speak in front of others…”

The ‘Guide God’ conveys the request of the God of Prophecy, asking you not to stop and continue to undo the brainwashing.

The ‘Guide God’ whispers to claim a large reward later.

Following the god’s words, Rosha continued to unravel the tangled flow. As she did, the haziness in the princess’s eyes gradually cleared.

After a few more minutes, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

Froy, who had initially stayed outside of the princess’s bedroom, had come in.

“Rosha, perhaps you should take a break. You don’t look so well.”

“I will… just finish what I started.”

Even though the ability was initially hard to use, supporting it with magic made the backlash much less.

But perhaps she used it for too long, her eyes, which had been burning for a while, started to feel gradually more painful.

Around the time she was struggling to straighten out such a tangled flow.

“…Lady Roshanak Aper.”

Princess Illien Marcia suddenly called her with a clear voice.

The princess’s expression felt different than before.

Had the brainwashing not been completely undone, or was the flow just released a significant part?

The princess, who met eyes with Rosha, spoke solemnly.

“The next trial will take place in ten days, in the southwestern part of the Empire where there are many shiny stones.”

It was as if she was addressing her curiosity.

A clue to the next trial emerged, and suddenly, a blue window popped up.

Clue Found: You’ve discovered a clue to the second trial! From the second trial onwards, if the rift is not cleared within a certain time, the rift will open. Since the location is just a place, it probably won’t matter if it’s open, but for the sake of the people living there, it might be good to resolve it on time, right?

Time Remaining: – (The rift will open 48 hours after its occurrence)

Reward: Survival

*Due to hard mode, you will die if you fail the quest.

The reward seemed stingy, but the content felt unsettling.

What exactly is the location of the trial?

‘The southwestern area of the Empire with many shiny stones?’

…Ah.

She had a hunch where it was. Froy seemed to have an inkling too, and muttered,

“It’s the Diamond Mines of Marquis Lycaon.”

And then it happened.

Suddenly sensing something, the man scanning the surroundings flashed his purple eyes in warning.

“Someone is approaching. It’s not just one person.”

She couldn’t sense anything yet, but it seemed like his special ability.

Indeed, the sound of approaching footsteps was soon heard.

It was the guards.

How did the guards know? They didn’t touch the magic barrier, did they?

She was puzzled, but the answer soon became apparent.

“Oh… It seems I made a mistake.”

The princess, looking like she might cry any moment now, pointed to a spot on the wall.

There was a small tile, more recessed than the decorative tiles around it.

‘She must’ve been brainwashed to press that when intruders come.’

Rosha’s head turned quickly.

They could potentially sneak out now, but the princess’s brainwashing wasn’t completely undone.

‘It’s better to finish today for the quest of the God of Prophecy. The security will only get tighter from tomorrow.’

Fortunately, thanks to Froy’s ability, they could hide for a while. However, they needed to conserve his energy for the way back…

Then, the princess, with a deeply apologetic look, hurriedly opened her wardrobe and said:

“Hide in here. They… are very bad people.”

The wardrobe didn’t have many clothes, so if they squeezed in, two people could fit.

More than that, Rosha was curious about the princess’s statement about ‘bad people.’

“Bad people?”

“Hurry up!”

Though she wanted to ask more, the princess hastily ushered them in.

Just as Rosha and Froy squeezed into the wardrobe, the princess shut it with a bang.

Their view turned pitch black.

Although they had become used to the darkness while wandering the night palace, in a space without a hint of light, they really couldn’t see anything.

It’s said that when one sense is blocked, others become more sensitive.

“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“Yeah, well.”

Startled by the voice right behind her, Rosha nodded. Whether the hair touching the chin was itchy, Froy brushed her hair slightly.

Due to the narrow space, they inevitably overlapped a bit.

Touching her back, their arms brushed, and their breaths were too close. Although they didn’t say anything, they felt an odd tension.

Breaking the tension were the guards, who entered the princess’s room without permission.