‘Secret shops’ are system stores found irregularly in trials. They sold special items not available on the market, such as antidotes that instantly detoxify all poisons or elixirs that regenerate the body.

Although collecting currency was tricky, the items they sold were so good they were sometimes called ‘the last conscience of the blue window’.

More often than not, the store couldn’t be found.

When that happened, people exclaimed:

-Ah, no conscience at all!

-This is ridiculous. How can I come ten times and not see it even once?

Even she, who had faced dozens of trials, had only visited secret shops a handful of times.

But now…

‘I’ve got a compass leading to the secret shops.’

As the sun slowly set, sitting in the backyard of the building she was staying in, Rosha looked at the ‘compass’ that appeared on the back of her hand.

The compass pattern was drawn in bright, thin lines on the back of her clean skin looked like a tattoo.

It doesn’t move now, but during the trials, it will show the location of the secret shop.

And maybe.

‘There might be something in the secret shop that can awaken my grandfather from his deep sleep.’

The thought that she might be able to save her grandfather, who had been in a coma for years, made her eager to start the trials.

That’s why she kept waiting for Froy.

He was supposed to meet her here, but he was nowhere to be seen.

By the way, Rosha was on the outskirts of the duchy of Rickon, closest to the capital.

It was like that. She was only saying this now, but right now, Rosha was on the outskirts of Marquis Lycaon’s territory, which was closest to the capital.

She had to meet Froy, who left early and didn’t attend the noble meeting, before heading to the destination.

And then.

“Rosha! You said you’d teach me how to use magic today!”

Cassis, coming down to the backyard, spotted her and waved, shouting.

That’s right. They had agreed on that.

If Cassis was going to follow her through the trials, it would be better to train him hard so he wouldn’t die easily.

Now, she wanted to properly train him from the basics and make him the pillar of their strategy.

Rosha, having called him over and seated him next to her, carefully chanted.

“Listen closely, brother. There are two main ways to wield magic.”

Close range and long range.

Though the ways of emitting magic were different between the two, the method of accumulating was similar. It’s about the breathing technique, taking regular breaths and accumulating magic within the body.

“… So, just breathing is enough? Is this really effective?”

“Of course. You have to accumulate properly from the breath so that you can gather magical power in daily life.”

These days, the concentration of magic has increased significantly, so even those who couldn’t handle magic would naturally feel energy by practicing the breathing method.

Of course, feeling the magic and accumulating it within the body and handling it were slightly different.

After demonstrating the breathing technique once, Rosha corrected Cassis’s breathing. Then, she also sat next to him and began her magic training.

‘I should return to my previous level… right now, I’m probably at the 4th stage?’

The stages of handling magic are divided into 10 levels.

The typical level where one can call themselves a magician is the 3rd level. If you can slightly access great magic, you’re at the 5th stage. Those who establish their own world and can manifest it in reality are at the 7th stage. The transcendents who surpass all are considered at the 9th stage.

Rosha originally belonged to the ranks of the 7th stage, and with the power of special abilities, she sometimes glimpsed the 8th stage.

But now…

‘The fact that I could use great magic in the trial was just by chance.’

She felt she needed to expand her magic power sooner.

As she and Cassis plunged into training, Lysithea and Sir Joel naturally approached and similarly followed the breathing technique.

It seemed they too were beginning to feel the energy of magic.

Looking around, Koko admired the practitioners. But then, seeing what Cassis was doing, it scowled.

“Ugh, that idiot…”

Suddenly flying up, it landed on Cassis’s head and abruptly tugged at his hair.

In an attempt to blend special abilities into magic without anyone noticing, Cassis screamed.

“Ouch! What’s wrong with this crazy bird?”

“Idiot! Idiot!”

“Rosha, stop teaching him to swear.”

Even though the bird looked like a parrot, Rosha swore she had never taught Koko to curse. If anything, he seemed to have learned on his own.

Then, a message came.

The ‘Guide God’ says the one you’ve been waiting for is coming.

Ah, they finally arrived.

There seemed to be some benefits to making even a rough temple for the god. The god’s vision has expanded greatly.

Rosha, getting up quietly, looked at the temple made of pebbles and twigs, no bigger than two palms.

The deity’s symbol was placed amid the natural materials. It was a very basic design.

Feeling Rosha’s gaze inspected the temple, the Guide God quickly spoke.

The ‘Guide God’ says if you make a more dedicated temple, the vision will expand further.

“We’ll do that later.”

Since they were going to move again tomorrow, there’s no need to make it now.

‘Tomorrow… we need to visit the Marquis Lycaon’s mansion.’

They had to get permission in advance as the diamond mine, where the trial was held, was the Marquis’s private property.

Of course, they had a special pass, so there shouldn’t be a big issue. Still, they should give a heads-up.

Exiting the backyard, Rosha headed to the front of the building. The imperial knights guarding the vicinity saluted her.

“Is something the matter, Lady Roshanak?”

“No, not really.”

These were the imperial knights assigned to them after the noble meeting.

Rosha nonchalantly sat down on the stairs in front of the building.

Not long after, a black carriage approached against the backdrop of the sunset. A man dressed entirely in black stepped out.

It was Froy.

“This area is off-limits. Step back.”

The imperial knights drew their swords to stop him. But realizing his identity and his menacing presence, they hesitated.

‘Why is he covered in blood?’

His face and clothes were stained with blood.

Brushing his black hair, the man coldly said:

“Move. Don’t you know who I am?”

“Th-that’s…”

“It’s okay. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for.”

At Rosha’s words, the imperial knights hastily retreated.

Froy, sensing Rosha’s voice, eased his cold expression. Noticing the blood on his face, he wiped it off.

Approaching him, Rosha asked:

“What happened? Why are you late and why are you in this state?”

“I had some business. I went to the place where the trial is to be held… the situation there is worse than I thought.”

According to him, small rifts had already opened around the diamond mine.

In that place, they often saw monsters jumping out and roaming around, and the environment has changed quite a bit. But the problem wasn’t that…

“Because of this, the Marquis closed down all the mines and the nearby villages. Naturally, the area became lawless.”

Listening closely, it seemed the blood on him was from those who ambushed his carriage in the lawless area.

“And then…”

Froy, about to continue nonchalantly, suddenly closed his mouth as he glanced at the knights around them. Then he slowly leaned in and whispered into Rosha’s ear.

She was momentarily startled, but an even more surprising piece of news awaited her.

“There’s a suspicious person lurking around here that we caught. I think you should see him yourself.”

She approached the black carriage Froy had arrived in.

Upon opening its door, inside was a person bound tightly with ropes, wearing an old hood. When she removed the hood using her magic, a familiar face with red hair was revealed.

“Uh…”

It was an unexpected individual.

Rosha looked in astonishment at her former fiance, Heres Lycaon.

She had thought he was dead after not hearing from him for so long. Why was he in this state here?