Finding where Mezzlen was being held wasn’t too difficult. After all, the Whispering Leaf was designed to be a plot-convenient item, perfectly reliable for locating lost people or items no matter where they were.

Our party of four—Ethan, the Hero, Cerista, and I—followed the leaf to the back of the academy, near the mountain behind the tech department dormitory.

"...It seems like we need to head down somewhere around here. That would mean Princess Mezzlen is somewhere below this mountain," I deduced.

"Be-below the mountain...?" Cerista stammered, fear creeping into her voice. "D-does that mean she's already...?"

"That’s not what …