Alon’s ostensible reason for coming to the Estrovan territory was to build connections. However, the real reason he endured a journey of over a week to get here was because of a labyrinth located to the south of Estrovan.

“… Is this the place where you said you had some business?” 

“Yes.” 

“It took us two weeks to find this place, but… there’s nothing here?” 

As Evan slowly scanned the empty forest, he spoke. Alon also looked around. 

Indeed, the only things around were an unpaved road and forest that seemed to have been neglected for a long time; there were no features that stood out. 

‘That’s why I had to go through so much trouble for two weeks.’

Alon’s face remained expressionless, but he let out a sigh of relief inwardly. 

After the ball, Alon had spent nearly twenty days in Estrovan, investing his time in finding this labyrinth. 

‘I took it too lightly just because it was easy to find in the game.’

Thinking that, Alon shifted his gaze to a small ravine visible beyond the forest. He began to walk toward the only clue that had allowed him to find the labyrinth.

“Are you sure this time?” 

Having already wasted two trips, Evan grumbled as he followed Alon. 

Sensing Evan’s footsteps behind him, Alon quickly organized his thoughts. 

‘The name of the labyrinth is the “Whispering Labyrinth.” It’s a labyrinth accessible around the middle of the game, and the reward for clearing it is the item called “Constraint.” Once I get that, my business in the labyrinth will be done.’

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Recalling the characteristics of the labyrinth he had visited hundreds of times in Psychedelia, Alon walked without hesitation. Soon, he arrived at a small ravine beyond the forest. 

“… This place looks strange no matter how you look at it.” 

Evan spoke as soon as they reached the ravine. 

Just as he murmured, the ravine was small, but it had an unmistakable sense of wrongness. 

Despite the sun hanging high in the sky, the interior of the ravine was excessively dark, as if it were repelling the sunlight.

This triggered a sense of alarm and caution in Evan.

“Let’s go.” 

“Young Master!?”

But instead, this phenomenon filled Alon with joy. 

The effect in the ravine was identical to the field effect of the Whispering Labyrinth he was searching for.

This meant that the Whispering Labyrinth was indeed here, so he stepped into the dark ravine without hesitation. 

Evan watched Alon with a shocked expression but had no choice but to follow him inside. 

Entering the ravine felt like the presence of the sun a moment ago was a lie; the interior was shrouded in darkness.

In the darkness, various stones, carved with what seemed to be artificial patterns rather than natural formations, could be seen scattered around.

Walking past these, Alon soon spotted an entrance submerged in pitch-black darkness.

Alon stood staring blankly at the door, which was undoubtedly artificially constructed, covered with various patterns.

“How did you know this place existed?” 

“Because I’ve been here often.” 

“What?”

Realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, Alon quickly corrected himself. 

“It was a joke.” 

“… A joke? With that face, it didn’t sound like a joke at all… So how did you know about it?”

“I have my ways.” 

“For someone with ways, it did take you quite some time to find this place.” 

“…I didn’t expect it to take this long either.”

As Alon briefly recalled playing Psychedelia, Evan asked another question.

“So, who made this unpleasant place?” 

“It was made by a fellow named Palaon.” 

The Whispering Labyrinth.

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Alon recalled that in some online communities, it was also referred to as Palaon’s Water Rocket Labyrinth.

“Palaon, you say?” 

“Let’s go in.”

Without answering any more of Evan’s questions, Alon walked toward the labyrinth entrance, and Evan, looking nervous and cautious, followed him.

Soon, no one was left at the entrance of the labyrinth.

***

Screeeeech~!!!!

Crack! Crackle! Crunch!

A Hell Gargoyle, which would only be defeatable around the mid-story progression of Psychedelia, was being slowly crushed to death as if caught in a massive stone press that had fallen from the ceiling.

Evan looked on with a pale face.

“O…”

Watching such a powerful monster, which he could never defeat alone, die in such a futile and gruesome way was enough to leave a mark on his normally stoic disposition, honed by years as a mercenary.

However, what made Evan’s heart pound even more was the realization that the massive stone currently crushing the Hell Gargoyle hung above their heads as well.

‘How can the young master be so calm in this situation…?’

Evan looked at Alon.

Despite the fact that failing to solve even one puzzle in this labyrinth would lead to a brutal death like the Gargoyle’s, Alon’s face remained expressionless.

He seemed to be waiting for the door to open, completely unfazed by the situation.

Seeing Alon like this only intensified Evan’s curiosity about him.

Usually, no matter how inscrutable a magician might be, four years together would reveal at least a little of their true nature.

Moreover, Evan had helped Alon with many things over the past four years.

Sometimes he saved orphans.

Sometimes he took down evil organizations.

Other times, he helped a slave girl or paid off an old man’s debt. If not, he’d deliver messages with no apparent meaning to acquaintances. He dealt with all sorts of tasks.

Yet, despite handling all these tasks, Evan still didn’t know Alon.

This was because none of the tasks Alon had assigned provided any clues about his true intentions.

The closest thing to a common thread was that Alon seemed to take a sustained interest in some of the children he had saved, sending them to orphanages.

Apart from that, there was much Evan didn’t know about Alon.

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For example, how Alon knew about such a place despite never having left the Palatio estate.

Or how he understood the workings of this eerie labyrinth and could confidently answer its questions.

Nevertheless, despite the suspicions he harbored, Evan had developed a peculiar trust in Alon, which was enough for him to follow Alon into this suspicious place, partly due to the fact that all the tasks Alon had undertaken ultimately led to good outcomes.

‘What exactly is he preparing?’

But even with this trust, his curiosity wasn’t fading. Evan looked at Alon with eyes mixed with admiration and intrigue as Alon inspected his surroundings with an indifferent expression.

‘… I think I’m going to be sick.’

In truth, Alon was forcibly averting his gaze to avoid watching the gargoyle being crushed horribly.

‘I knew it was gruesome, but not this much…’

Screeeeech~!

Alon confirmed the door opening as soon as the gargoyle’s execution concluded and let out a sigh.

Even though he wasn’t capable of proper combat, the reason he confidently entered the Whispering Labyrinth, accessible only around the mid-game, was because he knew about this labyrinth.

‘Thanks to that, I cleared it easily.’

This labyrinth consisted of eight rooms, each requiring him to solve a puzzle before progressing to the next.

Knowing all the puzzles in this labyrinth meant he wouldn’t need to fight any enemies, and Alon remembered every puzzle precisely.

No, from the perspective of a Psychedelia player, the puzzles in this labyrinth were unforgettable.

This was one of the few labyrinths where one could re-enter repeatedly without collecting the rewards, making it ideal for grinding levels.

Naturally, Alon, who had always used this place for mid-game grinding over countless playthroughs, had memorized all the puzzles and reached the end of the labyrinth with ease.

Dragging along Evan, who was utterly exhausted despite no combat having taken place, Alon entered a small room at the end of the labyrinth, where he picked up a ring lying on an old table in the center.

It was a plain-looking ring, so unremarkable that some might openly express disappointment, sensing no power from it.

However, Alon smiled.

He was sure the item he held was the “Constraint” he had been looking for.

He also didn’t mind the ring’s lack of a flashy appearance.

“…Huh? Young Master, that ring you were holding just…”

In the first place, this item didn’t function as an artifact; it was more like an elixir that would be absorbed into the user’s body the moment it was used.

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“Now that we’ve got what we need, let’s go.”

As the ring disappeared from Alon’s hand, Evan, who had been surprised, saw Alon turning around as if he had finished everything he needed to do. Evan, still looking dumbfounded, quickly followed Alon out of the room.

And, as soon as they reached the exit, the labyrinth shut down entirely, as if everything had concluded.

Alon and Evan, who had escaped safely, found themselves facing something unexpected.

“…Did you foresee this as well?”

As soon as they exited the labyrinth, they were confronted by human-shaped golems holding weapons, standing in formation. They hadn’t been there just moments ago.

“These golems are the stone piles we saw earlier…”

Realizing that these golems were the countless stone piles they had passed earlier, Evan, tense, drew his sword.

“I’ll handle this.”

“Huh?”

Evan responded with a puzzled expression to Alon’s words.

Before he could even ask a question—

“The Constraint is now in effect.”

The pronouncement came from Alon’s lips.

***

Seated in the carriage heading back to the Altia Duke’s estate, Roria let out a deep sigh, her face filled with profound despair as she looked at the estate in the distance. She gave a self-deprecating smile.

‘As I expected, I was a fool.’

Roria thought of the man she had met at the ball.

Alon, the third son of the Palatio family.

But that was only his public identity. According to the rumors circulating among the nobility, he had killed his two older brothers, who were major figures in the underworld, and had even wiped out Avalon, which had been almost ruling the eastern region overnight.

He was the true mastermind of the Palatio family, hiding his power and waiting for the right time to reveal his claws.

‘No, it’s not just rumors.’

Having met Alon, Roria knew without a doubt that those rumors were true.

The emotional restraint he had displayed at the ball could never have come from someone ordinary.

‘It was almost like looking at Father…’

Roria thought of her father.

The Duke of Altia, known as the “Noble One” among the aristocracy because he could manipulate both the Royalists and the Nobility factions within the kingdom at his will, and someone who should never be crossed.

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Her father, who never revealed his emotions carelessly and always remained cool-headed in his judgments.

The eyes of her father resembled those of Alon, whom she had seen five days ago.

That’s why Roria had clung to Alon, realizing he was her last lifeline, and she had failed.

Honestly, she hadn’t been surprised by the outcome.

The moment she saw Alon’s eyes, Roria had realized that he was not someone who would be swayed by petty sympathy or pity.

Yet, she still pleaded for sympathy and pity.

Because she had nothing else to offer.

What she did have was just a semblance of power maintained by the Duke’s mercy and affection.

No matter how hard she tried to grasp something more, her efforts were always thwarted by those who could hardly be called her kin—her contemptible relatives.

In other words, she was powerless, and thus, unable to seize her last lifeline.

Or rather, she was the only one who thought it was a lifeline.

There wouldn’t be anyone willing to engage in a transaction where the risks were more apparent than the benefits.

‘Ha.’

In truth, it would be a lie to say she didn’t know.

Even if it was just a semblance of power, she had already been through numerous situations, fighting against her despicable relatives who had everything, trying to secure her position.

So, even though she hadn’t yet reached adulthood, her mind was already well-versed in the world’s logic.

She understood all too well that every relationship and story carried both gains and losses.

‘Good things will happen.’

As Roria gazed out of the window at the scenery of the estate, she recalled those seemingly meaningless words Alon had said at the end.

About 30 minutes later, when she returned to the mansion…

“…What did you say?”

“Lady Faylin and Lord Kigg… have passed away!”

She heard from a maid that two of her siblings, who had tormented her so much, had taken their own lives.

Hearing this news, Roria, looking perplexed, went to her room, feeling baffled by their deaths.

Her detestable family members were more likely to stab each other in the back than commit suicide.

In other words, the fact that those two had committed suicide made no sense from the beginning.

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‘This is absurd.’

Certain that some scheme was at play, Roria suddenly remembered the words of that man, the third son of the Palatio family.

No.

‘Good things will happen.’

Recalling the words of the true mastermind who had killed all his siblings and ascended to become the heir of the Count’s family,

She felt a chill run down her spine.