The grand altar for the purification ritual in Morfran Forest is located in the very forest where Duke Isaac Morfran had his infamous rampage ten years ago.

*What a needlessly grand setup.*

To conduct the purification ritual, Hong Biyeon had to wear ceremonial robes, a special robe created by the Holy Federation, enchanted with powerful defenses against dark mana.

Twelve ritual mages, six barrier casters, two archmages, and three mentalists followed her with solemn expressions as they proceeded to the grand altar.

The pathway was lined with white marble, a pretentious choice by the Holy Federation, whose rigid thinking associated purity with the color white.

*Blue is much cleaner,* thought Hong Biyeon.

Favoring blue herself, she wasn’t fond of the ceremonial robes with white fabric trimmed with red, two colors she disliked.

*And yet…*

She glanced over to her side.

Walking beside her in similar ceremonial attire was Saeran Orkan, with a pale face.

*What is she thinking?*

Saeran's expression was always as blank as a doll’s. But having been around her often, Hong Biyeon had developed a sense of Saeran’s subtle changes in expression.

Right now, Saeran Orkan seemed very displeased.

Not that Hong Biyeon cared much for her mood, but Saeran’s evident dissatisfaction hinted that something about this situation greatly annoyed her.

*Not that it matters.*

Deciding not to waste any thought on Saeran, Hong Biyeon turned to Terivon, the head priest.

“Head Priest, I have a question.”

The effort it took to speak politely made her stomach churn.

“Yes, go ahead, Your Highness.”

“I understand that I need to activate the royal family’s Fire Spirit Formation. But I don’t understand why. The formation is designed more for containment than for sealing.”

Terivon narrowed his eyes at her before replying.

“Ah… of course, Your Highness. There’s still a condition you lack to fulfill the ritual.”

“…What do you mean?”

Terivon stopped abruptly, causing the mages behind him to halt as well, standing as still as statues.

Hong Biyeon tensed, warily eyeing them.

“To participate in the purification ritual for Morfran Forest, Your Highness, one condition must be met. It’s a directive from Her Majesty, and even royalty is no exception.”

Terivon gestured, and two robed mages brought forth a large, flat wooden box.

Saeran’s face visibly stiffened. Hong Biyeon could sense what was coming, but she refrained from reacting.

*Click!*

Terivon opened the box and unrolled a scroll for all to see.

“A prohibition. No matter what you see, hear, or feel inside, Your Highness, you are not to reveal anything to the outside.”

“…I see.”

She had expected as much.

She knew that every noble participating in the Morfran Forest purification ritual had been forced to accept this restriction.

“Give it to me. I’ll handle it myself.”

This prohibition scroll was crafted with royal magic. If any underhanded tricks had been used, she’d catch them immediately.

Hong Biyeon meticulously examined the scroll.

*An Adol Levitt relic.*

It was unmistakably Queen Hong Seryu’s magic.

No matter his position as the chief mage, Terivon couldn’t dare alter the royal family’s magic.

And most importantly…

*Who says I have to obey it?*

Hong Biyeon had long prepared for this possibility, practicing how to alter the formation’s formula. This scroll, crafted by the eighth-class mage Queen Hong Seryu, held complexities beyond her level, but her brilliant mind could distort a small part of its script.

A delicate spell like this prohibition would twist and malfunction if even slightly altered.

Though the risk of side effects was high, Hong Biyeon judged that a direct descendant's magic couldn’t fatally harm her and decided to take the gamble.

As she infused it with mana, the scroll ignited in flame, conjuring a red magic circle that quickly enveloped her before absorbing into her body. The entire process took only a second.

Terivon, satisfied, nodded, thinking there was no way a mere fourth-class mage could manipulate the scroll.

But the chief mage was unaware.

Hong Biyeon had identified and altered the scroll’s structure, nullifying its effects in that single moment.

The side effects, however, were intense. Hong Biyeon staggered, struggling to remain steady.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“Yes…”

When Terivon moved to assist her, she waved him off. No matter how difficult it was, she had no intention of showing weakness to that man or accepting his help.

Her vision swam, and her legs threatened to give out, but she held on through sheer willpower.

*Truly a superhuman resolve.*

“…Let’s proceed.”

Had she been an ordinary mage, she would have collapsed from exhaustion by now. But despite being drenched in sweat, Hong Biyeon forced herself forward.

Saeran, sensing something amiss, spoke up.

“Head Priest, about the spell activation…”

“Yes, Miss.”

But as she examined Hong Biyeon’s condition, she shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”

“Oh? Very well. Your Highness, it seems the prohibition took quite a toll. If you’re not feeling well, we can delay…”

“No. Now is fine.”

Despite seeming stubborn, she had no choice. The thought of receiving Terivon’s sympathy was unbearable.

*Deep breath…*

Focus. More focus.

*Meditate.*

As she let mana circulate within her, her mind gradually cleared. Walking while meditating wasn’t easy, but for Hong Biyeon, it was possible.

Through repetition and memory—

Her headache faded.

Her legs regained strength, and her flushed cheeks grew warmer as mana evaporated her cold sweat.

She hadn’t known this before entering Stella Academy. Meditation was far more beneficial than she’d realized.

*…How did I learn this?*

In the depths of her meditative thoughts, Hong Biyeon’s memories drifted back.

At the start of summer break.

She’d gone on a journey with Flame and Angel, two girls with entirely different personalities and backgrounds, to uncover Baek Yuseol’s past.

One night, while camping in the forest, she saw Angel meditating alone by the campfire and asked why she was doing it.

At first, it seemed silly.

But the answer changed her perspective.

—Huh? Meditation? Um… Baek Yuseol recommended it to me, so I’ve been doing it ever since.

That was when it began.

Unbeknownst to herself, Hong Biyeon started attempting meditation.

Without any formal classes on meditation, she found books on it, practicing secretly in her dorm. Soon, she felt the surge of mana flowing through her.

Already born with an ocean of mana, the added effect of meditation created a limitless synergy.

By the time they reached the grand altar, she’d regained enough composure to use the Fire Spirit Formation.

Standing at the altar’s center, she took a deep breath.

Ordinarily, she’d have practiced the ritual at least once in advance. But they hadn’t even given her that opportunity. Their intention to see her fail was clear… but it didn’t matter.

She was confident from the start.

*…But what’s this?*

Upon stepping onto the altar, Hong Biyeon noticed something odd—it looked more like a massive box.

Five overlapping containment barriers surrounded it, with an additional external barrier encasing everything.

*Are they really trying to purify this place?*

The ritual began without any signal. Terivon took his place opposite Hong Biyeon, opening a book of laws and engraving runes into the air, while the twelve mages raised their arms to lift a magic circle into the sky.

Hong Biyeon twirled her staff in sync with them.

“Fire.”

*Whoosh!*

Flames surged around the altar.

Pure, unrefined flames. Hong Biyeon gracefully controlled the blaze with her staff.

“Protect us.”

A massive red barrier expanded to form a dome.

Typically, shield spells couldn’t be cast in curved shapes. But… in rare, ultimate cases, barriers were perfected into a flawless sphere.

The Fire Spirit Formation was one of the world’s top ten barrier spells.

Created long ago by Adol Levitt’s ancestors, it was impossible to replicate with modern magic, though exceptionally gifted descendants could still perform it.

“Oh…”

Even Terivon and the purification mages watched in astonishment. This royal magic couldn’t typically be performed by someone as young as seventeen. Yet, despite the recent prohibition spell, she executed it flawlessly.

The nobles watching were visibly uncomfortable. Hong Biyeon’s failure would have protected Princess Hong Si-hwa’s secrets, but she had succeeded.

But Terivon observed with pure curiosity, studying Hong Biyeon with the eyes of a true mage.

*So, this is the true Adol Levitt.*

Terivon’s narrowed gaze captured the swirling red spirit-like aura behind her.

*What a detestable girl…*

Unaware of his thoughts, Hong Biyeon focused intently on her magic, a question gnawing at her mind.

*Why use such powerful magic here?*

What was this ritual really for?

Was it truly to purify dark mana? If so, why the need for such an extreme barrier?

“Hup!”

With a sharp thud of her staff on the ground, the dome-shaped magic circle encased the altar, and the ground began to split.

*What?!*

She nearly lost her balance but managed to stay steady.

*Rumble…*

Then.

The massive altar split open, revealing what lay beneath.

“…Oh.”

Hong Biyeon couldn’t help but gasp

, and Terivon smirked.

“How do you find it, Your Highness?”

The frigid air chilled her to the bone.

Hong Biyeon forced herself to endure the biting cold and stared down at the being sealed beneath the altar.

“This can’t be…”

Isaac Morfran.

The very body of the man who had succumbed to dark mana and rampaged a decade ago—who was supposedly subdued by Princess Hong Si-hwa—was lying sealed below.

It exuded a chilling cold as if still alive.

But that wasn’t what shocked Hong Biyeon. If a dark mage left behind this much presence after death, it should have been *dark mana.*

But this freezing aura… was undeniably blue mana.

Meaning he had returned to being human after death.

“Why…?”

“Why, indeed? I thought you might ask.”

Terivon took a step closer to Hong Biyeon.

“It’s for the sake of Princess Hong Si-hwa.”

“What…?”

“To protect her, we made this choice. Every year, we must reseal Isaac Morfran before he awakens.”

“That’s insane!”

“Madness? Perhaps.”

The old man laughed wickedly.

“But what does it matter? Whatever insane acts we committed, there’s nothing you can do. All you can do… is complete the seal in Princess Hong Si-hwa’s stead.”

Hong Biyeon turned sharply to meet Saeran Orkan’s eyes.

They were cold.

She’d known from the beginning. She’d known all along about the secret lying dormant here.

*This is… vile.*

Sickened to her core, she barely restrained the urge to vomit.

But it was impossible.

She couldn’t bear it.

*So this is Adol Levitt…?*

Her elder sister, of the same bloodline, had committed such atrocities… and the queen had chosen to bury this truth.

Unable to comprehend or endure the reality, tears filled Hong Biyeon’s eyes.

“Oh, it seems the shock is too much for you, Your Highness. Saeran, please escort the princess down…”

“No, no. I’m fine.”

Hong Biyeon clenched her jaw, her bloodshot eyes locked onto Terivon.

“I’ll finish the ritual.”

“…As you wish.”

Terivon watched her coolly, nodding to the mages.

“If that’s what you truly desire, I won’t stop you.”

She closed her eyes and forced her mind to cool.

*Get it together. This isn’t over yet.*

Feeling the hidden **Compass of Memory** in her pocket, Hong Biyeon steadied her heart. Knowing only that Isaac Morfran’s body was here was not enough.

*I’ll return to the past… and uncover the full truth.*