episode_0207

“I didn’t know… there was a place like this in the royal palace….”

“….”

This is not the splendid and shining royal palace I know.

If it weren’t for the magical light created by Rebiya, such deep darkness would have fallen that I wouldn’t have been able to see an inch ahead,

and it felt as if unpleasant discomfort that clung to the skin was accumulating in my lungs every time I exhaled.

At least….

If I were to pick the most similar place, the underground jail in a corner of the royal palace had a somewhat similar atmosphere, but it was only similar.

Frankly speaking, this place was much worse than that.

“Breath.”

Just as I was thinking that, Rebiya tapped her staff lightly and used magic.

“Rebiya?”

“It’s full of bad things. This magic will help you breathe.”

“Th, thank you. But what do you mean by bad things? Is there something like poison going around?”

“Similar.”

She strode out of the secret place under the royal palace and continued speaking.

“You know that magical power is dissolved in the air, right?”

“Well… I think I heard that during magic education…”

“Subtle magical power has no effect on the human body. But if the density of magical power in the air increases… if it rises to a high density, then the story changes.”

The density of magical power increases….

Was the sticky something I’d been feeling on my skin since earlier the feeling of high-density magical power?….

“If you continue to breathe while exposed to high-density magical power, you’ll suffer from severe magical power poisoning unless you’re a mage or someone who can use magical power.”

“Magical power poisoning?….”

“Yeah. Various symptoms occur when you get magical power poisoning… To put it simply, you die.”

“Ugh….”

In many ways, it was too extreme, but I could definitely understand.

Are you saying I can die just by being here?….What a scary place….

“But that’s strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“It’s rare for there to be such a high density of magical power in the air like this.”

As she said that, Rebiya waved her hand.

Then, the deep darkness that was spread out moved as if caught in Rebiya’s hand.

It was as if she was grabbing and pulling away a curtain, and the darkness disappeared from that spot for a moment.

“Th, this is?….”

“It’s not just dark. It’s just that it feels dark because a dense magical power is laid out. High-density magical power that’s visible to the eye… I can’t even guess what’s beneath this.”

Rebiya is saying that, but her steps are unhesitating.

As if she doesn’t care what’s in front of her.

She looked as if she could handle anything that came out. That appearance filled me with a strange confidence as well.

“Then, if I have this magic, I’ll be okay?”

“Yeah. As long as I don’t lose consciousness, you’ll be fine.”

“Good. Then let’s go quickly. If what you say is true, then that means there’s something unusual here.”

“Yeah.”

Rebiya knows the way. So I looked at Rebiya’s back and headed down below the royal palace, where the black curtain was thickly laid out.

* * *

The underground below the royal palace was considerably more dangerous than I thought.

Because of the deep darkness where I couldn’t even see an inch ahead, I couldn’t even see what was a few steps in front of me, and various traps were set up, so I might have really died if it weren’t for Rebiya’s help.

Moreover….

Shooaaak!!

“Keuk!”

Squeeeeeak!!!

Shadow puppets ambushing from the black curtain.

The problem is that they were much stronger and much faster than the shadow puppets that appeared in the back alleys of the royal capital.

Furthermore, the surroundings were much darker than the back alleys of the royal capital in the middle of the night, so I couldn’t properly distinguish their attacks.

Fighting in this unfavorable situation, I really needed at least ten lives.

“Lance.”

Shwaaek Kwaang!!

A bluish ice spear is stabbed.

“Light, Spectrum.”

At the same time, a streak of pure white light shot towards the ice spear emitting a bluish light.

The moment the light touched the ice spear, it scattered into various colors of light, piercing the darkness around it for a very brief moment.

“Chaaaat!!”

The moment the darkness around me was pierced.

Four shadow puppets were caught in that fleeting moment.

I swung my sword at those puppets.

The royal swordsmanship unfolded through a body enhanced by Rebiya’s help was quite powerful.

Thanks to the power that was exerted beyond what I had expected, I was able to cleanly deal with the four shadow puppets.

“Haa…. Haa…”

“Body enhancement magic can exert strong power in an instant, but the body’s fatigue builds up quickly.”

“It’s okay. I can still… handle it.”

“…I see.”

Rebiya nodded lightly and turned her gaze away.

“They’re shadow puppets.”

“Yeah. The shadow puppets that are occurring in the back alleys of the royal capital… were occurring from this place. What on earth is here.”

“Well… But there’s not much left. I can feel it.”

“….”

At Rebiya’s words that there wasn’t much left, I swallowed hard.

I came here with Rebiya with a bit of a sense of justice and curiosity….

To be honest, the moment I came here, a bit of fear sprouted from a corner of my heart.

The unpleasant feeling that stuck to my skin from the entrance to the underground of the royal capital soon turned sticky, and I felt as if my body was in water. Can I and Rebiya, just the two of us, really beat something that emits such enormous magical power?

As that thought began to come to mind, ominous thoughts endlessly increased.

“Shall we go back?”

“Rebiya?”

“You look tense. In that state… you won’t be able to do anything.”

I pulled myself together at Rebiya’s words that pierced through my heart.

Right, Rebiya came here because of me.

But on the contrary, I’m scared and Rebiya is calm, so my pride and responsibility won’t allow it.

“Sorry, I’m okay now.”

“….”

“I think I’ve rested enough. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I move forward with Rebiya.

The traps and shadow puppets that I had encountered so many times on the way here are no longer visible.

“Traps and things like that have broken down because of the dense magical power.”

“Definitely…. Now I really feel like my body is getting heavier….”

It feels like someone is pressing down on me, or conversely, like someone is pulling me from below.

If a battle were to break out in this state….

Would I be able to exert 100% of my abilities? That’s the feeling I get.

…Swoosh…

“What was that just now?….”

“It sounds like… breathing.”

Something like breathing coming from a distance.

Is what’s over there a living creature? Or is it….

“…Leon. Behind you.”

“Huh? Behind?….”

Step step step

Rebiya sensed it first, and I also heard the sound of footsteps coming late.

The sound of multiple people walking in an orderly manner.

Like… an army is approaching….

“Could it be?….”

I turned my gaze in the direction of the footsteps.

In that place, surely….

The appearance of a knight order wearing brilliant silver armor, revealing their presence even in the thick, dark curtain, could be seen.

“Prince. This is not a place for you to come.”

“You are….”

I know about them.

As a prince of this country, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. They’re one of the most powerful knight orders in our country.

Wearing brilliant silver armor, they are said to be like the faint light of dawn, so they are called this.

“The Dawnlight Knights…. Why are you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask. Prince, why are you here…? Moreover, why are you with someone who isn’t even a member of the royal family?”

The leader of the Dawnlight Knights.

‘Alva Dawn Daylight’ looked at me and asked back.

They are the strongest knight order in the kingdom, but at the same time, they are also people who only follow the orders of the ‘king’.

If it were another knight order leader, I could somehow get away with it or suppress them with authority, but it’s impossible with them.

“True silver….”

“Rebiya?”

“Their armor… is true silver.”

“True silver?…. Ah, that’s right. I heard that their armor uses a special material.”

But even in this situation, is Rebiya curious about the material of the armor that doesn’t lose its light even in the black curtain?

Really, aren’t you too lacking in tension….

“Prince.”

“H, huh?”

“You haven’t answered my question…. Why are you here?”

“…What are you doing in a place like this?”

Alva let out a faint sigh at my question.

“I asked the question… Well, it doesn’t matter. We came to catch the ‘intruders’ here.”

“Intruders….”

That means they came to catch us.

We came secretly, but how did they know?….

“I see. True silver’s characteristic is the absorption and conduction of magical power… So that’s why it can maintain that radiance here.”

“Rebiya…”

Really, you’re amazing even in this situation….

“Then, since I’ve answered the prince’s question, it’s only right that the prince also answers. Why did you come here?”

“…I came to find out about the cause of the shadow puppets.”

“Shadow puppets?…. Ah…. That’s what the prince was talking about. Unfortunately, there is no cause here.”

“…What do you mean there’s nothing. Despite what I saw coming here….”

Despite having faced the shadow puppets so many times, you’re saying this….

“The prince ‘didn’t see anything’ here.”

“What?…. What does that….”

“It’s best to forget.”

“What nonsense….”

I frowned and glared at the nonsensical words.

“…Hoo. If you really want to see it… I can’t help it. We’ll guide you.”

“!”

“The King said that the Prince was not yet ready to accept it… but if we try to hide it by force even in this situation, something big might happen in reverse… For now, let’s show it to you directly. Everyone. Arm yourselves.”

At Alva’s words, the knights behind him adjusted their weapons in a disciplined manner.

Then, they passed us and headed forward.

“Follow us.”

“….”