“Are you referring to the Second Princess?”
Hugo sounded surprised. And understandably so.
“Couldn’t it just be a false rumor? If we’re talking about the Second Princess, she’s skilled in martial arts and can enter and exit the labyrinth herself…. Moreover, even if she were to fall ill, as a member of the imperial family, they could summon a saint or saintess to heal her directly.”
That was true.
The Second Princess, Elicia von Arcedium, was the daughter of the Emperor of the Arcedium Empire, the most powerful country on the Western continent.
Her talent in martial arts was so exceptional that it was said even the commanders of the imperial knight order couldn’t rival her.
For someone so strong to be unwell? Even if it were true, the Second Princess wasn’t someone the imperial family would neglect. If there was a problem with her health, they would undoubtedly summon an apostle of God such as a saint or saintess to heal her. Or even open the imperial treasury for a solution.
Yet there were rumors of her illness… It was a hard claim to believe.
Elly spoke up as well.
“It’s just a rumor, of course. But it’s not completely baseless… After returning from the labyrinth, Her Highness temporarily left the Academy to return to the imperial palace. Since then, even after coming back to the Academy, she hasn’t made many public appearances.”
“Hmm…”
“The last people to see Her Highness after her expedition mentioned that she appeared to be covering one of her eyes, as though she had lost it. But I don’t know any details. Apparently, the imperial family silenced those who might have known more.”
“Silenced them?”
“Yes. They didn’t outright admit to being silenced, of course, but you can tell from the circumstances. That’s why people suspect something is going on. And since it’s true that Her Highness temporarily returned to the imperial palace after her expedition, well…”
“So everyone thinks the Second Princess is unwell. But since poking into it might provoke the imperial family, people just hush it up, and it remains an open secret.”
This last comment came from Yujin. When he spoke, Elly flinched and her face grew a little pale, but she eventually nodded her head.
“Yes, yes… That’s why, when I heard about the panacea, Her Highness suddenly came to mind, and I mentioned it….”
“Hmm, I see.”
This was news to Yujin as well. After all, he was still a newbie when it came to “Labyrinth Academy”.
Perhaps progressing further in the story would have revealed more details about this, but honestly, it wasn’t something Yujin felt he needed to concern himself with.
Somewhere in the world, someone was dying even at this very moment. Even if the rumors about the princess were true, to Yujin, she was just another one of them.
The only difference was that, unlike those nameless and forgotten individuals, she held a position so high that everyone knew her name.
Just as Yujin dismissed the matter, the Dwarf warrior Krom spoke up.
“Haha! If those rumors are true, wouldn’t this friend here be able to cure Her Highness’s illness? After all, it’s called a panacea. It must be worth its name!”
The sudden remark caught everyone off guard.
The flustered Elly protested.
“M-Mr. Krom… What are you suddenly saying…”
“Did I say something strange? It could actually be possible, right? Earlier, Hugo asked if this friend here was aiming to create a panacea. If that’s true, wouldn’t this friend have some potential for it as well?”
Krom spoke as though he were making a casual remark at a drinking party. Yujin chuckled and replied.
“Haha, as much as I appreciate it, that’s way too high an expectation. I’m just an unremarkable mage, and the mention of a panacea was just an example, not an actual goal of mine.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a pity.”
Though Yujin wasn’t sure what exactly Krom found to be a pity, he simply smiled lightly.
In any case, as the atmosphere gradually warmed up and everyone finished their meal, Hugo spoke.
“Well then, let’s prepare for bedtime. How should we handle the night watch?”
“Since we have the young ladies from the Academy with us tonight, how about pairing up in twos? Relying on just one person for the watch seems a bit risky.”
Krom suggested. Though he openly mentioned feeling uneasy, Elly and Shia could only give awkward smiles without refuting him.
“Alright, let’s go with Mr. Krom’s suggestion… but with seven people in the group, one person will be left out.”
The party consisted of:
Hugo, the leader.
Mirien, the scout.
Krom, the warrior.
Yujin, the mage.
Elly, the student mage.
Shia, the student priestess.
And finally, Hans, the porter who, despite lacking presence, was definitely part of the group.
That made seven people, which meant pairing up would leave one person alone.
“Ah, in that case, I can take two shifts for the watch.”
At that moment, Yujin stepped forward. After all, ever since becoming a dragon, he no longer needed sleep.
“Would you be alright with that?”
“Of course. Since I’m already being accommodated, I don’t mind at all.”
At Yujin’s response, Hugo nodded his head with a smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Yujin. Now we just need to decide the pairs… Hmm…”
Hugo briefly looked at Elly and Shia. It was clear that he couldn’t pair the two together for the watch since neither of them had any experience.
He wished that either he or Mirien could take one of them, but as the party leader, Hugo was perceptive enough to read the situation. Even though they were all women, Elly and Shia weren’t particularly close to Mirien.
It was likely due to Mirien’s reserved personality, where she only spoke when necessary. In that case, perhaps it would be better for Krom and Hugo to take one of them each. Or maybe Yujin.
However, Elly and Shia seemed even more uncomfortable around Yujin than they were around Mirien. In that case…
“Let’s do it like this. Miss Elly will pair with Mr. Krom, I’ll take Miss Sia, and Mr. Yujin can alternate shifts with Mirien and Hans.”
Hugo decided to pair Elly, who had become relatively comfortable around Krom, with him. He would watch over Shia himself, and Yujin would rotate with the remaining two for the watch.
“Does anyone have any objections?”
“…No.”
“I’m fine with it.”
“I-I think it’s okay for me too.”
“Me too… um, I think it’ll be fine.”
“Well… I don’t have any issues either.”
“Haha, great. Then I’ll count on all of you.”
With that, the watch schedule was set.
Before long, the group prepared to settle down for the night.
***
Yujin was assigned the last… or rather the third shift, because he had to stand guard twice in a row.
He would first stand watch with Mirien who shared the third shift, and then with Hans during the fourth. After that, they would depart in the morning.
Hugo had intentionally made sure Yujin wouldn’t take the second shift, which was the hardest one.
After resting for a while…
“Mr. Yujin, it’s your turn.”
Hugo, who had taken the second shift, gently woke Yujin. With his heightened senses and mental sharpness, Yujin woke up quickly.
“Haha, thank you for waking me.”
“It’s no problem. Good luck.”
When he heard these words, Yujin stepped outside. Meanwhile, Hugo, who had sent him out, approached Mirien who was sleeping in the corner of the tent. It seemed as if he wanted to wake her up.
Yujin exited the tent first, took in the crisp night air, and settled into a folding chair near the tent.
…Rustle.
After sitting there for a short while, he heard the sound of Mirien emerging from the tent with her hood pulled over her head.
“……..”
She stopped outside and stared at Yujin intently with her blue eyes, visible beneath her hood. After a moment, she moved to sit on another folding chair beside him.
“Did you sleep well? The third shift is hardly any easier than the second.”
“……..”
Despite Yujin’s words, Mirien didn’t respond. Even so, Yujin maintained his calm smile while quietly gazing ahead.
And then, it happened.
Sling.
“…You.”
“Hmm?”
With Mirien’s sudden call, the cold touch of steel pressed against Yujin’s neck.
He slowly turned his head to the side.
“…What are you?”
“……..”
Mirien was looking down at him with her gaze as cold as a winter frost.
In one hand, she held a dagger with its blade pressed firmly to his throat.
“……..”
Yujin who was still wearing a faint smile met her piercing gaze. Then, he spoke.
“Is this how ‘elves’ usually greet people?”
“!”
At those words, Mirien’s eyes wavered.
The term “elf” referred to one of the demi-human races. A race known as forest spirits, blessed by nature and known for their long lifespans.
They were famous for their beauty which often surpassed that of humans.
She pressed the blade closer to Yujin’s neck as if to confirm that she truly was one of those elves.
“How did you know?”
A tacit admission. Her words effectively acknowledged that she was, in fact, an elf.
Yujin responded with a laugh.
“Haha, who knows? Maybe I just couldn’t help but think so because you’re so beautiful.”
At his sly reply, Mirien furrowed her delicate brow and leaned in closer. Her face was now threateningly near his.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“A joke, you say… Ah, yes. That’s right.”
At the mention of the word “joke”, Yujin gave a mysterious smile and spoke.
“If I were to pull a little ‘joke’ of my own right now, would it lighten the mood a bit?”
“What? What are you…”
[Isolation.]
Thud!
“.…..!”
In an instant, the entire world transformed.
The entire surrounding space was stained black. Like a white sheet of paper completely covered in black paint, it was pitch dark.
There was nothing around them. Only Yujin and Mirien remained.
In this lightless void, the two stood apart from each other, utterly alone.
Strangely enough, despite the absence of any light source, their presence was vividly clear to one another.
“Wh-What is this…!”
“Haha, what a funny expression.”
Yujin, who had already risen to his feet at some point, gently pressed down on the dagger in Mirien’s hand with his index finger as he continued speaking.
“The tense atmosphere has eased a bit. That’s good. Now, shall we have a proper conversation without any threats involved?”
Yujin spoke with that same usual smile on his face.
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