“Night vision.”
With a short phrase from Yustaf, the pitch-black tunnel glowed as bright as day for the party.
Everyone was internally gasping in awe as the thick darkness was shooed away from their sight.
Typically, magic required a long, precise incantation to activate, but as mages leveled up, they found ways to shorten their spells. Legendary mages could even skip the incantation entirely and cast silent magic.
However, spells simplified like this usually packed less punch compared to the regular ones. Yet, Yustaf’s whispered night vision was way more intense than what any ordinary mage would usually achieve.
The members from the Imperial Intelligence Department among the group could feel this power all too well.
During a standard night vision cast, people could see in the dark, albeit a bit hazily. But here, the dark tunnel was lit up as if it were daytime!
The Empire’s top alchemist, Harun, didn’t want to miss out on the action either.
“I was worried about the numerous forks in the path, but I never expected this method!”
The party, albeit surprised at encountering so many forked paths, listened eagerly as Harun suggested a solution.
He pulled out a small vial from his robes and sprayed its contents at the entrance of one of the forks, revealing a glowing trail only on one side.
“This is a refined essence of Chaser Puma’s saliva. They leave a trail of their saliva while stalking humans as prey, and using this, we can follow the scent!”
As the group marveled, Harun finally felt a bit of pride swell in him.
He had often faced difficulties whenever people asked him to demonstrate alchemy while investigating incidents.
‘Might I inquire about your title, Sir Harun? Fullmetal? No, that might be too common. Light’s Alchemist, perhaps?’
He would just offer a simple “I’m just an alchemist,” which left everyone looking disappointed.
Especially when they threw shady looks at him for not conjuring an alchemical circle out of thin air; he could’ve cried at the unfairness.
Alchemy isn’t that kind of art! It’s a practical study of the principles of the universe, not some summoning skill! The urge to shout this was driving him bonkers.
‘Anyway, the alchemical guilds across the Empire are suddenly flooded with new recruits, so I guess I just have to endure this humiliation.’
Given that most people weren’t interested in alchemy, finding talents was usually tough. But since the release of “The Iron-Blooded Alchemist,” news of a surge in interest from new members had Harun decide to embrace this shame.
He instructed the guild members not to share the actual truth about alchemy; he simply told them it’s a high-level skill they’d learn later on.
What if they found out the truth later?
By that time, ten years would have flown by, and they’d probably be too busy with advanced skills to worry about what Harun had said.
It was important to take advantage of unexpected luck when it showed up.
So, with Yustaf and Harun at the forefront, the party pressed on deeper into the tunnel, where they were met with horrifying sights.
The mummified corpses of humans lay strewn throughout— even the seasoned members of the party struggled to keep their emotions in check.
“Please let this just be a hallucination…”
Yustaf’s low voice echoed through the group, and everybody felt a shared sense of dread.
The more they discovered, the more they felt something sinister was at play, but it was a sentiment shared by more than just Yustaf— everyone secretly wished this was all a ruse.
Shh.
Yustaf, leading the party, turned back with a hand gesture, signaling everyone to be silent.
As they muffled their breaths and braced themselves, they soon found out why Yustaf called for silence.
“It’s been months since these sacrifices were made. Damn it! I want to hear people screaming outside!”
“Come on. You just watched Venom get his ass handed to him by the cult leader today and you’re still saying that?”
“Hmph, what’s so hard about going to a quiet little town and reaping some commoners?”
Their muttered conversation grew closer, suggesting they were likely low-level henchmen of the dark organization they were up against.
Yustaf quietly spread his mana to assess if anyone else was nearby.
Realizing it was just the duo, Yustaf quietly clasped his hands together.
In an instant, tendrils of earth shot up from the ground, binding the chattering pair in place.
“Mmmph!!!”
They wanted to scream out, alerting others, but their mouths were already gagged by the earth.
“I’m usually not cruel, but I won’t be gentle with you lot. Anyone who drags their feet on time will feel my wrath.”
Yustaf’s gaze was cold and fierce as he walked slowly toward the bound duo.
Among the observing party, whispers began to circulate.
“Isn’t that the same alchemy from The Iron-Blooded Alchemist?”
“Hey, you thought of that too?”
“Didn’t Sir Harun say stuff like that didn’t exist?!”
Although they thought they were whispering, their chatter was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Harun quietly wished for a way out of this investigation team.
*
“Guard this place with absolute vigilance!”
“Yes! We will protect it with our lives!”
Under the crown prince’s orders, the soldiers operated like a well-oiled machine.
Despite their rush to patrol the surrounding territories, their discipline was commendable.
Being under the command of the crown prince had turned them into elite soldiers, no matter how clueless they might have been otherwise.
“No way anyone’s going to slack off in front of the crown prince, right?”
“Yustaf marked this area as the last one?”
“Yes, Your Highness. We’ve completed the placement, and you should return to the royal palace now.”
“Stop! You really think they’re staying focused just because I’m here?”
“But what if the enemy appears?”
“Then I should stick around even more! Surely no one would dare run off, leaving me behind!”
Cross, the head of the guard, sighed and nodded, unable to refute Alex’s point.
‘His highness has changed.’
It used to be that his emotional outbursts would lead to rash decisions. Yet now…
When he no longer let those emotions guide him, Cross had hoped it was a temporary phase.
But now, he had to accept it— the crown prince was definitely different.
In times past, he’d have fled at the first sign of trouble, telling others not to drag him into it.
Now, he’d even ask to stay put for the sake of the mission.
It was astounding when he sent a servant back to the capital instead of dragging them along, showing a concern for their safety without risking unnecessary casualties.
‘When did he grow up so much?’
As the head of the royal guards, Cross remained loyal, as always.
It hurt him to see anyone speaking ill of his esteemed prince, but it also frustrated him to know just how others saw him.
Yet here was their crown prince, issuing orders with a newfound determination— precisely what he had long waited for.
This man truly was the one destined to lead the Empire into the future.
*
“No!!! This can’t be happening!”
A scream burst out from Princess Ioleen Bell’s palace.
In times past, it would have seemed unimaginable, but lately, it was becoming more frequent that staff of the palace had learned to shrug it off.
Of course, Aiden, the head attendant, recognized the scream as typically related to Rupert. However, since “that incident” had unfolded recently, he found himself watching cautiously for any signs of unrest.
Among the palace staff, the incident had become known as the “Third Prince’s Uprising.”
Everyone expected the princess to unleash her fury, but instead, she was eerily calm.
In fact, Aiden himself mused whether her lack of outburst was excessive restraint.
He was prepared for her to berate him but found her unsettlingly quiet instead.
“I believe the elves brought an elixir as a gift last time, didn’t they?”
The princess’s question brushed aside Aiden’s worries.
She seemed completely unfazed as she opened the door and approached him.
Elixir?
When the term popped from her lips, Aiden froze momentarily.
It was one of the treasures of the elves, made with rare materials and time—practically a miracle cure to bring even the gravely injured back to their feet.
The royal family had only five bottles of this prized elixir, so his curiosity bloomed as to why she was asking about it now.
Was the princess unwell? Her eyes seemed a bit sunken, but other than that, she appeared perfectly healthy.
Royalty were checked weekly by the Empire’s leading physician and even had archbishop-level priests blessing them—it was almost impossible for them to fall ill.
Suppressing his curiosity, Aiden responded to her question.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I believe it’s stored in the royal vault?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Her expression was troublingly anxious as she bit her nails thinking it over.
Moreover, she muttered something under her breath. He couldn’t quite catch what it was, but it looked rather serious.
Something felt off to Aiden.
“Your Highness, are you feeling alright?”
“…No, it’s not that. But doesn’t the elixir have an expiration date?”
“I can’t say for certain, but I’ve never heard of an expiration date for an elixir.”
The princess seemed to relax a bit after hearing his words.
–The key to the royal vault is only held by Father… should I just tell him directly?
Even the tiniest mutterings were overheard by Aiden, now finely attuned to his duties as head attendant.
‘Is the princess planning to go into the royal vault?’
For reasons unknown, she seemed to find herself in need of an elixir.
Yet Aiden felt a sinking realization that he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, but couldn’t quite grasp it.
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