Will it work?’

I wasn’t sure.

‘First, the way to use it is...’

My head spun round and round.

‘I have to use this magic circle like this, then like that...’

Melt everything from the roots to the stem... Ah, so you can only use this once per person. After that, your body gets used to it, so if you drink it again, it just makes you healthier... I see.

I picked up the herb, thinking over all the new details I’d learned.

As I gently let out my magic, the green leaves trembled happily.

“Sniff sniff. Smells like grass.”

A blue energy wrapped around the herb like mist. Soon, the plant, fully mixed with magic, started to melt from the leaves down.

“Ah, it’s melting.”

I quickly looked around and found a mug to hold under it.

The finished herb tea...

“Hmm... It looks like porridge a troll spat out.”

That was exactly the color.

Borbel’s healthy drink...

But that had tasted better than it looked, so maybe this one would too?

I gently swirled the thick liquid and tasted it with my tongue.

“Yuck.”

Nope...

This really was troll porridge...

I thought for about three seconds. What if I die from drinking this?

But I’m Rubian, the kid who broke the record and got first place in the Green Festival.

I won’t lose to something that tastes bad!

“One shot.”

I pinched my nose and drank all the liquid at once. There were a few rough moments, but I gulped it all down.

‘Huh, this feeling!’

As soon as I drank the herb, my body felt warm.

Would the magic work? Would my memories come back?

‘Stuff like this always works in stories.’

I hurried to the bed and lay down stiff as a log.

As soon as I closed my eyes, a mysterious power wrapped around me. I couldn’t fight off the sleep that came over me. Soon, forgotten memories came like a dream...

“...”

The memories...

“...”

Like a dream...

“What the heck!”

Nothing changed!

Instead, only the embarrassing memories I wanted to forget came back even clearer!

I kicked off the blanket and sat up. I grabbed the mug and drank the last drops, but nothing happened.

‘What is this? Does this herb really not bring back important memories?’

Wizeria! What is this? Isn’t this the one?

But my mind stayed silent...

‘Ah, seriously. Can I return this brain?’

I grumbled, trying to think of another way.

Just then, I heard a crackling sound near my ear.

[ Ruby. ]

‘Khal? What’s wrong?’

[ The magician you told me to watch... Something feels strange. ]

I froze.

‘W-what is it?’

[ Asha Drukan was called over, but it looks like they’re planning something... Oh, wait. ]

‘What’s wrong?’

I hurriedly got up.

[ Duke Zebert is riding off somewhere on horseback. ]

It sounded like he was watching right now.

‘Dad? Where? Where did he go?’

Without thinking, I went to the window and pulled back the curtains.

It was a dark night. The moonlight was faint.

I couldn’t see outside clearly.

[ I’m not sure. He seemed really rushed... The direction... Hmm. If it’s that way, it’s toward the edge of Ipsen. ]

The edge?

As I thought about it, my eyes widened.

That’s where the “Fourth” is.

“Those who stand against our king will face a harsh price.”

Why did I suddenly remember those words?

My mug dropped to the floor and rolled away. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

A faint moonlight, night.

My dad, meeting alone with the kingdom’s magician.

The mark on his right arm...

Everything was just like my dream.

No way... No way.

[ Ruby? ]

‘Khal.’

I lifted my head.

‘That magician, exactly where is he right now?’

No way.

It can’t be.

But I couldn’t risk my dad’s life on just hoping things would be okay.

I ran out, cutting through the darkness.

Crunch. Crack.

The red-haired magician bit his nails.

He was staying in a small house on the edge of Ipsen. It was far from the center, quiet, and no one was around.

If you failed searching the north, return for now.

A short reply came to the report he had sent to the kingdom.

The word “fail” stuck in his head.

He grabbed the letter and clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Me, a failure?”

He had used the broken portal as an excuse not to go back, given magic items to the kids who didn’t come to the party.

Of course, the magic items had stayed quiet.

“It still bothers me.”

He clung to the last chance he had.

“That silver hair.”

He hadn’t checked the face under the cloth.

‘No magic power, and the eye color is different.’

Am I wrong? Did I fail?

“There’s no way!”

Crunch. A nail snapped.

He threw the wine bottle in his hand.

“Is it really not transformation magic?! Are you sure?”

Crash.

Red wine splattered everywhere.

The woman standing nearby flinched. It was Asha Drukan.

“Y-yes! I told you already! You said you checked with magic in the maze!”

Asha trembled but kept talking.

‘Rubian’s real eyes are blue.’

On the battlefield, she had thought Rubian’s eyes were red. So the magician probably thought so too.

“Huh? So nobody knows? Rubian’s real eye color? Even... even our king?”

“When she was really little, she couldn’t control her power, so her eyes were always open. I can’t remember it well... Sometimes Wizeria’s strange ways helped her.”

“Oh, that must’ve been tough.”

Asha didn’t really understand the last part, but she realized this could be Rubian’s big weapon.

She tried to say something brave.

“Silver hair isn’t that rare, but it’s not that special either... Eek!”

The “Fourth” sent out a gust of wind that shook the trees. Asha’s short hair flew up wildly.

“Who asked for your opinion? You’re just a sidekick!”

He asked, but then got mad...

Asha wanted to talk back, but she held it in.

The moonlight was so faint—tonight was the perfect night to die without anyone noticing.

“Ah, if only I could check one more time...”

The “Fourth” muttered like a sigh.

He was the type to trust his gut.

Right now, his gut screamed at him to check the face under that cloth one more time.

“Hmm, yeah. I’ve got this just in case.”

The “Fourth” tapped his chest.

That’s where his teleportation magic item was.

If things got bad, he’d just use that to escape to the kingdom.

He quickly crossed the dark garden.

His plan was clear.

“I guess I’ll sneak into the mansion. If I catch the young lady alone and check her face... What stealth spell...”

“T-the young lady is leaving tomorrow...”

The magician turned sharply.

“You—trick the emperor into making Duke Zebert stay here longer. Use the party or something. Find a way to lure him outside. You can do that, right?”

“How could I possibly—!”

“Too many words. Move now...”

Just then.

A cold, sharp feeling touched his throat.

“What are you doing?”

“...!”

“What do you plan to do?”

The magician froze. His shaking eyes looked down.

A cold, blue blade was pressed right to his neck.

If he had taken even one wrong step, blood would have sprayed everywhere.

“D-Duke... Zebert?”

He gulped and looked toward the shadow.

A thick arm jutted out from behind the garden tree. A huge figure.

In the faint moonlight, the eyes glaring at him were bright purple.