Khalid bit his lip tightly.

At that moment, Allen, who was feeling along the inside of the shackle, squinted.

“Huh? The inside here is kind of bumpy. Khalid, shine your light here. What if there’s a jewel or something? Oh, so this is why you wanted to come here?”

“Move.”

Khalid quickly took the shackle and shone his light inside.

These were shackles for the wrists and ankles—when you’re chained, you can’t see the inside.

“...This is...”

“What? What is it?!”

Allen was getting excited.

‘The World Tree, the dragon flying around it...’

Only one place used that kind of symbol.

The Magic Kingdom.

‘Did the Kingdom lock me up here as punishment for breaking a taboo?’

But Khalid was an unregistered mage from Arcadia, and the current Mage King didn’t even know about him.

‘If the King knew me, he wouldn’t just ignore me.’

Khalid narrowed his eyes.

He noticed some small writing next to the royal symbol.

‘What’s this?’

It wasn’t Imperial script, or the common language of the continent.

Khalid tried to read each letter.

“Nag-re...”

“What?”

“Me... rop?”

What a weird word.

Allen frowned.

“What are you muttering about?”

“Do you know what ‘Nag-re Me Rop’ means?”

Allen just shrugged, then leaned in to look at the letters.

“Never heard of it. Are we reading it wrong? Want me to look into it?”

When Khalid nodded, Allen took out a notebook and copied the letters.

“Guess I’ll visit Yuliope again.”

“Yuliope?”

The name felt a little familiar.

“A linguistics professor. I met her at a bar a while ago—not that she knows who I really am.”

“A professor? At the Academy?”

“Yeah, where was it...?”

“Rietta?”

“Oh, you know?”

Khalid stared into space for a moment.

“I’ll check it myself. Give me the notebook.”

He tore out the page Allen had copied.

“I’ll figure it out.”

He put the paper in his pocket and stood up.

‘...I won’t ask Rubian about this.’

Rubian might figure it out quickly—but that was exactly why he didn’t want to ask.

‘What if it’s something bad?’

He wanted to know the answer first.

Allen made a joke.

“Okay, Your Majesty, whatever you say.”

Khalid almost kicked him, but let it go.

They left the cave.

“So, where now?” Allen asked, brushing off the dust.

Khalid looked down the mountain, his face a little tense.

“Western Babilon.”

“What? That’s so far! Are you serious?!”

Allen sighed in defeat.

“Where in the west?”

“Trapista. Baidel Valley.”

Allen froze.

“You mean...?”

“Yeah.”

Khalid met Allen’s eyes and said quietly:

“That’s where the Duchess of Zebbert’s carriage accident happened.”

It was a peaceful afternoon.

I (Rubian) was with Mom at the mini training grounds.

Mom had gone back to her pink “cotton candy” hair. After going outside with black hair and surprising everyone, she really seemed refreshed.

“When will Dad come back?”

“Probably soon.”

“Khalid should come back soon too...”

“He said he was going home for a while, right? It’s been two weeks.”

“Yeah...”

Mom pinched my nose gently.

“Both of them should hurry back. But Rubian, you seem tired today. Did you not sleep well last night?”

“No, that’s not it...”

Actually, I had felt sick last night.

While I was sleeping, my back suddenly felt like it was burning.

It only lasted a moment, but it was surprising.

My curse mark grew.

When I checked, the lines on my back had grown a little.

‘I’ve never felt it grow before.’

I remembered how Dad said he sometimes had terrible nightmares. Maybe the curse mark grew a little each time?

‘Maybe sometimes it really was just a nightmare...’

Anyway, I felt anxious.

“Rubian? If you’re not feeling well—”

“No! This is when I need to train even harder!”

I shook my head, puffing out my cheeks.

‘I knew the curse mark could grow!’

I just have to find a way to erase it myself.

Be brave, Rubian Zebbert!

If I let my worries take over, I’ll just be eaten up by them.

I stretched my arms up to the sky and shouted:

“I’m going to get stronger!”

Just then, I saw Grandpa running toward us.

“Oh my! My precious granddaughter is at the training grounds again!”

Ever since Grandpa learned I was a girl, he and Dad hated it when I wore knight clothes. In the North, daughters weren’t raised as knights.

They seemed to regret putting me in the knights—but it was too late!

‘I’m in love with these clothes and the fun life of the youngest knight...’

“Four laps today!”

I ran around the training field, aiming for a new record.

This was the best I could do right now—so I would give it my all!

Allen shivered.

“It’s creepy here.”

Trapista, Baidel Valley. Western Babilon.

Allen rubbed his arms as he looked up at the cliffs.

“Brr... So spooky.”

It was a warm spring, but this place felt cold.

Maybe because this was where that accident happened ten years ago.

Allen pointed ahead.

“Is this where the accident happened?”

Khalid nodded, his expression unreadable.

The deep valley didn’t get much sunlight.

“The Duchess... she had a sad fate,” Allen muttered, touching the dry ground.

“She tried to help a runaway mage, and then that happened...”

Not many knew the details of the accident. But Allen had heard stories as a mercenary and information broker.

“So why are we here... Wait, Khalid.”

Allen frowned.

“Why are you shaking? Are you cold?”

He grabbed Khalid’s shoulder.

Khalid brushed him off.

“...Move.”

Standing on the spot where the accident happened, Khalid tried to imagine what had happened.

A mage, running from the Magic Kingdom, wounded and collapsed.

The Duchess’ carriage passed by and found the mage.

The mage must have begged for help, wearing a desperate expression.

The Duchess, feeling sorry for the injured mage, agreed to help.

And finally, when they reached this deep place—where no one could easily come—

“Turned on her and attacked...”

Khalid clenched the damp earth in his hands.

The sudden magic attack badly injured Rosetta Zebbert, and she lost the baby she was carrying.

Such a result, born from trust and kindness.

‘...No wonder people don’t trust mages.’

Khalid bit his lip again.

“Khalid? What are you doing?”

Now resolved, he took off the bracelet on his wrist.

He tried to control his overflowing magic, reaching for the twisted magic left in the land.

‘Just like Rubian taught me...’

Khalid focused, feeling the magic in this place.

For a while, he stayed like that.

“...”

His stubbornly closed eyes slowly opened.