[Things here are fine. My group is one of the assigned to protect the Bride.

You and coat guy are the same. You both sent me potions I had no use for.]

[For someone your age, you could talk cuter. Perhaps a ‘thank you for caring, mister’.]

[I’m not my sister. But since you want it so much, here.

Thanks, old man. Next time save the potions for yourself. You probably need them more than I do.]

I laughed, my heart both hurt and relieved. It did bring me some comfort to know Hal was well. Though he should realize already, I was not that old.

I was still in my mid-twenties, c’mon.

“Did you get an amusing message?” Kaduna’s voice reached me, bringing me back from my thoughts.

“Amusing is not a word I would use. So, what do the maps say?”

According to the schedules, neither the Bride nor Groom would visit the Garden for the next hour. That gave us more time to explore the underground system and learn more about the mercenaries’ plans.

“Most of these maps are related to the Bride’s schedule. They have notes and observations of previous times she visited the castle, about her most likely behaviors and spots she is likely to visit. They were quite thorough. Makes you wonder how they got all this information, doesn’t it?”

Kaduna smiled, almost as if to herself, her golden eyes wandering through the writings.

Her answer to my earlier question still bothered me somewhat.

「How do you know this language? 」

「It’s my mother tongue. I’m speaking it right now, as a matter of fact. 」

I wanted to ask what language was it, yet there was this dark spark in her gaze. Almost like a warning, one that told me I should ask no more about this matter.

And I didn’t.

“Do you think their main target is the Bride?”

“It certainly looks like it. This map here is for the East Wing, where the Bride is currently located. Do you see these paths? They connect to most of the rooms, and there are a couple of them highlighted. One is for an escape route, while the other—”

“Connects with the Bride’s chamber, right?”

Kaduna nodded. “From what I see, they’ve prepared for multiple occasions. They were supposed to take out the guards on patrol and replace them. It makes you wonder if they were successful in other groups…”

Her voice trailed off, while my eyes remained focused on the East Wing maps. We were not designed for that area, yet Hal was likely with the Bride at that moment.

You saw what the boy can do. He can handle some danger.

But he is still a boy.

He’s still just a boy.

“Do you mind if I go to the East Wing for a bit? There’s something I want to check there.”

Although she raised an eyebrow, Kaduna’s smile remained on her lips.

“I do not mind at all, no. It will take some time until either the Bride or the Groom has any business in the Garden, or the Wedding Hall. You may do me a favor and check these passages while you are there.”

I took the East Wing maps, making my way there with somewhat rushed steps. Even though I was quickening my pace, it was almost impossible to ignore the magnitude and overwhelming presence of the castle itself.

Its warm hues and majestic structures made me feel like a lost child in an antique museum, one that could barely admire and appreciate the true value of what I was seeing.

This is probably the Court of Wands’ castle…

It was a mere possibility, yet one I believed to be quite likely.

When I finally reached the East Wing, I was stopped by six humans. Two blocked the door with their weapons, while the other four shifted in their position with hands resting on their swords’ hilts. They appeared to be participants as well, given their armors, yet there was something about their eyes…

They lacked light.

“None shall enter the East Wing while the Bride is getting ready. Go back to your post, guard.”

Did that make sense? If the Bride’s squad belonged to another kingdom, or another Court for that matter, perhaps it could be a reasonable request. For the Bride or the Groom to not want any outsiders.

However, something about those six humans was bothering me.

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

Even before I read the system’s message, I was able to see. It was extremely faint, almost imperceptible. But from within their armors, as if it couldn’t be contained, flames escaped.

Flames blended with shadows.

「…they were supposed to take out the guards on patrol and replace them.」

Kaduna’s voice echoed in my mind.

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

I smiled, waving the rolled maps in my hand. Unless they looked inside, the maps looked like any other scroll.

“I was sent by the Groom himself to bring this letter straight to the Bride’s hands. Do you wish to explain to him why you stopped one of his personal guards and prevented his message from being relayed?”

The "humans" furrowed.

“You do not wear the brands and armor of His Highness' personal guard.”

Lowering my voice, I leaned a bit closer to them.

“Haven’t you heard? The Groom is concerned about our security. Some believe there might have been a breach. He does not wish to alert the enemy forces. Which is the reason why I was sent here; check on the Bride and report back to His Highness. He does not wish to concern his Bride with these matters, you see, so we must handle this quietly.”

If I was right, they wouldn’t want to raise any suspicions. Especially after going through all the trouble of replacing the guards. If I was wrong, however…

I was more than certain I could take them all.

They glanced at each other as if they were having a silent conversation. Then the two who were blocking the door stepped aside and let me in.

Only after the door had closed behind me did I start running.

The halls were deserted and hauntingly quiet, were it not for the sound of my steps echoing through the corridors. According to the maps, the Bride would be on the second floor. From what I recalled from the schedules Aída gave me, no events were happening in the East Wing. The only thing set to happen was for the Bride to get ready.

Still, shouldn’t there be servants? Helpers?

More people from the Escort Squad?

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

[Do you wish to listen?]

No, not yet. It didn’t feel like the time yet.

I finished climbing the long staircase, sparing only a brief glance at the map to check in which direction the Bride’s chamber was. I turned right, counting the doors until I spotted the marks on the floor, my heart dropping. Blood.

And I already knew the creatures did not bleed.

The trail disappeared behind one of the doors, and I didn’t even have to look at the maps again to know it was the chamber I was looking for.

I kicked the door open, sword already in hand. I could not even access the situation, the creatures rushing at me with their weapons aiming at my throat, head, and heart. I blocked some attacks while dodging others, their movements slower and weaker compared to mine.

It made me wonder how much stronger I could become if I kept investing in Wands.

It didn’t take long for the corpses to start falling, and when the last creature finally stumbled to the side as I removed my sword from its neck, I was able to see the state of the room.

I saw where all that blood had come from.

The Bride’s chamber was wide and spacious, even more than I had previously thought. For even with all those bodies, it still felt vast.

Apart from the dozen humanoid creatures that laid at my feet, there were at least twenty bodies spread across the room. Some people were missing their limbs, while others had broken and slashed necks.

I was afraid to call his name, even more to search for a small body among so many.

[Tell me where you are right now.]

I sent a message, my fingers gripping the sword so hard it was as if I wanted the sword to enter my skin. Seconds became minutes and soon I could not wait anymore.

“Hal? Are you here?” I tried to not let my voice shake so much or to sound desperate. How successful I was, I could not tell.

Instead of an answer, I heard a creek. A door slowly opening, almost as if it was too shy to be acknowledged. I glanced to the side, spotting a wardrobe. The door appeared to be open only a few inches, and whether it was open before I could not tell. I crossed the room in a few heartbeats, stepping in a few hands and legs even though I tried my best to avoid the corpses.

I took a deep breath before closing my fingers on the handles, opening the wardrobe in one go.

I could almost feel my heart melt into a puddle at my feet. A heart that no longer had any strength to beat or race against my chest.

“…why are you staring at me like that, old man? You look really ugly.”

Hal was lying down at the bottom of the wardrobe, his body almost hidden by the many fabrics and dresses hanging above him. When I pushed those aside and saw him, I clenched my fists.

His eyes were sunken, sweat running down his neck and drenching his shirt. He had an arm holding his stomach, red tainting the white fabric while the strong smell coming out from the wound could not be ignored.

“That’s because you can’t see yourself right now. I’m telling you, children should look cuter, you know.”

I sent a message to Kurosawa. He replied a few seconds later, sending what I had asked.

[I expect a report about your situation soon.]

[You have received a gift]

I took the new potion from my inventory, getting on my knees and leaning closer to him. I was about to help him drink it when he slapped my hand away.

“I can drink it myself. Give it to me.”

I snorted, glad to see he was feeling good enough to keep that temper of his. As he drank it, his complexion started to get better, relief spreading across his face.

Unfortunately, I could not wait too long to ask. There were many things I wanted to ask him. How was he feeling, what had happened, how did he get so hurt…

Yet there was one thing I had to ask above all the others. Because this was a Trial, and failure meant death.

“Where is the Bride?”

The look Hal gave me was enough to make my melted heart whole again. To make it shake, freeze, and crumble all over again.

“They took her.”

For a missing Bride would easily kill us all.