Kurosawa had sent Hal a potion to recover his Vis, still, I didn’t want Hal to be the one to open the door.

There was no small window, no creek, or small opening to help us see what was on the other side.

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

Of course it was.

The question was, should I listen this time?

There was a chance the Bride was behind that door, and if anything happened to her we were all doomed. Yet there were so many events planned, so many things scheduled with the Bride and the Groom…

「I knew three of the people who died on that trial. They may be nameless strangers to you, but they were my friends. Keep that in mind next time you decide to play with other people’s lives. 」

Dammit, why am I remembering this now?

This was one of the reasons I didn’t want to be a leader or anything alike—I didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s life but my own. Because there was nothing more precious to me than my life as Park Eun-Won.

I glanced back at Hal, writing him a message quickly.

[How does your skill work? The one that turns you into mist?]

He understood the meaning behind my question instantly.

[I can go inside and come back without anyone noticing me. If their numbers are small, I can take them in one go.]

I thought for a few moments. Deep down, as I looked down at the small boy looking at me, I felt guilty. Guilty for relying so much on a seven-year-old boy to do the bloody work, guilty for knowing the boy could do a good job, guilty for not feeling as bad as I should for agreeing with him so easily.

Because in the end, we had to choose whatever would guarantee our survival. And trying to maintain a child’s innocence and purity was not only a naive wish, it went against logic.

Especially when the child was Hal.

The boy’s body suddenly dissolved into mist, disappearing beneath the door. As my heart raced, it only took a few seconds for him to send me a message.

[there are only five

come whenever you want.]

Before I even touched the doorknob, I could already hear the sounds.

As I pushed the door open, a few things caught my attention right away. The first thing was the Bride, her wrists and feet tied with rope.

The second thing was Hal.

I had briefly seen him in action during his Duel. To see it again, against more opponents…

a monster

It was difficult to not be impressed. Judging by his speed, his Wands status had to be quite high as well. As his body moved from one creature to the next, the boy always struck with his knife with quick, precise movements.

The moment I entered the room, he was finishing the last two mercenaries, their bodies dropping like flies. Hal stepped away, glancing at his knife with expressionless eyes.

“They don’t leave stains. That’s good.”

I had no reply to that.

Closing the door behind me, my eyes focused on the figure tied down on the ground.

Like the Groom, I could not see the Bride’s face or body. It was a mix of flames and moving shadows, as if it was concealing her appearance. I could see, however, her lines and shapes. The Bride was gagged, her beautiful laced white and yellow dress covered in stains and dirt.

“Kaduna, we have her. You can meet us back at the entrance,” I said while touching the earpiece, Kaduna’s reply coming not even two seconds later.

“Perfect. We shall meet soon.”

Me and Hal stepped closer to the Bride, making her recoil.

“It’s all right—we are guards tasked to protect you. We will do you no harm.”

After a few seconds, the Bride nodded once.

I raised my hands, unsure if she was looking at me or not. Slowly, I leaned closer to her and removed her gag, glancing at Hal and signaling at his knife. The boy knelt close to her, cutting her restraints with ease.

“We are terribly sorry for this situation, Your Highness. We will take you back to your chamber right away.”

She said nothing. As the Bride slowly sat up, massaging her wrists, I thought that perhaps she couldn’t understand me, the seconds stretching.

Then, I heard a faint chime.

[The Bride would like to express her gratitude.]

[The Bride admires your bravery and sense of duty.]

[The Bride expresses her happiness for being rescued.]

“There is no need to thank us. We are only fulfilling our duty. Now let us move before they come back.”

We met a few Souls on our way back, and I found it curious to see that the Bride did not seem scared or freaked out by their appearances. Made me wonder how common those creatures were here.

Fortunately, we only had one encounter with a small group of mercenaries. Kaduna’s Souls attacked the creatures with no mercy, eliminating them in less than a minute.

Soon enough we were back at the Bride’s chamber, and both Hal and I were surprised to see the room was nowhere near the chaotic state it was when we left.

Apparently, my partner had used her new helpers to clean the space while she waited for us—since she arrived quite a few minutes before.

I checked the schedules again, confirming we still had some time left until the Bride and the Groom met.

This is good. We are doing good. Perhaps this Trial won’t be much more complicated than this.

[The Bride wishes to ask for your discretion.]

I shifted my focus, turning back to the female figure a few meters in front of me.

She had her hands clasped in front of her, the Bride’s body completely still almost as if she was a statue.

[The Bride does not wish to upset or worry the Groom.]

[She wishes for the matter of her capture to remain only between you.]

Kaduna met my eyes for a second, something stirring deep inside her golden gaze as she replied.

“You have our word, none of it will leave these walls. Now, if you allow me, Your Highness, I can aid you with your dress.”

The Bride bowed gracefully, accepting Kaduna’s offer. My partner turned to face me and Hal, the warm smile never disappearing from her face.

“You two can search the perimeters to make sure everything is well. If I need further assistance, I will message you.”

As we parted ways, I caught a last glimpse of my partner. For some reason, her eyes kept following me as she closed the door, almost as if she wished to say something.

I shook my head, focusing on the tasks at hand. With Kaduna and her Souls, the Bride was more than secure. We had to worry about the Groom, though Kurosawa’s presence also gave me some peace of mind.

Perhaps I could go back to the underground system, and see if I could find more of the mercenaries’ plans and maps. But before that, it was best to update my employer regarding the Bride.

I suddenly felt a tug on my shirt, my gaze falling on Hal’s. The boy had a serious expression, his eyes a blend of uncertainty and confusion.

“Did you also receive those systems’ messages, with the Bride talking with us?”

I stopped writing the message for Kurosawa, my fingers still hanging midair.

“I did. Why?”

Hal’s reddish gaze got just a little darker.

Perhaps this Trial won’t be much more complicated than this, was what I thought.

“You know when the Bride said she was happy we rescued her?”

I was almost certain about what Hal was about to say. So I remained in silence, as if my lack of response would change the boy’s words somehow.

Of course, the outcome was the same.

“She lied.”

Apparently, nothing about these Trials would ever be anything less than complicated.