As soon as I finish talking the troops erupt, they are cheering and laughing. Even the beastmen join in, adding their roars and making it so that Mercy and Zamart can't talk to me. They try but even with my hearing I can't tell what they are trying to say.

They don't get another chance as several beastmen lift me onto their shoulders and basically parade me all around the camp. Only after three full laps do they finally stop and let me down. By then the cheering has mostly died down, probably due to sore throats.

Order is restored when Mercy starts issuing marching orders, she is sending more troops to the border. The beastmen she orders to enter the city and thoroughly search it before the engineers start working. While everything is being organized I write a letter to Roddick and send it to Myria to deliver.

Zamart says "Why are you writing to Roddick?"

"To have him send mages to help with the reconstruction."

Mercy says "I told you that wasn't necessary!"

"And I told you I was doing it anyway. By the way, have you thought about making improvements?"

Mercy says "What do you mean?"

"Well, since you are basically rebuilding the city from scratch, now is the perfect time to make improvements. Like better sewers or wider streets, that kind of thing."

Zamart says "Mercy, I think he has a good point. Since we have to rebuild anyway, we should make it better than it was."

Mercy says "Hm, it's a good point. The question is can we afford it?"

"Well, why don't we go check the treasury and find out?"

Mercy says "Okay!"

So Mercy and Zamart go get their horses while I fetch Lizzy and then we ride to the city. The beastmen form up and march behind us until we enter the city. Then as we head for the palace the beastmen spread out and search the city.

From the look on Mercy's face she is really upset about the condition of the city, which is understandable. Yet when I try to apologize she gets mad at me and even Zamart tells me to shut up. So I drop back and silently follow the two of them through the ruins of the city.

They both cheer up a bit when we reach the palace and find it mostly intact. Part of it did get damaged when the dragon stepped on it, but the rest is still fine. We dismount and head inside at which point Mercy lets Zamart take the lead.

She hasn't been in the palace for a couple of years and even before that Zamart knew the place better. Considering he had to place enchantments on most of it that is no surprise. Which reminds me about the room at the end of the dungeon.

"Zamart, do you know about the secret room at the back of the dungeon?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Zamart says "Secret room? Oh! Yes, I know about it. Why?"

"That is where I fought the big shadow demon, but I was curious as to what it was supposed to be for?"

Zamart says "Oh, it was a safe room. It was meant to be the last refuge for the royal children if the palace ever fell."

"But it's just a plain room?"

Zamart says "Now maybe, but when it was enchanted it could provide every comfort. It was also the second most enchanted room in the palace, only surpassed by the Queen's bedroom."

Mercy says "And then you destroyed all the enchantments!"

Zamart says "I didn't see any other choice!"

Mercy says "It's alright, I don't blame you for doing it. However, as the royal mage it is your duty to re-enchant the palace."

Upon hearing that Zamart's face goes white and he gives Mercy a look of absolute horror. Even I can't imagine how many enchantments it would take for an entire palace. Not to mention how long casting that many enchantments would take.

Zamart says "You said I could take a vacation!"

Mercy says "Yes, and I meant it. You can enchant the palace when you get back."

"Does he have to enchant it on his own?"

Mercy says "Considering he is now the only royal mage and there are no court mages, yes."

"So the mage guild can't help?"

Mercy says "No, having outsiders know how the palace is enchanted is a serious security risk."

Zamart says "There are still court mages, several joined us during the rebellion."

Mercy says "No, those are all army mages. If you want court mages to help you, then you need to train them."

At that, Zamart starts looking depressed, and he doesn't cheer up even when he opens the treasury. From what I can see the treasury is only about half full, although that is just the first room. I can see two doors, one on either side, there might be more in them.

Mercy says "Is this really all that's left?"

Zamart says "It would seem so. We need to start collecting taxes as soon as possible."

"What about the rooms behind those doors?"

Zamart says "We don't know, those rooms have never been opened."

Mercy says "Those rooms have been sealed since the kingdom was founded. They cannot be opened."

"Even with all the enchantments gone?"

At my question the two of them look at each other in surprise before each running to a door. As they do they look as excited as kids in a candy store but that soon turns to disappointment. The doors are locked, even when Zamart tries a few spells they refuse to open.

"You said they were sealed since the founding?"

Mercy says "Yes, that's right."

"Then the first queen must have had a key and left it for her descendants."

Mercy says "According to my mother, there is nothing that has been passed down from that long ago."

"These types of things are not passed down openly, they are normally hidden. Did the first queen have a special room or a favorite spot in the palace? Or is there some place where a riddle is carved into the stone?"

Mercy says "No, not that I know of."

Zamart says "Actually, there is, but it is not inside the palace."

"Then where is it?"

Zamart says "The Queen's garden, and according to history the first queen planted that garden herself."

"Then that is where we need to go! Lead the way!"

So after Zamart closes and locks the treasury he turns and leads us again. This time we go through the former king's chambers and outside into an area that has no other access point. It looks like it used to be a beautiful garden but now it is an overgrown mess.

It is obvious that the place has been completely neglected for years, probably since the idiot became king. Zamart leads us to the center of the garden where there is a gazebo that is overgrown. It is completely covered by roses and we all get pricked multiple times trying to get inside, not that it bothers me.

Zamart says "Here it is."