I had another complicated dream.

I was just a six-year-old boy, playing with Yubel outside the orphanage. Whenever we went out alone, our pet dog used to follow us. We played hide and seek with our dog, not thinking much, just playing.

When I least expected it, a terrifying man was struggling with Yubel.

He was shouting, "Let me go!" but at that moment, the man put his hand over Yubel’s mouth to silence him. For a moment, I couldn't move, but then...

I felt a strong impulse in my body and ran to hit the terrifying man. I didn’t want him to hurt Yubel, but all I did was make him angry.

He pulled out a knife and pointed it at my face. Out of fear, I closed my eyes, but I didn't feel the blow; I only heard a faint bark.

When I opened my eyes, my beloved pet dog was lying in a pool of his blood in front of me. At that moment, I understood that the dog wasn’t playing with us; he just wanted to protect us.

I don't remember much more from that moment since I was frozen in front of my pet. When I looked up, I saw Yubel crying as well, but what caught my attention was the blood on his hands.

The terrifying man was lying on the ground behind Yubel. The man wasn't moving, just like the dog in front of me.

Since that day, neither Yubel nor I were the same.

...

When I opened my eyes, I saw Chizze in my arms, but she was already awake and this time hugging me back. I noticed she had a sad face.

“What’s wrong, Chizze? Why that serious face?”

“Why serious face? Master, look at yourself in a mirror. You’ve been crying for a while in your sleep. Chizze didn’t know what to do, but when Chizze had nightmares, her mom hugged her tight, and Chizze didn’t have nightmares anymore.”

I understood now, that's why she was hugging me. And it's true, I am crying. I thought I had overcome my emotional issues, but I think I just repressed them. I looked at Chizze's face and thought she was very cute.

On impulse, I hugged Chizze tightly and kissed her. She didn't resist; her fangs bumped against my teeth. Neither of us knew how to kiss, but it felt better than my first kiss, which Charlotte stole along with my gloves.

Once we finished kissing, Chizze gently wiped my tears, and we just stayed there looking at each other. I think we were waiting for the other person to take the next step, but at that moment...

“Ester, wake up, we have work to do. Go down to the inn’s bar and order all the food that can fit in a basket. We're having a picnic.”

Damn bossy elf… what a way to ruin the mood.

...

We got up and changed our clothes. I bought the takeaway food at the inn’s restaurant, and we set out to have our picnic, but Raiza took us to the sewers beneath the city.

“Raiza, are you serious? You want us to eat in this unsanitary place?”

Raiza, with a serious expression, replied, “Don’t question me and follow me, you’ll understand soon enough.”

Reluctantly, we followed Raiza, although Chizze was covering her nose; I suppose her delicate sense of smell couldn't bear the stench of the sewers, and I don't blame her because this place really stinks.

We followed Raiza in silence until we reached a secret chamber between two walls. Inside it were small potted plants, and the air was less heavy. This air reminded me of the ogre’s tree in the forest.

Suddenly, I saw Gasthor taking the food from the basket we brought and sharing it with an elf I had never seen before.

“Hey, Raiza, could you explain this to me?”

Chizze said, “Why do you call the boss Victoria, Raiza?”

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I exhaled a bit and said, “Her real name is Raiza; Victoria is her adventurer name, so to speak.”

Chizze seemed to accept my explanation and continued interrogating Raiza. “Now, can you tell me what happened last night?”

...

After listening to a long summary, I spoke out loud:

“I see... So, thanks to Legoz, we were able to rescue some forest ogres. But now, how do we rescue the rest? Legoz, you're an elf, I suppose you know how to get to the elven forest.”

Legoz almost choked on the food when I asked that, but once he calmed down, he replied:

“It’s complicated to say. The elven forest is surrounded by a mystical mist that not only protects the forest but also allows teleportation to a series of gates scattered around the continent. It’s said to be the magic of the first elf king.”

“And if we find that gate, can we get to the forest?”

“Not exactly. Inside the gate is a wall-less labyrinth, and without the necessary knowledge, it’s almost impossible to reach the forest. Even I don’t really know how to get through that labyrinth. Since this was my first mission outside, it was my companion whom I betrayed who knew how to get back home.”

In short, we’re screwed. “And where is that gate?”

“The only one I know of in this kingdom is inside the throne room of the Royal Palace.”

At that moment, I thought we had reached another dead end. “Great, now it’s definitely impossible to save the ogres.”

Gasthor interrupted our conversation:

"Not exactly. With my 22 familiars, I have managed to infiltrate the castle. On the ground floor, there are many people, including guards and some nobles. On the first floor, there are relatives of the king, and on the other floors, I have only seen maidservants. What strikes me is that they all have the same face. I was also able to see the throne room of the Royal Palace."

I didn’t quite understand his explanation, but Gasthor told me that he is connected to his familiars, which are those white rats, and he can see everything they see. So, he has been exploring the capital with those rats ever since Raiza teleported him to the sewers.

Gasthor drew a map of the castle with a piece of chalk. This is very valuable information. Now we just need to figure out how to get to that room.

"Chizze has something to say," she said, raising her hand while wagging her tail. The beast woman spoke:

"Yesterday, the head of the slavers, before Chizze left with the master back to the inn, gave me an invitation to a party in honor of the hero of Rusthia. He said he and all his friends had a lot of work and couldn’t attend. Since Chizze was so happy with the master, he gave me the invitations so I could have an elegant date with the master."

Chizze’s face was as red as a tomato, but this fits us perfectly. The party will be in three days, enough time to come up with a plan.

…

…

…

We left the sewers and arrived at the Royal Palace, with a cardinal to whom the goddess grants no peace...

Lately, I have felt quite disturbed since I saw that magic whose damage I cannot heal, not even I, Cardinal Darwin of the Church of the Sacred Word. I have always been a prodigy in everything related to healing magic and the study of the sacred scriptures; in short, I am a genius. I thought I knew everything...

But I don’t.

Since I saw the melted face of the princess’s double, Kharla Dante, I remember how useless my abilities were. I can’t look in the mirror without seeing my face melted by that monstrous magic. I have been obsessed with it. I have gone through all the books in the royal library, and after all my days of study, I understood that there are only a few things that healing magic cannot cure, and they are called autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases, if detected in time, can be cured even with healing herbs and certain body care. But if they are delayed in treatment, they are practically incurable and can evolve to wreak havoc on human organs. But it takes a long time to reach that point...

And that guy, with a single punch, did irreparable damage to the face of the fake Carlo Dante. I wish I had brought that man alive and studied closely the magic he used on his body, but it’s useless to think about it now.

Still, the next double of Carlo Dante is ready. He is not as strong as the previous one, but he is not as stupid either.

As for the real Kharla Dante...

She has been studying stat control magic constantly since we returned from the monster-infested zone. I think that fight affected her in her own way, although I have noticed that the princess always does her best. Even though she is a princess, she hasn’t had the life of one. She has basically lived in the shadow of her doubles. I think I am one of the few people who truly know her; I feel sorry for this girl and the father she has.

I was in the royal library, and as usual, the princess followed me in my studies. Although, as I said, she only studies stat increase magic to better help our team. Although today is supposed to be the party in her honor, she definitely doesn’t feel that way...

Neither do I...

"Princess Kharla, are you ready for today’s party?"

Kharla replied: "The royal ball in my honor, right, Cardinal? I don’t think my presence matters much. I am literally just the person behind the hero, his shadow. I don’t really feel like attending. I don’t mind being the shadow when we go on expeditions, but at a ball, I’d rather do anything else."

I understand this girl; I don’t want to attend either. In fact, I don’t want to be part of this pathetic political show.

"Princess, I agree more than you can imagine, but we all have a role to play, even if we don’t want to be there."

"I know, Cardinal. I know you don’t want to be here. That’s why I like you."

This girl is very good at observing people... I wonder if she really has a gift as good as the hero’s gift.

…

That night I prepared with my best tunic. I wanted to make a good impression. If my role is to be a decorative piece, I will be the best decorative piece.

I arrived at the palace in a carriage they usually don’t let me use, but it’s a special event, and the church wants to make a good impression, so I have to take advantage of it.

People were dressed very elegantly, which made me feel out of place, but I have to act with the elegance expected of a member of the hero of Rusthia’s team.

The party went smoothly until one of the artificial maidservants discreetly called me.

"Cardinal Darwin, the king requests your presence to present the hero and his companions. Please be so kind as to follow me."

Those maids scare me too. Their emotionless faces disturb me, especially the one who always accompanies the king. Who in their right mind makes an artificial maid with the face of their deceased mother? That guy is crazy.

I get on the stage and meet Kharla. She’s wearing her usual clothes with her eyes covered by a cloth. She takes my hand, and I notice she's trembling. I think being in the shadows for so long gave her severe social anxiety, and I hold her hand in an attempt to calm her.

Meanwhile, everyone fell silent for the king's speech…

"My dear vassals, welcome to the Royal Palace of Rusthia. I am pleased with your presence and thank you for all the support you have given to this kingdom and its inhabitants. The advancement of the demon king's dominion has shaken the continent of Yamatory, but now we must unite as a great nation and face this great problem.

But remember, we are not alone. The almighty Goddess did not abandon us and blessed us with my sons…

The first prince, Miguel Dante Rusthia, who is in his royal training to succeed the throne and continue developing the territory.

The second prince, Richard Dante Rusthia, who is in the kingdom of Dredprism receiving military training to protect our borders.

And my youngest son, Carlo Dante Rusthia, the hero chosen by the Goddess, who will protect our people and maintain peace in the Kingdom of Rusthia.

And here he is with us tonight. Please give a warm welcome to the hero of Rusthia."

The hall lit up completely, and from the red carpet entered the false Carlo Dante. He greeted the people with great elegance and ascended the stage in the same manner. I felt very indifferent to this whole circus until something caught my eye in the crowd…

“Mr. Darwin, why are you trembling? Are you also feeling a bit nervous?” Kharla asked.

I couldn’t believe my eyes…

That priest I saw in the monster zone was in the crowd at this event. He was wearing a fake beard. But I would never forget that face. I pushed the false Carlo Dante aside, stepped to the middle of the stage, and shouted…

“GUARDS, CAPTURE THAT MAN OR WE WILL ALL DIE!”