Many of the dungeons I knew had lost their shape, evident by the fact that I couldn’t teleport to them, but that didn’t mean all of them were gone. I managed to find a dungeon I used to visit in the west side of the country, a pretty massive one with many monsters.

“Show me what you’re capable of, Emori!”

“Alright!”

Emori used White Spring to obliterate all the incoming monsters, even damaging the walls. But as long as she didn’t cause a cave-in, we would be fine. I kept close to her, just in case we needed to Teleport out. I didn’t do anything to help, though. She didn’t need me meddling.

Really impressive…

As she attacked, I observed her spell, trying to get a grasp of her strength. Even from what little I saw, I could tell that this spell was not one to mess with. During the fight, I received a Connect spell from Prilus.

“They didn’t find her.” He proceeded to list all the dungeons that didn’t get checked, sounding very worried. If he knew I had found her, he would force me to bring Emori back, so I pretended like I didn’t know for a while.

“Keep on looking.”

“I will.”

The Connect spell stopped.

Sorry Prilus… Maybe if you’re a bit nicer to me…

I returned to observing Emori. By the time the Connect ended, she had already taken out all the monsters. “Let’s go deeper.”

“Alright.”

Emori unlocking White Spring had increased our grinding efficiency by maybe five to ten times. I couldn’t point out the exact number that would best describe the increase, but we moved fast. We tackled groups of monsters within seconds, floors within minutes. Her unbelievable strength was game-breaking. Had I seen someone use this kind of spell in Mimosa, I would definitely report them.

Was this what those people were feeling when I defeated them?

Maybe the me in their eyes looked exactly like Emori in mine. An undefeatable player in this unfair game of life.

It wasn’t the time to be melancholic, though. The others would realize that I went silent, and eventually point out that I must have found Emori. I need to drill as much information regarding Emori’s spell into my mind as possible.

“Emori, are you getting tired?” I asked after she finished clearing out a group of monsters. Emori wiped a sweat off her forehead.

“A bit.”

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered that she never looked tired from our usual grinding. This spell must have a high mana cost, but since Emori had higher than average mana, the effect wasn’t too visible.

“Don’t push yourself too much, okay?” I warned.

“Okay.”

“We now know its damage output and its effects, that means what we need to know now is its cost.”

“Cost?” Emori tilted her head. “Oh, you mean the mana cost, right?”

“Yes. Since White Spring is a custom spell, some parts of it may be unstable.”

A custom-made spell based on a sacred one, no less.

“We don’t want to risk you fainting at the wrong moment.”

“So I should continue using it?”

“But watch after your own body. If you feel drained, tell me.”

I had been counting how many times she used the spell up till this point. Thanks to the spell’s wide beam, maybe the only positive change from the original, she could wipe out more monsters each strike.

“Alright, I’ll be careful.”

She shot her spell a few more times. Her beam was enough to turn regular monsters to ash the second they were hit. We managed to reach the floor’s bottom not long after.

“Here you go.” I gave her a bottle of water. The water in this bottle had been infused with mana. I originally packed this bottle for me in case I ran out during the search, but I didn’t end up using it. I didn’t even use that much for my spells.

“Thanks.” She took it and drank the water. “That’s refreshing. How many strikes was that?”

“... Twenty four. Not bad. Can you keep going, though? Just normal spells are fine.”

“Isn’t it late?” She asked. I had no way to tell, I hadn’t learnt of a spell to tell the time.

“If you’re tired, we can stop here. If you still can continue, we should continue grinding, just in case something happens to you. And we should have someone take a look at you when we return to the capital.”

“Something happens to me…?”

“You might be grounded for a couple of days.” She did go out and disappeared on us.

“Sorry… But don’t worry, I can continue.”

We continued blasting monsters until the prince’s next Connect.

* ••

The prince had managed to realize the fact quicker than I expected. The second he caught me, I brought Emori straight back to the capital. We received a stern scolding from him. Emori because she disappeared, me because I didn't tell him despite already finding her.

We were brought back to the castle. King Torez and Queen Ezabeth themselves came to greet us. They were as worried as me, hugging Emori the second they saw her. A bit of scolding happened after that, then they brought us to a private room.

“Fortisbel, thank you very much for finding Emori.”

“Thank you for finding our daughter.”

The king and Queen Ezabeth bowed their heads, which was a bit surprising.

“It’s nothing. I’m glad I helped.” I hid the fact that Emori ran away because of me, of course. If I said anything about that, who knew what my fate would be. I could only hope that Emori didn’t say anything about it, either.

“We would like to grant you a reward.”

Is that really necessary?

Emori would return sooner or later, even without my intervention. I feel bad for accepting a reward for the troubles I myself created. That said, there is something that I wanted.

“... What can I ask?”

“Anything that we can provide. If you want, we can give you a land of your own.”

“That is not necessary.”

They surely could provide access to the secret library, right? But then I need to explain how I knew about the secret library. Would this be the right time to reveal the fact that I came from another world? What would be the consequence of revealing such information? Would they feel threatened? Would they consider me dangerous?

“Fortis? Are you alright?” Emori asked out of concern. She knew about my knowledge, but she couldn’t explain where I got it from. She didn’t try to dig deeper herself. If she spoke for me, they would think that she was the one that leaked the information.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I’m fine. There is something I want…”

“Feel free to say it. We’ll see if we can fulfill your request.”

Then, an idea struck my head. “I challenge you to a duel!”

“... Is that your request?”

“Ah, no. Umm…”

“He’s an idiot,” the prince said. I was unfortunately not in a position to deny.

“Pl- Please don’t call him an idiot,” Emori said, much to everyone’s surprise.

The king turned to me. “Why do you want a duel?”

“We- well… I thought I could speak my mind better if we stood as equals…” Dumb reasoning, I know, but I really felt pressured about it.

“Well, if that’s your wish.” King Torez stood up and was about to unsheathe his blade when Prilus stopped him.

“Let me handle this.”

His hand traveled down to the hilt of the sword. I realized that he had full intent on attacking me.

“Why? Got cold feet all of a sudden?”

You’re wielding a sacred sword, you dumbass!

Of course I would struggle against one. I wouldn’t be able to stand against Emori, either, despite the many level differences between us. That was simply the nature of the sacred things.

“You don’t have to fear asking from us,” Queen Ezabeth said. “Worst case scenario, we’ll deny it, but nothing more.”

“If you’re asking my daughter’s hand in marriage, then you should try dating first.”

“Fa- Father!”

Is this really a joke he should be making after what I did?

Oh, he didn’t know I’m the cause of all this.

“But she’s right. If we can’t fulfill your request, then we’ll just deny it. You don’t need to worry about anything else happening to you.”

“If that’s the case, then I want access to the secret library,” I said. The room fell dead silent.

“Umm…”

Everyone was staring at me, including Emori. She probably didn’t expect me to actually make that request.

“That is… certainly, a surprise… but, if you want that, then I won’t deny you.”

“Wait, are you not going to ask how he knows about it?”

Oh shut up, Prilus. Don’t sweat the details.

“Are you sure?”

Luckily, neither King Torez or Queen Ezabeth took note of Prilus’ question. “Of course.”

“If- If that’s the case…”

“Come here whenever you need to. We’ll unlock the library for you.”

“Thank you very much!” I bowed deeply, letting out a breath of relief.

Thank Goodness.

* ••

We talked with each other for a bit more. As the night grew darker, King Torez sent the other two back to the academy. I was about to leave with them when he called out to me.

“Can you stay a bit longer, Fortisbel?”

Unlike them, I could use Teleport to get back.

“Sure.”

I do prefer the kingdom’s carriage, though.

Nothing like arriving at school in one of the nation’s most luxurious vehicles.

“Please follow me.”

“Shall I come along, Sir?” the king’s advisor asked.

“There is no need. You're free to return.”

He bowed his head and left. These two must really trust me to be willing to speak in private. Not like it never happened before.

The three of us, the queen included, left the room, walking down the hallways. The knights saluted when we passed, I nodded back. The hallways were relatively empty, not surprising considering the time.

“By the way, Fortisbel, I would like to thank you for all the things you've done.”

“I really don't deserve any of this, Your Majesty.”

I hurt Emori’s heart and caused her to flee.

“Even so, I must thank you. You have really changed Emori’s life.”

Oh, is that what he wants to talk about?

I did change her, in more ways than one.

“She used to have no friends her age, but now she has you, your dragon friend, and Misyonoer.”

Maya technically isn't our age, though.

“I did not do much, Your Majesty. It's her own efforts that landed her in the place she is currently in.”

Even back then, she was the one that made an effort to speak with me. Back during our early days in school, she was the one that started conversation, even though she was scared.

I didn't deserve any credit for her change.

We then made our way up some grand stairs. They took me past some rooms, before eventually arriving on a balcony. The two leaned on the railings, gazing out at the city.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” King Torez murmured.

“Well, it’s spring, the best season of the year,” Queen Ezabeth replied.

“I- I agree. I enjoy spring, I think…”

Every season had its own charm, except summer. Summer is just hot, with absolutely no other trait.

King Torez and Queen Ezabeth turned around.

“You know, Fortisbel?” King Torez asked.

“I know… what?”

“You know of the secret library. What knowledge are you seeking there?” Queen Ezabeth added.

Is that why they invited me here?

“About that…”

“You can be honest.”

Sorry, Emori!

“Emori… is your firstborn child, isn’t she?”

They both kept their composure as if they weren't only expecting me to bring it up, but also waiting for it.

“Yes.”

“They’re twins, but she’s the one with the original right to rule,” Queen Ezabeth elaborated.

“So then… why?”

The king took a deep breath. “Emori doesn’t feel she’s fit to rule, so at her young age, she abdicated her right to the throne.”

“And that is under her own will?”

“The entire family, Prilus included, wishes for her to take the throne, but she has always refused.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t desire power,” her mom answered. “Emori doesn’t like ruling over people, she doesn’t like ordering people around.”

“Ever since she was young, she always followed orders. She refused to give them.”

Maybe that was why she got so angry when I brought it up. For now, she could cover it up because they were twins, but if someone outside the royal family knew about this, it may force her to take the throne.

But wait… didn’t they say she abdicated the throne? The people should have known that she is no longer the rightful heir. Using White Void wouldn’t change that.

“... Can I challenge you to another duel?”

“There is no need, Fortisbel. You’re level 100, you can overpower us easily.”

My concern didn’t lie on them killing me right at this moment… but whatever.

“Didn’t Emori already abdicate the throne. Shouldn’t that mean the people know about her abdication?”

“Most know.”

“Hmm… then why is she against using White Void?”

Both King Torez’s and Queen Ezabeth’s eyes widened when they heard my words.

“White- White Void?”

“No way…”

They stared at each other, at a complete loss for words.

“... Are there some implications about the spell?”

I shouldn’t have known anything about the spell in the first place, but that’s besides the point.

“... White Void, in legends, is the last sacred spell created by Master Amoriaz himself. It was said that Master Amoriaz poured his entire being into creating that spell, thus why it is so powerful.”

So the founder of Syla created that spell?

A lot of other things created by him were made in cooperation with others. For example, the sacred sword Prilus wielded was created by a blacksmith with instructions for him. For a spell to be purely made by the man himself…

“Even if she abdicated the throne, that would be reset if she could use White Void…”

It wasn't a written law, but if White Void was a spell created directly by him, being able to use it might imply Amoriaz’s support of the user, thus resetting everything.

“Please keep this a secret.” I could imagine Emori’s anger if she found out that I spoiled this to her parents. No wonder she was so opposed to it.

“There's no need to worry. We'll do as you say.”

I'm not sure a king should say something like that in the first place.

“Is that what you invited me to discuss?”

“No. We have a request for you. If you don’t mind, we want to keep you by her side. She has gotten a bit more willful since she met you, and I think that is a necessary growth for her. Now that you know, can you find a way to change her mind?” King Torez requested. I couldn’t, however.

“Please forgive me, but I made a promise to Emori. If it’s not in her wishes to take this responsibility, I will not push her.”

With great power comes great responsibility. Emori must understand this well. I didn't doubt that Emori has the power to handle these responsibilities, but she shouldn't be forced to take it up if she didn't want to.

“That said, I have no intention of abandoning her. I will do my best to help her in whatever situation she finds herself in.”

It was my genuine wish. The little time we were apart made me realize just how important she is to me.

“If she tells me that she is willing to take the throne, then I shall do my best to support her.”

“Thank you, Fortisbel. It’s great knowing that she had such a reliable friend in school,” Emori’s father said with a warm smile. Her mother, though,

“Friend?”

“... Yes, friend?”

“Oh, I see… Understood.” She nodded. The way she looked at me, though…

“A knight shall escort you back to the academy. Stay safe.”

“Thank you very much, but there is no need to worry. I can Teleport back.”

“Well, stay safe regardless.”

As I turned around, walking down the hallway, I heard little whispers from Queen Ezabeth. “Friends? I thought they were more than that.”

I ignored the whispers and went back to school