The execution was a failure.

Due to that, I could right away feel that the manner in which I was treated had completely shifted.

I was now offered a room in the Royal Palace, filled with old-fashioned charm instead of the cold, dust-filled prison where the Mage Tribunal Judges had initially imprisoned me.

However, that didnt mean that I was free to spend my time here as I pleased.

In reality, this place was just a more secure prison.

[Its as you predicted.]

Said the Dark Spiritualist, who phased through the wall to enter the room and gave a slight nod.

[The Archmage, along with his disciples, are surrounding this room from all sides. theyll be ready to draw blood if you so much as manipulate your mana in an aggressive manner.]

I was brought here because the Mage Tribunal Judges had reached the conclusion that they would be unable to restrain me.

After all, I had easily won against Tyren, the strongest of the Mage Tribunal Judges, without so much as a scratch on me.

The Royal Family couldnt simply overlook how easily I had neutralized Tyren, even considering that the execution ground was particularly advantageous for me.

King Orpheus himself was most probably quite surprised by my skill.

[So how do you plan to proceed from here?]

.

When I didnt respond and simply gazed out the window, the Dark Spiritualist corrected her vague statement and asked again.

[Do you really intend to clear all the three trials the King mentioned? You have two more left. Do you really think hell accept you, a Dark Mage, once theyre resolved?]

I chose not to reply. My faith in King Orpheus remained resolute. He was a King who stood by his word.

[And even if he accepts you, what about the citizens? What about the Church? Theyll publicly denounce you; theyll never accept you.]

The grim resentment in her voice indirectly conveyed the treatment she received as a Dark Mage.

[As you have recently embarked on this path, you probably dont know. Youll come to regret it eventually. Do you think sincerity will convince them? That proving yourself through actions will validate you? Surprisingly, the world doesnt place much importance on such things.]

I know.

I cut her off. If I remained, she would continue her tirade, saying whatever she felt like indefinitely.

I dont assume that the Kingdom will accept me just because the King does.

However, it was necessary for me to gain external acknowledgement to carry out my activities.

I can still make them hold their tongues, even if they dont trust me.

Aria and Findenai were actively working to solve that issue.

I didnt doubt that they were making timely progress even though they hadnt reached their goal yet.

[Make them hold their tongues?]

The Dark Spiritualist inquired.

I chose not to reply, mostly because the door opened and King Orpheus walked in.

Ahem.

He cleared his throat awkwardly as he entered the room. The Archmage who followed him looked at me with far more wariness than before.

Were you able to rest well yesterday?

Yes, I was able to rest well thanks to the comfortable room you provided.

King Orpheus seemed like he wanted to say something regarding yesterdays failed execution but exhaled deeply instead, as if he was having trouble finding the right words.

I did not expect you to win against the Presiding Judge so effortlessly. Your skills are undeniable.

I didnt refute him.

While it was important to remain unbiased in my self-evaluation, there was no need to intentionally downplay my skills publicly.

It would be less shameful for the Presiding Judge as well.

So, I plan to inform you about your second trial. Is that acceptable?

It is.

King Orpheus face visibly darkened, and he whispered hesitantly as I responded with an indifferent nod.

You probably know my younger sister, Eleanor Luden Griffin, who is a student at the Loberne Academy

Yes, I do.

How could I not?

Eleanor was a quite significant character in the game. Although players had varied opinions about her, she served as a stepping stone for the protagonist, Aria, to grow.

She has been tormented by chronic nightmares for several years now.

Betraying his fatigue, Orpheus narrowed his eyes slightly. Just thinking about his sister seemed to add to his worries and fill him with grief.

Many people have been called upon to resolve her nightmares. Even the Saintess was consulted, yet the issue still persists.

...

I found this genuinely baffling.

This was completely new information.

Princess Eleanor was plagued by nightmares?

Eleanor displayed no such trouble in the original game.

Rather, she was an enthusiastic young girl, brimming with confidence and a sense of pride in her Royal heritage. She was passionate, even joyful, never lacking self-confidence.

The Saintess couldnt solve it?

The fact that the Saintessthe only person in the Kingdom qualified to deal with spiritual matterscouldnt resolve the issue was extremely unsettling.

She should arrive in a few days as I asked her to return yesterday.

King Orpheus spoke to me with a mixture of sadness and a sliver of hope.

Deus Verdi, this is your second trial. If you can truly heal the hearts of the people just like the Saintess and undo the harm done to them by black magic...

...

Please, cure my sister.

* * *

Clatter, clatter.

Clatter, clatter.

Hmm?

Princess Eleanor awakened from her slumber, looking around slowly, trying to grasp her situation.

What was going on again?

Her mind was exhausted due to her disturbed sleep and she needed a drink to revitalize herself.

She reached for the water bottle near her.

Her thoughts began to coherent as she gulped down the lemon-scented water.

It was the enrollment season, and she was busy adapting to the Academy. Though she was taken aback when Aria Rias, who she considered her rival, had suddenly disappeared, she had been pressing on nonetheless.

In her desire to maintain both her grades and a conduct befitting a princess, she had been working late into the night. Then, all of a sudden, her elder brother and the King, Orpheus, commanded her to return to the Royal Palace.

Unable to refuse the Royal Edict, she explained the situation to her professors and departed.

And now, she found herself in a carriage headed for the capital, Graypond.

Ive been getting forgetful lately.

Whenever she woke up, there was a momentary lapse in her thoughts. A brief time of readjustment was needed during such instances.

But Im completely awake now.

There was still a long way to go before arriving.

Eleanor opened a book as she felt bored. She knew that reading in a moving carriage would cause motion sickness, so she only planned to read up to the brink of nausea.

Hmm?

But no matter how much she read, she was surprisingly fine.

Whats more, the content of the book seemed to sink into her mind effortlessly.

It felt as if she had already known this information from the start.

What?

Eleanors eyes narrowed slightly as she felt something was off.

Looking around, she observed that the scenery was constantly changing. She took out her water bottle and sniffed it.

The rich scent of lemon tickled her nose.

She checked in front of her.

The back of the coachman sitting outside seemed oddly familiar.

This cant be.

Eleanor smiled wryly to herself as she slowly leaned back against the carriage seat.

I must be on edge because I just woke up.

Eleanor put her book aside and decided to practice some magic instead, gathering mana at her fingertips.

Huh?

The mana didnt manifest.

No, she just realized it.

She couldnt feel any mana in the atmosphere.

Bang!

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Eleanor hastily kicked the carriage door, but aside from its regular clattering, the carriage showed no signs of being affected in any way.

Open!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She desperately tried to get out of the carriage, but it wouldn't budge.

Then, she felt the gaze of the coachman looking her way through the window up front.

Shatter!

He shattered the window with his forehead and forced his way in. Then, he subtly grinned.

Is it Mana this time?

Stop it!

With another hint revealed: she realized that she was in a dream.

Enough, stop it!

Heh.

Though Eleanor cried out in urgency

Heh heh heh heh heh.

The laughing coachmans shape began to distort. Morphing into a mucus-like substance, he soon took on a form identical to Eleanors.

Would you like to see what Ive practiced?

What?

When she reacted, confused by the cryptic question, the fake Eleanor smiled and gestured.

Hello, I am Eleanor Luden Griffin.

!

The impersonation was spot-on.

It mirrored exactly what Eleanor had said and how she had behaved on her first day at the Academy, during her self-introduction.

I may be a Princess of the Kingdom, but Id rather you not make a fuss over it.

Stop it.

Lets just do our best as friends and as rivals.

I said, stop!

Thud!

Pr-Princess?!

She felt a throbbing pain on her forehead.

Eleanor found her entire body soaked in sweat as she abruptly woke up from her sleep, her forehead tinged red, clearly from hitting it against something inside the carriage.

The carriage had halted, and the coachman was looking at her with worry.

Princess! Are you alright? You seemed unwell, so I stopped the carriage.

Huff! Huff!

She remembered the coachmans face.

Her own sour sweat stung her nose as well.

But it didnt end there.

With trembling hands, she manipulated her mana.

A gentle blue light gathered at her fingertips, informing her that this was indeed reality.

Is it Mana this time?

The voice, spine-chilling as it mumbled those words, still lingered vividly in her mind.

Ah, hic !

Tears formed, trickling down and dampening Eleanors cheeks.

Though the coachman was shocked and suggested taking her to a nearby clinic, Eleanor couldnt form an answer; she curled up, consumed by fear.

Please, someone, please...

Her plea for help stuck in her throat, unable to escape past her tears.