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“Wasn’t this a strategy game?”

Eden, who usually didn’t hang around the study, was dusting off corners with a grin when suddenly, her smile vanished. It was because she remembered Kiris, who she had almost forgotten.

“…He won’t just sit back now, right?”

Eden quickly got serious, stopped dusting, crossed her arms, and fell into thought. I had to be ready to defend against the furious retaliation from Kiris starting now.

“No matter how dumb he is, he must have figured it out by now.”

Since this was originally Kiris’s territory, his anger must have doubled. The story had really changed now, and Eden couldn’t predict what Kiris might do.

“Nothing should happen until I return from the west.”

Eden sighed heavily. It was time once again to consult the Prophecy Book, and the quickest way to get it was to join Karon on his expedition and slay some monsters. There were four days left until the expedition, and I had no idea how long it would take.

“It’ll be fine.”

Eden reassured herself and continued cleaning. Just as she carefully dusted the thick old books, she suddenly turned around.

“Huh? When did I come this far?”

The place Eden was in was the study behind the Chancellor’s Office, which normally wasn’t cleaned. The door had been left open, leading her to wander in without realizing it.

Herna’s warning flickered in her ears.

「You especially shouldn’t go into the study behind the Chancellor’s Office. There are many important books, and you shouldn’t handle them carelessly. Not that it’d ever be open though.」

Eden stopped cleaning and looked around.

“…But it’s open?”

Indeed, the normally closed side door was ajar, and that allowed her to inadvertently walk in. It seemed that the busy Sereman had forgotten to close the door behind him.

“That could happen.”

Eden nodded, glancing around the study. She never thought such a large space would exist behind the Chancellor’s Office, but as Herna said, it was filled with old books and was quite spacious.

“Wow…….”

Though it must have been neglected for ages since it was a no-clean zone, there wasn’t a speck of dust on the old books. Had the Chancellor been cleaning this place every day?

“No way. A busy guy like that.”

Eden cautiously wandered through the rows of bookshelves and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Huh……?”

Eden tilted her head and saw a faint light seeping out from a corner of the bookshelf.

There was a small space where a book could fit perfectly in the densely packed bookshelves, and out of that space, a faint glow was leaking.

“What is this…….”

Curious about the strange sight, Eden approached and peeked inside the empty bookshelf. Yet, she couldn’t see anything.

“Is there a glowing bookshelf here…….”

Well, there’s magic and magic stones, so a glowing bookshelf wouldn’t be that far-fetched.

It could also be a specially designed bookshelf to keep books in place, since the light only came from the empty space.

Eden glanced around, spotted something, and her face lit up.

“Here it is.”

Right next to her, a thin book lay carelessly in a small space on another bookshelf. Eden grabbed the book immediately. It must be the one that belonged in that empty spot.

As Eden carefully slid the reddish cover book into the empty space, as expected, it fit perfectly, and the leaking light completely vanished.

“What a great bookshelf for organizing books!”

Proud of the now perfect scene, Eden was about to turn to leave the study when—

Creek—.

A faint noise trickled behind her.

“?”

At the sound, Eden turned around instinctively, her eyes going wide.

“Huh……?”

Before her, a truly astonishing sight unfolded. The great bookshelves were moving on their own, shuffling aside.

Thanks to that, the space that had been perfectly hidden until just a moment ago was revealed. When the movement finally stopped, it was evidently a secret space.

What is this? Did I touch something I shouldn’t have?

Eden broke into a cold sweat and slowly surveyed the area. In the center of the spacious area that could fit two adults stood a perfect circle, and from within it, a blend of blue and silver light was emanating.

Eden then realized what the light leaking between the bookshelves was.

“……”

In that moment, something chilling ran down Eden’s spine. She knew what that circle was. She had seen it at the Imperial Palace.

That was a portal.

To find a portal concealed behind the Chancellor’s study was striking in itself, and seeing how tightly it was hidden, it was definitely an unofficial one.

‘Where in the world does this lead……?’

In an instant, a sharp intuition flickered in Eden’s mind.

“Could it be…….”

If the Chancellor made a deal with another prince?

“Gasp.”

Horrific speculation sent chills down her back. Eden unconsciously covered her mouth.

“That’s crazy.”

So that’s why he wasn’t included among the targets? Then, this portal must connect to another prince, just like Asmun.

Eden’s heart raced wildly at discovering something monumental.

This could perhaps be a hidden quest in the game—a chance to find out who the Chancellor was colluding with.

“……”

Of course, it was reckless to step through without knowing where this portal led. Eden turned around, knowing no one was there. The Chancellor’s Office was still eerily quiet.

When would Sereman return? If I missed this chance, would I get another one?

“Ugh…….”

Eden knew this was a prime opportunity.

But what if she ran into Kiris or Patriar the moment she stepped through? Would the excuse of just wandering in work?

It wasn’t really her fault that the curious Apprentice Priest came in through a door left open by Sereman’s mistake, but still, having stumbled onto such a high-priority secret would inevitably spell trouble.

“……”

However, this situation was undoubtedly part of the game’s behind-the-scenes, and she couldn’t let it pass by. Her pride wouldn’t allow it.

“……I’ll just see where it leads.”

Eden steeled her resolve, surveyed her surroundings once more, and slowly stepped forward. Each step brought her closer to the brightly glowing portal, and she swallowed hard.

With her mind made up, Eden finally took that last step, and a blinding light enveloped her in an instant.

Before she could even adapt to the sensation of floating, she felt her feet land solidly on the ground again. Realizing she had successfully moved, Eden blinked her eyes open and looked around.

“……”

She had expected to find herself in Kiris’s or Patriar’s office or at least somewhere in their mansion, but instead, she was in a completely unrelated place.

Wherever Eden had landed, it was entirely made of stone walls, reminiscent of a basement with no windows or perhaps a cramped stone tower prison.

Moreover, there was no sign of anyone around. No, it would be more accurate to say there was no sign of warmth at all.

In contrast to the cozy and comfortable Chancellor’s Office, the chill that struck her skin made Eden shrink back subconsciously.

Where am I?

Eden held her breath and carefully moved forward. She spotted a small door in the corner that looked big enough for one person to pass through.

Creek, as she opened the door, a staircase leading up appeared. It seemed she was indeed in the basement.

‘Is this leading to the princes’ mansion?’

Eden remained vigilant and carefully climbed the stairs. After quite a long descent, just when sweat began forming on her forehead, she finally reached the end of the staircase.

However, contrary to her expectations that a completely different space lay beyond the basement, the area above the stairs was also a cold corridor devoid of any presence.

“What is this?”

Did I misjudge?

Eden panicked and scrutinized her surroundings. This place seemed to resemble an old castle. One that had long been abandoned, or more accurately, one that couldn’t harbor any living beings.

With no windows and a long corridor stretching endlessly, it was desolate.

Why is there a portal in a place like this……?

Eden relaxed for a moment and took deeper steps into the interior. But even as she delved deeper, nothing was visible.

With her shoulders relaxed from the tension, she felt disheartened. This was, indeed, Sereman’s personal space. A complete waste of a behind-the-scenes discovery.

“……Damn it.”

Just as Eden, who had ultimately come to no conclusion, was about to turn back to the office.

“……Ugh.”

A faint sound seeped into Eden’s ears, causing her steps to halt.

“……!”

A groan……?

Eden tensed up again and held her breath, straining to listen.

“Haah…….”

And again, a faint moan could be heard.

Just as I thought!

A little startled, Eden turned around and looked towards the sound. A staircase leading to the corridor’s end came into view.

“……”

Someone was definitely up those stairs.

Eden hesitated for a moment and clenched her fist. She couldn’t just leave without getting any information after coming this far.

Eden swallowed hard and took another step. With each cautious step up, the faint groans drew nearer.

“Ugh……!”

The groaning sounded painful, sending her heart racing with anxiety.

Who could be suffering like that? Kiris? Patriar?

If it were one of them, that would be an incredible finding.

“Heh……”

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, Eden discovered a crack in the door from which the groans were seeping, and held her breath. Someone was inside.

Her heart now beat faster, thumping like crazy.

Who could it be? The Chancellor? A prince? Or if not…….

Eden edged closer to the door to confirm the identity, peeking cautiously through the slight opening.

 

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