I heard footsteps coming from deeper within the cave.

At first, I assumed Ken had finished checking the tunnels and was coming back. I turned toward the sound, expecting to see him emerging from the darkness.

Instead, District Captain Sora stepped into view.

Several soldiers followed behind him with weapons drawn, and standing among them was the Queen herself.

The moment I saw her, my stomach dropped.

I stood there breathing heavily, blood covering my clothes, hands, and face. The cave floor around me looked like a battlefield, and I was still holding evidence of exactly what had happened here.

My eyes met the Queen’s.

She stared at me for several seconds without speaking.

The arm slipped from my grasp and hit the cave floor.

Captain Sora’s expression immediately twisted with disgust. Her eyes moved from the dead pervert to me before returning to the corpse again. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn’t entirely sure what she had just walked into.

The soldiers behind her didn’t look much better. Some stared openly while others avoided looking at the scene altogether.

The Queen, however, remained perfectly calm.

"I told you to stay away from this case," she said, her voice cold enough to make the cave feel even colder than it already was. "And yet you chose not to listen."

I didn’t answer.

Partly because I was still trying to catch my breath and partly because there wasn’t much I could say. She had ordered me to leave the investigation alone, and I had ignored her.

The Queen continued looking at me for another moment before turning toward Sora.

"Sora."

The captain immediately straightened.

"Your Majesty."

"Take him to the dungeon."

Sora blinked.

The Queen simply looked back at me and said, "I will decide what to do with him next."

Yay.

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Ace | LC: 156 | EXP: 300/490 | LVL 6

╠═══════════════════════╣

> HP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 115/115

> MP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 85/85

> STA ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱ 80/100

────────────────────────

> Class: ROGUE

> Known Abilities:

• Dead Lantern

• Mirror Knifel

• Shadow Leap

────────────────────────

> PERKS

• +15% Magic Damage

• +10% Critical Chance

• Backstab Damage

• Light of the Believer

╠═══════════════════════╣

> [ BAG ] [ MAP ] [ SHOP ] [ QUESTS ]

╚═══════════════════════╝

I sat against the cold stone wall of the cell with one knee raised and my forearm resting across it. The other leg stretched out in front of me while I stared through the iron bars at the dungeon beyond. Getting thrown into a dungeon definitely hadn’t been part of my plans today, yet somehow I had managed to end the day covered in blood and locked beneath the royal palace.

What I still couldn’t understand was how they had found us.

Had they followed us?

The idea didn’t make much sense. Ken and I had walked through nearly empty streets because of the rain. Anyone tailing us would have stood out immediately, especially in a district as open as the one surrounding the academy.

The dungeon itself wasn’t particularly large, but it felt old. Stone cells lined both sides of a long central corridor, each one sealed with thick iron bars that had probably been standing there for decades. Most of the cells were empty, though a few further down held prisoners who either slept on their cots or quietly minded their own business. Dim lanterns hung from metal brackets along the walls, casting an orange glow over the damp stone. Water occasionally dripped from somewhere in the distance, the sound echoing softly through the underground chamber.

Near the middle of the corridor sat a wooden desk. An older guard occupied the chair behind it, reading a book while occasionally turning a page. Judging by the amount of dust covering the desk and the relaxed way he sat there, guarding prisoners was probably the least stressful part of his day.

"Hey," I called out. "How much longer am I staying here?"

"The Queen is talking to your friend," he replied without looking up from the book. "You’ll be next."

"Ken didn’t have anything to do with this."

The guard finally glanced up at me.

"I don’t know him, and I don’t particularly care whether he’s involved or not. Her Majesty gives the orders. I follow them."

I leaned my head back against the wall and sighed.

They hadn’t even allowed me to wash up. The rain had removed some of the blood during the ride to the palace, but not nearly enough. My clothes were still stained, my hands still smelled faintly of iron, and every time I looked down, I was reminded of exactly why I was sitting here.

"But I’ll give you this, kid," the guard said as he placed the book on the desk. "You got rid of that bastard. Plenty of people won’t be shedding any tears over him. We just would’ve preferred handling it ourselves."

"The Queen doesn’t seem to agree."

The guard shrugged.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He leaned back in his chair. "My daughter’s husband was one of the soldiers who carried you out of the arena after the elf attack."

"Yeah?"

"He came back convinced you were some kind of monster." The guard chuckled. "Said there were more souls around you than he’d ever seen attached to one person. Suggested we should’ve put a spear through your chest before bringing you here."

"Comforting."

"Just who are you, kid?"

"Ace Walker. First-year student. Class One-F."

The guard stared at me for several seconds.

"You think you’re funny?"

"I think it’s the truth."

Before he could respond, a door opened somewhere beyond the corridor leading deeper into the dungeon.

A minute later, Ken appeared alongside another guard.

The second guard walked directly to my cell, unlocked the door, and pushed Ken inside before locking it again.

"Come here, kid," he said while gesturing toward me. "Your turn."

"Hmm."

I got to my feet and stepped out of the cell. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The guard immediately took hold of my elbow and guided me away. Before leaving, I glanced back at Ken.

He looked miserable.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. The guy had gotten dragged into this mess simply because he happened to be nearby. If he hadn’t followed me into that cave, he would’ve been back at the academy eating dinner right now instead of sitting in a royal dungeon.

Part of me felt guilty.

The guard led me through the corridor and toward a stone stairway at the far end of the dungeon. We climbed several flights in silence, passing through increasingly cleaner sections of the palace. The damp smell of the underground slowly disappeared, replaced by polished stone, burning candles, and expensive incense.

The deeper we moved into the palace, the more guards appeared.

By the time we reached the upper levels, soldiers stood at nearly every intersection. Some wore the silver armor of the royal guard while others carried long halberds and watched each hallway with unwavering attention.

Eventually we reached the highest floor.

At the very end of the corridor stood a pair of enormous double doors.

The throne room.

Two royal guards stood motionless beside the entrance.

"Wait here," the guard said. "I’ll inform Her Majesty you’ve arrived."

"Hmm."

The guard stepped through the doors and disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the hallway.

I stared at the massive entrance for a moment and wondered whether the Queen had already decided my fate or if she planned to make that decision while I stood in front of her.

A few seconds later, the door opened and the same guard greeted me. He gestured for me to come inside with two fingers.

Hesitant, I walked toward him and looked inside. The Queen sat on her throne, legs crossed, her long dark-crimson hair cascading over her shoulders. Her expression was unreadable. Not angry. Not pleased. Just neutral.

Once I stepped inside, the guard quietly left the room, leaving me alone with the Queen and the guards stationed throughout the hall.

"You’re here. Again." The Queen sighed. "I’m beginning to think you enjoy visiting the royal palace, Walker."

I didn’t answer. I simply walked forward, dropped to one knee, and greeted her.

She leaned back against her throne, one elbow resting on the armrest as she looked me over.

"Get up."

I did, remaining silent.

What now?

She had told me to stay away from Jelda’s murder, and I hadn’t listened. Was that supposed to get me into trouble? Captain Sora would’ve never found those two by herself. I wasn’t trying to insult the woman, but she was completely out of her depth.

"You disregarded my order and did as you pleased," the Queen said. "Tell me, did that make you happy? Did it make you feel like a rebellious teenager?"

"No, Your Majesty."

She was quiet for a moment.

"My sources tell me you and Jelda weren’t close. She spoke to you once or twice. You barely knew her, and she barely knew you. Am I wrong?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Then why go through all that trouble for revenge?"

I didn’t answer.

"Was it justice?" she asked. "All the people you’ve killed have been terrible individuals, after all."

I didn’t give a reply for a few seconds. Then I met her eyes.

"Yes."