052 – Unidentified

—

[My character just died mysteriously?]

No, seriously, what is this?

(Picture)

It just says the heart exploded and he died.

Nobody was around.

I’m being serious, for real.

(Video)

Take a look at this.

No, damn it… I was grinding through that quest from the Imperial Family about taking down a human trafficking ring, like crazy.

Then suddenly, bam, it just pops up saying the heart exploded and he died??

[Comments]

– Did you get ’em?

ㄴ (OP): You wanna die?

– The heart just exploded and it was a mysterious death?

ㄴ (OP): Yeah, seriously, just walking along and boom, the heart explodes and he dies, that’s the message I get, and my character is lying on the ground, damn it…

ㄴ What, natural causes then?

ㄴ LMAO, natural causes, you’re right, hahaha

– But seriously, couldn’t it just be a natural death?

ㄴ (OP): Since when is dying from your heart exploding a natural death?

ㄴ Then what do you think it was? Explain.

ㄴ (OP): Was there some kind of remote heart-exploding magic spell?

ㄴ That sounds more plausible than natural causes?

ㄴ (OP): Maybe…

– I’ve never seen anyone die from their heart exploding, not even cardiac arrest, lmao

– That’s karma, you’ve been thinking about your daughter in dirty ways so God smote you

ㄴ (OP): Ah… damn it, was that it?

ㄴ As if, lmao, did you think about your daughter in dirty ways? Then it’s karma for sure, accept it gracefully lmao

ㄴ (OP): ㅗ fuck ㅗ

– Huh? Another player popped? I also had a playthrough where I suddenly died from heart explosion while doing the Imperial quest.

ㄴ (OP): Do you know what caused yours?

ㄴ I just thought it was natural causes because I didn’t manage my health properly then.

ㄴ (OP): No, damn it… Where are you gonna find natural causes like this…

ㄴ My character hadn’t slept for four days and nights straight, I was grinding it hard. Because I wanted to finish the human trafficking ring quest quickly.

ㄴ (OP): Natural causes, yeah, that makes sense.

– So anyway. Anyone here know about this? Someone give me some info, quick.

ㄴ ㄹㅇ, no matter how much I search for info about this, it’s nowhere to be found. What is it?

—

Inside the small room, there weren’t many diversions.

Inspecting the room.

Playing with the cat.

Bouncing on the bed.

Jumping from the desk to the bed.

Hide-and-seek.

Reading fairy tales.

‘She really made the most of that tiny space.’

Anyway.

Though we enjoyed ourselves within the confines of the small room, it was clear that if it escalated any further, the downstairs neighbors would ascend for some revenge-level noise complaints.

Just then, Professor Layton arrived, and we took Princess Asher and slipped out of the Academy.

…

Without a set destination, we steered the carriage towards whatever place Princess Asher expressed a desire to see.

“Let’s go there!”

Meandering aimlessly like that, whenever a destination piqued the princess’s interest, we’d halt the carriage.

“What do you want to do this time?”

“I want to play Magus Investigator and Thief, like mister taught me!”

“Is that so? What do you want to be, Asher?”

“I’ll be the Magus Investigator!”

Magus Investigator and Thief.

The magic kingdom version of cops and robbers.

Only the name was different; the rules were identical. So, we gathered in the middle of the park, designating a bench as the jail.

As Princess Asher began her countdown, everyone scattered, desperately trying to escape…

“One… two… three…”

Leonardo Leong, Emperor of the Magus Kingdom.

Layton Isolde, Academy Professor of Swordsmanship.

Isabella Lilith, Trueblood Vampire.

Everyone was diligently playing the role of the thief, running for their lives, but with a cast on my leg… I received the order to guard the jail from the princess.

“Five… six…”

‘Ah, I want to play too.’

Even a fully grown adult wants to play cops and robbers without a second thought.

What an unreasonable…

“Nine… ten!”

Having counted to ten, Princess Asher whipped her head around, finally fixing her gaze on me.

“They went that way.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Informing the princess of the direction the others had fled, I sat on the bench to rest for a while…

‘They didn’t want to run away, huh. Not really.’

In less than a minute, I witnessed Her Majesty being hauled to the dungeon, hand firmly clasped in Princess Asher’s grasp.

“I found Papa!”

“Good job, Asher.”

“Where did the kitty go?”

“That way, I think?”

No sooner had His Majesty been incarcerated, than Princess Asher, a whirlwind of energy, dashed off to catch the talking cat.

Watching her with a fond smile…

“Thank you.”

The Emperor’s voice, offering his gratitude, reached me from my side.

“Ah ha ha, it was nothing. You indulged my rather excessive request, after all, Your Majesty.”

“You mean elevating your Marquisate to a Dukedom?”

“Precisely.”

“A trifle, really.”

A trifle, becoming a Duke from a Marquis…?

“I appreciate you saying so.”

“My thanks to you. Might I inquire how you lifted the curse?”

Princess Asher’s illness stemmed from a curse?

I had only considered it a rare affliction caused by Aether…she bore a burden far greater than I imagined.

“I didn’t lift the curse.”

“What do you mean…?”

I intended to explain the truth: I hadn’t lifted Princess Asher’s curse, but merely suppressed the Aether’s outflow from within her.

“I merely…?”

—

ÆœĦDž (■■■)

[Abduction] – Inactive

[Eavesdrop] – Isabella Lillith

[Sleep] – Inactive

[Infiltration] – Active

[Silence] – Inactive

—

I was clearly looking at Princess Asher… yet strange information appeared in my status window.

“Merely?”

“….”

“…Mister?”

“…Could you give me a moment, please?”

I saw nothing unusual.

My eyes beheld only Princess Asher, chasing Isabella with childlike glee…

—

ÆœĦDž (■■■)

—

The inscrutable status window doggedly followed Asher, the Imperial Princess, as if in pursuit.

“…Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“My legs are… like this, but could you please bring Princess Asher here immediately?”

“I understand.”

“Just a moment.”

No sooner had the words left my lips than I reached out and grasped His Majesty’s wrist as he rose.

It might be a great transgression for a commoner to seize the Emperor’s wrist, but…

I found I couldn’t think of anything more important in that moment.

“Absolutely… don’t make it obvious. Just, naturally… understand?”

“…I understand.”

A flicker of unease crossed the Emperor’s face, sensing the strangeness in my words.

“Bring her here. Quickly.”

The chilling premonition that washed over me spurred me to hasten His Majesty’s departure.

And when His Majesty had reached a distance beyond the reach of my voice.

“Investigate.”

I attempted to use the ‘Investigate’ skill on the bizarre name displayed on the status window, but.

—

ÆœĦDž (■■■)

[Investigate] – Target cannot be designated.

—

“…Damn it.”

Kidnap, Investigate, Infiltrate, Silence.

I realized that whatever was trailing Princess Asher was immune to every skill I possessed.

Even Isabella, it seemed, hadn’t sensed this colorless, odorless, shapeless entity.

“Kidnap.”

Mya?!

I promptly summoned Isabella to my side, and as I naturally concealed her within my outer garment, I began to speak.

“Listen carefully.”

“What is it, Master?”

“Soon… an indescribable presence will arrive here.”

“Huh?”

“Do not make a sound… Just, just… sense it. Determine if anything is there… is felt. Some kind of… sensing, perhaps? Anyway…”

Sensing the subtle tremor in my voice, Isabella firmly pressed her forepaws against my thigh.

“Calm yourself.”

It seemed I had conveyed my fear with unquestionable clarity.

“Leave it to me.”

For my sake, who was rambling, barely able to form a coherent sentence.

Isabella, she’d vanished so completely, I doubted she even registered my presence mere inches away.

“The kitty just disappeared!”

Princess Asher, bless her oblivious heart, was tugging on His Majesty’s hand, leading him toward us.

And trailing behind Princess Asher…

—

ÆœĦDž (■■■)

—

That still-unidentified presence was following right along.

A tight knot…

Fear.

Terror.

But I couldn’t show it.

Because no one here, not a soul, had noticed this…thing.

So, feigning ignorance myself, I started to weave a carefully rehearsed excuse.

“Asher, this uncle here is feeling awfully hungry, how about we go grab some-“

That instant.

“-thing to eat…”

The unidentifiable *something* behind Princess Asher moved.

It had seemed fixated on her, yet now… it stood to my right.

I still couldn’t see it…

I still couldn’t sense it…

But the information flooding my status window sent my tension skyrocketing.

*Hyaaak!*

Isabella, who had *never* hissed before, not once…

Suddenly leaped from my arms, spitting a furious hiss into empty air.

And at that very moment.

“Hah… hah…”

The unidentifiable *something* vanished, as if absorbed into me.

“…Uncle, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just fine, dear…”

His Majesty and Princess Asher.

Leaving their concerned gazes on my back, I placed a hand on Isabella, who was staring blankly at me, and looked down at her…

“…”

Isabella wore an expression…as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have.

“…Leonardo.”

“Hmm?”

“Tell me everything you know… about this curse you were mentioning earlier.”

At that instant…

I knew.

His Majesty spoke of the ‘curse’ afflicting the Princess Asher, connected to that unknown entity…