Chapter 12 : Ascent to the Sixth Floor

Vain fell silent, stunned by the girl's introduction. He hadn't expected her to be a princess, nor did he expect that the bushes he had fallen upon were her personal garden. He was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling, while blood and dirt stained his torn clothes from the fall.

His thoughts were interrupted when she spoke: "So, what is the most important guest in the kingdom doing hiding inside my garden at this late hour?"

The princess observed him with piercing eyes, waiting curiously for the answer the hiding boy would utter.

Vain stared at her cold features in silence, wiping the blood from his cheek as he thought of how to reply. He had been weighing the possibility that the princess was also involved in his assassination attempt, until Zale whispered faintly in his mind: "Tell her, boy. You might gain a reliable ally. If she wanted to kill you, she wouldn't have pretended you weren't there from the beginning."

The silence lingered for a moment as Vain quickly considered how carefully he should explain the situation to the girl.

He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of his bruises, and replied in a tired voice: "I was subjected to an assassination attempt... and I fled."

Vain grew tense at her reaction; she didn't even blink, as if she had already anticipated that something like this might happen.

The princess sighed softly and murmured: "Well, an attempt on your life isn't exactly out of the question."

Vain asked with a charged tone: "Who? Who would want to assassinate me and why?!"

His expression was a mix of curiosity and unbridled anger, for he was sick and tired of constantly running and trying to survive. Ever since he opened his eyes in this world, he had been trying to escape certain death.

He watched the girl's pale features and her pristine eyelashes, trying to read any hint hidden in her depths.

The princess's gaze turned serious as she answered: "Most likely, whoever wants to kill you means no good for this country.

Killing the 'Guest of the Protector' is the greatest insult to the kingdom itself, so the culprit is likely not from the royal family. As for who it is specifically, even I won't know unless I get enough information."

Vain sighed, leaning against the trunk of a small tree to support his exhausted body, and decided to reveal what had happened from the beginning of the tour to the very end.

A hint of shock appeared on the princess's face the moment she learned that the assassins were girls. She raised her hand and began to count in front of Vain, leaving him confused about what she was doing.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

"There are four."

Vain tilted his head slightly, indicating he didn't understand, as the princess was holding up four fingers directly in his face.

The girl sighed and explained: "There are four possibilities."

"First: Someone from outside the palace hired professional female assassins to kill you. Although this is unlikely; entering the palace is far more difficult than leaving it, and even if they succeeded, there are many guards on the first floor."

"Second: Someone from the royal family is responsible. And I rule this out even more than the first possibility. As I said before, it makes no sense, as it would be like the perpetrator striking themselves and their own lineage, nor can I see any other benefit from your assassination."

"Third: A personal vendetta. But I also rule this out, since you said you are certain someone sent them and it wasn't out of personal desire."

Vain recalled that they had repeatedly muttered "Forgive me" before trying to kill him, so he agreed with her assumption that it was unlikely they wanted him dead for personal reasons.

"Fourth: And this is what I lean towards the most... the opposing faction in the palace has a hand in this assassination."

Vain subconsciously echoed: "The what faction?!"

The girl whispered quickly: "The opposing faction. You are a foreigner so I'll most likely have to explain, but we're out of time; the guard is coming."

The guard's voice came from just a few meters away amidst the trees: "My lady, it is time for dinner. His Majesty is waiting for you."

The princess stared at Vain's tired face and said: "So, what will you do? Will you stay hiding here? It's time for dinner, and if you don't attend and they notice your absence, it will be a disaster."

A drop of sweat rolled down Vain's forehead at the mere thought of entering the palace again. In his current state, entering the palace was like walking into a hornet's nest. He remained silent for a few seconds, considering the option of escaping, but concluded that it was currently impossible.

Vain stood up, looked directly into the girl's eyes, and replied with a heavy heart: "Alright... let's go."

The princess smiled, reaching out to grasp the wounded Vain's hand and pulling him from the shadows of the thick bushes into a patch of light. This caused Zale's partial invisibility spell to break, leaving him exposed to plain sight.

In a fraction of a second, the moment he appeared, the guard dashed forward with unimaginable speed, aiming directly for Vain's head.

The princess screamed: "Stop!"

The guard halted his sword blade mere centimeters away from Vain's neck. The boy tensed to the extreme, his eyes widening in terror; he hadn't even seen when the guard moved to stand in front of him. He was certain the man had been standing meters away just one moment ago.

The girl looked at the guard sternly and stated: "This is the Guest of the Protector."

The guard stammered and quickly dropped to one knee, begging forgiveness from the princess and Vain. He justified his actions by saying he had sensed sudden movement in the dark and thought she was in danger; he hadn't noticed Vain's presence at all until he emerged from the bushes, mistaking him for an assassin.

The girl turned her head to the boy and asked calmly: "So, what will you do now? Will you go to the hall or try to escape the kingdom?"

Silence prevailed. Vain thought there was no use entering a place where he knew his enemies lay in wait; he would never sleep peacefully.

But at the same time, leaving this desolate place was impossible for him; he knew the outside was an endless expanse of ice that devoured anyone who walked through it.

He was about to say he would try to escape somehow, until the beautiful girl interrupted him: "I will help you."

"Huh?!"

Vain paused for a moment.

This proposal completely turned the tables. If the first princess of the kingdom helped him, that was a massive variable in his favor.

"I will help you in either case; whether you want to leave the kingdom or if you want to stay." The princess said this with a warm smile on her face, making Vain feel that he had finally gained an ally.

But Zale's rough voice echoed in his mind like an icy blade: "Don't be so naive, boy. No one smiles or offers help for free. Watch your back."

Despite Zale's warning, Vain's heart was slightly relieved to hear this proposal; at least he had options now.

The knight made a slight clattering noise with his armor, hoping the princess would understand they were running out of time. The princess caught the hint and said to Vain: "Anyway, how about you dine with us?"

Vain swallowed hard and echoed in shock: "With you? With the royal family?"

This was something he had never factored into his calculations. Syphon had previously told him that the royal family was busy and he wouldn't meet them until they set an official appointment.

Vain considered this offer a dangerous gamble; it could be a golden opportunity to gather information, or another deadly trap.

Vain raised his head and nodded in agreement to Princess Lyva.

The princess took off her light cloak and tossed it to Vain to cover his torn and blood-stained clothes, then she closed her eyes and murmured softly: "Then... let's go."

◇ ◈ ◇ ◈ ◇

Vain wiped the blood from his face and hid his torn clothes beneath the princess's elegant cloak. The princess and the heavily wounded boy set off toward the back door, followed by the veteran guard with silent footsteps.

The princess said in a practical tone: "Alright, first we will go to your room... you need to change these clothes."

Vain cast a quick glance at his reflection; his forehead was cut and bloodstains were splattered across his clothes. Even though he had survived the free fall, his body hadn't emerged from the battle entirely unscathed. The boy sighed and nodded in agreement.

Together, they entered the first floor through the back door.

It was the first time Vain had seen the reception floor. It looked ordinary compared to the upper floors, but it was bustling with servants and maids in their uniforms, the males in simpler attire. Vain noticed that this floor was dedicated to social affairs and receiving visitors from within the kingdom.

Despite the fact that night had fallen, the place was pulsing with activity; scattered desks, guards watching the stairs, and nobles and commoners mingling in a crowded administrative scene. It was undoubtedly the largest floor Vain had seen so far.

Suddenly, Vain caught a glimpse of a familiar face approaching from his right. He turned his head quickly to check the person.

"Welcome, sir... I have been looking for you."

The boy's body stiffened the moment he saw her; it was the maid "Kasey", curtsying before him with artificial respect. Vain decided from that moment on to put everyone he met on his list of suspects, and Kasey was no exception.

The assassins had been girls, and he deduced they were likely maids given their large numbers and deep infiltration throughout the palace.

Vain replied with suppressed tension: "H-hello, we meet again. I apologize for my absence, I was taking a walk."

The maid straightened up, looking at him with stiff features, then turned her head to the princess and bowed again with even greater reverence. The princess paid her no mind, as she was accustomed to these daily protocols, unlike Vain who felt her gazes were like daggers.

"We are already late, let's get moving," the princess said, quickening her pace.

They ascended to the second floor, reaching the room where he had been attacked. Vain stood before the door, his heart pounding violently, until the princess reassured him with a calm glance that things would be fine.

Vain opened the door, and froze in his tracks.

The broken pitcher was gone, and the room had been meticulously rearranged to look exactly as it did before the fight. This scene made him certain that the killers weren't just "intruders," but a part of the fabric of this palace; their knowledge of the finest details and their ability to clean up so quickly negated the princess's first possibility.

Vain changed his clothes quickly and went out to find the princess and the guard waiting for him. They continued their way up, leaving the quiet floors behind until they reached the fifth floor: the "Mages' Court".

It was calm as usual, disciples buried in their books, some not even having changed their posture since Vain last saw them. His eyes searched for Sophia or the children he had seen earlier in the experimentation hall, but there was no sign of them. Perhaps they went to sleep, he thought to himself, nor did he spot Syphon anywhere.

They continued their ascent toward the sixth floor: the "Royal Court," where the kingdom's monarchs resided. The guard stopped suddenly at the beginning of the stairs and turned around, returning to his post below; Vain immediately realized that not even elite guards were allowed past this point.

The moment Vain set foot on the stairs, he noticed the vast difference; even the marble was ornate and radiated a magical glow. He swallowed hard, imagining the grandeur waiting for him at the top, but at the end of the stairs, his breath caught in his throat.

There was a guard standing like an impenetrable dam. With just one look, Vain knew this man was different from anyone he had seen before.

He wasn't wearing armor, but a light blue tunic, with an elegant sword strapped to his waist. He was of average height, with fair skin and sharp, falcon-like yellow eyes with a scar on his eyebrow, and pure white hair that Vain was beginning to get sick of seeing everywhere.

The guard had his arms crossed, staring at Vain with a piercing gaze as if dissecting his soul. Vain stopped in his tracks involuntarily; he felt clearly that any further step without permission would cause trouble.

The princess stepped forward and said in a commanding tone: "This is the Guest of the Protector, he is permitted to pass."

The guard replied with a rough and calm voice, like an approaching storm:

"Denied. By the King's orders, anyone is forbidden from ascending unless they are family, or among the exceptions... and the Guest of the Protector is not one of them."

Silence reigned for a few moments.

Vain grew anxious about the situation, feeling he would cause trouble for the princess if things continued this way. He took a step back and murmured:

"Lyva, it's fine, I can return to–"

The princess interrupted him firmly: "No, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I insist. I am the one who asked you to come with me."

Vain's anxiety increased as he didn't know what to do in front of this guard standing like a wall. The princess stated strictly:

"Ken, this is the guest of our Guardian Dragon... the guest of the great dragon 'Aetherius' himself! Are you sure about maintaining this stance?! Things might turn against you if the King finds out you stopped him."

The guard flustered slightly, as even he held the utmost respect for the dragon, and replied defensively:

"Don't make it sound as if I am intentionally stopping him, I am merely following orders. You may go to His Majesty to get permission while he waits here."

During this conversation, Vain astutely noticed that the guard was speaking with a lack of formality to the princess.

On their way up, everyone who saw the princess had bowed to her without exception. So it seemed strange that a mere guard would dare not to bow to the princess of the country.

Is he from the royal family as well? Or is it because he's very close to the King? These questions occupied Vain's mind as he watched the situation in silence, trying to decipher the mysteries of this family.

"What is happening here?"

A calm but decisive sentence came out of nowhere. Since Vain was still on the stairs, he realized the voice was coming from the left side of the hallway, but he couldn't see its owner yet.

The moment the guard turned his head and saw the owner of the voice, he immediately dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.

"'Ken Lyth' greets the Crown Prince."

The newcomer stepped out of the shadows until he became visible beneath the light of the marble hallway. He looked directly at Vain and the princess standing at the top of the stairs.

He was tall, with sharp features and an overwhelming aura denoting pride and authority. Vain realized instantly - through his previous conversation with Zale - that this was the Crown Prince who had welcomed him alongside Syphon when he was unconscious. It was Prince "Marcus Lyth Aetherius".

The Prince sighed, having grasped the nature of the situation with just a quick glance, and said in a reprimanding tone:

"Ken, this is a disgrace! How could you prevent the Guest of the Protector from passing? Have you lost your mind?"

The guard trembled as he kneeled, not even daring to raise his eyes, and merely said in a faint voice: "I am sorry."

Prince Marcus sighed and added calmly: "It's fine, I know you are only following His Majesty's orders... but the Guest of the Protector is considered one of the exceptions."

The guard "Ken" remained kneeling in his place, bowing his head in sorrow and apology for the preceding misunderstanding.

The Crown Prince gave Vain a look that the boy found strange and perplexing; it was a contradictory mix of deep-seated malice and mandated respect.

It was clear that the prince respected his family's strict traditions of honoring the "Guests of the Dragon," but at the same time, there was a gleam of evident hatred shining in his eyes, as if he saw this stranger as a threat or an unwanted burden.

Prince Marcus spoke in a resonant tone carrying indisputable authority:

"Lyva, I do not know what left the guest with these wretched wounds, as I had previously asked Syphon to treat him with care when we brought him in. Therefore, take him to be treated first, and I will ask Father to wait a little while until you return... hurry, for the King does not like to wait."

The princess nodded in agreement, then turned her face toward Vain standing on the stairs, gesturing for him to follow her past this obstacle.

Vain stepped forward, finally treading upon the marble of the sixth floor, the "Royal Court". Just as he expected, this floor was an entirely different world, differing in its essence from anything he had seen before; luxury dominated every corner, and vast spaces made one doubt that a hall of this size could be contained within a palace.

The corridor was quietly majestic, broken only by the footsteps of the guards standing before the massive doors, who were—like Ken—wearing refined combat tunics instead of heavy armor, suggesting magical or physical skills beyond the ordinary.

Vain couldn't see the end of the hallway due to its sheer expanse, and while he was immersed in contemplating this enchanting opulence, his hand felt a soft yet firm grip. The princess was pulling his wrist, moving swiftly and steadily: "Let's hurry, there is no time for contemplation now, Guest of the Protector."

As she led him through the long corridors toward the treatment room, Vain murmured softly: "Call me by my name... everyone here calls me the Guest of the Protector."

The princess turned her head for a moment, and an expression appeared on her face that made Vain realize she genuinely didn't know his name. The boy sighed deeply and added, clarifying: "Vain... my name is Vain."

The princess replied as they approached the door of the intended room: "Vain... it is a beautiful name with a unique ring to it. Very well, I shall call you Vain from now on instead of Guest of the Protector... but, tell me, what is your lineage? From which family do you descend?"

Confusion was clearly visible on the boy's facial features; he had never once thought about the issue of lineage or race, for merely knowing his name—which might itself be incorrect—was more than enough.

"I don't know... I forgot to tell you earlier, but I have completely lost my memories."

This is what Vain uttered as they stood before the ornate wooden door to the treatment room.

The princess replied in a tone mixing astonishment with sorrow: "Lost your memories? It seems you have truly been through many hardships."

Vain smiled a faint, pale smile; hearing words that carried even a sliver of sympathy after all the torment and chases he had endured had a refreshing and unexpected effect on his exhausted soul.

Vain and the princess entered the spacious treatment room, where a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties was sitting on a velvet chair, engrossed in treating a man whose body was covered in wounds that, at first glance, seemed fatal.

Vain secretly wondered about the cause of those horrific injuries, until the princess cut his train of thought, calling out: "Sheena, what exactly is happening here?"

The doctor, named "Sheena", turned slowly upon hearing the princess's voice, revealing a face lined with subtle wrinkles that gave her an air of dignity and experience, coupled with that same pure white hair that Vain was beginning to feel dizzy just from seeing repeated everywhere.

She wore a long white robe dedicated to healer mages.

​Sheena said with a playful, cheerful smile: "Oh, welcome to our precious princess... who is this handsome boy accompanying you?"

​Vain felt heat rush to his cheeks, bowing his head in embarrassment as he muttered: "H-hello, my name is Vain... I am the one they call here by the title Guest of the Protector."

​The doctor froze in place the moment she heard the title, then bowed with a sudden reverence the boy had never expected, showing deep respect: "Oh, excuse my insolence... I am Sheena Lyth, I greet the great Guest of the Protector."

​The boy was surprised by this rapid, radical shift in her personality; from joking and cheerfulness to absolute formality.

​Princess Lyva interrupted this situation, saying seriously: "Treat Vain quickly, and tell us at the same time what happened to this injured guard."

​The man lying on the treatment bed was a young guard, and his condition looked wretched. Blue bruises covered his hands and face, and precise cuts indicated that the attacker had persistently targeted his neck area.

​Vain sat on the adjacent chair, and Doctor Sheena began to treat him from a very close distance, causing his ears to redden from sheer embarrassment. When the doctor noticed his fluster, she intentionally leaned in closer with a sly glint, until the princess firmly scolded her: "Enough fooling around, Sheena!"

​The doctor sighed and returned to a normal distance to carry on with her work. Meanwhile, the injured guard coughed a dry cough, drawing everyone's eyes in the room.

The guard opened his exhausted eyes and said weakly: "Thank you, doctor. I will never forget this favor."

​The princess stepped anxiously toward the guard. The moment he saw her, he struggled to get up to show the obligatory respect, but the princess commanded him in a firm, calm voice to stay still, as a mere slight movement would be enough to tear his bleeding wounds open again.

​The princess asked in a tone burdened with concern: "Tell me, what happened to you?"

​The guard sighed bitterly and said: "I feel an intense shame and a disgrace that time cannot erase because of this failure." He continued: "My name is Tenz, from the Floor Guard division. I was on my usual shift guarding the second floor when I was subjected to a surprise attack by a professional female assassin."

​The princess and Vain were both equally shocked; they had thought the attack was solely limited to Vain. An attack on a royal guard within the palace walls was a suicidal act that would turn the palace upside down and prompt the guards to launch extensive search campaigns.

​The princess saw that this attack lacked both wisdom and logic.

​Suddenly, the princess froze in place, tension mounting in her eyes; she had just realized a baffling mystery: How did "Ken" allow this guard to ascend to the forbidden sixth floor without explicit permission from the King? Even if there were casualties among the guards, there were healers on the lower floors, and news like this could not pass without the King's knowledge.

​The princess asked suspiciously: "Tenz, tell me the truth... how did they allow you to come up here?"

​The guard Tenz answered: "Oh, I haven't finished the story yet... The fight was not one-sided; I fought her fiercely, and despite her superb skill, I managed to inflict minor injuries on her.

I was undoubtedly the weaker party, and when I thought my end had come, the assassin suddenly retreated in the blink of an eye, only for me to discover that the Head of the Mages' Court, Syphon, was standing right behind me. He was the one who saved me and brought me here himself, and naturally, the guards let him pass because Syphon is considered His Majesty's right-hand man.

He also asked me to keep the matter strictly confidential for the time being, as he doesn't want to cause panic and noise while things are already in a state of chaos."

​The princess comprehended the dimensions of the story, and instinctively turned her head toward Vain to see what he thought of what he had heard, but she was shocked by what she saw.

​Vain's face was as pale as death, terror radiating from his widened eyes while the doctor bandaged his wounds.

His mind was boiling with dark thoughts: In the previous death loop, the killer came up the stairs and murdered me in cold blood... This means one of two things; either Syphon was defeated by her, or he was the one who let her pass to complete the mission. Deep down, Vain knew that the first possibility was practically impossible given Syphon's strength, leaving only one dark possibility: that Syphon was the mastermind or an accomplice in his murder.

​Amidst the whirlwind of his thoughts, he remembered Zale's absolute assurance that Syphon was innocent.

Vain placed his hand over his mouth to hide his trembling lips, and whispered deep within his mind with a choked voice: "Zale, answer me truthfully... are you one hundred percent sure that Syphon had no hand in this assassination?!"

​Zale's reply came to him in a single word, cold and decisive as a sword: "Yes."

​Cold sweat beaded on Vain's forehead from the sheer overthinking and psychological pressure, until the doctor snapped him out of it with a gentle, affectionate pat on his head, saying: "Alright, we're done with the treatment... you can go now."

​The princess took Vain's hand and gently helped him to his feet, which made the doctor shoot them a suspicious look, placing her hand over her mouth with a muffled laugh: "Oh my, how beautiful it is to be young."

​The princess's face flushed red and she yelled in a defensive tone: "I am merely helping him stand up, nothing more!!"

​The two hurried out of the room, chased by Sheena's faint laughter, heading toward the Great Dining Hall, where a direct confrontation with the royal family awaited Vain.

​They advanced with quick steps through the luxurious corridors until they stopped in front of the massive doors of the hall. The princess turned her head to see Vain drowning in unprecedented anxiety.

The princess cupped his face in her hands with infinite tenderness, a gesture that made the boy's heart pound like drums, and said:

​"Do not be nervous... you must compose yourself. I have begun to favor the fourth and the second possibilities I mentioned to you earlier more than ever before... So, let's try to gather as much information as possible from this dinner, and observe everything closely."

​The princess removed her hands from his face, and with a strong push from her, the doors of the Great Hall swung open, revealing a scene that would be the most nerve-wracking for Vain since he first set foot in this icy kingdom.