The Imperial Princess might be in danger?

Those words from Lina hit me like a slap. That wasn't something I could just brush off.

It hadn't been long since the terrorist attack—the one meant to kidnap the princess—had been thwarted. The academy was still recovering, the city still tense. And now Lina was saying there might be another threat?

If she was telling the truth, this was serious.

But the problem was—she wasn't exactly the most trustworthy person to begin with.

I narrowed my eyes at her, studying her expression. "Explain. In detail."

The moment I said that, a spark of relief flashed in her eyes—as if she'd been waiting for that chance.

"You know those terrorists from before?" she began quickly. "It looks like they're planning something again."

I frowned. "Again? They just failed miserably not long ago."

She nodded frantically. "They're desperate now. They won't give up that easily."

Persistent, huh? Either they were completely insane or frighteningly determined. Maybe both.

Still… something didn't sit right.

I folded my arms, keeping my tone sharp. "Wait a second. Weren't you one of them?"

"Huh?" Lina blinked, visibly flustered. "N-no, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb." I pointed toward her wrist. "That tattoo. The red wolf. The same mark they all had. I saw it."

Her eyes widened, and she immediately tried to hide her wrist behind her back. But it was too late—I'd already seen it.

The tattoo was gone now, replaced by faint, burned scars.

'So she got rid of it.'

I thought back to the attack—how her actions hadn't matched theirs. She'd gone out of her way to kill that rampaging ogre. And when I was trying to save the princess, she'd even cast a buff spell to help me.

No matter how I looked at it, Lina had gone against them.

Maybe she really had cut ties with that group.

Maybe that was why she was standing here, desperate, bound, and trying to warn me.

I still couldn't tell how much of what she said was true, but I didn't have the luxury of ignoring it.

If there was even a chance the princess was in danger again, then I had to move.

I exhaled slowly, lowering my sword just a little. "Fine," I said, watching her closely. "If you want me to believe you, start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know."

Lina swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly.

"Alright… but you might not like what you hear."

I needed to warn someone—anyone—before it was too late.

"So when exactly is this supposed to happen?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Lina hesitated, her lips pressing together before she finally muttered, "Um… tonight?"

"…What?"

For a split second, my mind went blank. Then everything snapped into focus.

Tonight. That meant there was no time to lose.

The moment we escaped the sewers, we broke into a sprint through the dimly lit streets. The air was cold, the kind that bit into your lungs with every breath, but there was no room for hesitation now.

"There will be knights surrounding the Imperial Princess," I said between breaths. "How do they even plan to kidnap her?"

The recent attack had already put everyone on edge. Security would be tighter than ever—especially around the princess. The Golden Knights were elite, handpicked from the best soldiers in the empire. Getting anywhere near her should have been impossible.

"I don't know all the details," Lina admitted, struggling to keep up. "But they're planning to move tonight—when she leaves the academy to return to the Imperial Palace."

I frowned. "That's the only window, then."

The academy was a fortress, protected by both magic and the Golden Knights themselves. But once she stepped outside those walls—just once—the balance shifted.

"They won't dare to attack her inside," Lina continued, her voice trembling slightly. "So they'll strike while she's in transit. When her escort is focused on the roads, not the shadows."

I clenched my jaw. That explained it—the timing, the secrecy. Everything.

If what she said was true, then somewhere out there, even now, people were setting up a trap.

And I only had one night to stop it.

But.

'How did they find out?'

The princess's schedule was supposed to be top secret—known only to her closest aides and the Imperial family.

So how did those terrorists know exactly where and when to strike?

The thought gnawed at me as we sprinted through the darkening streets, our footsteps echoing against the cobblestone. There was only one explanation.

An informant. Someone on the inside.

That was the only way they could've gotten such precise information.

'This is bad… really bad.'

I could guess their goal had something to do with the princess, but what I couldn't understand was their method—why act so recklessly, so openly?

Nothing about it made sense.

'A terrorist organization that wasn't in the original story…'

That was what made it worse.

In this world, everything was supposed to follow a certain path—one I already knew.

But these people didn't exist in that script.

And that meant I had no idea what they were planning next.

The night air grew colder as we ran, the moon climbing above the rooftops.

It was too late to return to the academy now.

So instead, we headed straight for the Imperial Palace.

As the wind whipped past us, I glanced sideways at Lina. She was running silently beside me, her face pale from exhaustion but her eyes still sharp.

"By the way," I said, breaking the silence, "why were you even there? In that condition, surrounded by goblins?"

She didn't answer right away. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"…I was looking for something," she finally said.

"Something?"

"Something I lost," she replied quietly. "Something more precious than my life."

I frowned.

More precious than her life?

I couldn't even begin to imagine what could possibly mean that much to her.

"What could be that important?" I asked, but she only shook her head.

"Did you find it, at least?"

"No," she murmured, a trace of bitterness in her voice. "It wasn't there. I thought it would be, but… I guess I was wrong."

Her words trailed off into the night, carried away by the sound of our footsteps.

I didn't press further. There was a certain weight in her tone that told me it wasn't something she wanted to talk about.

Still, I couldn't help but glance at her again—at the faint glow of determination in her crimson eyes.

Whatever she'd lost… it wasn't just an object.

It was something that had carved itself deep into her soul.

As I watched Lina's distant, almost wistful expression, Berno's voice broke through my thoughts from behind.

"Young master. Look over there."

I turned in the direction he pointed. Across the bridge, a carriage with a rough, armored exterior was rolling past. The horses were strong and well-bred, their breath misting in the cool air.

Around it, several knights rode in formation, their faces hidden beneath heavy cloaks, movements sharp and disciplined. They were trying to be discreet—too discreet.

But the faint imperial crest carved into the wheel told me everything I needed to know.

The Imperial Princess was inside that carriage.

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