Vines still grew long, covering the entrance.

“It’s here.”

“There’s a cave inside?”

Lucian seemed surprised; he didn’t know.

Then he drew the sword hanging by his side.

A red aura shimmered around the sword. As he lightly swung the sword, the vines covering the cave were effortlessly cut down.

“Is the holy sword really in this cave?”

Lucian squinted at the cave.

Honestly, the scenery was so eerie that it wouldn’t be surprising if monsters appeared instead than anything holy.

“Of course. Why would we come all this way if it wasn’t?”

Adelia looked at the cave calmly, understanding his feelings.

Her blue eyes reflected longing.

Three years ago, she came here with nothing but her white mana. Looking back now, it was incredibly reckless.

If she had collapsed on the way or encountered bad people, she might have followed the original path.

But she survived that reckless endeavor and was still alive, so it was worth it.

“We need to go inside the cave. We’ll teleport, so come here.”

She had already experienced walking through that long cave three years ago. Back then, her legs ached so much the next day that she couldn’t take a single step outside.

Lucian obediently stood next to her.

Adelia focused and cast the teleportation spell.

A bright light enveloped their bodies. Lucian closed his eyes when he felt himself floating. When he opened his eyes again,

“We’re still… in front of the cave.”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Adelia blinked in confusion. She cast the teleportation spell again, but their position didn’t change. The bright light enveloped them several more times.

“It seems we can’t teleport inside.”

She concluded briefly.

Even after thinking of the inside of the cave, they couldn’t teleport there. She didn’t know the exact reason, but it was likely because the cave wasn’t ordinary.

‘I could teleport out of here last time. Why can’t I do it now?’

Adelia frowned. This was problematic. She couldn’t send Lucian alone, since she didn’t know how the inside had changed, and the thought of walking all the way there made her dizzy.

“I need to check if other spells work.”

Adelia entered the cave.

The cave, still damp and salty with the smell of the sea, was cool. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the cave as seawater clung to her shoes.

She extended her hand and cast various spells.

Illumination spells, flying spells, teleportation, defensive spells, and offensive spells.

“This… none of the movement-related spells work.”

Not only teleportation but also flying spells couldn’t be used.

The surroundings became brighter, and stones fell from the ceiling due to the offensive spells, but they didn’t touch her.

Something was definitely restricting her magic.

‘There’s only one thing that can restrict white mana.’

The holy sword, said to be given by the gods to humans.

Holy power and mana were opposing forces, but both were creations of the gods.

The holy sword and white mana were similar. Both were exceptional powers left by the gods for humans.

Their usage was different, and in a clash, white mana was superior, but their essence was similar.

“It seems the holy sword is interfering. The holy sword is said to have a will of its own, so this might be a kind of test.”

“Then what should we do? Is there another way?”

“Well, we’ll have to walk. Sometimes the most traditional methods work.”

“Simple enough.”

Lucian chuckled and approached her. He stepped on the wet ground, examining the inside of the cave. The cave was so dark that it was hard to gauge the distance.

“How far is it?”

“It took me about three hours back then, so it should be similar now. We need to start quickly if we want to get out before sunrise.”

Adelia, who quickly made up her mind, leaned against a large rock nearby.

The cave path was not smooth. Although there was no slippery moss, there were pools of seawater, and there were many uneven puddles.

Even at the entrance, her shoes were already soaked with seawater.

They needed to be fully prepared before going deeper.

Adelia bent down and rolled up her skirt, which reached her ankles, to her knees.

“…Don’t you have any shame?”

Lucian’s low voice echoed. The cave made his voice sound even louder.

At the sound mixed with embarrassment, Adelia looked up.

Lucian was standing awkwardly a few steps away. He hadn’t been that far just a moment ago.

He was covering his side face and eyes with one hand, looking elsewhere.

His face, illuminated by the moonlight shining into the dark cave, was turning red.

Only then did Adelia recall a small common sense of this world.

‘Nobles don’t usually wear clothes that reveal above the ankles.’

Summer clothes, winter clothes, and even pajamas were long dresses. The only clothes that exposed bare legs were lingerie and undergarments.

The noble culture considered bare legs to be shameful.

For Lucian, who was noble by birth, it was natural not to show his bare legs to others.

“Why are you making a fuss about it now, when we’ve already seen everything?”

But Adelia continued what she was doing as if it was no big deal.

Perhaps because she still had memories of her past life, Adelia didn’t feel particularly embarrassed. In her past life, she wore even shorter clothes comfortably.

Besides, hadn’t he already seen more in the bedroom? Even though he had his eyes closed, he couldn’t say he hadn’t seen anything since they had made eye contact.

Lucian, on the other hand, was the one who was flustered by her nonchalant attitude. Like in the bedroom, he tightly closed his eyes and put his hand on his throbbing forehead.

“Anyone who hears this might misunderstand.”

“Who’s here to hear it? It’s just us.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“The path is rough. I’m not sure if I can even make it there, so at least my outfit should be comfortable.”

Adelia had already let Lucian’s nagging go in one ear and out the other.

Adelia, who had neatly rolled up her skirt, stood up from where she was leaning. She brushed off the dust from her clothes.

“Let’s go inside now. We have a long way to go. I need to take breaks from time to time.”

Three years ago, it was out of stubbornness; today, it was out of duty.

She had promised to show him the location of the holy sword and had to keep the secrets of white mana as a white mage.

Adelia stepped further into the cave.

After walking for a while, she stopped.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Adelia turned around and tilted her head.

He was still standing in the same spot, his head hanging low.

“Is it because of the clothes? I told you it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine for me….”

Lucian trailed off, speaking almost pleadingly.

It wasn’t his first time seeing a woman’s bare skin. Ever since he was young, there were plenty of foolish women who recklessly threw themselves at him.

Back then, he didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. He just felt disgusted and displeased.

But for some reason, he couldn’t remain calm when it came to Adelia.

An unknown emotion surged within him because he wanted to look at her.

It was a feeling as vivid as discomfort, as sticky as vengeance, as impulsive as anger, and as if he was suppressing a strong urge with great patience.

Lucian hid his increasingly red face under his hand.

Whether she knew his feelings or not, Adelia was firm.

“If my clothes are uncomfortable, it will slow me down even more. It might take five hours instead of three. Let’s just go like this.”

“Then, I’d rather carry you.”

“What?”

Adelia frowned and shook her head as if she had heard something absurd.

Walking through that deep cave while carrying someone? Leaving aside whether it was possible, the situation itself seemed embarrassing.

But Lucian, as if he had found the answer, urgently continued.

“If it took you three hours, it would only take me about an hour. And you’re not very strong, so walking for a long time would strain your legs. I think it’s a good idea. You’ll be more comfortable.”

“No matter what, you’re saying you’ll carry me through there? It’s not even flat ground, and the floor is slippery because of the seawater.”

“Didn’t I carry you once before when you collapsed? You’re as light as Ariana, so it’s not heavy at all. And if I slip on the seawater, I should give up the title of swordmaster.”

“Hmm….”

Adelia pressed her lips together. Her blue eyes lowered as if she were lost in thought.

Listening to his words, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.

‘It would be comfortable to be carried.’

She glanced up at his body. His upper body was much thicker and his arms were solidly built compared to an average person, and his legs made his pants look tight. Compared to her frail body, he seemed several times more robust.

But accepting his offer felt as if she was using the empire’s crown prince as a mere tool, which made her feel uneasy.

Adelia approached him with a serious face.