Chapter 107

‘Creak.’  

Vivian, who had buried her head in her knees, flinched at the sound of the door opening and froze in place.  

With a ‘thud,’ the sound of the door closing was followed by the sound of footsteps approaching.  

“You haven’t eaten anything.”  

On the round table, the food that had been brought hours ago remained untouched. The woman, who placed down a tray of fresh food and picked up the untouched one, coldly stared at Vivian, who had been sitting in the same position on the bed for hours.  

“I just met with Crown Prince Luideos.”  

At the woman’s words, Vivian’s head shot up. Her tear-streaked eyes trembled like leaves quivering in the wind.  

“What did you talk about?”  

Vivian asked, trying hard to conceal the tremor in her voice.  

“I proposed a deal.”  

“What kind of deal…?”  

“I cannot share that with you, Lady, but regardless of their choice, it will be a difficult journey for you. So, I suggest you eat.”  

The woman finished speaking and turned around coldly, leaving the room.  

The sound of the door closing and the lock clicking echoed, followed by an eerie silence.  

The place where Vivian was held was utterly devoid of sound. Even the sound of her swallowing seemed loud in the oppressive quiet of the room.  

It was a windowless room. The only doors led to a small bathroom and toilet, and the door leading outside.  

She didn’t know whether it was night or day. Only the pocket watch Louis had given her, tucked in her pocket, reminded her that time was still passing.  

Vivian stared at the tray of warm soup, bread, and a few pieces of fruit that the woman had brought, and she thought back to how she had ended up here.  

One hour before the last gate from Palterno to the Empire was set to open.  

Lucas and Vivian had arrived at the gate with plenty of time to spare and stood at the end of the short line, breathing a sigh of relief.  

But their relief was short-lived. Even after 30 minutes, the line hadn’t moved.  

Lucas had left the line to check on the situation, and Vivian had been knocked unconscious by rough hands that grabbed her from behind.  

When she woke up, she was in this room.  

Before her nausea could subside, she had pounded on the door with all her strength and screamed, but no one came to open it.  

Exhausted, she had slumped to the floor when the leader of Palterno and the woman following him had entered the room.  

What had he said again…?  

Vivian tore off a small piece of the freshly baked bread and put it in her mouth.  

He had said something about needing my cooperation, hadn’t he? 

She chewed the bread a few times before swallowing it with difficulty and putting the rest of the bread back down.  

The small piece of bread felt stuck in her throat, making her chest feel tight. She pounded her chest with her fist, but it didn’t help.  

Looking at her hand, which throbbed with pain, she saw that it was bruised. Overwhelmed, Vivian raised her gaze upward.  

“I won’t cry.”  

Crying wouldn’t solve anything. She had told herself over and over to stay rational and logical, but tears still threatened to spill.  

The leader of Inferna had said he needed her cooperation and had apologized.  

When she told him to let her go if he was sorry, Robert Fame had bowed his head, apologized again, and left the room.  

As time passed, Vivian’s mind grew colder. She stared at the tightly closed door, recalling his words.  

She didn’t know who he wanted revenge against or why, but one thing was clear: Louis and her father were in a difficult situation because of her.  

One physical lock and two magical locks made of magic stones.  

“Thorough, aren’t they?”  

Vivian got up from her seat and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Hearing the click of the lock, she tugged on the doorknob to confirm it was securely locked before leaning against the door and taking off Lucas’s cloak.  

Reaching deep into the left sleeve of the cloak, Vivian pulled out a small pouch. Untying the tightly knotted string, she took something out of the pouch and clasped it tightly in her hands, whispering a prayer.  

“Please… let this paper Lucas gave me work…”  

Before leaving the cabin where she had been with Aitor, Lucas had given her a piece of paper with a magic formula drawn on it, saying it might be necessary if they were separated by the barrier.  

***

“I may not have luck with men, but I have even worse luck with disciples.”  

At Teresa’s muttered complaint, Lucas glanced at Aitor and nodded as if agreeing. Annoyed by this, Teresa yelled at them.  

“If you had something like this, you should have said so earlier!”  

“Well, I… I was so out of it that I completely forgot about it until just now.”  

Lucas stammered, looking as if he might cry from frustration. Teresa clicked her tongue and held up the piece of paper with the magic formula drawn on it.  

“With this, we might be able to resolve this easily.”  

“What is it?”  

At Teresa’s muttering, both Aitor and Duke Tereon turned toward her.  

“Simply put, it’s a tracking magic formula. If Lady Vivian has the other piece of paper with this formula, we can find out where she is right now.”  

Rayden’s expression brightened instantly.  

If they could locate Lady Vivian, things would become much easier. They could distract their enemies, rescue Lady Vivian, and escape to the Empire together.  

It wouldn’t be easy, but it was far better than being stuck with no plan, like wandering in a desert without direction.  

“However, we shouldn’t underestimate Inferna. Most of their mages are mediocre, but there are a few with considerable skill. They also have many mercenaries, giving them significant physical and magical combat power.”  

Teresa stared at Aitor as he spoke.  

“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”  

Aitor stammered under Teresa’s intense gaze.  

“I just think you’ve figured out a lot in a short time.”  

Understanding the hidden meaning in Teresa’s words, Aitor avoided her eyes and lowered his head.  

“Isn’t it possible they might block the tracking with a magical device or something?”  

Rayden clasped his hands together, his eyes sparkling with determination. Now that they had a lead, it was as if his fighting spirit had been reignited.  

“Magic may seem complex, but its foundation is simple. Magic stones, which amplify and store magic, play an important role, but the core of magic lies in the magic formula. Magic created through formulas is often stronger than magic relying solely on magic stones.”  

As Teresa explained, Louis, who had been staring at the tracking magic formula Lucas had drawn, looked around at the others in the cramped workspace.  

He saw Aitor, staring at the magic formula with a mix of guilt and resolve.  

Louis reached out and patted Aitor on the shoulder.  

“For now, let’s focus on rescuing Vivian. Everything else can wait… Your revenge, your apology to Vivian… all of it, after that.”  

Aitor bit his lip and nodded.  

The sun, which had been high in the sky, began to set again. Time was running out.  

Vivian had been kidnapped the night before. The meeting time with the leader of Inferna was set for after the sun had fully set again.  

***

On the path indicated by Lucas’s tracking magic formula, they steadily moved further from Teresa’s workshop, which was in the center of Palterno, toward the outskirts.  

“It would’ve been nice if she were closer.”  

Lucas, carrying a load of Teresa’s magical devices, grumbled as he walked. Rayden, walking ahead of him, chuckled.  

Imagining their enemy’s hideout being in the middle of Palterno’s bustling city center, Rayden shook with laughter.  

“Are you struggling?”  

Duke Tereon, who had been walking behind Lucas, asked. After 30 minutes of walking, Lucas’s pace had begun to slow, and the Duke had stayed back to keep an eye on him.  

“I’m fine.”  

Lucas answered cheerfully, adjusting the bag that kept slipping off his shoulder.  

“Fine, my foot.”  

Aitor, who had been walking ahead, stopped and took the bag from Lucas.  

“I said I’m fine.”  

“If we delay any longer, it’ll be too late. We need to hurry, so keep up.”  

Watching Aitor stride ahead with his bag, Lucas sniffled.  

Thank goodness.  

Watching his friend’s back, Lucas thought. They hadn’t rescued Lady Vivian yet, but at least they weren’t too far behind.  

Shifting his gaze to the Crown Prince walking ahead with their Master, Lucas gathered strength in his faltering legs.  

While attending the magic academy and working at the Mage Tower, Lucas had occasionally heard Aitor talk about the Crown Prince.  

Not part of the anti-Imperial or pro-Empire factions, Lucas had thought of him as someone far above his reach.  

But now, looking at his broad back, Lucas began to understand why Aitor had followed him.  

It was because of him that Aitor had been able to find his way back.  

He was truly grateful.  

“Wait!”  

Teresa raised her hand and stopped. The others following her quickly halted and scanned their surroundings.  

“This is the place…”  

They were in the northern outskirts of Palterno, an area filled with old, dilapidated buildings. The eerie atmosphere made the place feel even more desolate, with more abandoned buildings than occupied ones.  

The building they stopped in front of was just as run-down as the others nearby.  

“Zero.”  

At Aitor’s call, Zero appeared from somewhere.  

Snorting as if to say, ‘Why are you here?’ upon seeing Louis, Zero lazily approached Aitor.  

“Keep watch around the area. Let us know if you sense any magic.”  

At Aitor’s words, Zero nodded and disappeared in an instant.  

The sun was setting. The red glow of the sunset made the already chilling neighborhood feel even more desolate.  

“Lucas, give me the bag.”  

At Teresa’s request, Aitor handed her Lucas’s bag. Taking it, she sat down and rummaged through it.  

“Here, take one of these.”  

Teresa handed out small magical shields made of magic stones.  

“They won’t block strong magic, but they should be able to block simple attack spells two or three times.”  

Everyone took the magical devices Teresa handed out, attaching them to their sword sheaths, belts, or pockets. Teresa also handed a communication device to Lucas, who would remain outside.  

“Looks like everything’s ready. Shall we go in?”  

Rayden stretched his neck and shoulders, loosening up.  

Watching him, Louis stepped forward, turned to look at the group, and spoke.  

“Make sure no one gets hurt. That’s an order.”  

At Louis’s command, the group nodded and began moving toward the place indicated by the magic formula—the place where Vivian was being held.