The sign was a pale sky-blue, and it was definitely that kind of building. The structure itself was exceptionally clean. As an establishment set up by the palace, it was well-maintained—spacious and seemingly comfortable. The princes and princesses, though trying to act indifferent, were clearly excited. We were all still young, so the idea of visiting a new place was thrilling.

The orphaned children, however, held no interest for them. Whenever they encountered one, they acted as if they had seen something unpleasant and avoided them. Their only concern was finding a place to have tea—nothing more. The garden was pristine, with brightly cultivated flowering trees and a cool-looking fountain.

“The scent of blood is everywhere.”

That was the first thing I said when I saw the place. I remember it clearly. The smell of decaying bodies rose from the garden’s soil. While my siblings, oblivious to it all, ran around playing, that entire garden was actually a burial ground. No, perhaps calling it a disposal site would be more fitting. It wasn’t just the garden. The stench came from beneath the wall, from in front of the main building, from the pond at the back. The foul odor was everywhere. With my heightened senses, sharpened through years of practicing sword energy, I couldn’t miss it.

This wasn’t merely about child abuse. Something had been happening at that large orphanage—something that required the hiding and burying of so many bodies throughout the entire place.

“I wish to make a deal with Your Highness.”

Suddenly, the voice of a mysterious woman echoed in my mind. Her pale fingers pointed at the child on my back.

A long flight of stairs. The child, unconscious, barely breathing. A heartbeat so faint it seemed as though it might stop at any moment.

“I do not ask for much. Your memories of me, and the life of that child. Shall we trade them?”

The golden-haired woman had spoken those strange words—memories exchanged for a child’s life. What could she have meant by that? Beyond that, nothing else came to mind.

“Do you know anything about Adriya Orphanage?”

I asked the official as I handed back the documents. He tilted his head in thought, and after a moment, his eyes lit up with recognition.

“Ah, I got confused for a moment because there are a lot of similar names. You’re referring to the place that was shut down about ten years ago, right?”

“Shut down?”

I widened my eyes at the unexpected revelation. The official, realizing he may have said too much, bit his lip nervously, clearly unsure whether he should elaborate further.

“Is this because I lost my memory?”

I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

“Ah…”

The elderly official looked at me, clearly flustered.

“Was there a gag order issued?”

“No, not exactly. His Majesty silenced people, but he didn’t go as far as to issue a formal gag order.”

No official gag order had been given. It was just enough of a barrier that if I wanted to investigate, I could. That was probably my father’s way of showing consideration.

If I had truly lost my memory due to shock, my father must have quietly covered up the incident to protect me as a child—to shield me from reliving it and experiencing a secondary trauma. However, he hadn’t blocked all access to information. Whether I chose to forget it or uncover the truth was left up to me. It was a decision only a father would make.

“Are the documents related to that incident still kept?”

“They are here, but… there are many things in them that might be difficult for Your Highness to see.”

“It doesn’t matter. Bring them.”

The official hesitated for a moment before disappearing into the back. He navigated through the enormous bookshelves, eventually pulling out a few files and returning. I found it odd how easily he located the files, considering the incident had occurred ten years ago. However, I understood the reason the moment I saw the cover of the file.

“…Was this classified as a special case?”

“Yes. It seems that…”

The official lowered his voice, almost as if he were afraid someone might overhear.

“They were conducting chimera experiments there.”

Chimera. Even hearing that word didn’t particularly shock me. The fragmented memories alone were enough to tell me that it wasn’t a normal place. Otherwise, how could there have been so many bodies?

I thought of Zetak—the only child who had survived among all those starved bodies. There must have been a reason behind starving so many children to death. Was he also part of some experiment? But what kind of experiment could involve starving a child for two whole years?

I couldn’t tell whether Zetak truly hadn’t eaten anything during those two years or if he had survived thanks to some experimental substances they had administered. Even if I asked, he probably wouldn’t answer.

I flipped through the files the official had brought. Most of it consisted of detailed drawings—chimera corpses, bone fragments found in the yard, and partially decayed bodies. Despite the files being quite thick, they didn’t seem to contain much beyond these illustrations. The explanations only mentioned where things were found. There was nothing about the perpetrators or any involved cult.

“Was the culprit never caught?”

“Not sure. If you want more detailed information, you might be better off visiting the temple.”

“The temple?”

I asked, puzzled, and the official looked at the file in my hand.

“In incidents like this that are quietly covered up, not everything gets recorded. The administrative palace only keeps a surface-level account. The internal details are kept separately by the group that conducted the investigation.”

“So, you’re saying there could be separate records at the temple?”

“It’s just my speculation, I’ve only recorded what I heard, but the priests went directly to the scene. So, it’s likely that the true records of the incident are kept in the temple.”

I understood the official’s explanation. A place where chimera experiments had taken place—indeed, priests would have been dispatched to purify that contaminated site.

“If you wish to visit the temple, I could contact them—”

“No need.”

I closed the file. I had no intention of digging into the case unnecessarily. My primary goal was already fulfilled—confirming what Marienne had mentioned. The child I rescued from the orphanage was indeed Zetak. Now, everything else I had come to learn was just secondary information.

The idea of visiting the orphanage was only to confirm my lost memory, not to investigate Zetach’s past behind his back.

If Zetak wanted to know about the culprit or those involved, he would have made a move himself, as it was connected to his past. It would be absurd for me to take action while he remained still. I wasn’t uninterested, but I felt it wasn’t appropriate to dig further without him.

“Is there anything else you need, Your Highness?”

The official looked disappointed as he took the file back, his face filled with curiosity about this old unsolved case. He seemed to be hoping I would find something at the temple and tell him about it.

“I’m fine now. You can go.”

With that, I left the administrative palace. I could hear the official behind me, as if wanting to say more, but I ignored him. If I needed to learn anything more, it should come from Zetak, not some official. That was probably the right course of action.

“Well, well… who do we have here?”

As I made my way toward the garden where Zetak was waiting, I heard a familiar voice behind me. Turning around, I saw a young man approaching with staggering movements. The bottle of alcohol in his hand explained why he was swaying.

“Riog.”

I had heard rumors that he dropped out of the academy and went back home, but this was my first time seeing him since then. Seeing him drunk and wandering around in broad daylight, it seemed that he had been quite broken since his defeat to Bapharos. What had happened back then could’ve been dismissed as a mere incident of losing a sparring match. However, having never faced such humiliation before, it seemed like he was struggling to recover from it.

“Well, well… our crippled brother. What brings you here at this hour? Shouldn’t you be at the academy?”

Behind Riog, I could see his attendant looking restless. This clearly wasn’t the first time he’d caused trouble while drunk, picking fights with passersby.

“So, how’s that arm? The rumor is you can’t even hold a pen anymore.”

He reached out towards my right arm, and I stepped back to avoid him. He laughed as if amused. Though he’d always had an arrogant side, he hadn’t been like this before. He used to mock others only when it wouldn’t lead to harm for himself, but now it was different. He openly belittled and disrespected others. It wasn’t even because he truly thought so little of me but rather…

“Is losing to Bapharos really that painful for you?”

It seemed like a desperate attempt to restore his shattered pride by belittling others. That was all it appeared to be. His expression twisted at my words, his drunken, lax eyes suddenly sharpening with hostility.

“Shut up. I can beat that bastard. He won with some cheap trick.”

“Sure. Let’s say that’s what happened.”

As I turned to leave, he grabbed my shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going? Damn it, why are you acting like nothing’s wrong, huh? You’ve become a cripple, but you’re not even pissed off?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Hah, yeah, you’re right. It’s none of my business. But it’s so unfair. Why is it that you’re just fine while I’m like this? You fell further than me, didn’t you? You were stronger than Bapharos, but in an instant, you hit rock bottom. You’ll never wield a sword again! So why the hell are you still fine?!”

“…”

“Why are you acting like nothing happened when you’ve fallen lower than me?! When I’m struggling like this, shouldn’t you be struggling too?!”