The Crown Prince's Mission – A Bonus Wouldn't Hurt
“Luna?”
The guide sent by the Crown Prince turned out to be an unexpected person. I'd figured they'd send someone directly from the palace, but instead, Luna showed up.
“You spotted me right away. I thought my disguise was pretty perfect.”
Luna, dressed as an adventurer, shrugged her shoulders. Gone was the sparkling golden blonde from yesterday; now a simple ponytail of plain brown hair swayed. Her blue eyes had been replaced by reddish-brown ones. Was it a magic mask? Her face, covered in a mask that felt exactly like real skin, was dotted with freckles, and there was a faint scar on her jaw. It was a completely different face from the one who'd come to me last night, warning that the Crown Prince would visit.
The woman before me looked like a seasoned veteran adventurer.
“Magic these days is seriously sophisticated.”
“The result of research.”
“Hm, impressive.”
Even up close, it looked utterly real.
“But how did you know?”
“You still have that perfume scent from the lake on you.”
“Oh, so you remember my smell? That's kinda thrilling~”
I ignored Luna as she twisted her body coquettishly. If I indulged every little thing like this, there'd be no end to it. She'd only get more spoiled than she already was.
“Looks like His Highness doesn't want to show his hand openly.”
Not content with using someone from Moonlit Lake, he'd even had her disguise herself. The palace clearly intended to keep their involvement hidden to the bitter end. There were plenty of excuses they could make if I, the convenience store manager, got involved.
“……Is that everything?”
“What else do you need?”
“Not surprised you're such a block of wood.”
Luna puffed out her cheeks at my flat reaction. I can hear you, you know.
“By the way, what should I call you during the mission?”
“Just call me Jane, nice and casual.”
“Jane. Got it. Jane it is during the mission.”
I noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes, even through the disguise.
“You're working hard too, Luna.”
“Ugh, I'm dying here. Worked all night, and now overtime again……”
At night, she was a woman of the lake at Moonlit Lake; by day, an intelligence agent for the empire. She was busier than anyone.
Luna let out a heavy sigh, one weighted with the burdens of life. Pretty words called her an imperial intelligence agent, but she was essentially just a salaried worker punching a clock. A civil servant, more or less. What power did a mere wage slave have? When the boss said jump, you jumped.
“Tell them to at least give you a fat performance bonus.”
“If I could, I wouldn't be complaining.”
For the women of Moonlit Lake, missions from the palace weren't about the money—they were about atoning for their original sins. Even if she succeeded, there'd be no bonus payout. At best, her internal evaluation would go up, shortening her probation period. But that wasn't my concern.
Elena, who'd overheard our conversation, sidled up to me with wide eyes and whispered.
“Manager, that's Luna-unnie?”
She clearly hadn't suspected a thing. No surprise there—the disguises of Moonlit Lake's women were flawless.
“Yeah. So don't tell anyone else.”
“Got it. I'm better at keeping secrets than you think.”
Elena nodded, pressing her lips together tightly.
“Luna-unnie, you're really good at makeup.”
Her innocent reaction was healing. Stay just like this, Elena.
“I'll be back soon, so watch the store.”
“Yes, Manager!”
“Sylvia will cover for me later. Work together when she gets here.”
“Understood. Be careful out there.”
With Elena seeing me off, I left the convenience store with Luna.
How much time passed? We arrived at a deserted spot, where Luna spread a thin mana barrier around us.
“This should keep anyone from overhearing.”
“You can use magic too? Can't judge Moonlit Lake women by their looks.”
“The flashier, the more thorns.”
It was a soundproofing spell. Unless you entered the mana barrier, no one outside could hear what was said inside. It required multiple complex spells working in tandem: spatial separation, precise mana control, wave suppression runes, and more. Few could deploy it this skillfully.
“Alright, give me the briefing on the exact situation.”
“Location: Behindbell Forest, next to Oscar. Reports say there's a spot where mana flow is twisting. Mana disruptions happen sometimes, but the scale here is unusual. If it's enemy magic targeting the empire……”
“It could turn into a major incident. What does the Magic Tower say?”
“The mages who investigated say it's no big deal. Just a small dungeon forming.”
“No big deal?”
“Yes.”
Mana flow disruptions were common—precursors to natural disasters, dungeon formations, or monster spawns. For an empire powerful enough to dominate the continent, a dungeon or monsters weren't a huge threat. Natural disasters? Manageable.
But one thing.
What if someone deliberately twisted the mana flow?
If it was an attack on the imperial capital? Casualties from an assault? Heads would roll—literally. The Magic Tower mages who'd investigated might lose theirs.
“When did it start?”
“I got the report this morning, but symptoms appeared two weeks ago.”
Longer than I'd thought.
“No reports of monsters sighted or weather changes.”
“Anything else noteworthy?”
“His Highness suspects the Magic Tower as prime suspects.”
“I see……”
The Magic Tower causing a mana rift inside the empire? Unlikely unless they'd lost their minds. But.
Who knows. The current Tower Master harbored deep resentment toward the Crown Prince.
“Investigation will reveal the truth.”
We arrived at Behindbell Forest on Oscar's outskirts, where the mana distortion was underway. The twisted mana flow hit my skin immediately. Nausea churned in my gut. I swallowed it down and crossed into the forest boundary.
“Urk!”
Luna's reaction was severe. Mages, far more sensitive to ambient mana, would find this repulsive on contact. For her, one of the most sensitive, it was unbearable agony.
“Ugh!”
Unable to hold it, she leaned against a tree and dry-heaved.
“Jane, you okay?”
“Sorry. It's more disgusting than I expected……”
“The mana's fractured all over the place.”
Like gaping holes punched through it. Voids of nothingness dotted the space.
“Could it be a dungeon?”
Not impossible. Twisted mana often centered on a dungeon.
But.
“Not a dungeon.”
“Different?”
“Dungeons envelop the whole area in distorted flow.”
This was different. Not the entire forest—just twisting around a single point deeper inside.
More like.
“Monster spawn's more likely.”
“Call in a subjugation squad?”
“Not yet. A monster this strong would need a full knight order company.”
“Not welcome news.”
“But why'd the Magic Tower report it as nothing?”
“Their doing, maybe?”
Who knows. The investigating mage might not have sensed it, or it hadn't been this bad then.
“Let's go deeper.”
I drew the sword at my waist and advanced.
“Jane, stay here.”
“No way. It's my mission too…… Urp!”
Luna clamped her mouth, dry-heaving again.
“Some mission, puking like you're pregnant.”
“Oh? Does that mean you knocked me up, Manager? Honey, our baby wants strawberries from the store~”
“Don't say weird shit while heaving.”
“You said it first, Manage…… Urp!!”
Spit dribbling as she heaved, Luna shook her head. The rejection was worse than expected.
“I-I'll wait here. Sorry.”
“Good call.”
Leaving Luna at the entrance, I went in alone. Better than her tagging along like dead weight.
Deeper in, the nauseating sensation intensified.
If Luna had come, she'd have passed out midway.
Woooong!
A swirling hum rang in my ears. It grew louder toward the center.
Woooong!
A massive vibration shook my body—a warning not to come closer.
Even if you say no, I wanna go.
When they warned so blatantly, didn't it just make you curious? Like the forbidden fruit.
I took a step forward.
Woooooong!!!!
“Tch!”
The waves grew fiercer, my head ringing. Something invisible desperately blocked me.
Gonna keep this up, huh?
I kept walking, ignoring the resistance. My body shook. Headache throbbed. As the intensity peaked, shaking the world around me.
Crack!
Glass shattering. The world changed.
The lush green forest now bore a magic circle drawn in crimson blood. Fresh pine scent replaced by acrid blood reek. The forest was desiccated, life drained—like it'd been corrupted.
Only black magic could suck the vitality from nature like this.
“Banned black magic, revived?”
The circle featured the inverted pentagram, black magic's signature symbol.