A wide open field. A blonde man, aiming at a rectangular target standing far away, muttered.

“So?”

With the word, the arrow he shot made a dull sound as it hit the target.

“What happened?”

Maybe because he was holding a bow, the man’s voice asking indifferently sounded even colder than usual.

“The, the fiancée of Duke Permanence fell off a cliff. Her life or death is unknown, and the Duke is still there looking for his fiancée…”

Court Mage Robbins hesitated, glancing at the Second Prince.

‘Something went wrong.’

20 years since he became a mage in the palace.

It had been 10 years since he began to handle confidential matters for the Second Prince.

With his outstanding instincts and savvy, Robbins, who came to this position, instinctively felt that something was wrong.

He had merely installed black stones here and there when Duke Permanence and his entourage were passing through Scotus, as per the Second Prince’s order.

But.

‘What exactly is the problem?’

Robbins, who was swallowing his saliva, cautiously asked.

“I did everything as Your Highness commanded…”

“I did everything as I commanded?”

“Yes, yes!”

“I instructed Duke Permanence to mix ‘those’ with blood.”

“Yes, I confirmed it. Definitely ‘those’ blood was given to the Duke…”

Robbins was interrupted by Bliteus, who spoke in a chilling voice.

“Lies.”

“……Yes?”

“You did something I didn’t even order.”

“Th, that! I only did what Your Highness commanded…!”

Bliteus sneered at Robbins, who spoke hastily.

“Really? A moment ago, you said the Duke’s fiancée had fallen off a cliff.”

Robbins did not understand why the Duke’s fiancée was suddenly mentioned, but he had no time to argue about it.

“That, that was an accident…! I didn’t know the words would run like that…!”

“An accident.”

Bliteus, smirking at those words, drew his bow towards Robbins.

“Your, Your Highness…?”

He looked at the man aiming the bow at him with fearful eyes.

‘Surely he won’t shoot that at me?’

He thought there was no way he would kill him over something going wrong with a woman who had been a commoner until a few days ago.

However.

“Your Highness…ugh[dash]!!”

“Ah, darn.”

Finally, the arrow that sprang from his right hand hit Robbins’s chest.

Then, Robbins, who had been shot in the chest, collapsed on the spot.

“Why…?”

He looked up at Bliteus with desolate eyes as he poured out crimson blood.

“It was an accident.”

Bliteus muttered, looking indifferently at the man lying on the ground with his eyes rolling back.

“I too was an accident, so don’t resent it too much.”

(This is a time delimiter.)

At the largest inn ‘Lotus’ in the Festius capital Hadenber, a boy with dark brown hair was mopping the floor.

“Theo! Come here and take this!”

“Yes!”

At the man’s call, a boy named Theo picked up a box full of potatoes.

But it seemed too heavy for the small boy to carry, and he dropped it to the ground after just a few steps.

“Eek!”

Thomas, watching the potatoes roll around on the wooden floor, looked at Theo with disdain.

“What are you going to do, being so weak as a boy? You even look like a girl.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll try to carry it again.”

Theo answered, pushing up his slipping glasses. But Thomas picked up the box with an irritated look and waved his hand.

“Forget it! Just go into the costume room and do some sewing like the girls. I asked for a boy who could put some strength into this, but where did they find this weakling… You go to the back and gather the laundry!”

“……Yes.”

The boy, scolded by Thomas again, walked to the building’s back where the laundry was hanging.
Sigh[Dash].

That day, Lina, who had escaped from the forest, had come to the capital of Festius, living as a boy named Teo.

“How much money have I gathered?”

The money received from the pawnshop was woefully inadequate to settle in a new place.

Since she had spent almost all of it on purchasing magical items needed to live disguised as a man,

She began working at an inn where lodging was provided.

“I need to gather one more gold coin.”

Lina’s shoulders slumped as she mentally counted the money she had earned so far. The ship fare to go south was quite expensive, so the current 80 silver coins were woefully inadequate.

“Should I really quit and just sew?”

The work of an inn employee, which she thought would be similar to the work of a maid, was not as easy as she had expected.

Because everyone thought Lina was a boy, most of her work involved physical labor. Therefore, most of it was burdensome for Lina, who had such a small frame.

“No. This place pays the highest wages around here, doesn’t it? Let’s just struggle a little more. I need more money to go south.”

Lina, who was momentarily contemplating quitting, soon shook her head and gathered her determination.

Lina had become penniless due to leaving all the money she had saved while working as a maid in the carriage’s cargo compartment.

“If only I had sold the jewelry at their true value.”