Chapter 25

‘Unbelievable.’

Eyes and hair as black as jet.

A flawless, pale face with perfectly proportioned features.

Long, sharp eyes and red lips.

If Johan was the light, this man was nothing but pitch-black darkness.

A man whose languid yet decadent aura was simply overwhelming.

At the same time, I could sense a domineering and cruel nature. A ruthlessness that suggested he would eliminate anyone who displeased him in the slightest.

He was the kind of man who could suffocate you with just a look.

‘If devils exist, I’m a hundred percent sure they’d look like him. He’s got the kind of face that could tempt anyone.’

I think I know who he is. There’s only one member of the imperial family famous for such looks.

‘They said he was handsome… but he’s lethally handsome.’

The Second Prince, Dante Ryuna Taikan.

‘But why is he looking at me?’

There wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes.

His gaze held no emotion whatsoever.

‘He’d show more emotion looking at an object.’

Is he trying to pick a fight? Just as I thought that, he smiled.

Those black eyes, which reflected nothing, narrowed into thin crescents, and his red lips curved elegantly.

With that one smile, the man’s image transformed in an instant.

From darkness incarnate to a sensual devil that could bewitch anyone.

— Anonymous Constellation: Whoa, who the hell is that?

— Anonymous Constellation: Ah, this complicates things ㅜㅜ

— Anonymous Constellation: Hold on a sec. I’m so confused.

— Anonymous Constellation: Selling all my Johan stock and going all-in.

— Anonymous Constellation: ┗You should just diversify your portfolio.

‘So that’s what they call a smile that’s bad for the heart. So bad, so very bad…’

Crunch. Crunch.

I chewed and finished the rest of my candy while meeting Dante’s gaze.

The man who had been smiling at me like sweet poison suddenly wiped the expression from his face and turned his head forward.

As if nothing had happened.

“Astell! You came with Alex?”

Startled by the sudden voice, I turned my head.

Johan and Kaiel were already beside me.

“…Ah, Johan.”

“You made it just in time. The carriage traffic must have been terrible with so many attendees.”

“It was fine.”

Kaiel also greeted Alex and me.

“Princess, we meet again.”

“Indeed, Master of the Magic Tower.”

“Young Duke, have you been well?”

“It’s been a while, Master of the Tower. I don’t think I’ve seen you since you came to lecture at the academy.”

Standing between the three men as they chatted, I let out a sigh.

I could feel the prickling stares of the crowd on my back.

Even the nobles who had been busy gossiping were now staring this way, their mouths agape.

‘To think there’d be times when having good hearing is an inconvenience.’

Whispers of the “Mad Princess” came from all around.

It seemed that now, not just a few nobles, but everyone around knew who I was.

‘I was planning to bolt the moment the quest completion message appeared.’

Thanks to the three most prominent men in the empire, I was being showered with unwanted attention.

“I expected the Paladin to be here, but I never thought the Master of the Magic Tower would attend an event like this. You must have a softer heart than I thought.”

“I came because of a quest.”

Kaiel replied curtly to Alex’s teasing.

‘He received a quest to attend the memorial service? I thought I was the only one.’

Listening from the side, I tilted my head in confusion.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I just want to confirm something. Kaiel, you said you received a quest? Did you get one too, Johan?”

“No, I didn’t receive anything.”

“Alex?”

“I got one.”

Some received the quest, and some didn’t. What was the difference?

“Master of the Tower, were you originally planning to attend the memorial service? Before you received the quest.”

“I detest crowded places.”

“So that’s a no. What about you, Johan?”

“My attendance was confirmed as a representative of the Temple. I was planning to come personally as well…. Ah, it seems to be starting. Astell, Alex, we’ll be returning to our seats.”

“…Alright.”

Kaiel and Johan returned to their designated seats.

As I was lost in deep thought, Alex asked quietly.

“Astell, is something wrong?”

“Were you planning to attend the memorial service?”

“Do you think I have time to spare? Of course not.”

“So you’re here because of the quest?”

“That’s right. Is there a problem?”

“The quest was only given to those who weren’t planning on attending.”

“…What does that mean?”

The quest couldn’t have been given only to Kaiel, Alex, and me.

There must be other Hunters somewhere in the grand plaza who hadn’t planned on coming but attended because of the quest.

“It’s as if… someone is trying to gather as many Hunters as possible in one place.”

Just then, a representative of the victims stepped onto the dais.

His voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the grand plaza.

“We will now begin the memorial service. First, let us have a moment of silence for the departed.”

[System: You have successfully completed the quest <Attend the Memorial Service>.]

[System: You have acquired a Shop Item Exchange Coupon.]

[Acquired items can be viewed in your inventory.]

The quest completion message appeared the moment the memorial service began.

I immediately opened the shop.

[System: Would you like to use the Shop Item Exchange Coupon?]

[Accept] / [Decline]

“Hoo…”

‘Accept.’

[System: Using the Shop Item Exchange Coupon.]

[System: Time remaining: 00:05:00.]

‘Swords only! Sort by highest points!’

A tremendous number of items shifted like a great wave and rearranged themselves.

‘Faster, faster!’

The most expensive weapons cost one billion points, but the problem was there were more than just one or two.

Compared to other items, not only were there many types of weapons, but they were also often exceptionally expensive.

[System: Time remaining: 00:02:13.]

Even as I scanned down the list without blinking, I couldn’t find the item I wanted.

‘What do I do? It feels like there are even more one-billion-point items now.’

My confidence began to wane.

I wasn’t even sure if I had checked everything. I might have missed it. A tear dropped from my strained eyes.

[System: Time remaining: 00:00:58.]

There was no time. I had to choose something rather than let the coupon go to waste.

‘Wait, if I end up with a cursed sword, I’m screwed.’

The one-billion-point items were a jumble of divine and cursed swords, and I didn’t have time to read the detailed descriptions.

‘I can’t tell the sword’s properties just from its name…’

[System: Time remaining: 00:00:12.]

‘I’m done for! I’ll just pick anything…!’

It was then, with just ten seconds left, that a name caught my eye.

<Arondight>: 1,000,000,000 Points

‘Gasp! This is it!’

[System: Use the exchange coupon?]

[YES] / [NO]

‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’

[System: You have acquired <Arondight>.]

[Acquired items can be viewed in your inventory.]

“Gasp! Pant! Pant!”

As I let out the breath I’d been holding, Alex frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“You… pant, pant… don’t need to know.”

How would a low-level scrub like him know the life-or-death struggle I just went through?

“Hoo…”

Jubilation filled me to the brim. I bit my lip hard, trying to contain the overwhelming emotion.

“…Huh?”

I felt a faint vibration from the ground.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one; Alex whispered softly.

“The ground just shook. Did you not feel… Are you crying?”

A tear that had welled up in my eye trickled down. I blinked my strained, aching eyes.

“Just some dust. I felt the vibration too.”

Did anyone else feel it?

I looked around.

But among the people observing the moment of silence, a few, including Johan, were already standing.

‘What’s this? They all look like priests.’

The vibration, which had been so faint I thought I’d imagined it, grew stronger.

Hairline cracks appeared on the ground, and chairs rattled as they shook back and forth.

Only then did people start to murmur. It was strong enough that even the most oblivious person couldn’t miss it.

Alex shot to his feet, his brow furrowed.

“What’s going on? Is it an earthquake?”

It was then.

A crack appeared in the sky above the grand plaza, and a brilliant light burst forth.

The light felt so sacred that the thought of running away didn’t even cross my mind.

People could only stare blankly at the light.

Among the stunned crowd, a priest shouted.

“A gate has opened! Everyone, evacuate!”

“A g-gate?”

“Aaaah!”

“Ugh! Get out of my way! Move!”

“R-run!”

“Help me! Mom!”

The grand plaza, once filled with a wave of mourning, descended into chaos.

The crowd began to run frantically.

To survive, they trampled over those who fell and kicked aside the elderly blocking their path.

Gripped by fear, no one was in their right mind.

Among the people scattering in every direction like a swarm of locusts, some stood still as statues.

The Hunters.

They were all looking at the same message.