I entered Room 202 as quickly as possible.
Max and Cyan were still outside the door.
The order of entry was me first, then Max, then Cyan.
Incidentally, that had been Cyan’s idea.
Max had looked thoroughly displeased about letting me go first, but perhaps because Cyan’s wolf spirit had been fighting so ferociously, he obediently followed Cyan’s decision this time.
Room 202 was a luxurious suite with three rooms—nothing like Room 207 that Cyan and I had visited before.
In the largest room stood a bed where the Crown Prince lay unconscious.
As Yenniel looked toward him, her expression changed.
“Lady April, His Highness isn’t breathing. I’m going to perform emergency treatment. Do not open the door for the monster under any circumstances.”
“Yes.”
As if I'd lost my mind enough to do that.
Come to think of it... I remember this place.
Here...
My brother had done something...
Knowing him, he had probably gone through some bizarre and unnecessary ordeal just to unlock a hidden story. The fact that I remembered it at all was proof enough.
Ah.
I remembered.
“Hey. How much longer are you staying in there? You said the second floor of the temple was easy mode.”
“It’s scary...! The mid-boss’s face! Aaah! The things I fear most are demons and doppelgängers!”
“Is there anything you’re not afraid of?”
This place was a Safe Zone.
No monster could enter.
Unlike other safe zones, this one required no conditions to activate. It had been safe from the beginning.
In other words, it was my brother’s spiritual homeland.
The reason I remembered it was because a one-time-use item for checking affection levels appeared here.
If you asked a capture target one question related to affection, you would receive nothing but the absolute truth.
Players could normally see how a target felt about them through the Affection Details Window.
[Yenniel: Do you love me?]
[Michael: No. I love your usefulness.]
Like that.
However, there were exceptions.
When the target themselves didn’t understand their feelings.
When they were deceiving themselves.
Or when they were intentionally deceiving the player.
[Yenniel (Lightpril): What do you honestly think of me?]
[Cyan: Lady Yenniel... you are a water deer. I have finally realized it.]
There were also cases where people like my brother accidentally made a character become aware of feelings they shouldn’t have and completely ruined everything.
“Aaaah!”
I was trying to remember the item's location when Max burst into the room.
He had nearly been caught by the demon worshipper.
“I’m coming in as well.”
As Cyan moved to enter last, the demon worshipper launched a powerful attack.
BOOM!
A cloud of smoke exploded outward, and Cyan was knocked back.
As the smoke cleared, the demon worshipper’s head appeared through the gap in the doorway.
Where exactly are you looking? With your head twisted like that, I can’t even tell where your eyes are—
...Dear god.
The crimson eye embedded in its chest gleamed ominously.
It was staring directly at me.
For a moment, I nearly cursed aloud.
To make matters worse, Cyan’s wolf spirit, which had been fighting fiercely, was torn apart by the demon worshipper and forcibly unsummoned.
“Urgh...”
Cyan staggered with a low groan.
Without his spirits, Cyan was no different from Yenniel, the Crown Prince, or Max.
And what did that mean?
It meant getting beaten senseless by the demon worshipper.
In the game, the boss only used its greatsword.
In reality, the demon worshipper also knew how to use its fists and feet.
“Gavon Elfer—! Cough!”
Cyan was struck before he could finish summoning another spirit.
Do you know what happens when a three-meter-tall monster even grazes a human?
They fly.
This is driving me insane.
With my physical abilities, I could rescue Cyan.
But what if I dodged too well and looked suspicious?
What if my suspicion level rose?
Wouldn’t I end up executed for saving him?
Even so, I wasn’t heartless enough to leave someone to die.
Contradictory, really.
I dashed out of Room 202.
“Sir Cyan!”
In a brief instant, I avoided the demon worshipper’s attack and supported Cyan.
The blows were monstrously powerful, but perhaps because so much force was behind them, they weren’t particularly fast.
“Lady April? How did you...”
“Are you alright?”
Cyan stared blankly at me.
“April came to save you!”
“Even though that thing must terrify you...”
“I’m more afraid of you getting hurt or dying, Sir Cyan.”
I answered curtly.
[Strategist Cyan’s affection has increased dramatically!]
The way he looked at me...
It was almost as if he had fallen in love.
Otherwise, why would someone gaze at another person as though they were a dream?
[Strategist Cyan’s affection has increased dramatically!]
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from Cyan’s body.
I felt an overwhelming presence and looked around.
A spirit.
But it was completely different from any spirit Cyan had summoned before.
A being of an entirely different rank had descended.
A lush forest gradually filled the corridor.
Streams of water wound and flowed through it.
It was as though an entire woodland had been transplanted into the narrow hallway.
A refreshing breeze drifted from somewhere unseen.
The branches glittered magnificently.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves.
It was a miracle.
A spirit with the dignity of a king gently wrapped itself around the fallen Cyan.
It was a dragon of pale blue light.
[Speak my name.]
Vines and branches exploded outward, binding the demon worshipper temporarily.
“...Elphineum El Latien.”
Cyan spoke the name.
Only then did I realize.
This was his Awakening Event.
His trait had finally evolved.
I had been so overwhelmed by the spirit’s vision of nature that I nearly forgot myself.
“Sir Cyan!”
There was no time to hesitate.
While the demon worshipper was restrained, we had to get inside.
I grabbed Cyan’s arm.
“We need to go. Come on.”
Cyan’s expression hardened, and he followed.
We entered and locked the door.
Everyone had safely made it into Room 202.
“Thank you. Once again, I owe you, Lady April.”
Cyan spoke quietly.
“This time, I owe you my life.”
“April is just happy her friend is safe.”
I smiled brightly.
Cyan looked at me as though I were dazzling.
If only I knew what kind of affection this was.
Then I’d understand why he was acting like that.
Since The Archmage’s Estate was part romance fantasy, affection came in many forms.
Romantic love.
Trust.
Unbreakable friendship.
Familial affection.
Comfortable fondness.
Respect.
Eternal love.
The game displayed them all as a combined percentage.
Surprisingly, though, very few capture targets possessed only romantic or eternal love.
Most emotions were mixed together.
According to my brother, there were also things like obsession, hatred, and love-hate relationships.
I’d never seen those myself, so I couldn’t say.
In any case, everyone was safe now.
Which meant our most urgent concern was the Crown Prince.
Cyan and I entered the large room where he lay.
“Your Highness...!”
Max was there, beyond tears and deep into full-blown sobbing.
The Crown Prince was still alive.
He looked deathly pale, but he was breathing.
Cyan turned to Yenniel.
“When did His Highness collapse?”
“Thirty minutes ago. Is that a first-aid kit?”
The situation was too urgent for formalities.
Both of them got straight to the point.
“Yes.”
“If it follows the law of equivalent exchange, there should be an antidote inside.”
“There is, but the dosage hasn’t been measured.”
“I can calculate the amount appropriate for His Highness. However, since it’s medicine intended for monster venom, it may contain divine power. Even royal blood can’t prevent divine-power poisoning. Please handle the sacred calculations.”
“Understood. I’ll calculate while keeping watch to make sure that monster doesn’t break through the door. Have Sir Max handle the detailed measurements.”
Polite.
But cold.
For some reason, I suddenly felt that the two of them weren’t particularly close.
“Lady April.”
Yenniel called gently.
“Would you mind watching over His Highness for about twenty minutes? Just sit beside him and monitor his condition.”
“I can do that. Is he very sick?”
I asked gloomily, acting as April who cared deeply for her friend.
“No. There’s medicine in the first-aid kit. He’ll recover.”
Yenniel pointed to a chair beside the Crown Prince’s bed.
“Sit there. If His Highness coughs up blood or his entire body turns purple, come tell me immediately.”
“Okay.”
Yenniel pulled me into a gentle embrace.
Then she patted my back soothingly.
Perfect.
This would give me a chance to search for the one-time affection-check item.
I was certain it was somewhere in this room.
Why am I so sure?
The feeling was strange.
As though I already knew where it was.
After everyone left, I drifted toward the vanity as if possessed.
The second drawer from the right.
The fourth drawer from the top.
Found it.
Mirror Fragment (Rare Item)
Ask someone a question about affection and receive one absolute truth regarding their feelings!
Tip:
If you find the one-and-only mirror in the world, you can unlock the Affection Details Window!
Go forth and seek the mirror!
