When Ryu questioned Banks about who had commissioned the mission, he had read Banks' mind with his Divine Eye.

He learned that the person who brought the mission was named Gill, but the face that appeared in his mind was unfamiliar.

Ryu delved deeper into Banks' mind while talking, but although he confirmed that it was a request from the Royal Palace, Banks didn't know much about Gill either.

I guess I have to go to the Royal Palace if I want to find out more.

Speaking of which, what happened to Sophie? He hadn't heard from her since she said she was going back to the capital. She said she would return soon, but the Royal Knights who had come to investigate said that they hadn't heard any testimony from Princess Sophie. Had something happened?

Ryu, who had been feeling relaxed after sightseeing in the capital for a bit, had finally decided to go to the Royal Palace.

The fact that he was getting a little tired of this and wanted to get things done quickly so he could explore other places was also a big factor.

The Royal Palace was located in the heart of the capital.

It was surrounded by a moat, with guards stationed at the bridge before crossing it and on the other side.

Ryu stood in front of the Royal Palace gate, activated his Divine Eye, and scanned the interior.

He memorized the internal structure of the Royal Palace and searched for Sophie's presence.

He found her.

But just then, a guard approached.

It was natural. Ryu was a suspicious person standing in front of the Royal Palace.

Guard: "Hey, you! What are you doing there?"

Ryu was openly using his Divine Eye to scan the interior right in front of the Royal Palace.

Tourists often came to see the Royal Palace, but Ryu's actions felt different from those of a typical tourist. The guard came to investigate, just in case.

Ryu was thinking about teleporting into the castle (to Sophie's location), but he tried asking the guard first, just in case:

"I want to see Princess Sophie. Can you connect me?"

Guard: "What are you saying? There's no way someone like you can meet the Princess. Get lost."

Ryu: "Tell the Princess that Ryuujin has arrived. She'll understand."

Guard: "People like you who want to see the Princess come here all the time. If we report every single one of them, we'll get in trouble."

Ryu: "You should ask her anyway. You'll get in trouble later for not reporting it."

Guard: "You're persistent. You won't understand unless I force you to leave."

"Wait."

Another guard emerged and said:

Guard B: "What's your name?"

Ryu: "Ryuujin."

Guard B: "Alright. Wait a minute. I'll go check, just in case."

After a while, the guard who had gone inside returned and said:

Guard B: "The Princess says she'll see you. Come with me."

Ryu gave the first guard a smug look, but the guard just returned to his position with a blank expression.

Ryu crossed the moat and went through the castle gate.

But there, he was surrounded by a large number of knights.

Ryu: "Oh, a trap?"

A man emerged from the castle.

The man's face was the same as Gill, who appeared in Banks' mind.

Gill: "Are you Ryuujin?"

Ryu: "You're Gill, right? You're the one who commissioned my capture from the Adventurer's Guild. Mind telling me why?"

Gill was momentarily surprised that Ryu knew him, but he quickly regained his composure and said:

Gill: "You're Ryuujin, alright. The fact that you're here means the mission failed. Adventurers are useless after all."

Gill spat out the words, then raised his voice and said:

Gill: "You're suspected of murdering Viscount Gitt! It's a good thing you came forward yourself. You'd better surrender quietly!"

Ryu: "Viscount Gitt tried to kill Princess Sophie! Didn't you hear from the Princess?"

Gill: "You can explain yourself at the trial. If you resist, you'll suffer."

The knights surrounded Ryu, their spears raised.

Ryu: "What about Princess Sophie? Let me see her."

Gill: "There's no way a commoner like you can have an audience with the Princess. Capture him!"

But at that moment, the soldiers surrounding Ryu lost consciousness and collapsed simultaneously.

Gill: "What did you do...?"

Ryu had temporarily stopped the blood flow in their carotid arteries with spatial magic. When blood flow to the brain stops, humans lose consciousness in a few seconds.

Ryu: "It means that you can't capture me. Where's Sophie?"

Gill: "Damn it, go get him! Go get him! He's tricky!"

Sophie: "Stop it!"

Suddenly, Princess Sophie emerged from the castle.

Gill: "Princess, you shouldn't be here! It's dangerous!"

Sophie: "There's no danger. He's an acquaintance of mine. Or are you going to be rude to my guest?"

Gill: "No, that is..."

Sophie: "Step back. Ryu, it's been a while. I'm glad you came. Come on in and have some tea with me."

Sophie went into the castle.

A maid came out to invite Ryu in.

Ryu didn't recognize the maid. What had happened to Marie, Betty, and Alice? He thought they were with the Princess, so he was a little surprised. But he didn't know much about the palace customs, so he ignored it.

Gill was glaring, but Ryu had memorized his magic signature. He could capture and finish him off at any time. He wanted to see Sophie, so Ryu entered the castle.

He was taken to a luxurious reception room, and Sophie entered after the tea was prepared.

Sophie: "Ryuujin, it's been a while."

Next Episode

Ryu is put on trial.

Stay tuned!