Think. Think!
What do they want from the princess?
Who in the novel targeted her?
Damn it!
None of my suspects should even be here.
They're all scattered across different parts of the continent right now.
So who?
Before the princess disappeared, I remembered the knight glancing back.
And…
Smiling like something was funny.
Pierrot.
They're already moving, even though the novel wasn't supposed to begin for another eight years.
Could it be because the storyline had already diverged from the original?
Amon and Agnes weren't supposed to meet yet.
Amon and I were supposed to clash before we ever understood each other.
Did I mess everything up?
"You're deep in thought."
Uncle Henry stood before me.
His rugged face looked calm.
No…
Calculating.
"Just thinking of ways to help."
Though judging from the dejected tone of my voice, it was obvious I hadn't thought of anything useful.
"Your parents told me you encountered a holy tome and survived it, but lost all your mana."
I nodded.
Was he trying to tell me to leave this to the strong ones?
Was this his subtle way of telling me to stay out of the way?
It could be.
Especially with how intently he was studying my physique.
"You see, I'm a bit useless right now. My blessing isn't compatible with darkness."
What blessing was he talking about?
I stared at him, unsure how to respond.
"Have you received your blessing yet?"
I shook my head.
I didn't even know what a blessing was.
Henry immediately realized I had no idea what he was talking about.
"A blessing is the power one gains after passing the holy tome's trial. You should awaken it within a week. If it takes longer…"
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"You likely failed."
I fell silent.
It had already been more than a week.
I failed the trial.
Uncle Henry patted my back.
He was trying to console me.
Maybe he even related to me a little.
But he got it all wrong.
Even without a blessing or mana, I could still become strong.
I'll admit it.
For a moment, I had hoped I could still awaken that blessing.
But I had already prepared myself to live without magic or powers.
So I recovered quickly.
"I have to go. It seems they've decided to send Thea to the east and use the mana-detection glyphs in the south and west."
Judging from his tone, he was implying that only he should go.
That I should stay behind.
But I won't.
"I think the abductor is an anomaly," I said.
Henry stopped mid-step.
He turned back, clearly impressed.
Not because he didn't know already—
but because someone else had figured it out.
"The abductor used glyphs, but they also used transformation magic. Multiple times."
I slowly organized my thoughts.
"That rules out transformation glyphs. Thea would've sensed additional traces of mana if those were used."
Now I had his full attention.
"This is just a theory, but the abductor can probably shapeshift… and create clones too."
The Viscount's expression finally changed.
Shock.
Now that was something he hadn't considered.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me, clearly wondering how I reached that conclusion.
"Think about it. The abductor was probably the servant who distracted the princess's knight."
I continued before he could interrupt.
"Then they shapeshifted into the princess to lure the knight toward the dining hall…"
My eyes narrowed.
"And afterward, they shapeshifted into the knight to abduct the real princess."
Henry fell silent.
"One person shouldn't have been able to do all of that simultaneously."
I glanced toward the ballroom.
"But I believe Thea when she said there's only one culprit."
Because there probably was.
"That's because the culprit can create an army of themselves."
The atmosphere around Henry changed.
He was no longer humoring a child.
"The abductor's attribute…"
I paused briefly.
"No. Their blessing is most likely deception."
For a brief moment, the Viscount's calm expression cracked.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me again.
Like he was trying to understand how a child could figure out something that most adults—even himself—could not.
"Sir!"
The knights saluted. It seemed they had already finished preparing for the search.
Henry brushed aside his questions for now.
"Come," he instructed.
Hook, line and sinker.
Truth be told, no one in the novel had such a power. Everything I said was a logical guess.
Granted, this only made the situation more terrifying.
However, I'm certain the culprit is a member of Pierrot.
We walked toward the knights and nobles participating in the rescue mission.
As I stood beside the Viscount, no one dared oppose my involvement. Then again, time was running out, so most of them probably didn't care enough to argue.
Only my family looked worried, though they trusted Uncle Henry enough to leave me in his care.
Half of the knights remained behind to guard the estate and protect the nobles inside, leaving only six knights for the search operation.
Four nobles volunteered to participate as well.
Including us, that made sixteen searchers in total.
The southern route was led by the princess's knight, accompanied by two knights and two nobles.
The western route was led by the Baron alongside three nobles.
The eastern route was led by my father, accompanied by Thea, Amon, and a knight.
The northern route—despite lacking a guide—was still the closest convergence point between all directions. It was led by Viscount Henry, accompanied by me and a knight.
The plan was simple.
Destroy the glyphs.
Then regroup in the north as quickly as possible.
Reinforcements had already been requested from the royal palace, but they wouldn't arrive anytime soon.
Each group carried a magical communication device to stay in contact with the others.
Unfortunately, there were only enough for one per group. Magical items of that caliber weren't exactly common.
They concluded that the southern and western routes should have more manpower since those locations were farther away. They believed those areas were the abductor's most likely hiding place.
Father suggested that Thea take the eastern route since it was the closest one. That way, she could use her mana detection for shorter durations compared to the other routes.
Then there was the northern route.
It was relatively close to the estate, and every route could eventually converge there.
Everyone already assumed it was the most likely bait.
However, Uncle Henry did not think so.
I agreed.
The abductor was part of Pierrot—most likely one of the Nine Jurors of the Laughing Court.
The Nine Jurors were the strongest members of the organization, each granted authority and a new title by the Ringmaster, the big bad boss behind Pierrot.
In the novel, Amon had only encountered the subordinates of the Nine Jurors.
Almost nothing was known about them.
Except for one line their defeated followers always said.
Pierrot will have the last laugh.