The captain of the guard, still stung by the mocking words of the first prince's guards, hurried to the princess. He found her blindfolded, blood seeping from where her eyes should have been, and her pained groans filling the room. Alarmed, he cried, "Your Highness! Doctor, what happened to the princess?!"
"I don't know!" the physician replied anxiously. "I thought it was just an ordinary curse, but it mingled with the princess's blood. Now it is bound to her eyes and cannot spread further."
The captain turned sharply at the sound of another voice. "I never thought my sister would suffer like this." It was the first prince, who had entered with his followers to check on the second princess. But the princess, her body trembling with pain and fury, spoke harshly:
"What do you want, brother? Why are you here instead of attending the entrance trials?"
"I came to see my dear sister," the prince replied with sincerity. "And I know who cast this curse upon you."
The second princess narrowed her eyes in anger. "It was one of your men—Shion Lan."
"You must be joking," the prince said smoothly. "He is not one of mine—though I was planning to recruit him today. As for your condition, don't worry. I am a four-circle light mage, specialized in purification. Relax while I remove this curse."
He placed his hand upon his sister's head, but though she endured the pain, her heart seethed. "That scoundrel! He brought his followers here so they could spread the tale that he saved me, seizing control of the search for the culprit. And worse—he'll take Shion under his wing! I had only wanted to use my Golden Eyes to confirm whether Shion lied to me… I didn't expect he had truly changed. And now, I must pay the price…"
Suddenly, the prince screamed. The curse transferred to him, its weight lifting slightly from the princess. She stared in disbelief.
"Doctor! Treat the prince!" the captain shouted.
The prince's followers, stunned, urged the physician to act. But the doctor only shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry. To dispel this curse, we need five-circle magic—nothing less."
As the physician explained his inability to dispel the curse, the First Prince's followers exchanged uneasy glances. One of them hissed sharply,
"You made a mistake, physician… how could you fail to recognize the severity of this curse from the start?!"
Another replied in a trembling voice,
"Silence! This curse is no ordinary one. Even a five-circle mage would struggle to remove it… Don't blame the physician—stand firm for the Prince instead!"
A tense argument broke out among them—some whispering blame, others averting their gaze from their prince writhing in pain, as though afraid their own weakness would be exposed.
The captain clenched his fists. "Then I'll fetch Shion. He managed to rid himself of it before!" Without another word, he rushed out.
---
At the Combat Arena
Shion entered, eyes scanning the stands and balconies. He spotted one belonging to the second princess, where Kin sat alongside that woman, Nell. Shion's gaze shifted, catching sight of Sol and Vivi sitting together in the stands. With a small smile, he went to join them.
"You came," Sol said as Shion sat beside her. He focused on the stage where no trials were yet being shown—only light entertainment.
"The real battles are happening in a separate realm," he thought. "A space created by advanced mages and swordsmen. Time flows differently there—three days within, but only three hours here. Only the best matches of the top ten contenders will be displayed. This round is about gathering points, either from monsters or rival participants… but most will hunt each other. Each contestant has three revivals, since only their consciousness is transferred. Their bodies are kept elsewhere. After the first hour, those who die three times will be eliminated, and the best duels shown."
He shook the thought aside and turned to Sol. "Didn't you say you wanted to tell me something about your aura?"
Since the arena shows failed to capture his interest—they were far below the level of his own world—he decided to pass the time talking.
"Yes," Sol nodded. "I had taken a mission from the academy, but I'll need someone to accompany me. It involves an ancient spirit, and because of it, I've been marked with this ominous aura. No one dares join me, since the place itself teems with evil spirits."
Shion tilted his head slightly. "And because I'm unaffected by your aura, I'm the right person for the job… Very well. But what's the minimum strength required to even attempt it?"
As a three-circle spirit mage, Sol's missions were never easy. She thought for a moment before asking, "Can you stand against a three-circle opponent—or a three-star beast?"
Shion chuckled softly. "For a short while, yes. If I use all I have, I can defeat them. But only briefly—before collapsing from exhaustion."
"That's fine," Sol said. "You'll have only a small role in this mission anyway. And by the end of the year, you could be even stronger. We can go then, when success is more certain."
Shion frowned. "What about you? Can you endure… this state of yours, and people avoiding you, until then?"
"Thank you for your concern," Sol replied gently. "But if I fail to complete this mission before the year ends, I'll never get another chance. So enduring a little longer… will be a small price to pay."
Shion fell silent in that moment, his thoughts clashing within him: "I don't know what truly happened to her, but she entrusted me with this… I have to make sure everything is alright, and that I'm capable of helping her. Surpass three stars? I'll do it—no matter what it takes!"
Shion was drowning in his thoughts when a hand landed heavily on his shoulder. He turned quickly to find a guard panting heavily, sweat pouring down his brow.
"The Captain of the Guard… he's calling for you immediately! Come with me!"
Shion rose at once, then glanced back at Sol, who wore a trace of worry on her face. He smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon to see how Baro and Fiore are doing."
He followed the guard, his steps quickening.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
"The captain ordered us to bring you to the infirmary without delay—I don't know anything else," the guard replied between ragged breaths.
"Damn it! It must be because of that bastard…" Shion cursed inwardly, then broke into a faster stride. The academy infirmary loomed ahead—a place that had long tended to students and teachers injured during training, duels, or missions.
He entered with the guard, and was directed straight to the Second Princess's chamber. What he saw inside froze him in shock. The princess lay on the bed, blood seeping from her eyes, her soft groans filling the room. A physician stood beside her, and another man Shion did not recognize lingered nearby. Ignoring the stranger, Shion rushed to the princess's side.
"Your Highness! What's wrong with you?!"
The physician looked to him quickly.
"I heard from the Captain of the Guard that you managed to shake off that curse earlier—do you carry the antidote?!"
Shion blinked, startled. "What? A curse?" Then he recalled Shi Yun Lan's words: "The second vein… tied to blood… with the aura of death…" The realization struck him like a blade.
"She doesn't deserve this… She only did her duty, even if she wielded it for the throne's competition. It was I who was the wretch in the past, not her…"
He clenched his fist, then spoke firmly:
"I never used any antidote. In fact, I wasn't cursed at all—I simply collapsed. But… I think I might have a way."
The physician opened his mouth to protest, but froze when Shion placed his hand gently upon the princess's head. At once, Shion's eyes shifted from normal silver to radiant silver, and a stellar aura flowed outward like a luminous river, engulfing the princess. Her breathing steadied, her suffering eased.
The physician's own breath caught. "What… what is this?!"
Meanwhile, Shion's body trembled. "Damn that wretch! This is a general-level curse—strength equal to a four-star warrior—and I'm trying to repel it with only one star?!" The murderous aura clawed at his body, yet unlike with the First Prince, Shi Yun Lan's veins within him absorbed it, returning it to the second vein. Slowly, the curse dissolved away from the princess entirely.
The physician's eyes widened, and a smile crept onto his face.
"Remarkable! You've healed Her Highness! Now, I need you to treat His Highness as well."
"…His Highness?" Shion turned, finally noticing the man lying unconscious on the other bed. His stomach dropped. "The First Prince?!" And then, even worse—he sensed it again. "That aura… the aura of death! When did he get struck by it?!"
He swallowed hard and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but I've exhausted all of my strength healing the princess. If I'm correct, it would take a healer of at least five circles to dispel that curse, wouldn't it?"
The physician's expression tightened bitterly.
"Yes… but all the five-star instructors and above are away, focusing on recruiting the nobility. They left the affairs of commoners to those of the fourth level… none of us expected something like this."
Shion's gaze lingered on the First Prince. "Will he hold out until I recover?"
"He's a four-circle mage himself. I believe he'll endure," the physician answered.
"Good. Then please bring me some potions and elixirs for energy recovery."
"Right away." The physician hurried out.
Alone at last, Shion allowed a faint smile to cross his lips. "Looks like my strength really will leap to the third level soon. I'll be able to help Sol… and I'll make good use of those elixirs as well."
He sat, waiting, his eyes drifting inevitably back to the Second Princess. When she was surrounded by her followers, her presence was commanding—untouchable. But now, as she lay unconscious before him, something about her struck him differently. "She really is noble in beauty… a gem that can only shine when set in gold, not iron. This golden hair…"
Without realizing it, he reached out, his fingers brushing through her golden locks.
Suddenly, the princess stirred. She tore off the bandage covering her eyes, revealing a raw, red mark around them. Shion jerked back in shock, stumbling until he fell to the floor.
The princess remained silent, simply staring at him.