As night gradually fell over the continent of Erazia, whether it was the prosperous human kingdom or the rare races hidden in mysterious corners, all returned to silence.
The moment Yu Deng triggered the side quest, every surviving player in the instance heard the system notification.
[Ding. A player has triggered a hidden side quest. All players, please continue your efforts.]
Scattered across the continent, players paused what they were doing, their thoughts strikingly aligned.
Just who is this big shot?! It's only the first day in the instance, and someone already triggered a hidden side quest?!
At that moment, in a small town near the castle palace of the human kingdom, two players were running for their lives, trying to escape the monster chasing them. Behind them, a massive shadow moved rapidly, dragging along a terrifying shape.
These two players happened to be people Yu Deng knew—one was Ke Qi, the athletic student from the beginner instance, and the other was the chubby guy he had saved in the haunted castle instance.
These two unlucky mid-level players had drawn an A-rank instance and on top of that, it was a difficult one. After meeting, they bonded over their shared misfortune and even swore brotherhood. Now fleeing together, they still managed to chat after hearing the system announcement.
"Bro, who do you think triggered the side quest in this instance?"
"No idea. Someone at that level is probably top ten—or maybe that legendary Yu Deng."
"I think so too. Definitely not trash like us."
"Man, I just hope the big shot can carry us."
…
Meanwhile, the mysterious "big shot" who triggered the side quest, little princess Yu Deng, was still in his room, preparing to fulfill the Magic Mirror's request.
The mirror, taller than Yu Deng himself, stood before him, emitting a faint glow. Its surface rippled like water.
For some reason, Yu Deng sensed impatience from it… even though he had no idea why a mirror would feel that way.
The request it gave earlier was… to change out of his dress.
What a strange request.
Yu Deng grabbed the fluffy skirt and looked at the mirror in confusion. "D-do I have to change in front of the mirror?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Please fulfill my request." The mirror urged again, adding half-heartedly, "Otherwise, your life may be in danger."
Yu Deng pressed his lips together, lowering his eyelashes. "I don't want to die…"
"Then please fulfill my request," the mirror coaxed. "Because you are the most beautiful being in the world, the treasure of Erazia, I only ask for something very small. After all, you're about to rest—changing clothes is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
That was indeed normal… and it really was a low-difficulty requirement. Yu Deng had even gained an important clue, he had thought he would need to face something far more dangerous.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he removed his crown, took off his small leather shoes, then placed his hands at his waist and began removing the complicated decorations from his dress.
At that moment, System 01 buzzed in his mind with static for more than twenty seconds.
[Data scanning… analyzing… error detected. Reacquiring data… reanalyzing…]
Yu Deng paused. "System, what's wrong?"
[Beep—analysis complete.]System 01 spoke, and for once, there was hesitation in its mechanical voice. [Host, after analysis, this Magic Mirror can also be considered one of your special mission targets.]
Yu Deng: "???"
Also considered… a mission target? What did that mean?
Confused, Yu Deng glanced at the mirror again, only to see it secretly form a smiling face.
"But System, it's just a mirror. How am I supposed to complete a mission with it?"
And weren't his mission targets supposed to be highly destructive? What kind of destructive power could a mirror have?
[Since the Magic Mirror does not belong to a conventional mission target type, you may need to use a different contract method. The specifics still require analysis. I will inform you once the results are ready.]
"Okay, got it."
The mirror had been waiting for quite a while. Seeing Yu Deng stop moving after removing his accessories, it couldn't help but urge again:
"Your Highness? I've already waited three minutes and seven seconds."
It sounded impatient—almost pitiful, like a puppy waiting for a bone.
"Don't rush me." Yu Deng studied the dress for a long time. "This dress is really complicated...I need to figure it out."
When he had changed earlier, he had been dazzled by the process and had no idea how the servants managed to put it on. Taking it off was just as much work.
After seven or eight minutes, Yu Deng finally managed to remove the dress and tossed it aside, leaving only a very thin white undergarment on his body.
Yes, this luxurious outfit came with an inner layer.
But this inner layer was extremely thin and only reached just below his abdomen. The gauzy fabric barely concealed anything, and white lace shorts were faintly visible.
It was autumn in this instance, and the night air was slightly cold. After removing the heavy dress, Yu Deng shivered lightly.
Magic Mirror: "...!"
More ripples appeared on the mirror's surface, and its tone became slightly unstable.
"Your Highness, please come closer… and place your hand on the mirror."
Yu Deng didn't quite understand, but he followed the instructions, stepping forward until he was almost pressed against the mirror, his palm resting on it.
"L-like this?"
He turned his head slightly, his breath brushing against the mirror.
"Yes, that's right. Oh, my most beautiful and adorable princess." The mirror trembled faintly, murmuring praise. "You are truly too beautiful. To see you this closely is my honor."
Yu Deng listened to the endless compliments, his ears turning slightly red. Slowly, he began unbuttoning his undergarment, intending to remove it as well.
As he moved, the buttons came undone, and the fabric loosened, revealing more pale skin and a slender waistline.
The mirror's brass frame grew hotter, even reddening slightly. When Yu Deng accidentally brushed against it, he quickly pulled his hand back from the heat.
Yu Deng: "?"
That was strange—why was the mirror hot? And why did his hand hurt?
Only then did Yu Deng realize a stinging sensation on the back of his hand. Looking down, he saw a red mark forming on his pale skin.
—The little princess of the Stuart Kingdom has the most delicate skin in the world, easily injured and requiring careful care.
Yu Deng lowered his head and let out a soft whimper. He blinked rapidly, trying to hold back his tears, but they still fell.
"Magic Mirror… you burned me…" His voice was soft and pitiful.
"I'm very sorry for hurting you." The mirror instantly calmed, its frame rapidly cooling. "I'm not hot anymore. Try touching it again?"
Yu Deng's eyes were watery as he looked at it for several seconds before gently touching it again.
The frame was indeed cool now. As soon as his hand rested on it, the mirror's glow brightened briefly, and a gentle force spread over his hand, healing the burn instantly.
"Huh?" Yu Deng raised his hand curiously, then touched the frame again.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, may I come in?" Song Shiyu's voice sounded from outside.
Still a bit dazed from the incident, Yu Deng forgot he was in the middle of changing and instinctively replied, "You may."
As soon as he spoke, the door opened. Song Shiyu stepped inside in his knight's attire. Upon seeing the scene, he paused slightly, then shut the door firmly behind him.
He looked at the sight before him.
The kingdom's most noble little princess had removed his ornate dress, leaving only a thin shirt. His partially unbuttoned clothing and long hair barely covered his body, while his long legs were fully exposed.
The princess leaned against the massive mirror, framed within it like a vivid, almost dreamlike painting.
Song Shiyu walked closer step by step and asked softly, "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
"Hm?" Yu Deng tilted his head, then remembered. "I'm changing clothes."
Song Shiyu looked for a moment, then gently pulled him away from the mirror, steadying him by the shoulders. "Your Highness, the temperature drops at night. Staying against the mirror may make you ill."
"Oh…" Yu Deng followed the motion into his arms and looked up slightly. "Why did you come?"
Song Shiyu turned, completely blocking Yu Deng from the mirror. "I need to form a contract with you. This will signify that I have truly become your knight."
Only then did Yu Deng remember. Behind him, the mirror—now completely blocked—let out a cold laugh, clearly displeased with the knight.
Without turning around, Song Shiyu said calmly, "Your Highness, your Magic Mirror is a special magical artifact. Such items are often dangerous. Please use it with caution. If necessary, I can handle or safeguard it for you."
"Heh." The mirror sneered again. "Your Highness, your knight doesn't seem like a good person."
Yu Deng looked between them in confusion, not understanding why they had suddenly started arguing.
"What are you talking about?" he asked blankly. But they both fell silent again.
In the corner, the Magic Mirror could only watch as the beautiful little princess was pulled into the arms of that "bad man," its surface vibrating with anger, its light growing brighter.
"Your Highness!"
Song Shiyu glanced sideways and casually cast a spell, flipping the mirror over and blocking its voice.
The mirror was so angry it almost cracked.
"..."
Yu Deng raised his head in a daze. "Was the magic mirror calling me just now?"
"No, you heard wrong," Song Shiyu said, holding the little princess in his arms, continuing to press and suck at those soft lips.
Yu Deng felt his body gradually heating up. Held in the knight's embrace and kissed like this, it felt as though a beast had clamped down on his neck.
He opened his misty eyes and seemed to see a strange shadow behind Song Shiyu, something like the shape of a tail—but when he tried to look carefully, there was nothing there.
It was already deep into the night. Whether beautiful and dreamlike or terrifying and dreadful, most things had fallen into silence.
At the tip of the castle's main tower, the lights were still on, casting the silhouette of two overlapping figures.
After a long while, Yu Deng felt a faint connection form between himself and Song Shiyu, and only then did the contract ritual come to an end.
Song Shiyu placed the unsteady little princess onto the bed. After a moment, he stated in a flat tone, "Your Highness, it seems you have a small problem."
"Hm?"
Yu Deng's hand was still held by Song Shiyu. Following his gaze downward, he noticed a slight rise in the hem of his skirt.
"Mm…"
His eyes were still wet as he glared at him in annoyance.
It was obviously because of that ritual… his bad knight had kissed him so hard—not only making his lips ache a little, but also making his whole body feel hot.
Song Shiyu looked at him as if stating something entirely ordinary. "You may need to take care of it. Otherwise, it might be uncomfortable or affect your health. Do you need my help?"
Yu Deng's thoughts were led astray by his knight, and he felt that it did need to be dealt with… but he didn't want to go through the trouble of figuring out how.
His long hair fell down as he casually picked up Song Shiyu's knight's sword, raising it and pressing it against his shoulder in a fierce manner.
"This is all your fault… You're not allowed to stand. Kneel."
Seemingly docile, Song Shiyu followed the little princess's command and knelt on one knee.
Yu Deng's voice was slightly hoarse. "You are my knight."
"Yes, Your Highness. I am your loyal knight."
Yu Deng's mind was still a little muddled. Irritated, he pushed the task of solving his "problem" onto Song Shiyu.
"So, you have to take responsibility and deal with it!"
The tall knight knelt before the delicate and beautiful little princess. His neat knight attire was slightly disheveled, and his own "problem" was clearly far greater than the princess's.
Without his glasses, Song Shiyu's eyes resembled a deep, icy pool. At this moment, faint ripples stirred within that cold depth, revealing a trace of magma hidden underneath.
"How would Your Highness like me to handle it?" Song Shiyu asked calmly, rigorously laying out the possibilities. "With my hands, my mouth… or some other method?"
T/N: I just saw someone left a review suggesting I add all the characters or the ML's soul fragments HAHAH. I kind of want to do it, but with how many characters there are, I can't even remember them all or count how many soul fragments the ML has 🤣 It's definitely not just 10… sorry, but I really can't fulfill that request.