While Con lay unconscious on the floor of his room, the city of Eldoria continued moving without him.
And far from the inn—
Princess Isabelle was leaving.
Her carriage rolled through the southern gate, escorted by her personal guards. The banners were hidden and the soldiers wore plain armor so no one would recognize them as royalty from Dermouth.
She sat inside the carriage, staring out through the curtains.
Her expression was dark.
"…what a waste."
Her attendant sitting across from her hesitated.
"My lady?"
Isabelle crossed her arms.
"Three weeks of searching. Ruins, records, witnesses… nothing."
Not a single clue about the Divine Mirror.
Only empty legends and crumbling stones.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"And that blind mercenary…"
Her cheeks faintly colored before she scowled.
"…completely wasted my time."
The attendant blinked carefully.
Isabelle continued grumbling under her breath.
"Running after me like that… hugging me… then collapsing like some tragic hero."
Her ears turned red again.
"…ridiculous man."
Outside the carriage, the convoy continued along the forest road leading away from Eldoria.
After another hour of travel—
The guards slowed.
Another group was approaching from the opposite direction.
Three wagons.
Several men walking beside them.
They wore the robes of traveling scholars.
Books hung from their belts.
Scroll cases strapped to their backs.
Isabelle watched them quietly through the carriage window.
The two groups passed each other slowly on the narrow road.
One of the scholars glanced toward her carriage.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
The man's gaze lingered.
Sharp.
Calculating.
Isabelle's instincts immediately stirred.
Strange.
Scholars rarely traveled in groups like this.
And the way they looked around the convoy…
They were observing too carefully.
Her guard captain leaned toward the carriage window.
"My lady?"
Isabelle shook her head slightly.
"Keep moving."
"Understood."
She looked away from the scholars.
Getting involved would be foolish.
If her identity was discovered here, it could create serious problems.
Dermouth and Eldoria had fought several wars in the past.
Even if peace existed now, tensions remained.
The last thing she needed was attention from strangers.
So the convoy continued on its way.
The scholars disappeared behind them on the road.
But after the royal convoy vanished—
The scholars stopped walking.
One of them turned back toward the direction of Eldoria.
"…did you feel that?"
Another man nodded slowly.
"Yes."
A third spoke quietly.
"…someone interfered with the guardians."
The first scholar's eyes darkened.
"So the dungeon was discovered."
Silence fell between them.
Then the second man said calmly,
"…then we must hurry."
The third nodded.
"If the summoning circle was exposed, the authorities will eventually notice."
The first scholar adjusted the scroll case on his shoulder.
"…no."
His voice was cold.
"We cannot allow that."
He looked toward the distant city.
"…the ritual must begin immediately."
Two days later.
Con slowly opened his eyes.
Pain greeted him instantly.
His head throbbed.
His limbs felt heavy.
"…ugh."
The wooden floor beneath him felt painfully cold.
He blinked slowly.
Confusion filled his mind.
Then memory returned.
The dungeon.
The rune magic.
The teleportation spell.
Con jerked upright.
"…how long—"
His body swayed violently.
Weakness flooded through him.
Too much mana had been drained.
He grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself.
Then he tilted his head.
Listening.
Something felt wrong.
The city sounded…
different.
Too quiet.
Too tense.
Con forced himself to stand.
He staggered toward the door and pulled it open.
The hallway was empty.
Downstairs, the innkeeper was speaking with someone in a worried tone.
"…half the district gone…"
"…mages still investigating…"
Con's heart dropped.
He rushed down the stairs.
"Excuse me."
The innkeeper turned.
"Ah— you're awake!"
"How long was I unconscious?"
The innkeeper frowned.
"…two days."
Con's stomach tightened.
"…two…"
He rushed past the man and out into the street.
The moment he stepped outside—
He froze.
Even without sight, the devastation was obvious.
The air smelled like burned stone and dust.
His hearing stretched across the city.
People whispering.
Carriages moving debris.
Soldiers shouting orders.
And far in the distance—
Nothing.
An entire part of the city had fallen silent.
Con walked forward slowly.
Then stopped.
"…what happened?"
Someone nearby answered bitterly.
"Something exploded."
"Half the northern district was wiped out."
"Mages say it wasn't a normal attack."
Con's hands trembled slightly.
His mind immediately returned to the chamber beneath the city.
The rune magic.
The scholars.
His chest tightened painfully.
I was too late.