INFINITE - 41
The panic was gone.
In its place...
Was quiet resolve.
Bell reached for the doorknob.
He took one final deep breath.
Then opened the door and stepped back outside.
Knowledge: 570+
…
As Bell stepped out of the bathroom, he was met by Marc, who had been waiting just outside with a worried expression.
Marc looked him over before asking softly, "Bell... are you okay?"
Bell met his gaze for a moment before putting on a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. Don't worry, I'm fine, Marc. Now let's go meet up with the others."
Although the concern on Marc's face didn't completely disappear, he chose to trust Bell's words. He simply nodded and followed behind him.
When the two returned to the room where the queens and the two princesses were waiting, Bell walked forward with firm, determined steps while Marc and Juro remained behind.
His eyes briefly wandered to Noria and Brea before he lowered his head into a respectful bow.
"I am deeply ashamed of myself for teaching such techniques to the princesses."
He slowly straightened himself, only to bow once more, this time directly toward Noria and Brea.
"Princess Noria, Princess Brea... I deeply apologize for not knowing more about that technique and for teaching you both something that could have been dangerous."
There wasn't the slightest hint of excuse in his voice. His apology was sincere.
Noria and Brea exchanged a glance before quickly stepping forward.
"Bell, please lift your head," Noria said gently. "It's not your fault that you didn't know everything about such an ancient technique."
Brea nodded in agreement.
"She's right, Bell. Besides, it was our decision to ask you to teach us in the first place."
Bray and Heler both smiled warmly.
"A child should never blame himself for something he had no way of knowing," Heler said. "It's only natural that you weren't aware of the side effects of an ancient technique."
Bell remained silent.
Bray continued with a calm smile.
"And actually... that technique can still be useful for our daughters."
Bell slowly lifted his head.
"Right after you stepped out," Bray explained, "Juro told us that the technique still has great potential, so long as it's used carefully and under the right circumstances."
Brea smiled before gently taking one of Bell's hands.
"Mother's right, Bell. Remember when you taught us? We were completely safe the whole time. We even felt relaxed and comfortable while practicing."
Marc immediately joined in with an encouraging grin.
"Yeah! You were really careful while teaching them, Bell. You even told me to stay quiet so I wouldn't distract them. Even if you didn't know everything, you were still doing your best to keep them safe."
Juro walked over and rested a hand on Bell's head.
"They're right, kid. There's no need to carry all that on your shoulders. If anything, it's impressive how quickly you learned it yourself and how naturally you were able to teach others."
Bell looked around the room.
Every face he saw carried the same expression.
There was no disappointment.
No blame.
Only genuine kindness.
A small smile slowly appeared on his face.
"...Thank you."
But beneath that smile lay something he refused to let anyone see.
Self-hatred.
Because unlike what everyone believed...
He did know.
He had known.
He had already experienced the consequences himself.
Everything they said came from kindness, believing he was simply an innocent child who hadn't known any better.
But Bell knew the truth.
Even so, he hid it all behind that gentle smile, choosing to comfort the people who were worried about him instead of revealing the burden he carried alone.
With that, the discussion came to an end, and Bell and Marc were officially appointed as the temporary assistants to the two princesses.
Once everything had settled, Marc turned to Noria with an eager smile.
"Noria, do you think we could go outside the castle? I wanted to check out the kingdom's major libraries."
Noria and Brea smiled at one another before walking over to their mother to ask for permission.
Both queens happily agreed.
Marc turned to Juro with a bright smile.
"You're coming with us too, right teacher juro?"
Juro let out a small chuckle and was about to answer when two voices called out from behind.
"Pardon us, sir Juro. May we have a moment of your time?"
Juro turned around and saw one of the knight commanders from earlier standing beside one of the kingdom's magisters.
Tilting his head slightly, he looked back at the children.
"You kids go on ahead. I'll catch up in a bit."
Marc smiled and nodded.
Before they left, Juro glanced at Bell.
"Look after them, Bell."
Bell simply nodded in response.
As the children began making their way toward the exit, Juro watched them with a faint smile before turning back to the two men.
"So, what can I help you with?"
The knight stepped forward and gave a respectful bow.
"My name is Gerl, one of the Knight Commanders of Nerlarnd."
The mage followed with his own introduction.
"And I am Fey, one of the kingdom's Magisters."
Juro smiled.
"Oh? What do two high-ranking individuals want with me?"
Gerl met Juro's eyes.
"The lead knight who escorted the princesses back to the kingdom reported that someone intercepted the unknown mages."
Fey continued.
"It was only a brief encounter, but the mages under my command also reported seeing you leap from the carriage, fly toward the attackers, and engage them."
Gerl folded his arms.
"We were hoping to hear your thoughts on those unknown mages. Perhaps together we can piece together who they were and why they specifically targeted the princesses."
Fey's expression became more solemn.
"While you may have already shared the details with His Majesty, we'd also like to hear them ourselves... especially since one of our lead mages never returned."
A brief silence followed.
Then Gerl spoke once more.
"Any information, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated, sir juro."
Juro smiled warmly.
"You don't have to be so formal with me. You can drop the 'sir.' Just call me Juro."
The two exchanged glances before smiling.
"Well then," Juro continued, "I'd be happy to discuss what happened and everything I know about the battle."
"Thank you, Juro," Gerl said with a grateful nod.
The knight commander and the magister then led him deeper into the castle to continue their discussion.
…
Meanwhile, Bell, Marc, Noria, and Brea had nearly reached the castle's main entrance when two royal knights stepped in front of them.
"Princesses," one of them said respectfully, "if you intend to leave the castle grounds, we strongly recommend allowing a knight and a mage to accompany you for your safety."
Both Noria and Brea frowned.
Before either of them could answer, Marc stepped forward confidently.
"Don't worry, Sir Knight! Me and my friend Bell will keep Princess Noria and Princess Brea safe!"
The two knights exchanged doubtful looks.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"It's alright. Let the children go."
Everyone turned around.
Queen Heler approached with a gentle smile.
"These two boys have already been officially appointed by the King himself as the princesses' temporary assistants. I trust they'll do their duties well."
Noria and Brea looked up at their mother and smiled.
The knights immediately straightened themselves.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Stepping aside, they pulled open the massive castle doors.
The moment Marc stepped outside, his eyes lit up with amazement.
"Wooow..."
The bustling capital stretched out before him.
Elegant stone streets wound between rows of colorful buildings, while merchants called out from lively market stalls filled with fruits, fabrics, magical tools, and all kinds of unfamiliar goods. People from every direction filled the streets, their conversations blending into the vibrant atmosphere of the kingdom.
Marc's head constantly turned from one side to the other, unable to decide what to look at first.
"There are so many people..."
As the castle gates slowly swung open, a beautifully crafted royal carriage was already waiting outside.
A royal coachman stepped forward, gave a respectful bow, and opened the carriage door for the four children.
"Whoa...! This carriage looks so cool!"
Marc's eyes sparkled as he admired the beautifully crafted royal carriage.
Noria and Brea couldn't help but chuckle.
"Come on," Brea said with a smile. "Get in."
The two princesses climbed inside first, followed by Marc, who eagerly stepped into the carriage. Bell entered right behind him and quietly took the seat beside him, while Marc settled across from Noria and Brea.
Once everyone was seated, the coachman respectfully asked,
"Where would Your Royal Highnesses like to go today?"
Brea glanced toward Marc.
"So, Marc, where would you like to explore first?"
Marc didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he found himself staring out the carriage window, completely absorbed by the bustling streets outside. People hurried through the roads, merchants called out to passing customers, and colorful storefronts stretched as far as he could see.
"Marc?" Noria called gently.
He blinked and quickly looked back at them.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" he said with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm just... really excited to be here. I've never seen this many people before... or such a huge kingdom."
Brea giggled.
"It's alright. Take your time looking around. If you see somewhere interesting, we can always stop and check it out."
Noria nodded in agreement.
Marc smiled gratefully before thinking for a moment.
"Hmm... I really want to visit the libraries here... but I also want to look around those street markets."
"Then let's do both," Noria replied with a smile.
She turned toward the coachman.
"Please take us to one of the kingdom's largest markets first."
"Right away, Your Royal Highness."
With a gentle pull of the reins, the horses began moving, and the royal carriage rolled through the capital.
Marc immediately returned to the window.
His eyes wandered everywhere.
The streets were packed with people going about their day. Families strolled together, merchants negotiated with customers, children laughed as they ran between stalls, and even unusual creatures walked alongside their owners like household pets.
Everything felt alive.
Marc could barely keep up with everything he wanted to look at.
After a while, he turned toward Bell with an excited grin.
"Bell! There are so many people here! Even more than that last village we stayed in!"
Bell smiled.
"Yeah."
Brea tilted her head.
"What village were you two staying in before?"
Marc scratched his cheek.
"Hmm... I think Teacher Juro called it... Lonan? I'm not really sure."
Noria's expression turned thoughtful.
"Lonan..."
"That name sounds familiar," Brea said.
She looked toward Bell.
"Isn't it one of the newer villages?"
Bell nodded.
"Yeah, it is."
"I see..." both sisters replied.
Not long after, the carriage gradually slowed.
"We've arrived," the coachman announced.
Outside, people immediately noticed the royal carriage pulling into the marketplace.
Conversations quieted as curious eyes turned toward it, wondering who would be stepping out.
The coachman climbed down first and opened the carriage door.
Noria stepped out gracefully, followed by Brea.
Marc eagerly hopped down next, while Bell calmly followed behind.
The moment the princesses appeared, nearby merchants lit up with excitement.
"Princess Noria!"
"Princess Brea!"
"Please have a look at our shop!"
"Our fresh fruits were picked this morning!"
"Try our handmade accessories!"
The two princesses simply smiled and waved warmly as they walked through the lively market.
Behind them, Marc's head constantly turned from left to right, fascinated by every stall they passed.
"There are so many..."
His eyes darted from grilled food to colorful fabrics, magical trinkets, fresh produce, and handcrafted ornaments, each stall more interesting than the last.
After walking for a short while, the group stopped in front of a bustling grill stand.
The stall owner immediately recognized the princesses.
"Your Royal Highnesses!" he greeted enthusiastically. "Would you care to try our famous sweet and spicy skewered meat? Fresh off the grill!"
The delicious aroma drifted through the air.
Marc's eyes widened.
"Whoa... They smell so good!"
Noria noticed his reaction and smiled.
"Would you like to try one, Marc?"
Marc instantly looked at her.
"Really?!"
Brea laughed softly.
"Of course. We're at the biggest market in the kingdom, after all."
Noria then turned to Bell.
"What about you, Bell? Would you like one too?"