Chapter 64

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Confrontation
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Ultimately, Calix, Oscar, Griffith, and Romeo stormed out of the banquet midway through.

They figured they had shown their faces long enough to avoid suspicion.

They headed for the west wing of the imperial palace, where the honored guests were staying.

The banquet was still in full swing, so they were the only ones in the west wing's guest rooms.

As soon as they were inside Romeo’s room with the door locked, Griffith asked.

“So you were able to track it?”

“I was, but…”

Romeo tilted his head in confusion.

“What is it?”

“…It seems to be close by.”

“…What?”

Wondering if he’d misheard, Oscar tilted his head.

Calix and Griffith also looked dumbfounded.

“If my guess is correct… No, I’m certain. Whether it’s the one who stole the fountain pen or the one who killed Leo.”

“…”

“They’re in the capital. Very close.”

The gazes of the other three turned to Romeo.

Meeting their stares, Romeo smirked.

“Let’s move.”

In the early dawn, three days before the final day of the banquet.

It was an hour so early that even the first merchants of the day had yet to open their shops.

Beneath a dark blue sky, four men in black robes stopped before a building.

It was the inn where Lellia was staying.

“This is the place?”

“It is. For now… I suppose we’ll have to wait. It’s bound to be one of the people coming and going from here today.”

Late in the morning.

Lellia slowly crawled out of bed.

After unhurriedly washing up, the first thing she did was open the ‘Alchemy Lottery’ screen.

“Hmm… I’ve collected quite a bit.”

Lellia checked the materials the dragons had gathered overnight.

She then hurried to the crafting screen and pressed the craft button, using the materials she’d gathered.

“Finally, it’s done! The villagers’ affinity.”

The rabbit villager’s affinity was now at 99.999%.

Once she handed over this item, her work on the villagers’ affinity would be complete.

With a light heart, Lellia pressed the complete button.

[Master! Congratulations! All villagers’ affinity levels have reached their maximum! ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭*✩ As a reward, we’re offering you 100,000 Crystals at a 20% discount!(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑]

*I was wondering when this would pop up. This scam of a system…*

The offer was only valid for two hours.

Lellia coolly decided to make the purchase. After all, the more Crystals, the better.

As soon as she purchased the Crystals, another message bubble appeared.

[Congratulations, Master! Special Affinity, Hidden Quests, and Special Recipes are now unlocked!٩(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و To celebrate, we’re offering you 50,000 Crystals at a 20% discount!]

“Seriously…”

Lellia pressed a hand to the back of her neck for a moment. But she quickly composed herself and bought the Crystals again.

When she returned to the main screen, she saw new buttons for Special Affinity and Special Recipes.

Curious, she tapped them, but all that appeared was a gray screen with a large [?].

“Whatever. I’m hungry, so I’ll get something to eat first.”

Lellia threw on her robe, grabbed some money, and left her room.

She headed for a nearby brunch spot she had scouted out the day before.

It was tucked away down a narrow alley, but it was an incredible place to eat.

Lellia hummed to herself as she walked, as if on a leisurely stroll.

But just as she had rounded a couple of corners in the alley…

*Ding, ding.*

A notification sound chimed unexpectedly. Lellia glanced around for a moment before pressing the gem on her necklace to bring up the screen.

A cheerful-looking alchemy tool appeared on the screen, followed by a message bubble.

[Master! <4> Special Affinity targets are approaching within a 2-meter radius! Complete the Hidden Quest to raise their affinity and unlock the Special Recipe!(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]

*Wait. What did that say?*

Lellia blinked in bewilderment and reread the message.

*Special Affinity targets? Four of them?*

*And what? Within a 2-meter radius? What is that supposed to mean…?*

Just then.

A chilling shadow fell over her.

“!”

Lellia’s body froze as she felt a sudden surge of killing intent from behind.

At the same time, a low voice reached her ears.

“Lellia Auraria.”

*Who is that? They know my name?*

Lellia slowly turned around.

The moment she saw the figures radiating such killing intent.

Lellia’s legs nearly gave out from under her.

“Seeing as you reacted, I take it that’s your name.”

The man with a black cloth covering his eyes said with a smirk.

*Wha-what…*

Lellia stared at them, her body tense. Four large men stood before her, looking down at her.

Their gazes were sharp enough to tear her to shreds.

And in that moment.

The man with the black blindfold pulled it down and asked.

“Was it you? Did you kill my friend?”

His voice was so cold it felt as if it could kill on its own.

“…”

*What did he just say?*

“You killed the former Crown Prince, and I hear the murderer has been living in luxury as a princess?”

A handsome, blond man followed up with a sweet smile. His eyes, however, looked like they could kill someone without breaking that smile.

“…”

Lellia was utterly dumbfounded.

In that moment, a strange sense of déjà vu shot through her mind like an arrow.

*Wait, it couldn’t be…*

Just then.

“Answer me. Why did you kill him?”

The brown-haired man spoke through clenched teeth. His eyes were thick with killing intent, resentment, and hatred.

And behind him…

“I’m going to torture you in the most painful way imaginable before I kill you.”

His beastly red eyes glinted menacingly. As soon as the words left his mouth, the silver-haired man drew the sword from his hip.

“Ah, ahhh!”

Lellia was so startled she let out a strange cry and stumbled backward.

Following the red-eyed man’s lead, the others began to draw their swords.

*What, are they really going to kill me? Wait…!*

Lellia continued to back away until she stumbled and fell to the ground.

*N-No way…*

It’s always the thing you think is impossible. A horrifying certainty sent shivers down her spine.

The man with black hair and a menacing expression had to be…

*Calix.*

The one who looked like he could rip a person’s mouth apart while smiling… the blond with blue eyes had to be Romeo.

And the brown-haired man who looked completely unhinged was Griffith.

And finally, those red eyes…

*Oscar…? No, it couldn’t be Oscar.*

Lellia blinked several times as she looked up at them.

I mean, she could believe the others.

*Is that… Oscar?*

Honestly, she could see traces of their younger selves in the other three. But Oscar… Oscar was…

The Oscar she remembered was a tiny, fragile, sniffling little kitten.

As Lellia stared blankly at him, the man she assumed was Oscar spoke.

“No, killing her quickly would be a waste. Let’s take her somewhere quiet, pull out her nails, and cut off her fingers, joint by joint.”

*Ah, no. That’s not Oscar.*

Oscar wasn’t the kind of person who could say something like that.

*It can’t be,* Lellia thought, her mind racing to find a way out of the situation.

But in that instant.

A shadow fell over her. Then, a sharp blow struck a pressure point on the nape of her neck, and she lost consciousness.