Chapter 56

“Dream tracing… That’s incredibly dangerous.”

Kahn muttered blankly, cutting off the physician’s words.

Dream tracing was a perilous magic. Very few people could even use it, and even then, it required a skilled mage to intervene in someone’s dream.

In other words, the caster themselves did not enter; rather, it was important that someone closely connected to the dreamer entered instead.

“If it’s dream tracing, I can do it. The problem is—who’s going to go in…”

Freddy spoke up, though his expression was troubled.

The danger of dream tracing lay in the fact that one could never be certain of the target’s state of consciousness. If something went wrong, the one who entered could also be in grave danger.

Especially if the dream tracing involved someone under a curse of black magic—then the survival rate was very low. Black magic belonged to the darkest shadows, where too little information was known.

It was fortunate that Freddy could perform dream tracing, but whether it was truly fortunate was another matter. It could just as easily become false hope—torment disguised as salvation.

He couldn’t shake the unease. It felt as if the fact that this incident occurred right where he was had to be someone’s scheme.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.’

Freddy had spoken up because he couldn’t just ignore Allen’s despair, but he was already regretting it. If Allen stubbornly insisted on entering, all of his efforts would be in vain.

Still, he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Your Highness, you really know this magic?”

Freddy nodded grimly. At that moment, an unexpected person volunteered. Viena spoke up.

“I’ll go in.”

“No. I won’t allow it.”

Freddy’s face hardened as he refused. If something happened to Viena, he would never forgive himself.

No brother would willingly send his sister into danger. Viena’s resentful gaze bore into him at his firm refusal.

“So you’d rather just let Roni die like this?!”

“If you go in, then I won’t cast the spell.”

“Your Highness!”

Viena’s eyes grew wet, her expression heartbreaking. Just then, Allen stepped forward.

“I’ll do it.”

It was hard to believe this was the same man who, moments ago, had broken down crying like a child. His expression was resolute. He clearly understood the danger of the magic.

Even so, he couldn’t stand by and watch Roni die. He was willing to risk his life.

“But your condition isn’t good. Even if you’ve received healing magic, the taint of black magic on you hasn’t been fully cured.”

“It doesn’t matter. There’s no greater torment than just letting Roni die.”

“Allen! What are you saying? You’re still a patient! It makes more sense for me to go—!”

Viena tried to stop him, but Allen’s icy glare silenced her. His expression was firm, as though warning her not to interfere.

“You were a patient yourself until just a moment ago. Or have you forgotten you were unconscious?”

“But… right now you’re in worse condition than I am…”

“This is between me and Roni. Don’t get involved any further. You’ll only get in the way.”

Allen’s harsh words forced Viena to bite her lip. The line he had drawn between them was like a towering wall.

Freddy hesitated. He hadn’t expected Viena to step forward, and now the situation was even more complicated.

Sending Allen might be the best option… but if Allen died, it would be a disaster. He was an invaluable talent.

But if the princess died and Allen survived, could he truly remain unaffected?

After weighing the question, Freddy made his decision. Allen would go.

Perhaps sensing Freddy’s thoughts, Allen pressed him.

“Just cast the spell. If I return alive, I will pledge my loyalty to you, Your Highness, as you wish.”

“…Is that truly so?”

It was a tempting offer. Normally, Freddy wouldn’t engage in such gamble-like deals, but since it had to be done anyway, he figured it wasn’t a bad idea to gain something from it.

If he allowed the princess to die when he could have acted, Allen would forever become his enemy. Freddy didn’t want that.

“…Very well. Let’s do it.”

When Freddy agreed, Allen let out a sigh of relief. Viena, watching him, whispered sorrowfully.

“You have to come back alive.”

“I will. I must.”

“I’m sorry… I’ve been no help at all and only made things worse.”

She hung her head as though it were all her fault. Allen replied.

“This isn’t something Harry Romanit could have orchestrated alone. There’s someone behind him. While I’m inside, you need to find out who it is.”

“Allen…”

“From the looks of it, His Highness seems pretty lenient with you. I’m sure he’ll let you conduct a proper investigation.”

Allen gave a faint smile as he glanced between Freddy and Viena. Viena wanted to protest—How can you smile at a time like this?—but she held her tongue.

Soon, they moved to a room for the dream tracing ritual. Allen lay on the large bed beside Roni, closing his eyes.

Before casting the spell, Freddy warned him once more.

“You can still change your mind. You really could die.”

Allen opened his eyes briefly to look at Roni’s pale, unconscious face. His voice was heavy with sorrow.

“I do not fear death.”

‘What I fear more is a life without her.’

He swallowed those words, for there was no need to say them aloud.

Freddy scowled at Allen’s stubbornness.

“As I thought, Viena is far too good for you. You’re a troublesome man—so damn obstinate.”

“I never said I’d take her with me.”

“…Even that response is irritating.”

Freddy sighed at Allen’s unyielding attitude, even in this situation. Then he began the incantation. Allen’s consciousness grew hazy.

Just before his awareness was cut off, Freddy’s voice echoed faintly.

“Find the source of the poison and cut it down immediately. In the unconscious world, it could appear in any form, so be careful. And even if you find the princess, beware—it could be a fake. Return alive. I’ll be waiting.”

Roni’s dreamscape was bleak. Rain pattered endlessly outside the window. Allen scanned his surroundings in search of her.

The room was filled with a stench so pungent it made his face twist in disgust. The architecture was foreign, unlike anything he had seen before.

Something squished under his foot with a wet splutch. Looking down, Allen saw milk spilling from a crushed carton-sized box.

He recoiled in surprise at the unfamiliar object, lifting his foot quickly. Dipping a finger into the white liquid, he sniffed it. A sour, dairy-like smell reached his nose. He had never seen milk stored in such a paper container.

The mold creeping along the walls and the unfamiliar urban scenery beyond the window left him disoriented. Buildings of identical height rose skyward, all the same shape and size.

Nothing was familiar. Allen wondered if perhaps he wasn’t even in the Ron Empire anymore.

Just then, he heard someone nearby. Turning, he saw a short-haired girl sitting alone, playing with toys.

The girl didn’t look much like Roni, except for her black hair. With her round, dark eyes, she tilted her head when she noticed Allen.

“Who are you?”

Instead of recoiling in fear, she calmly approached him. Most children would have screamed at a stranger, but not her.

She showed no wariness of strangers at all. Seeing Allen’s damp shoe, she tugged lightly at his trouser leg.

“Sorry I didn’t clean it up earlier…”

Of course, it wasn’t her fault. He was the one who had stepped on it. Yet she bowed her head, trembling as though she were to blame.

Allen crouched to meet her gaze and gently patted her head.

The girl flinched, trembling at the sudden touch. Her reaction reminded Allen of how he himself had once trembled in Roni’s presence.

She must have thought he was going to hit her. Her hypersensitive response made Allen hesitate for a moment.

Then he recalled what Roni used to say to him back then—words that always reassured him.

She would always tell him, It’s all right. You’ll be okay.

After she had changed, those words had become his favorite. A smile spread across his lips as he spoke them to the girl.

“It’s okay. None of this is your fault.”

The girl raised her head at his comforting words, her innocent eyes strangely reminiscent of Roni’s.

Just as nostalgia welled up inside him, he noticed bruises peeking from under her short-sleeved dress. She had been abused.

Who is this child? Why is she here in Roni’s dream?

No matter how much Allen pondered, he couldn’t figure out who she might be. Not only the girl, but everything—the buildings, the objects—was unfamiliar. It was like he had stepped into an entirely different world.

Suddenly, the girl beamed and threw her arms around him.

“Sohui prayed, and an angel came down from the sky, didn’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“You’re an angel, right? Aren’t you?”

The girl had mistaken Allen for an angel. Her innocent question left him at a loss.

An angel… how childlike. Yet her pureheartedness was endearing. He himself had once believed in angels.

As Allen awkwardly looked at her, the girl peeked up at him with a bright expression. And then, hearing her next words, Allen’s smile faded.