Chapter 223: Breathing is Important

In the “base camp,” where the girls were enjoying their little tea party, a sudden burst of light erupted in the hallway just outside their room.

“Oh, is that him?” Eve commented casually.

But Sophia sprang to her feet, practically racing toward the door as it swung open. Like a kid excited to welcome her parent home.

“I’m ba—”

Just as Rico was entering, Sophia leaped into his embrace, catching the man off guard.

“Your Majesty!” he gasped. “That’s dangerous!” He quickly chastised the playful princess.

Despite his lanky appearance, he was strong enough to avoid falling when she jumped on him. He caught her firmly, holding her in a tight embrace.

“But I missed you, after all!”

Sophia retorted, growing angry before Rico could respond.

“I mean, the role you played is quite perilous. I was worried sick that you’d get injured or captured or something!”

“I have the Return Scroll from Goddess Eve, so I would be fine, no matter what…” he sighed, a thin smile crossing his lips. “But still, thanks for worrying.”

“You…”

At that moment, Tiffany spoke up, looking bewildered. “You’re really speaking clearly now, huh?”

“Huh?”

Rico turned to her, scratching his head.

“Ah, it’s all thanks to the potion that Goddess Eve gave me earlier. It fixed my stutter like magic.”

Before, he could only speak clearly when he was deeply focused. But now, thanks to the Greater Recovery Potion that Eve had given him, which resolved the issue in his brain, he could talk like a normal person.

This was somewhat of a reward for him, considering he had been thrust into the dangerous role of instigating the Emperor himself.

“I see…” Tiffany shrugged, appearing somewhat uninterested. “Still, did you succeed in the plan? Don’t tell me you ran here after failing your task…”

“Ah!”

Only then did he remember his duty.

Without hesitation, he knelt before Eve and the others to report his mission.

“Goddesses, I have succeeded in my mission. I activated the Scroll of Capsaicin Mist, causing everyone inside the throne room to contract a violent, uncontrollable cough,” he said.

“And also, as instructed, I led them to believe that it’s due to a curse. They should be panicking right about now.”

Right.

It wasn’t that Rico had “truly” cursed everyone in the castle.

Rather, it was merely for show. To kick things off, to incite panic, to instill fear in their hearts.

Honestly, it was also intended as a lighthearted prank on everyone… It served as a brief moment of laughter before their heads rolled on the ground.

“I see. Good job,” Arianne responded on behalf of everyone. “Now we should seal up the castle. Who will do it? Shall I?”

“…I guess it’s my turn?”

In response to her question, Nina stood up and stretched.

With a wave of her hand, a staff appeared in one hand and an Advanced Voodoo Doll in the other.

“Just making them unable to leave the castle is enough, right?” she asked for clarification.

Eve nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Alright.”

Nina closed her eyes, her body oriented toward the castle over 10 kilometers away. It was a considerable distance, but with her staff and the range boost from her accessories, it was within her capability.

“Fari tal Yieva sec tii…”

Her cold voice echoed through the room as she chanted syllables that seemed nonsensical. Everyone watched her intently, with Tiffany even clasping her hands together, almost as if in prayer.

Her chant was brief.

It wasn’t a full ritual curse, merely an advanced one.

“Curse of the Mirror Maze!”

As she shouted the name of the curse, a wave of black energy surged from her staff, shooting through the roof and heading east, toward the castle in the city center.

The dark energy reached its target in mere seconds, striking the tallest tower.

From there, a black film, a sort of barrier, spread out, enveloping the entire castle. It extended about a kilometer in radius, enough to encompass the castle itself, the protective surrounding walls, and even the hidden passages deep underground.

“W-What’s this?!”

Those inside the curse’s range immediately noticed a change.

All the walls, floors, and ceilings became reflective, resembling mirrors. They could see everything reflecting infinitely, which caused disorientation.

But that wasn’t all.

Their own reflections were distorted—different in various ways, though not immediately recognizable. Each reflection presented a different variation, heightening the sense of incongruity everyone experienced.

“Phew…” Nina let out a soft sigh. “With this, nobody should be able to leave the castle.”

The main objective of the Curse of the Mirror Maze was to confuse those trapped inside, specifically targeting their sense of distance and direction. Even if they felt like they were walking forward, they might actually be moving backward instead.

With this enchantment in place, there was no way anyone would be able to escape…

“Alright,” Eve said as she stood up. “I guess it’s almost time for us to move.”

Glancing at the clock, she noted that Crow’s preparations should be underway by now.

Outside, soldiers began to feel lethargic, dizzy, or nauseous—enough that their efficiency plummeted. Some even collapsed, dozing off right where they stood.

“So it’s time…”

Sophia finally released her hold on Rico, her expression taking on a resolute demeanor.

Everyone in the room rose to their feet, adjusting their appearances. After a moment, Eve turned to Sophia and Tiffany, nodding. “Then, lead the way.”

Following their plan, they would navigate through a secret passage to enter the castle while avoiding detection.

Though it wasn’t strictly necessary—Eve and the others could have marched through the front and still reached their goal—doing so would undoubtedly result in many casualties. Not everyone was as skilled at restraining themselves as Fenrir and Arianne were.

Yes, the main reason they’re taking the secret passage is to avoid as much bloodshed as possible.

All of them, including Sophia, Tiffany, and Rico, wore Hermit Robes before leaving their base of operations. With the two Empire Princesses leading the way, they followed the convoluted alleyways, heading toward a specific destination.

After about ten minutes, they finally reached a notable landmark.

“So this is the Old Church…?” Ria muttered to herself.

“Yes, it is,” Rico replied, even though he knew his answer was rhetorical.

The silence during their march was so unbearable that he felt compelled to talk about anything.

“This is the Old Church of Ophens, the original and main religion followed by the Empire,” he clarified. “However, about ten years ago, it was overtaken by a new religion, the Lilucra Church. Since then, the Church of Ophens has been losing its influence over the Empire and was eventually banished.”

The girls listened attentively as they observed the large structure.

It was a massive building, yet it was a pity to see it left to rot like this. Vandals had ravaged the interiors, leaving the ceiling riddled with holes and the walls defaced with strange colors and graffiti.

“This used to be their main cathedral. It’s also the reason why there’s a secret passage leading to the castle here.”

The girls entered the church through the broken door.

The inside wasn’t much better than the outside. It was chaotic, ravaged by both time and human hands. Stone chairs lay reduced to rubble, pillars were broken and fallen, and stained glass had shattered, leaving only a few small colored blots remaining.

Following Tiffany’s lead, with Sophia right behind her, they entered a specific room.

The confession room.

From there, they approached a particular wall and began to touch it, feeling for something… searching.

“Ah!”

Sophia was the first to raise her voice as her hand pressed a brick into the wall, producing the sound of mechanisms echoing within. It was a switch—the “key” to entering the secret passage.

Rumbling sounds and faint vibrations filled the room for a few seconds.

Soon, a section of the wall opened up, revealing a dusty, narrow staircase leading deep into the darkness. The air that wafted up from below was lukewarm and definitely stale.

“Wait, let me…” Arianne interrupted.

They weren’t about to descend just yet.

This passage hadn’t been used in a long time—decades, in fact. It wouldn’t be surprising if the stagnant air down there was enough to asphyxiate them.

They needed to “aerate” the passage first.

Of course, despite her preference for swords over magic, Arianne had learned a few spells, including those related to wind. However, she didn’t employ a spell in the usual manner.

“Haaah…”

Instead, she drew her sword and held it forward, her eyes narrowed as she stared into the dark passage below. Slowly, she raised the blade, mana converging along its shaft.

Then, wind began to wrap around the blade.

Powerful drafts surged through the various openings in the area. The air felt as if it were being forcefully replaced and recirculated.

“Hap!”

Once enough wind enveloped her sword, she swung it forward.

The wind shot out, spiraling like a tornado, drawing in fresh air while expelling the stale. Even the dust that had accumulated over the years was blown away.

“That should do.” Arianne nodded, sheathing her sword.

She wasn’t certain where the air she pushed would escape, but it should lead somewhere within the castle—a place that would eventually serve as their exit.

But that wasn’t relevant.

What mattered was that they could now proceed safely.

“Let’s get going, shall we?”

They faced a distance of ten kilometers to traverse. Without running, it would take a couple of hours before they arrived.

Until then…

The Emperor could still live in fear a bit longer.

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