"As always, space magic is very fascinating..."
The governor's voice carried a calm curiosity as he stared at the imprisoned dark wizard.
The transparent cube hovered silently in the air and its edges were faintly shimmering with pale silver light. Inside, the dark wizard struggled like a trapped insect. His movements were slow and distorted as if the very space around him had thickened.
Occasionally, his hands slammed against the invisible wall. Each time his palm struck the barrier, the ripples spread across the cube like the waves on water.
Even though so, the barrier never weakened. The magic remained perfectly stable, suppressing every attempt at resistance.
"Not only can it contain anything," the governor continued thoughtfully, "It also blocks the external magic. Looking at the man inside, even if he tries to cast another spell, it will be useless."
"You seem to know a lot about space magic, Governor…"
Princess Riquel stood beside him with her hands that were resting lightly behind her back. Her tone was casual though her eyes remained locked on the captive wizard.
"It is indeed stronger than most other forms of magic but it is also extremely rare. Only those of royal blood may inherit the potential for it, and even then, not everyone can use it."
The governor nodded slowly, "Yes… I've heard the same. Even you, Your Highness, cannot simply wield it freely without few years of training."
Princess Riquel smiled faintly, "After all, space magic is not a toy…"
For a brief moment, her gaze drifted toward the cube again. The dark wizard inside was still struggling desperately, yet his movements were gradually slowing down. Without access to mana, even a powerful wizard would eventually exhaust himself.
Princess Riquel turned toward him, "Governor… your fire snakes were also quite impressive. Such excellence, I really wonder how you train yourself until such perfection."
The governor smiled modestly, "Though I'm only blessed with fire element, I try to find my own way to cope with magic development. After all, the world is always moving forward. Not only that, I also train as a knight."
"You focus on both paths?" the princess asked with slightly surprised expression.
"Yes... I prefer having few options so I can handle with every situation…" he shrugged, "If one day I cannot rely on the magic, at least I still have my body to struggle."
"That must require a great deal of effort…"
"It does…" he admitted, "But, the survival is worth the trouble."
The governor's eyes briefly scanned the surrounding rooftops as he spoke. His expression remained relaxed, yet a trace of vigilance lingered beneath it. As the ruler of Luminos City, the caution had long become his instinct.
Still, nothing around them seemed suspicious.
Everything appeared calm, too calm that he wondered whether the dangerous event had already been stopped or it was just resurfacing.
A faint wind moved along the rooftops, carrying the distant murmur of the crowd that gathered below. From the street, the curious citizens craned their necks to watch the floating cube, whispering among themselves while the soldiers forced them to keep their distance.
The rumors had already begun spreading.
Some believed the prisoner was a notorious dark wizard who had secretly infiltrated the city. The others whispered that he had attempted to assassinate a noble.
No one knew the truth yet the sight of a royal princess who was personally handling the situation was enough to make the tension grow heavier.
The governor listened quietly to the distant voices. To ordinary citizens, the scene might look under control but the experience told him otherwise.
When the danger truly disappeared, the atmosphere usually relaxed.
Today, however, the air still felt strangely tight. It was almost as if something unseen was watching from the shadows.
*****
Hidden far away, Baston listened patiently. Neither of them moved and neither seemed in any hurry.
They were simply waiting for the special sealing instruments to arrive which was the tools that were designed specifically to restrain such dangerous wizard, especially the one that was capable of explosion magic.
Below the street, several armored guards were already clearing the area. The messengers ran through the crowd while the city soldiers established a temporary perimeter.
Clearly, the authorities intended to treat the incident with absolute caution.
The authorities intended to make sure the dark wizard would never be able to gather mana again which meant Baston had very little time left.
If the sealing tools arrived first, the dark wizard would be taken into custody and his opportunity would disappear. In the end, there would be another possible punishment from the book.
A quiet sigh escaped him, "Looks like I really have no choice. I have to fasten the construction of my combined magic…"
This was the only moment he could get even if the chances were slim.
He stared through the puppet's vision toward the floating cube. The target was perfectly trapped and yet, that was precisely the problem.
A direct attack would be impossible unless the spell could pierce the space itself.
A normal spell would simply disperse which was why he had spent months constructing a strange combined magic that was designed specifically for situations like this. He had to gather enough power to pierce the magic cube.
Whether it would work or not, even he didn't know. He rarely relied on uncertain methods.
Normally, he preferred the careful preparation, layers of backup plans, and a clear path of retreat.
Acting without certainty was not his style.
However, the situation had forced his hand.
The dark wizard inside the cube knew too much. If the man were captured alive and interrogated by the authorities, countless hidden matters might surface.
That possibility alone made the risk unacceptable.
He adjusted the flow of mana inside the puppet, slowly stabilizing the two conflicting spell structures.
The process was delicate that even the slightest imbalance could cause the spell to collapse before it was released. At worse, it could explode inside the puppet itself.
*****
Another puppet soon emerged from the old book.
Its form twisted and reshaped itself until a familiar figure appeared. A man who was dressed like a clown with a white mask and a painted smile.
Joker finally existed once again after his existence disappeared from the world.
Baston had not used this identity for a very long time.
Originally, it was nothing more than a small disguise for a simple deception in a town yet somehow, it kept proving useful. Especially now, where he needed someone to bear all the blame.
Joker then transformed into a small bird.
It fluttered silently through an open window of a nearby building. At the moments later, the bird landed in the shadows of an abandoned room.
Its body stretched, its bones shifted, and its feathers dissolved into cloth. Within few seconds, a man stood there. The bird transformed into Joker secretly without anyone knowing.
The clown stared silently toward the street where the princess and the governor remained.
There was a small distance between them and the magic cube. If the attack misfired, at least it wouldn't hit the princess directly.
Baston inhaled slowly since he had only one chance.
If he failed, the princess would instantly treat it as an assassination attempt. The soldiers below would soon swarm the building.
Even worse, if the governor identified his magic attribute, Luminos City would begin searching for the same wizard in the area.
The investigation would inevitably lead to him but the puppet felt none of those worries. It had no fear and no hesitation since it only had a purpose to serve him.
The mana soon gathered quietly inside its body. Two spells intertwined and a forbidden combination that he had been experimenting with for months started to accumulate.
The air began to distort faintly. Even the surrounding dust trembled as the mana density rose.
*****
Meanwhile, the princess and the governor continued their conversation.
"I wonder what brings you to Luminos City, Princess," the governor asked.
Princess Riquel shrugged casually, "It's nothing important. I simply needed a vacation."
"A vacation?"
"I was bored in the capital..." she smiled faintly, "Eventually, I decided to wander around."
The governor nodded, "If you wish, I can assign several escorts to accompany you during your stay. They could guide you through the city and ensure your safety."
"That won't be necessary," she replied immediately, "After all, I already have my own bodyguards. Also, too many attendants would attract much attention."
The governor chuckled, "Fair enough…"
Then, he asked more, "I hope your visit has been pleasant so far."
Princess Riquel glanced at the trapped wizard, "It was… At least, until today…"
Her expression darkened slightly, "And to make matters worse… I failed to poach someone who I deemed as interesting."
"Poach?" the governor repeated and he was puzzled.
"Yes…"
He thought for a moment, "The old knight Tasco?"
She immediately shook her head, "That old knight is far too stubborn."
"Then who?"
Princess Riquel hesitated before she sighed, "He was just a fat boy."
"A fat boy?"
"Yes… I couldn't understand what he was thinking that day…"
Her voice trailed off and then, something flashed from the distance. A thin beam of light tore through the air.
It moved so fast that even the experienced people barely perceived it. The beam struck the magic cube. For a split second, nothing happened but the impossible occurred.
The beam pierced through the space itself, making the protected barrier ruptured. A perfect circular hole suddenly appeared on its surface.
Princess Riquel's eyes widened, "What?"
Inside the cube, the dark wizard's body jerked violently and then, his head exploded. The blood and the fragments splattered against the interior cube space.
The silence quickly followed and it was a horrible silence. Even the surrounding crowd stopped breathing.
The dark wizard was assassinated instantly and cleanly. There was no magic signature remained.
Princess Riquel's gaze turned cold. The next moment, she quickly vanished from her spot. Her body dissolved into a ripple of space as she teleported toward the direction of the attack.
*****
Inside the distant building, Baston exhaled slowly, "Success…"
He had done it and the target was dead. Now, he only needed to leave. However, before the puppet could move, a voice sounded behind him.
"Leaving already?"
Baston's instincts screamed. Without hesitation, he forced the puppet to leap from its spot. Princess Riquel stood only a few steps away and her expression was terrifyingly calm.
For a brief moment, their eyes met. Even through the puppet, he felt an unusual pressure.
The puppet didn't even attempt to fight. Instead, it jumped straight through the window. The body rolled across the rooftop before landing on the street below.
"Don't even think about escaping," the princess said coldly.
The space twisted around her and another cube began forming.
The clown sprinted forward immediately. The cube descended but he slipped past its edge at the last second.
Princess Riquel frowned, "Interesting…"
She teleported again and again, each time appearing closer. The chase unknowingly had begun.
*****
The clown ran through narrow alleys. Behind him, the fire snakes slithered through the air. The governor finally had joined the pursuit, making Baston gritted his teeth.
He could destroy the snakes with ice magic but that would expose him. Luminos City would start hunting every ice user. He couldn't allow that so he kept running.
However, the princess grew impatient.
The next cube was enormous, large enough to swallow an entire house. There was nowhere left to dodge and the space sealed rapidly. It shrank until there was only a space to move for just one person.
When the cube stopped shrinking, the clown stood trapped inside.
Princess Riquel arrived seconds later, breathing slightly faster than before. Surely, the space magic took a big amount of energy from the caster. The governor followed behind her and the princess stared at the prisoner.
"Who are you?" her eyes burned with anger, "What do you want? Did someone send you to assassinate me?"
There were three questions, all were sharp and all were deadly.
Inside the cube, the clown tilted his head, "Hmm… three questions at once?"
By then, he spoke further, "My name is Joker…"
He pointed casually toward the distant street, "I only came to kill the dark wizard and as for your final question…"
He shrugged, "Why would I bother killing someone like you? In my eyes, you have no price."
Princess Riquel's expression darkened, "You dare…"
"Silence!" the governor snapped, "You should be grateful the princess allows you to speak. Unlike the dark wizard, you still gain your freedom."
Baston silently observed the cube. It was such an interesting operation. The dark wizard earlier had shouted inside the cube yet no sound escaped.
However, Joker could speak which meant the princess had intentionally allowed it. Perhaps, she wanted the answers or perhaps, she simply wanted someone to insult.
The clown grinned, "Well, since I still have my mouth, why shouldn't I use it?"
He glanced at the princess, "Actually… maybe the little girl should stop talking. She's been panting since earlier."
The princess's eyes widened, "Little girl? My name is Riquel and you will address me as Princess Riquel."
The clown nodded casually, "Alright, little girl..."
That was the final straw. The cube began shrinking again, making his bones cracked. The puppet's body was twisted violently yet the clown only laughed.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
Princess Riquel stared in disbelief, "You are still laughing?"
The pressure increased and more bones shattered but Joker's painted smile never faded. It was just like the pain only emboldened his madness.
Finally, he looked straight at her, "Is this the best you can do?"
His voice carried an eerie calm, "If that's true, I'm very disappointed…"