Upon their return to the village, Rena led Lunethia back inside the cottage. She guided the princess to a chair and poured her a cup of hot tea, the fragrant steam rising in soft, curling wisps from the rim.
Rena watched her for a moment, her voice significantly gentler than before. "How are you holding up? Feeling any better?"
Lunethia cradled the warm cup, forcing a faint, fragile smile. "Yes... much better. I'm alright."
Rena let out a soft, weary sigh.
"You shouldn't hold a grudge against the Boss. You have to understand—magic beasts are, by their very nature, incredibly dangerous and horrific entities."
She paused, her eyes searching Lunethia's face. "Since you're the princess... you must be sixteen this year, right?"
Lunethia blinked, a look of confusion crossing her face. "I'm still two weeks away from my sixteenth birthday... but how did you know that?"
Rena offered a small smile but didn't answer directly.
"Because the emergence of magical creatures happened roughly twenty-five years ago."
Her tone remained calm, yet it carried an indescribable weight—a gravity that seemed to chill the room.
"And that catastrophe... was summoned into this world by your very own Kingdom of Lunaris."
Lunethia's eyes widened slowly. Shock, guilt, and a tangle of nameless emotions flickered through her gaze.
"In that era," Rena continued, "it didn't matter how powerful a soldier was or how sophisticated their steel. Against a magic beast, everything was meaningless."
"There were beasts so powerful they could slaughter entire battalions with a mere flick of a claw."
Rena's voice softened, perhaps noticing the girl's distress. "It's not your fault. You were barely a thought back then."
"Besides, ten years ago, most of those monsters suddenly vanished or went into hiding. It's only natural that you haven't witnessed their true horror."
As she spoke, Rena's hand trembled—a minute, involuntary twitch.
For a fleeting second, her face turned ashen, as if a memory better left buried had clawed its way to the surface. Lunethia, sensing the shift, looked up with concern. "Rena? Are you okay?"
Rena shook her head and took a steadying breath. When she looked up again, the professional, composed smile had returned to her face.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Rena looked at Lunethia, her expression softening into something approaching sisterly affection.
"You really are a kind soul, aren't you? Even after facing such a horrific creature... you still feel sorrow for its death."
Lunethia shook her head slowly, her fingers tracing the rim of her tea cup.
"It's not exactly the death that makes me sad," she whispered. "It's just... it only met such a miserable end because it was sent to find me. And to die in such agony... it was just so pitiful."
Rena blinked, momentarily stunned, before a bitter, hollow laugh escaped her lips.
"Agony? I've always lived under the impression that magic beasts were incapable of feeling anything other than the urge to slaughter."
Lunethia lowered her voice even further. "But it... it was just a bird once, wasn't it?"
Before Rena could press her on what she meant by that, a rhythmic tapping came from the door.
Knock, knock.
Milia's voice drifted in from the hallway. "Rena, the Boss says it's time to get back to the battle plan. If you're done in there, hurry up and come out."
"Understood, we're coming," Rena called back. She turned to Lunethia. "According to Karl's theory, you're the centerpiece of this entire operation. But," she added gently, "if you're not up for it, I can tell them you need more rest."
Lunethia shook her head, standing up with a newfound, quiet resolve. "It's okay. Let's go."
The two entered the main hall. The others were already huddled around the heavy wooden table, their voices low as they pored over maps and notes. Only Gerald remained true to form, curled up in a corner and lost in a deep, rhythmic slumber.
Rhine looked up, his eyes meeting Lunethia's for a fraction of a second before he abruptly jerked his head away—pouting like a stubborn child who refused to apologize first.
Karl caught the exchange and couldn't suppress a weary, knowing smile.
"Welcome back, Princess Lunethia. It's much better to have you here for the briefing."
Lunethia nodded politely. "Please... just call me Thea. There's no need for titles anymore." She hesitated for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the 'Goblins.' "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask."
Karl nodded, maintaining his polite smile. "Of course, Lunethia. Ask away."
Lunethia turned her gaze toward Rhine. "Why... why the fire?"
"Why couldn't you have just ended it with your blade? Why did it have to be like that?"
Rhine spared her a dismissive glance and let out a sharp snort, choosing to ignore her entirely. Karl shot Rhine a helpless look before taking it upon himself to answer.
"That question... let me handle that one. Every magical construct possesses different abilities, but they all share one common trait: their physical forms are reinforced by high-level mana. If we relied solely on ordinary steel to cut them down, the cost in blood and effort would be far too high."
He gave a casual shrug. "That is why we need the Boss's flames."
Lunethia's brow knit in thought. "Magic? But... isn't that fire just another form of magic?"
Karl shook his head firmly.
"No. There is a fundamental difference. The Boss's fire isn't magic—it's his attribute."
Lunethia blinked, her confusion deepening. "It's not magic?"
Karl considered his words for a moment. "Let me put it this way—the Boss's full name is Rhine Solarel. Does that mean anything to you?"
Lunethia tilted her head, searching her memory. "Solarel? What is that supposed to mean?"
Karl's eyes widened slightly. "You... you truly don't know?"
Lunethia blinked, shaking her head with painful honesty. "I'm sorry... I really don't."
A heavy silence fell over the hall. Karl remained quiet for a long beat before a bitter, hollow smile touched his lips.
"It seems that to the Kingdom of Lunaris... the nations we once belonged to—the ones that were erased from the map—aren't even worth remembering."
The atmosphere in the room turned suffocatingly heavy. Rhine clicked his tongue and glared at Lunethia, his expression like that of a wild beast ready to snap.
Seeing the tension reaching a breaking point, Rena reached over and gave Rhine a light, reprimanding rap on the head.
"That's enough," she muttered.
She followed it up by patting his back, much like one would soothe a snarling, agitated puppy. Rhine let out one last huff of annoyance, but he didn't lash out.
It took a moment for Lunethia to process the words. She repeated them with a trace of lingering confusion. "Erased... nations?"
Karl nodded, his voice dropping into a slow, explanatory cadence.
"Solarel is the royal surname of the Great Solarelian Empire. Legend has it that they inherited the blood of the Sun God, granting them the power to command fire."
He cast a side-glance at Rhine. "Of course, as the bloodline thinned over generations, that power weakened. Even the Boss can't just conjure flames out of thin air anymore; most of the time, he still needs a spark from a flint to get things started."
Lunethia nodded thoughtfully. "I see... that explains why some people referred to Rhine as a prince."
Karl suddenly chuckled, as if a playful thought had struck him. "On that note—my full name is Karl Lucian."
He looked at Lunethia with a glint of expectation. "Does that one ring a bell?"
Lunethia froze for a second. Then, a look of profound awkwardness and apology washed over her face.
"Um... I'm so sorry. I've never heard of that name either..."
Karl went rigid. He slapped a hand against his forehead, his expression one of pure, unadulterated disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
"Names like Solarel and Lucian... you should find them within the first few pages of any history book! These are the names of two legendary royal houses!"
To realize that even his own family name had been scrubbed from her memory was clearly a significant blow to his ego.
Lunethia lowered her head, her voice shrinking to a tiny, ashamed whisper. "I'm sorry..."
"I... I've never had an education."
Karl froze. "You—"
"You're a princess, and you've never had any schooling?!"
Lunethia buried her head even lower, looking like a child who had committed a terrible crime. "I... no one ever taught me."
Karl's brow knit into a tight, suspicious scowl. "How is that even possible? No matter how you look at it, the Kingdom of Lunaris is a superpower. How could they allow a royal princess to remain completely illiterate?"
Lunethia bit her lip, hesitating for a long moment before answering in a small, quiet voice.
"I don't know why either..."
"But Mother—the Queen—always told me that learning such things was a waste of my time."
A heavy, awkward silence descended upon the hall. Karl watched her with a look of mounting suspicion.
"Hearing you say that... I'm becoming increasingly curious about what your daily life was actually like back at the palace."
Lunethia gave the question some serious thought before replying earnestly.
"After waking up every morning, I would first clean my own quarters. Then, I would wash my clothes and the Queen's."
"As long as I finished those chores, I was allowed to go out and play."
Karl's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What?!"
"Aren't those tasks for the chambermaids?"
Lunethia shook her head gently. "Mother... the Queen, she didn't like others touching her things. And she always said that one should handle their own affairs. So, we cleaned our own rooms, and I was in charge of the laundry."
Karl knit his brow, rubbing his chin as he processed this. "I suppose that part isn't too strange, in an austere sort of way. But the complete lack of education? That's the part I can't wrap my head around."
Lunethia offered a faint, innocent smile. "The Queen said that acquiring such knowledge would only squander my time. She told me it was better to just go out and enjoy myself."
Karl let out a weary, defeated sigh. "It sounds like the Queen was actually quite... indulgent with you?"
He paused, a new thought occurring to him. "But you're a princess. Surely there was no one of your status to actually play with?"
Lunethia smiled. Her tone became light and natural, almost airy.
"Oh, it wasn't people."
"I had plenty of friends. The squirrels, the little birds, the cats..."
Karl's jaw visibly twitched.
"Wait a minute."
"By 'playing,' you mean... spending time with animals?"
He stared at her, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated disbelief. "So, your entire existence consisted of doing housework and talking to animals?"
Lunethia nodded, her expression radiating a quiet, natural sincerity.
"Yes. And they're actually quite intelligent once you get to know them."
SLAM—!
The sudden, violent crack of a hand striking wood echoed through the hall. Rhine had slammed his palm onto the table, his face clouded with a dark, brooding intensity.
"I couldn't give a damn about the life and times of a 'kind and beautiful' princess!" he snarled. "Don't forget—we're here to discuss the operation!"
The group jumped at the sudden explosion of temper. The lingering traces of warmth in the air vanished, replaced instantly by a heavy, suffocating tension.
Karl let out a dry cough, offering a weary, apologetic smile.
"My apologies, Boss." He turned his attention back to Lunethia and Rena. "Since you two just joined us, let me go over the key points of our discussion again."
Karl tapped his finger rhythmically against the tabletop.
"If we intend to use the 'Fake Queen' revelation to shake the foundations of the kingdom, the news must reach as many ears as possible simultaneously. If only a small circle finds out, the Crown will simply suppress it before it can take root."
His tone shifted, becoming sharp and clinical.
"Therefore—the perfect window is the Winter Moon Festival, fourteen days from now."
Owen let out a coarse, knowing chuckle. "I know that one! That's the loudest, busiest day of the year!"
Karl nodded. "Exactly. On that day, generals and high-ranking officials from across the realm return to the Capital for the festivities. If they all hear the truth at the same time, coupled with the Resistance applying pressure at the borders to prevent the military from mobilizing a defense—"
He allowed a thin, cold smile to touch his lips.
"—then every hidden ambition and simmering grudge in this kingdom will erupt at once. Once the chaos begins, we strike from the inside."
A cold weight settled in Lunethia's chest as she listened.
"But if you do that..." she whispered. "Won't a lot of people get hurt?"
Karl looked at her, his voice remaining perfectly level.
"It can't be helped. Without chaos, there is no window for us to act."
He paused for a beat before adding, "Besides... you want to save the true Queen, don't you?"
As he spoke, he offered a warm, comforting smile. It was the kind of smile that made one instinctively feel that the person behind it was guided by nothing but pure, noble intentions.
Lunethia remained silent for a long moment. Finally, she gave a small, hesitant nod.
"I understand. But you must promise me—unless it is absolutely necessary, you will not harm anyone else."
Karl smiled thinly. "You have my word."
He raised his hand, his tone becoming solemn and heavy. "I swear it in the name of the Moon Goddess. So long as it can be avoided, we will not lay a hand on anyone."
Hearing such a vow, Lunethia finally let out a breath she had been holding. She believed him. After all, her entire life, she had seen the people of her land use this exact gesture to bind their souls to the truth.
She didn't know—she couldn't have known—that the Moon Goddess only held power within the Kingdom of Lunaris. To a "Goblin," such an oath was as hollow as the wind.
Rena clapped her hands together lightly, trying to shift the mood. "Alright. Since the plan is set, we just need to wait for the festival and then head for the Capital."
Karl, however, shook his head with a weary, bitter laugh.
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple. She's only been in this village for a single day, and already she's drawn the attention of a magic beast."
His gaze sharpened, becoming grim. "If more of those constructs are lured here... I doubt even we could hold them off. The entire village would be caught in the crossfire. We wouldn't survive to see the festival."
Milia's face drained of color. "Then... what do we do? How are we supposed to hold out until then?"
Owen immediately puffed out his chest, his voice booming with misplaced confidence. "That's easy! Whatever comes, we just smash it back to where it came from!"
Gareth rolled his eyes, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "Good grief... is your brain made of nothing but muscle?"
Rhine waved his hand dismissively, his patience clearly reaching its limit.
"Enough." He turned his sharp gaze toward Karl. "Just spit it out, Karl. Where exactly do you plan on hiding this little 'Pollyanna' princess?"
Karl knit his brow, sinking into deep thought for a moment before speaking slowly.
"That is precisely the problem. We still don't know the exact mechanism the magic beasts are using to track her. It could be scent, it could be visual recognition... there is even a possibility they can sense her exact coordinates through mana resonance."
He paused, adding a grim footnote: "And we don't know which species the Queen will send next. If we choose a location that happens to favor a specific type of predator, we might as well be delivering her to their doorstep."
Just as the group fell into a heavy silence—
A low, rhythmic snore drifted from the corner of the room.
As one, the group turned their heads. Gerald was slumped in his chair, dead to the world. His mouth was slightly agape, and he was mumbling something incoherent under his breath.
Rhine's brow twitched in annoyance. "This old geezer... we're in here trying to figure out a survival strategy, and he's busy exploring dreamland."
Lunethia blinked, hesitating for a second before whispering, "Um... I think he's saying the name of a place."
"Achoo!" Gareth suddenly sneezed, rubbing his nose as he spoke. "How is that possible? Those are just the ramblings of a dreamer. Even I can't make out what he's saying, so how could you?"
Lunethia tilted her head, listening with singular focus for a few heartbeats.
Then, she said softly: "He seems to be saying... Starfall Cliff."
The hall went deathly silent.
Rhine glared at Lunethia, his tone dropping into a dangerous, unfriendly register.
"What did you just say? Why would you bring up that place?"
Lunethia flinched at his sudden intensity, her voice small. "I... I'm just telling you what Gerald said."
Karl turned to Rhine, his eyes narrowing. "What is this Starfall Cliff?"
Rhine knit his brow, his voice low as he explained. "Starfall Cliff is about two days' journey to the southwest. It's a massive, sheer precipice."
He cast a sideways glance at the snoring Gerald. "I've heard the old man ramble about it before. He supposedly built a sanctuary there years ago to hide from some old enemies. It's a cave hidden right on the cliff face—incredibly well-concealed. Most people could walk right over it and never know it was there."
"And knowing that old geezer," Rhine added, "he probably reinforced the place with his own brand of modifications. Its stealth rating would be off the charts."
Karl nodded thoughtfully. "It sounds like the ideal hideout for our current situation." He then shifted his focus back to Lunethia. "But... how did you know about it?"
Lunethia shook her head, looking genuinely bewildered. "I... I'm not entirely sure. I just heard him speak it aloud."
Milia's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Wait... are you saying—"
"You can actually communicate with Gerald while he's asleep?!"
Rena was equally stunned. "That's impossible!" She paused, a sudden thought striking her. "Actually... why don't you try it again?"
Lunethia nodded hesitantly. She turned toward Gerald in his corner and spoke with careful, soft deliberation.
"Gerald... if you can hear my voice... please nod your head."
The moment the words left her lips, Gerald shifted on the bench, rolling onto his side. Then—ever so slightly—his head dipped in a distinct, gentle nod.
It was an undeniable response.
The hall fell into a stunned silence. Owen, never one to be quiet for long, let out a boisterous laugh.
"Heh, gotta be a coincidence," he scoffed, swaggering over to Gerald's side with a provocative grin. "If you can really talk to him, then tell him to try and land a punch on me."
Lunethia looked conflicted, biting her lip. "But... I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Still, seeing the expectant looks of the others, she whispered:
"Gerald... if you can hear me... please throw a punch to your right."
The words had barely left her lips when Gerald, who had been dead to the world, suddenly bolted upright.
His left hand shot out, delivering a savage, precision strike to his right.
THWACK!
The fist buried itself deep into Owen's midsection. A split second later, Gerald eased himself back down into his original position. He adjusted his posture until it was identical to how it had been before, and within heartbeats, the low, rhythmic snoring resumed.
It was as if nothing had happened at all.
Owen was doubled over like a boiled shrimp, his hands clutching his stomach. His mouth was hanging wide open, but he was so winded that he couldn't make a single sound.
Rena was already doubled over as well, though hers was from laughter.
"Hahaha! Serves you right, you idiot!"
Owen remained hunched over, his face turning a sickly shade of blue, still unable to squeeze out a single word of protest.
Rhine and Karl, however, weren't laughing. They exchanged a look of sheer disbelief. They were well aware that Gerald occasionally reacted to external stimuli, but those reactions usually required repetitive, hypnotic commands just to elicit a twitch of a finger.
But just now—
Lunethia had spoken once. A single sentence. And Gerald had executed a flawless, immediate response.
Gareth rubbed his chin, his scientific curiosity piqued. "So... Lunethia, you can actually commune with the dreaming mind? That is a truly extraordinary attribute."
Rena, still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, chimed in. "Maybe it's like the Boss's sacred flame? An innate power passed down through the bloodline of the Moon Goddess?"
Owen finally managed to suck in a ragged breath. "That's easy to test..." he wheezed, gritting his teeth. "Next time one of us catches some shut-eye, let her try it on us and see what happens."
Lunethia shook her head gently. "I honestly don't know... this is the first time I've ever been able to speak with someone who was asleep."
Karl remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, before finally speaking.
"Whatever the cause may be, the path forward is clear." His gaze swept across the room, demanding attention. "Since we now know Starfall Cliff is a viable sanctuary—"
The atmosphere in the hall sharpened instantly.
"—we should move out as soon as possible. The sooner we disappear from this village, the safer these people will be."