novelraw Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147: The Specter of Reverk (3)
Leaving the palace was far more challenging than infiltrating it.
Not because the route back was physically difficult, but because Mei, the infiltration expert, wasn’t with them, and escorting a princess thrilled by the escape added significant risk.
“Ugh~ So exciting.”
“Your Highness, please keep your voice down.”
“Oh, sorry!”
Fortunately, they avoided direct encounters with guards, but Evan’s anxiety gnawed at him relentlessly.
“We’re about to enter the passage to the kitchen. Please stay close behind me.”
Reaching the passage door, they cautiously began crossing the dim corridor.
Evan led, whispering warnings.
“The floor is dark, so watch your step.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
They moved forward, relying only on faint light.
‘Good. Once we reach the kitchen, the guards are less strict. The nerve-wracking part is over—’
But at that moment, a sudden, intense light began seeping from the opposite end of the passage.
‘Damn it…!’
Late at night, someone was opening the door from the other side.
‘It’s too late to turn back. But standing here…’
Caught in a dilemma, Evan leaned forward, ready to subdue whoever approached.
Just then—
“Shh!”
Anna grabbed his arm and swiftly drew a magic circle on the floor with her finger.
The faintly glowing circle dissipated into the air as it completed, just as the opposite door swung open.
―Click!
Emerging in the bright light was none other than the head maid.
Holding a candle, she illuminated the passage and stared straight ahead.
“…”
Her eyes met Evan’s precisely.
But strangely, she showed no reaction, as if nothing was in front of her.
‘A reflective barrier! The princess cast a reflective barrier!’
Only then did Evan understand Anna’s action.
With quick judgment, she had deployed a reflective spell in the narrow passage to deceive the maid’s vision.
“Hmm. I definitely heard something from this direction. Must’ve been my mistake.”
The head maid couldn’t discern Evan and Anna beyond the barrier.
However, separately, she began walking slowly toward them.
“Where did I drop that key? Somewhere around here? One’s missing…”
She was searching for the key Mei had taken, now in Evan’s possession, and was drawing closer.
‘Damn it, if she gets any closer, she’ll notice the barrier. Do I have to subdue her…?’
Anna’s reflective barrier was merely a visual trick.
If the maid got too close, Evan and Anna hiding behind it would be exposed.
And the maid was now just five steps from that boundary.
―Step, step.
As her foot nearly touched the barrier, Anna suddenly stood, placing a finger on the maid’s forehead.
“…”
Instantly, the maid froze, as if petrified.
Standing rigidly, she didn’t move a muscle.
“Your Highness?”
Evan looked at Anna in shock, and she whispered, “I know this isn’t right, but it’s better than us getting caught.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry for the head maid, but I’m going to brainwash her briefly. Just to erase her recent memories naturally.”
Muttering softly, Anna let mana flow from her fingertip into the maid’s forehead.
Soon, the maid’s pupils began to glow faintly blue.
“…”
After a brief silence, Anna slowly withdrew her finger, and the maid, with a blank expression, turned and walked back toward the kitchen.
Watching her retreating figure, Evan whispered, “Where’s she going now?”
“Back to sleep. She’d normally be fast asleep by now.”
“I see. That was close.”
Sighing deeply, Evan was patted on the back by Anna.
“Hehe, don’t worry too much. I may not be on par with my teacher or the advisors, but I can handle this level of magic. That’s why you risked coming to me, right?”
Evan gave a slight smile at her subtle self-praise.
“Exactly. As the kingdom’s greatest genius mage, you’re the only one who can help me. Let’s hurry now.”
The two hastened toward the location where the mysterious Imperial was held.
***
Meanwhile, the brainwashed head maid walked slowly through the empty corridor toward her quarters, her demeanor resembling that of a sleepwalker.
“…”
At that moment, Jorzan, Anna’s teacher and a palace advisor, passed by, rubbing his eyes and holding a book.
He encountered the maid.
“Head maid? What are you doing here so late?”
“…”
She didn’t respond, passing Jorzan blankly.
Watching her, Jorzan tilted his head and muttered, “She must be exhausted.”
But an uneasy feeling made him glance back at her retreating figure.
“Hm.”
Pausing briefly, unable to shake his unease, Jorzan began following her.
‘She wouldn’t normally ignore me like that.’
The head maid’s unprecedented behavior sparked his suspicion.
And that small doubt was the harbinger of a larger crisis.
***
Having safely escaped the palace, Evan and Anna headed straight for Viper’s hideout.
It was an old, three-story bookstore in the heart of the capital’s largest market.
Strategically located to observe the palace from afar, it was one of Viper’s many secret bases.
“This way.”
Passing the first floor, packed with books, they climbed the creaking wooden stairs to the third floor.
―Creak, creak.
Unlike the book-filled first and second floors, the third floor held only the still-bound and unconscious Imperial man, guarded by three or four Viper members.
Spotting Evan, they started to bow but froze upon recognizing Anna’s face, exchanging nervous glances.
“No need to worry. No one followed us.”
Evan’s brief reassurance prompted one member to ask cautiously, “Where’s the boss right now?”
“She’s in the palace, disguised as the princess.”
“What…?”
The members were stunned by Mei’s audacious plan.
“Are you just going to stand there? The sooner we finish, the sooner you can get your boss back.”
Realizing they needed to clear out for Mei to safely leave the palace, they hurriedly descended.
Soon, only the bound man, Evan, and Anna remained.
Evan quickly explained the situation to Anna.
“This is the one who leaked the kingdom’s blueprints to the Kandahr Tribe. I tried interrogating him, but the brainwashing is too strong to extract any information.”
Pointing to the gag in the man’s mouth, Anna asked, “The gag is because he tried to kill himself?”
“Yes. Without it, he’d have bitten his tongue by now.”
“There’s likely valuable information to gain from him. If I can undo this brainwashing, that is.”
Anna approached slowly, placing her hand on the man’s head.
Closing her eyes, she began tracing the flow of the brainwashing spell disrupting his mind.
“…”
After a prolonged silence, Evan, growing anxious, spoke first.
“How is it? Can you do it?”
“…I’ll have to try, but his mind is a complete mess. Even if I undo it, the prognosis might not be good.”
Anna’s expression was grave.
“That’s how the Empire operates.”
Evan sighed briefly, recalling the Empire’s past atrocities.
Noticing his subtle expression, Anna tilted her head and asked, “Hm? You sound like you know the Empire well.”
“Oh, I… I’ve read about their cruel deeds in history books.”
“There’s a book like that in the kingdom? I’ll have to read it sometime. Anyway, I think I can undo the brainwashing. Shall we start?”
“Yes, please.”
Anna took a deep breath, gently cradling the man’s head with both hands, and closed her eyes.
She began murmuring complex incantations in a soft voice.
Unlike typical spells, it was a long, continuous chant, and a vivid swirl of mana visibly churned around her.
‘The brainwashing is incredibly strong. For the princess to struggle this much…’
Sustained magic could usually be disrupted by breaking the mana flow.
But Anna, sweating profusely, worked with extreme caution, likely to avoid damaging the man’s mind and memories.
‘The Empire doesn’t care what happens to their targets, even if they’re citizens serving the Empire. Those bastards.’
Finally, Anna exhaled deeply and withdrew her hands.
“Phew… It’s done.”
Yet the man remained slumped, motionless.
From the outside, it was unclear if the brainwashing had been lifted.
“You can wake him now. Remove the gag too.”
“Alright. Just in case, please stay behind me, Your Highness.”
With Anna behind him, Evan approached cautiously and shook the man’s shoulder.
“Hey, wake up.”
“Ugh…”
Slowly, the man opened his eyes, staring at Evan with a vacant gaze.
‘No sign of resistance. It’s safe to remove the gag.’
After gauging his reaction, Evan carefully removed the gag.
The moment it was off, the man spoke in a hoarse, desperate voice.
“Please… kill me. I beg you…”