(The Royal Dungeon)
The anti-magic cuffs were heavy. The cell was cold. The bars were thick iron, enchanted to dampen any mana signature.
I sat on the stone bench, staring at the flickering torchlight.
That wave... I thought, replaying the image of Prince Cassian in the window. That was creepy. Why was he waving like that?
It wasn't a friendly wave. It was a victor's wave. A checkmate wave.
As expected, I fell into the Goddess's trap. She knew I'd interfere in the forest, so she used the fallout to isolate me. How do I get out of this?
I focused on my System.
`[SYSTEM STATUS: ACTIVE]`
`[ACCESSING INVENTORY... GRANTED]`
`[ACCESSING SKILLS... ERROR. MANA FLOW BLOCKED BY EXTERNAL RESTRAINT.]`
The cuffs were doing their job. I could see my inventory, but I couldn't cast any magic or summon my rapier without alerting the guards.
I was grounded. Again.
But this time, I wasn't alone. I had allies. The question was: who would move first?
(The Student Council Room)
