DING! DING! DING!
The sound of bells chiming penetrated my ears from somewhere in the distance. I opened my eyes to the blue painted ceiling above me, full of cracks and damp patches still seeping water from last night's rain.
A small pot of vanilla flower plants glowed brightly near my wooden bed, their pale petals catching the morning light like tiny lanterns.
The room itself was small and cramped, but not unbearable. A tiny bathroom was attached to the left side with a chipped basin near its entrance.
Beside it stood an old cupboard that looked one aggressive sneeze away from collapsing. On the right side was a narrow balcony with a surprisingly nice little garden filled with overgrown plants and hanging vines.
Next to the cupboard sat a desk holding my PC, along with enough random junk to qualify as an archaeological site.
I looked over at the window. Morning sunrays filtered through the window screen like something straight out of a movie.
'I feel like today's gonna be a good day...'
I sighed, slipped out of the sheets, and walked over to the basin to wash my face.
I opened the tap and waited for about three seconds.
Squeach!
Silence quickly swallowed the room as I realized my mistake.
"The fucking water bill!"
I groaned and looked over at the window again. Morning sunrays filtered through the window screen like something straight out of a movie.
Except it wasn't.
"Fuck this kingdom."
I looked at my face in the mirror above the basin.
Black hair? Check. Hairfall? TRIPLE CHECK!
Black eyes? CHECK!
Face handsome as hell? CHE— who am I kidding? It's ass. Average run down the mill face that could probably pass for a population census template.
Body? Slightly skinny fat, but at least the muscles are real.
In total, I look like the kind of guy a girl points at while telling her boyfriend, "You definitely look better than that homeless guy, babe."
I slapped both my cheeks.
'Why the negativity, Noah? Maybe you'll also get a girl who loves you purely!'
I grinned, thinking about holding hands and—
KNOCK! KNOCK!
The sound of my poor door getting pounded echoed throughout the roo— no, the whole complex.
'Ah shit... can't even have a nice imagination these days...'
I walked over and quickly opened the door.
"Hello, landlady, may I say that you look absolutely beautifuuu—"
A guy wearing a courier uniform stood there staring at me like I was a complete crackcase.
"You Noah Jones?"
"Uhhhh... yes?"
He handed me a pad holding a paper.
"Sign here."
I took the pad along with the attached pen and paper. It took me three whole seconds to realize this wasn't a parcel but a...
"A letter?"
"Yes. In my twenty years of experience, this is the first time I've seen someone use a parcel agency for letter delivery."
I didn't reply and waited while he rummaged through his massive courier bag for the letter.
"AHA! FOUND IT!"
"Bloody hell, brother. Keep it down," I said to the courier guy.
He ignored me and handed over the letter while I returned the pad.
"You signed?"
"Pretty sure I did."
"Thanks for using Halcom Couriers. And next time, use the postcard agency."
"Uh... sure. Thanks."
He lifted his huge bag over his shoulder and quickly walked down the stairs.
I closed the door and sat on my bed, staring at the letter cover.
The parchment itself looked ancient, withered by the rough journey it had endured. The edges were bent and slightly burnt, as if it had traveled through hell before reaching me.
I slowly removed the seal.
No symbol.
'Someone wanted this private... well, a lot of people do that these days.'
I tossed the cover aside and opened the letter.
!
"Dear Noah,
It's been a year since I saw you leave the mansion on that cold night. At first, I thought it was just some rebellious teenage phase, but you're about to turn eighteen this upcoming July.
I wish I could see you for your birthday, but sadly, it's not possible for me. Your dear geezer is currently out on an important scouting mission. You know where I usually go.
I hoped this letter would simply be about asking how you've been and convincing you to return to the mansion and see your family again, but alas, fate has put me in quite the tight spot.
If this letter eventually reaches you, I'm guessing you're staying in the Frey Kingdom for now. If you aren't, do not read the remaining contents and burn this letter immediately.
If you are in the Frey Kingdom, then I have a huge favor to ask of you.
Make sure you read the next part in a secure place."
"Huh? It's empty?" I muttered as the letter abruptly ended there.
After staring at it for a few seconds, realization hit me.
"Ah fuck... you sly geezer. Still relying on two step verification, huh?"
I chuckled and inserted my mana into the paper. A complex array of glowing molecules instantly appeared before my eyes, radiating a deep crimson haze.
The mana particles floated like a miniature constellation, beautiful yet incomplete. The core pathways of the spell were disconnected on purpose.
To unravel this, I needed to analyze the structure of the spell in its entirety.
Even Saints took months to decipher something like this.
"Mana Analyzer."
That's the term used for people capable of solving encrypted mana formations. Only a handful of skilled analysts existed in the world.
SNAP!
"However... they still can't match up to me," I muttered as the spell slowly unraveled before my eyes.
Every element possessed its own unique patterns with hundreds of possible combinations, but all I really needed was the formula hidden behind the spell itself.
"AH! Found you, you little slut..."
I carefully isolated a tiny molecule that was holding the entire spell together. Small as it was, the whole formation revolved around it.
Slowly, I inserted my mana into the core.
FHISSS!
The disconnected molecules linked together in the blink of an eye, creating a brilliant spectacle of fiery red light across the room.
Then the remaining contents of the letter finally appeared before me.
"Still good as I remember."
I started reading the remaining contents of the letter.
"Hope you haven't gotten rusty, my grandson. Since I know it's you reading this, there's no need to beat around the bush.
I believe the Frey Kingdom's royals, hell, maybe even the Queen herself, are being controlled by a Demon General. Possibly multiple.
William Brethel personally went to investigate this matter in secret without notifying the Queen or even his own trusted aides. I trust his instincts when it comes to matters like this, and if he chose secrecy over protocol, then there's a damn good reason behind it.
If our suspicions are wrong, then good. I look like a paranoid old man and life moves on.
But if we're right...
Then the entire alliance between the Five Holy Kingdoms could collapse overnight.
The Frey Kingdom's Queen, Olivia Frey, hasn't maintained personal contact with the Brethel Kingdom's court or even our Queen for far too long now. That alone is strange enough considering the two of them once fought side by side on battlefields and were close friends for decades.
Officially, the Frey Kingdom still stands as one of our strongest allies.
But me and William aren't convinced anymore.
What if all this time, it wasn't Olivia communicating with the outside world?
What if, somewhere along the line, she was replaced... or possessed by a Demon General?
The thought sounds absurd, but the more we investigated, the harder it became to ignore.
And now the Yelova Festival is approaching.
You already know what that means.
The entire Frey Kingdom will soon enter lockdown. Borders sealed. Trade routes restricted. Outsiders monitored like criminals. Every city, district, and noble territory tightening security for the ascension ritual.
Millions will gather and meditate to contribute mana for the birth of a new Saint.
A festival meant to symbolize humanity's future.
Now imagine what would happen if demons were controlling the kingdom during such an event.
A Saint level ascension ceremony corrupted from the inside could become a disaster beyond imagination.
That is why William moved personally.
That is why we told nobody.
Not the Queen. Not the royal court. Not even our closest allies.
The risk is too great.
If word spreads without proof, panic alone could shatter the alliance between the Five Holy Kingdoms before the demons even make a move.
Since you're self aware enough to understand these matters are far above your pay grade, your task is simple.
Find William.
Assist him if necessary.
Get a report of his findings and send it back to me.
Hopefully one that proves all my theories wrong.
I lost contact with him three days ago and he still hasn't reported back. Worse, I can no longer establish contact with any of our agents inside the Frey Kingdom through official channels.
That alone terrifies me more than I'd like to admit.
This whole thing screams fishy, Noah.
I need you to act cautiously here. Your priority is to locate William, forward his report, and leave the kingdom immediately.
And listen to me carefully.
If things become dangerous, run.
I don't care about the mission anymore if your life is on the line.
If you believe even for a second that the situation is beyond you, abandon everything and leave the Frey Kingdom immediately.
Do not try to act like some heroic idiot.
Your life matters more than all of this.
The Yelova Festival is still four months away, so I trust you can handle this.
With love,
Grandpa."
I burned the letter immediately and looked back toward the window.
The sunrays weren't there anymore.
The room somehow felt colder than before.
It took me a while to process everything written in the letter.
Slowly, I turned toward the calendar hanging beside my PC.
My eyes froze on the marked date.
"Ah... fuck..."
"The Yelova Festival is only a week away..."