Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

[A few minutes earlier…]

"LADY Hanna, you dropped something."

Hanna ignored Calyx Dalton who was standing behind closely.

She knew he was up to no good when he sneaked behind her while Headmaster Salvatore was talking.

Neoma, on the other hand, was busy trying not to fall asleep while standing.

She almost laughed at how cute the royal princess was.

[Neoma is so bored.]

"I see that you've mastered the art of ignoring someone you don't deem worthy of your attention," Calyx Dalton continued whispering behind her. "Very classy, and that's an attitude that suits the future Crown Princess of the empire."

She ignored the crow again.

[He wouldn't shut up, huh? Is he using an enchantment that would prevent people from hearing him and reading his lips?]

That could be the only explanation as to why Calyx Dalton kept talking ever since earlier.

Moreover, she could feel the light magic around the arena.

[If it's not an enchantment attached to his body, then his guardian– Mr. Raven, if I remember it correctly– is probably controlling what the crowd could see and hear from the ring.]

Of course, it wouldn't work on strong people like the emperor.

But the fact that His Majesty wasn't saying anything about the enchantment meant that his emperor also thought that it was needed to conceal Neoma's… uhm, "colorful" words.

[Neoma already cursed earlier.]

She had a feeling that Neoma was also aware of the enchantment. The royal princess was careful when acting as the Crown Prince in front of the public. But the fact that she cursed freely meant that she was somewhat aware that her words and the movement of her lips weren't being protected by the enchantment.

[At least Calyx Dalton is useful in times like this.]

"Lady Hanna, your parents' engagement rings are beautiful."

She immediately turned in Calyx Dalton's direction.

"You're finally looking at me," Calyx Dalton said while jiggling a pair of white gold diamond-studded wedding rings. One of the bands was thinner than the other. "Duke and Duchess Quinzel's wedding rings are pretty unique, huh?"

The crow wasn't lying.

Her parents' wedding rings were unique in a way that a piece of her mother and father's soul were combined, then they were mixed inside the rings.

Thus, there was no way her parents' rings could be faked.

The realization hit her instantly.

[Mother and Father… were kidnapped?]

"I pray that this fight doesn't shed too much blood," Headmaster Salvatore said. "Let the match begin!"

After saying that, the headmaster left the ring instantly.

[Calm down, Hanna Quinzel,] she reminded herself while clenching her hands tight. [This might just be the crows' trap to make you lose your control–]

"You have one hour to save Duke and Duchess Quinzel. Unfortunately, I don't think you have the time to participate in this match," Calyx Dalton whispered in her ear. "Right now, your poor parents are in the Light Temple– slowly being drowned by Darkness laced with malice."

Darkness laced with malice could harm people in the most painful way possible.

In short, it was torture.

She couldn't control it anymore– her Mana exploded at the same time anger filled her chest as she yelled angrily. A gush of violent wind followed the explosion of her Mana – and it sent Calyx Dalton flying.

"Calyx Dalton," Hanna said through gritted teeth, her green eyes now glowing menacingly. "You son of a bitch."

She couldn't think of a more eloquent way to cuss Calyx Dalton out.

After all, she couldn't think straight.

The thoughts in her head were all violent and vulgar, so the words that came out of her mouth were just as vicious. It was unbecoming of a proper noble lady like her. But at that moment, she honestly didn't care.

"Nathaira!" Hanna yelled, her eyes focused on Calyx Dalton who was laughing while suspended in the air. It seemed like the crow was using a flight magic enchantment. "Come out and devour the crow bastard!"

Nathaira was the shadow of a two hundred meter Imoogi.

According to the empire's legend, an Imoogi was a dragon punished by the gods– reducing it to a giant serpent. But since the Imoogis remained powerful despite being punished, people began calling them snake demigods.

[And I can clearly see why.]

Nathaira, despite being 200 meter in length and probably 6 tons in weight, moved fast and graciously. The Imoogi lunged at Calyx Dalton at the speed of lightning, then she swallowed the crow– earning them a collective loud gasp from the crowd.

[He's still laughing!]

She let out a low growl.

"Your Royal Highness," Hanna said, turning to Neoma who looked at her at the same time. "I don't care if you break all his bones, but don't kill him," she said through gritted teeth. "Calyx Dalton will die by my hands once I returned."

After declaring that, she covered herself with her own shadow.

Using her shadow as a teleportation spell was one of the Shadow Manipulation Techniques that she had learned from her great uncle. It was a useful skill, especially since she needed to move stealthily as the 'Shadow Queen.'

"I'll leave it to you, Your Royal Highness," Hanna said in an urgent voice. "And please tell His Majesty I apologize in advance for what I'm about to do."

***

THE LIGHT Temple was located in the 'Alta Village.'

It was where the nobles that belonged to the high society lived. But it was generally a snobbish area, so the Quinzels chose to live in the friendlier 'Selena Village.'

When the Light Goddess's popularity was on par with Lord Yule's, the greedy nobles built the Light Temple in the Alta Village in order to monopolize the power of the temple. After all, the posh village was exclusive to the nobles.

But when the previous emperor abandoned the Light Goddess in order to weaken her influence, the nobles also abandoned the temple. Now it was nothing more than a beautiful building used by female de Moonasterios from time to time.

Moreover, the Light Temple was moved from the center of the Alta Village to the most isolated area, with nothing but empty lots around.

[It's really made of gold…]

Hanna was amazed by the Light Temple's exterior, but the Darkness that engulfed it made her skin crawl.

<"You're Hanna Quinzel, the future Crown Princess.">

She was a little taken aback when a handsome 'young' man with deep blue sea eyes appeared in front of her.

He looked like he was a tall, lanky teenager.

But she knew right away that he was way older than he looked.

The stranger wore a wore a white robe and a white turtleneck shirt inside that covered not only his neck but also half of his face.

But the most striking feature that the stranger had was his hair color: pink with red strands.

[Ah… a male Roseheart.]

"I am West, the White Tiger," the handsome stranger said, putting a hand over his chest. He spoke normally this time instead of speaking in her mind like he did earlier. "One of His Majesty's Soul Beasts."

Hanna bowed her head and greeted the White Tiger politely. "Lord West, may I know if you've seen my parents inside? The crows took them, and I was told that they were brought here in the Light Temple."

"I didn't see any of the crows, but the Dark Elf bastard that I was guarding earlier threw up a significant amount of Darkness," the White Tiger explained. "I don't know what exactly it was, but it was powerful enough to drive me out of the temple."

He gestured to the entrance of the Light Temple.

The doors were open, but a whirl of Darkness was blocking the way.

"I'm being pushed out by that thing," West explained while pointing at the whirl. "It's designed to drive out anyone or anything that possesses divine power or Light attribute."

"Then maybe I can pass through since I have Darkness attribute," she said, then she excused herself and ran towards the whirl.

But, much to her shock, she was pushed out.

"Careful, child," West, who appeared behind her and held her shoulders to stop her from flying away, warned her gently. "Let's not be reckless."

She turned to the Soul Beast. "Should we just blow it up?"

West looked surprised by her suggestion. "Lady Hanna, this is unsolicited advice. But please stop hanging out with Princess Neoma. You're picking up her outrageousness."

That actually made her smile.

It was obvious that the Soul Beast was just joking.

[Right?]

"There are two reasons why I haven't blown up the Light Temple yet," West explained while letting go of her shoulders. "First, the Light Temple is important to the de Moonasterios. Second, Jeanne Audley is still inside."

Jeanne Audley was one of the Paladins.

"Jeanne Audley's ability is to create a maze in the areas under her domain. That's the reason why she's always in charge of guarding the prisoners," West explained. "So, even if we manage to enter the temple, it would be hard to find our way."

"Oh," she said. But she didn't lose hope yet. "Then how about blowing up the roof?"

The Soul Beast looked stupefied for a moment, then he laughed. "Alright," he said. "Let me just call my colleagues first and ask for His Majesty's permission."

After saying that, West disappeared.

[How could I enter the Light Temple…]

"Lady Hanna Quinzel, may I give you a hand?"

Hanna turned around, then she smiled as soon as she saw the familiar face. "Lady Paige Avery! How did you know I'm here?"

Paige Avery smiled, then she put a hand over her chest. "Lewis sent me here to assist you, my lady."

Lewis? But how he could he…

[Ah, right. Lewis is the commander of Neoma's unofficial knights. He probably has a way to contact them privately.]

"I actually came to the palace first when I felt the presence of a hostile divine being," Paige Avery explained. "But I saw Lady Roseheart there, and I knew instantly that I'm not needed there."

"Have you met Lady Roseheart before?"

The mage shook her head. "No, but even during my time, the Rosehearts are already famous– especially their pink hair. Moreover, her eyes remind me of Princess Neoma's despite their different eye colors."

She agreed with that statement.

The spirit in Neoma and Lady Roseheart's eyes was the same.

"I instinctively knew that the woman I saw in the palace was Lady Roseheart– Princess Neoma's mother," Paige Avery said. "I didn't want to disturb her, so I just left. That was when we received Lewis's order. He told us that something strange is going around, and he specifically asked us to look for you, Lady Hanna."

Oh, Lewis did that?

[I'm touched.]

"We went around the Royal Capital to investigate," Paige Avery continued. "I sent Juri and Xion to the plaza, and Jeno and Greko to the academy."

The mage pointed to the Light Temple engulfed with Darkness.

"I'm a Light mage, so I'm sensitive to Darkness– especially in this scale," Paige Avery explained. "I followed the trail of Darkness until I got here."

"I see," she said, smiling while nodding. But her smile faded as soon as she remembered why she was there. "Lady Paige, I'm here because the crows have abducted my parents. Calyx Dalton told me that my parents are here. Although it's not wise to believe the words of the enemies easily, my gut feeling told me that he wasn't lying. So I came here in a haste." She pointed at the whirl blocking the entrance. "But I can't pass through that whirl of Darkness."

Paige Avery turned to the Light Temple and observed it. "I can purify it, but not for too long," she said, then she turned to her. "Lady Hanna, I can create an opening for you. But you must save your parents quickly. The Darkness that covered the Light Temple is too thick. We do not have a choice but to blow it up later before it scatters to the residential area."

She nodded firmly. "I just need to enter the temple, Lady Paige."

"I'll help blow the temple up later."

Both she and Paige Avery turned to West who appeared in front of her.

"His Majesty gave his permission to blow up the Light Temple if needed," West informed them, then he turned to the mage. "I can lend you my divine power if you need it, child."

"Thank you, Lord White Tiger," Paige Avery said, then she turned to her while a white parasol materialized in the mage's hand. "Lady Hanna, are you ready?"

Hanna nodded firmly. "I am ready."

***

IT ALL happened fast.

A white honeycomb-like barrier swallowed the Light Temple. As soon as the whirl of Darkness blocking the entrance disappeared, Hanna found herself inside the temple after Paige Avery pushed her lightly.

But when the surroundings lightened up a bit because of Paige Averys, she realized that West wasn't lying when he said the entire temple had been turned into a maze.

"The fact that Jeanne Audley's maze is still active means that she's alive. But she might be unconscious, since the maze isn't making way for us even though it's designed to allow allies to enter freely," West said while looking around. "The Darkness hasn't subsided here yet."

"It's alright, Lord West," Hanna said, her green eyes glowing. "I can see the traces of my mother's Mana."

Her mother had the ability to see traces or residues of Mana.

But her mother also had the ability to leave the traces of her Mana, and her mother clearly knew how to use her power well.

"I'll go and save my parents," she said, then she turned to the White Tiger. "Lord West, please find and rescue Lady Audley. If she's unconscious, she might be in danger."

"Will you be fine on your own?"

"Yes, my lord," she assured him. "So please don't worry about me."

"Very well," West said, then he quickly transformed into his Soul Beast form. "I'll find Jeanne Audley and follow you after I rescued her."

After saying that, the White Tiger ran straight to the maze.

"Mallan," she said, summoning her Griffin. "Come out."

The beast with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and talons of an eagle as its front feet appeared in front of her.

She used her own shadow to lift herself up, then she mounted the Griffin.

"Follow the traces of my mother's Mana," she told the Griffin. "If the maze gets in the way, just smash through it."

Mallan roared as a response.

After that, the Griffin flew above the maze. As expected, the maze was 'alive.' Vines suddenly emerged from the ground as if they had the intention to pull them down. But Mallan smoothly avoided all the attacks.

She didn't cut the vines because she didn't want to accidentally hurt Jeanne Audley.

Thankfully, the series of attacks ended soon.

[West probably already found Lady Audley.]

That was quick.

Her moment of distraction was an opening for the enemy, though.

Before she knew it, Darkness shaped like a whip already wrapped itself around Mallan. Then it pulled them down aggressively. The floor where they fell to crushed under the impact. After all, they fell to the room below it.

She cushioned her fall with her own shadow while ordering Mallan to return to the Shadow Realm when she noticed that the Darkness was trying to swallow the Griffin. The Shadow Beast roared as a response to her order before it disappeared.

"It's an honor to be in the presence of the future Crown Princess of the Great Moonasterion Empire."

She immediately got on her feet and turned around to face the enemy.

Oh?

She was pretty sure that it was the Dark Elf that was supposed to be locked up in the temple. To be honest, she hadn't seen an elf in her life. But she thought they looked similar to humans, except for the pointy ears.

[I also concluded that this is Lukas because of the pointy ears.]

However, the THING in front of her was nothing but a lump of Darkness shaped like a Dark Elf.

Even though she was also a Darkness attribute user, it still made her skin crawl.

[This is Darkness laced with malice.]

"I apologize, but I do not have anything prepared for the future Crown Princess," Lukas said sarcastically, then he bowed in an exaggerated way. "I have nothing to offer Her Highness except for Duke and Duchess Quinzel."

When the Dark Elf stepped aside, she almost lost her mind again.

Her chest tightened, and she felt like crying on the spot. But she held it in. She wouldn't be able to do anything if she cried.

There was a tank made of Darkness behind Lukas. The Darkness wasn't as murky as usual, so she could clearly see her unconscious parents inside. Her mother and father floated, with their faces on the surface. Even though they were unconscious, she was relieved to see that they hadn't completely sunk to the bottom yet.

She could see web-like threads holding her parents' bodies up.

But she could also see that the level of Darkness inside was rising continuously.

[I have to save them quickly!]

"Did you like my present, our precious Crown Princess?"

"I am Hanna Quinzel," she said in a firm yet calm manner while gathering shadows under her feet. "I do not identify myself as the "future Crown Princess" alone."

"Ah, were you offended?" Lukas asked, laughing. "Should I apologize, Lady Hanna?"

"You can apologize by surrendering your life to me," she said, then she lunged at the Dark Elf. "Hebi, come out!"

The Seven-headed Shadow Serpent emerged from behind her.

Hebi hissed and attacked Lukas as she ran past the Dark Elf.

Saving her parents was her priority, so she left the fighting to her Shadow Beast. But much to her confusion, she easily went past Lukas. She thought that the Dark Elf would stop her at all costs.

Why did it seem like everything was going smoothly?

[Don't tell me…]

The crows' only intention was to keep me out of the match?

She stopped thinking about it when she finally reached the tank where her parents were currently trapped in.

[How did Father and Mother get caught?]

She wondered as she placed her hands on the glass surface of the tank. Then she poured Mana into her hands with the intention of breaking the tank into pieces. The Darkness wouldn't affect her since she covered herself with her shadow.

[Mother, Father…]

She poured a larger amount of Mana until cracks appeared all over the tank. Then it exploded. As soon as the tank broke into pieces, she jumped and created a shadow dagger to cut the threads attached to her parents' bodies.

Then she gathered all the shadows around to create a shadow puppet big enough to catch both her mother and father at the same time.

She smiled out of relief, but it soon ended when she heard Hebi's loud cry.

When she turned around, she saw that Lukas had already cut off two of Hebi's seven heads. Her heart was squeezed painfully for her Shadow Beast.

[Hebi!]

"If you have already saved your parents, then leave this place now, Lady Hanna," Lukas said playfully. "My master enjoyed the despair that you felt while you were frantically looking for your dear parents."

What?

She was confused.

"Do not defile the young lady's ears with your vulgar words, Lukas."

She was surprised when Paige Avery suddenly appeared, then she kicked Lukas in the face to send him away from Hebi.

"Lady Paige," she said, smiling and relieved again.

Paige Avery turned to her with a smile. "I'll take care of the Dark Elf, Lady Hanna. I need to purify the entire temple, anyway. And since you have Darkness attribute, you might get hurt by my purification spell."

"I understand, Lady Paige. I won't get in your way," she said while nodding. "Thank you for helping me save my parents."

"It's nothing," the mage said. "You're also a part of our family, Lady Hanna."

She was touched once again.

But she knew it wasn't the right time to talk since Lukas was still there.

So, Hanna summoned Hebi back to the Shadow Realm before she ran away with the shadow puppet holding her unconscious parents in its arms.

[Please be safe, Lady Paige.]

***

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