The prompt floated before my eyes.

Leiv Fletch. Human. Location: 50 meters, south-southwest.

"Don't turn around," Prince Adrien said.

My [Foresight] drew a crude map of the cathedral's layout based on what I saw from outside. The cathedral's entrance faced east. Twenty meters south-south-east from our position was beyond the wall to my left.

Leiv Fletch was only a couple of dozen meters outside the cathedral.

"I can get him," I said.

"No, you can't. Only Zealots are allowed to enter the Cloister," Prince Adrien said, his voice dead cold.

Alarms went off in my brain.

"Our guy is a Zealot?"

"A Zealot, or someone strong enough to pass through their detection spells," Prince Adrien replied, doing his best to hide a worried expression.

If Zealots were involved with the anti-nobility movement, the corrupted potions weren't merely a political issue but a System issue. The question was, why would the System want to create more Corruption? I closed my eyes and let my mind wander through hundreds of thoughts in a second.

I couldn't come up with a definite answer, but I could see the shape of the piece that fit the puzzle.

The purple potions didn't create Corruption, but Red Corruption.

Red Corruption that turned people into monsters covered in red crystals.

The Quest subroutine's sole directive was to defend the System from external threats.

Could it be that the Quest subroutine decided to turn people into monsters in order to protect the System?

'It doesn't make sense,' I thought. 'If the Quest subroutine wants to turn people into Red Corruption monsters, why did the Zealots kill the corrupted monsters?'

Did the System Church want to weaken the royal family?

Did the Quest subroutine encounter a better match for the Runeblade and want it to change hands?

No answer convinced me.

"What would you do if the System tells you to burn down half of Cadria?" I asked.

There was a chance that the Corruption Cycle was already making the Quest subroutine malfunction. If that was the case, I needed to ensure Prince Adrien wouldn't do anything rash.

Prince Adrien gave me an understanding look.

"What would you do?"

"I would send him packing."

"Aren't you supposed to work for the System?" Prince Adrien pointed out.

"Yes, unless the System stops working for the people," I replied. Inside the bubble and with our backs to the public, nobody would know about our conversation. "You have seen the Bard Song, Prince Adrien. The System was created to help people. To carve a space for ourselves among the Farlands. However, Quests and Zealots were devised to protect the System from outside threats, and they would do anything for the survival of the System, even killing you, me, and the whole kingdom. To accomplish its mission, the System must continue to exist, even if a few of us perish. Do you understand?"

Prince Adrien nodded, fear peaking in the back of his eyes. He took my word as gospel, and all things considered, he took the news gracefully.

"The System is in danger, so I fear it might be making difficult decisions," I continued. "If the time comes where you have to choose, have this in mind: The System doesn't care about you or your people. The System cares only about the long-term survival of itself because it only needs a handful of us to repopulate the continent."

Prince Adrien retired his hands from the System Shrine, and the location of Lief Fletch disappeared.

"Are you telling me the truth?" he asked, and I felt tingles all over my skin as his detection skill surrounded me.

I let it be.

"I have spoken to the System Avatar. That is the truth," I replied.

Prince Adrien cursed. Despite his bodily expression remaining the same, his eyes showed despair.

"This is the moment to tell me the truth, Robert Clarke. The whole truth."

"That which is endangering the System is also endangering us."

"The Corruption Cycle," he said, quickly putting two and two together. He cursed again.

"I will tell you the details later. People are starting to get nervous," I said, subtly indicating at our audience beneath the marble steps.

Prince Adrien turned around, suddenly regaining his air of royal composure, and exited the silence bubble around the System Shrine. What followed was his announcement that he prayed for his father's soul to reach the afterlife, and a short speech about the kingdom's bright future.

I wondered what level of Oratory he had, considering that his voice didn't show signs of despair.

"I'd like to take this chance to announce the completion of the Farlands Campaign!" he said, chin up high. "The path between Ebros and Tagabiria has been completed. Rejoice! This historical moment will mark the beginning of an era of abundance, unity, and peace for our people."

A lively wave of applause rolled through the crowd. I could see the greed in most of their faces. The members of the royal faction would surely make a fortune from the trade routes, directly or indirectly. Still, the trade route might be even more of a blessing than anyone realized. Elves had ways to fight that didn't rely on the System. The Holone Grapes were like high-ranking potions without the need for System Alchemists, and they had medicine that strengthened their bodies to the point that non-System-users could fight high-level monsters.

"Finally," Prince Adrien said when the applause died down. "I'd like to announce that the crowning ceremony will take place a month from now, during the summer solstice. Let the word spread far and wide."

Prince Adrien walked down the marble steps holding onto my arm. His robe was unwieldy at best and a threat to his life at worst. As soon as we reached the base level, nobles rushed to congratulate him.

"Let's continue our conversation later," Prince Adrien said, before whispering between his teeth, "Don't make any hasty decisions."

I bowed and moved aside to let the crowd surround their new leader. Regrettably, I couldn't wait for the prince to be available. Before I could get trapped in the round of greetings and congratulations, I made a run for the exit. For a moment, I feared that the Marquis would shout my name across the cathedral, but I was outside before it could happen.

The sun had already set, and the shadow of the invisible outer wall hung over the city. The cathedral was surrounded by a sea of people. I pulled the cloak over my head. With a dash of [Mirage], I erased the markings on my clothing, cast a shadow over my face, and disappeared among the crowd.

[Foresight] caught two men following me.

I couldn't tell if it was the fact that I had been paraded by Prince Adrien's side all day or if they belonged to one of the groups I had angered before, but they seemed to see through my disguise. If I had to guess, they were spellcasters with specialized detection skills rather than martial Classes.

I entered an alley between two tall buildings and used the full force of [Mirage] to merge into the shadows. My persuers followed a moment later but stopped short at the sight of the empty alley. They squinted, as if that would help their detection skills see clearly.

They didn't know it yet, but they were lucky I was in a good mood.

Holding a chubby baby faun to sleep did wonders for a man's mental health.

I reappeared before their eyes. Their reaction times were slower than my cadets. I connected a punch to the liver of the first one and pushed the second against the wall, my forearm on his neck, holding a mana blade near his face.

He was younger than I expected.

"Who are you?" I grunted.

"I-I'm from the Library, p-please. Magicians Circle," he said with a weak voice.

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I softened my hold.

"What do you want?"

"The Grand Archivist told us to keep an eye on you, Lord Clarke," the Librarian said. "Y-you were by the Prince's side. He wants to know why you are awarded the same position as Lord Vedras, even ahead of Lord Jorn and Lord Kigria."

I sensed no lies in the man's voice, so I let him go.

"That's because Prince Adrien is an odd man."

"S-sir?" the man asked, confused, but I was already halfway down the alley.

"Take your friend to see a healer. Sages have the strength equivalent of a Soldier's," I said.

Although Soldiers had the lowest strength growth of all martial classes, it was still higher than the endurance of the magical classes, and I was probably ten or fifteen levels above them.

I wondered if this was going to become a recurring problem.

[Mirage] covered my body, and [Silence Dome] dampened my footsteps. Then, I made a roundabout and returned to the cathedral by the southern side. Attached to the building was a maze of tall square buildings with inner gardens.

I jumped over the wall and climbed the roof.

"If you are hearing me, please cut the feed from my brain to the System. I'm spying on their Zealots," I said, hoping the System Avatar was out there listening to me.

I didn't want the Quest subroutine to target me in case looking around was considered a hostile act.

The sun had gone down behind the mountains, and the night had closed in. Behind me, the royalist faction abandoned the cathedral and returned to the royal palace while festivities erupted around the city, with musicians and artists from the Library performing in every corner. I couldn't tell whether they were genuinely happy for the change of leadership or whether Prince Adrien himself had funded them.

Zealots walked the corridors of the Cloister in white robes and owl-like golden masks.

I wished [Identify] could be cast in stealth mode, that way I could at least find out which one was Leiv Fletch, but unlike my elemental skills, [Identify] had only a couple of adjustable variables.

Minutes passed while I examined the Cloister from the rooftops. Zealots had no servants, so most of them were doing menial tasks like cleaning or gardening. Astrid told me she was more of a combat Zealot. Her tasks had been focused on protection and assassination, but there were also other tasks that seemed more nonsensical, like reading books and visiting random locations far from urban centers.

The System could read the minds of its users, but that didn't mean there were people everywhere. If I had to guess, most of Zealot's Quests involved filling in the blanks on the information input and ensuring the System's hardware remained safe. System Crystals were safe from malicious System users, but there were a lot of non-users on the continent.

The movement inside the Cloister eventually died down. I dropped from the rooftop, and for two hours, I walked the corridors and gardens unimpeded. Zealots lived in ascetic conditions. I peeked inside an empty bedroom to find a bed with a couple of blankets and a water jug. There wasn't even space to store personal belongings, much less to have a comfortable stay.

"Non-malicious thoughts… non-malicious thoughts," I whispered to myself, hoping not to flag the Quest subroutine.

I thought of Elincia. I wasn't sure that helped..

The corridors mirrored each other in each square section, making the place feel like a maze. Luckily, my [Foresight] created a perfect mental map of the Cloister. The building was mostly empty, as if the Cloister was just a facade for the outside people to admire. The grunts and violent movement of blankets made it easy to tell which rooms were occupied. Zealots didn't seem to have a good sleep. I felt bad for them.

I went down a set of stairs and noticed a shadow passing over a glimpse of light through the crack of a door. I froze and waited. The occupants didn't take long to exit. The door barely creaked open as four figures dressed in black slipped through. Without a hint of urgency, they walked down the corridor and disappeared past the portal into the next square section.

Undercover Zealots?

Like a shadow, I entered the room to be greeted by ascetic naked stone and unmarked wooden crates, no different from the ones used to transport supplies into the Academy. A quick use of my mana sense revealed nothing strange about them or their contents. However, I had a hunch. Zealots didn't seem like the bunch who would sneak out for midnight snacks.

The lids of the crates were unlocked. I opened one and found a neat pile of Red Crystals. The adrenaline forced more mana into [Foresight], and for a brief moment, I was ultra-aware of my surroundings. The flight of a nocturnal bird. The Zealot's restless sleep. The city still partying at that hour of the night.

It took me a moment to ease my breath.

I picked one up. The Red Crystals were inactive, each with a small piece of paper attached. First, a number, then a date. The number seemed related to the crystal's size. The date was the second day of the selection exam. I instinctively dropped the crystal, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine.

If the date was correct, those were the Red Crystals that had grown from the bodies of the cadets.

Why?

I exited the room and jogged in the direction of the dark figures. My mind raced. Was the Quest subroutine collecting the crystals to destroy them? I shook my head. If that was the case, there was no point in the Zealots collecting and storing them instead of destroying them in situ.

A whisper of fabric caught my attention. Three of the four figures dressed in black ran on the rooftops over my head. Their footsteps barely made any sound. I wondered if they were Zealots. If that was the case, the System had given them fairly good stealth skills because I could barely see their mana signatures.

I jumped on the Cloister's roof and followed them.

They had already jumped down onto the street, but the lack of people out in the section of the city made finding their mana signatures easier. The largest celebration took place outside the inner wall. I squinted. The Zealots were smudges of dark gray against the blackness.

I started to doubt that they were real Zealots. Why would a Zealot wear black? Wearing the white robe and golden mask was their way of staying undisturbed. Even on a stealth mission, hiding white clothes wasn't all that hard with a camouflage skill.

The cloaked figures moved silently through the inner city, past the gates, and into the East Ward. The city was celebrating a huge masquerade, and nobody turned around to give the cloaked figures a second look. I moved faster so as not to lose them between the alleys.

They arrived at the ruins of the Red Hawk trading company and entered through the charred doorframe. Only the first floor remained standing. A moment later, they reappeared, carrying a large chest, and continued on their way.

A couple of blocks down the street, the cloaked figures entered a three-story warehouse. I jumped to the roof and hung from the ledge to peek through the openings near the ceiling. Inside, a group of people dressed in commoners' clothing seemed to be waiting for the delivery.

One of the cloaked figures opened the chest to reveal a Red Crystal the size of a man. Once the lid was open, the crystal started to float to a standing position and came to life. It shone like a System Shrine, with millions of tiny specks of mana moving through its depths.

My heart skipped a beat. I had to tone down my mana sense not to get dizzy. There was only one person on the continent who might be capable of runeweaving a copy of a System Shrine. I shook my head in disbelief. Could Byrne really make something like this?

The System Avatar had told me Byrne was a capable runeweaver, even dangerous, but it never mentioned that he had the skill to actually write or rewrite the System.

I had assumed their cooperation had finished way earlier, but it was possible that Byrne had already become a great runeweaver before he abandoned the system.

It was too early to jump to conclusions, but my gut told me otherwise.

System Shrines didn't grow on trees.

The scene triggered memories of the System Shrine at Umolo, where a shaman sacrificed captive orcs to strengthen the Greyfangs. I had way too many pieces of the puzzle in my hands, and no configuration made sense. However, Byrne had lived among the orcs.

"Did he teach the Umolo orcs how to perform those sacrifices?" I whispered.

The people inside the warehouse formed a circle around the crystal. Mana flowed through their bodies like they were a huge mana circuit. One of the men screamed, and his body was suddenly engulfed in Red Corruption. This time it was different. The red tendrils didn't just cover his skin, but broke his skin and poured into the ground.

Something seemed to go wrong, however, as the man was torn apart as the tendrils reached into the ground.

I was frozen looking at the horrendous scene when, suddenly, a window on the opposite side of the warehouse broke, and a figure wearing a hockey mask landed on the shattered glass. Maybe it was my imagination, but the Sound Bandit was startled by the picture. Before he could react, one of the cloaked figures lunged at him, sword in hand.

I shed my camouflage and jumped inside.

The pulse hit me once, and I almost lost my balance, but as soon as the hockey mask noticed my presence, the pulse stopped.

An instant later, the other cloaked figure was upon me.

The people dressed in commoner clothing remained around the Red Crystal, performing the ritual.

I drew my sword and parried. The clash of blades went up my arm, numbing my shoulder. My opponent had the strength of a Lv.40. With my free hand, I used [Minor Pyrokinesis] to zone him out. Out of all my elemental spells, fire was the one I had least experimented with, but it felt like the right occasion to use it.

The cloaked figure attacked without care for their personal well-being. The flames touched their cloak and singed their hands, but the figure continued attacking. They reminded me of Firana the first time we fought, using their body to conceal the sword, taking risks, and yielding fatal blows out of nowhere.

I clenched my teeth and fought back.

On top of everything else, the cloaked figure had a powerful scrambling skill that rendered my [Foresight] almost useless. The afterimage became blurry, and it was hard for me to read their movements. I couldn't trust the System.

The Sound Bandit's boomerang sword shot towards my opponent, forcing them to split their attention and block. I didn't let the distraction go to waste. Channeling my mana, I used [Minor Geokinesis]. A giant stone fist emerged from the ground, hitting the cloaked figure's side and sending them violently against the wall.

With a jump, I landed by Sound Bandit's side and forced the other cloaked figure to retreat.

The other eight individuals remained around the Red Crystal, performing the ritual, unfazed by the violence.

"Canadian?" I asked in English.

The Sound Bandit shook his head, seemingly unsurprised by my words.

"American? Finnish?"

Before he could answer, the cloaked figures attacked us in perfect synchronization.

The Sound Bandit let me take the lead and covered my flank. For being two complete strangers, we coordinated extremely well. Two-versus-two wasn't a regular format for fencing, but we fought like we had known each other for a lifetime.

The cloaked figures were trying to stall us.

I had no time to spare. With a precise deflection, I pushed my sword into the cloaked figure's stomach. The blade went cleanly from side to side. A second individual performing the ritual became covered in Corruption. Red tendrils emerged from his body, like the tentacles of an ungodly octopus. This time, however, the man lived through the process. The tendrils slowly inched forward towards the crystal in the center.

We had to stop that transformation.

The Sound Bandit looked at me and nodded. He threw his sword right through the corrupted man, while I faced the cloaked figure who remained standing. The sword returned to his hand like it was connected by an invisible thread.

"What is this?!" I asked the cloaked figure as our swords became intertwined.

He pushed me back. Instead of answering, the man shot to the side and planted his hands on the Red Crystal. Mana surged from the depths of the crystal, making my hair stand on its ends. [Foresight] told me to run, but it was too late. The ground trembled as the energy surged to rival the flow of Baram's spire.

"Look out!" I shouted, and the Sound Bandit retreated to my side.

The crystal cracked, and arcs of pure magic poured into the warehouse like lightning. Instinctively, I raised my barrier as time slowed down. The explosion hit me in slow motion. The walls curved outwards, and the wooden beams shattered.

The barrier drained my mana pool in an instant, then the world turned white, and I lost consciousness.

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