Do You Like Hiking?
As the obelisk crumbled into dust, the massive stone gate slowly opened.
Beyond it stood a circular disk emitting a faint glow.
Frey stepped onto the disk without hesitation, and the rest of us followed suit.
Then, as if it had been waiting for us, the disk began descending slowly deeper underground with a heavy mechanical rumble.
A cold wind rose from below and brushed past our hair, and darkness swallowed the surroundings as the light above faded farther away.
How far down is this thing going?
Mm, this is taking quite a while.
...Doesn't this feel similar to what happened back at Aganon?
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.
After a long descent, the disk finally stopped deep underground. The wall blocking the way ahead split open to both sides, and an intense light poured out.
Spread before us was a vast cavern-like space.
And at the very center of that space, shining with light, was...
That's...
Is that... a [Heart of the Star]...?
The reason I couldn't be certain at first was because it was much smaller than any Heart of the Star I had seen before.
Even setting aside the Heart of the Star at Aganon, which had been so massive it was hard to take in at a glance, this one was smaller than the one I'd seen at the Starshard Fortress.
It's the smallest [Heart of the Star] I've seen so far.
And the color seems slightly different too.
Precise measurement required before confirmation is possible...
However, estimated to possess higher energy cohesion than previously observed Heart of the Stars.
Despite smaller size, total contained energy may not differ significantly.
Exterior structure shows signs of precision refinement. Plausible artificial modification.
We split up and thoroughly searched the enormous cavern, but there was nothing there except the Heart of the Star.
Ugh... I don't see anything that looks like a [secret weapon] anywhere.
Mm, maybe there was some mistake in the document...?
But a Heart of the Star is stored here.
Maybe... there really was a weapon here that used the Heart of the Star as its power source.
And only the weapon itself was moved somewhere else afterward...?
Heart of the Stars can be powerful energy sources.
Weaponizing that energy source is a sufficiently plausible concept.
...In any case, for now, it's all we have here.
Frey's voice sounded slightly subdued, presumably because her expectations had been dashed.
I had heard a legend that the Duchy of Monastir's milder climate compared to the northern Kalaid was due to a certain gem...
So that gem was this Heart of the Star.
...Hmm. But it's not like we can actually do anything with this, right?
So what now? We just head back?
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the passage behind us.
Someone else is here...?!
Princess Frey? Are you there?
Lady Frey! If you're there, please answer!
...Ah.
That voice... the Monastir Knights?
Princess Frey! There you are!
We've been looking all over for you—Huh?
The Voyager Savior Party is here as well...
So... you really were together after all.
Huh? Wait, what are you talking about? And why are you calling her "Princess" and "Lady" and all that?
Wait a minute... Are you saying...?!
...
Ahem!
Charlotte! I told you to call me Quartermaster even when it's just us!
M-my apologies... But it's not as easy as it sounds...
Princess... Frey?
Ahaha, I thought something felt off.
For someone serving as a quartermaster... there's always been a certain noble bearing about you.
It seems the reason Charlotte acted so nervous around Frey wasn't simply because of her timid personality.
...It's a little late for this, but allow me to introduce myself properly.
I am [Frey La Monastir], the rightful heir to the Duchy of Monastir.
However, I would appreciate it if you continued to call me [Quartermaster Frey].
How did you know we were here?
There was an uproar at the Royal Archives.
They said you disappeared after taking a large number of ancient documents without permission!
Ahem! I was simply looking into a few things in case there was a way to resolve the situation.
And after Charlotte learned that you went out with the Voyager Savior Party, her face turned completely pale with worry.
Please...! If you're planning to do something like this, tell us first!
...But you always just say [I mustn't do things like that] when I do, Charlotte.
That's because you always try to do [things you mustn't do]!
So we asked the librarians to confirm whether any documents were missing among the ones left in your room.
When we discovered one document was missing, we tried to determine what it contained.
So the librarians, Carmen, and I spent half a day searching through the archives...
H-how could you search my room without permission?!
It was better than having an official report filed and a [Missing Princess Search Order] issued!
We eventually located a preservation copy of the missing document, which led us here.
Whew... Perhaps we should discuss the details after we return?
Mountain paths become difficult to traverse once the sun starts to set.
Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.
Everyone was already exhausted from the long climb and the expedition.
Deciding to head back first, we followed Charlotte and Carmen.
There's a shorter route down. Let's take that.
If we hurry a little... we should be able to reach a settlement within about two hours.
We can take a carriage back to the royal palace from there.
Two hours?! But my legs can't hold that long!
Waah...! Someone carry me!
Ah, if your legs are hurting, would you like me to carry you? I'm still fine!
Charlotte! You're slipping back into your rookie habits again!
Ah! I-I didn't even realize...!
By the way... um... Lady... Frey?
No need to be formal. Just call me Frey.
I prefer it that way too.
Um... then, Frey? Why were you hiding that you were a princess?
Well, you see...
Just as everyone relaxed at the thought of heading back and began walking toward the passage where the disk waited...
...Hold it!
A sudden chill swept through the passage.
Darkness seeped between the stone walls as a strange, cold presence crept upon us.
...I see. So that explains why every seal at the entrance was already broken.
From beyond the passage, a figure with black wings slowly revealed herself.
Hmm. So you managed to find this place after all?
Y-you're...!
The Executor from last time...? How did you get here?!
Ah, that Executor nonsense again...
I'm tired of hearing that. Just call me by my name.
[Tyria].