Blood streamed down the wall. So close to death, I felt not a shred of fear—only uncontrollable excitement. The air hung thick with a sweet, metallic scent, as alluring as aged grape juice.

This was the smell of death, the scent of slaughter. Without control, anyone craving this would struggle not to become a Dark Lord.

Led astray by a Dark Lord’s instincts… was I truly beyond redemption?

"Are you content to stay here?" His golden ceremonial robe fluttered in the vortex of Battle Aura. A dragon-headed broadsword rested in its golden scabbard. Chains coiled around his waist like shackles binding a mighty dragon—remove them, and he’d soar away as a dragon.

Gold and white patterns marked him as the Hero. He reached a redeeming hand toward the crouching girl. "I’ve seen the truth. Let’s elope!"

The girl gazed up with tear-filled, weary eyes at the descending Savior. Disbelief and joy filled her gaze. Weakly, she raised her slender arm…

A punch flew out!

"You blockhead, finally got a clue?" I fumed. "Rescue someone quietly! Must you act like the Savior? Is playing hero fun? What if guards spot your flashy entrance?"

"I’ve cleared all guards on this floor," he said innocently, scratching his head. "Sorry I’m late."

"Hopeless," I muttered, standing and rolling my eyes. "Still think this world’s simple and fun?"

He shook his head. "Not simple—but undeniably fun."

"You! Forget it," I sighed. "If you’ve come to your senses, break my seal."

"Turn around," he said.

"You agree?" I asked excitedly, spinning around. "Finally escaping!"

"Dream on. You’re sticking with me," he replied, hand on the lock at my neck. "This thing has nasty side effects—nothing lifelong, though."

"What side effects?"

"It locks all mana flow. You know the rest." A soft *click* sounded. The collar dropped. Vast mana surged back within me, flowing slowly.

My heart sank. Damn. Magic required two basics: mana quantity and flow rate. Quantity set scale; rate set class.

So now, I could barely singe mouse fur with a fireball?

"How long to recover?" I asked, lips twitching at the tiny flame in my palm.

"A week? A month? Under a year, definitely."

"Just leave me here," said a Dark Lord who’d lost his dreams.

"More like weeks. You’ll fight in days—but full power takes time."

"I hope so." I slashed the air, opening a rift. Tossing the collar inside—perfect! The treasure vault worked fine.

"Why keep it?" He pointed at the visible collar, half-laughing. "I’ll buy you a prettier one if you like."

"Lott! Can’t you avoid trouble?"

"Whoa! Put that English dictionary away!" He covered his head instantly.

"Enough. How do we escape?" I scanned the room. Guards above were no joke.

"Dunno… I snuck down."

"Are you even a Hero?" I rolled my eyes hard. "No escape plan?"

He shook his head honestly. I couldn’t crush his fragile heart. "No other exits… fight up, take down the Pope, then flee?"

"Can’t win…"

"You believed that!" I mentally flipped the table again.

"Hero-sama!" A crisp shout, laced with disbelief.

Trouble! Discovered too soon—must not be exposed. I yanked Lott aside, hurling a fireball with all my might.

*Thud*. A playing card shattered it into fiery sparks.

The card embedded in the wall, crumbling to ash.

"Princess, careful!" A grey-haired maid stood guard, card raised. Behind her—

"Your Highness!" "Princess Caiwen!" We both cried. "Sorry—I was too excited to see clearly."

But what was this? Why was the Princess in a white-stockinged maid outfit?

And this mysterious harmony—what the hell?

Her cherry-blossom hair and maid dress matched surprisingly well. She looked lovely.

"Princess, why are you here?"

"I… came to rescue you with Senior Mochu. Then I saw the Hero," Caiwen whispered. She snapped back. "This is Mochu, my guard maid."

"I thought we were caught," I breathed out. I studied the maid: grey short hair, slightly pale, cold face. Perfect features, yet lifeless.

The delicate Princess was adorable—but "Why the maid outfit?"

"To avoid attention!" Caiwen beamed: *See how smart I am? Praise me!*

Who didn’t know the Great Princess? That pink hair screamed royalty. Everyone pretended not to notice, guessing her latest mischief.

"See how the Princess hides? What about you?" I tapped Lott’s back. "Fighting in…" I spotted nearby corpses, glancing at Caiwen.

Was this really okay?

"The Goddess will bless them," Caiwen said with a slight smile, as if reading my mind. "They departed with dignity."

To die in battle—even without striking a blow—was a warrior’s fate.

The golden sword pinned to the wall dissolved into sand, flowing to the Hero’s feet. Knights still stood upright.

"Let’s go. The dungeon hides a secret passage—built for royalty during palace construction. Even the Church doesn’t know. Follow me!" Her words were a lifeline, igniting instant hope.

"A secret passage in the dungeon!"