Chapter 78 Clues

Lin Wei had never expected that Kaivelin, who had always accompanied him, was in fact a royal princess of the Kingdom of Layton.

When Lin Wei had first met Kaivelin, he had sensed the noble air she exuded. Coupled with the fact that she was apprenticed to the great knight Orien, Lin Wei had assumed she was the daughter of a duke or marquis, never considering a royal connection.

He fixed his gaze on Kaivelin’s delicate face and asked, “Since you’re the sixth princess, why did you follow Orien to the frontier?”

“That was my mother’s idea,” Kaivelin replied with a slight shrug and a soft sigh. “Members of the royal family have been disappearing one after another. Several princes and princesses have vanished without a trace. My mother wanted to use this opportunity to get me away from the capital, that den of intrigue. Besides, staying close to Orien would ensure my safety.”

Lin Wei nodded thoughtfully. From Kaivelin’s words, he gleaned just how deeply the disappearances had unsettled the royal family. That even a princess like Kaivelin was sent away by her mother spoke volumes about the atmosphere of panic that now pervaded the palace.

“My lord...” Kaivelin said softly, seeing Lin Wei lost in thought. She seemed nervous, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.

“Yes?” Lin Wei responded, not minding a little conversation with her—he had always had a good impression of Kaivelin.

Kaivelin bit her lip. “Do you know where Orien is?”

Lin Wei shook his head. Orien had vanished under mysterious circumstances, and Lin Wei could all too easily imagine his fate.

Though the masked woman had never received formal training as a sorceress and was clearly weaker than Lin Wei, that was only a comparison within their rank. After all, she was still a genuine second-level apprentice, and with the home advantage of the simulated dimension, eliminating Orien would have been a simple task for her.

“Go search the area,” Lin Wei said, offering a rare word of comfort as he saw the worry and dejection on Kaivelin’s face. “You might still find him.”

“All right...” Kaivelin answered, dazed and disheartened. From Lin Wei’s tone, she could already sense that her teacher Orien had likely met a tragic end.

Without another word, Lin Wei left her to her search, found a large tree, and sat cross-legged beneath it. He began the wizard’s meditation technique, slowly restoring his magical and mental strength.

Kaivelin’s footsteps faded, as if she intended to search farther afield for Orien.

Time slipped by, minute after minute, until an hour had passed.

Kaivelin finally returned—not alone, but leading two horses, the very ones that she and Lin Wei had lost in the simulated dimension.

Hearing her approach, Lin Wei opened his eyes and stretched his limbs. After an hour’s rest, his mind was once again at its peak.

“My lord, Orien...” Kaivelin’s eyes were red, clear evidence she had wept before returning. Now, as she tried to speak, her voice trembled with tears. “When I found Sir Orien, he was already gone...”

Lin Wei rose and dusted off his pants before walking over to her. He had expected this outcome, and so, too, had Kaivelin. Yet now that it was real, it was hard for her to accept.

“Let’s go. I imagine you’re in no mood to rest now,” Lin Wei said, taking the reins of his horse and glancing at the sky. The moon shone bright, offering ample light for night travel.

Kaivelin choked back her sorrow and nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Just as she was about to mount her horse, her gaze caught the lifeless body of the masked woman.

The woman lay face down on the earth, her face pressed against the dirt.

Kaivelin frowned, hesitating. She looked at Lin Wei, her tone pleading. “My lord, may I give her a proper burial?”

There was a simple compassion in her eyes, a pure and untainted kindness.

It was as though Lin Wei saw her anew. Bathed in moonlight, her clear gaze stirred the soul.

He waved his hand, signaling her to be quick about it.

Kaivelin bowed slightly in gratitude, then carefully began to wipe the dirt from the masked woman’s face.

“Tsk, tsk...” Lin Wei murmured to himself as he watched her. “To keep such innocence in the midst of the royal court’s intrigues is rare indeed. The king must cherish her greatly—she’s been well protected.”

Kaivelin gently cleaned the mud from the woman’s face.

Suddenly, she gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth, and looked at Lin Wei with a complicated expression, as if she wished to say something.

Lin Wei was puzzled by her reaction.

“My lord... this woman...” Kaivelin bit her lip, confusion in her eyes. “I think I’ve seen her before.”

Lin Wei’s pupils contracted. He quickly dismounted and strode to her side.

“You’ve seen her?” he asked again for confirmation.

Kaivelin nodded rapidly.

“Where?” Lin Wei felt he might finally be grasping a thread—perhaps the mastermind behind the royal disappearances was beginning to reveal themselves.

“If I’m not mistaken, she used to be a palace maid,” Kaivelin replied, gazing at Lin Wei.

“A palace maid?” Lin Wei was momentarily at a loss. “How could a palace maid possess the power of a second-level wizard apprentice?”

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

“You’re certain you’re not mistaken?” he pressed again.

After a few seconds of recollection, Kaivelin nodded firmly. “I’m sure, my lord. I definitely saw her more than once in the palace, though I can’t remember which duties she performed.”

Lin Wei’s expression grew grave. Originally, his plan had been to abandon the mission if he encountered any threat to his life.

Yet now, even before reaching the capital, he had already survived an assassination attempt by a second-level apprentice. Although her power had been lacking, the attempt itself far exceeded his expectations. Once in the capital, he could not be sure the mastermind wouldn’t pose a true threat.

But Lin Wei no longer wished to give up. On the contrary, he felt a surge of anticipation. If a second-level apprentice—untutored in the formal ways of the wizard—could master a simulated dimension, a lost art from the annals of history, then how many more secrets lay concealed behind her?

For Lin Wei, this was a dangerous game—yet perhaps, too, a rare opportunity.