The Foreigner on the Periphery

Hearing they were departing immediately, Ha Eun-seong anticipated what would unfold tonight.

The same procedure they had repeated over and over on Earth would play out again.

It was a simple routine. Ha Eun-seong would scout in his spirit form to pinpoint the target's location. Once he reported back to Minjun, the man would head out wielding those terrifying twin Frying Pans. For some unknown reason, Minjun stubbornly avoided wielding both simultaneously; he would instead smack the target over the head with the silver pan, laboriously put it away, and only then draw the black pan to brainwash them.

He could picture it perfectly.

He prepared for astral projection.

"Alright, I'll be back. The royal palace, right?"

Having scoured the city by now, he naturally knew the location of the royal palace.

Up until now, he hadn't searched every single room in the inner palace where the royals resided—since, according to Darkbara's testimony, there was no way the Sanctuary would be in such a place—but today he would focus on thoroughly inspecting that area.

"If you just tell me what the princess looks like—"

Minjun stopped his debtor, who looked ready to depart at any second.

"What is it?"

"There's something you need to be particularly careful about this time."

"What's that?"

"And you don't need to know what she looks like. You can't even tell them apart anyway, can you?"

"Uh... true. What should I be careful about?"

"As you wander the inner palace in your astral state, you'll feel something bizarre. Just figure out where that's coming from and check the surrounding guard situation."

"A bizarre feeling?"

"I've never been a ghost myself, so it's hard to explain exactly. I imagine it'll feel like your spiritual body is breaking apart. You aren't in a pure soul state right now; you're a ghost—a fusion of a soul and a mental body. Since you're affected by the ambient mana concentration, you won't be immune to the princess's abilities."

"What do you mean?"

"Our target isn't an ordinary Stanian."

According to Darkbara, who had spilled every secret after Minjun captured him, Princess Yuria had displayed abilities that completely overshadowed her sisters' since childhood.

She excelled in every field: academics, linguistics, socialization, political acumen, artistic talent, and physical development.

However, one of her abilities was something her sisters couldn't even begin to imitate.

"It seems Princess Yuria is a genius Supernatural Ability User, unprecedented even within the Shutan Royal Family."

Yumtus, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"What kind of ability is it?"

*

=A top-tier mana-condensing ability... honestly, this is going to be tough.=

A short while ago, as Ha Eun-seong lamented his fate to Yumtus, Minjun had been far from the capital, standing with a Coffin and a Frying Pan.

After finishing his business, Minjun closed the Coffin lid and picked up the Frying Pan. He wanted to ask its opinion.

=It's true that Supernatural Ability Users are harder to brainwash, but if they're around an average level, I can suppress their resistance and bend them to my will. Right now, however, we have two problems. First, I've already brainwashed too many targets, so my power is stretched thin—and several Ancient Dragons are among them. Second, according to Darkbara's testimony, the princess's ability is exceptional even on a dimensional scale. The Committee might already have their eyes on her.=

Minjun nodded.

"I agree on that point."

Whether it was magic, mental telepathy, spiritual resonance, spirit affinity, telekinesis, Divine Power, physical enhancement, spatial manipulation, or time interference—the one thing these countless branches of Supernatural Abilities shared was their dependence on the ambient mana concentration.

The Committee hadn't offered 'an increase in Earth's mana concentration' as compensation during the 1st Mass Immigration for nothing. To build a Terminal on Earth, install massive artifacts, and operate them stably in the future, they first had to fundamentally alter Earth's environment. Only with sufficient mana could all powers classified as Supernatural Abilities function properly.

In other words, mana was the medium that triggered almost every Supernatural Ability people recognized. So what would happen if that medium didn't flow properly and instead froze solid?

The result was easy to predict: the Supernatural Ability would weaken or be nullified entirely. That was exactly what Princess Yuria's ability did.

"It's an incredibly rare ability on its own, but it's also powerful enough to terrify the Committee?"

Princess Yuria had reportedly been banned for life from the Dimensional Jump Terminal by the Committee when she was still a child. And that was when her ability wasn't even as strong as it was now.

=He said she nearly caused a catastrophe when she attended a Terminal event in a neighboring country as a child, right?=

Under the pretext that unmarried women were "beings to be protected," modern Stanian culture rarely allowed them outside their homes. Royals, however, had it slightly better. Thanks to this, Princess Yuria had been able to travel abroad, where she unintentionally caused a disaster.

The Guidance Tower—the most important Magic Tool controlling the Terminal's functions and a colossal artifact installed personally by the Committee—had been affected by the princess's ability.

It was an outcome no one had anticipated.

The operators noticed the anomaly in the Magic Tool and took immediate action, preventing any casualties. But if their discovery had been delayed, or if a ship had been coming into port right at the end of a dimensional jump, the results would have been horrific.

Much like the command advance party that had been annihilated in the dimensional rift just recently, thanks to Minjun's schemes.

"The Committee aren't fools; they would've known a mana-condensing ability user was coming and prepared beforehand. Yet the Guidance Tower was still affected?"

=He said she's grown older and stronger since then. If you converted that level of power into telekinesis, it could knead a mountain like mud. If you converted it into magic, it would be enough to burn down an entire city. In other words...=

The Frying Pan emitted a troubled mental wave.

=She may lack direct lethal force, but she's a vastly more powerful Supernatural Ability User than that Weapon Master I instilled with self-affirmation.=

Minjun frowned at those words. He was reminded once again of the useless stunt the Frying Pan had pulled on Solada.

However, instead of changing the subject, he asked again.

"So, the bottom line is that it'll be difficult?"

Could the Frying Pan brainwash Princess Yuria on top of its current load?

Asiph-1 answered.

=It seems impossible in my current state. To brainwash an ability user of that caliber, I would need to release my hold on one of the Ancient Dragons first.=

"An Ancient Dragon?"

Minjun's eyebrows twitched.

"Releasing a few of those servants we brainwashed at Solada's house wouldn't be enough?"

=I apologize. I would need to free something on the level of an Ancient Dragon to have enough leeway. Or, as I mentioned before... my capacity would expand if I absorbed more soul fragments.=

"The whole point of brainwashing her is to retrieve more fragments. It makes no sense to say you need more soul fragments to brainwash her."

=That is true. And there's another problem...=

The Frying Pan brought up another realistic constraint.

=Most of the Ancient Dragons I brainwashed are back on Earth, aren't they? They're too far away to execute a release right now. Given our current situation, the closest one to us is...=

Minjun looked at the Coffin he had just closed.

=Should I release the brainwashing on that one and brainwash the princess instead? But you must consider that once a target is released, they'll build up a resistance.=

The master's decision was swift.

"No, we can't let that one go."

=True, a man's got to eat. You can't just walk around starving all the time. I understand.=

"I'll try a different approach with Princess Yuria. I've relied on you heavily lately, but..."

As Minjun said this, there wasn't a trace of worry or anxiety on his face.

"Even before I had you, 'inquiry' and 'interrogation' were my specialties."

=I am well aware.=

The Frying Pan muttered through a mental wave tinged with slight discomfort.

=It's just that your methods used to be a bit rougher than they are now.=

*

Minjun's plan was simple.

"First, I'll ask for her cooperation non-violently. If she refuses... there's always another way."

It meant he would beat her half to death until her resistance shattered. Ha Eun-seong could almost see the unfortunate princess's grim future.

At the same time, he felt a strange sense of incongruity.

When they first met, the agent before him had clearly seemed like an apostle of justice judging sinners. Back on Earth, he was undeniably someone suited to arresting terrorists far more than acting as a terrorist kidnapping a princess.

Yet, he had suddenly reversed his course entirely. Still, it didn't seem driven by self-interest. In Minjun's eyes, Ha Eun-seong saw a desperate, profound yearning.

His creditor was moving with a clear objective. It was all for some hidden desire he hadn't shared.

'What exactly is this all for?'

Burying his doubts in his chest, Ha Eun-seong followed Minjun. While they went to kidnap the princess, Yumtus would stay behind to guard the other princess.

"Alright, I'll be back."

Ha Eun-seong moved close to the royal palace and projected his astral form.

A short while later.

"Cough!"

Ha Eun-seong coughed as he pushed himself up.

"Just like you said... there was an area where my spiritual body started burning up as I got closer. I couldn't cross the final wall because I felt like I wouldn't survive if I went any further. I think Princess Yuria is inside that room."

As expected, the princess's absurd mana-condensing ability seemed to affect mental bodies—ghosts—as well.

Considering ghosts had never been found on Earth before the mana concentration rose to its current level, the connection between mental bodies and mana was undeniable. Unless one was in a state of pure soul, they were bound to be affected.

"I didn't see any barriers around the room. Not just anti-ghost barriers, but even normal ones."

"Because they'd all weaken and dissolve near the princess."

"Maybe they're trying to make up for the gap with sheer numbers... there are a ton of Stanians standing guard."

"So we just need to fool their eyes. Understood."

Fwoosh!

Shadows boiled up, enveloping Minjun's entire body. Ha Eun-seong watched as the man vanished, melting perfectly into the darkness. He muttered inwardly.

'He might be hiding now... but won't his magic break once he reaches the princess's room?'

Minjun, however, harbored no such worries.

When a cold snap struck, shallow streams and springs froze over quickly. Deep rivers and oceans, in contrast, only froze at the surface; beneath the ice, heavy, intense currents continued to surge.

The Dark Magic Power filling Minjun's body was precisely like the currents of a deep, vast ocean. And as he regained his memories, that power only grew stronger.

He entered the royal palace and advanced without hesitation. Even when he finally stepped into the princess's sphere of influence, Minjun's concealment didn't break. He repeatedly smothered the mana-condensed area with freshly spewed magic. Like waves endlessly pounding the shore, his power swept over and buried the frozen boundary.

'He said it was this way.'

Just as Ha Eun-seong had guessed, Minjun noticed the number of guards drastically increasing in a certain direction, as if they were trying to fill the magical void with manpower.

When he reached the very front of the princess's room without being caught by a single guard's gaze, Minjun marveled inwardly.

'This is truly... an insane level.'

Princess Yuria was an even greater ability user than the descriptions had led him to imagine.

Crackle!

Pop!

Fwoosh!

The shadows that had cloaked Minjun's body and kept him hidden in the darkness abruptly shifted, taking the form of a campfire exposed to a torrential downpour. It constantly sparked black embers, dying out and flaring up in an endless cycle. It lost its strength due to the princess's grip seeping through the walls, only to roar back to life as Minjun combusted Dark Magic Power, pouring it on like oil.

'If I drag this out, the magic consumption will be severe.'

After blinding the guards with a cognitive distortion spell, he grabbed the handle of the completely unwarded door.

Simultaneously, his eyebrows shot up.

"...?!"

The expected resistance wasn't there. Not just magical resistance, but even physical.

The door opened far too easily.

'What?'

It might have been different in the past, but the door of a Stanian princess living in this era was unlocked?

Minjun quietly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. In the middle of the room sat a Stanian woman, wide awake. She matched the physical description in Darkbara's file.

Her attire, however, was a little strange.

Despite the late hour, she was dressed in outdoor clothing. It was unexpected, considering she had no external schedule for the next few days. She wasn't wearing the standard loungewear unmarried women always wore—the 'maternity wear.'

The princess turned her head, and their eyes met. Minjun noted that her outfit was bizarre even for outdoor clothing. Why on earth was her face covered with a mask? Just like his was right now.

Masking his suspicion, Minjun spoke in an intimidating tone.

"Princess Yuria."

Even if she screamed, the sound wouldn't leak outside. He had prepared for that, but the princess's reaction was incredibly calm.

She opened her mouth.

"I've been waiting. You arrived sooner than expected."

...What?

"I wondered who the humans would send. I expected much, but you truly are a remarkable ability user. To reach this place while evading so many watchful eyes. Then again, you'd have to be at least that good to sneak me out."

He didn't let it show, but Minjun was baffled. Her words made it sound as though she had known he was coming.

Could she possess some unknown clairvoyant ability as well?

Instead of voicing his doubts, Minjun tried to recite his prepared script. 'Princess Yuria, follow me obediently...'

"Now then, let's depart."

"...?"

Before he could even get the words out, Princess Yuria was already standing up. She cast a tranquil gaze at Minjun.

"I assume you've prepared a 'mount'? A vehicle capable of flying high enough to reach the Sanctuary. As I've emphasized several times, it must be a mount that uses a power source other than Mana Crystals. Mana Crystals shut down the moment I get close to them."

His mind was momentarily thrown into chaos, but Minjun plucked a crucial piece of information from her words.

Flying high enough to reach the Sanctuary?

That statement implied the Sanctuary was located somewhere much higher than here.

But there were no buildings or mountains taller than the royal palace nearby...

"...!"

Only then did Minjun realize it. The reason Ha Eun-seong hadn't been able to find the Sanctuary despite scouring the entire city.

Bound by preconceived notions, the ghost had only searched coordinates along the horizontal plane.

In other words, his exploration had failed to exercise vertical imagination.

'I don't know why she's acting so calmly, but...'

For now, it seemed he could take her out without raising a fuss. He didn't want to cause a disturbance loud enough to reach the Committee's ears, either.

'Still, a mount that can fly without Mana Crystals?'

A vehicle that could fly without relying on magic.

An answer immediately surfaced in Minjun's mind.

Whatever delusion was clouding her judgment wouldn't last long. Before it shattered...

Without changing his expression in the slightest, he replied. Smoothly and shamelessly.

"Of course. It is ready. Right this way."

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