With the windows popping around my eyes and my mind in a trance for a fleeting mont that recovered soon enough, my gait snapped towards the door as I hurled myself forward, sprinting while sliding across the floor due to the needed speed.
I hit the wall, barely caring, and quickly turned, my eyes clearly noticing that the day was about to set.
Sothing confusing was happening.
'Wasn't it morning?'
My mind, while focused on sprinting, struggled to comprehend ti passing much faster, as I had just been dealing with things in the training ground, handling the spy and talking with the ghosts.
It could hardly have taken so hours, yet the sun was about to set.
[Host, psychic communication with ghosts triggered an irregularity in your mind regarding ti; the small communication you had with them lasted 4 hours.]
'Huh?'
I thought, uncaring, as I swiftly descended the stairs, hurling myself out of the Princess' palace, my cage.
I noticed the guards and a few of the maids increasing their pace towards the exit.
Clearly, I was trying to find so ans to reach her.
Given the half-hour tiline and the warning, it was clear that Aleriana was in danger.
"Damn it! Run!"
Due to the building agitation and my mind clearly trying to process everything, I felt my speed insufficient to reach her in ti.
[Host, please compose yourself.]
'Compose my ass!'
I yelled inwardly before sprinting towards the gate, halting as I looked towards the direction where carriages were usually standing.
But I found nothing; it was as if, due to the nobility's departure, all the carriages had left, causing my frustration to increase.
The sheer panic surging through just from thinking about what could have happened to her caused to turn in the other direction, yet I still found nothing.
I sprinted again but this ti felt a sharp pain in my head.
:: Stop! You human! Don't run like an idiot! ::
"Ugh," I thought, stretching my hand over the hair that Valeriana had pulled.
I felt the sting before realizing that I was panicking too much.
My eyes trembled from the surging thoughts of sothing happening to Aleriana.
Yet, in that mont, the words that rang out from over my head snapped my mind out of its panic.
:: Are you the sa human who attacked —a reaper? Co to your senses! ::
'!'
It was as if those words struck a chord, causing to halt.
I realized that I was acting too panicked and not thinking calmly about the situation, which was ruining everything because of my emotions.
"Phew."
Exhaling, I placed my palm on my eyes, trying to compose myself.
Acting panicked would not make the situation any better, especially since I didn't even know where Aleriana was, precisely.
'Think...'
Standing just outside the tal gates of the princess's palace, while being clearly watched by the guards, I closed my eyes, trying to figure out exactly where Aleriana could have been headed and what kind of danger she might be facing that was stronger than her seventh layer strength.
'!?!'
'N-no, shit!'
A realization dawned on as the mory of her taking those four dead bodies of the people from the exorcism sect strung a mory, causing to realize that the reason she most likely took them was to repeat the sa event that had occurred when Aleriana reached the seventh layer in the original story.
It was the destruction of the Exorcism Sect.
It didn't take long to realize that due to my intervention and the increase in her strength, I might have activated a butterfly effect, where even before the tiline I thought would follow the original plot, events were fast-forwarded just like the strength boost I had given her.
This led to sothing that should have happened later in the story occurring sooner.
"M-my lord! What happened? Is everything alright?"
ca a voice, pulling out of my thoughts.
I turned and noticed one of the guards, who had arrived to inquire after seeing my panicked state.
I needed to compose myself because I required answers.
I could not recall soone strong enough, except for the elders within the Exorcism Sect, to win against Aleriana.
And given her mindset, it was impossible for her to barge into the Exorcism Sect while knowing that she would suffer an inevitable loss due to the presence of elders.
So I needed to confirm if the elders were really present within the sect or not.
"Tell , did soone from the Exorcism Sect arrive at the main palace?"
I asked, trying to figure out if I were in Aleriana's place, then I would have most likely used those four dead bodies as a pretext to make either the royal family punish the Exorcism Sect or to distance the elders or stronger individuals from the sect.
"Huh? Yes, every elder from the Exorcism Sect is here."
Hearing the guard's words confird my conclusion.
Aleriana had likely used those four bodies to bargain with the king to summon the elders to the royal family while leaving the Exorcism Sect defenseless.
That was a powerful move, considering the rivalry and the profit that would stem from the destruction of the Exorcism Sect was enormous for both the princess and Olea.
This was one of my main aims afterward, but I never thought that this day would co so soon.
Initially, I had aid to help Aleriana ascend to the throne while keeping plots in check without disturbing them too much.
According to my plan, we would have returned to the northern territories after handling matters here, steadily increasing Aleriana's strength, and then returned.
But now, this event would clearly trigger the main royalty.
The First Queen and her sons would now enter the political battle, given that they had been fighting with each other and ignoring Aleriana's presence until now.
'No, I will deal with them later!'
Knowing that it had beco inevitable, I turned and sprinted directly in the opposite direction of the palace.
In my line of sight, there was nothing—no vehicle.
I felt completely useless, unable to cover the distance.
I sprinted with all my might while telling myself I probably wouldn't make it on ti.
'Damn it, damn it! DAMN IT!'
Even though my mind was calm, frustration still seethed within , reminding once again that even with such overpowered abilities, I was a powerless man who could not protect his wife.
I sprinted, acutely aware of my own deficiency, knowing that I could not even use the remaining rings I had in my possession to take out so artifact and rge them, which might grant the ability to move faster.
"Oh my, you seem to be struggling, Young man?"
Suddenly, a woman's voice broke through my thoughts, clear enough to reach .
While running, I opened the status window to check the artifacts which I had collected from those whom I killed, finding none of them related to speed.
I halted and turned my head towards the source of the voice, seeing an old woman standing there with a smile.
"I was just here to give you a ssage from Mia, that she—"
My feet swiftly hurled towards her, and I embraced the woman, knowing well who she was before I yelled with desperation, "Let ride you, Mialthara!"
'!!'
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