Chapter 35: Six Years Ago

Encountering a trustworthy friend in a place fraught with danger is an immensely uplifting experience.

Some troubles cannot be kept bottled up inside; at times like these, it is necessary to confide in someone.

Ron was just such a person.

He quickly recounted the events of the day to his close comrade, Mr. Sid.

He told him how he had been harassed by the knights, the unspeakable darkness lurking in the royal capital, and how, in the direst of circumstances, he had met Mr. Snake, a man yearning for redemption.

It was his way of soothing his young heart.

“Ah, you mean this…” Sid began.

“The Templar Order and us don’t exactly see eye to eye. According to the sacred pact from 1,369 years ago, the precursor to the Stardust Society was meant to hold a status above the current Heinleit clan.”

“I remember reading in history books that the Heinleit ancestor secured aid from Lady Ophina, the ‘Crown of Stardust,’ the association president from 1,369 years ago, by offering the conditions of the Star’s Fury.”

Where did this unofficial history come from? Wasn’t it the first king who, with a fierce roar, summoned warriors from all corners to slay the evil dragon, banish the dark gods, and finally establish the kingdom to safeguard humanity’s peace?

Ron listened, shocked. He hadn’t expected that this vast Orlan Kingdom was acquired through such a bargain.

His vivid imagination immediately conjured countless scenes of sordid deals hidden within the sacred epic’s history.

This left the boy somewhat disillusioned.

No wonder it was so dark; the rot ran deep from the very roots!

Yet, on the other hand…

The presidents of the Stardust Society seemed to have some serious issues.

Suddenly, Ron thought of Olivia, whose eccentricities were equally bizarre.

If it weren’t for that unreliable woman being nowhere to be found for days on end, he likely wouldn’t have been caught by the knights and thrown into the dungeon.

“Mr. Sid, after assigning the missions, have you seen Lady Olivia recently?”

In the dimly lit, modest dormitory, the boy’s face was earnest as he resolved to ask this question.

He was deeply worried that the president might be somewhere nursing a drink and shirking her duties.

“You mean the president, huh…”

Upon hearing Ron’s question, Sid Flores sighed.

Stories, perhaps?

Seeing this, Ron immediately perked up, ears pricked.

No worker dislikes hearing gossip about their leader.

“The president supposedly went off chasing after a witch these past few days, leaving a huge mess for us department heads to handle.”

“Didn’t you see me out there on undercover missions?”

Saying this, the silver-haired youth sighed, as if lamenting something.

After a brief silence, he glanced at Ron.

Seeing that the boy showed no further curiosity, the handsome face flushed faintly.

Finally, unable to resist sharing, Sid leaned close to Ron’s ear and whispered:

“You should know about the important mission from six years ago, right?”

“That’s top secret—I wouldn’t normally tell just anyone!”

You call that secret? Weren’t you just claiming your lips were the tightest a few days ago?

The blond boy smirked, then recalled the fortune teller “Wind Chime,” who was uncannily accurate.

According to her, she retired after that vital mission six years ago.

A true underling.

“I know, I’ve heard about it from others,” Ron nodded obediently.

Sid nodded in approval. “Good. Just remember, whatever I say next isn’t to be repeated as coming from me.”

“Six years ago, the old capital fell. The previous president, Olivia’s teacher, led most of the top investigators to scout the situation.”

“But they vanished without a trace within the ‘Depths.’ No one knows how she died!”

“You have to understand, she was a legend—able to destroy an entire city with a mere flick of her finger.”

Sid paused, as though reminiscing about the former president.

“Later, based on the intelligence pieced together by surviving investigators, someone saw the previous president argue with a mysterious woman.”

“She then went alone to the ‘Depths’ that very night and never returned—as if she had never existed at all.”

At this, Ron couldn’t help but interject, “That woman was the Azure Witch?”

“Exactly!” Sid nodded, then added, “At the time, she hadn’t yet earned the title of Azure Witch.”

No wonder they were so fixated on the witch…

Her teacher was deceived and silently perished, never even seeing her last moments.

And as the former president’s student, Olivia had to shoulder the heavy burden of leading the Stardust Society.

In that moment, Ron somewhat understood Olivia.

It made the kind-hearted boy feel guilty for having thought poorly of the president.

“Mr. Sid, if the president is out chasing the witch, why did you come undercover here?”

Whether it’s cultists or witches, why not capture either?

As a member of the Stardust Society, shouldn’t you avenge the previous president first?

Hearing this, Sid Flores returned to his usual cool demeanor.

“Because the princess has gone missing, and coincidentally, the witch has appeared in the royal capital.”

“Olivia isn’t that naive—she knows the witch is just a decoy set by someone with ulterior motives, but she can’t let go of that glimmer of hope and thus chose to pursue the witch.”

Saying this, the logistics department head suddenly rose with pride.

“Though the mastermind is cunning enough to restrain the Stardust Society’s president, they’ve clearly underestimated my ability to gather intelligence.”

“In just a few hours, I still managed to find this!”

What intelligence gathering? More like gossip collection!

Also, aren’t you from logistics? Why are you so skilled at snooping?

Ron rubbed his forehead, feeling that Sid always managed to surprise him in unexpected ways.

That was the story.

The boy roughly understood the ins and outs.

But one thing left him uneasy.

There was no princess here—only her maid.

He looked at confident Sid and hesitated to share this harsh truth.

After a moment’s pause, the conflicted Ron stood and patted Sid’s shoulder, offering encouragement and support.

After all, they were already here…

In the modest dormitory, the flickering fire dimmed, and at some point, the orange-red flame was extinguished entirely.

It was ten o’clock; according to the Pain Cult’s rules, lights out and time to sleep.

Lying in bed, Ron tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

So much had happened today, and in the silent night, thoughts often drifted, noticing things overlooked during the day.

For instance…

Growl.

He was too hungry to sleep.

Having been thrown into the dungeon and then infiltrated the Pain Cult, Ron hadn’t eaten all day.

Just then, he suddenly heard faint noises from the next bed.

Within seconds, Sid suddenly leapt to his bedside.

Under the moonlight, he revealed a warm smile.

“My friend, are you hungry?”