* * *

“How’s your body?”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

In response to Baek Yigang’s question, I shrugged nonchalantly, showing I was alright.

Fortunately, the trembling in my hands had stopped, perhaps thanks to finishing the tea earlier.

When I clenched and opened my fists, there were no adverse reactions, which meant I was fully recovered.

But I wondered—did Baek Yigang know?

That I had actually died and come back to life last night?

Well, knowing his cold personality, he probably wouldn’t have been too heartbroken even if I had truly died.

Still, can we talk about how insane this is?

A hidden quest where the reward is automatic resurrection upon death?

That’s some next-level compensation.

If I come across another hidden quest, I’m jumping in headfirst without a second thought.

That was the moment when Baek Yigang suddenly sighed in exasperation, ruffling his pure white hair.

His tousled locks fell messily over his forehead.

“…Wow. He has no filter for a recovering patient, huh? I’m still technically unwell, you know?”

“You really need to stop acting without thinking.”

Just as I was about to glare at him with wounded eyes, Baek Yigang spoke again.

This time, his voice was even colder.

Ugh! Who criticizes someone who just narrowly escaped death? How cruel can you get?

Should I fake another coughing fit?

Maybe if I pretend to be sick, this jerk might stop nagging me.

“Drinking anything random like that—”

“I did not drink anything random!”

Now, this?

This was truly unfair!

I immediately protested, but Baek Yigang’s sharp violet eyes glinted dangerously.

“Did you even know what was in that tea when you drank it for someone else?”

“…Uh, a lot of sugar?”

“Hah…”

An exasperated sigh escaped him—a rare occurrence from Baek Yigang.

Though I’d said it like a joke, it was true.

How many sugar cubes had I dumped into that teacup?

Nine?

It was absurdly sweet.

Still, who knew death could taste so sweet?

…Yeah, no.

Better keep that joke to myself unless I want Baek Yigang to sigh so hard he bores a hole through the floor.

“Anyway, I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Technically, I did die, though.

Awkwardly laughing, I swallowed the rest of my words and looked away.

Honestly, if not for that hidden quest, I would’ve truly died back there.

If things had reset, I’d probably be tied up with ropes by now, ready to meet my end at a flying dagger.

And after that, some “Welcome Reset” message would awkwardly chime in.

The culprit behind this mess?

That scheming bastard, Piel, who had poisoned the tea.

I should’ve screamed “Piel is the culprit!” before I blacked out, but everything had gone dark too quickly for that.

Still regretting it to this day.

“Ah, Baek Yigang. About the culprit—”

“It’s the Second Prince.”

Before I could even finish, Baek Yigang casually revealed the answer.

…What?

How was finding the culprit this easy?

“Wait, you already knew?”

“Who else could it be? There’s no one else to suspect.”

Fair point.

No matter how I looked at it, the only plausible suspect was Piel.

“But you don’t have any evidence, do you?”

“I’ll search his room.”

His straightforward answer left me blinking in disbelief.

Piel wasn’t stupid enough to leave evidence lying around in his room.

He would’ve erased or hidden it long ago.

Searching would be a waste of time.

Baek Yigang wasn’t the type to overlook that. So what was he thinking?

Noticing my doubt, Baek Yigang spoke again.

“I’ve ordered the Magic Department to create a magic stone that can detect traces of black magic.”

“Ah, I see… Wait, WHAT?!”

Did I just hear that right? A black magic detector?!

Hey! I infiltrated the Magic Department specifically to stop them from making that!

And now you’re telling them to make it?!

Ugh, I can’t even tell you why that’s a terrible idea! If they finish it, you’ll die too, you idiot!

“Why would you do that?”

“Piel doesn’t seem to be just borrowing the power of monsters. It’s like what you hinted at before—something he can’t do in front of others.”

Baek Yigang’s words brought back memories of a report I’d received from Ken about the crow monsters Piel controlled.

It felt like a lifetime ago, probably just before the founding festival began.

Back then, I’d speculated that Piel might’ve summoned a real demon, not just some crow-like monsters.

In the original story, Piel only summoned lesser monsters, but what if he had summoned a higher-level demon and even made a contract with it?

At the time, I couldn’t be certain and brushed it off.

“Are there no other possibilities?” Baek Yigang had asked back then.

I’d vaguely avoided the topic by saying, “Let’s hear Ken out first.”

Now, though, it was time to share what I’d suspected.

“What I thought back then was… Piel somehow summoned a high-ranking demon and gained the ability to wield its power freely.”

Baek Yigang listened silently, waiting for me to continue.

“But to do so, he made his own body the vessel for the demon.”

When I finished, Baek Yigang tilted his head slightly.

“So, he became a host?”

“Something like that. Piel wasn’t originally this twisted. The demon might be the reason his actions have become so extreme.”

Baek Yigang immediately grasped the situation, making the conversation flow smoothly.

In a world where magic wasn’t commonly understood, the concept of a host might have been difficult to grasp, but Baek Yigang caught on quickly.

“Right. If he made a pact with a demon, there would be a mark on his body. So instead of searching his room, you need to search him.”

“Why not do both? I’m not leaving anything unchecked.”

Baek Yigang’s determination to leave no stone unturned was evident.

His thoroughness was impressive but also terrifying.

Moments like this made me thankful he was on my side.

The thought of having Baek Yigang as an enemy was enough to send chills down my spine.

“But the mark wouldn’t be out in the open for just anyone to see. Unless he uses a massive amount of power, it’ll remain hidden.”

Suddenly, I remembered Ken saying he’d seen a mark on Piel’s hand.

It must’ve been during a particularly powerful spell.

That’s why even a regular person like Ken had noticed it.

If that was true, the mark was likely on Piel’s hand.

“Ian should be able to spot it easily.”

“True. Ian can wield holy power. But to reveal the mark, Piel would have to use some of his strength first. Without that, it’ll stay hidden.”

The plant Aquila is deceptively sweet, with a fragrance that lures its victims.

A single bite can be lethal.

How ironic and deadly—a sweet poison indeed.

---

The term “small quantity” mentioned here referred to the slight extract obtained by grinding multiple Aquila plants into a single concoction.

However, if the poison had been enhanced, such an effort wouldn’t have been necessary.

Using just one Aquila, or even just its stem or root, might have sufficed.

Though Aquila was known to be a potent poison, the level of toxicity required to bring instant death couldn’t be attributed to mere human capability.

But if a demon, and not just any beastly demon but the very king of beasts—one capable of creating them—was involved, such a feat wouldn’t seem impossible.

---

“What will you do now?”

“Searching the prince’s body is beyond my authority. That requires the emperor’s permission.”

“…There’s no way the emperor would believe in something like demons or the underworld.”

I was certain.

Someone who regarded the dignity of the imperial family as their lifeblood—hiding their ailments at all costs—wasn’t likely to suddenly accept such claims and allow a search of the prince’s body.

The chance was practically zero.

Not only would he refuse, but he’d probably punish Baek Yigang for even suggesting such a thing.

So to resolve this, there was only one option…

“If I become the emperor, it’ll be possible.”

“If you become the emperor, huh?”

We spoke the same words simultaneously and then looked at each other, breaking into helpless laughter.

By this point, it was almost instinctive.

Realizing that Baek Yigang and I were aligned felt unexpectedly comforting.

* * *