A day had passed since that night in the forest.
The marks of the battle still lingered — a patch of burned earth, the faint scent of scorched mana — but when Sho returned that morning, the place felt hollow, like it had never happened at all.
He stood among the ashes, staring at his own hand.
The faint silver glow that had once surged uncontrollably now pulsed in rhythm with his breathing — steady, calm, alive.
> That knight... wasn't a monster.
It was human once. I could feel it.
He sighed softly. "And then there's that system…"
For eight years in this world, Sho had learned magic, studied combat, and explored the depths of mana.
But a system window?
That was something straight out of SSS Rank Strongest Player — the action novel he used to read on Earth.
> I didn't expect it to actually exist here.
He sat under a tree, exhaling as he focused. The faint silver-blue light glimmered in his eyes.
"System. Open."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then —
[System Online.]
The familiar translucent panel appeared before him, hovering faintly like glass dusted in starlight.
---
[System Main Menu]
Status
Resonance Log
Skill Archive
Fragment Memory (Locked)
Settings
---
Sho blinked. "So it wasn't just a hallucination."
He tapped on "Resonance Log."
Lines of faint text appeared, but most were blurred or incomplete — only one was clear:
> Dark Entity — Bound Soul detected. Resonance achieved: 1%
Fragment of emotion retained: Sorrow.
He frowned. "Sorrow, huh… You were really suffering, weren't you?"
He scrolled again and opened "Skill Archive."
Two main entries glowed softly:
〈Echo of the World〉 Lv.2 and 〈Mana Weave〉 Lv.1.
Beneath them, a smaller note blinked faintly:
> Potential ability evolving: 'Soul Synchronization' — locked until Resonance ≥ 10%.
---
He leaned back against the tree.
> So this system's been here since the beginning... but only woke up when I resonated with that knight.
Does that mean I need to meet others like him to unlock more?
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This isn't some game mechanic. It's… a record."
The wind rustled softly. He closed the window and looked up at the sky.
> Whatever this system is… it's watching me.
---
Later that afternoon, as Sho returned to the manor, a maid rushed toward him holding a silver-sealed envelope.
"Master Sho! A letter arrived — from the royal palace!"
He blinked. "From the palace?"
"Yes. It's addressed to you directly."
Sho took the envelope, examining the golden crest pressed into the wax — the sigil of Varellis, the kingdom of light and mana.
He broke the seal carefully and read.
---
"To Sho Ardenthal,
By decree of Her Highness, Princess Arisa Varellis,
you are cordially invited to the upcoming Royal Autumn Ball,
to be held in the Moonlight Hall seven days from now.
Your attendance is personally requested."
---
Sho read it twice, expression unreadable.
> A ball? Me?
He remembered his mother's voice years ago —
> "You don't need to bother with noble gatherings, Sho. Those places are for politics, not sincerity."
He'd always agreed. He hated pretense.
But this invitation… bore the royal seal.
And the Princess's name was handwritten.
> Why would someone like her personally invite me? I'm barely known outside the Ardenthal estate.
He exhaled deeply. "This is… troublesome."
Still, a part of him was curious.
A royal event could mean information — about the world, about mana, maybe even about the strange entities like the Dark Knight.
> And she's my age too, huh?
A princess at fifteen... must have her reasons.
He folded the letter and slipped it into his coat.
"I'll think about it later."
For now, his mind returned to the glowing text still burned behind his eyelids.
---
[System Note]
> "Paths cross not by fate, but by flow.
A royal flame approaches the silver thread."
---
Sho frowned slightly. "...What are you trying to tell me?"
The system gave no reply — only that faint, star-like shimmer before vanishing into nothing.
He stood, brushing dust off his coat and staring at the manor in the distance.
> A ball, a princess, and a system that talks in riddles...
He sighed and smiled faintly.
> Guess my peaceful days are officially over.