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Maria knocked the annoying man down in a single blow. It was a heavy-hitting one as well since Maria did not hold back her strength when she punched the guy. And it felt good to finally put the man down a peg or two as well since it felt like a vengeance.

This was something she would not have been able to do as the oracle in her world but here she was an unknown force that no one could point to even if things did turn out not to be as smooth as their side had hoped for.

After all, who would believe that one of the strongest men in the kingdom got done in by a small and delicate lady? It would ruin Lucas's reputation if he ever admitted to it in polite company. And since Maria knew that, she could take advantage of that fact quite easily on her end.

She left the bathroom alone and signaled to the hidden guard that had followed behind her. There had been precautions taken in case such a situation arises and the guard was ordered to run interference and give Maria time to execute her side of the plan.

"Is master Lucas out of the picture?" The guard asked with doubt in his voice. The use of the prefix did not escape Maria's attention and it also made her wonder just how influential this 'Lucas' was. He certainly was all bark and no bite but he still did command a remarkable presence among their people.

"He's just knocked out. I did not kill him since it could spell trouble for us. If anyone asks, just tell him he had a little too much to drink. I heard he's lightweight" despite her reluctance, Maria had spent a little time at the party and had picked up on the gossip vine there.

And after too many hushed stories about young master Lucas and a bottle of alcohol, it was quite an easy lie to believe as well. That was why Maria was confident that it would work in her favor.

"Alright. Do you want me to come with you or stand guard?" The guard asked as he looked past her at the washroom. Maria had to take some seconds to think this through but decided to carry out the mission solo for the time being.

"Stay here for now. Or better yet, go check up on my companion and make sure she doesn't come out yet" although Maria was sure Suna would not disobey her, there was still a feeling of worry inside her. When things went this smoothly, it was always a sign of disaster to come.

"Understood" the guard left and Maria took it as a clue to start exploring the place.

She had a few ideas about where to start and the corridor from before had piqued her interest as well. She was sure it held something important and she had even sensed magic warding it off from visitors.

It was also the only clue she had regarding the princess so she decided to take it for now. She walked slowly as she passed a few people. They did give her a back glance since she had no guard with her but Maria acted as if this was normal.

Hopefully, she would just be taken as a minor delegate and not be questioned any further. Humans had a habit of ignoring any troublesome thing they saw if it could come back to bite them in the ass later.

But not everyone was as ignorant as the couple and some guards had started paying attention as well. So Maria deployed just enough magic to not be detected as she finally reached the forbidden corridor.

It did have a light protective spell woven over it which was quickly waved off by Maria and revealed a stone corridor. It was dark and had no light source, a direct contract to the gothic meeting hall she was in currently.

She entered the corridor and felt the spell snap itself together behind her. Now she was cut off from the real world and had stepped into an isolated space where she only had limited access to her magic. The place was created using a similar magic Suna had used but much less relaxing and long-held.

And the deeper Maria walked in, the more disturbed she felt with the feeling she was receiving from this place. The magic felt similar to a node's but the execution was all wrong and dark. It was suffocating and she had to actively use her magic to ward it off.

It also triggered a chain reaction inside her body and seemed to be affecting her life force. It poked at the still recovering life force and tried to forcefully ignite her condition. It was trying to throw her into a heated gaze.

[Hostile intruder detected in the vicinity. The host is asked to be careful]

Maria jerked at the warning, her muscles going tense at the notice she got.

Hostile was not a term her system used before for anyone, even the ones that had attacked her intending to kill her. But the mere aura of this pace was suffocating with misery and death.

"Are you here to finally die? I told you I would kill you all if you stepped in here" the cold voice spoke from behind Maria and she barely made it in time to protect her jaw with her chain.

The sword in the other's hand collided with Maria's chain and triggered a reaction. A familiar sensation coursed through Maria's soul as the two weapons met. It felt as if they were echoing each other's powers and could sense the familiarity in each other.

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here on behalf of Lady Elma to free the princess" Maria raised her hands in a 'surrender' pose and hoped that it came across as genuine. She would fight if she had to but she would prefer not to.

The person in front of her regarded her for a few seconds before the grip on the knife loosened just a little. However, at no point did the weapon get dropped or even released. It seemed as if the other believed Maria but did not trust her words.

"I'll give you the benefit of doubt since you have a familiar feeling about yourself. Then, tell me this. What does that old witch want with me?" Maria felt taken aback by the tone.

So this was the princess? Wasn't she a little too wild right now? Very unlike the calm and collected figure of the later story. Was that demeanor something that had been acquired later or was this wild nature an act?

Maria hesitated to answer.