Enrico was sitting and drinking tea, surrounded by seven guards. One of them remained seated in front of him, watching him with a serious and suspicious expression.
The pressure emanating from that man was heavy enough to make it clear that he was not an ordinary soldier.
"Very well, boy. I want you to answer my questions. If you lie, your head will be cut off. So, first question: who sent you here?"
"No one."
Behind Enrico, one of the guards made a small movement with his head, indicating that he was not lying. That man was Takeshi Ranmaru, captain of the inner wall guard. His Unique Ability, Hidden Heart, allowed him to perceive when someone was lying.
It worked almost like a heightened instinct, giving Takeshi an immediate sensation that something was wrong when a person was not telling the truth. However, the ability was not perfect: half-truths, omitted information, or carefully worded answers could get past it.
Even though he had noticed Takeshi's movement, the man in front of Enrico did not take his eyes off the boy for even a second.
"Second question: what did you come here to do?"
"At the entrance, I said that I came here to learn and perhaps for work. But I have a third reason. I found a dungeon on the border, but it is too high-level for my current level. So I came to recruit some people."
Enrico was not lying. In fact, he wanted to learn, make some money while he was in the city, and, most importantly, find someone who could help him in that dungeon.
To be honest, he already knew who Takeshi and the man sitting in front of him were, as both appeared several times whenever important events involving Tsuyokuni occurred. If he wanted to, he could try to lie, but he had no time to waste creating complicated stories.
"Third question: where are you from?"
'Repeating questions I already answered for the guards outside... as always, he wants to confirm it himself to see if it's true with Takeshi behind him.'
"Astrong Academy. I live in the city of Balia and belong to the Solcren Ferreira family, in the territory between Vesparello and Floravita."
The man in front of him was Daigo Araragi, supreme commander of Tsuyokuni's forces, an Eighth Circle mage and the second most powerful individual in the entire territory.
"Fourth question: how did you learn about Kagenai?"
The question made the atmosphere even heavier. Kagenai was a disease kept secret by the government of Tsuyokuni, and the simple fact that a foreigner knew about it was already enough to raise suspicions. Furthermore, it was a secret that the leader of the Renzou family, who also held the position of emperor of the continent, suffered from the disease.
Enrico took another sip of tea before answering.
"I saw parts of the future."
All the guards were surprised. Some even exchanged incredulous glances. The statement seemed absurd, after all, seeing the future would require compatibility with time magic, and no one had managed to fully master it at this time.
Daigo looked at Takeshi.
Takeshi gave a small nod, confirming that Enrico was not lying.
"Are you compatible with time magic?"
"No."
Takeshi gave another signal.
Daigo frowned. For the first time, his expression showed genuine confusion.
"Then how can you see the future?"
"Sorry, but that's a secret."
Daigo remained silent. His eyes narrowed as he analyzed Enrico. He tried to discover if there was any opening in that answer, some way to pressure him into revealing more information. However, the boy continued sitting calmly, as if he were not standing before one of the most powerful men in Tsuyokuni.
Then Daigo slowly moved his hand toward the hilt of his sword.
"What if I ask you to reveal it?"
The atmosphere immediately became denser. A small amount of killing intent escaped from Daigo, making the guards around them become alert. Enrico, however, merely tilted his head to the side and smiled with his eyes closed.
"Then I don't think I'll be able to help your emperor."
Takeshi placed his sword against Enrico's throat, while the other guards assumed threatening positions. Even so, the boy's smile did not disappear.
"Well, it seems you don't want to save your emperor... So, what do I do now?"
"Lower your weapons, Takeshi..."
Takeshi removed the sword from Enrico's throat, and the other guards also backed away. Enrico ran a hand over his neck, maintaining a calm expression. Daigo had to admit that he was impressed by the boy's calmness in a situation like that.
Inside, however, Enrico was much less calm.
'I thought I was going to die. Good thing it worked.'
Daigo stood up and walked toward him. Then he placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
"Now, fifth question: how can we cure our emperor?"
Daigo still did not completely trust Enrico, but if that boy could truly save the emperor, he was willing to give him a chance. After all, Daigo owed his own life to the man he served and was one of his most loyal guardians.
"Well, I'll need some ingredients. You'll have to find them because my level isn't high enough yet. So, sir, do you think you can do it?"
Daigo stared at Enrico for a few seconds. The boy watched him with an amused smile, and Daigo let out a small snort at his audacity.
"If you can see the future, then you should know that I can."
Daigo smiled confidently.
Enrico then took a piece of paper from his bag and began drawing. As the minutes passed, each line appeared with precision, as if the map were already engraved in his memory. He drew every curve, every passage, and every detail without hesitation.
"Hmm... it's turning out well."
Enrico murmured to himself as he made the final stroke. It was exactly as Sílvia had taught him after several requests for her to help him improve his drawings.
Daigo approached and carefully observed the paper.
"Solcren... what are you drawing there with so much concentration? A map to hunt down these ingredients?"
Enrico stopped for a moment and then gave a slight smile.
"There is a hidden structure that exists only between the layers of the underground. A small and forgotten dungeon, with almost no energy... but it hides something unbelievable."
He drew a spiral in the lower corner of the map, placing a small dot at its center.
"A door. Hidden one kilometer below the ground, on the last floor of a dungeon that even the magical maps don't consider relevant. Most explorers don't even notice that it exists. To them, it looks like nothing more than a dead hole, with no monsters, no mana, and nothing else."
"And the ingredients are there?"
Enrico did not answer immediately. He simply pointed toward the top of the map.
There, there was a thin line rising from the center of the spiral and branching toward the sky, forming the outline of a fortress among the clouds.
"No. It's a dungeon so weak that it doesn't even offer rewards. But that's part of the disguise. There is a structure... in the sky, where the true rewards are. Invisible. Untouchable. Suspended among the clouds and magical mist. It can't be seen, nor can it be reached by flying, because it is disconnected from the world's own perception. Not even an Eighth Circle tracking spell would be able to find it. The only way to get there is... through the underground door."
Daigo moved even closer, and the other guards also gathered around the map, observing it with narrowed eyes.
"Are you telling me there is a fortress in the sky that can only be accessed by entering a dungeon that appears dead?"
"Exactly."
"That is..."
The name of that place was Inverted Pillar, a magical structure so powerful that it hid its entrance in the ground while keeping its true contents in the sky, disconnecting both from the natural flow of mana. That was precisely why no one could sense its presence.
"The name of this dungeon is Kurai Tenku no Shiro."
Dark Sky Castle.
It was the last bastion of an ancient arcane order that had attempted to seal something that could not be destroyed.
'And also the door to another world...'
"There is one of the six strongest Level Three Ranvil Nartheis there. Besides that, this is one of the six dungeons that never disappear. You will be able to use it."
Everyone was surprised and incredulous at the discovery. If that were really true, Tsuyokuni would have an enormous advantage over the other territories and could narrow the gap with Sanos somewhat, the only territory known until then to possess a dungeon that never disappeared.
"Wait... does that mean you know where the others are?"
Enrico merely smiled and handed the map to Daigo.
"You'd better hurry. Your emperor has little time."