The king was in his office writing on a sheet of paper. He also had another paper beside it as a guide sheet for his cipher. After a meeting with his officers, he had to send this new set of orders to his forces in the region where the imperial army was closing in. Or to be particular, to a city. Judging from the enemy’s advances, they’d likely move in to assault that city. The letter entailed that reinforcements would be coming, with an additional special task force that would help weaken the opposition however possible.

  That thing was, no government official there could read this encrypted letter, but only the personnel appointed by the crown. The Intelligence Department already had a loyal agent stationed in that city, and only that agent would be able to decrypt this letter and convey the message. Only those agents were trained to use this cipher. Additionally, they couldn’t trust anyone else to know about this method, especially people so far away from the capital. Unlike others, these agents were trained hard to defy and prevent spilling out crucial information during torture.

  The one to propose this was Estelia herself.

  That girl has severe trust issues.

  Sometimes he wondered where she got that from or what caused that nature of hers. It was fair that sometimes you just couldn’t fully trust people, but Estelia often takes it to an extreme degree. Anyway, Estelia was also the one who proposed this cipher, which she dubbed as the V Cipher. Where did she get that V? No one had an idea, but that was what she called it.

  This cipher was the kind that substitutes the alphabet, to put it simply. However, this one needed a keyword. Without the keyword, there was no way to decrypt the writing. The most favorable encryption they once used was the one where they shift the letters based on the alphabet. The king could still remember the way Estelia frowned when he described it to her. That being said, they usually just use their voices with the Puppet Courier — no paper trails and it was straightforward. But of course, that was absolutely not enough for the princess.

  The V Cipher was not that hard to learn. Estelia drew a table with equal grids numbering the same as the alphabets. She said it was the simple way of learning it. The king had a copy of the table beside him, not because he hadn’t learned it yet, but because he wanted to do his job faster. But of course outside the palace, there was not such a copy. Estelia never allowed it. In fact, she taught a different method outside.

  Instead of the grid, she had taught the outside using a little math, with letters and numbers. The alphabets were numbered or indexed starting with the value 0. For instance, if a keyword’s first letter was the third letter in the alphabet, its value would be 2. Then, if the plaintext’s first letter was the fifth letter of the alphabet, the value would be 4. Then you would add the two numbers, equaling 6. Then the ciphertext will be the 6th letter starting from the index number of 0. If the sum surpasses the total number of alphabets, then continue counting from the beginning of the index.

  Estelia basically had everyone familiarize or memorize the index and their corresponding letter. Sometimes it made Leodoule think Estelia went easy on her family.

  It may sound easy on concept, but cracking it would be impossible without the keyword, unless the keyword got leaked. Estelia proposed that there should be different keywords depending on the day the letter was made. Which of course meant that there should be a readable date on the letter. But she mumbled in complaint that it was so hard to communicate with people. Whatever she may have meant with that. At any rate, she designated keywords on each day of the month, in addition to putting a single digit number above the page. Which would shift the keyword from where it was based on.

  For instance, if the letter was written on the 3rd day of the month and the keyword that day was supposedly “Roses”, and there was a number 2 above the page, then the decoder would use the keyword of the 5th day of the month — as 3 plus 2 equals 5 — which would be “Beauty” to decrypt the code because the encoder used that keyword for the letter. Of course the decoder can use a negative, meaning to deduct from the date on the letter.

  Leodoule had to admit, he was pretty impressed that Estelia came up with a system like this. Even he doubted the enemy could ever crack something like this without the keyword. It even astonished the commanders of the army, and they praised the princess’s revolutionary idea for warfare. She had basically invented an unbreakable code. Although Estelia did acknowledge a flaw, it was the keyword for each day. If the enemy got to learn the keywords, and learn the method, it would be over.

  She mentioned that she would at least prefer to change the designated keyword each week. However, communicating the new keywords to everyone in the kingdom would be nigh impossible and would only make things more difficult. And it could potentially make encrypted communication impossible if one was not updated. It was one of the reasons she only let the special agents and other high-ranking personnel learn the method and convey the message to other involved parties.

  Anyway, they went with what they could.

  Although, Estelia did show the king another cipher — no, she didn’t call it a cipher. It was another way to represent letters and numbers by using dashes and dots. But she abandoned the idea as she said that it might blow everyone’s mind, ally or enemy. And because it was not exactly a cipher.

  The king sighed and continued writing the encrypted letter. Incidentally, it had no spaces between the encrypted word as it makes it more secure, preventing anyone from guessing which word it could be judging from the number of letters. As he was about finished, knocks rang from the door.

  “Father, it’s me, Estevan.”

  “Come in.”

  Estevan entered inside, wearing his formal wear. He looked quite better, better rested than before.

  “Estevan, are you here for your report?”

  “Yes. Training the draftees in the city has given promising results.”

  “Oh? Good job.”

  Estevan was leading in preparing the city by helping the men train for when the time to fight comes. Although, if the citizens from the capital city had to fight, then the situation would have been pretty dire already. That being said, some of the men would certainly be sent out there to fight.

  “We have also increased the number of soldiers from around the nearby region. Many were willing to fight for the kingdom. Considering the fight is still far away, as planned, they are to be trained here in the capital to save resources and time, and we’re prepared to take them now.”

  “Good. And how’s the security in the nobles’ district?”

  The nobles’ district where the highest ranking nobles were staying had no walls around them, and was also a vulnerable side of the capital city. If the enemy breached through there after eliminating the nobles’ forces, they’d have a freeway to the palace. But perhaps that was a good thing, the enemy would certainly go after the palace to kill the royals, the citizens in the city could get the chance to escape.

  “All’s well, the outposts and line of defense are done. Although, we may need more men to actually make it more secure.”

  “Tell the household heads to provide more men. I’m sure they have plenty under their wings to spare.”

  “Understood. You’re writing a message?”

  “Yes.” He wrote down the date and a number on the page. Leodoule set aside the quill and rolled the paper.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “New orders?”

  “Losing the city of Shirandence will be an enormous blow to our kingdom. Losing the ruling city of the border region is something we must prevent.”

  “Send me, Father.”

  “No. It’s too early for you to go yet.”

  “What do you mean? I’m only training people here.”

  “You will not go to the border. More imperial forces will still come flooding in. Sending you out there will be more dangerous. You are a prince.”

  “But…”

  “I will hear no more. You will go when necessary.”

  The king rose from his seat, carrying the scroll. From the top of a nearby table, he grabbed an artificial bird. He inserted the letter inside a small wooden case on its back, and he walked to the window. He tapped the bird’s head while pouring a little mana, awakening it. After that, he threw it into the air, and it flew toward its destination.

  “By the way,” Leodoule said. “Are you more proficient in the V Cipher now?”

  “Well, I am a bit faster at decoding than before.”

  “Good. I’m already pretty good with it, but using the graph just makes it way easier.” He didn’t have to think a lot.

  “That is exactly why my sister didn’t want to use it outside… Speaking of which, are we really not sending out people to find her?” His face softened with concern.

  “Going to the lands crawling with demons and monsters? No.”

  “Can we really believe what that strange man said? That she’d be fine?”

  “If what he said was true, then bringing her back now would only hurt her even more. Even risk her life. I cannot allow that.”

  Normally, it would be unthinkable that they would not do anything to retrieve the princess. But they had learned of what happened, and realized the situation was more complex than it seemed.

  ***

  It was around the time when the palace sent people to search for the beings called the Cursed Children. They surmised they could have known where the princess was after considering what happened during the battle at the palace. Furthermore, the king also consulted with the High Bishop about the reports from witnesses.

  The bishop suggested that the winged creatures could potentially be demons. There were demons of such nature. However, considering that they also had other enemies that could turn into beasts or into something else that wasn’t human, they couldn’t be completely certain. That was why they had to confirm with the other highly involved party, the monsters that aided them in the battle against the Empire.

  They even dispatched some members of the church as they were more effective in such a task. However, even with days of searching, they never found a single cursed child. This, in turn, caused Estevan to lose his patience.

  While the king was in his office, along with the eldest son, Eleden, Estevan barged into the room with stomping feet.

  “Father! When are we going to expand our search?”

  “Brother, stay calm.”

  “I can’t stay calm. We have been searching for these monsters and got nothing!”

  Leodoule sighed. “Indeed. However, we have to consider our resources wisely. We are at war.”

  “We need to start searching even in other countries! They could have taken her there somewhere.”

  “Estevan, be realistic. How do you hope to search every corner of the continent without a lead, hm?” It would be basically impossible. They’d just be wasting their time.

  Estevan pursed his lips, clenching his fists. “... We have made no progress whatsoever in retrieving Estel… I can’t stand this.”

  “We feel the same, brother. But we can’t go about this blindly,” Eleden said. “We need leads so we’ll know where we should search.”

  “And we’re searching for creatures we can’t even find? Are they even on our side?”

  Leodoule recalled when Estelia first mentioned how she met one of them. “The Cursed Children warned Estelia about the dangers in the palace. And judging from their actions, they intend to protect her. It is safe to assume that it is in their best interest to keep her safe.”

  “Still we can’t trust monsters.”

  That was a fair remark. Even they still didn’t know what they truly wanted with the princess. It could be something they couldn’t agree with, or something that would put her in danger. And ultimately, they were not human. Anything that wasn’t human could not be trusted that easily.

  Demons were certainly not their allies, even they have faced new types of enemies called the Mystic Race, which were all not humans. All their conflicts had non-humans as their opponents. They had to be cautious of non-humans that had their own agenda in mind.

  “Yes, but they can be our only lead.”

  It was then that suddenly, black fog entered through the window. Leodoule quickly grabbed and drew his sword, Estevan had also pointed his sword at the trespasser. Leodoule glared at the fog as it touched the floor, and he found it familiar. Still, he couldn’t let his guard down.

  The fog then turned into a lone man in dark clothing, smiling towards them as though showing friendliness. He had dark hair and amber colored eyes.

  “Settle down, royals. I come in peace.” He bowed his head dramatically. “You’ve been making a lot of noise, looking for us.”

  “Looking for you?” Leodoule asked while keeping a close eye on the strange man’s movements.

  “Perhaps you might not have noticed, I am one of the Cursed Children. I am Aurel.”

  “You’re one of them?” It was surprising to see one of them not in a monster form. Perhaps they could turn into humans just like the beastmen.

  “Can you please withdraw your weapons? I am not here to fight, but to talk.”

  Well, if he wanted a fight, he could have done it already. These creatures were powerful, after all. They didn’t need to be sly in a moment like this. Leodoule lowered his weapon.

  “Estevan, it's fine, lower your weapon.”

  Estevan hesitated for a moment and lowered his weapon, but he still kept a tight grip on it.

  “I am aware of your reason for searching us,” the strange man said as he casually strolled around with a wide grin on his face. “A lead for the princess’s whereabouts.”

  “You know where she is?” Estevan asked with no hesitation.

  Aurel suddenly turned his head towards him. “I understand that you all love her. But in this one, family has no role in it.”

  “You dare…”

  “Estevan.” Eleden placed a hand on Estevan’s shoulder.

  “Exactly where she is, we can’t say. But we know where she is going.”

  “Where?” Leodoule asked.

  “If I tell you, I would prefer you not to involve yourselves. It would be pointless, and you will only get in the way. A burden to her journey.”

  “Journey?”

  “To set your minds at ease, I shall tell you. The goddess heads to the forsaken lands in the south, a place abandoned by the gods. However, at this time, she is likely already walking on its soil.”

  “What forsaken lands? Do you mean that place…?” Leodoule’s eyes widened in apprehension.

  “Yes, the lands neighboring the demons. The lands of monsters and savages.”

  “Then it is the demons that took her,” Estevan muttered. “We must go and save her!”

  Aurel stomped his foot loudly. “I told you, little prince, you will only be a burden. Her Eminence, Princess Estelia, is a god. She has her own journey to complete. And your involvement will only trouble her so, a bunch of weaklings.”

  “Weaklings?!” Estevan glared at the man.

  “Yes. It is the truth. Even if you attempt to send the church, I doubt they’ll be able to join up with them. And again, they are unnecessary for the goddess’s path. Hers is a destiny that concerns the world.”

  “I don’t care about any of that!”

  “Do you not care about her life? Perhaps you failed to notice that her health was deteriorating.”

  Leodoule frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The Princess carries the power of the divine, and one that her mortal vessel cannot endure. That is why she becomes sick, weakens, when she uses her powers.”

  Leodoule was aware of that latter part. Where Estelia seemed to sicken when she uses her mana.

  “But even rest will not fix it. Slowly, her divinity will ruin her body. Using her powers will only accelerate the process. Keeping her here will not save her.”

  “...”

  “Furthermore, you are at war with the Empire, and the Mystic Race moving to take her life. Sooner or later, she will have to resort to using her powers. And what do you think will happen?”

  Leodoule lowered his head. “She might die.”

  “In the end, even she will have to leave the comforts of your home.”

  “Then where she’s heading is something that will fix her?”

  Aurel’s smile widened. “Yes. And she will become something more than she ever was.”

  “But still, that place is dangerous.”

  “Oh you have nothing to worry about. Two of the Cursed Children will be with her, and believe me, we want her safe and alive at all costs. Our fate is on the line. In addition to a powerful man that needs her to complete her journey. No amount of disaster can take her life. It is all determined by fate.”

  “So she is the daughter of the Lord and Lady…” Leodoule sat down in his seat, everything was bigger than he had ever imagined.

  “You should be more focused on the war you’re in. Defend and fight. Survive until she returns. That, I believe, is what she would want you to do.”

  “...”

  “And please, halt your search for us now that I have given you the answers… It is bothersome.”

  After saying so, the man turned into a fog and left through the window.

  ***

  Personally, Leodoule already believed that Estelia’s health was at risk. The signs were there. So that man was likely speaking the truth.

  “I do not want to send the church members in a dangerous land needlessly when Estelia is already protected. They will be much more helpful here. A fighter from church is equal to dozens of normal foot soldiers. That is valuable.”

  “... Very well, Father. Any word of reinforcements from our allies?”

  “Not yet. But if we are to guess, for Myra, they’re being blocked by the Empire. As for the Holy Kingdom… We’re still waiting for a response.”

  Estevan frowned. “That’s not good.”

  “Indeed. At any rate, we’ll do what we can. Pray for Estelia’s safe return. She is more than she seems, Estevan.”

  “... Yes.”

  With that, Estevan left the room. Once the silence settled, Leodoule opened a drawer.

  I know it for a fact.

  He pulled out a broken dagger. One of the few they retrieved from Estelia’s room.

  “Why did you hide this, daughter?”