Published: March 21, 2026
I felt like I was sinking into a dark, deep sea.
Swaying gently, drifting deeper and deeper.
"...Where is this?"
My voice could still come out.
It echoed around me.
Only my body wouldn't obey.
I thought for a moment, then remembered my last memory before this happened.
"Right, Amelia put me to sleep..."
That's right.
Because of the dark circles living under my eyes, Amelia—unable to stand it—had forced me to sleep.
I sighed remembering Amelia's face just before she cast "forced sleep" on me.
Well, it's my fault for trying to push through despite being sleep-deprived.
When I wake up I should apologize first.
Once I'm calm, I'll figure out the situation.
If I don't remember waking up after Amelia's forced sleep, then this must be a dream.
Should I try the "world eye" just in case?
If this is a dream, my eyes should be closed and nothing would display.
"...As I thought."
Just as I expected, the "world eye" wouldn't work.
Actually, I probably couldn't use any skills here—it's a dream, after all.
Now, what to do.
As I mulled that over, something pressed against my back.
From the watery scene and the soft impact when it touched me, the word seabed flashed through my mind, but it was flat and warm for a seabed.
Since my body wouldn't move anyway, I stayed still, and a voice came from somewhere.
"...If you won't answer, then suffocate."
It was a faint voice, barely audible over my own breathing, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to.
Amelia.
Although her tone was unusually barbed.
From the conversation I could tell this wasn't a calm chat—I've never heard Amelia speak with such hostility before.
When we first met she was wary of me, but she'd never actually directed killing intent at me.
She probably used the "world eye" to check my stats first, so she had reason to be cautious, but not to this degree.
"Do you know what I hate most in this world? ...It's being lied to. Your 'I don't know'—a lie. I've lived decades longer than you. Do you think a lie will work on someone with that much more life experience?"
Even knowing Elves live long, it's hard to imagine a girl who looks almost my age actually being decades older like Amelia claims.
Even I sometimes think Amelia might be around our age—especially when she's joking around with the girls in the hero party.
"I recommend you answer quickly. This princess is serious, you know?"
I heard Crow's voice faintly mixed into Amelia's.
Is this the time they're receiving the contest prizes?
If so, the rumors Crow and Mr. Zeal mentioned must have been true.
After Crow's voice there was a jumble of shouting like someone else calling out, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
Apparently I can only hear people who are close to Amelia.
Maybe because I'm under Amelia's forced sleep, I'm somehow linked to her magical power.
"Keep talking. If even one person makes a strange move, I'll crush you all."
Amelia's merciless voice made me involuntarily smile wryly.
Then the watery space groaned and shifted.
What was that.
Probably just a hunch, but it felt like the water level dropped...
Could this be inside Amelia's mana reservoir?
If this sea is Amelia's near-infinite magical power, that might make a bit of sense.
I'll have to ask Crow when I wake up.
If I'm inside her reservoir, the movement just now means Amelia expended some magical power—"crushing" suggests gravity magic.
"...You planned to disassemble me and sell me off to some lunatics, huh?"
Her words were saturated with disgust from end to end.
I can't say I blame her, but she can't seriously intend to kill me... right?
Feeling useless at only being able to hear, I strained my ears—and then an unexpected interruption arrived.
"Yes, sto-o-opp!!"
Relieved by the bouncy, energetic voice of Lord Lattice Nail, I let my shoulders drop.
Lattice Nail, who tied with Amelia for first in the contest, must have been there to receive his prize too.
We met yesterday; he's from the Demon Clan, but Lattice Nail's arrival was oddly reassuring.
"That's not allowed, you know. This isn't your country. Even if the target is someone from the underworld, you can't kill them!"