"She seems lonely…" Alice murmured as they left Crusch's bedroom.
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
The hallway outside the princess's quarters was quiet, lined with tall windows and pale stone walls that reflected the afternoon light.
Their footsteps echoed softly as Witch Hunt moved away from the room, but Alice slowed, her gaze lingering on the closed door behind them.
The party turned toward her, surprised by her words.
Alice flinched under the sudden attention.
She waved her hands in front of her in a panic.
"I don't mean anything bad by it! I just, you know—when she spoke about her family, she looked sad…" Her voice trailed off, growing smaller the longer she spoke.
She clasped her hands together, fingers fidgeting.
"...You have a point," Hannah muttered.
Hannah's arms were crossed, her usual scowl subdued.
She didn't look at Alice when she spoke, instead staring ahead as if replaying the meeting in her mind.
Morrigan could only nod in agreement.
Throughout their meeting, she had been tense, shoulders stiff and posture rigid, carefully choosing every word.
Crusch was a princess, illegitimate or not, and one wrong phrase could have spelt disaster.
Morrigan had spent most of the meeting braced for some subtle threat, some reminder of their place.
But by the end of it, what lingered wasn't fear.
It was pity.
Crusch Aurelia Fialova, the illegitimate princess of Fialova.
That title alone spoke volumes about her loneliness.
Born royal, yet never truly allowed to be one.
A daughter acknowledged just enough to be useful, but not enough to be loved.
Someone raised in silk and stone, surrounded by people, yet entirely alone.
None of Witch Hunt knew the full details of her situation, and likely never would.
Royal matters were buried beneath layers of secrecy, rumour, and carefully curated lies.
But that didn't stop them from empathising.
The way Crusch's fingers tightened around her teacup when family was mentioned.
The way her voice remained steady, but her eyes briefly lost focus.
The way she redirected the conversation immediately after, as if afraid of lingering too long on something fragile.
Still, empathy did not change why they were here.
But in the end, they were here to work.
And so, work they would do.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
It was the second day of their employment, and they were on break.
The small room they had been assigned for meals was modest but comfortable, with a long wooden table and several chairs pulled close together.
Sunlight streamed in through a high window, illuminating crumbs of bread and half-empty mugs.
"Y'know, I still don't see the point in hiring us," Soni said, leaning back in her chair, her tail swishing back and forth lazily behind her.
She balanced her chair on two legs, completely relaxed despite the seriousness of their job.
Over the past day, nothing of note had occurred.
Crusch hadn't left her bedroom except for meals and other necessary moments.
Even then, she was always flanked by guards and attendants, moving with the precision of someone used to being watched.
Which left Witch Hunt with not much to do.
They simply guarded her door and bedroom in silence.
Hours passed with nothing but the occasional shift change or servant walking past.
No assassins.
No spies.
No suspicious movement.
Occasionally, Crusch would start a conversation with whoever was standing guard inside her bedroom.
They were simple conversations, seemingly for entertainment alone.
Questions about their hometowns.
Their favourite food.
Whether adventuring was frightening or exhilarating.
What kind of people they had met on their travels.
But even those seemingly meaningless conversations only continued to show her loneliness further.
Sometimes, Crusch would allow whoever was standing guard to talk about themselves, asking them to tell their story, how they ended up as an adventurer, why they had chosen such a dangerous life, and what their goals were.
She listened intently, chin resting on her hand, eyes bright with curiosity.
It was all small talk, without much purpose.
But the slight smile on Crusch's face as she spoke was unmistakable.
"Isn't she just lonely?" Hannah said, taking a bite of bread.
She spoke around the mouthful, sounding more thoughtful than dismissive.
That was the common consensus that Witch Hunt had reached.
"That's likely," Morrigan said, setting her mug down carefully, "but we still need to take this seriously. She is still a princess."
Her voice was calm, but firm.
The rest of the party nodded in agreement with her words.
Even if Crusch truly had just hired them out of loneliness, their job remained the same.
To guard the princess.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
It had been four days since they had first begun working for Crusch.
It also marked their first day off.
Everyone except Amber and Soni, who had stayed behind to protect Crusch, was free for the day.
As the three remaining members of Witch Hunt wandered through the streets of Ingrid, the royal capital, they couldn't help but feel oddly aimless.
Ingrid was bustling as always.
Merchants shouted prices from their stalls, nobles passed by in fine clothes, and adventurers weaved through the crowds with weapons strapped openly to their backs.
Normally, this would have excited them.
As adventurers, their version of fun usually consisted of taking stupid requests, drinking until they blacked out, or gambling away their earnings at questionable establishments.
But now that they had a proper employer, even if only temporary, it somewhat dampened the enjoyment of those things.
Getting drunk didn't feel right when they were expected to be alert the next morning.
Gambling away gold felt irresponsible when they might need it later.
"Why don't we go and check on Soren?" Alice suggested suddenly. "I'm sure she's lonely and confused. We haven't visited her all week."
The others slowed to a stop.
On the day Soren had departed for the Goblin King's Nest, Morrigan had received Crusch's request.
Everything had happened too quickly, leaving her no chance to explain anything.
She knew that Soren could handle herself; she had seen the girl fight, train, and push herself harder than most veterans.
But being a party member, even if only temporary, meant Morrigan felt Soren should know what was happening.
"Why not?" Morrigan said after a moment. "It'll be nice to see such a cute face after so long."
She smiled softly.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
However, when they arrived at the guild, things took a turn for the worse.
The familiar smell of wood, sweat, and parchment greeted them as they stepped inside.
Adventurers filled the hall, laughing, arguing, or scanning the request board.
But Morrigan barely noticed any of it.
"Five days…" she muttered. "She's been gone five whole days?"
She ran a hand through her hair, disbelief heavy in her chest.
Across from her, a receptionist sighed deeply.
"Yes… She took the Goblin King's Nest request the day after ranking up to Iron."
Morrigan already knew that.
Soren had been rushing to get permission to enter a dungeon ever since she had first appeared at the adventurers' guild.
It had come up many times during meals and drinks, her eyes lighting up every time the topic surfaced.
Morrigan had been rooting for her, hoping she would achieve her goal before the summer break ended.
But this…
This didn't make sense.
"We told her she should have taken a party!" Hannah shouted.
Several adventurers nearby glanced over, but no one intervened.
The night before Soren had set off, they had celebrated her rank up to Iron.
Hannah had been unusually quiet that night, her concern slipping through despite her rough demeanour.
– I know you have some strength, kid, but you shouldn't go to that sort of place alone.
– If you need, I can try to find some trustworthy people for you.
The guild receptionist raised her hands placatingly.
"Please, Witch Hunt… I understand your concern, but we can't exactly storm a dungeon without proof she's in danger."
Morrigan clenched her jaw.
Five days was far too long for a beginner dungeon like the Goblin King's Nest.
Alice didn't bother holding back.
"That idiot!" she shouted, fists trembling. "We knew something would happen!"
Alice was the one who had cared for Soren the most.
From the moment Soren had stepped into the guild, Alice had attached herself to her, hovering like an overprotective sister.
But in truth, all of Witch Hunt had grown fond of her.
Three weeks was more than enough time.
Morrigan exhaled slowly and stepped forward.
"Put up a missing persons request. I'll pay the bounty myself."
'I don't know if this will do anything,' she thought, 'but it's better than nothing.'
They were already planning to search, but more eyes meant more chances.
She wanted to run to Crusch and beg for time off.
But if they all left…
Crusch would be defenceless.
And if anything happened to the princess under their watch, the punishment would be absolute.
The receptionist nodded and pinned the notice to the board.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"There's nothing here…?" Morrigan muttered.
She stood just outside the entrance to the Goblin King's Nest, staring at the dark mouth of the dungeon as if it might answer her.
The wind rolled across the open plain, carrying dust and the faint scent of scorched earth.
Normally, this place would be alive with signs of adventurers, discarded crates, trampled grass, and the remnants of hastily built campsites.
Even poorly prepared parties left something behind.
But there was nothing.
The ground was disturbingly clean.
Only a few patches of blackened stone and flattened grass hinted that someone had been here at all, and even those looked days old.
"Usually there'd be tents," Morrigan continued quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "Or at least a firepit…"
Hannah crouched down several paces away, fingers brushing over the dirt as she examined the marks more closely.
"Did she really come here?" she asked, her voice strained.
Her ears twitched slightly, listening.
Nothing.
With her heightened senses, she should have been able to hear something: footsteps, breathing, the scuttle of creatures deeper within the dungeon.
But the entire area felt dead.
"I'm going inside!" Alice announced suddenly.
Before anyone could stop her, she bolted forward, her tall frame vanishing into the darkness beyond the dungeon's entrance.
Morrigan straightened, heart tightening.
She trusted Alice's strength, but that didn't stop the unease crawling up her spine.
"I don't think Soren would lie," Morrigan said after a moment, turning to Hannah. "She didn't have a reason to. Besides… there's no way all that talk about dungeon diving was fake, right?"
Hannah exhaled sharply.
"...I know," she said, rubbing at her face. "I just—"
She stopped, fingers pressing into her brow.
"I just don't understand what happened. Five days doesn't make sense. Even if she was reckless, even if she pushed herself… there should be something."
Her voice cracked at the end, frustration bleeding through.
"I'm just stressed. Ignore me, Mori."
Morrigan stepped closer and placed a hand gently on Hannah's head, brushing her hair back in slow, steady motions.
"It'll be okay," she said softly. "We'll find her, dear."
She forced the words out, as much for herself as for Hannah.
"We have to."
Hannah's shoulders loosened slightly.
"Yeah," she murmured. "We will."
The silence stretched.
Then…
"Guys!"
Alice burst out of the dungeon at full speed, nearly tripping as she skidded to a stop in front of them.
"Guys! Guys! Guys!"
"What is it?" Hannah snapped, irritation flashing despite herself.
"There's nothing in there!" Alice said breathlessly.
Morrigan's stomach dropped.
"What do you mean, nothing?"
"I mean nothing," Alice insisted. "I ran through the tunnels. No monsters, no corpses, no adventurers. Not even bones. It's like the place was emptied out."
"That's impossible," Hannah said flatly.
Alice shook her head.
"I don't know how else to say it. It's wrong in there. Way too clean."
Morrigan stared at the dungeon entrance again, a cold weight settling in her chest.
"What's going on…?" she whispered.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
In the end, they found nothing.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the plain, Witch Hunt had no choice but to turn back.
Returning to the royal palace without answers felt worse than failure.
That night, Morrigan stood guard inside Crusch's room, her usual composure fraying at the edges.
The palace was quiet, the distant footsteps of servants echoing faintly through the halls.
After several minutes of hesitation, Morrigan finally stepped forward.
She bowed deeply.
It was the first time in a long time she had bowed her head like this.
"Please, Your Highness," she said. "Allow me some time off."
Crusch didn't look up from her book.
Morrigan swallowed and continued.
"My party member… Soren. She's gone missing."
Silence.
Then, slowly, Crusch lifted her gaze.
"Soren?" she repeated.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Crusch closed her book partway, tapping a finger against the cover.
"Describe her to me," she said. "Perhaps I can have something done."
Morrigan blinked, surprised, but didn't question it.
"...She has white hair that goes down to her chest," she said carefully. "Red eyes. She's about as tall as my shoulders."
"Hmmm…" Crusch hummed, amusement flickering across her expression. "'She,' you say?"
Morrigan hesitated.
"...Yes."
Crusch's lips curved into a small smile as she closed the book fully.
Morrigan couldn't tell what the princess was thinking, but the shift in her demeanour was unmistakable.
"I didn't know he liked that sort of thing," Crusch muttered under her breath, so quietly that Morrigan almost missed it.
"Your Highness?" Morrigan asked.
The smile vanished.
"I'm afraid I can't give you time off at the moment," Crusch said coolly. "There have been too many movements lately. If you all work well, I will permit you a day off in a few days' time."
Morrigan felt bitterness rise in her chest, sharp and heavy.
But she forced it down.
There was no room to argue.
"...Thank you, Your Highness," she said.
She bowed once more, then returned to her post against the wall of the room.
As the hours passed, Morrigan stared ahead, hands clenched at her sides.
'Please, just hold on.'
She hoped, desperately, that Soren would be okay.
————「❤︎」————