"Good afternoon, Your Highness." The Grand Wizard bowed slightly.
"Good afternoon, Grand Wizard." Hagarino replied flatly.
While where she stood, Osie swallowed hard saliva. She regretted not being careful. The dungeon was indeed heavily guarded by soldiers, but they could be tricked by the fake permission slip Osie had made before entering the dungeon hallway.
A person who wanted to enter the dungeon area must have a permission letter from the magistrate or security guards, not even a princess or prince. Thus, Osie hurriedly copied the usual sentence used in every official permission letter issued.
She wrote it on paper made of oxhide and a pen with pure gold ink. The people placed in the dungeon were the number one criminals, no wonder the guards were so strict.
However, this time Osie had to swallow the bitter truth that although she could deceive the soldiers, she still couldn't deceive her family at the same time. Osie thought that the dungeon was the safest place to escape, but it turned out to be just like any other corner of the palace.
"Why are you here? You can't just enter the dungeon, Second Prince!" scolded Osie unacceptably.
Hagarino bit the wall of his own mouth. Feeling infuriated by Osie's behavior. "I should have said so, Third Princess! You shouldn't go outside the palace without permission!"
"I-I did get permission!"
"Permission with that cheap fake letter? I didn't expect you to be that desperate, Oceana! What were you thinking? What made you do such a reckless thing?"
"That's none of your business, Second Prince!"
It had been a long time since Osie referred to her siblings as 'big brother' or by their common names. Osie thought they were too stiff to be called brothers. Even this was the first time she was scolded by Hagarino, especially since her brother had a worried look on his face that made Osie's heart struggle a little.
"Oceana! I care about you! Tell me what's wrong with you lately. You're not your usual self."
Both Osie and the Grand Wizard fell silent. Considering something that Osie really wanted to hide. Something that was closely related to the existence of light in this world.
The silence didn't last long as Hagarino first squeezed Osie's shoulder.
"Please."
That one word was able to make Osie unable to stem the tears. While the Grand Wizard remained silent, he was a little shocked by Hagarino's pleading.
"The second prince—"
"Call me Big Brother!"
This time Osie did not want to argue. She tried to suppress her sobs.
"Big Brother, this week I've been haunted by a nightmare that made my sleep uneasy."
"What is it?"
"Demons are attacking the entire Cluster Continent. They are looking for the green heirloom to rule the world."
The demons live on the Karavel Continent. The land is filled with chasms and rivers of fire. Steep mountains held jet-black trees that had no leaves. War—crazed and bloodthirsty creatures have inhabited Karavel since who knows when. Everyone in the world believes that God created the continent specifically for creatures of darkness.
Whenever humans, fairies, white witches, and other creatures of light enter Karavel's territory, it is certain that they will not survive. Those who are caught become food, slaves, or even toys that they treat cruelly.
Even so, with the disorder of the Karavel Continent, a Demon Emperor who was predicted to be the greatest demon ruled the cursed territory. He did not set any rules other than forbidding his people from going to the Cluster Continent after an agreement made thousands of years ago.
If they violated it, the Yoghiwara Family was ready to destroy the demons' existence to its roots with the help of the green heirloom—the greatest destructive heirloom in history. However, several years ago, in the middle of a dark night, the family that inherited the precious heirloom was slaughtered by a group of rebels.
The green heirloom cannot be used to defeat fellow beings of light, so with no royal help, the Yoghiwara Family and its alliance—Sakerio had to suffer a defeat that killed almost all family members. Except for two youth boys and three young children who managed to escape outside the Jegedi Kingdom.
They were Sansega Yoghiwara, Bika Sakerio, Rafles Sakerio, Flower Sakerio, and Rakaya Sakerio. Unfortunately, the only remaining leprechaun took no chances and decided to close off all access to the green heirloom, including to the Heirs himself, who was none other than Sansega.
"The dream felt very real. The voice inside my head said, I must find the heirloom and... destroy it."
"What do you mean? The green heirloom cannot be destroyed or this continent will be destroyed too!"
"That's the reason why I didn't want to tell you and our parents, because you wouldn't agree."
"Of course! That heirloom has secured the Cluster Continent all this time."
"And that thing... will also destroy what he has already secured before. It will destroy the Cluster Continent! The demon will attack us to get the green heirloom!"
Hagarino was at a loss for words. The flat expression he always showed was now consumed by indecision. Now he understood why Osie had hidden this big matter from everyone. Because all the nations in this world wanted that heirloom to gain power, including their father—Hugofara Ramelison—who had always been ambitious to eliminate the demon race that had successfully colonized the Suguna Kingdom's territory in the western part of the Cluster Continent.
"For once, don't stop me, Big Brother! I will try to find Yoghiwara's last descendant and obtain the green heirloom."
Hagarino lowered his head with his hands clenched into fists.
"I want to help. I won't let a girl fight alone."
Osie shook her head quickly.
"No! I've already made a deal with the Grand Wizard to erase everyone's memories of me including you. It's inviolable, since the deal has already been made on the magic ball. Now I just need to perform the ritual—"
"Are you crazy?! Removing everyone's memories of you, you say?!"
The Prince approached the Grand Wizard who had been watching the brothers' argument from her small throne.
"Can you stop this, Grand Wizard? I don't—"
"Sorry, Your Highness, it is absolute and inviolable. I just need to execute the deal now."
"You can't do that!"
"We can, Hagarino! Sorry. Even if you will not remember me later, I will always remember you as my elder brother, the Second Prince."
Hagarino shook his head in disbelief. He would never accept this. After all, Oceana was still his little sister whom he had to protect no matter what. Although he often ignored Oceana and chose to continue practicing his sword and reading books every day, it did not mean that Hagarino did not love his sister. Not at all.
Anger appeared on Hagarino's face. He made a magic ball in his palm about to attack the Grand Wizard However, the Grand Wizard only chuckled amusedly.
"The princess gave her life as collateral. If she does not perform the ritual now, then her life will end."
Hagarino quickly looked at Osie for an explanation. He didn't expect that Osie, who used to collect luxurious dresses, would be willing to sacrifice so much for something that wasn't entirely her responsibility. Something that put her life on the line.
"But perhaps I can help a little." The Grand Wizard got up and stepped towards where the magic ball was. Right in the center of the room.
The man in his thirties reached out and began to mutter an incantation. Blue light enveloped the magic ball and the Magician himself. Until a few minutes later, the Grand Wizard lowered his hand making the magic ball no longer glow.
"Everyone will forget the Princess, but not Your Highness the Second Prince. You will still remember the memories with Your Highness the Third Princess and will remember everything to this day. However, that is ... you will forget the face, name of Your Highness the Third Princess, and the necklace." The Grand Wizard explained, making the weight on Hagarino's shoulders lift slightly.
Hagarino silently promised that after this he would accompany his sister wherever Osie went. However, that hope never came to pass, just after the memory erasure ritual was performed, Hagarino became unconscious and Osie requested that the Grand Wizard take Hagarino to the palace.
The Grand Wizard immediately had her disciples escort the Prince to the palace in an unconscious state. Meanwhile, Osie embarked on her own grand journey.
Hagarino often went to the Magic Tower to find out Osie's whereabouts, but the Grand Wizard wouldn't tell him. Although he was upset, he couldn't do anything about it because Aykalas the Grand Wizard held an important position in Jegedi and its surroundings.
From then on, Hagarino Ramelison was determined to leave the palace and travel the entire country in search of his sister Oceana Ramelison.
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"Your Highness—"
"Oceana! I've been looking for you all over the country and you still want to pretend now?!"
Osie's shoulders relaxed. She looked right into the Prince's hazel eyes and found a heart-wrenching look of hurt and concern. Osie started sobbing. It didn't matter that Hagarino's sword was still threatening her. Osie knew that Hagarino was very angry with her because of the incident two years ago. However, she had no other choice.
Osie didn't want to involve her family. She wanted Hagarino to stand behind the King and Crown Prince in order to immortalize himself completely for Jegedi.
Sword discarded in a random direction, Hagarino leaned over and hugged Osie tightly. Seeing how shabby, thin, and pitiful his sister who used to be very fond of pretty dresses and trinkets was made Hagarino want to kill himself.
This big job would never suit his sister.
"How could you stay? Why don't you come to me, I'll definitely help you, Oceana!"
Osie couldn't help but return the hug that she missed so much. She missed everything in the palace especially when living with Sansega and Bika a while ago.
"I–I can do it myself—"
"You're stupid! Stupider than a pig!"
"What the hell?! I'm smart, the proof is that I can still survive until now. If it wasn't for me being smart, I'd probably be dead already."
"Yeah, without my help, you would've been reduced to dust by petrossa!"
This time Osie couldn't argue. The tears that had been rising began to subside, replaced by a sense of comfort and security that surrounded her.