Zuzu unrolled a large scroll that stretched out across the floor, curling all the way to the door. Scratching his head, he kept scanning through the lines, eyes darting back and forth like he was trying to spot something specific.
"Your Highness, I think I found it! The cure for a queen bee's sting!" Zuzu said, sounding excited as he started reading from the scroll.
"The queen bee doesn't usually sting, but when it does, the regular honey won't work as an antidote. Her sting is far more potent than the others. The victim will first suffer weakness, fatigue, and pain… and then gradually, death from extreme exhaustion. The antidote isn't found in the honey but in a rare flower, the same one those bees take nectar from. Consuming this flower is the only known cure and ….the flower name is Madarasa."
Zuzu paused for a breath, then continued, his tone dropping slightly.
"The issue is… the flower only blooms deep inside the cave of the Seven-Tailed Fox Beast . It grows under the beast's spiritual aura, which is released only once a year. According to the records, when the fox beast releases its energy, it goes through unbearable pain and with each release, its mana absorption capacity grows stronger. These beasts can live up to 500 years."
"Zuzu, where is the cave exactly? Can you use your ancestral demon-tracking map?"
Zuzu let out a small sigh, then raised his hands and began chanting a spell. In a moment, a glowing map floated in front of them. After scanning it closely, he pointed to a spot.
"Here. It's on the eastern side of the forest we passed through earlier."
He rolled up the scroll and looked at the prince feeling a bit confused, the prince sat casually on the bed, legs crossed, lazily spinning an apple in one hand. Then He brought it to his lips, took a slow bite with a soft crunch.
The prince simply hummed in response, nonchalant as ever, while Zuzu stood beside the floating map, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Your Highness, just tell me why are you asking about this flower? That beast is a 7-tier spirit! And during this time of year, it's at its most aggressive! It's practically not safe to go near its cave, let alone inside—" Then suddenly, a dreadful thought struck him Zuzu's eyes widened.
"Your Highness… d-did you get stung by the Queen Bee?! Tell me that's not it!"The prince remained quiet. Zuzu rushed to him, panic rising. "You're not serious, right?! You're not tired because of that, right?! Y-You wouldn't joke about something like this! Say something!"
The prince finally turned his head, "Zuzu… relax. I didn't get stung, and I'm not going anywhere." He let out a long breath, stretching his arms above his head. "I just… heard about it somewhere. Got curious, that's all. But now I'm feeling a bit tired. I'm going to sleep. Close the door on your way out, will you?"
Before Zuzu could respond, the prince had already turned his back, curling up on the bed like nothing had happened. Zuzu let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank the heavens…"
He slowly made his way to the door, but just before stepping out, he turned back to look at the prince one more time. He muttered under his breath, "Your Highness, I won't let you disappear again." Then, with a quiet but firm click, Zuzu locked the door from the outside.
"Let's see how you run away this time,"
The sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting warm rays across the quiet town. Morning life had begun again shops opening, footsteps echoing on cobbled roads, and birds chirping their hearts out. While Zuzu, who had been sleeping upright by the prince's door, leaning awkwardly against the wall, stirred awake. With a loud yawn, he stretched his arms and rubbed his stiff neck.
"Ah… what a beautiful morning," he mumbled to himself with a sleepy smile, gazing at the glowing red sun. "Looks like it's going to be a good day."
Feeling satisfied, he got to his feet and reached for the door. But the moment he pushed it open and peeked inside, his expression dropped.
His face turned pale.
His pupils shook.
His mouth opened in horror before his voice exploded through the entire inn.
"YOUR HIGHNESS IS GONE!!!"
His shout echoed like thunder, making half the inn's guests jolt out of their sleep, crashing out of their beds in confusion. Zuzu grabbed his head in both hands, pacing back and forth in panic.
"He did it again! He actually ran away again!! I locked the door!! HOW DID HE EVEN GET OUT?!"
——————
Ryoma sat quietly beside the flowing river stream, refilling his water pouch. Nearby, Kaen knelt by the riverbank, scooping a handful of water to drink before splashing it onto his face with a tired sigh.
"We searched all night, covered every inch out here… but still no sign of her," Ryoma said, eyes fixed on the current. "Kaen, do you think she went into the forest?"
Kaen stood up, water dripping from his face, his expression sharp. "What other place is left to search near the border? If she's not here, then there's only one possibility. We need to check inside. I'm afraid she's gotten into trouble."
Ryoma looked up, concern flickering in his eyes,"Then let's not waste time. We should go in soon."