Chapter 23
“What… are you?”
The man’s build was large—overly large, in fact.
With his hat pulled low, I couldn’t even see his face unless he lifted his head.
He then let out a derisive snort as he studied me carefully.
“Kid, this is a restricted area. Looks like you’ve lost your guardian. Go look somewhere else.”
Perhaps he thought I had taken the wrong path. His tone was unusually indifferent.
I didn’t reply. Instead, I cast a glance past his side.
Most of the stalls in the Moonlight Market were like wagons with only roofs, but at the end of this alley, there was a purple door unlike the others.
There it was.
“No, I’ve come to the right place.”
I answered calmly.
“I’ve come to see the market owner.”
The man’s expression grew wary.
“…You’re here for the guildmaster?”
“Yes. Can you guide me quickly? I already know about the price.”
The reason for my urgency was simple.
If Damian happened to come looking for me while I was away… it would be chaos.
I didn’t even want to think about it.
‘I need to finish this and go back quickly.’
Yet the man still didn’t seem inclined to let me pass.
In fact, unlike his initially indifferent face, he now crossed his arms and glared down at me with caution.
‘…Ah.’
I realized something anew.
Without the title of princess, I just looked like a plain little girl.
‘…Doesn’t matter.’
Even without a fancy title, I had to speak my mind. Years of living as a princess had taught me one thing: how to act shamelessly and boldly when at a disadvantage.
“I hope you’re not thinking of turning me away just because I’m a kid.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked up at him.
“I have no guardian. I came alone. Surely that counts as basic proof of qualification.”
“Huh…”
The man’s expression became even more subtle—astonished.
It seemed absurd to him that a girl he didn’t know could speak so plainly and confidently.
‘So what. It’s true.’
The Moonlight Market wasn’t a place anyone could just enter. Finding the entrance itself was a kind of qualification.
The man seemed about to say something, but before he could, he paused, touching his ear.
A magical communication, perhaps.
Soon, confusion appeared on his face.
“…What? I’m supposed to let her in?”
I shrugged proudly.
Reluctantly, the man stepped aside.
“…Fine, go in.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“These kids these days… such manners…”
I tilted my head stiffly, and he muttered in displeasure.
‘He just spoke to me informally himself.’
I snorted and passed him, stopping in front of the door.
Compared to the warm, vibrant lights of the market, the purple wooden door ahead radiated a quiet, subdued atmosphere.
It felt as though I were entering another world.
‘This place reflects its owner.’
The Moonlight Market’s guildmaster.
I had met her a few times before my regression.
Of course, back then I had come under the Emperor’s orders to crack down on this place.
She was someone who could never be underestimated.
If ‘he’ existed in the Mage’s Land, then this woman sat atop the heads of mages across the Empire, outside the western region.
Guildmaster Hella.
She was responsible for creating a secret network for wandering mages who couldn’t reside in the Mage’s Land, protecting them from magic beasts.
From the moment magic beasts began spreading across the continent until now, many mages followed her and maintained a foothold in this Moonlight Market.
At the same time, through her network of mages scattered across the continent, she provided rare items and information that were difficult to obtain, acting as a guild leader.
‘Originally, I hadn’t planned to come here now.’
But since I was nearby, it was good to gather what I could and leave some hints.
Her gentle voice, accompanied by a soft laugh, pulled me from my thoughts.
“Now, what brings this little guest all the way to see the guildmaster herself?”
She tilted her head slightly while bringing a cigarette to her lips.
“I hope it’s something interesting.”
Her pale eyes slid downward without any surprise at seeing me here alone.
I carefully surveyed the chair in the center of the room.
It was a guest chair. Normally, I would have waited for an invitation to sit, but…
‘My legs hurt too much.’
The Moonlight Market was enormous. My legs felt like they were going to give out on the way here.
I plopped down in the chair.
“You haven’t offered, but I’ll excuse myself first.”
“Hmm?”
The woman raised her eyebrow slightly.
“This is a guest chair, isn’t it?”
I looked at her calmly.
“My legs hurt from walking so much.”
She laughed out loud.
“Well, that exceeds my expectations.”
Her laugh was light and teasing.
“Not bad. I like bold kids.”
She walked toward me in a dark long skirt slit up to her thighs and sat opposite me, a table between us.
Up close, she was even more beautiful.
But her gaze was sharp, assessing me: what kind of kid am I, why I’m here, and whether I could be of use.
‘…She’s not someone to underestimate.’
I didn’t relax.
“So, what brings the little guest here?”
She placed the cigarette on the table and asked.
I stopped tapping my legs and straightened my back.
Took a deep breath. This was important.
Whether this negotiation succeeded would affect the timing of Damian’s awakening.
I looked her in the eyes and spoke.
“I’ll get straight to the point, since you’re busy.”
There was no time to waste. Damian had to wake up soon.
“I need the Holy Sword of Pracatia.”
The guildmaster’s eyebrows rose.
For a moment, the air in the room seemed to shift.
“…Holy Sword?”
