Chapter 227: Sixty-First Floor, The Ice Castle’s Princess (1)

[Rescue the princess imprisoned at the top of the Ice Castle. Time remaining: 17 hours 58 minutes.]

The princess had pristine white hair and striking golden eyes. Her long, waist-length hair cascaded in luxurious curls from just below her ears, as if she had just stepped out of a high-end salon.

Hmm. Isn’t this called princess hair? No, wait. Ringlets?

Either way, everything about her appearance seemed refined, with a charm that made her seem both elegant and endearing.

A notification window materialized above her head.

[Natalie Marlene]

However, what truly got me thinking was her words.

How did she recognize me? She even went as far as saying her mother had talked about me. But how?

It reminded me of how many different species in the tower had addressed me as the “Liberator,” making me wonder if this was related.

There was no way to be certain.

Regardless, I needed to focus on the trial since it could be difficult. Even though I hadn’t needed to infiltrate the castle, I would have to ensure her safety as we escaped. Moreover, since I hadn’t infiltrated the castle myself, I had no idea how to get out.

With that in mind, I studied the girl once more, though I remained alert to my surroundings.

A floor based on escaping meant that danger could appear at any moment.

I can only feel one presence, though. It is right under her bed and quite small.

It didn’t radiate hostility. If I had to guess, it was likely the girl’s pet. For now, nothing struck me as immediately threatening.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Of course! Mom told me all about you!”

“Your mom?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! My mom!”

“And who exactly is your mother? Why does she know me?”

“My mom is the Dimensional Witch!”

“The Dimensional Witch?”

She bobbed her head twice, her conviction unwavering. “She told me about you a long time ago. She said you’d come for me someday!”

“I see. Can you tell me more? I'm curious how she knows me.”

“Nope! I can't! Mom said I'm not allowed to tell you!”

Although she had spoken vaguely, her expression left no room for argument. Even without pressing further, it was obvious that no amount of questioning would make her reveal what she had been forbidden to say.

Fine.

That wasn’t the priority right now. Completing the trial and rescuing the princess had to come first.

Still, something didn’t add up. I narrowed my eyes slightly, gazing directly at her. “You understand that we need to escape from the castle, right?”

“Yup!”

“And your mom told you I would come to rescue you?”

“

Uh-huh!

”

“Then why didn’t she rescue you herself?”

“Because she told me about this before I was trapped here!”

Before she was imprisoned?

I wondered if her mom was some kind of prophet.

Unfortunately, this trial was proving to be particularly uncooperative; it had offered barely any information.

In truth, I had even more questions. The floor’s title implied that she was the princess of this castle. If that were the case, why did she have to escape from her own home?

“

Hmm

. That would mean your mother knew you’d be imprisoned here. Why did she allow it to happen?”

“

Uuh...

Forget I said that! I wasn’t supposed to tell you!”

“Why are you even trapped here in the first place?”

“

Hmph

, you ask too many questions. A true beauty always retains some secrets!” Pouting, she turned her head away in mock indignation, making it clear she had no intention of answering.

Unbelievable.

She could have simply stayed silent from the start, but instead, she kept dropping hints, piquing my curiosity and refusing to sate it.

Just as my frustration reached its peak, she suddenly giggled and pointed at Doppy. “

Pfft!

Look at the goblin’s dumb expression!”

I followed her gaze. Doppy was staring blankly at her, his face frozen in a daze. He looked somewhat like a puppy, as if he were experiencing love at first sight.

To put it bluntly, he was acting completely brainlessly. Even as the girl laughed at him, he remained lost in his trance.

I nudged Doppy with my foot. Only then did he jolt back to reality.

“

Ahaha!

You look so stupid!”

“Doppy isn’t stupid!”

“Only fools don’t know they’re fools!”

“

Ugh!

” Doppy’s face flushed bright red, though whether from embarrassment or frustration, I couldn’t tell.

Watching these two go back and forth, I found myself questioning whether I was still in the Tower of Ordeal or whether I had somehow ended up in a playground. The tension from moments ago had completely vanished.

The girl, who had been laughing merrily, suddenly turned her attention toward the bed. “Neun! You can come out now!”

A cute, white beast darted out from beneath the bed. It resembled an arctic fox, though its ears were noticeably larger, and its tail was longer.

Cautiously, it lowered itself close to the ground, assessing us with wary eyes, before making a beeline for the girl. Once at her feet, it perched itself protectively, still gazing at us suspiciously.

Meanwhile, the girl puffed out her chest, clearly proud. “Isn’t it adorable? This is my friend, Neun!”

I gave a noncommittal nod. “I suppose so.”

She immediately puffed up her cheeks in disapproval. “That’s it? You didn’t react correctly! Do it again!”

What kind of response is she expecting?

I did like animals, but I was in the middle of conquering a floor. Admiring a fox wasn’t exactly my priority right now.

Besides, although it certainly looked cute, considering how often the tower threw surprises at me, I couldn’t help but suspect that Neun had a hidden role in all this.

Still, I couldn't exactly glare at the fox like I would an adult, especially with the girl watching expectantly.

Forcing a small smile, I feigned enthusiasm. “Sorry. Neun, was it? You're really cute.”

“

Hehe

, right? Oh! I almost forgot! I'm Natalie Marlene! What's your name, oppa?”

So, she recognized me, but doesn’t actually know my name?

“I’m Kwon Su-Hyeok. This is Doppy, and over here is Ryun—”

She cut me off abruptly. “I don’t need their names! I just wanted to know yours.”

I could only stare blankly at her.

Well, that was direct.

Then again, considering her status, it wasn’t surprising that she had an air of entitlement.

Sighing just quietly enough that she wouldn’t notice, I refocused on the task at hand. As amusing as this little exchange had been, now that her pet had come out, it was time to get moving.

There were still too many unknowns, and the trial’s answers would only reveal themselves with action.

Based on the objective alone and the fact that I hadn’t sensed anyone else, it didn’t seem like an overly complex challenge.

I scanned the room.

First, I checked for a window. The castle likely had countermeasures in the event of an escape, but if there was a window, I could simply break through and leave.

Damn it.

As expected, there were none. The room only had a single bed, a desk, and a lone chair. The stark, frozen walls were made from one solid sheet of ice, offering no glimpse of the outside world.

Has Natalie really lived here alone all this time? How has she managed to survive, let alone feed herself?

The thought lingered for a moment before I dismissed it. It wasn’t relevant right now.

Perhaps the other rooms had windows.

Just as the idea crossed my mind, someone quietly yet knowingly commented from behind me, “You’re looking for a window, aren’t you? It’s a waste of time. This castle doesn’t have any!”

“Oh, really?”

I wasn’t particularly surprised; I had already suspected as much. Still, another thought crossed my mind.

What if I simply break through the walls?

I could probably shatter them using my Aura or melt them with fire. Considering I had eighteen hours, there was more than enough time to break through or thaw the ice.

Although I still have no idea why we need to escape.

Even if enemies suddenly appeared, Doppy could manage the flames while I handled any approaching threats.

Wait. Maybe it would be quicker to just walk straight through the front door?

“Also, if you’re thinking about breaking the walls, don’t bother! This ice is unbreakable since it has been imbued with divine power!”

Once again, she sounded as if she had plucked the thought right out of my mind.

Has she been through this before? Or, maybe she can perceive others’ thoughts since she is the Dimensional Witch’s daughter?

On second thought, I realized that it was just a reasonable assumption based on her situation and knowledge. Alternatively, the tower could be using her as a mouthpiece to stop me from wasting time.

Ugh, I keep getting distracted. So the walls are reinforced with divine power, huh?

That somehow implied a connection between the princess, the Dimensional Witch, and the gods. However, for now, the details remained elusive.

Regardless, thanks to her warning, I could avoid lingering on fruitless efforts. “I see. Thanks. I almost wasted valuable time.”

“No big deal! You’re helping me, so I’ll help you too! It’s teamwork!”

She seemed oddly delighted by such a simple show of gratitude. I wondered if she was the type to thrive on praise.

“So that means our only option is to leave through the main entrance. You don’t have anything else to take with you, do you?”

“Nope!”

“Alright, then. Shall we head out?”

“Wait! Before that!” she suddenly called out, her golden eyes gleaming with anticipation as she gazed up at me. “Play with me for a bit first!”

“What?”

“I’ve been all alone for so long! Let’s play a little before we leave!”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. “You do understand that we need to escape, right?”

“I do! But I still wanna play first! Well, if you refuse, I guess we can just go...”

She lowered her gaze, staring at her feet while lightly tapping them against the frozen floor. The way she sulked was unmistakably childlike, almost like she was throwing a silent tantrum.

Yet rather than confusion, my first instinct was suspicion.

Is this a trick? A trap? Is the listed objective just a distraction? What if I really need to entertain the princess?

It wasn’t an entirely absurd theory. After all, the princess took front and center in the floor’s title. I still had no idea why she needed to be rescued in the first place.

It is rather suspicious that she is asking to play at this crucial moment.

Of course, this could just be a hidden mission. Or, more insidiously, perhaps the tower had designed it to mislead me, tempting me to waste precious time on a false opportunity.

Too many unknowns.

Ultimately, it came down to uncertain rewards versus guaranteed ones.

There was no way to be sure if playing with her would unlock a hidden mission.

What was guaranteed, however, was that the faster I escaped, the more achievement points I would earn. Although with how many I currently had, a small increase in the total number of points I earned wouldn’t amount to much.

The fact that Natalie gave me a choice does make a difference, though.

Indulge her request or leave immediately.

Usually, when the tower presented a choice, the thornier or less obvious path often led to hidden missions. It was a pattern I had seen repeatedly throughout my journey.

After a brief moment of consideration, I made my decision. “Alright, we’ll play for a little while before we go.”

“Yay! You’re the best!”

Overjoyed, she threw both hands into the air. Then, still grinning from ear to ear, she scooped up her fox, held it close, and pressed her forehead against its fur.

She looked absolutely excited. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but let out a small, involuntary smile.

“Neun! Oppa is gonna play with us!”

“Kyiiing.”

Judging by the fox’s confused whimper, it had no idea what was going on.

“

Haaa...

”

No matter how adorable they were, I found myself exhaling resignedly yet again.

At this point, I had lost track of how many times I had sighed since stepping onto the sixty-first floor. If Ha Hee-Jeong were here, this would have been much easier.

Handling children was far more exhausting than fighting.

“So, Natalie. What exactly do you want to play?”

Despite my inner exhaustion, I put on my most cheerful smile. If I planned to play along, why not do it properly?

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has started the hidden mission ‘Playing Is the Best!’」

「Invisible message: Depending on the outcome, affinity with the future Dimensional Witch Natalie Marlene will increase.」

「Invisible message: ■■.■% affinity is required to unlock the hidden mission ‘The Dimensional Witch’s First Contract.’」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s current affinity: ■■.■%.」