Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

No, it wasn’t a snake.

As we approached, I could finally see it clearly. The tail of an unidentifiable furry creature was constricting the princess’s wrist.

A red substance, like fresh blood, seeped from the tail and dripped down the princess’s hand. Judging by the clean sleeve, it probably wasn’t real blood.

“That’s some nasty negative energy clinging to her. Mr. Kim, if we leave her like that, she’ll be on her way to the underworld soon!”

“Sori, shush…!”

“It’s okay. The other Mr. Kims can’t hear us.”

Indeed, the court lady crossed the bridge without looking back once, seemingly unable to hear our conversation. It looked like she had used that “talent” she mentioned before.

‘But is it okay to use it so freely?’

Hadn’t Cha Taeyang warned against it multiple times? I didn’t know who this “Great King” was who had forbidden the use of such talents, but I was worried that this might lead to serious trouble. I’d have to ask discreetly when we returned to the tavern.

“When you say negative energy, is it the same as Sarome’s?”

“No, it’s a bit different. Mountain Lord’s negative energy came from being exposed to too much bad energy. Compared to that, this is closer to a curse.”

“So someone with malicious intent has harmed the princess.”

“Yeah, that’s it! And it seems like it was cast by someone extraordinary. Even that blue one we saw earlier couldn’t do something like this!”

By “blue one,” did he mean Agal? To be above an A-rank like Agal… While it was daunting, this confirmed that the princess was indeed connected to the hidden quest.

‘It’s fortunate that we were able to meet the princess ahead of the other hunters.’

By the time our brief conversation ended, we had arrived at the pavilion. Since I couldn’t hide my lip movements even if I could hide Sori’s voice, I tucked the goblin back into my sleeve.

The court lady, who had been leading us all this time, stopped in front of the stairs leading to the second floor. Judging by her gesture for us to go up, it seemed her accompaniment ended here.

“I’ll go up first.”

“Y-yes.”

I carefully stepped onto the stairs, mindful not to tread on the hem of my skirt.

“Listen without responding, Hunter Lee Kang-to.”

I spoke to Lee Kang-to, using the loud music as cover. The stairs weren’t very long, but I had only one thing to convey, so it wasn’t too difficult.

“The signal is a whistle. If you understand, cough once.”

“Ahem, cough.”

Good. This should be enough preparation for any contingencies.

As soon as Lee Kang-to and I reached the second floor, the background music faded. Following the court lady’s earlier instructions, I folded my hands and approached the center.

‘This is quite a spectacular view in its own right.’

The diverse scenery surrounding us on all sides was like a folding screen. The pond, mountains, palace buildings, and the night view of Sohan were all visible, naturally drawing one’s gaze.

And occupying the seat of honor in this pavilion that commanded all these views was…

“It’s truly a lovely sight, no matter how many times I see it. Don’t you agree?”

The princess, flanked by two guard warriors and two court ladies on each side, smiled gently. As I was about to greet her according to the etiquette I had learned from the court lady on the way, she hurriedly waved her hand.

“I detest such empty formalities. Just come here and sit down.”

“Princess O, your dignity…”

“I’ll maintain my dignity when it’s necessary. These people before us are meritorious subjects who risked their lives to behead yokai in the east, are they not?”

The princess joked that she couldn’t be strict with such individuals. The court lady seemed displeased with her response but didn’t press the issue further.

Players must come like this every week, yet the princess seemed unusually curious, bombarding us with various questions as soon as we sat down on the cushions.

‘I thought she’d be more difficult to approach.’

I sipped my tea while discreetly observing the princess.

She was unexpectedly sociable. Then again, having been involved in palace affairs since childhood, she must be well-versed in dealing with people.

“Your name was Kang-to, right? Judging by your hands, you’re clearly a swordsman. And you there, what weapon do you use?”

“Though my skills are lacking, I can shoot a bow a little.”

“Oh, how interesting.”

The conversation suddenly turned to me, and I answered reflexively, but upon second thought, something about the princess’s words seemed off.

‘To recognize that Lee Kang-to uses a sword just by looking at his hands…’

Even I only learned about it today. Did she develop such insight from watching her beloved sister hone her martial arts skills? In any case, it was remarkable discernment.

“Um, about the reward you were going to bestow upon us…”

“Oh my. The winter weather is harsh, and I’ve rambled on too long. Bring forth the medicine chest!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The guard warriors, as if they had been waiting for this moment, brought a large chest from the corner of the pavilion. The black-lacquered chest was decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays of deer, butterflies, and foliage.

As soon as the chest was placed before her, the princess inserted a key into the iron lock. However, for all her bravado, her hand movements seemed somewhat clumsy.

Perhaps feeling awkward herself, the princess asked amidst the clattering of metal:

“You must be well aware of this medicine chest, right?”

When the plague first began to spread, numerous physicians threw themselves into the fight against it.

Some for the prospect of making a fortune, some driven by academic fervor, and others to save their loved ones. The physicians conducted research upon research.

Although no one succeeded in creating a cure for the plague, the medical arts of On advanced by leaps and bounds. This chest was the culmination of those efforts.

“Ah, at this angle.”

With a click, the locking mechanism engaged, and finally, the contents of the chest were revealed.

Seventy small medicine bottles, arranged in rows of ten, peeked out. The liquids inside varied not only in color but also in their effects. Among them were quite a few rare medicines that could only be obtained here.

‘This is the only place where you can get special potions as a guaranteed reward, after all.’

How much would all this be worth… Even high-grade regular potions focused on recovery fetched astronomical prices, but special potions, regardless of their effects, were worth their weight in gold.

The princess, enjoying our reactions, ran her hand over the bottle stoppers and declared:

“To you who have shown unparalleled valor in earning merit, I bestow this reward on behalf of my royal father. Choose any three items from this chest.”

My answer had been decided even before entering this place.

Although I had steeled myself, actually seeing it with my own eyes still made my stomach churn. Even randomly picking a few would easily amount to a month’s salary… Perhaps due to my habit of living frugally, a deep sense of regret lingered.

I tore my eyes away from the medicine chest with difficulty and met the princess’s gaze.

“Don’t just stare like that, come closer and take a good look.”

“You said we could choose any three items from the chest, right?”

“That’s right.”

The princess, with her ever-present smile, looked at me intently. I approached her, returning her gaze without flinching. Then, I immediately knelt on one knee beside the chest on the floor.

“Don’t sit on the cold floor…”

“Your Highness, I desire only one thing.”

“Oh?”

The princess narrowed her eyes, seemingly trying to discern my intentions.

“Though each of these medicines is precious, none of them are what I need.”

Instead of a long explanation, I placed my hand over the princess’s hand resting on the medicine chest. I had thought a princess’s hand would be delicate, but hers was covered in scars.

The guards tried to intervene, calling it insolence, but the princess waved them off. Instead, she urged me to speak, maintaining a strangely relaxed attitude.

“To obtain what I truly desire, I need Your Highness’s time.”

“You’re requesting me instead of the medicine?”

“Yes, would you grant me this?”

The princess let out a small laugh but didn’t push my hand away. From any angle, this seemed like a green light. In situations like this, one must press on!

“…Long ago, they say the first king of On rang the bell for ten days and nights. I thought about trying something similar. But I couldn’t ring the bell meant for the gods for my personal matters.”

I tightened my grip on the princess’s hand, which I had merely rested upon before.

“That’s why I’ve come to meet Your Highness directly.”

“Not only do you touch a royal’s body without permission, but you also shamelessly invoke myths. How can one be so brazen?”

“If my impudence displeases you, I’ll gladly accept any punishment. But please understand how desperate I am.”

Without adding anything more, I simply bowed my head. As my gaze naturally lowered, I could see the princess’s hand and mine.

And the tail, showing a strange reaction.

‘Wait a minute. What’s wrong with this thing now?’

The tip of the tail wrapped around the princess’s wrist had opened like a maw, threatening to bite my hand. I had mistaken it for a snake earlier, but was it actually something snake-like?

It had clearly been hidden in the sleeve and invisible until just now. The only thing that had changed was that I had tightened my grip on her hand.

As an experiment, I loosened my grip slightly, and the tail’s mouth closed smoothly.

‘If it had disliked my approach from the start, it should have reacted like this earlier.’

If I had been wearing the monocle, I could have asked Kalia about this. In lieu of that, I concentrated mana into my eyes to activate Explorer’s Eye more strongly.

Soon, a very interesting fact came to light:

‘The ring the princess is wearing. That’s the source of the curse!’

A ring I hadn’t even noticed, hidden by the sleeve. An extremely strong and ominous magical power resided in that ring. The tail was a byproduct created in the process of manifesting that magical power as desired.

But why is the princess wearing this ring? This ring prevents the wearer’s limbs from moving normally. It doesn’t seem to be something that can’t be removed.

‘So that’s why she couldn’t open the lock right away earlier.’

Moreover, it was coupled with a “punishment” formula. She must feel considerable pain even with the slightest movement of her hands or feet. It was amazing that she could still smile.

A princess with her limbs bound… This repertoire sounded familiar. As I frowned at the sense of déjà vu, I felt the goblin rolling around in my sleeve.

A flash of realization struck me.

‘Really, there’s not a single trustworthy soul among them.’