The Fourth Dance

The fourth dance, “Ode to Joy.”

Joyful, lively, and light, it was a world-famous melody capable of making anyone forget their troubles in excitement with its tune alone.

People linked arms and danced in circles across the floor, while spectators outside clapped and sang along, driving the atmosphere to an absolute crescendo.

The moment this dance ended, Her Highness the Princess and His Grace the Duke would make their appearance.

When that happened, the balcony doors on the castle's third floor would swing open, and the two would greet the guests from the terrace, where Her Highness the Princess would express gratitude to all attendees on behalf of His Majesty the King.

Afterward, the Princess would step out of the castle, mingle among the crowd, and share a dance with an invitee.

The fourth dance had already begun. Accompanied by brisk music, song, and laughter, the circle of dancers on the floor was already spinning.

The festive atmosphere allowed everyone to temporarily set aside their worries, their faces beaming with smiles.

Yet amidst this revelry, two figures dashed forward in single file, charging straight into the dance floor, phasing effortlessly through the spinning crowd, and bolting all the way up the castle steps.

Lynch and Natalie.

Anxiety surged through their chests.

If Lynch's deduction proved correct, it meant someone could use this method to walk straight up to Princess Sophia, while all the mid-tier and high-tier Soul Severers in the Duke's mansion and castle—along with hundreds of fully armed Governor's Guards carrying live ammunition—were rendered utterly useless.

It was practically an open invitation.

Anyone could bypass every defensive measure and swagger straight before the Princess. They could even snap a selfie with Her Highness and those nuclear-bomb-tier high-level experts. The moment they stepped out of this state, no one would stand a chance of stopping them from killing her.

Unless something changed, Her Highness the Princess was currently trapped in a checkmate. According to Lynch and Officer Natalie's analysis, the enemy's plan was most likely to assassinate the Princess in the most violent manner imaginable right before everyone's eyes when the fourth dance ended and she gave her speech on the balcony on behalf of King Rudolph II, instantly detonating the conflict between the nobility and parliament.

The previous three attacks had merely been diversions to sow confusion; this was the final checkmate maneuver.

An almost unsolvable impasse. Left to run its course, no amount of tight security could save Princess Sophia—she would certainly die.

Yet fate always left a sliver of hope; a wild card had appeared, and the hidden trump card had been glimpsed.

Currently, the only ones who could change Sophia's fate and prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control were Lynch and Natalie.

The enemy remained unknown, but with the four exposed high-tier experts stationed outside, whoever was in here was likely one or more mid-tier assassins. Furthermore, Lynch hadn't encountered a new evil god in a long time, so his supreme will hadn't been recharged.

Still, as a man, some risks simply had to be taken.

And so, here they came.

The castle steps were empty, save for four guards at the top standing straight as javelins with steam rifles in hand, safeguarding the castle's peace.

Four pairs of sharp eyes fixed intently on the entrance, taking turns even to blink. Yet right beneath their gazes, the two dashed past, bolting straight up the stairs.

Lynch raised his foot and delivered a brutal kick toward the heavy double doors.

Then, he passed right through the closed doors without resistance. Officer Natalie followed closely behind without hesitation, phasing through as well.

The castle interior was magnificent and grand, from cashmere carpets of the Old Continent to crystal chandeliers from the New Continent, exuding an imposing air of nobility amidst deep heritage.

Yet neither spared it a glance. They had noticed something else.

The state of the door in the inner world had changed, which meant Lynch's deduction was completely accurate. Furthermore...

“Someone already came inside.”

The female officer nodded. “Proceed with caution. Be careful with everything.”

“Understood.”

With that, Lynch immediately entered a state of lurking, leaving Officer Natalie seemingly alone inside the castle doors.

“Uh... that's not quite what I meant by caution.” Glaring blankly at empty air, the female officer drew her sword and strode briskly down the corridor without looking back. “Keep up. Where are we heading?”

Lynch's voice followed closely like a shadow. “Straight to the Princess. Regardless of where the enemy is, if we reach her before they do, half the battle is won. But in a castle this vast, there must be dozens of rooms. Checking them one by one is too much trouble—we need a better way.”

Without breaking stride, the female officer pivoted in a new direction, casting a peculiar glance toward the origin of the voice. “Three hundred and seventeen rooms, actually. And didn't you know core security personnel have studied the castle layout blueprints?”

As she spoke, she launched another flying kick aimed at a door on the right side of the corridor.

Her kick met no resistance; the door was already open in their space.

Gritting her teeth, the female officer smoothly rolled through the doorway.

Two maids in black-and-white uniforms were carrying trays down the hallway behind the door, completely oblivious to the commotion behind them.

Officer Natalie brushed right past them while hearing the whoosh of wind behind her—it was Lynch swinging his cane, presumably striking toward the maids, only to miss entirely.

“Was that necessary?”

“Just to be safe. Hit everyone on sight, or I can't tell who's real and who's fake. Can you?”

“Shut up, I get it. We're taking a shortcut.”

Before her words even settled, Officer Natalie halted, pressed her palm firmly against the head of a bronze statue by the hallway, and her expression instantly shifted.

“The mechanism has already been activated. The intruder prepared thoroughly, and they're moving faster than us.”

“No time to overthink it—pursue!” Lynch's voice rang out from the wall beside the statue, accompanied by the slapping sound of his hand patting the wall. “Where's the entrance?”

“Opposite side. You're feeling the wrong wall.”

What lunatic designed this place?

Lynch didn't have time to complain. He closely followed Officer Natalie as she passed through the nonexistent wall. Not far ahead was a spiral staircase. Through a small window above the steps, the laughter and cheer from outside drifted in. Divided by a single wall, it felt like two completely different worlds.

The music drifted in alongside it; “Ode to Joy” was already past its midpoint, drawing toward its finale.

The fourth dance was about to end.

“Hurry, the third floor!”

Not daring to waste a single second, the two charged toward the third floor. Just as they reached halfway up the stairs, Lynch felt a will sweep rapidly past them.

A familiar will—it was one of the friendly high-tier guardians.

Without slowing down, Lynch kept pace behind the officer while desperately circulating his soul in an attempt to catch the guardian's attention. However, his efforts could not pierce the separation between them; the scanning will passed right by, oblivious.

“Then we're on our own.”

Officer Natalie delivered another flying kick, but this time, a solid impact unexpectedly echoed out.

The door was closed.

The enemy hasn't arrived yet? Did we beat them?

A surge of relief struck their hearts. Officer Natalie breached the door first, bursting from the dim staircase into the spacious, brightly lit third-floor hall.

At least a hundred people had gathered on the third floor, some standing right next to them.

Viscount Moliere, Baron Boivar, the Princess's primary bodyguards, accompanying personnel from the Governor's Mansion, and estate servants bustled about in chaotic preparation for the Princess's address.

The Princess was there as well, standing alongside His Grace the Duke dozens of meters away at the far end of the hall, before the glass doors leading to the balcony. A flurry of servants bustled around the two dignitaries, making final adjustments to their attire before the appearance.

They made it in time!

The two exchanged a relieved smile. Yet just as that joy sparked, Lynch spotted someone by the doorway, wearing an eerie grin directed straight toward them.

In that instant, Lynch's hairs stood on end, and his pupils contracted.