"I added a bit of honey. It doesn''t affect the efficacy but makes it less bitter-a custom form."


    "No wonder... But I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before. Is it just my imagination?" Sherry stared intently at John for a long time before finally shaking her head with a wry smile.


    "Sorry, just ignore my ramblings. Didn''t mean to trouble you."


    "No problem."


    In less than five minutes, the effects of the advanced HP potion became evident.


    Sherry''s wounds began to visibly heal, and herplexion improved significantly.


    From initially leaning against the wall, she was now able to stand on her own without support.


    The results were impressive.


    Seeing this, the guards exchanged nces and then said, "John, your skill has clearly passed the test. Please, go ahead."


    "Before I go in, can I ask a few questions?"


    "Well... we don''t have the authority to answer your questions. You''ll need to find someone inside to help you with that."


    "Alright."


    With that, John didn''t press further and walked into the walled area.


    ria and Lily were already out of sight, presumably having entered the pce.


    As John proceeded down the pathway, the magnificent pce that had stood underwater for countless years finally came into view.


    In truth, John was not unfamiliar with this ce.


    He knew the patrol schedules, the shifts of the guards, and theyout of the pce like the back of his hand.


    In his previous life, he had managed to infiltrate and stay in the pce for a long time without getting caught.


    Of course, now without the skills of an assassin ss, John''s methods of moving in and out of the pce had greatly diminished.


    He could no longer blend in as easily as before.


    Following the guards'' lead, John entered the pce.


    As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed that the ce was quite crowded.


    A quick estimate suggested there were around seventy people, mostly female yers.


    It made sense, considering that Priest was a ss not particrly suited forbat, thus not typically chosen by male yers.


    Male healers were a rarity.


    Soon, John spotted ria and Lily in the crowd, positioned at the back, just like him, gathering information.


    Sensing John''s gaze, ria turned and gave him a meaningful smile before turning back around, leaving John puzzled.


    "What are those two up to?" he wondered.


    Just as John was about to approach them for some answers, a middle-aged man of notable stature walked to the front and signaled for the crowd to be quiet.


    John looked over and immediately recognized him as Duke Faris, the younger brother of the king of Antis.


    Duke Faris was known for his cunning nature, and in John''s previous life, he had nearly been caught by him several times.


    It was odd to see someone of Duke Faris'' rank in such a setting.


    "Please, everyone, quiet down. I''m d you could all make it here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Faris, Duke of Antis. I''m sure you''re all wondering why so many Priests have been invited to the royal city. I won''t hide the truth.


    The fact is, our princess has fallen ill with a strange disease and is now in aa. We have tried many treatments, but none have worked. So we have turned to you adventurers in hopes that you can help us save the princess."


    Hearing this, John frowned, finding the situation peculiar.


    As far as he knew, there was only one princess in the Antis royal family.


    John had never heard Dolores mention that she had ever been seriously ill.


    Moreover, if he remembered correctly, the main quest in his previous life didn''t unfold this way.


    Still, since he was here, John intended to get to the bottom of this.


    Duke Faris continued to give some instructions, primarily advising the adventurers not to cause trouble in the pce.


    John paid little heed to these warnings.


    He knew theyout of the pce intimately-where the dangers were, where the heavy guards were stationed, and where the security was weak.


    These threats meant nothing to him.


    After exining the princess''s condition, Duke Faris had the guards lead groups of yers to a side hall to examine the princess in hopes of finding a cure.


    Being thest yer to enter the pce, John naturally ended up at the end of the line.


    Given the number of people, it was clear he wouldn''t get his turn today.


    Faris arranged for the guards to escort theter-ranked yers to their respective resting ces.


    Taking this opportunity, John finally caught up with ria and Lily.


    "What''s up with you two? First, you pretend not to know me, and then you rush off. ria, Lily, what''s going on?"


    "We were just giving you a chance to rekindle your rtionship with the princess," ria teased.


    "Exactly," Lily chimed in.


    "Wait, hold on. When did I ever say I wanted to rekindle anything?"


    ria pouted, "With the way you were lost in thought earlier, who couldn''t tell you still have feelings for her? Lily and I were just trying to help, and now we''re the bad guys?"


    John felt a headacheing on.


    "Stop fooling around. Last night, I sensed the presence of a Divine Emissary. We''re still not out of danger, and this is not the time to be concerned with such matters. Besides, this doesn''t match my memories. I don''t remember Dolores ever being seriously ill. Something''s not right here."


    Hearing this, ria and Lily''s expressions turned serious. "What should we do now?" ria asked.


    "I''ll go gather some information. You two stay put and don''t do anything that might alert them. I''ll see if I can find out why things have suddenly changed."


    Unfortunately, after dealing with [gluttony] and Miles, Deception had left. Otherwise, getting information would have been much easier with him around.


    "John, be careful and stay safe," Lily urged.


    "Don''t worry. I''m very familiar with this ce. I''ll be fine."


    After reassuring the two women, John waited for a moment when the guards weren''t paying attention and slipped out of the room.


    He knocked out a guard around the corner, put on the guard''s armor, and started wandering around the pce.


    Aside from this incident not matching his memory, everything else seemed unchanged.


    Theyout of the pce and the guard positions were very simr to what he remembered.


    It didn''t take John long to find the entrance to the royal bedchambers.


    The only problem was the guards stationed at the entrance.


    Forcing his way in would surely alert them, so John needed a different approach.


    This was where the importance of his Trickster ss came into y.


    Following Deception''s approach, John crafted a quick n in his mind and confidently walked up to the guards. Before they could stop him, he spoke up first, "I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me, but it really is you two! Don''t you remember me? It''s Leonard! We took the guard exams together! Unfortunately, I didn''t make the cut, but you two did.


    I didn''t expect to see you here!"


    "Leonard? Oh... I remember now. You were the one who almost cried when you didn''t pass, right?" one of the guards said.


    "Hey, let''s not bring that up, my friend. Looks like you two are doing well, working as royal guards. Unlike me, still stuck in the inner city. If it weren''t for this temporary draft, we might not have seen each other for many years."


    John walked up to them in a familiar manner, but the next second, two spears were pointed at his chest armor simultaneously.


    "Hey, what''s this all about?"


    "Leonard, friendship is one thing, duty is another. The bedchamber is off-limits. Don''t make things difficult for us."


    "Misunderstanding, I didn''t intend to go in. I just wanted to say hello! Come on, put those things away. We''re all friends here, no need for this."


    "...You better not try anything funny. It''s a sensitive time now. Don''t do anything rash."