*Chapter 39: The Secret of Secrets!*

“‘Secret Realm’?”

When Goethe heard this term, he almost instinctively thought of his status as an apprentice "Keeper of Secrets."

Could it be that managing the supernatural isn't the main job of the "Keepers of Secrets"?

Is it the so-called "Secret Realms" instead?

"That's right."

"Exactly what you're thinking."

Moray confirmed Goethe's suspicion.

"The world we know is not the entirety of this world; in fact, it can be said to be just a part of the whole world."

"This world is like a 'pearl curtain,' and the world we're familiar with is merely one pearl on that entire curtain. There are many more pearls, all connected by threads."

"This curtain, though made of fine material, is poorly crafted. It's not only loose but also tangled, making the threads crisscross and intertwine. These connections cause the pearls to be linked, and when these unknown pearls touch the world we live in and start to reveal themselves before us, we call them 'Secret Realms'!"

Moray explained.

Meanwhile, Goethe couldn't help but recall a description about "George I," the Mad King: after being betrayed by the woman he loved and the subordinate he trusted the most, the Mad King was pierced through the heart by a sword but did not die. Instead, he returned to the "Lake of Fairies" or was taken back to the "Island of Dragons" by a dragon.

Of course, no one believes such rumors now.

Because no one has ever seen fairies or dragons.

Moreover, the existence of supernatural beings only made such rumors even less credible.

If there really were such things as the "Lake of Fairies" or the "Island of Dragons," how could the supernatural not have explored them?

So, Goethe had previously scoffed at the rumors that the Mad King hadn’t died.

But now?

The Mad King might indeed have died.

But the "Lake of Fairies" and the "Island of Dragons" might actually exist.

In the form of "Secret Realms"!

"Are the 'Lake of Fairies' and 'Island of Dragons' Secret Realms?"

Goethe couldn’t help but ask.

"Yes, they are."

"The 'Lake of Fairies' and the 'Island of Dragons' are Secret Realms controlled by the Tersin royal family. The former opens once every five years, allowing those who have rendered absolute merit to the royal family to enter, while the latter can only be entered by royal family members—since the 'Dispossession Act' was passed, even royal bloodlines outside the royal family have lost the right to enter the 'Island of Dragons.'"

Moray openly admitted this and even shared more information with Goethe.

Since he had already decided to tell Goethe about the Secret Realms, Moray didn't hold back.

"Is it difficult to enter the 'Island of Dragons'?"

Goethe immediately guessed.

"Not just difficult!"

"Extremely difficult!"

"In addition to various requirements, specific resources are needed. Even the royal family cannot afford to send all its members into the 'Island of Dragons'; only the most outstanding heirs are chosen."

"Each time, no more than three people can enter."

"And not all of them come back safely."

"Most of the time, one person is lost."

"Sometimes, it's a total wipeout."

"What happens inside the 'Island of Dragons' is unknown, as those royal members who enter it never speak of it, but every time someone returns, they bring back some special knowledge, secrets, or resources. This is the only reason I can think of for someone like the owner of the Pinecone Hotel to give up everything and take such a risk."

Moray added.

"The loss of personnel indicates that the situation inside is dangerous, and this kind of danger is variable, unpredictable. Even after many years, the Tersin royal family cannot predict it."

"And the silence..."

"Is that due to an internal royal order?"

"Or is it a restriction of the 'Secret Realm' itself?"

Goethe pondered, his brows furrowing slightly.

Suddenly, he thought of something—

What happens within a "Secret Realm" cannot be shared with others.

This could be a way of keeping secrets.

Coincidentally, the official organization responsible for the supernatural in Tersin is called the "Keepers of Secrets."

Could this be a mere coincidence?

These thoughts didn't distract Goethe.

He continued his questioning.

*"Entering 'Dragon's Island' is quite troublesome, but the 'Fairy Lake' isn't as difficult, so... are there different levels of 'Secret Realms'?"*

With Gawain's intelligence, Morey wasn't surprised that he could guess this.

In fact, he would have been surprised if Gawain hadn't figured it out.

However...

Morey shook his head.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Gawain looked at Morey in astonishment.

"'Secret Realms' are extremely secretive for most extraordinary individuals. Even within the 'Keepers of Secrets,' only members of those 22 action teams have the clearance to know the specifics."

"I'm not one of them. What I know is limited by my current position—although I agree with your guess, I truly don't know the real answer."

Morey said with a bitter smile.

Gawain remained silent. He didn't think Morey would deceive or brush him off at this point.

So, Morey genuinely didn't know.

"Is that so..."

Gawain sighed regretfully.

He had hoped to learn more.

"Yes, that's everything I know about 'Secret Realms.' If you want to know more, you'll have to wait until your apprenticeship is over, then head to Bode to become a full 'Keeper of Secrets' and join one of those 22 action teams!"

"Although it's difficult, I believe you can do it, Gawain!"

Morey said with great certainty, clearly having a lot of confidence in Gawain.

"22 action teams?"

Gawain asked curiously.

"Every time a 'Secret Realm' appears, it brings disaster!"

"Whether it's the people who enter or those nearby who don't enter, they'll all face life-threatening danger!"

"The existence of those 22 action teams is to prevent such dangers from spreading and affecting ordinary people!"

"They are the true 'Keepers of Secrets!'"

"And me?"

"Although I'm also respectfully called a 'Keeper of Secrets,' most of the time, I'm just dealing with minor issues."

"But even with such small tasks..."

"Sometimes I can't handle them well."

As Morey spoke, he took a deep breath.

The official responsible for the extraordinary stood up from his chair.

His gaze shifted to the candlestick on one side of the living room.

Previously, the candle on this candlestick had been extinguished.

But now, the candle on the candlestick suddenly ignited.

The orange flame flickered wildly.

Just watching the flickering flame, Gawain felt a deep sense of unease.

This unease was soon confirmed.

As Gawain watched, the official responsible for the extraordinary matters spoke softly while walking toward the door.

"I hope my answer satisfies you."

"And I hope..."

"We all survive this."

As his words fell—

Bang!

The sturdy door was violently thrown inward.

A tall, muscular figure with blood-red eyes appeared in the doorway, holding the blood-spitting Mrs. Pence in his hand. At his feet, Mrs. Pence's butler lay lifeless.

(End of Chapter)