Whispers and the Administrator's Guidance

Liam began this day from the castle with only one purpose: getting information. He needed to know the family dynamics of the royal family to unravel the hidden truths inside the castle walls if he was to fulfill the challenge of making the youngest prince valid to ascend the throne.The Practice GroundsHiding in plain sight as a servant for all intents and purposes, Liam arranged himself toward the knights' practice grounds. The air reeked with the noise of clanging swords and thuds being thrust. Carrying a barrel lined with water, Liam pretended he was doing domestic works while eavesdropping on."Did you hear? The ceremony is in two days," whispered one knight while wiping sweat off his brow."Yeah, everyone's betting it'll be the eldest prince," another replied. "He's the strongest, and the king trusts him-""Enough!" barked a deep voice. The knights' commander strode into the center of the grounds, sweeping his stern gaze across the group. "Focus on your training! Idle gossip will get you nothing but bruises."They all sat in silence, now concentrating on their practice routines. Inwardly sighing, Liam thought: So, there's a ceremony coming, and what for? He hadn't heard much, and obviously, the commander would not allow them to say anything more.An Ominous EncounterFrustrated, Liam had left the practice grounds and was now wandering the vast corridors within the castle. He happened to pass by an open door where he found the same position as before: sitting poised in a chair, sipping tea. From that small gap, it was instant that he recognized her-the princess, the only daughter of the king.Her eyes shifted slightly, meeting his gaze. Liam froze.Time stopped for a moment at that point in time. The woman's serene expression did not dull, yet suddenly, an ominous aura seemed to radiate from her. Liam's heart skipped a beat as chills ran down his spine.What is this feeling...? he wondered and shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. But the embarrassment-filled cheeks quickly turned and walked away. I must be imagining things. Right?But the aura haunted his memory, hence giving him unrest.The Library and the Head MaidLiam's feet carried him to the imposing set of doors that said, "Library," watched over by the two knights. "Oh great," he mused to himself. "Why does a library need guards?" Obviously, there were secrets in there, but this was not the right time to unravel them.He turned to leave just as he spotted two maids whispering to each other while dusting the hall."Another meeting of the head maid today," one of the maids groaned."She always nags about the same things; proper posture, obedience, and cleanliness to every inch in this castle," the other said.Liam smirked. A meeting of maids? Sounds like a good place to eavesdrop with my cloak. Before he could put that plan into action, however, something else caught his eyes.A little bit of further down the hall, he saw a maid shoving the wheelchair of the youngest prince. Slowly, they trudged towards that part of the castle that Liam had not yet explored. So he decided to go after them, but at a distance.They entered through the doors of a small church, built within the castle, the prince and maid disappearing behind them. The entrance was thick with guards, taking away all chances of slipping in without being seen.Why is the youngest prince going to a church? Liam's mind buzzed with question after question as he turned back around, frustrated with the lack of answers.Discover the Tower ShopBy evening, Liam stood funnily drained and returned to his dormitory. I am inside the castle. No progress at all. Thereafter, he sat on his bed and sighed heavily."Probably have something useful in the Tower Shop," he said while waving and conjuring the floating shop window.Rows upon rows of items appeared in front of him - skills, artifacts, gold, and weapons. But he dropped jaw at the prices. "10,000 gold for a sword? 15,000 for a shield?!" Liam muttered, exasperated.While scrolling through the shop, he noticed something odd: a currency indicator showing two totals. One was his gold, and the other was Tower Points.[Tower Points: 90,000]Liam blinked in shock. "90,000 points?! When did I get that many?" He didn't remember earning them and didn't have the slightest idea how they worked. The excitement grew as he browsed around the shop. That many points could buy him rare skills or artifacts to become even stronger.Just when he was on the point of buying something, there came a new notification for him.[Do you want to buy Guidance from the Tower Administrator? Price: 50,000 Tower Points]Liam stopped in his tracks. Half his points for "guidance"? Worth it? After a long, deliberate pause, he sighed and closed the window. "I'll decide tomorrow."The Screeching SoundThe following day Liam returned to acting as a servant once again and served lunch in the chamber of the youngest prince. On handing over the tray, the prince's weak hand brushed Liam's by mistake.There was an abrupt piercing sound like iron grinding against iron into Liam's ears. Suddenly his vision blurred, and he found himself hurled backward by some invisible force, making his tray crash down on the ground.He gasps and held his head while the ringing rang on."Are you alright?" inquired the prince with concern in his innocent-sounding voice."I'm fine," Liam lied as he staggered to his feet. He turned around and rushed out of the room, his mind reeling. What just happened? Something about the prince is far more than it seemed.Meeting the AdministratorDetermined to find out, Liam went back to his dorm, passing through the Tower Shop window. Without hesitation, he purchased The Tower Administrator's Guidance for 50,000 points.He confirmed the purchase, and his sight turned black.When Liam opened his eyes, he stood in an endless grassland, the wind whispering across fields of green stretching as far as he could see. A small white rabbit was nibbling on the grass somewhere far away.This was... guidance? Did I just blow my points?Suddenly, the rabbit stopped eating and looked at him. Its tiny black eyes glinted with intelligence."Did you spend points just to look at me?" the rabbit said, almost mockingly, with a clear voice.Liam froze, mouth agape. For full five minutes, he stood solidly, trying to process the whole occurrence."Cat got your tongue yet?" said the rabbit twitching its nose.Liam blinked, mind churning in high gear. "You... can talk?""Obviously. I'm the Administrator. Now let's get this over with," said the rabbit leaning its head.To be contine...