The secret passage in the royal palace was dark and eerie. Several places that were only accessible to certain individuals were visible through the small openings in the wall. The trio passed by numerous openings that showed a high-ranking official’s office, the restricted library, a storehouse sealed with magic, and even the royal bathhouse.

“It’s connected to every single important place in the royal palace. Spies and traitors would love this place. Who made this place?” Yu Si-Do asked.

“Someone who’s both a traitor and a spy,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Really?” Yu Si-Do asked with interest.

“There are revolutionaries within the royal palace too,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

He walked without any hesitation whenever they were met with a fork in the secret passage. That did not change even when the passage separated into multiple branches.

Yu Si-Do asked as they were passing by a torture chamber that reeked with the stench of blood, “But how do you know that?”

“It’s none of your business,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Wow! You’re the second person to treat me so coldly! The first was Han Se-Hyun,” Yu Si-Do exclaimed, giggling as if he had thought of something fun.

Kang Yoon-Soo continued walking and thought, ‘First, we have to assassinate the emperor. Then, we’ll go and find the alchemist who created Iris.’

He asked, “It has been quite a while. Has the White Shadow said anything?”

“The...