Palace Dungeon

Suddenly, Valerius's attention snapped back to his phone, where a message illuminated the screen with a cheerful notification.

— Ding! — 

Congratulations for triumphantly conquering an ancient dungeon turned palace. 

Would you like to embark on a new adventure?

—

Upon seeing this, he could only gaze transfixed at the message on his phone, the gadget which had somehow reincarnated alongside him. 

After a long moment, he finally snapped out of his daze and muttered to himself, 

"What-!?

"What do you mean?

"A turned palace?

"An ancient dungeon too?" 

He reached up to touch his head in disbelief, but then remembered that he shouldn't indulge in such habits, as shock could prove fatal for someone like him, who was reincarnated. 

He halted his hand and attempted to process the situation logically. 

"It doesn't matter," Valerius said aloud, accepting the circumstances. 

However, he quickly encountered the same fate once again, receiving a reward in the form of memories from the body he now inhabited. 

Valerius, being a perfectionist who wanted to ensure everything was accounted for, repeated this process seven more times, depleting his magic crystals until he had only 230 left. 

Suddenly, when the familiar game over notification appeared, Valerius made an unprecedented decision and chose the "Cancel" option. 

This time, Valerius had a plan in mind.

"What does the outside world look like?" 

He wondered aloud. 

With that thought in mind, he maneuvered his in-game character towards the grand entrance hall, the sole known exit he knew of.

However, upon reaching the hall, he soon discovered that each attempt to leave triggered a notification on his phone: 

— Ding! — 

Insufficient authority! 

—

Valerius persisted, refusing to give up easily. 

He ventured into different rooms, seeking any clues that could guide his escape from the palace and into the outside world.

He engaged in conversations with everyone he encountered, meticulously scouring the surroundings for potential hints. 

He inspected books, rummaged through trash cans, and examined various objects, hoping to uncover a lead.

After several minutes of relentless effort, Valerius contemplated surrendering. 

He contemplated glancing at his phone, brainstorming potential mechanisms that could aid his escape from the castle and enable him to explore the unknown. 

Just like usual games in his last life.

Suddenly, his attention shifted towards the sound of a bell.

"Should I summon Butler Garland?" 

He pondered aloud, fully aware of the lurking Assassins outside because of his phone. 

Without hesitation, he reached out and grasped the bell, causing it to reverberate through the air.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Valerius sought to verify the authenticity of the game and its connection to reality. 

If indeed they intertwined, he realized the importance of being adequately prepared or reliant on his phone at all times. 

Despite a tinge of fear, he resolved to confront the reality and make use of his phone efficiently.

Although apprehensive, he understood that this was a necessary undertaking.

He is not sure, but he wanted to know. 

Suddenly, the massive door before him swung open, revealing a transformed Butler Garland. 

Unlike his previous faceless appearance in the game, Garland now possessed distinct facial features.

Well suited to his impeccably dressed in a tailored black suit that exudes sophistication.

The fabric hugged his lean frame, accentuating his stature and attention to detail. 

Crisp lines and perfectly pressed seams spoke of his meticulous nature, as if his very appearance was a reflection of the order he brought to the household.

His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly combed, gently receding at the temples, hinting at the wisdom and experience that came with his middle age. 

A neatly groomed mustache adorned his upper lip, adding a touch of old-world charm to his countenance. 

The mustache, though graying, retained a certain vitality, as if it held stories of days gone by and lent an air of authority to the man.

"This is real?" 

Valerius uttered in disbelief, his expression one of astonishment.

Butler Garland's face bore the marks of a life well-lived, with faint lines etched around his eyes and mouth, evidence of the laughter and hardships he had encountered over the years. 

Yet, there was an unmistakable grace in his visage, a quiet confidence that came from years of service and dedication.

The butler's piercing gaze, framed by a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, seemed to see through the walls of the manor, anticipating the needs of its occupants even before they were voiced. 

His eyes held a depth of knowledge and understanding, a testament to the wisdom he had acquired throughout his years of faithful service.

"This can't be-

"Just like in the game earlier…"

Despite the evidence before him, Valerius couldn't shake the feeling that this couldn't be real. 

Deep down, he struggled to believe what he was seeing.

Garland, on the other hand, wondered why Prince Valerius had summoned him. 

They had failed numerous times to awaken the prince's Mana Class, resulting in the wastage of countless magic crystals.

The Kingdom would no longer provide magic crystals, forcing them to conquer unexplored dungeons in order to acquire these valuable resources.

As for purchasing magic crystals? Well, that was out of the question. They simply didn't have enough gold.

Finally, as Garland entered the room, he caught sight of what lay in front of him. Gradually, a sense of shock began to wash over him.

"What..." 

He stammered, his voice filled with panic.

"Where have the magic crystals gone?" 

He thought frantically.

The idea of Prince Valerius absorbing them seemed impossible, unless they had been destroyed and reduced to ashes.

After all, magic crystals were delicate, almost like glass. 

They required gentle handling to prevent them from shattering into dust.

Returning to Valerius, he saw Butler's expression change from calm to shocked. 

He saw Butler Garland looking down at where the magic crystals his phone had absorbed earlier were supposed to be, and Valerius had an idea what he was thinking.

He cleared his throat to get Butler's attention.

"Don't bother looking, they're gone," he said. 

He then saw Butler look at him, and Valerius already knew what he had to say, but first, he has his eyes fixated on the poisoned food next to him.

"I used them to get rid of the poison in my food," he added. 

Butler followed his gaze and then looked at the plate of food. 

Valerius also noticed when Butler turned to his phone in front of him, so he grabbed it.

"This is the magic device I used to remove the poison. It took a lot of magic crystals," he said, sounding natural.

Butler took a moment to react, as if he had just woken up. 

"Your highness..." 

He stammered.

Valerius didn't say anything else. 

He just held his phone and looked at it in his hands like he was doing this normally. 

"I want you to catch all the assassins, including the one who poisoned my food," he said while he sensed Butler's surprise again.

Meanwhile, Butler was shaken to his core. 

His highness had been poisoned? 

A magic device that used crystals to remove the poison?

Calming himself from events, he knew he had to do his job as a butler properly. 

He was about to call for help and surround the palace to find the assassins when Valerius suddenly spoke.

"No need to find them. They're in the Private Chambers, Solar room, Throne Room, Art Gallery, Music Room, and the chapel," Valerius instructed confidently, without hesitation.

This shocked Butler once again. Valerius could see it in his surprised expression.

But Valerius wasn't finished yet.

"Also, make sure to have extra guards and be very careful with the other possible escape routes around the palace. Two of them are connected to the queen. It would be a problem if they escaped," Valerius commanded, speaking with certainty.

This made Butler even more shocked. 

Valerius could see it in his face.

"But that's not all. I want you to put each of them in different places so that no one can use magic to spy on them. I also don't want people to think I have the ability to find spies and assassins," Valerius finished.

In the game, his character had to get poisoned by the assassins and then he would go back to tell Butler Garland so he could know about it to find out where they were hiding, and then eventually capture them.

But in real life, Valerius didn't want to take that risk. 

Why would he put his life in danger to catch the assassins? 

Only foolish people would do that.

He also thought about the game where the assassins were all kept together in one cell. 

What if the leaders of the assassins had devices to spy on them? 

Valerius didn't want them to think he could find them. 

He didn't want them to be cautious when he had just been reincarnated, adjusting and trying to figure out what's the use of his phone.

Besides, Valerius wanted to test something. 

Could he change the outcome oft he game? 

Was there a difference between the game and real life? 

He would find out soon, depending on what Butler's reaction, action and events would unfold once he moved now.