The next morning, I headed to Ave's shop, my head still clouded with thoughts of yesterday's events.
'Just what is that symbol?'
My mind lingered on the letter that had sat atop David's desk.
'Where have I seen it before?'
I'd definitely seen the symbol somewhere before, but I couldn't recall it even after spending the entire night thinking it over.
'Was it from the game? But I don't remember any major factions having that symbol…'
As I absentmindedly swept the floor, my strange behavior seemed to catch Ave's attention.
"Are you okay?"
"Hm?"
I tilted my head up to see Ave staring at me with a curious look. While her gaze remained fixed on me, her hands were busy grinding herbs in the mortar.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you've been sweeping the same spot for the past few minutes, so I thought something was wrong."
"Ah…"
My hands froze for a moment as I finally took in my surroundings.
'Come to think of it, when was the last time I moved?'
"It's because this spot was particularly dirty. I put extra effort into cleaning it."
"If you say so."
Ave gave me a knowing smile before turning back to her work.
"Since that 'stain' doesn't look like it's going anywhere, do you want to watch me make a new medicine instead?"
"Oh, what kind are you making this time?"
I quickly set the broom aside and moved to stand beside Ave, watching her movements intently.
She chuckled at my eagerness, but I pretended not to notice.
"A sedative."
Ave shifted to the side to give me a better view.
"It involves grinding dried blackthorn berries—a powerful sedative—into a more usable form."
She continued crushing the berries with her pestle, turning them into a fine powder.
"Normally, raw blackthorn berries are poisonous, so we have to heat-treat them first to remove the toxins. Sun-drying them for a day usually works, but oven-drying is faster and more thorough."
Her hand reached to the side, grabbing a handful of powdery white chalk and mixing it into the mortar.
"Even then, drying only removes the toxicity. Blackthorn berries are still too potent for direct consumption, so we add white chalk in a one-to-one ratio to dilute their effects."
As she continued her lecture, her hands moved skillfully.
My eyes followed her motions, my earlier worries fading to the back of my mind.
'I never knew alchemy was so interesting. Maybe I should've studied chemistry instead of business in my past life…'
As idle thoughts drifted in, Ave finished processing the ingredients.
"And done! This is the final product—a typical sedative sold in the market. Usually, you mix it into a drink or sprinkle it over food, and the effects should take hold within one or two hours."
Ave smiled as she displayed the bluish-white powder before packing it into a small paper packet.
"These are mostly used for patients with trouble sleeping, but in smaller doses, they can also serve as a relaxant."
She carefully labeled the packet before storing it away.
"So, what did you think?"
She turned to me with a small smile.
"It was fascinating to watch you work."
"Hehe, it wasn't much."
Ave scratched her cheek sheepishly.
Watching her work had calmed my tense mind, allowing me to think more clearly.
Since I couldn't recall anything about the letter no matter how hard I tried, I decided to ask someone who might know.
"Sorry for getting distracted earlier," I suddenly apologized, catching Ave off guard.
Her smile softened. "It's okay. We all have our moments."
"Actually, I was distracted because of a symbol I saw recently. Do you think you might recognize it?"
"Oh?" Ave raised a brow but didn't seem bothered by the request. "Sure, let me see it. No promises, but I'll try."
I borrowed her pen and roughly sketched the open-eye symbol on a piece of parchment.
"It looked something like this."
I showed it to Ave, hoping for a reaction—but her response was beyond what I expected.
Her usual soft smile froze before she snatched the parchment from my hand.
In the next instant, she tossed the paper into the air, where it erupted into flames. Her gentle gaze sharpened as she glared at me.
"Where did you see that symbol?"
I stiffened, completely unprepared for her reaction.
"I-I saw it in passing while working at the inn. I think one of the officers was carrying it."
Ave studied me sternly, but her expression softened slightly when I mentioned the officer.
"Are you sure it was on an officer?" Her voice was still harsh.
"Yes."
At this point, I decided to stick to my excuse.
"Phew."
Ave exhaled sharply, her tense aura vanishing as she returned to her usual calm demeanor.
"Was it bad that I saw the symbol?" I asked carefully, watching her reaction.
"Ah, sorry. I might have overreacted. Seeing it isn't a problem, but you should avoid drawing or using it."
"Why? What does it mean?"
Ave hesitated, glancing toward the front of the shop as if wary of eavesdroppers.
'What the hell is going on?'
Luckily, she didn't keep me in suspense for long.
"That symbol belongs to a special order within the Empire," she said quietly. "One that answers directly to the Royal Family."
'My body went rigid.'
'The Royal Family?'
An order under their command?
As the pieces connected, I finally remembered where I'd seen the symbol before.
"The Order of the Abyss."
Ave whispered the name just as memories from my past life resurfaced.
'The Order of the Abyss.'
I'd seen them mentioned a few times while browsing the game's lore on the wiki.
A secretive organization operating under the Royal Family, specializing in intelligence and carrying out their master's will.
In the game, they were only referenced in passing, with little relevance to the main story—which was why I hadn't recognized the symbol immediately.
Then again, I only paid attention to their boss…
"Kayle, it's important that you avoid anyone with that symbol." Ave gripped my shoulders, her voice low and urgent. "Though they serve the Royal Family, their methods are ruthless. Stay away."
"Understood." I nodded quickly.
Seeing my serious response, Ave relaxed slightly and released me.
But despite my agreement, my thoughts were racing in a different direction.
'The Royal Family, huh?'
Connecting David's past actions, his recent behavior, and the Black Rose Guild's reaction, the fog in my mind finally cleared.
With newfound clarity, my mind—dulled by months of routine—snapped into action, forming a plan.
'Heh. David, your downfall starts now.'
After nearly two months since my past-life memories awakened, it was finally time to make my move.