Alfador led Lucy through the well-decorated corridors of the castle. Lucy glanced from side to side at the banners decorating the walls, bearing at least twenty-eight crests of noble houses that served Norte's royal family. She noticed Alfador glancing as well- furtively, at the walls, as if searching for traps.
Then he turned left into a nondescript storage room. "Quite the situation you've landed yourself in, young man."
"Yes... Wait. Man?"
Alfador nodded. "The background magic field around you is plain as day. I could tell you've been transformed into a very specific human shape of the opposite sex. It's not unheard of as a prank among apprentice spellcasters, though... this enchantment's got an unusually long duration."
"Hmm..." So even among mages, the ring was something special.
"Now, if I'm correct in assessing the field reports, you received the golden Key that the village head possessed. With it, you teleported to another location, leaving the key behind. Was this your objective?"
"Yes," Lucy answered. "I must find multiple similar keys, and use them to teleport in a similar manner, for a mage's challenge."
"A mage's challenge..." Alfador nodded, as if something was becoming clear to him. "Yes, I see... Then it appears your quest has become much more difficult."
Lucy instinctively prepared to run, but Alfador continued, "The man that you claim to be the King of Rogues has absconded with the key."
