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They pretended to be ordinary passersby, eavesdropping on people’s conversations or acting as if they were shopping while subtly inquiring about the atmosphere of the town. At the same time, they checked for any traces of darkness.

Once again, Laficel waited quietly at the inn.

It was a cold winter day, with her breath visibly escaping in puffs of white mist.

“Hiya!”

A gray-haired girl swung a wooden sword in the inn’s backyard.

-If you want to get stronger, you have to train diligently and consistently every day.

-Yes, Serati unnie!

Though it was just basic horizontal, vertical, and diagonal slashes, her posture was remarkably clean and precise.

A few passing merchants, noticing her, admired how well she had mastered the fundamentals for someone her age.

“Wow, the young girl’s got some skill.”

“She’ll be quite a strong swordswoman when she grows up.”

In truth, the merchants simply lacked the sharp eye to recognize it, but she was already at a level where she could overpower most adult warriors.

As long as you eat well, sleep well, and move diligently, anyone can grow strong unless they are exceptionally weak. And she was a natural genius, so how much more so for her?

The frail figure from when they first met was nowhere to be seen now.

She had gained a healthy amount of weight, giving her a cute appearance while her body had become sleek and toned.

If Serati was a mature lioness, she was like a young, growing leopard cub.

“Hup! Hiya! Taaah!”

She was in the middle of her diligent sword practice when suddenly, Laficel puffed out her cheeks.

“Tch…”

While she appreciated her dedication and desire to become stronger, a sense of dissatisfaction was beginning to grow.

It was a common frustration for any young person.

‘Why does Lord Karnak keep leaving me out? I could be of help too!’

***

That evening, Karnak was sharing the information they had gathered with Baros and Serati.

Alius had gone to meet with the priest Belton again to gather additional information, so only the three of them were in the room.

In the midst of their discussion, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Karnak quickly dispelled the soundproof barrier before asking, “Who is it?”

A cute voice replied, “It’s Laficel.”

The three exchanged puzzled glances.

[What could Laficel want?]

[No idea.]

[Well, she’s here, so we should let her in.]

Laficel entered the room, glancing around nervously before speaking cautiously.

“…Excuse me, Lord Karnak.”

“What’s the matter?”

“When you’re out scouting for the cultists, could you take me with you?”

Serati, startled, asked, “How do you know about that?”

Karnak’s group had never told Laficel what they were doing in the Grenthal territory. They had just told her that the adults had important tasks, so she should wait patiently.

“I overheard Priest Alius discussing it with someone not too long ago.”

“That wasn’t something you could’ve heard.”

“I know.”

Still looking nervous, Laficel answered, “So I strained to hear it.”

“What?”

For a moment, Serati wore a blank expression.

How does straining your ears make you hear better?

“Isn’t that how it works?” Laficel asked in confusion.

“When you strain your arms, they get stronger, and when you strain your legs, they get stronger too, right?” she continued, speaking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “So, if you strain your eyes, your vision improves, and if you strain your ears, your hearing improves. Isn’t that right?”

It was only then that Baros and Serati realized what Laficel was talking about.

[Technically, she’s not wrong.]

[True…]

Aura users can enhance their physical abilities through aura—not just strength, endurance, or reflexes, but also senses like vision, hearing, and even smell can be heightened if aura is applied properly.

It wasn’t far-fetched since Serati herself could do the same thing.

‘Now that I think about it, didn’t Laficel say “have a safe trip” when Mr. Alius left?’

That was something she couldn’t have said without knowing the purpose of Alius’ visit.

At that time, Laficel must have enhanced her hearing to listen to a conversation from far away.

And this means…

[Is Laficel using aura?]

No matter if her soul is that of a future Martial King, how could she use aura without actually having any?

[It sounds absurd, doesn’t it?]

But Baros gave a wry smile.

[Actually, now that I think about it, it makes sense.]

Everyone had been mistaken, thinking that Laficel would awaken her aura soon after some training.

But that wasn’t the case.

[She’s already awakened, hasn’t she?]

She just didn’t have any stored aura yet, so it hadn’t been noticeable until now.

[However, since aura is tied to life force, any living being must have at least a small amount of aura.]

Aura builds up over time, and once it accumulates enough, it bursts out like an explosion, making it possible to control. This is what aura users refer to as an “awakening.”

When someone becomes highly skilled at controlling their aura over a long time, they can even manipulate the most subtle forms of life force, entering the domain of a master.

Laficel’s soul had already been shaped into that of a martial artist decades ago.

In terms of instinct and perception, she had long since surpassed the realm of a master.

Her body simply wasn’t trained enough, meaning she had too little aura to draw from. And because she had lost her memories, she could only use it subconsciously.

[I may have just figured out how to control my own aura, but Laficel is in a different situation entirely.]

[So that’s why Lord Karnak always sets up the soundproof barrier when talking in secret around her.]

Serati was starting to fully realize just how monstrous the girl standing before them was.

Seeing everyone’s serious expressions, Laficel started to get scared.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you did well. But don’t talk about this in front of others, okay?”

“Why?”

Serati hesitated for a moment.

Laficel was an extraordinary existence who surpassed common sense, so drawing attention from others could be dangerous.

But how could she explain this naturally?

“Have you heard of secret sword techniques passed down within families, Laficel?”

“Yes.”

“It’s similar to that. A martial artist’s skills shouldn’t be carelessly revealed to others.”

“Oh, I see!”

This was common knowledge, so Laficel accepted it without any trouble.

Karnak, observing, couldn’t help but be impressed.

[Oh! Serati’s getting better at lying!]

[I wasn’t trying to get better at this!] Serati retorted, glaring at him.

[So, what are you going to do now?]

After a moment of thought, Karnak’s eyes gleamed.

[It might not be a bad idea to bring her along.]

In the future, Laficel was a hero of humanity, fighting against the Death King. This meant she had more experience facing necromancy than anyone else.

Of course, she now only retained a fraction of that ability…

[Even with just that, her instincts are probably sharper than most clerics or necromancers.]

Karnak nodded in agreement.

“Laficel, from tomorrow onward, you’ll come with us.”

Laficel smiled joyfully.

“Yes, Lord Karnak!”

***

From the second day onward, Laficel joined the group in their village investigations.

A large group walking around together tends to attract attention, so today, Alius and Baros formed one team, while Karnak, Serati, and Laficel formed another.

Unfortunately, despite Laficel’s presence, they didn’t uncover any signs of evil energy or aura of malice that they had missed the previous day.

Life doesn’t work that conveniently, after all.

However, they did find unexpected help in an area they hadn’t considered.

“What a cute young girl. Is she your sister?”

Bringing a child along significantly lowered the merchants’ wariness.

Even when asking various questions about the world, people didn’t seem suspicious.

Thanks to that, they were able to gather a wide range of information.

During their investigations, they also came across fascinating items that were rarely seen in the Seven Kingdoms.

“Oh my!”

They were pretending to browse items in a general store when Serati’s eyes sparkled as she held up a sword.

“Is this really a Dwarven sword?”

The shopkeeper, with pride in his voice, responded, “We also have clothes made from Elven fabric. All of these are rare items brought from the East.”

Karnak peeked over.

“What’s the big deal? Is it that amazing?”

“Of course! Elven fabric and a Dwarven longsword…”

She knew that the fairy races, like the Elves and Dwarves, lived in the far east of the continent.

But she had never seen them.

The immense presence of the Lakenia Empire blocked most interactions, so it was extremely rare for anything from those races to reach the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

Occasionally, items like Elven-made clothes, jewels, or Dwarven swords would cross the Barakant Mountain Range, but these were so rare that only high-ranking nobles could afford them as luxury goods.

Serati came from Derat City, a provincial town in the Kingdom of Yustil. She had never seen a fairy race or even an item made by them.

“Should I buy one…?”

Karnak stopped her.

[Forget it.]

[Why?]

[Because it’s fake.]

[How do you know?]

[I can tell just by looking. Even the cheapest Dwarven sword would cost at least 10 times more than this.]

His words came from someone who had traveled across the continent and even conquered parts of it. He was highly trustworthy.

“Ugh…”

Disappointed, Serati put the sword back.

Karnak glanced at some adventurer’s travel gear and cloaks nearby and muttered absentmindedly, “At least the underwear’s actually made from Elven fabric.”

“Oh, is this one real?”

“The only ones who can work with Moonlight Silk are the Elves.”

Underwear made from Moonlight Silk was infamous for its absurd price, comparable to high-grade armor.

However, Serati’s finances were in pretty good shape now. With the salary from Karnak and the income from the King’s Order, she had plenty to spare.

“I’m buying it!”

She smiled brightly and headed to the clothing corner.

Karnak, who was watching from the side, asked calmly.

“Is it really worth spending that much on underwear? It’s something you wear under your clothes.”

“Typical men…” Serati clicked her tongue.

But she didn’t bother trying to convince him. It was obvious he wouldn’t understand.

“And we need to get something for Laficel too.”

Laficel’s eyes sparkled with excitement, showing her agreement.

“Thank you, Serati unnie!”

With that, the two women eagerly began picking out underwear, their eyes alight with enthusiasm.

Karnak finally seemed to grasp the situation, nodding to himself.

[Ah, Serati really knows how to live well. She’s probably showering Laficel with favors now so that when her memories return, she’ll be less likely to turn on us, right?]

[…That’s not it!] Serati responded internally, annoyed.

***

That evening, as they shared the information they had gathered, Alius let out a sigh.

“We’ll have to keep investigating, but so far, we haven’t found anything suspicious.”

Since Hudel had become the lord, the Grenthal territory had been consistently peaceful.

There had been no sightings of cultists or necromancers, no mysterious disappearances, no unexplained deaths, not even outbreaks of plagues or attacks by monsters.

It was just an ordinary, bloodless, deathless territory.

The fact that it was so peaceful, especially compared to the surrounding lands, was suspicious, but it could also be seen as evidence of Hudel’s competence as a lord.

“Indeed, if there were anything odd, Priest Belton would’ve mentioned it.”

Karnak nodded in agreement at Alius’s explanation.

“We found the same thing.”

Thanks to bringing Laficel along, they had been able to gather more detailed information from the merchants and common folk.

But the contents were similar to what Alius had reported.

Everyone only expressed their gratitude to Count Hudel for ruling the land so peacefully.

“Which is exactly why I found something suspicious.”

Though he had gathered the same information, Karnak had drawn a different conclusion.

“This territory is too peaceful.”