When I descended from the mountain and reentered the empire's territory, the passage of time was the first thing to catch my attention. "Two days, huh?" I murmured to myself, a mixture of surprise and familiarity settling in.
The serene isolation of the mountains had a way of distorting one's perception of time. Of course, I even thought it might be longer than that, but when one is in pain, the time will flow slower….
As I made my way to the capital city, Aurora City, I was greeted by a bustling scene that contrasted starkly with the normal scene. Of course, the capital was always crowded, no matter what, but one thing was sure: this time, it was even more flocked.
People hurried through the streets, their energy and excitement palpable in the air. The city had a vibrant and dynamic rhythm, alive with the ebb and flow of its inhabitants. The sky was about to set down as the evening was approaching, and the heat was also returning to normal.
"As expected, right now, it is reaching its peak."
Among the lively streets and bustling crowds, a restaurant caught my attention. It was the place where Lirienne basically destroyed those three guys. Looking at it back then, she was now a lot more tamed and mature compared to before.
Inside the restaurant, a group of well-dressed aristocrats engaged in lively conversation, their voices carrying beyond the establishment's walls.
"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the academy's festival for us, doesn't it?" a refined woman inquired, her tone brimming with anticipation.
"Yes, indeed," another aristocrat responded enthusiastically. "As always, they open their doors to outsiders on the third day of the festival."
The third aristocrat, a distinguished gentleman, nodded knowingly. "It's a wise decision. Allowing us to witness the fruit of our investments in our children's education."
"Absolutely," a fourth aristocrat chimed in. "And who knows, we might spot some exceptional talents among the students during our visit."
Overhearing their conversation, it seemed those people were the aristocrats of the empire from the way they spoke and their familiarity.
Of course, they were not dukes or some super high-ranking nobles since such people rarely moved themselves. The parents who visited the festival would either be lower-ranking nobles or people who had some business inside the capital.
Aside from that, most high-ranking nobles would send their representatives instead of themselves.
Even though the festival had significance for them, as they aimed to support their children's endeavors and identify promising individuals to mentor, in the end, it was nothing but a child's play in their eyes.
"It's also a chance for our sons to display their achievements," the refined woman added. "The academy's prestige rests on the accomplishments of its students."
Leaning back, the distinguished gentleman wore a contemplative expression. "Indeed. It's also an opportunity to forge connections with other influential families. Who knows what alliances may be cultivated during this festival?"
It was indeed just as I thought. These people seemed to be the lower-ranking nobles. These dialogues were common occurrences in the game as well, but you need to be in your second year to hear them.
Just as I thought about this, suddenly, I felt an ominous energy coming from the side.
FLINCH
Making me flinch.
'Demonic Energy.'
And, there, I realized the source of this energy. It was subtle, incredibly so. I was sure that I could never feel this little amount of energy if it was before. But since I was now a 5-star and a Dragonoid at the same time, my senses were incredibly sharp.
'All Seeing Eye.'
Activating my art, the world around me transformed, revealing the energy trails and sources that were otherwise hidden. And there it was, a trail leading to a narrow alley amidst the bustling streets.
'It is coming from this side.'
Realizing where the energy was coming from, I slowly blended into the crowd. I could see the troops mobilized by the Empire for the sake of citizen's safety, but it seemed none of them had realized what was happening.
'Or they were paid.'
Nonetheless, independent of the reason, no one was moving. Of course, I didn't need to put my nose into this business, but the behavior of the guards and the timing were indeed suspicious.
"Is it related to 'them'?"
In the crowd, I immediately activated my skill [Disguise] and changed my face. No one in the crowd noticed my face was changing since I had my face covered already. With this amount of crowd, I didn't want to get any attention since this face was bound to do so.
As I made my way slowly to the side streets, I didn't move rapidly. I didn't want to attract any attention as well, as I was studying the expression on the guards' faces. I wanted to see what type of reaction they would give when I was going to the alley with demonic energy coming from.
And as I drew nearer to the alley's entrance, a significant shift occurred. The guards' expressions subtly changed, their features morphing with an unnatural fluidity. It was as if their visages concealed something far more sinister than mere guards on duty.
I could see the stiffness on their faces, clearly seeing that I was now a threat to them. I activated my All-Seeing Eye, piercing through the mundane facade.
The world transformed before me, revealing the intricate weave of mana threads that intertwined with reality. And there it was—transmitted mana that coiled around the guards' forms like a small thread connecting them to someone else on the roofs.
'I see, they are even communicating.'
It was not the first time I had seen such a spell being used. In fact, I was familiar with it.
'They are probably informing others of my arrival. Let's see what they had upon their sleeves.'
I thought.
The demonic mana I am sensing, and the energy of the people seen by the [All Seeing Eye] was not that strong.
'At most 5-star level.' This was the reason why I was not afraid to leave the streets like that since they wouldn't pose any threat to me in the first place.
Walking leisurely like that, I looked into my spatial ring only to grab a small mask from there.
[Mask of the Lonewolf].
'It has been a while, hasn't it? Old partner.' As I grabbed the mask from there, I put it on my face.
Just to look cooler a little bit.
'My hands are itching to fight too….I really want to test my strength here.'
And following that, I reached the source of the Demonic Energy.
"Slurp….Another meal appeared…."
It was a man with blood all over his face. Before the man stood the corpses of three people, all of their insides were basically cut off...
One little child, one woman, and one little girl.
"Will you be my prey…."
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