Chapter 176 - The Power of the Aspect of the Soul

Soon after, my cousin Chloe arrived, and I noticed Edmund giving me a curious look.

"Pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Edmund Valemont," he said confidently with a charming smile.

"Pl-pleasure..." Kinue responded shyly, clearly a bit uncomfortable.

"Kinue, this is our classmate as well. He lives in the dorm," I added, trying to ease the tension.

Edmund glanced at me for a moment, then at Kinue, as if trying to piece something together.

"You two know each other?" he asked, still intrigued.

"We grew up together... I'm one of his family's maids," Kinue explained.

"What!?" Edmund exclaimed, visibly shocked.

He nudged me slightly with his elbow, wearing a grin that suggested he was formulating his own theory about the situation.

"Now it makes sense why you ignore the stares from the other girls..." he whispered to me.

"It's not what you're thinking, my dear friend," I tried to clarify.

She is a maid... but a warrior maid...

We continued eating and chatting about our weekend plans.

"And you, Kinue?" Chloe asked.

"I’ll probably stay at the dorm," Kinue answered, a little hesitant.

Chloe seemed to think for a moment.

"Why don't you come spend the weekend with us? It'll be more fun than staying at the academy," Chloe suggested.

"Are you sure? Your Aunt Katie will be there, and I don’t want to intrude on your first weekend together," Kinue replied, sounding concerned.

"It’s no problem at all," Chloe reassured her with a smile.

Edmund gave me another look, this time as if he was starting to piece together more details.

"Aunt Katie?" he whispered, intrigued.

"She’s my mother," I clarified.

Edmund nudged me again, this time with a mischievous grin.

"Nathan, you're clever. I thought you were just a simple guy... but turns out I had a real contender next to me this whole time," he teased, clearly enjoying the banter.

"It’s not what you’re thinking..." I repeated, a bit more serious this time.

"Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But it seems like everyone’s looking at us anyway."

When I glanced around, I noticed that some students were indeed casting curious glances in our direction. Apparently, Kinue's presence in the cafeteria was a rare sight.

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I got up after finishing my meal, noticing that our usual companions, Thyra and Syvis, still hadn’t shown up.

They must be stuck in some practical lesson, I thought.

I dropped off my tray at the cleaning station and headed toward the bathroom to brush my teeth.

"Hello..." a girl greeted me as she passed by.

"Hello," I responded politely, not paying much attention, and continued walking.

The girl rushed back to a group of her friends, and I noticed them all whispering excitedly to each other.

I didn’t understand what was going on.

***

We were waiting outside the academy for the arrival of the carriage. There was a mix of emotions in the air: the younger students were eager to reunite with their families, while the older ones, already familiar with the routine, seemed calm, ready for another weekend at home.

"Kinue, did you pack extra clothes in your storage bracelet? Don’t forget anything," Chloe reminded her, always mindful of the details.

"Yes, I packed everything. I always carry emergency clothes with me," Kinue replied, holding a small bag.

Since Kinue was a demi-human, she needed clothes specially adapted for her, especially because of her tail. That made it difficult for Chloe to lend her any clothes. During our childhood, Professor Adrihna would always bring extra clothes when visiting Kinue, as it was hard to find demi-human clothing in the human kingdom. In Evenhart territory, not even in our main city were such clothes available, as we were the last civilized frontier before the Cursed Sea. Usually, demi-humans who traveled to the human kingdom stayed in the Royal Capital. Fortunately, the city of Apsalon was diverse, with shops catering to all species, making life easier for Kinue.

And then, once again, that strange sensation...

Someone was watching me. It felt as though a technique was being used, something I suspected was a lesser version or derivative of killing intent. Whoever it was, their focus was entirely on me, gradually trying to destabilize my mind and diminish my awareness of the surroundings.

This kind of technique, though inferior to real killing intent, had a clear purpose: assassination. Someone wanted to overwhelm me mentally, flooding my mind with this malicious energy like a snake paralyzing its prey with venom before striking. The assassin mage was trying to slowly numb my awareness, preparing me for the final blow.

It was a subtle and dangerous technique, meant to chip away at one’s senses. I only realized I was being affected because of my past life, having been raised in an environment where death and violence were constant companions. Naturally, anyone from my family was trained not to feel primitive fears, and this technique was meant to overload the brain with a creeping sense of dread.

I continued chatting with the girls, not letting on that I was aware of the threat.

This technique might work on a normal person, but I’m no ordinary person. I’m the greatest user of this art that’s ever existed. Even without the Aura, I master killing intent through mana. While this technique is inferior to the original power, it’s still effective.

It was clear that this mage wanted to kill me.

SOUL ASPECT!

Reality shifted, and I began to see the world differently. Now, the distinct outline of my stalker stood out from the crowd walking along the street. Using the Soul Aspect, I kept the assassin in my line of sight without them knowing, ready for any sudden movements.

As I observed Cylla, who was sitting beside me in her panther cub form, I noticed that she was completely invisible to the Soul Aspect. Her mana perfectly mimicked that of a baby Carnellian panther.

The power of her Body Aspect is impressive, capable of even replicating the mana of the creature she’s transformed into.

"So, you noticed…" Cylla said to me. "The person watching us."

I hadn’t mentioned anything about the stalker to her.

Part of me considered that this might be some observer from the elves or perhaps the human kingdom. I wasn’t entirely sure how my diplomatic situation worked, so I hadn’t acted against the stalker up until this point. But now, it was crossing a line.

Now it was clear: you want me dead. Someone merely watching wouldn’t use such a specific technique. You’re a trained assassin.

The carriage arrived, and I boarded, keeping the Soul Aspect active.

By coincidence, I’m also an assassin…

I focused on my pursuer, who was watching me enter the carriage. His technique had been deactivated, likely because he needed to have me in his line of sight.

But even through walls, I could still see his mana with my Soul Aspect.

Time to play with you a bit.

I rested my head against my hand.

The punishment for anyone who dares to harm me or my family is death.