Point of View: Lorian Vellorn

It was dark. Difficult to see for an ordinary person in the low light, but I had grown accustomed to it. Years of doing the same work will do that to you. Dressed in a black overcoat, I scaled the walls of the palace quarters. The cold breeze tugged at my auburn hair.

No matter the risk of the mission, this was something I had to do myself. I couldn’t leave it to my associates. If you want something done right, do it yourself. My aching fingers had long since grown used to the pain of climbing.

If only I could fly, this would be so much easier…

After passing two more floors, I finally reached my destination—the heroes' quarters. Something was off about the ritual that took place the previous day.

Three children had stood in the circle, but only one hero was presented to the high nobles.

The excuse was that the other heroes were still unconscious. I was here to verify that claim. Entering through an empty room attached to the heroes’ floor, I forced open the window.

The room was simple: a desk, a single bed, a chair, and an office table. It looked like a servant’s quarters, currently unoccupied. I activated a necklace enchanted with a complex deterrence spell. It didn’t make me invisible; it was simpler than that. It cast a magical hypnosis, making me unnoticeable. No one would remember my presence.

I hope I don’t run into a powerful mage or someone particularly perceptive, I murmured, opening the door to the room.

The corridor was immaculate, with red carpets muffling my footsteps and magical torches lining the walls. Every detail screamed the kingdom’s opulence, but there was tension in the air as well. This was a place of power and intrigue, where any misstep could be costly.

I walked calmly to the first room I needed to check. A soldier stood guard outside the closed door. He couldn’t see me, of course, but there was no way to open the door and check inside. I retrieved another magical item from my pocket: a keystone with a small hole in the middle. Bringing it to my right eye, I could see a mana signature covering the entire room. Alarming…

I moved to the next room. Another soldier stood guard. Looking through the keystone again, I saw another mana signature, but something felt off. The intensity seemed like that of an average mage. The next room revealed a similar situation.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

What is going on?

A creaking door interrupted my thoughts. I looked in both directions down the corridor. The sound came from the first room. Light spilling through the door’s gap illuminated the surroundings slightly.

“Oh, Miss Tanaka, still awake?” I heard the guard speak.

A soft voice responded, “I can’t sleep. I thought I’d go for a walk.”

Still holding the keystone, I examined her mana signature. Aberration was the only word that came to mind.

“Alright, I’ll accompany you,” the guard offered quickly.

“No need. I’m not fond of being followed around. I’ll be back shortly,” she replied, beginning to move. Her blonde hair was tied back; she looked like a twelve-year-old child yet carried the air of a seasoned general. She wore leather pants and a white shirt, a departure from the ritual’s ceremonial attire. The direction she was heading in… was towards me.

I quickly pressed myself against the wall, making room for her to pass, and waited. Her footsteps, for some reason, filled the moment with tension, growing heavier with each step. She wasn’t a concern; she wasn’t a trained mage. I just needed to wait. I pocketed the keystone.

When our eyes met, a chill ran down my spine. It wasn’t just her abnormal mana signature; it was the way her gaze seemed to pierce through more than what was visible. There was something deeply unsettling about her, something that urged me to stay as far away as possible, even as my curiosity screamed to do the opposite.

Did she see me?

Then, looking toward the end of the corridor, she walked past me. Not a word was exchanged. My heart raced.

She didn’t see me. It was a coincidence.

I began moving toward the room I had entered through.

But what if she did see me? Should I kill her? That would surely make things worse.

I needed to stay focused. The most important thing now was to understand what was happening. The mana signatures in the other rooms belonged to ordinary people. This shouldn’t be the case.

I could think of three possibilities. First: only one hero was summoned to this world, and the king is pretending there are three to gain political power. Second: the heroes were summoned, but only one is truly skilled—an aberration, to put it bluntly. Finally: this kingdom has a long history of magical research that other nations deem unethical. Perhaps the other two heroes, unlike Kaori, aren’t as impressive and are being dissected. The signatures in the rooms might just be decoys.

I have to get to the bottom of this. Such information could undoubtedly be used to pull some of this kingdom’s strings or even traded for other favors or intel. It’s only a matter of time.

I began descending the walls. If it weren’t for those damned mages, I could come and go as I pleased. One thought kept nagging at me, no matter how much I tried to push it aside.

Did she see me?

If she were an ally, my mission would become infinitely easier. My routine of espionage and sabotage had taught me to deal with dangers, but her presence was a threat I couldn’t ignore. Could she be convinced to fight for the people rather than serve the royalty and nobility blindly? Evaluating her character would be indispensable.