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n“Ali? A…li.”

nRoronora repeated the name, Ali, then nodded in acknowledgment.

n“Ali, got it. Is there something you need?”

nHis behavior mirrored that of a child who has just come to understand the world around him.

n“Well, could you do me a favor?”

nAli carefully chose her words, seeking a way to convey her request without causing any misunderstanding or triggering Roronora’s defensiveness.

n“I need you to come with me to find someone.”

n“As a bodyguard?”

nRoronora’s sharp interpretation caught Ali off guard.

nAll the preparation and thought she had put into her request seemed pointless now.

nWith a sigh, Ali nodded.

nA shift occurred in Roronora’s gaze, a certain emotion rising from the depths of his eyes.

n“Something like that,” Ali paused before adding, “But your safety is the top priority. We just need to distract them.”

n“I understand. Roronora will go, but I need to ask Jelia first.”

nSaying this, Roronora directed his gaze toward Jelia, who was sitting nearby.

nJelia noticed Roronora’s look, and the burning emotion within his eyes caught her off guard for a moment.

nIt was excitement.

nIt resembled the thrill a wild beast feels when provoked by a wound, or the stimulation of smelling blood, that fervor reflected in their eyes.

n“If you want to go, then go,” Jelia said after a pause, adding, “But take care of yourself.”

nSince she had brought Roronora from that place, and now acted as his semi-guardian, she felt obliged to fulfill the responsibilities that came with that role.

nHumans are never mere commodities or objects.

nThis applies equally to those deemed subhuman.

nThrough his actions, Howard conveyed to Jelia that all beings are alike, each life possessing its own reason for existence.

nTo have power and use it solely for slaughter is to possess a power better left unwanted.

nThe werewolf pursed his lips and nodded.

nSeeing things unfold far more smoothly than anticipated, Ali quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

nWhat remained was locating Monka and the others—a task likely to be the simplest part of their plan.

nWith this thought, Ali retrieved a square wooden token from her person.

nThe token, engraved with intricate patterns, bore a string of numbers highlighted in conspicuous gold at one corner: 9527.

nThis was Ali’s code within the Truth Society.

nThe token in her hand served as proof of her membership in the Truth Society and the sole means of requesting entry into the “Hall of Truth.” With this token, Ali could find her way into the Hall of Truth from the nearest human structure.

nThat is, the same mysterious great hall she had entered in Lorinda.

nHowever, in these remote wilds, the only human construction was that place—the subhuman village. .

nClutching the token more tightly, Ali raised her eyes to meet Jelia’s gaze, their looks intersecting perfectly.

n“You’re going out?” Jelia asked.

n“Yes, just a short trip to confirm Monka and their whereabouts.” Ali nodded and continued, “You and Roronora stay here. If you sense danger, find somewhere else to hide, but don’t wander outside for too long. It’s too easy to leave traces that others can follow. There’s no need to leave any markers; I’ll find my way back naturally.”

nJelia nodded to indicate she understood.

nDespite her young age, the little girl’s survival skills were second to none present.

nAbandoned shortly after birth, she had struggled to live on her own until meeting Howard.

n“You take care of yourself too. Howard would be mortified if he knew you died at the hands of such people. It would be utterly embarrassing,” Jelia said, her gaze returning to the loaf of bread in her hands.

nCoarse bread was by no means a poor meal; having stable meals of such bread compared to her wandering days was beyond her wildest dreams.

nYet, why was her appetite absent?

nObserving the young girl, Ali smiled, and regardless of whether Roronora understood, she gave him a look that clearly said “take good care of Jelia” before turning to leave the cave.

nTo shake off their pursuers, the trio had deviated significantly from the main path. 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚

nFortunately, the Truth Society’s token could guide the way.

nActivating the token with mana, Ali input the command with her thoughts.

nA faint light flickered, and the token slightly levitated in Ali’s hand, its intricate patterns swirling with a pale golden halo.

nThose seemingly decorative patterns were all mana runes!

nThe mana runes on the token formed a miniature spell matrix.

nWith a soft hum, the pale golden glow circulating the token receded inward, and a brilliant golden arrow, the length of a finger, rose from the token.

nAfter rotating, it pointed in a direction—the way to the “Hall of Truth.”

nTaking a deep breath, Ali shifted her mana.

nIn a blink, she appeared ten meters away, ready to follow the guidance of the enchanted token.

n…

nOak Village, Nameless Inn.

nGick had generously booked the entire inn.

nThe plump innkeeper initially hesitated, given the steady flow of travelers through Oak Village and hers being the only inn.

nIf booked out, where would the travelers stay? But Gick made an offer she couldn’t refuse.

nA small knife stood on the table, its cold gleam menacing, tipped with the scent of blood and aggression.

nThus, the innkeeper received a bag of gold coins, and Gick secured a quiet haven.

n“How’s the situation?”

nLeaning against the table in the inn’s lobby, Gick was meticulously oiling a short dagger, treating it not as a weapon but as a piece of fine art from a master craftsman.

nYears of preparation culminated in this moment, with contingency plans for every possible change laid out in his strategy.

nAli was but a pawn he had casually thrown into play.

nEven without Ali’s appearance in Oak Village, someone else would have drawn the subhumans’ attention.

nHis true strike had yet to be deployed; he hoped to confront Monka one last time before the stubborn old werewolf’s demise, to inquire if he regretted his decisions.

n“Not smoothly,” a cloaked figure in the corner of the lobby reported in a deep voice.

n“We’ve searched the entire subhuman village and found no trace of Monka. Not just him, many subhumans are missing; they left before the attack and are likely in hiding now.”

n“This is no issue; they know whom they’re up against. They’ll come forward on their own.”

nFor Gick, this wasn’t necessarily bad news.

nIt would have been surprising if Monka had no response at all.

nDespite being a werewolf, that individual was far more cunning than any fox.

n“There’s another matter… The adventurer you sent to the subhuman village, they’ve escaped.”

nThe cloaked figure paused, seemingly choosing their words carefully.

n“A level 2 magus power signature suddenly appeared in the subhuman village, and almost all of our vanguard lost contact. Although the tracking team followed, they ultimately lost the trail.”

nGick clicked his tongue, frowning slightly, “I didn’t expect this youngster to have some skill. It seems she must have realized something to react so quickly.”

nWhere did the realization come from?

nThe attack site had been disguised, and the temporary camp cleaned up; there shouldn’t have been any flaws.

nGick’s gaze wandered around the lobby, eventually returning to the dagger in his hand, then he chuckled softly.

n“It seems I’m a bit nervous, letting such an adventurer get to me.”

n“Just a level 3 magus, after all.”

nShaking his head, Gick sheathed his dagger, stood up, clipped the sheath to his waist, and casually picked up his overcoat from the chair back.

n“Code 11, go kill that adventurer. Anyone related to them must die.”

nIn the face of absolute power, strategy is but a pitiful struggle of the weak.

nLevel 3 magus? Level 2 magus?

nThey are merely apprentices who have just begun their journey.

nAfter circling halfway around the lobby, Gick turned and ascended the stairs.

nAs his figure vanished, his voice floated down from above.

n“Oh, and Code 19, prepare dinner for me. I fancy lamb tonight.”

n“As you wish.”

nIn a corner of the lobby, two distinct voices spoke simultaneously.

nOne figure vanished on the spot, while the other rolled up their sleeves and headed towards a side door of the lobby, off to prepare Gick’s dinner.

nAround a subhuman village, nestled under the wing of Oak Village, a grand plan that had been brewing for over a decade was slowly unfolding its full scope.

n…

nVisit 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t

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