—

The velvety voice that sounded not too far away disrupted the Keepers of Serenity’s period of deep thought.

After hearing this individual speak, the Keepers of Serenity turned to the approaching figure, who had recently stepped through the Stone Mystikum Doorway and held a respectful expression while slightly bowing their head.

“Heiress,” Aciayla said respectfully, lowering her head with a submissive posture. The hierarchy within the Wykins was set, and though the Keepers of Serenity existed within the order’s upper echelon, there were individuals above them.

One such individual was the Heiress, the Enchantress’s direct student.

Meanwhile, Kieran turned his head and analyzed the individual before him. It was a woman, as most Wykins were, due to their innate attachment to mysticism.

However, Kieran couldn’t help but be stunned by what he saw.

Why? Because this individual looked nothing like the other Wykins before him. In fact, if he had to describe the woman, she was among the most beautiful he had ever laid eyes on.

A sense of mystery rippled around her body that Kieran couldn’t begin to puncture.

Surprisingly, when she noticed Kieran staring at her in a slight daze, the mystic beauty smiled, her sangria-colored eyes softening. She folded her arms under her bust, which made her somewhat loose bangles clang together.

“It seems you have grown well, young man.”

“Me?” Kieran blinked cluelessly before pointing at himself. “Do I… know you, ma’am? I have no recollection of you.”

“Aw, what a shame. My presence is so fleeting that my young friend has forgotten me,” the woman sighed. But a second later, Kieran felt a change occur.

A faint elderly spirit manifested behind this woman, leading Kieran’s eyes to tremble. “Grandma Agatha!”

“Correct. However, you may drop the Grandma part. I’m simply Agatha, Heiress to the Wykins,” Agatha corrected, her attitude remaining lighthearted.

After learning of their shallow relationship, Aciayla stepped forward in slight shock. “Heiress, you know this human? Are you the one that taught him how to solve mystic sequences?”

“While I’m somewhat familiar with this human, I’m not responsible for his knowledge of mystic sequences. All I did was cleanse some of the ambiguity that clouded his mind. But… it would seem that someone else had compounded on my actions,” Agatha responded, analyzing Kieran deeply.

Her last comment referred to the Arcane One, who further unearthed the obscure film that seemingly clouded Kieran’s mind and soul. It was so exquisite in nature that Kieran couldn’t even sense that it was there.

“If you’re not responsible, where does his knowledge and ability to move mystic sequences come from? Even if the knowledge flows out there in the world, moving the dial is impossible with at least a modicum of mystic affinity,” Serexia interjected, lightly shaking her leg.

Her anxiety increased the more she thought a human could unveil the mystery of their unique practices.

Wouldn’t that rob the Wykins of their ability to protect themselves in the future? The situation may be small now, but its future repercussions could be immense.

“I believe the answer you seek is weaved into your question. It is simply your unwillingness to accept this truth that stops you from acknowledging its presence,” Agatha replied.

After a short pause, Agatha added. “After all, I was initially a pure human as well.”

Upon hearing this, Kieran’s eyes widened. One could infer from Agatha’s words that she was no longer an ordinary human. But the more important matter was that although she was a human, she obtained the status of the Heiress!

“H-how…” Kieran paused and cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you obtain your position if you were once a human? I was almost killed multiple times trying to reach this place.”

“The answer is simple,” Agatha giggled, extending one of her dainty fingers. The bangles on her arm created subtle mystic ripples as she tapped one finger against Kieran’s forehead.

The resulting feeling was something Kieran couldn’t describe, but he did feel an assuaging touch on his weary soul.

With her finger against Kieran’s forehead, Agatha spoke. “Don’t worry; this boy isn’t a threat. He’s somewhat similar to what I am.”

“You mean…” Zaerune muttered, shifting his eyes between Agatha and Kieran.

“It’s not confirmed but possible,” Agatha nodded.

A moment later, she turned to Kieran and answered his question. “You see, I was born a human, but that didn’t encapsulate the meaning of my existence. Though born a human, my nature and soul belonged to that of an ancient Mystic.”

“Is that why Isadora sent me to find you? Also, how did you become their Heiress? Surely, many Wykins didn’t accept this, right?” Kieran answered.

He somewhat understood why Agatha was welcomed into the Wykin community despite her birth, but it didn’t explain how she assimilated so well.

“You want to know that answer? Then you must speak with the Enchantress. All matters relating to the Wykins flow through the Enchantress, and everything ends with her,” Agatha said.

Afterward, Agatha swept her gaze to the stream of mystic water beside her before performing a series of strange, overlapping hand movements.

A mystic diagram appeared a few centimeters above the river and created a raft of mystic motes of energy.

“You seek knowledge, but that all depends on the answers of the Enchantress. While your presence may not be welcomed, I can assure you that it will be tolerated for the time being. Isn’t that right, Keepers?”

Agatha’s tone seemed soft, but the look in her eyes exuded a higher authority.

Kieran wondered how Agatha could command the Keepers of Serenity to heed her orders.

Although he understood the position of an Heiress was above theirs, Kieran had experienced many events where inferiors defied the orders of their superiors or blatantly ignored them.

‘Could the Wykins not suffer from the issue of pride and unwillingness to submit? Is it truly just humanity that is plagued with this problem?’ Kieran wondered.

A few seconds later, Kieran revisited Agatha’s presence, looking at her information.

「 Lv. ??? Agatha, Mystic Heiress (???)

Class: Mystic Runemaster

Health: ???

Affiliations: ??? 」

‘No way… even Scar’s information is available to me. So why don’t I know anything else regarding Agatha? Could it be related to my favorability with Scar? No… that can’t be it either. I received information on General Zieg. If that’s the case, it must mean Agatha is a truly unique case,’ Kieran thought.

After boarding the raft along Agatha and the Keepers of Serenity, Kieran fell into deep thought, rubbing his chin pensively. Although much information wasn’t present on Agatha, he was intrigued by something—her class.

A Mystic Runemaster.

Until now, all the Wykins thus far were regarded as Mystics, but a Runemaster? That meant Agatha’s skill with mysticism reached a point he couldn’t fathom.

Noticing that Kieran’s glanced in her direction multiple times, Agatha sparked another conversation. “You said Sister Isadora sent you here; why is that?”

“Because I am indebted to her.”

“Because you are Scar’s inheritor? You must have suffered some damage that only her craft could heal if that’s the case,” Agatha replied, hitting the nail on the head so accurately that Kieran froze.

The reaction made Agatha giggle once more. “Relax, it’s no mystery. She spent most of her youth healing the injuries that Scar couldn’t heal himself. At the same time, he’s also responsible for her being protected.”

“What do you mean?” Kieran questioned, becoming invested in the conversation.

“Isadora’s practice isn’t limited to potion-making and brewing. She can transmute instantly, which is why she was included in some of the Mythical Heroes’ journeys. When danger surfaced, Scar tended to ignore his safety to ensure Isadora’s, so their relationship is quite… bizarre,” Agatha revealed.

Her expression grew unusual as she recounted their earlier journeys.

The Mythical Heroes consisted of seven people, but Isadora and Agatha were also associated with the Mythical Heroes due to the nature of their strange abilities. In fact, without Agatha, completing their last duty as the Mythical Heroes would have been impossible.

‘No wonder Scar always sent me to Isadora, and she didn’t turn me away. Their relationship is deeper than I suspected. Also… the ability to transmute? It sounds familiar but also unusual,’ Kieran inwardly mused.

“Back to my question—what did she request in exchange that required you to come here?”

This question made Kieran grimace. Before answering, he recounted the situation, divulging that she supported his transformation. Afterward, he revealed the crux of his presence here. “She asked that I visit the Forest of Gardenia and meet with the Emplenan Few.”

Pfft!

Not just Agatha, even the Keepers of Serenity sputtered and looked toward Kieran as if he was a maddened individual.

“Do you know that our hatred towards humans as Wykin is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the Elves’ hatred, let alone the Emplenan Few? You’d be committing suicide to venture there. Why would Isadora request such a thing?” Agatha smiled bitterly, sighing for Kieran’s circumstances.

“I don’t know! I think that woman dislikes me!” Kieran exclaimed, scratching his head furiously. “But I agreed… and did exhaust some of her precious materials.”

“You? I don’t think so. I believe Scar is the one to blame. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled some silly stunt,” Agatha remarked.

As they spoke, the raft floated into the Mystic Rune Colony’s main area.

〈System: You have entered the «Rune Chrysalis Gorge»!〉