Sir Maron stood in the dark alleyway, his eyes closed, arms crossed. The damp air carried the faint tallic scent of blood, though the bodies had long been cleared away. The narrow passage, lined with uneven stone walls, felt eerily silent. His soldiers stood around him, shifting uneasily, confused by their commanding knight's behavior.
One of them, a young soldier nad Garret, finally spoke. "Sir Maron... is sothing wrong?"
Maron exhaled sharply before opening his eyes. "This is no ordinary brawl among adventurers." His voice was heavy, as if he carried a burden unseen by the others.
The soldiers exchanged glances. "What do you an, sir?" another soldier, Oren, asked.
Maron turned to face them. "The only two survivors from this group... do you know what state they are in?"
Garret hesitated before shaking his head. "No, sir. We only heard they were arrested in the Townsquare engaging in sexual activities between two n, but nothing more."
Maron's gaze darkened. "One has gone completely mad. The other is crippled beyond recovery due to excessive use of drugs. They rember nothing of what happened that night. But, both of them muttered one word."
The soldiers leaned in, waiting for their commander's next words.
Maron's voice was grim. "Devil."
A cold silence settled over them. Oren shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, are you saying this was sothing more than just adventurers fighting amongst themselves?"
Maron's expression hardened. "Without fire, there is no smoke. This was not so drunken brawl gone wrong. There is more to this. I can feel it in the air. This air is heavy with dread. The scent of evil is strong here."
Another soldier, older and more seasoned, spoke up. "But sir... devils? Do they really exist?"
Maron gave a small chuckle, but it quickly faded. His face grew serious. "They exist."
A chill ran through the n. The way their commander spoke—it wasn't just an answer. It was a statent of truth, as if he had seen one himself.
Garret gulped. "Then... what do we do now?"
Maron's eyes sharpened. "We start from the beginning. Were there any witnesses? Did anyone see what this group was doing before they ended up here?"
Oren rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "From what we gathered, they were drinking at a tavern earlier that night. There were reports of them causing trouble."
Maron's eyebrow twitched slightly. "What kind of trouble?"
Oren hesitated before answering. "They were harassing the tavern staff, breaking furniture, and... there was one report that they were beating up a boy. Several complaints were made, but no one intervened because Garrum was the son of Lord Percival's right hand rchant."
Maron's expression darkened. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. "Where? Where is this tavern?"
One of the soldiers, a man nad Jorin, scratched his head. "Uh... I think it was called Josie's Tavern, sir."
Maron turned on his heel. "Then that's our next stop. Move out."
The soldiers nodded and followed their commander through the winding streets of the city. The air was heavy with an unspoken tension. What had truly happened in that alleyway? And what kind of devil were they dealing with?
***
Romina lay on the bed, her body still burning hot from the incident before. Her breath ca in short, sharp pants, sweat glistening on her forehead. Yenissa and Shennong stood nearby, their gazes locked onto her with a mix of concern and unease. Rilith, arms crossed, finally broke the silence.
"I saw it," Rilith said grimly. "Her face... it changed. Part of it turned into that fire monster."
Yenissa moved slightly, her eyes flickering with doubt and worry. "Human girl... is this true?" she asked. Yenissa was get ready to deal with Romina and her fire counterpart anyti, but she knew its power and how it would be not easy to deal with.
Shennong, however, was not as patient. He activated his skill, [Scannable], directing it toward Romina. A mont passed. Then another. His brows furrowed deeply as an expected result flashed before him.
"...It failed again?" he muttered, blinking in shock.
Yenissa tilted her head. "Is it because your skill is too low-level for her? What about ?"
Shennong clenched his fists. "I can't scan her. I've never t anyone I couldn't scan—except her. I didn't think much of it at first because I wasn't aware of it, but now that I've scanned many people, I feel like she must be..." He hesitated, unwilling to admit it, but he knew that Romina might be stronger than Yenissa.
"Well, I can't say for sure, because normally I can't scan you either. But because of our bond, I can... so she must be either equal to you or more powerful," Shennong muttered to Yenissa, not holding back—she needed to know the truth.
Romina turned her head slightly, her eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. Shennong took a step closer, his voice firm. "Romina. I think it's ti you finally talk about this power of yours. This is no longer sothing I can ignore. It's dangerous. Not just to you, but to all of us."
Romina's breathing remained ragged. Rilith hesitated before stepping in. "Maybe we should let her rest first—"
"No." Shennong raised a hand, stopping her. His eyes darkened. "She either explains her situation, or we restrain her. I know no wood or iron would be able to limit her power, but I will find a way to restrain her."
Romina stared at him, her expression unreadable. Silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, she exhaled, as if surrendering to the weight pressing down on her.
"I understand," she murmured. "I'll tell you everything. This ti... I won't hide anything."
Velara and Rilith exchanged glances. Shennong remained still, waiting.
Romina pushed herself up slightly, though her limbs trembled with effort. "My true identity is Romina Terrace... the daughter of a powerful noble family from the Principality of Sturgon. My hotown is located north of the capital of Sturgon."
Shennong scoffed, crossing his arms. "I figured as much. Your manners, your way of speaking—it was obvious you ca from nobility. To be exact, I know you're from a ducal house in this nation."
Romina blinked in surprise, but quickly shook it off. "Then I'll get to the real part. I was born with the power of a spirit called Agni. Among humans, that's seen as an abomination. It's considered unnatural, and impure, unlike mana-controlled magic. I had to keep it hidden all my life. But... one day, at the academy, I lost control. They saw what I was. And I was arrested."
Rilith's eyes softened with understanding. "So that's why you're being hunted."
Yenissa was looking pretty excited upon hearing the term Agni as if she knew and Shennong knew he needed to have a long discussion with her.
Romina gave a bitter smile. "I'm not just hunted. I'm a wanted criminal. My own father wants dead. And not just ..." She swallowed hard. "He already erased , my mother... and my brother from the family calling us traitors and tainted blood. My brother..." Her voice trembled. "He died protecting when we fled through the forest. And now, my father has made his mistress the main lady of our house."
A heavy silence filled the room with ROmina's occasional tears leaking from her eyes.
Yenissa frowned deeply. Then, after a pause, she turned to Shennong. "You probably don't know what 'spirit power' ans, do you?"
Shennong exhaled sharply. "Enlighten ."
Yenissa crossed her arms. "Most elves, demons, monsters use this kind of power. Unlike human magic, which relies on external forces, spirit power is sothing innate and doesn't rely on the level of mana in the environnt. It's a bond between one's soul and the natural world. Elves are extrely powerful because of this, but they rarely reveal themselves. Most humans believe they're just myths. But I assure you... they're very real."
Shennong narrowed his eyes. "So, are there any lands in this world where non-humans live openly like elves or are they living hiding just in their own realm just like succubi?"
"As far as I know... only one." Yenissa's expression darkened. "Shatari. The land of demons. But they are in constant war with humanity."
Romina's shoulders slumped. "I...I am a monster"
She let out a deep, tired breath and slowly got off the bed. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she steadied herself. "I'll leave. I don't want to put you in danger."
She turned toward the door, but then... she noticed Shennong's face.
He was staring at her. No, not just staring—his mouth was slightly open, his gaze locked onto her with sothing that looked disturbingly close to... fascination.
Then, to her shock, he grinned. "Romina... what a valuable girl you are."
Romina took a step back. "...What?"
Shennong clapped his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitent. "You should stay. No, not just stay. You should practice. Master this power of yours. And then... show amazing things. Also if you're a monster that ans you're more than welco to our little family because look around you..."
"We are the textbook definition of what humans call monsters...so you are in the right place," Shennong muttered with a smile.
Romina's brain stopped working for a mont. "But! But! I am dangerous and I am weak. I can't control anything. I can't save anyone. Because of , my loved ones die."
"Of course you aredangerouss! That's what makes you so interesting!" Shennong's grin widened. "You have incredible potential. You've been running and hiding all this ti. But why? Instead of fearing it... why not embrace it? If you think your loved ones die because of you, fight and protect them yourself."
"Protect ! I want you. I am not a warrior, I am a sandboxer. I can't fight unlike you guys, so if anything I need you."
Romina felt her headache worsening. "You're insane."
Yenissa sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. "This is just how he is. Once he sees sothing rare or interesting, he gets obsessed."
Romina stared at Shennong for a long mont. Then she let out a small, dry laugh. "You really are crazy."
Shennong smirked. "I'll take that as a complint."
Romina exhaled and shook her head. She had no idea what she had just gotten herself into but she realized running away was not an option. She knew Shennong was right. She had to embrace this power of her and live for her mother, brother and her new friends if she could call them that.
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