Axelius had tried ditating again but the result was only a slight ripple in his core, a sign that the thod worked, but not enough to push him any further. He ended up leaning back again, choosing to calm his breathing and fall into ditation, letting the gentle breeze guide his focus.
anwhile, Owen had spent his ti excitedly poking through his new skills, shouting dramatic lines about becoming like his idol, Rimuru, while Axelius pretended not to listen.
And so the day passed quietly.
Now, the morning sun crept past the window, its light soft and golden. Birds chirped in the distance, and the cool air carried the scent of fresh leaves and dew. Axelius stirred in his bed, groaning softly, but before he could roll over and sleep more, a plop landed on his chest.
"Wake up, wake up! Big news!" Owen’s voice rang out, loud and energetic.
Axelius groaned again, lifting a hand and lazily shoving the squishy sli off. "If it’s not food or soone dying, I don’t want to hear it..."
"No, seriously—this one’s good! Seraphina! She’s going on a hunting trip!" Owen bounced on the sheets like a water balloon with too much energy. " —real training! Monsters! Fighting! Blood!"
Axelius blinked one eye open and sat up slowly. His hair was ssy, and his voice still low. "So? That’s her business."
"She didn’t invite anyone, yeah," Owen said quickly, "but that’s what makes it perfect."
Axelius narrowed his eyes, raising a brow. "You’re suggesting we... follow them?"
"Not follow—observe closely while walking in the sa direction without being seen." Owen said it proudly, like it was a genius plan. "It’s not like we’ll bother them. We’ll just stay out of sight, use the sa path, hunt the sa monsters, get the sa experience. Who needs permission for that?"
"You sound like a professional stalker," Axelius muttered.
"You sound like soone too lazy to test their abilities!" Owen snapped back. "Co on! It’s perfect! You need real combat, and I need a corpse to copy!"
Axelius sighed, but a small smirk tugged at his lips. The idea was risky, but it was also tempting. No teachers, no rules, just real monsters and a chance to stretch his skills again.
He stood up and walked toward the window. From there, he could see the forest road that led out of the estate, and far off in the distance, the gates already opening.
Seraphina’s group would leave soon.
"They won’t notice if we leave early and stay far behind," Owen added, floating beside him. "We’ll be ghosts."
That got Axelius to sit up, rubbing his eyes. His voice was still low from sleep, but there was a flicker of interest in it. "A hunt trip... with monsters, huh? Sounds like a test. Who else is going?"
"I said Don’t know," Owen replied quickly, puffing his sli-body a little taller with pride. "But it’s a chance, right? You’ve been too calm lately. Might as well try out that freaky skill of yours. And —I can finally try mimicry in real combat. Maybe I’ll turn into a beast and save you from death."
Axelius scoffed and stood up, stretching his limbs. "More like I’ll have to protect a sli backpack from getting squashed."
"Let’s just go! If their going far let’s try riding with her since your small and skinny maybe you can squeeze to a chest." Axelius just tsk and dressed himself in simple clothes fit for training, he looked out the window toward the wide training field and the nearby woods beyond it.
"Alright, Owen," he said, slipping on his boots. "Let’s go show them what kind of monster we really are."
Axelius stepped outside with a calm face, but his eyes scanned the hallway like a thief planning an escape. The estate was already waking up—maids walking around, gardeners moving through the path, and guards standing at their usual posts. He couldn’t just walk through the front gate without soone asking questions.
"Elias," he said as he passed near the stairs, his tone sharp like soone giving a casual order. "There’s sothing in my room that slls weird. I think it’s coming from under the bed. Go check."
Elias, as usual, adjusted his glasses and gave a nod. "Understood, young master."
He then spotted Millie near the entrance, holding a breakfast tray. "Millie, the kitchen forgot my tea. The one with mana herbs. Go now, before I change my mind."
"Y-yes, right away!" she said, quickly turning back toward the kitchen.
With both of them gone, Axelius dashed toward the side passage, crouching behind a tall plant pot, then slid behind a stone pillar, carefully avoiding the butler walking across the garden. He even paused and held his breath when a maid looked his way, only moving again after she turned around.
Owen, resting inside his hood, whispered, "You look like a little criminal sneaking out of the orphanage."
"Shut up," Axelius muttered as he reached the outer gate.
The carriage was already waiting nearby—an elegant, sleek one with dark blue patterns and silver wheels. It had a royal crest that belonged to the Seraphina family. Axelius crouched low and moved quickly toward the side, staying out of sight. Then he tilted his head upward.
He reached up to grab the edge, but his fingers barely touched it. The top was just a bit too high for his small body.
"Tsk. Seriously?" He looked around for sothing to step on but found nothing nearby.
Then he looked at Owen with a straight face. "Co here."
"No."
"Owen," he said, already pulling him,
"I said no! I know that look! I’m not a step ladder!" Owen shouted, trying to slip away.
"You’re a sli," Axelius said casually. "Be useful."
"Damn you!"
But Owen had no choice. Axelius plopped him down onto the ground and stepped on him Owen shapeshift into a stool.
"This is abuse," Owen muttered as his body rippled from the weight.
"Shut up. I can’t reach otherwise," Axelius said while boosting himself up and finally pulling his body onto the top of the carriage. "See? That worked."
"You’re evil," Owen grumbled from the ground, slowly pulling himself back into a ball and bouncing up after him. "One day, I’m gonna get big and sit on you."
Axelius ignored the threat and crawled across the wooden roof of the carriage to the small space used for storing extra bags and gear. He slipped between two sacks and motioned toward Owen.
"Cover with the bags annd No one will notice."
Owen sighed. "Fine. But I’ll be the lookout. Don’t move, don’t breathe, and for the love of all slis, don’t snore."
"Whatever," Axelius muttered as he shifted into the tight space. A large travel bag was pulled over him like a blanket. He adjusted a few straps to hide better.
Laying there under the bag, he blinked slowly.
"...Am I really that small? I fit in here perfectly." He sighed. "Gotta build so muscles after this... seriously."
His eyelids grew heavier. The warmth of the sack, the soft padding of the luggage, and his still-recovering mana made him drowsy. Slowly, his eyes closed.
"Just five minutes..."
anwhile, Owen positioned himself on top of a crate, He peeked through a loose corner as the door of the carriage opened below.
Seraphina stepped inside first, followed by four young nobles, all carrying light weapons and dressed for a hunt. Their expressions were serious—this wasn’t a picnic.
Owen leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Okay... they’re in. No one saw. Stage one complete."
The carriage wheels turned, and the soft sound of hooves hitting gravel began to echo through the path.
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