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Translator: Kell | Editor: Weasalopes
Alice Sunborn’s Mistake
Hikaru sensed with his Mana Detection that someone else arrived in the attic. The Skill used to put excessive strain on his brain, but now he could narrow down the search area horizontally, or to a particular direction, resulting in a lesser pressure.
At the moment, he activated it to scan horizontally every few seconds. If he got accustomed to it, he should be able to use it subconsciously.
The person he detected arrived just now. They didn’t notice him—which meant they didn’t have the ability to pierce through Hikaru’s Stealth, yet were still competent enough to make it all the way here.
Hikaru waited to see what they would do. Eventually they got closer to him, about three meters away. In the dim light, he could barely make them out. He could only see their vague contours through his Detection Skills.
Hikaru didn’t want a third party listening in on the men’s conversation. The worst person to possibly learn of this would be the king of Ponsonia. If he found out, he’d beat them to the punch. A civil war would break out right away. This person was most likely the king’s spy.
Let’s just check them out first…
Hikaru summoned the visitor’s Soul Board.
【Soul Board】Alice Sunborn
Age: 16 Rank: 17
8
【Vitality】
..【Stamina】2
..【Immunity】
….【Toxic Immunity】1
..【Perception】
….【Sight】1
….【Hearing】1
….【Smell】1
【Physical Strength】
..【Weapon Mastery】
….【Throwing】1
【Agility】
..【Power Burst】2
..【Flexibility】2
..【Balance】3
..【Stealth】
….【Imperceptibility】1
【Dexterity】
..【Dexterity】2
Hikaru’s first impression was “so young”. Then again, they were only one year older than him. Next he was surprised to find out it was a girl. Not like sex had any influence in one’s abilities; Sarah of the Four Stars had a similar set of skills as her.
Though it felt like Sarah was superior, this girl had Imperceptibility. The fact that she had one point each on sight, hearing, and smell showed her aptitude to being a spy. The problem now was her affiliation.
I don’t want the people below finding out I’m here. Shouldn’t Lawrence and Aglaia’s Instinct see through her one level on Imperceptibility?
「Lord Valves, we have an intruder.」Aglaia said.
「I feel it as well. Up there in the ceiling.」Lawrence added.
「What? Really? How?」Alice muttered.
Is she for real? Hikaru thought.
Alice quickly began her escape, and Hikaru followed her.
Chaos reigned over the Margrave’s residence. The residence guards’ sounded the alarm. Try as they might to set up a perimeter for the spy, the night was too late to effectively gather men. They were probably confused as no spy had ever snuck into this place before.
「Are my men really this incompetent?!」the Margrave shouted in anger. The head of security shuddered.
Amid the confusion, Lawrence left the mansion through the back door and headed back to Billow Elka where the Order were stationed. They reached an agreement to avoid a conflict between the Margrave’s army and the Order of the Knights.
They couldn’t find the intruder, however. The guards were too late. The spy successfully managed to escape.
「Phew. I made it out somehow. I knew no one’s faster than me.」
She made it way past the town of Satin Elka. While walls surrounded the town, there were secret passages—although most of them were hard to find, and if caught it counted as a serious crime. People didn’t use them unless they really had to.
In the outskirts of Satin Elka, the forest got thicker and thicker. Trees blocked the light of the moon and stars, making it difficult to see. But Alice strolled through the woods swiftly. She could always see well in the dark, and she had a point on Sight as well.
Alice stopped by the side of a creek, washed her hands, and scooped up water to drink. She could see the night sky from where she stood. Reflected in the water was a face with pink hair cut extremely short and eyes of the same color. Her features made her look mature and boyish at the same time. She had a slim body from training every day, and on top of that she was tall, which further reinforced her boyish appearance.
「Phew! I feel so alive!」
「Sorry to burst your bubble, but I suggest you don’t try anything funny or you’re dead.」
She felt the cold touch of a blade on the back of her neck.
「Wh-Wh-Who are you?」
「That’s my question. Who are you?」
Alice thought she managed to make a clean escape. Then someone appeared, almost out of nowhere, like a ghost. Judging by their voice, it was a boy. Her voice trembled from panic, but she calmed herself down with a gulp.
「………」
She stayed quiet. She couldn’t hand over information about herself. Her clothes had a Stealth buff, but where they were made couldn’t be traced. Same for every equipment she possessed.
「So you can’t answer. I applaud your guts. Now die.」
「Ah, w-w-wait a sec!」
Alice felt the blade move on her neck, prompting her to speak.
He’s a professional too!
The boy didn’t hesitate at all. She thought he would be soft because of this young age, but she clearly underestimated him. She had to be extremely cautious.
「Tell me your name.」
「It’s Dorothy. Dorothy Richfarm.」
「You’re lying. Die.」
「Wait! Wait! Wait!」
The blade sunk into her skin. She could feel the blood dripping.
How did he know I was lying?! Is he like my master who can sense things with their instinct?
Cold sweat drenched her whole body. She had been trained to spout random lies. Even making sure that they were consistent. But there were people who see even through the cleverest of lies. One of them was her master who she could only see once a month. When she asked him how he did it, he only answered “I just know somehow”, so she couldn’t exactly copy it either.
「This is your last chance. I’ll cut your artery if you lie. I’ll stay and watch until you bleed to death. Don’t try anything funny. Don’t even stand.」
「I-It’s hard to stay in this position…」
「No. Tell me your name.」
「It’s Alice.」
He didn’t say anything this time. Alice realized he knew when a person lied, and she lost all hope.
Alice was a spy, and gathering intel was her job. What would she be if she leaked information? Worthless. Or worse, a liability. All the hours she spent training would be in vain.
This was her first mission. She didn’t get cocky. Her master gave her the mission knowing she could do it too.
Yet the moment she infiltrated the mansion, she was discovered right away. And just when she thought she managed to escape, her back was now against the wall.
「Who do you work for?」
「Uh… uhhh…」
「Answer me. What organization—」
Then she started bawling like a child. Alice knew getting worked up was the one thing a spy mustn’t do, but her tears wouldn’t stop from falling. She fully resigned herself to her fate. She thought it was okay to cry, since she wouldn’t make it out alive anyway.
「Wh-Why are you crying? You’re a spy, aren’t you?」
「Y-Y-You’ll just kill me after getting all the information you want!」
「Who told you that? I might not even do that.」
「Th-Then you’ll turn me into your plaything after you wring out info from me! Once you’ve had enough, you’re going to kill me!」
「Where’d you even get that idea?!」
「My master told me that’s how spies meet their end!」
「I’m not gonna do that! Sheesh.」
「You don’t feel anything because I look like a boy? Is that it? How cruel!」She continued wailing.
「What do you even want me to do…」
As she hopelessly cried, she felt the blade leave her neck.
「Wha?」
「Forget it. I have just one question. Answer with a yes or a no. Don’t you lie to me, got it?」
「Huh?」
「Do you work for the King of Ponsonia? Or perhaps a noble related to him?」
「No, not Ponsonia.」
The boy’s eyes widened, surprised by her answer. He was at a loss for words.
「I see. I get it now.」
「Get what?」
「You’re a spy from Quinbland.」
Alice gave a start. Did it show on my face? No, it’s too dark out here. Unless he has better eyesight than me.
With the blade now gone, Alice turned around. She wanted to run, but her legs were numb from crouching down and nervousness. She would no doubt fall over if she made a break for it.
「Ah…」
It’s probably a young boy as I guessed. But his presence was too weak. She could only perceive him because she knew he was there. It felt like she would lose sight of him if she lost focus.
The same abilities as my master… No, even a cut above him?!
The boy wore a silver mask. She couldn’t see the expression on his face, but the murderous aura she felt earlier had completely vanished.
「You can go. Security in the Grugschilt residence should be stricter now, so I suggest you don’t sneak back in there ever again.」
「R-Really? I can go?」
「Yeah. Bye.」
「………」
In that moment, Alice realized.
He’s different from Master! He’s… nice!
Alice’s master was an extremely harsh person. At first there were fifty of them who studied under him. Fifteen left after the first training. After a year, only six of them were left.
Most of his regimen were self-training. It made sense, since he only showed up once every few months. But he could tell if someone didn’t do their training properly. He’d then work them so hard that they’d wish they would rather die.
He was merciless, so to speak.
Compared to him, this boy was an angel. And he was walking away. Alice looked dumbfounded after being told she could go, but then she grabbed the cuff of his cloak.
「Wait! Who are you?!」
「What? Why should I tell you? 」
「I have a favor to ask!」
「Sorry, come again?」
「You’re much stronger than my master! So please hear me out!」
Her next words caught the boy completely off guard.
「Please punch my master for me!」
「What?」