Qi Sensing

The matter regarding Yorphang was resolved in the blink of an eye. The academy wrapped up almost everything that very night. Capturing her had been the hard part, but their administrative processing was swift and certain. I heard that Yorphang had already been loaded onto a carriage bound for Gehenna, the notorious prison.

I was summoned by the Headmaster, Hubert Graham, first thing in the morning. When he mentioned that an official announcement would be made and asked what kind of reward I wanted, I requested that my name be left out of it. Yorphang was simply too famous. At this point, it would be troublesome if 'Zeto, the blind cadet' who caught the phantom thief, became a household name. The reputation I gained from showing off my presence to the VIPs during the public classes was more than enough. Any more than that, and it might become difficult for me to slip away unnoticed outside.

Hubert found my decision puzzling, but he eventually agreed to my request. He insisted that the fact I had caught Yorphang remained unchanged, so I must still accept a reward. To be honest, since I had already thoroughly looted Yorphang, I didn't care much about whatever the academy had to offer.

Did they originally award a medal or something? I vaguely recalled the academy awarding a medal in the game, which boosted the player's reputation continent-wide. But since my name was excluded from the official announcement, I expected Hubert to ask if there was anything specific I wanted... Instead, he said he had prepared something special just for me.

Hubert's secretary pushed a small flask onto the table. It looked like either a potion or an elixir.

"...What is this?" I asked, lightly touching the flask. Hubert spoke.

"I happened to buy a peculiar elixir at an auction recently. I thought it would suit you perfectly." Hubert uncrossed his legs and leaned forward over the table. "It's an elixir crafted by the Alchemist Guild, 'Midas'. Apparently, it has the effect of amplifying one's senses."

Sensory amplification. It was a type of elixir I had never seen in the game. I didn't think Hubert would lie about something like this, and since Midas was the continent's premier alchemy guild, it should be trustworthy... but the color was rather bizarre.

"Senses... How fascinating. Did you happen to hear what ingredients went into it?" I asked Hubert, feigning casual curiosity. Hubert hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"......I heard they ground up the brains of monsters that were born blind. Of course, I didn't hear the exact ratio or any other details."

"The brains of monsters..."

"What does it matter? As the old saying goes, good medicine tastes bitter. Hahaha!" Seeing my dubious expression, Hubert laughed heartily. I wasn't sure if it would have any effect on me since I already possessed Great Senses, but there was no reason to refuse.

"Is it really alright to throw around the name of Midas like that? It's just something you dug up from the warehouse." Itea spoke to the Sage, who was staring intently at the door Zeto had just exited. The Sage waved his hand dismissively.

"Well, what does it matter? The effect is similar anyway."

"I believe there is a massive difference between a mysterious liquid mixed with monster brains and an elixir that is spoken of only in legends among the elves." The truth of the elixir slipped from Itea's mouth. The elixir the Sage had given Zeto was none other than the 'Grace of the Earth Mother'.

'Earth Mother' was another name for the World Tree. As the word 'Mother' or 'God' implied, this often caused friction between the Holy Kingdom and the elves. It wasn't that the World Tree was actually a god-like entity, but rather a local folk belief of the elves.

Originally, this elixir was only permitted to be consumed by High Elves, who held the lifelong mission of protecting the World Tree. Extracted from the World Tree itself, this elixir appeared only once every few centuries, meaning young elves had never even laid eyes on it. No matter how long-lived elves were, several hundred years was a long time even for them.

The elixir was a gift the Sage had received from the elves in the past, back when he was part of the Hero's party, after he cured the ailing World Tree. It carried the meaning that the Sage was considered equal to the High Elves who guarded the World Tree. The 'Dew of the World Tree' that Yorphang had almost stolen this time was also one of their gifts.

"...Elves are truly strange fellows. Giving a mage an elixir that would only be useful to an archer. No matter how much they love bows." The Sage grumbled to Itea, who kept talking back. Since there was no archer in the Hero's party at the time, it had been a white elephant to the Sage. Thinking that giving money as a reward to Zeto was too cliché, the Sage had rummaged through his warehouse and found that elixir.

"In any case, aren't you looking forward to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it? What kind of results he will produce next after growing from this elixir..." The Sage would watch from afar, as he always did. For some reason, he felt like he would meet him again—no, frequently.

Today was the final day of the public classes. For a while, the city was abuzz with talk of Yorphang. Since the phantom thief Yorphang had been captured in a single night during the magic supply disruption, the academy's prestige soared. My name was never mentioned. The academy merely announced that internal personnel had captured her, without disclosing exactly who it was. Rumors were circulating that Instructor Kaliman was the one who caught Yorphang.

On my way, I ran into Kaen, who was carrying a uniform in her arms. As it turned out, the uniform Yorphang had been wearing belonged to her. Since I hadn't known this, I found it interesting and chatted with her for a bit. She mentioned that her window had been open, and the thief seemed to have targeted her room while she was taking a shower.

I rarely had the chance to talk to anyone else. Everyone seemed busy catching up with their families whom they hadn't seen in a long time. Eisel would probably have some free time, but I hadn't seen her since the Colosseum incident. Well, I figured it was just regressor business.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, night had fallen. I had just returned to the dormitory after seeing off the Saintess, who was leaving the academy. While I was resting in my room with Sierra, Bernice summoned me, and I knew the time had come.

Entering my room, I took off my coat and placed a badge on the table. A silver wing pattern was engraved on it. It was the badge of the Silver Wing Knights. In the end, I had accepted Bernice's proposal. Since I was still a cadet, I wasn't fully enlisted in the order, but rather had one foot in... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a loophole, so to speak. It was a hastily made rank called 'Honorary Knight'.

Now, even if I ended up killing demons, I could leave the aftermath to the Silver Wing Knights under my affiliation. Besides that, it would serve as an excellent tool to prove my identity if I ever ran into trouble outside the academy.

As soon as I accepted the offer, Bernice stopped calling me 'Cadet Zeto' and started calling me just 'Zeto'. She left after saying, "See you again, Zeto," adding that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Vice-Commander Ecklin would visit me soon to let me know the location of their branch near the academy.

[ Hmmm... ] Released from the Demon Blade after Bernice left, Sierra stared at the badge and let out a low groan.

"Are you bothered that I accepted the offer?" I approached her and asked. From Sierra's perspective, it was understandable to be reluctant, since Bernice could see her.

[ It is not that. The Saintess was right. Looking at what my disciple gets up to, you certainly needed a 'fence' of some sort... ] Sierra's cool voice followed as she glared at me.

"Haha... I suppose so..." Feeling awkward, I scratched my head.

[ ...More importantly, when do you plan on drinking that elixir? ] Sierra was referring to the flask on the table, the elixir I had received from the Headmaster. An elixir made by grinding up monster brains... I hadn't even opened the cap to smell it yet.

Sensory amplification... Even though Hubert put it that way, it was practically a reward prepared specifically for me. He seemed to have anticipated that he would have to reward me again at some point. Even though it wasn't in my memory and hadn't actually happened in the original timeline, he had shown great favor toward me from the very beginning.

"I should drink it, right...?" I reached for the flask on the table. Grinding up the brains of blind monsters to make a sensory-amplifying elixir... Was it because they were alchemists? Their way of thinking was truly novel. Still, they wouldn't sell something that had no effect. I popped open the cap of the flask.

The smell isn't that bad... It wasn't a clean ash-gray, but a bizarre gray that looked like various colors of clay mixed together, so I expected the smell to be dreadful. But this... Yes, it was a scent I often smelled in the forest. A fragrance reminiscent of phytoncide. Did they grind in some sweet-smelling leaves to mask any foul odor?

[ Heheh, if your tongue goes numb again, this Lady can simply cook for you. Do not worry and drink up. ] Sierra urged me, seemingly frustrated that I had opened the cap but wasn't drinking. I chugged the contents of the flask.

Why is it so refreshing? It didn't taste like monster brains at all. It tasted like a certain pine needle tea drink. Not exactly my cup of tea, but... considering the supposed ingredients, this was incredibly mild.

"As expected of Midas..." I tapped the empty flask, marveling. I could personally understand why they were the top alchemy guild on the continent. Their consideration for the consumer as alchemists—their sincerity reached me.

[ Does it taste alright? ] Sierra asked, giving me a side-eye as I made a fuss.

"It was the most delicious elixir I've ever had."

[ I wonder what the effect will be. ] Indeed. The effect was what mattered. Nothing seems to have changed much... I tried focusing on my hearing to test the elixir's effect, but there was no noticeable difference. Just as I was about to open my status window—

—BEEEEEEEEEP!!!! Suddenly, a sharp ringing pierced my ears. As my head spun and I stumbled, Sierra caught me. Fortunately, the ringing quickly subsided.

[ Disciple, are you alright?! ] Sierra, holding me, asked with wide eyes.

"Ugh..." Her voice echoing in my head sounded exceptionally loud. Meanwhile, a status window appeared before my eyes. As I scanned it, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.

My level remained at 39, which had risen by two levels from 37 after defeating the wyvern. The important part was the skills. ...In the slot where Great Senses used to be, a different skill was now sitting. It happened occasionally—skills upgrading to a superior version once certain conditions were met. However, even as someone who had played the game for a long time, this was a skill I had never seen before. Yet, the word itself was all too familiar to me. Qi Sensing.Why is that there...?

Meanwhile, Yuri visited the library ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after seeing off her father, Jeras Clementine. While showing Jeras around the academy, Yuri had been put through an ordeal because he kept rambling about Zeto, muttering things like, "A son-in-law... Hmmm... Zeto, you say..."

It was especially spectacular when they ran into Maxim Caligula, Amon's father. "Maxim, I might be getting a son-in-law soon myself, hahaha!" After being thoroughly embarrassed by Jeras, she was finally able to coldly send him away once night fell.

And so, Yuri had come to the library to return a book. It was a fairy tale with a simple title: The Saint and the Princess. It was so popular that it had even been published as an expanded novel. It was a fairy tale she had loved since childhood. Reading it again, she understood why she had been drawn to it lately.

There were parts where the Saint's personality and way of speaking overlapped with Zeto's. It was an unspeakable secret that while reading this book, Yuri had immersed herself in it, imagining the Princess as herself and the Saint as Zeto. I've gone mad... seriously. Yuri cleared her head and stepped further into the library.

"Oh?" A familiar platinum-haired girl caught Yuri's eye. It was Eisel. Eisel was sitting in the exact same spot where Yuri had run into her last time. Back then, Eisel had suddenly insisted on reading the book first, making Yuri think she had found someone with similar tastes.

Eisel had returned the book in just a day. Yuri had wanted to hear her thoughts, but Eisel's expression when returning the book was so grim that she didn't bother asking. Last time, she was reading a book about curses. Was she reading something similar this time too?

Eisel's expression from afar looked incredibly serious. Lately, Yuri hadn't seen Eisel smile at all. While Eisel wasn't one to smile often anyway, her current expression was much more grave than her usual indifferent look, suggesting she had a lot on her mind.

Yuri cautiously approached Eisel. Perhaps too absorbed in her book, Eisel didn't notice Yuri's approach. Yuri peered over Eisel's shoulder to scan the contents of the book she was reading. ...To kiss, first, the mood and atmosphere are crucial... Reading a line of the book in her head, Yuri tilted her head.

"Eisel...?" Yuri called out.

"Ah..." Only then did Eisel register Yuri standing right in front of her, and she hurriedly raised the book. Perhaps she was trying to hide the contents by lifting it. But in doing so, the title on the cover was now fully exposed. Yuri read the title of the book without thinking.

"101 Ways to Captivate a Man...?" Their eyes met. Yuri let out a somewhat chilly smile, wondering why on earth Eisel was reading such a book.