When Iris says it, Ella's attention is immediately drawn. She approaches to see what surprises the priestess and feels the same shock.
She stays calm for a moment, observing Alex, then asks:
"How can you have abilities like that?"
Under the weight of everyone's gaze, Alex looks around at the group and asks in return:
"What's wrong? Is there something weird in my abilities?"
Ella answers bluntly, pointing at him with her staff:
"You're downright strange, that's what! You can't use magic and you've got abilities that aren't even supposed to exist on that chart!"
Alex stays quiet for a moment before asking, casually:
"Is that true?"
Ella gets worked up and shouts:
"Of course not! And he's acting like he doesn't know anything on top of it!"
Silone, who's close to Arthur, walks over to him, crosses her arms, and asks:
"Do you understand why Ella is acting like this?"
Arthur, sitting with his arms and legs crossed, replies:
"No idea. But she's usually more relaxed around Alex. They must have had the chance to get closer somehow."
Arthur and Silone watch them for a moment, their conversation looking more like a game than anything else. Then Arthur adds:
"But I'd really like to understand what's going on with Alex's abilities."
He asks:
"Iris, could you explain to us as well what's in Alex's abilities that shocked our young mage so much?"
Iris turns to Arthur and answers:
"Well, Alex's ability chart is extremely irregular. For starters, it shows stats like Reflex and Endurance that are way above the usual average for people who have those listed."
Both look surprised, and Iris continues:
"And also, even though he can't use magic, he has incredible sensitivity to it. Then there are many other notes, like the fact that his body adapts to magic to improve and strengthen itself. With the lack of mana, we can't even deduce his overall level."
She then glances over at Ella, who was clinging to Alex's chart. She pulls her away by the collar and says:
"But in Ella's case, it's probably Alex's Intelligence stat—reaching the level of a superior star—that's making her upset."
Hearing that, Arthur lets out a deep sigh and says:
"Alright, I think I get it."
Meanwhile, Alex steps out of the magic circle. He comes closer to the others and says:
"In that case, nothing's wrong. I understand. But I'm going now. The captain of the army's first division contacted me—I have to go see him."
Without further explanation, he puts his hands in his pockets and leaves.
Everyone freezes, sweat on their foreheads from surprise. Then Iris, after Alex's departure, feels something tug at her thoughts.
In the kingdom of Nora, the army is divided into two major factions: the wartime defense faction, led by General Cinthuis Argini, and the internal defense faction, itself divided into several regiments. The first division, in particular, is stationed in the capital with a stable colony behind the castle.
That is where Alex is now, standing in front of the captain's building.
Alex: (To think I'm wasting time doing this. Well, when you have to go, you have to go.)
He gathers his courage and enters. The building has two floors, and the captain is upstairs, in the room at the end of the corridor. Alex reaches it, knocks, and asks:
"May I come in?"
He hears a voice respond:
"Go ahead!"
He enters, still with his hands in his pockets. As he walks in, he turns his head and sees Karden on the wall.
Leaning against it with his arms crossed, still wearing his black armor, the scythe strapped to his back, and especially that cold, unsettling gaze. Alex looks at him and thinks:
(Oh, the gloomy one…)
Alex then steps toward the table. Sitting in the chair, almost imperceptible because of the sunlight shining through the window, is Sore Lonezion, captain of the first division of the knights.
Sore smiles and says:
"Alex Andréas, you're the one everyone's talking about. A pleasure to meet you."
Alex looks him straight in the eyes and replies:
"The pleasure is mine."
A jacket firmly bearing the emblem of the Nora knights, completely bald, and around sixty years old—such is Sore's appearance.
Alex: "You can get straight to the point, sir. I've been busy lately."
Sore picks up a sheet of paper from his desk and, smiling, says:
"I understand. Here's the issue. One month ago, a village requested our help: people were disappearing suddenly. This situation began after a woman arrived in the village. Noticing the pattern, the village chief tried everything to get rid of her. With the recent events in LURENO, we were too busy to intervene. In the meantime, the villagers completely disappeared. The only signs left are traces of blood. Even the chief is gone."
Alex listens and asks:
"What exactly do you expect from me?"
Sore folds his hands together and replies:
"I expect you to investigate."
Alex: "You?"
Sore: "Yes—you and Karden. Since the case takes place in the Moonlight Forest, you'll be accompanied. Arthur's orders."
Alex exchanges a glance with Karden, then says:
"Understood."
Sore: "Don't worry, he already has the other information."
Alex turns around and opens the door to leave.
Sore: "Where are you going?"
Alex stops and says:
"I'm going to get ready."
A few hours later, Alex and Karden arrive at the village where they must conduct the investigation. They tie their horses, and Karden asks Alex:
"You said you were going to get ready… so why do you only have one sword?"
Indeed, on Alex's back, in its sheath, is the nameless sword given to him by Stone.
Alex: "My maid chose it for me."
Karden looks at him and sighs.
Alex and Karden inspect the area but find nothing except signs of violence. Karden says:
"There's nothing here. What do we do?"
Alex: "Wait. Let's head toward the forest first. And you should keep your weapon ready."
Karden unstraps his large scythe, takes it in hand, and asks:
"What do you expect to find in the forest?"
Walking toward the woods, Alex answers:
"I don't know… maybe a wild beast or a monster."
Alex: (But no monster in Moonlight is big enough for what I noticed.)
Behind them, a shadow moves toward their direction.
Alex: (And also… how is it hiding? Or maybe…)
With his heightened hearing, Alex detects something rushing quickly toward them. Instinctively, he steps aside just before a giant arm sweeps Karden away.
Karden is sent flying over a hundred meters before crashing into a tree, only then regaining consciousness.
Shrouded in its shadow, Alex turns and sees the abomination.
A completely black body, humanoid shape, about three meters tall, long hair, and large horns. The creature stands like a ragged corpse. Alex thinks:
(Wait—that's a demon!)
The demon then raises its arm to strike at Alex.
END OF CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER: Swept Away by a Bit of Madness