One week had passed since the battle of Western Front which is what the official had called it.

Vefal and Ubermensch spend almost an entire day last week before they left for their respective assignment. Vefal, after she had some private conversations with Katarinova, was spending a lot time with her on that morning. They had sparred with each other and even shared bath.

When Vefal was parting, Katarinova and I were seeing her off but before she really left, on the last minute before she stepped into the boat, she close in on Katarinova and they had whispered to each other and from the sides, I caught both of them throwing glances at me. I had tempted to use a Deep Orange Eomancy ‘Amplified Hearing’ spell but it was hard to hide the sound of the circles forming.

Afterward, out of curiosity, I asked Katarinova of what Vefal had told her but she looked at me with an enigmatic smile and cocked her head to the left in such a cutely way- which was never before seen of her-

‘It’s a secret between the two of us.”

Captivating is the only appropriate word that was on my mind at that time.

Of course, I wasn’t slacking at all in this one week.

When all the Post-battle processes and awarding had passed, I made a report concerning about the Crystalized Eo Stones and I was told that they had put more security to prevent future theft as they had recently reported that it was true that several Crystalized, unrefined Eo Stones were missing for the past few weeks.

Aside from that, I had formulated a thorough patrolling schedule so that nothing suspicious can passed through our watchtower.

Lastly, I had suspected one person to behind those buried Eo Stones. It was Fadriz the messenger but the patrol that was patrolling the road reported that they had found that he had died mysteriously beside the road to here. A dead person can’t be questioned unfortunately.

……

Unfortunately, something suspicious did passed through here.

As I thought of this, I was inside the watchtower ground floor along with Katarinova, an automaton intruder and me.

“What should we do with it?”

Krolve and Kiefy was up-stair at the top of the watchtower while August and Vassil was visiting the village.

Katarinova was currently pinning down this automaton with dual spears, each of spears pining its arms. It was found scurrying inside of our watchtower. Earlier when Katarinova had spotted it and saw that it wasn’t a being that was organic in the first place, she had smashed both of its kneecaps with dual spears that she happened to be polishing, rendering it unmovable.

It was like a mannequin and there was no weapon found on it but there was something like a singular circle spell formation on the palm of its left hand.

As I leaned closer to see the formation, the arm suddenly extended towards me but before it could, Katarinova batted the arm away in a flash and impaled the tip of the spear at its elbow, smashing the arm. Katarinova then smashed the right arm into bits with the other spear.

“… Thanks.”

“No need for that, right now, what do we do with this?”

After Katarinova asked again, I looked at the mannequin. It was still struggling even though most of its legs and arms were broken.

I then walked towards the dismembered left arm.

“Dispose of it.”

“We’re not keeping it for investigation?”

Katarinova was perplexed when I said that.

“Don’t you find it unusually when this had slipped all the way to our watchtower despite the new patrolling method and schedules? When I had formulated the new patrolling schedules, I had exhausted every map into forming these complementing routes and timing and even divided the patrol unit with sub-patrols to cover even wider ground yet this had slipped through.”

Hearing this, Katarinova was contemplating as she realized that something was wrong.

“I assumed someone had tampered with the schedule and only a person with a connection with the army could do such this.”

Katarinova’s face flickered as she understood my implication.

“There are enemies within our allies?”

I nodded.

“Therefore, it’s better if we dispose it. If we keep it, who knows when it would suddenly ‘disappear’ but this arm, I’m interested in it and it’s easier to hide.”

I was intrigued by the circular formation on its hand. Aside from the shape, it looked nothing like the usual Eomancy circles. It may be another type of magic. Along the length of the arm, there were some strange runes like that of Sealed Words running across several lines.

I went and took a piece of clothing and wrapped the arm.

“Later on, I’m going to the village to buy a box.”

--

That was unexpected, was it sent to assassinate one of us? Then again, it was only a mannequin. Even if there were Advanced Eomancy that can actually create golems or elementals like Deep Grey or Deep Red, that mannequin wasn’t even Eomancy in nature.

This could only mean that it was created by magic not of Eomancy. Maybe it was a special ability?

Both possibilities are not low since long months of research and inquiries couple with the suspicion of the fact that the Inheritors were deliberately keeping some secrets in the dark.

From what I learn about politics back on earth, there will always be a party that is the opposite spectrum of an establishment ideology. Unlike the terrorist First Sons, this sort of party would resolve their differences by forming their own country.

Even though Athryshiayl is a hegemony consisted of several small nations and various tribes except at the western land but most of the decision and policy making went towards Tchekaz, the seat of Inheritors as this city-state was the pre-eminent component of the hegemony.

The entire Athryshiayl, a land which was bordered by the Leylines was dubbed as the world for every native here.

But beyond the Leylines there can’t only be Mal’eurs right?

Until the Grand Incursion had passed and getting the truths of what the Inheritors are hiding, then perhaps I would ventured out in an expedition just like the summoned before me.

Even though most of the summoned that had ventured outside the Border had never been heard of again, perhaps they had founded other civilizations or the established one themselves.

The ones that did return from their expeditions had only return back with bizarre tales and strange creatures.

I wished to be like them, not cooped up here, being willing to live in blissful ignorance of the outside world.

There was another thing I learned about being a summoned in this world. It seems that no matter what life-form was summoned, we would actually never age physically as we are suspended to our physical appearance of the time we were summoned. That was why the some Inheritors still looked like they were in their twenties.

I guess that’s a perk.

“Is this storage large enough, honoured summoned?”

The quartermaster brought out a large chest in front of me. I was currently standing in front of the supply storehouse when I had requested for boxes or chests earlier.

While waiting for the quartermaster to find one, I was musing myself with these trains of thought.

The chest that he had taken out was a rectangular one fit to store a sword. It’s perfect.

“This will do.”

“Alright then, fill out the usual form.”

After taking the chest, I then teleported back to the watchtower.

--

In the next morning…

“Ruigne, let’s have a serious match?”

Katarinova, in her full uniform and a cloak with both practice spears on her hands, stood in front of me with a grin as I was preparing for a shower.

“Eh?”

While clutching my towel that covered my lower body, I stood stock still staring at her.

“After you finish showering, let’s have a serious match. We’re allowed to use our special abilities and Eomancy but not our Soul Weapon in the match. The winning condition is of being incapacitated or admitting defeat. Straight and simple and ‘no’ are not an option.”

She stood there, still grinning as she stared at me excitedly.

“Okay, I don’t mind but why so sudden?”

“Does it matter? Just be ready after you showered. As I see it, in battle, a physical prowess is not a good measure so I like to see you fight me in your full potential.”

“… Alright. You said anything right? Then don’t regret it later.”

She nodded as I gave an ominous smile.

Instead of going to the shower, I went back inside. Three minutes later, I came out. From the outset, nothing really changed and Katarinova still stood at the same spot but with a confused expression.

“… What did you do?”

“Something, it’s a secret.”

I gave her the smile that she had gave back when I asked the content of her and Vefal private whispering and skipped to the shower. She was dumbfounded as she looked at me.

After half an hour, I came back from showering.

I saw Vassil and August standing near the entrance, watching us. Probably they knew what was happening and were here to spectate.

I found her still standing at the same spot but this time, she had an amused smile on her face.

“I know what you were actually doing.”

While it can’t be help since it was obviously suspicious as to why I was taking too long in showering but nonetheless-

“Even if you do, you won’t know the full extent of them. Wait here a while, I’ll go change and we can begin then!”

With a challenging smile, I head to the dressing room.

When I came out, I was using a magenta coloured robe that was one of the clothes gifted to me. It provides enough mobility and at the same time it was able to store some papers inside.

I stood opposite of her as she never even move an inch from where she had initially stood.

“Are you prepared? No matter how many tricks you have, I will overcome them.”

“I know you will but tricks are just the many means to an end. I’ll get you first before you can overcome all of them.”

“Uh, okay, let’s get started then.”

From the side, August who had said that was made the referee for our match.

I woke up with a very complacent mood today because I spent a lot of time checking the arm till late night but suddenly being challenged in the morning by her made my blood pumping.

Both of us took a deep breath.

“Start!”