“So what are you planning to do?”
“…What do you suggest I do?”
Kael sought his mentor’s guidance. Veylara paused for a moment and started thinking.
“You pointed out the existence of the traitor at the meeting today. Whoever he is, he must be on edge right now. It wouldn’t be surprising if he came after you.
In the Vision, you were sold as a slave but I cannot see that happen in any of the scenarios unless…”
“Unless…?”
Kael raised his eyebrow.
“Unless the King takes an action, just like he did with Lavinia.”
Kael narrowed his eyes and Veylara continued,
“Maybe the traitor somehow proved that you, the Hero, were a corrupted human. Maybe sending you away as a slave was the King’s way to protect you and give you time to grow. Maybe he sent you where Lavinia was so the two of you could ally together while he deals with the enemies on his own.”
“…I can see the King doing that.”
Kael nodded.
The King was an exceptionally good tactician; Kael saw it with his own eyes.
“But if that is the case…
Then it also means that the traitor has much more influence than we thought.
It isn’t good news.”
Veylara started analyzing the situation, thinking of possible suspects who had this level of power. Soon, however, she shook her head and heaved a big sigh.
“It doesn’t matter.”
She spoke up.
Kael stared at her with a frown, but she just shrugged,
“The Visions you saw might be real, you might be sold as a slave, but the information we have is too limited.
We can analyze all the possibilities we want but nothing will come out of it, after all, in the end, that is what these are—possibilities.
Even if we have a list of suspects, we won’t have enough power to act without proof.
So rather than trying to think about all this,
I say you focus on getting stronger.”
Kael stared at his mentor and the woman continued,
“Even if you think your way out of this problem, you will soon fall into another problem, a problem you didn’t have a vision about.
The best way to solve everything is through brute force.
Focus on getting stronger, carefully observe everything and everyone around you and find allies you can trust in the process.”
Veylara then paused for a moment and then continued,
“As for the Princess, I suggest you wait. Yes, her conditions aren’t the best, but she is still alive.
And as long as the King is alive, she will be safe where she is.
Get stronger, strong enough to at least protect her once you rescue her, strengthen your reputation, earn a reputation, then using your reputation, clear the Princess’s name.
The King will support you as well. With the King and the Hero together, saving the Princess wouldn’t be impossible.”
The woman then placed her hand on Kael’s shoulder, then with a solemn look on her face, she continued,
“Things don’t have to end like they did in your Vision.
Together, we will win.
We will get rid of Nerissa, Twilight, or any enemy we might face in the future.”
Kael nodded at those words, his eyes flickering with intense emotions as he stared at his mentor.
He felt grateful, he felt… protected.
It was a feeling he didn’t hate one bit.
But then suddenly, the air around Veylara changed as she noticed something,
“We are here.”
She muttered.
“Where?”
Kael questioned with a curious look on his face.
“Forest at the north of Drakthar.”
Veylara answered with a wide grin on her face.
“You said you grew quickly as you killed the corrupted beasts, did you not?
Then let’s do just that.
We are going corrupted beast hunting.”
Veylara spoke, and at her words, Inkar raised his speed and descended onto the forest. The Wyvern made sure not to roar; he didn’t wish to scare away all the beasts in the area.
As Inkar landed on the forest, Veylara jumped down. Kael followed, but the instant he landed on the ground,
Slap
Veylara slapped his head and he fell in the mud face-first.
“W-What was that for?”
Kael questioned as he tried to stand up, but the woman kicked him, his body rolling in the mud.
“W-What are you doing?”
The Hero questioned as the woman continued to kick him, not allowing him to stand up.
“Your first lesson starts now. Whenever you are hunting, keep your presence as low as possible,
Cover your body with mud to hide your scent.”
The woman ordered as she finally stopped kicking him.
“A-Alright…”
Kael nodded as he covered the rest of his body in mud.
He then stared at Veylara and,
“Aren’t you going to do the same?”
A teacher should follow their own teachings, shouldn’t she?
Veylara, however, pointed at her bracelet that seemed to be shining lightly as she then explained,
“This is the Eclipse Coil, a magic artifact that reduces one’s presence and makes it difficult to detect.”
Kael stared at the woman with a deadpan look on his face.
“…And why did you push me into the mud instead of giving me the artifact?”
“You are new to this, so start with the basics.”
Veylara waved her hand.
“…”
Kael stayed silent as he continued to rub his body with mud.
Once he was done, he stood up and Veylara nodded.
“Now start walking. Make sure your steps do not leave a mark or make a sound. Your body balance is good, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for you.
Of course, I do not expect you to move like an expert hunter on the first day—we will have separate drills to teach you how to walk.”
Kael nodded at those words as he followed the woman, listening to her words very carefully. He felt like hunting was an important skill, especially considering his Visions and how he and Lavinia might end up without Drakthar’s support.
They might need to fend for themselves for a while, so learning how to hunt wasn’t a bad thing, especially considering the fact that killing corrupted beasts gave him loads of experience.
“Now, let’s start with some basics.”
The woman continued,
“First, you cover your scent and blend into the forest, then you listen to the forest.”
“Listen to the forest?”
Kael frowned.
“Leaves, twigs, and other traces, sounds of smaller animals rushing in a particular direction,
The forest will give you countless hints as to where your target is and whether you should engage in a battle or not.
Learn how to interpret those hints.”
Kael nodded, listening to his mentor’s every word carefully.
The hunting lesson had begun.