The fragment dissolved into Nova's core, spreading warmth through his small frame. A sense of completion washed over him, like finding a missing puzzle piece he hadn't known was gone.

[Soul Fragment of Nova Krogs resonating… Fragment absorbed.]

[Fragment trait "Relentless Stamina" obtained]

[Warning: Maximum number of traits reached. Future traits require you to switch out existing ones to make room.]

'Ah, so five's the limit. Good to know.'

Nova flexed his fingers, testing how the new power felt. The trait settled into place naturally, adding another layer to his already impressive stamina.

'Only one trait, but I think it's the better one—at least if it helps keep the Unification going longer. And the Soul Power boost is quite incredible. Fifty-eight thousand Soul Power…'

He pushed himself up from the stone floor, nearly lifting from the ground due to his abundant strength. The room felt smaller somehow, though his body hadn't changed size.

'An increase in power like this will take some getting used to. But it's time to put it to use. We need to prepare before he visits Larena.'

Nova walked to the doorway, watching Annelie wrap up her story. The children sat spellbound as she described the final battle between the clockwork ballerina and the shadow king. Her hands traced graceful arcs through the air, perfectly mimicking dance moves that had been lost to time.

She caught his eye again and gave a slight nod. The story was nearly done.

Nova leaned against the doorframe, content to wait. His mind drifted to the contract he would need to create. It would need to be balanced, keeping the terms relatively fair.

'Or… Maybe a simple tracking spell would be better? I'm not sure we can find terms that seem fair without threatening him, meaning the usual contract won't work… But threats alone could still work.

"And that's how the ballerina saved the kingdom," Annelie finished with a flourish. The children burst into applause, their small hands creating a thunderous chorus.

"Another one?" A little girl near the front bounced on her knees with excitement.

"Maybe later." Annelie smiled warmly. "I need to help Nova with something first."

Disappointed groans filled the courtyard, but the children slowly dispersed back to their usual activities. Several waved goodbye to Annelie as they left.

She walked over to Nova, brushing dust from her robe. The children's excited voices still filled the courtyard behind her. "Ready?"

"Almost." Nova glanced at the shadows that had lengthened across the garden, stretching toward the eastern wall. More time had passed than he thought. "Can you sense any guards nearby?"

"I should ask you instead." Annelie crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Can you sense anyone?"

Nova closed his eyes briefly, focusing his awareness outward. His brow furrowed with concentration. "...Not besides you, no."

"Well, I might be overpowering the other signatures, then. Although I'm hiding my power, standing this close might make it harder for you to sense anyone else."

Nova stared at her, expecting her to either move away or use her own soul sense. But she merely stared back with a slight smile. "...Can you sense anyone?"

"Nope." Annelie shook her head. "There are a few weak signatures, but I'm guessing those are from children who have completed their souls."

"I'll just double check, to make sure."

Nova's eyes flashed briefly as he activated his essence. The air around him vibrated with subtle energy as an invocation formed in his eyes. His pupils dilated, then contracted sharply as power flowed through them.

[You have learned the skill: Greater Life Detect (Master - 34%) {Grade 8}]

[Your eyes can see the exact location of any soul in a 300-meter radius as long as they are less than twice as strong as you.]

The world transformed before Nova. Hundreds of glowing figures appeared throughout the castle—some brighter, some dimmer. He could see through walls and floors, tracking souls as they moved about their daily tasks. He spotted children playing in distant corners of the garden, servants preparing meals in the kitchen below, and guards patrolling outer corridors.

His vision expanded further, reaching down the cliff to the city. Countless lights flickered like stars, each representing a living soul. The sheer volume of information made his head throb.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Nova blinked, focusing his attention on Larena's office. The captain sat alone at her desk, glowing with steady strength. Two caretakers moved about in a nearby kitchen, but the path to her office remained clear.

"The coast is clear."

Annelie stared at him with narrow eyes. "...You could have checked all along? What do you even need the soul sensing for?"

"This only works for people below my range of power, and it uses essence." Nova tapped his temple. "If I have a sense that can tell me if there are strong people nearby for free, I'd rather use that."

"But that strength can be hidden by spells like you're using."

"I have yet to see anyone use such spells. Only the Signus, but his was used on the room he was in, not on him personally."

"Any route can lead you to the New World."

"...You mean there are many ways to reach the same effect?" Nova turned toward the iron door leading to the corridor.

"I'm glad you remember our sayings." Annelie's lips curved into a small smile. "But it's true. For example, I'm using one of my beast powers to hide my Soul Power. Other methods should also exist, like putting what the Signus had on a piece of armor."

"True enough." Nova folded his arms across his chest. "But if someone that much stronger than me wishes not to be detected, there's not much I can do."

"Then let's stop worrying about it." Annelie tugged at his sleeve impatiently. "Can we go?"

"Yeah, sure." Nova scanned the courtyard one last time. "Let's just make sure none of the kids are looking."

Nova sent out a tiny burst of essence to the corner of the courtyard. It created a small flash of light that made all the children turn their heads at once. Before any of them had a chance to look back, Nova and Annelie slipped through the iron door, closing it silently behind them.

"This key did come in handy after all," Nova noted. The old keyring jingled softly in his palm as they walked down the dimly lit corridor.

"Ahh, I wondered what that sound was." Annelie glanced at the keys. "You didn't have any other ways to get through the door?"

"I did, but I had to kill someone for these keys, so it would be a shame not to use them."

Annelie stopped walking. "...You're serious."

Nova chuckled. "I did kill someone, but taking the keys was more because they took my lockpicks."

"Oh, then it's fine…" Annelie shook her head, continuing down the winding passage. "Gods, there are so many doors."

"Yeah, that was my reaction as well." Nova pointed ahead to where the corridor branched. "It's through this door."

They navigated through the passages until they finally stood in front of Larena's office. The polished oak door looked out of place among the stone walls.

"Should we knock?" Annelie asked, reaching toward the door.

"No need, she's coming to the door."

And sure enough, the latch clicked. The door swung open, revealing Larena in her full uniform. Her red hair was tied in a firm ponytail, and her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

"I've been worried." Relief softened her sharp features as she recognized them.

"You thought we wouldn't show up?" Nova raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know exactly when that overseer will arrive." Larena glanced down the empty corridor before stepping aside. "Come in."

"Ooh, nice office," Annelie said, looking around at the intricate decorations. Her eyes lingered on the gold-trimmed bookshelves and the plush velvet chair behind the desk.

Larena sighed as she closed the door. "Yeah... It's made for the vain and selfish kind of person that would take a position like this. But for me, it's just salt on the wound."

Annelie smiled, looking at Larena with an extra hint of respect. Then she shifted her weight and turned to Nova, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "What's your plan?"

"Just talk, I guess." Nova ran a hand through his white hair, leaving it slightly disheveled. He leaned against the edge of the heavy oak desk, making it creak under his weight despite his small frame. "We can lock him in place so he doesn't escape, but that won't make him more likely to cooperate."

Annelie tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. "How about having Larena talk? We don't need to show ourselves before things go south, right?"

Nova turned to Larena, watching as she massaged her temples. Her nervousness was barely hidden beneath her professional demeanor. "Do you think you're up for it?"

Her shoulders tensed visibly as she glanced between the two. "...What am I supposed to say? Ask him if he's willing to betray the king?"

Nova didn't have a good response. He turned to Annelie with a questioning look.

She smiled at him. An annoying smile, filled with invisible smugness. He could feel it.

'Yes, I value your input. And in cases like this, you might be the more experienced of us. Possibly.'

Her eyes searched around at nothing in particular as she considered their options. "Well, you could talk to him honestly, asking what he thinks of this harvesting program and saying how much you're against it. If he seems cooperative, we can have a more open discussion. If not, you can promise to resume the harvesting."

"...But he will know if we don't go through with it," Larena replied, sinking into her chair. Her fingers drummed on the armrest as she stared out the windows.

"Not if we take the children out of here as they are 'killed' and use Nova's souls to cover the losses. You can keep it hidden in that case, right?"

"Yeah, that should be fine." Her voice grew stronger as she visualized the plan. "I can tell the harvesters to bring the children here for me to…" Her voice faltered momentarily. "Take care of. Then you can bring them out of here, right?"

Nova nodded. "I'll handle the transportation. If we get to that point. That should make him go away after a while."

Annelie suddenly smiled. Her eyes gleamed with something dangerous as her lips curled upward. "Or we could kill him and have me take his place."

"What?" Nova's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

"Yeah, but I only keep his physical appearance." Annelie shrugged. "And I'll have no idea how he usually acts, so even if I go back to the capital as him, it's very dangerous."

"Well, then, obviously we won't do that."

"Good, I'm not very fond of that process." Annelie's smile faded. She looked down at her small hands with a hint of disgust.

"...How does it work, out of curiosity?" Nova asked. The room felt cooler suddenly.

"If I use his heart in my technique, I can transform my physical body completely." Annelie made a fist, then slowly opened her fingers. "It's the strongest version of my skill."

Nova nodded along. His face remained neutral, but his mind raced back to Damascus. The image of Annelie standing unconscious next to the void lord's heart flashed before him.

'Did her trait somehow seek out that power?'

"Remind me to speak to you about that later," he said. "For now, I think our plan is clear. The only issue would be if he starts to threaten you, Larena. Then, we'll have to act."

She took a deep breath, gripping the armrests on her chair. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Then get ready," Nova said. His eyes unfocused slightly as he looked through the walls. "Someone strong is headed this way."

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