Another day in the army of Eltaria suddenly became quite interesting. The army heard rumors about an aristocrat who had only recently shown herself in Eltaria and quickly gained attention and respect through deep political knowledge and wealth. No one knew about her before that. Nevertheless, the soldiers whispered about strange disappearances following encounters with her.

"Have you heard about her? She seems to be a human being, but she's so treacherous. Do you know what she did?" Miriel spoke almost in a whisper, as if sharing a terrible secret.

"Well, I remember something. What about it?" Saya replied, polishing her blade.

"One guy, a recruit in the army, suddenly got close to her, and then disappeared. Before that, many people had seen him so in love, inspired. They say that the guy called her his goddess. Everyone attributed it to falling in love... And now, he's gone!"

"What kind of scary bedtime stories are these, Miriel?" Lior's voice interrupted their conversation as he approached, wiping sweat from his brow after training. "I thought you didn't believe in this nonsense."

"Guys disappear after communicating with her. Can this really be attributed to coincidences?" Miriel objected, crossing her arms.

"I agree with Miriel. It's weird," Fenrir agreed, his ears twitching with interest. Kairn nodded silently beside him, his massive arms folded across his chest.

"Okay, maybe you're right. But who cares? No one is investigating this case, besides, she's an aristocrat. Do you think someone will get into her business only to end up in a dungeon?" Lior still stood his ground, adjusting the hilt of his sword.

He didn't even have to wait five seconds before Roan replied with a teasing grin. "That's right, so what about you? What do you mean, you're going to take on this case? You're certainly not going to be captured by that aristocrat."

Lior just rolled his eyes. "Don't take me lightly, I won't do this shit."

"What are you talking about? Would our commander, so brave and proud, suddenly give up on such a trivial matter?"

There was silence. Lior did not like to be taken lightly and ridiculed for his pride and abilities. Roan knew that Lior would not be able to ignore this provocation.

"Tch. Okay. I'll deal with it. But then you'll be begging for a bonus for me."

"Deal," Roan replied with a satisfied grin.

But Lior left, grumbling under his breath. Inwardly, he berated himself for succumbing to the provocation so quickly. Nevertheless, he had work to do and this investigation to pursue.

After a while, Lior already started investigating. To begin with, he decided to follow the aristocrat. In one of the gardens of the king's castle, he noticed her with another man. The man gave her jewels and flowers, and also seemed to pray to her, speaking words like "Oh, my lady, bless me for happiness, may you be my luck."

Lior raised an eyebrow, watching the scene from his hiding place behind a terrace pillar. The man's devotion was unsettling, bordering on religious狂热. 'Did he find God in her?' Lior thought briefly. He remembered the rumors about men taking unnecessary risks after encounters with her—visiting casinos, playing Russian roulette, taking dangerous assignments.

As the man left, the aristocrat stood alone in the garden, examining the jewels with a satisfied smile. Lior continued watching, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, uncertain whether to approach now or continue his surveillance.