The walk back to the inn was a quiet and quick one, Seraphina wasted no time in the streets of Vesta as she had plans she wanted to accomplish before night came.
She had gained much from her visit to Lorian's mansion— valuable knowledge, access to a rudimentary method, and perhaps most importantly, insight into the location of the Velk family's Tier-2 method.
Though the Velk Guard Method was basic, it would suffice for her purposes for now. She could share it with the group in the slums, allowing them to train and grow into something more useful— after that, she could even find a way to get the Tier-2 method.
If it came down to it, she wasn't against the idea of stealing it or taking it by force when she had enough power. Though she knew it would take time and careful guidance before she could do such a thing.
When she finally reached the inn, the warm glow of the common room greeted her. Samuel and Edwin were at their usual spot, the former lounging lazily with a drink in hand while the latter sat upright, scanning a document with a focused expression.
Samuel noticed her first, his usual grin stretching wide as he waved her over.
"Well, well, welcome back finally. What grand adventures have you been on today?"
Seraphina slipped into a seat across from him, her violet eyes glinting faintly in the dim light.
"Errands."
She said simply, pouring herself a glass of water.
"Errands."
Samuel repeated with mock disbelief.
"That's all you ever say. One of these days, you're going to have to let us in on your little schemes."
Edwin glanced up from his document, his silver eyes meeting hers.
"You've been busy."
He said, his tone neutral but probing— yet he didn't force her to speak about it.
"I have."
Seraphina admitted, taking a sip of her drink— juice.
"And so have you, it seems."
Edwin nodded, setting the document aside.
"The guild is in an uproar. The forest's activity is becoming impossible to ignore. Monsters are encroaching on trade routes, and there's been another sighting of the hooded figures. The guild is calling for more patrols and even offering bounties for information."
Seraphina frowned slightly, the forest was becoming a bigger issue than she hoped it would— but she expected it to get worse. The only issue she faced was the lack of information, she, just like the guild, had no clue what was going on in the forest.
Samuel leaned forward, his smirk replaced by a more serious expression.
"You're not thinking of heading there, are you?"
"Not yet."
She said, her tone firm— she was no fool to run head first into the unknown.
"There's still much to prepare for before I even consider it."
Samuel nodded slowly, though his gaze lingered on her, curiosity evident in his eyes. Seraphina ignored it, finishing her drink before excusing herself.
Upstairs in her room, Seraphina locked the door behind her and sank into a chair by the window. She closed her eyes and entered her mental space almost instantly, her eyes shifting over the countless shelves— stopping only on the serpent shelf.
She moved closer and found a lot more books added, tons of rudimentary methods, and even the method she was here for— the Velk Guard Method.
She opened it, her violet eyes scanning the text as she quickly read through it. The method was simple, designed to train soldiers in the basics of aura sensing and physical enhancement— at best they could reach a rank 1 knight, but even that would be hard.
It wasn't as polished or effective as the Shinster Method, but it would serve as a stepping stone for her group— the main thing she was focused on was the growth it could bring.
Once she had memorized the contents of the book, she slipped out of the mental space and began to make a copy of it, writing down the information on a few blank pages she had bought.
She didn't copy it properly, she purposefully left out things that weren't needed, diagrams that didn't aid the method, and even removed the flair from the text. All she left was the useful information— the parts they could use to train.
Finally, after what felt like hours of writing, she completed making one copy of the method— feeling slightly mentally drained from the number of times she had to reenter the mental space to ensure she didn't make any mistakes.
Once she was finished, she saved the book away safely and went to bed— not to rest but to reenter the mental space once more.
When she reached the designated shelf, her focus was now on the rudimentary methods she had collected— nearby, the incomplete knight method she had been working on pulsed faintly, its pages slowly filling with the fragments she had fused into it over the past week.
"Let's see what we can do."
Seraphina murmured to herself, placing the Velk Guard Method next to the incomplete manual. She focused, her mind reaching out to initiate the fusion— the process was slow, each fragment of knowledge blending with the others to form a more cohesive whole.
After what felt like hours, she stepped back, her mental energy drained but satisfied. The incomplete manual had grown once more, its text and diagrams becoming clearer.
It was still far from perfect, but it was progress— it was now above Tier-1 maybe even on par with Tier-2 methods.
The following morning, Seraphina rose early and made her way to the slums with a bag slung over her shoulder. This bag contained more supplies she had purchased, as well as the copy of the Velk Guard Method she had painstakingly transcribed the night before.
The group was waiting for her when she arrived, their faces lighting up at the sight of her.
"Good morning."
She said, setting the bag down on the table.
"I've brought more supplies, for training— and something else."
She pulled out the copy of the Velk Guard Method, placing it on the table as she did.
"This is a knight training method."
As she spoke, the group instantly straightened up and stared at the book— some with eyes of greed and others of disbelief.
"It's basic, merely a Tier-1, but it will give you the foundation you need to grow stronger. If you follow it diligently, you'll begin to sense aura and enhance your physical capabilities."
The group listened to her with a sense of awe, they could hardly believe their eyes and ears. They couldn't believe that someone would refer to a knight method as a 'mere tier-1' or even call it basic. People like them— even commoners better than them— would never have the chance to come across such a thing.
Yet, they saw this girl before they referred to it so casually as if it was nothing. They couldn't dare to imagine just how deep she was if this was nothing to her— what was special?
It was a deliberate part of Seraphina's plan, her words carefully chosen to shape their perception of her power.
"You're giving this to us?"
The sharp-eyed woman asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
"Yes."
Seraphina replied.
"But this isn't a gift. It's an investment. I expect results."
The older man with the weathered face nodded slowly, his gaze steady.
"We won't let you down."
"Good. Your training starts today. I'll guide you through the basics, but the rest will be up to you."
As the group gathered around the table, eager to begin, Seraphina felt a flicker of satisfaction. Her plans were falling into place, and the seeds of progress were beginning to take root.