Has the knight lady who married into the countryside fallen into depravity today?

The black-robed girl's voice echoed across the sea, cold and devoid of any emotion.

But Ophelia did not move an inch.

She was like a lighthouse nailed to the sea, her long sword never straying from its point despite the howling winds and waves.

The sword's edge was concealed, yet its killing intent was poised to be unleashed.

"I'm sorry," Ophelia said, her voice cutting through the wind, each word clear and distinct.

"We're not going anywhere until we confirm your identity and purpose."

Her clothes billowed in the sea breeze, and her high golden ponytail danced wildly, but in her golden eyes, there was only absolute focus and vigilance.

This is the duty of the Imperial Sword, a principle etched into her very bones.

Never blindly trust any powerful being of unknown origin.

"well?"

The girl in black robes uttered a very soft syllable, like a sigh, yet also carrying a hint of unexpected astonishment.

Her head tilted slightly, the shadow of her hood facing Klein.

An invisible gaze fell upon Klein.

There was no malice in that gaze, but it was filled with a strange searching, as if confirming something.

Or perhaps, she was silently asking, "Was she really this stubborn at this moment?"

Is it just my imagination?

Klein told himself.

She had no idea who this mysterious being was, and there was no reason for her to look at her like that.

Seeing that Klein had no reaction, the girl in the black robe turned her gaze back to Ophelia.

She raised her empty hand, and the light on the cube imprisoning the monster in her palm seemed to dim a little more.

"...The Sword of the Empire"

The girl's voice rang out again, carrying a chilling quality that seemed to freeze time.

"I am... a sage."

A wise man.

These two words fell lightly.

It is even more shocking than a boulder weighing tens of millions of tons crashing into the deep sea.

The sea breeze has stopped.

The waves seemed to freeze for a moment.

Klein's breathing stopped instantly, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat.

A wise man.

In the alchemist's dictionary, this word is the supreme oracle.

That is the pinnacle that countless alchemists could never reach, even if they spent their entire lives trying.

It represents a thorough understanding and control over matter, energy, and even the laws of nature.

Now, the petite girl in black robes before me casually utters this name.

Everything that had seemed unbelievable before suddenly found a reasonable explanation.

Ophelia's fingers tightened uncontrollably as she gripped the sword.

A wise man.

This is not merely a realm of alchemy.

For the people of the empire, this title was a spiritual totem.

There is only one sage in the world, who guides the empire and is the guardian of the royal family.

Even I myself had never met her back then.

Ophelia never imagined that she would one day meet that reclusive being face to face in this way.

A huge information gap instantly widened between them, and its depths were unfathomable.

The girl ignored their shock.

Her gaze was indifferent, as if she had long been accustomed to such reactions.

She simply flicked her sleeve, and an item slid out from it.

The object spun in the air, its ancient texture shimmering faintly in the sea breeze.

Ophelia stared intently.

It was a badge.

On the emblem, ancient imperial totems are meticulously carved, with smooth lines and full of power.

Its material is simple and unadorned, exuding an indescribable sense of the passage of time, carrying the long history of the empire.

A deep blue gemstone is inlaid along the edge of the badge, its interior shimmering with a faint yet profound light.

Ophelia recognized the badge.

The highest credential of the empire.

Supreme authority.

The sage looked at her calmly, the shadow beneath his hood growing even deeper.

"How is it?" Her voice remained cool, but now carried a hint of inquiry.

"Do you believe me now?"

Ophelia did not retract her sword.

But she suppressed her fighting spirit, and that oppressive aura immediately dissipated.

Her eyes struggled between wariness and scrutiny, eventually settling into a complex and profound contemplation.

Klein watched the two locked in a stalemate.

Why is the wise man here?

Why does she hide her appearance?

What is her connection to that imprisoned monster?

Countless questions flooded in like a tide, yet remained unanswered.

But now is not the time to delve into these matters.

"In that case," Klein's voice carried on the sea breeze, breaking the silence on the sea.

"Let's go back to the shore first."

The black-robed girl's hood turned towards Klein again.

She didn't speak, but nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.

That gesture seemed to be an approval of Klein's suggestion.

Ophelia hesitated for a moment, then gave the sage a deep look.

The longsword in her hand emitted a soft clang as she sheathed it again.

Her movements were slow and somewhat reluctant, but in the end, Ophelia nodded.

The three of them headed back towards the coast in the direction they had come from.

The sea stretched out beneath their feet.

Ophelia's fighting spirit surged as she rode the waves.

Each step created tiny splashes of water, like a galloping warhorse, crisp and clean.

Klein continued to communicate with the element of water.

A gentle yet precise lifting force lifted the soles of his feet.

Under his control, a shallow ripple formed on the sea surface, slowly spreading forward as he moved.

Klein moved smoothly and quietly.

He walked almost silently, as if he had become one with the sea.

The girl in the black robe followed closely behind.

Her movements were as light as a feather.

She did not use any arcane power, yet the seawater rose beneath her feet.

A shallow ripple, identical to the one beneath Klein's feet, carried her forward.

She chose the same approach as Klein.

Even the shape and speed of the water waves were almost perfectly synchronized.

Klein was suddenly jolted.

He turned his head and looked at her incredulously.

Her control over the water element was exactly the same as his, or even more refined.

Klein could hardly feel her connection to the water element.

That wasn't guidance; it was more like a natural, seamless integration.

She seemed to be part of the water, rather than "manipulating" it.

Klein's heart was stirred by an unprecedented upheaval.

The girl's communication with the elements is a return to simplicity and authenticity.

It's more like a crushing victory of some kind of talent.

He even suspected that she was just imitating her casually.

Just by seeing my method, she was able to master it instantly and do it even better than me?

This feeling of being completely "copied" or even "surpassed" filled Klein with indescribable horror.

What kind of genius is he?

Or rather, what kind of existence is this?

The three of them continued their journey on the silent sea.

Apart from the howling sea breeze and the crashing waves, there was no conversation.

They maintained the same distance from each other, and neither of them deliberately tried to surpass the other.

It was as if a silent struggle was taking place, or as if they were maintaining some kind of delicate balance.

The sea stretched out beneath their feet, and the distant coastline gradually came into focus.

The beach and rocks appeared hazy in the faint moonlight, obscured by magic.

The nauseating stench in the air had completely dissipated.

Instead, the fresh, salty scent of the sea breeze replaced it.

Night still enveloped the earth, but the oppressive malice had vanished.

Instead, a deeper unknown has emerged.

Klein was filled with doubt.

He looked again at the girl in the black robe beside him; the hood still concealed her face.

He tried to find a clue in that shadow, but found nothing but endless depth.

They moved silently toward the coastline.

The waves crashed against the beach, making rhythmic sounds, as if playing music for this silent return.

Ophelia was the first to step onto the beach.

Her feet landed on the soft sand without making a sound, leaving only slight marks where the sand grains sank.

Then came Klein.

He felt the soft, damp sand beneath his feet, and the support from the elements beneath his feet dissipated.

The sage was the last person to set foot on land.

Her body was as light as a feather, leaving almost no trace on the beach, as if she had stepped on a thin layer of snow without leaving a single footprint.

She stopped and turned around to face Klein and Ophelia.

Her hood still covered her face, but her aloofness and strength remained undiminished.

"Now," her voice rang out again, carrying a calm that seemed to have settled.

"We can talk now."

She gently raised her hand, and the miniature cube imprisoning the monster in her palm shimmered with a faint light.

Inside the cube, the monster composed of twisted black shadows and deep blue liquid was struggling silently.

It futilely crashed against the transparent cage.

It tried to break free of its restraints, but the impenetrable cage remained as still as the void, no matter how hard it tried to break free.