Chapter 25: Chapter 25

??? POV 

The individual who was instructed to observe and investigate the boy that we encountered recently is now present before me, kneeling in a respectful and attentive manner. He is not looking at me, but rather at the ground, remaining perfectly still. Perhaps this is due to the fact that he has been with me for a longer period of time than many of the others, or it could be due to some other reason. His behavior and actions do not suggest fear, but rather a sense of respect and admiration.

If given the opportunity, I would like to bring this individual with me upon the successful completion of this mission. It would be a great benefit to have someone with such exceptional skills and unwavering loyalty by my side. Unfortunately, if it is not possible for him to join me, it would be a disappointment, but I am hopeful that he will be able to come along.

"Have you done what I asked." 

He shifts his head from a downward position to one of direct eye contact, maintaining a kneeling posture. He nods in confirmation stating, "It is as you surmise; that boy is truly gifted." Upon being given permission, He stands up and further comments, "I would even go so far as to say that he is far more gifted than the other astounded children we have our eyes on."

With the same demeanor, he continued his statement, noting that while he had been following the boy for an extended period, the boy had repeatedly turned his gaze towards his location, seemingly aware of his presence. This had struck him as peculiar. He wondered how the boy was able to sense his presence when his parents were unable to do so.

Due to the extraordinary sensory abilities of the boy, it was necessary to maintain a distant viewpoint while observing him. Upon further observation, a second boy with similar abilities was also noticed in close proximity to the first. Although not as exceptional as the first boy, this second individual possessed exceptional abilities as well. Without receiving specific instruction to do so, he had decided to also monitor and investigate both of these gifted individuals.

"Good, continue with your investigation and feel free to bring along any necessary individuals to assist you with your task."

I instructed him to return to observing the two boys, emphasizing the need for increased caution when dealing with the first boy, who has consistently demonstrated on surprising me since our initial encounter at the bridge.

ASH'S POV 

It is uncertain when the feeling began, but at some point prior, I had the sensation of being followed. Despite attempting to identify the source of this unsettling feeling on multiple occasions, the individual responsible proved to be highly proficient in tracking and investigation. I ultimately decided to let the matter be, as we were not attempting to conceal anything.

Although I had initially chosen to disregard the uncomfortable feeling that arose from being watched by him, I ultimately found it extremely frustrating and asked my parents to hasten our return to the inn. Leaving me in a state that resembled that of a child who implores their parents to go home.

As we reach the inn It appears that the noble girl from earlier has now approached us and is questioning us in our current situation. I had initially believed that the surprise of our previous encounter would prevent us from seeing each other again in the near future. However, it seems that her determination and persistence have led to this unexpected encounter. It is possible that she is unaware of the potential consequences of her actions, or perhaps her persistence stems from a lack of understanding. Regardless, she has chosen to wait for us at the front of the inn upon our return.

I am at a loss for words and actions due to the unexpected behavior exhibited by the individual in question. Their demeanor towards me appears to be one of anger, and they are directing this behavior solely towards me while ignoring everyone else present, including their maid. This is a significant deviation from their previous behavior towards me, causing me to be taken aback in surprise.

I do not know who she is, and her to me as well. Nor am I familiar with her motivations. It is uncertain what she desires from me, but it is probable that her intentions are not benign. My mother intervenes by standing in front of me and addressing the noble girl with a measured and controlled tone, while exhibiting curiosity. She says, "Is there an issue, miss?" It is evident that my mother is suppressing her true feelings in an effort to be polite towards the noble girl.

The girl, however, does not acknowledge my mother's presence or respond to her question. She maintains a fixed gaze on me with an expression of anger. The maid tries to intervene due to the extreme rudeness of the girl's behavior, but is prevented from doing so by a stern look from her master.

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She approaches me with the same graceful demeanor as when I first saw her. She deftly avoids my mother, who was in her path, and stands directly in front of me, looking up at me due to my slightly greater height. She simply gazes at me, evaluating my outward appearance rather than delving into my inner self or attempting to gauge my strength as she had done previously. It appears that she has learned from her prior error.

I am at a loss for words in this peculiar situation in which I find myself. I am being scrutinized as if I am a rare relic from an ancient civilization. From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, I am thoroughly examined without a single detail being overlooked. The girl in question then steps back and nods in confirmation, as if they have completed a great task or project.

"Pray tell, how did you manage to accomplish that?" the girl inquires with a commanding inflection. I stared at her in bewilderment, as I have no understanding of what she is referring to. It is possible that she is referring to the instance when I thwarted and retaliated against her attempt to evaluate me, but I tilt my head in confusion, hoping she would elaborate on her meaning.

"Please do not regard me in such a manner. I am confident that you are aware of what I am referring to."

Her anger intensifies even further, despite her efforts to conceal it from others. My eyes, on the other hand, can discern her true emotions. "If you are referring to the time that you attempted to delve and view my personal self, I can assure you that I am just as unaware as you are." 

As her anger dissipates, she chuckles and then erupts into a loud laugh that catches everyone in the vicinity off guard. Despite the surprise, I and those around me are startled by the unexpected display of mirth. When her laughter subsides, she declares, "Alice, let us depart. We have far more important matters to attend to."

And depart she does, without so much as a backward glance, with her maid following closely behind. I gaze at my mother with a puzzle expression, unable to provide an explanation for the strange events that had just taken place. My mother simply looks at me and the girl in rapid succession, her confusion evident. It had been a confusing and troubling day, filled with unexpected occurrences ranging from a stalker to a noble girl. I fervently hope that this would be the end of the strange events.

"So um, do we head inside" I attempt to refocus the situation and return to the reason for our visit. I enter the building, hoping that the others will also choose to disregard the previous incident and follow suit. Sack enters first, followed by his mother, with my mother following closely behind.

It is possible that my refusal to answer any questions or my hastiness in changing the topic has led to my mother taking the lead and heading towards Luna. I follow behind, with Sack by my side and Claire walking alongside my mother. As we arrive, we observe that Luna is currently assisting a customer, so we decide to wait until she has finished before approaching her.

It took no longer than five minutes for the customer to be dealt with by her. Once the task was completed, we all approach her, with my mother waving in greeting. "Hello again, everyone," Luna greets us in a similar manner, waving. I also greet her with a simple "hello," as does my mother, and Sack. Claire, on the other hand, embraces Luna in a tight hug, as if it's her first time meeting once again.

"How did you all find your experience exploring the city, particularly for the two of you as it was your first time here?"

While posing her question, the individual in question gestured towards Sack and myself simultaneously, smiling as she completed her statement. This action was not intended to be mocking, but rather was a surprise reaction to our unexpected return. It was clear that our arrival had not been anticipated, but unforeseen events had resulted in our presence.

As all present, save for Luna, look upon me with expressions of contempt, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It may have been my fault that we had to return prematurely, but let's not forget the true culprit: the stalker. It was he who caused these circumstances to unfold as they did. Let us not forget to place the blame where it truly belongs.

Listen, I know my ideas are as solid as a rock and my thoughts are organized like a perfectly alphabetized library. But let's be real, it's not like anyone is going to take my word for it. So I'll just go with the flow and let people think I got bored mid-travel instead of trying to convince them that I haven't turned into a crazy old codger just yet. After all I am not even in the double digits just yet.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that things didn't exactly go according to plan," my mother says with a wry smile.

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