Ch. 28 Investigate The Girl

When Clayton arrived home, it felt as if his soul had been drained from his body. How could he not feel this way? All day, he had forced himself to wear a façade of intimidation, trying to ward off the young lads who admired his 'girlfriend.' At first, he had convinced himself that he wanted to retaliate by making the girl feel uncomfortable by becoming the 'spotlight.' But what he hadn't expected was how much jealousy would burn within him. If he had known the emotional toll this would take, he would never have used a truth spell on the hairpin he gave.

As if that wasn't enough to contend with, Rocco Hall had cornered him and used mind manipulation magic to try to force him into submission. Fortunately, Clayton was quick enough to dodge the manipulation, ensuring he wasn't trapped or discovered as a Realm Knight.

He still didn't understand why the Telekinesis Master had suddenly chosen to test him, continuously probing about his mother. It seemed as if the Hall Master had an ulterior motive, especially after organizing such an extravagant birthday party, only to have his adopted daughter come to pick him up. Clayton's mind whirled with possibilities.

"My son, why did you come home so late? I heard a girl kidnapped you," Lady Hawk called out to him, her voice warm and familiar as she addressed him like a beloved child. It was obvious that all the servants were still present in the house, and she wanted to ensure no one overheard the conversation.

"Ah, that girl is my girlfriend," came the leisurely reply.

"What?" Even though Lady Hawk wasn't Clayton's biological mother, the eight-level Swordmaster was still shocked to hear this revelation. Since when had her young master had a girlfriend? More importantly, what kind of girl could capture the heart of a Realm Knight?

Sensing the need for privacy, Lady Hawk quickly instructed all the servants to leave. She then followed Clayton to a secret room, her curiosity piqued.

"Master Clay, are you serious? Which girl is lucky enough to have won your heart?" she asked, her tone filled with a mix of disbelief and excitement.

"Lucky girl?" Clayton mused bitterly. But the truth was, he was sure that Gwyneth wouldn't see it that way.

"I need you to investigate something," he began, his voice low and serious. "Her name is Gwyneth Hall, the adopted daughter of the Telekinesis Master."

He handed Lady Hawk a magic stone containing two images—both depicting girls with the same hair color. One girl was strikingly beautiful, but her weary eyes suggested a life of hardship. The other was a more plain-looking girl, wearing glasses that hid her eyes behind thick lenses.

Lady Hawk couldn't shake the feeling that these two girls, despite their outward differences, were the same person. She frowned as she studied the image. "Is this girl—" she hesitated, "—is this girl's appearance in the second picture her original form?"

Clay's brows furrowed in confusion. It was understandable. Most people would hide their perceived imperfections, donning false appearances to hide what they deemed unsightly.

"No. The glasses are only meant to conceal her beautiful eyes," Clayton explained, a small smile tugging at his lips as he thought of Gwyneth's hidden beauty.

As Lady Hawk observed her master's affectionate smile, it became clear to her—this was the girl who had captured the heart of the Realm Knight.

"I want you to find out who her biological parents were before she was adopted by the Halls," Clayton continued. "I also need to know what kind of hunter she was and her current strength."

"Understood," Lady Hawk replied, her tone turning serious as she listened intently.

"There's one more thing. I don't know what the Hall's intentions are, but I have a feeling they will try to approach you."

"They've been trying to contact me since last month," admitted the Lady Knight.

"They have?" Clay asked, his interest piqued. "For what purpose?"

"Everyone knows I'm the right-hand commander to the Realm Knight," she explained. "Even the Emperor of White Lily tried to bribe me into meeting with you. I believe the Halls have the same goal in mind."

It was no secret that the Realm Knight was the most powerful knight to ever grace the land of Prosperity, even more powerful than his predecessor. But what few knew was that Realm Knights possessed unique magic—magic that was unlike any elemental magic used by others.

This magic wasn't drawn from the elements of nature, but rather from the elemental spirits that resided in his cobalt-blue eyes. This granted him an extraordinary gift—the ability to see through illusions and detect demonic auras that others couldn't perceive.

The emperor's request to meet with him wasn't entirely without merit. They sought his help to track down spies from the demon clan hiding within the empire. But Clayton was reluctant. Since being exposed to a lethal poison, his eyesight had deteriorated, making it difficult for him to discern the auras of demons from those of ordinary humans. More troubling was the possibility that a demon spy had infiltrated a high position in the empire. He couldn't afford to take the risk of exposing his identity and walking straight into enemy territory.

"Should I meet with them to expedite the investigation into Miss Hall?" Lady Hawk asked.

"No," Clayton replied firmly. "We can't trust anyone too easily. It's best to avoid contact with them for now."

"Understood," Lady Hawk said, bowing her head in acknowledgment.

"You may go."

As she left the secret room, a pair of white wings sprouted from Clayton's upper torso. The wings transformed into a small, ball-shaped monster that resembled Shadow, but this one was white.

"Light, how are you feeling?" Clayton asked, gently cradling the small creature in his arms. Light yawned, struggling to keep its eyes open.

"You're still tired, huh?" Clayton smiled softly. "At least you woke up earlier than I expected."

Clayton thought back to the strange phenomenon he had experienced earlier. Now, in the privacy of his room, he was free to concentrate on his physical restoration. He reflected on the sudden increase in his recovery speed. As Light was bonded to him through a blood contract, their thoughts were connected, and they could communicate silently.

After nearly half an hour of quiet reflection, Clayton's mind began to piece things together.

"The illusion magic that Gwyneth used seems to have triggered a restoration of my strength," he murmured. "And her firm grip helped unblock the meridian points that had been clogged by the poison."

But there was more. When he used his eye magic to delve into her soul, he encountered a strange resistance—a seal that radiated a similar aura to that of a fairy from the upper world.

"This seal... it caused her to lose some of her memories. But why would a fairy seal her memories?" Clayton mused. While the seal had erased part of her recollections, Gwyneth still remembered her biological parents. What had triggered the seal to activate? And why?

"Could Gwyneth be connected to the Space Master?" Clayton wondered aloud. He thought back to their first meeting. Gwyneth had exhibited telekinesis magic, but at crucial moments, she didn't use other forms of magic.

It was strange. Telekinesis was at odds with space manipulation, and such opposing forces could never coexist within the same person. If Gwyneth truly were the Space Master, it was likely she would have died long ago due to the conflict between these powers.

"Gwyneth Hall... who are you?" Clayton asked himself, his heart heavy with confusion and longing. His mind should have been focused on finding the Space Master and protecting him. Yet whenever he thought of Gwyneth's face, he felt an overwhelming urge to risk everything for her.