Golden Haired Fairy

"Are you sure this was the place?" Lady Myre asked.

She and Shing were currently flying over the Dark Elven village, scanning below and paying close attention to every possible detail. They scrutinized every house, every citizen walking down the road. Yet, nothing "special" stood out. Everything looked painfully normal for some reason.

In contrast, the man who accompanied them seemed calm and unwavering in his confidence.

"Yes. This was definitely the place. Follow me. I'll show you where I last spotted them. They couldn't have gotten very far."

They descended toward the alleyway from earlier, ensuring they remained undetected by employing several camouflage skills. For individuals of their strength, avoiding notice wasn't a challenge—especially considering the general weakness of most beings in this realm.

"And you're certain someone managed to see through your camouflage skill?" Lady Myre asked.

"Yes," the man replied, his tone firm. "They even called out to me repeatedly. They clearly knew I was watching them… I'm confident it's the anomaly. No one should be able to see through my disguise in this realm. It makes no sense. They would need to be at least at the second floor, and even then, it would be an immense challenge. However, they didn't even seem to try. It was as if my skill wasn't active in the first place."

Lady Myre shook her head slightly, staying silent for a moment. She wanted to fully grasp the situation before forming an opinion. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had a strong suspicion about who Shing's lackey had encountered. But she could only hope she was wrong.

"And what did the individuals look like? Specifically, the one who saw through your disguise," she finally asked.

"The one who spotted me appeared to be a fairy—a race supposedly extinct. That was why I began observing them in the first place. I couldn't fathom how someone like her could still exist."

A fairy…? Then, is it not her? Lady Myre thought. The individual she suspected was certainly not a fairy by any means. Could something have happened in the years she was gone from this world? After all, Varkul affirmed she would accompany the chosen one.

Lady Myre locked eyes with the lackey and asked, "What did she look like?"

"I was too far away to see much, but her hair was definitely golden—radiantly so. Beyond that, I couldn't tell. I didn't want to get closer and risk putting myself in danger."

Shing burst into laughter, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "You were scared of a being stuck in the first realm? Are you serious?"

"You don't understand," the lackey insisted, his voice tense. "At first, I thought the same as you. But the more I watched, the more I felt an unsettling sensation—like a warning. It wasn't just fear; it was instinct, telling me she could defeat me with a fraction of her power. And that was without her exuding any aura. It was unlike anything I've ever felt."

Shing frowned, his amusement fading. Meanwhile, Lady Myre remained silent, analyzing the information.

Golden hair… it has to be her. And the fact that he was afraid to approach her makes sense. She's undoubtedly weakened from being in the first realm for so long, her power largely sealed. But even diminished, her presence is enough to intimidate. It has to be her.

Lady Myre inhaled deeply, bracing herself for the implications. Finding Isla meant she'd also found the person she had been searching for. But it also meant Shing and his lackey could not, under any circumstances, learn the truth about the Mythical Evolution System's holder.

I need to get rid of him… she thought grimly.

However, she knew violence was a last resort. A fight between beings of their caliber in the lower realm would not only disrupt the delicate balance but could also endanger countless lives.

"So, this is where you last saw them?" Lady Myre asked as she landed in the alleyway.

"Yes," the lackey confirmed, pointing toward a trashcan. "They were hiding behind that, ensuring no one spotted them."

"And the one with the fairy? What did they look like? Was the fairy protecting them?" Lady Myre asked as she crouched near the trashcan, examining the area for clues.

"I saw a small dragon, barely a few years old," the lackey replied.

Lady Myre nodded, her mind working rapidly. "And where do you think they went? I can't sense their presence anywhere."

"I'm not sure. They likely left right after I did. They wouldn't be foolish enough to stay here knowing a higher being was aware of them. Still, they couldn't have gone far—it took me less than ten minutes to bring you here."

Lady Myre fell silent again, trying to imagine Isla's thought process. Where would she go? Running through the village is too dangerous, but staying in the open is worse. They'd need a place hidden even from higher beings' spells. But is there such a place in this village?

Her gaze drifted upward as she hovered slightly above the alley to get a better view. Then, it struck her—the Corrupted Tree. It was the only logical hiding place. Its unique properties would cloak their presence from even advanced detection skills.

Does she really think killing a Catalyst this early is wise? If they succeed, they'll draw every higher being's attention. That's the last thing we need.

"What do you think?" Shing's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Lady Myre maintained a neutral expression, careful not to betray her thoughts. "I'm not sure where they could have gone. We should split up to cover more ground. What do you think?"

"Hm… yes. If what he said is true, we need to find that fairy before anyone else. I'll call in reinforcements to speed up the search."

"Good idea," Lady Myre replied, masking her internal turmoil. Should I assist them now, or wait until they defeat the Catalyst and intervene afterward?

The decision weighed heavily on her as she prepared for what was to come.