Devourer's Legacy: I Regressed With The Primordial Crest
Chapter 83: Infiltration (2)

Chapter 83: Infiltration (2)

The first was a man in his forties with graying hair and the lean, weathered build of someone who spent most of his time on horseback. His clothes were practical traveling gear—leather boots worn smooth from countless miles, a dark cloak that had seen better days, and a sword at his hip whose grip was polished from frequent use.

Renard activated his Prajna ability immediately, golden text shimmering into view above the stranger.

[Name: Aldric Aster]

[Zone: Master]

[Blood Crest: Silver Talon]

[Crest Abilities: ??]

The familiar frustration settled in his chest. He still couldn’t penetrate the crest abilities of Master-zone targets, but knowing the man’s blood crest was information enough. Judging by it, the man must be a ranger fighter.

He shifted his gaze to the second figure, and his breath caught—not from fear this time, but from genuine intrigue.

[Name: ???]

[Zone: Master]

[Blood Crest: ????]

[Crest Abilities: ??]

’Interesting.’

Complete concealment, even at the Master zone. That shouldn’t be possible with his current abilities, yet here it was—a person whose very identity seemed to resist his ability.

She was tall and pale, with short-cropped silver hair that caught the light like polished metal. A black robe draped her frame, but what truly captured Renard’s attention was the staff she carried. The wooden shaft was dark heartwood, polished to an almost mirror finish, but it was the crystal crowning its peak that made him study her more intently.

A beast core.

And judging by the way it pulsed with so much essence within, it was definitely not from a weak creature,

Most mages relied on their own internal essence to power their spells, but using a staff with an embedded beast core allowed them to cast magic far beyond their natural limits.

There were two functionalities that the beast core in the staff supported.

One, it amplified the power of the spell.

And the other was that the core acted like a secondary reservoir of power itself, storing the additional essence. It was an expensive tool – only successful mages could afford cores from powerful creatures.

’She must be pretty high in position.’

Renard deduced from his observation.

The sister from the Orphanage hurried out to greet the visitors, leaving the children alone in the dining hall. Through the windows, they could see her bowing respectfully to the two strangers and gesturing toward the building.

"The lady has a fancy stick," Zameena whispered, curiosity mixing with nervousness in her voice. "Do you think she’s a real mage?"

"Probably," Renard replied, keeping his own voice low and uncertain. "People like that usually are."

The three adults talked for several minutes in the courtyard. Renard couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could guess. Sister would be explaining each child’s background, their supposed abilities, and any special circumstances. The mage would be evaluating them, deciding if they were worth the investment.

Finally, Sister returned to the dining hall with the two strangers behind her.

"Children, these are Brother Aldric and Sister Veil from the Monastery of Silent Learning," she announced. "They’ve come to take our three students to begin their education."

Brother Aldric smiled at the assembled children, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. "We’re pleased to meet you all," He greeted all the children and then looked at the three who were practically standing separate from the group.

"Sister had told us about you guys. Zameena, Kai, and Ray – are you ready for your new adventure?"

Sister Veil remained silent, but her sharp eyes moved slowly across the three chosen children. She studied each of them with the calculating gaze of someone evaluating livestock.

Her grip on the staff shifted slightly, and Renard caught a brief flicker of light from the beast core as it responded to her touch.

The core was active, which meant she was using some kind of spell right now. Renard wasn’t sure what spell she was using or whether he should be worried, for now he decided to keep up with the act.

After a few moments of silent observation, Sister Veil gave Brother Aldric a small nod. Whatever she’d been looking for, she’d apparently found it satisfactory.

"Excellent," Brother Aldric said. "If you’ll gather your belongings, we can begin our journey. It’s a long way to the monastery, it’s better to leave as early as possible."

The next few minutes were a blur of activity. The three children retrieved their small bundles of possessions while Sister distributed traveling rations and water skins. The other orphans gathered to say their goodbyes, hugging and making promises to remember each other.

Renard played his part perfectly, accepting tearful hugs from children he’d barely spoken to and promising to write letters he’d never send. Inside his shirt, Boa remained motionless, understanding that discovery now would ruin everything.

Finally, it was time to leave.

The carriage was larger inside than it appeared from the outside, with cushioned benches that could seat six people comfortably. Brother Aldric took the seat beside the driver while Sister Veil sat across from the three children, her staff resting against her shoulder within easy reach.

As the carriage began to move, Renard caught one last glimpse of Sister standing in the doorway of the orphanage. Her face was carefully neutral, but he could see the guilt in her eyes. She knew where she was sending the children to but she couldn’t do anything.

She knew that refusing House Aster’s requests would mean the end of her orphanage. Dozens of other children would suffer if the funding stopped coming. It was a terrible choice, but it was the choice she’d made.

The carriage rumbled through the gates of the orphanage and onto the mountain road that led away from the territory of House Valor. Zameena and Kai pressed their faces to the windows, watching the familiar landscape disappear behind them.

Renard sat back in his seat and closed his eyes, pretending to rest.

"Nervous?" Brother Aldric asked, glancing back at the three children.

"A little," Kai admitted. "But excited too. I’ve never been away from home before."

"You’ll love the monastery," Brother Aldric assured him. "It’s a place of learning and growth. You’ll discover abilities you never knew you had."

That part, at least, was true. The children taken to the Silent Monastery did discover new abilities – usually moments before those abilities killed them.

Sister Veil spoke for the first time since entering the carriage. Her voice was crisp and businesslike, with the tone of someone used to being obeyed without question.

"It will take a week for us to reach the Silent Monastery, you guys can rest till then."

That was all she said.

The three of them nodded to her nervously, while Renard started thinking about Kasim.

’He is really good at it.’

Renard was really getting anxious, wondering whether he was really watching over him.

Nevertheless, the rescue mission had officially begun.

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