Chapter 35: Valar
“What does it mean to be strong?”
“Hmm… that question is a bit vague, Miss Silvya. If you’re asking about the Power of Order specifically, it’s all about affinity with the source. The stronger a person’s affinity with the source, theoretically, the stronger their Power of Order will be. I’m sure Carlos has already told you this, right?”
“Yeah.”
Carlos definitely mentioned it, but that guy is pretty lazy and not the best at teaching. He always just gives me the basics, and whenever I try to dig deeper, he brushes me off, saying I’ll understand once I get to the Royal Academy.
So here I am, still only half-knowing what’s going on.
“Affinity with the source is a talent, and talents can’t be honed through training. In that sense, the masked guy you mentioned is at most a third-rate character, but he manages to wield that power exceptionally well. You’re not as good as him in that regard, which is why you find him tricky—at the end of the day, it’s really the experience gap that matters.”
“Hmm—”
I tapped my chin with my finger, tilting my head as I recalled the details of my battle with the masked guy.
He definitely knew what he was talking about.
Compared to the masked dude’s caution, I’m more of a “charge-in-without-a-plan” type. I just throw Ice Mist at the enemy like confetti, rarely considering timing or conserving my Power of Order.
But not the masked guy. His Wind Order was always used just right. Even though his affinity with the source could barely be called third-rate and he couldn’t create a strong offense with it, he still caused me a lot of hassle.
Plus, I was trying to keep the nearby residents safe, so I didn’t dare unleash my Frost Order fully, which meant I lost my biggest advantage. No wonder I was so passive in that fight.
Otherwise, it would’ve been over in two seconds.
Thinking about it this way highlights the gap between me and the masked guy. His affinity with the source is probably miles ahead of mine; he just thinks way more about how to use his abilities than I do.
If someone like him is third-rate, what about the elites?
“What’s it like at the top?”
“Ah, the first-rate ones… they’re the ones who have reached their limits. They typically have innate talents; not many people have that. For Wind Order, I can think of only two: one is the legendary Sword Saint Ryan, and the other—you’ll meet her in the Order Royal City.”
Her? A female?!
“Who is she?”
“She’s the Queen of Ethanbel, Elizabeth II, and also a Pope Knight.”
The Queen of Ethanbel? That sounds vaguely familiar… I remember Aili idolizes her.
“Is she really that strong?”
“Absolutely impressive.”
“Why are you two babbling about this nonsense? What are we going to do about Peilo… is it even possible to catch the person who tried to assassinate her?”
Catherine, impatient as always, interrupted, clearly done with our detours.
She’s just a regular person, not interested in this Power of Order nonsense or any hierarchy. All she cares about is Peilo’s safety. Three years ago, she vanished without a trace, lost her memory, and then when she finally returns, bam! First day and she gets attacked. It’s too suspicious to ignore; it has to be connected.
If we catch that assassin, maybe we’ll finally get some answers. That’s the priority right now.
“Don’t worry, I think I know who the assassin is.”
I caught a glint of ominous coldness in the Duke’s eyes.
“Who?”
Catherine’s eager expression was almost comical, but the Duke wasn’t in a rush to answer. Instead, he turned his gaze back to me.
“Wind Order, heh. Miss Silvya, do you remember that hunter named Valar from the workshop this morning?”
I tilted my head in thought and slowly shook it.
“Don’t remember.”
Valar? Who the heck is that?
Did I see this person during the day? Nothing rings a bell…
“Valar? Isn’t he the captain of your team?” The Duke’s wife gasped, her beautiful eyes almost popping out, “Are you saying… no way, he’s been with you for how many years? You suspect him?”
“Catherine, you usually don’t worry about these things, so you might not be aware. Valar is quite ambitious, a bit too willful for my taste. I only let him lead the Shanter Army’s first team, guarding the crucial workshop warehouse because of our past connection. He has been dedicated over the years, but he likely harbors some resentment towards me.”
So who the heck is this guy?
Maybe seeing my confused expression sparked a realization in the Duke, and he smiled at me.
“Remember when I chased a hunter out at Pagos?”
Suddenly, it clicked.
Oh, that annoying guy who kicked Lucas a few times! He was trying to talk to me back then, but I didn’t like his attitude, so I ignored him.
“If it’s him, swiping a weapon out of the warehouse would be like taking candy from a baby. That guy’s clever enough to know not to use his own weapons… such a traitor.”
PS: This chapter isn’t the smoothest. I’m sending out a short one first, and I’ll revise the next one later this evening. Also, I started a QQ group yesterday, group number 107938027, come join the fun!
