Chapter: 5

It had already been two weeks since the exam.

Less than three weeks remained until the next one.

During that time, Karina had been steadily building up her inner energy every night through breath circulation and meditation. Because there was a risk that her energy could become distorted if someone interfered, she always slipped out of her room in secret and practiced in the garden behind the building.

The inner energy she accumulated over just two weeks was nearly equal to what she had built up over five years in her previous life.

Just as she had predicted.

The air itself was saturated with an enormous density and quantity of energy. At this rate, she could reach the level of power she once possessed within ten years.

And that was a generous estimate.

To think that a realm which had taken her over sixty years of training in her past life could now be achieved in less than ten…

Isn’t this completely broken?

With that thought, Karina finished her meditation for the night and headed back to her room.

That was when she sensed a presence beside a pillar in the corridor leading to the rooms.

With her inner energy having grown to a certain level, detecting it was easy.

“Instead of lurking in the shadows, why don’t you come out?”

At her sharp question, the person behind the pillar showed himself without any attempt to hide.

Red hair. Red eyes.

Isaac stepped out leisurely, sharp fangs visible, his hands clasped behind his head.

“I didn’t think I’d find someone else who enjoys a midnight stroll besides me.”

“Isaac.”

When she quietly called his name, Isaac grinned.

“You don’t seriously think I’d remember your name, do you?”

“……”

He’s stronger than me.

For now.

There was nothing to gain from clashing with him at this stage.

Thinking that, Karina deliberately ignored Isaac and started walking away.

Isaac spoke casually behind her.

“You. What did you do in that room?”

Karina stopped in her tracks for a split second.

But she quickly regained her composure and turned back with an indifferent expression.

“What are you talking about?”

Her calm—almost apathetic—response made Isaac frown.

“Since that day, your stamina and movements have clearly changed.”

At his sharp observation, Karina snorted.

“All the adoptees here have at least one special ability, don’t they? There’s nothing strange about me awakening one too.”

She tilted her head arrogantly.

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

With that, Karina turned sharply and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Isaac curled his lips into a grin and muttered,

“I wonder what that ability is.”

* * *

It was a morning like any other.

“Kyaaah—!”

Karina’s eyes flew open at a sudden scream.

She sprang up reflexively, assuming a guarded stance as she scanned her surroundings.

Then she frowned at the strange scene before her.

A maid who had entered the room to wake them had apparently seen something shocking and fallen over.

But something felt off.

This familiar scent. This sensation.

The other children, like Karina, woke in confusion and looked around.

Then Isabella, who had been sitting beside the place the maid was staring at, checked something and let out a scream.

“Kyaaaah—!”

Only then did everyone tense up and rise from their beds.

Hesitantly, they approached the spot the maid and Isabella were staring at.

Some of the children gagged and turned away as soon as they saw it.

Ariel rushed over and covered Denian’s eyes.

Just as she thought.

The familiar aura Karina had sensed was—

Death.

At the end of Karina’s gaze lay the grotesque corpse of a boy who had been training with them until yesterday, sprawled atop his bed.

Skin that had turned from bluish to almost black.

Bulging, discolored veins.

Eyes rolled completely white, pink foam clinging to his lips.

The head maid, who seemed to have rushed over after being summoned by another servant, quickly examined the body.

“Poisoning,” she said.

Her frozen gaze turned toward the stunned adoptees.

The suspicion was obvious.

Ariel, panicked and pale, asked,

“Are you saying… one of us did this?”

“It’s a possibility. You are competitors, after all. There have already been similar precedents among the first group of adoptees.”

Ariel fell silent, unable to respond.

“This incident will be reported to the Duke. Harming another candidate outside of the examination process is a clear violation of the rules. Once the culprit is identified, the Duke will punish them severely.”

As she spoke, the head maid’s gaze landed on Isabella, who had been sleeping beside the dead boy.

Startled, Isabella spoke in a trembling voice.

“I-It wasn’t me.”

Seeing her react so nervously, the head maid sighed and looked away.

At that moment, Isabella suddenly pointed at Karina.

“M-Maybe it was Karina!”

All eyes instantly turned to Karina.

She could only stare at Isabella in disbelief.

Instead, Ariel reacted first, startled.

“Isabella! What are you talking about? What did Karina do?”

Isabella glared at Karina and spoke.

“I saw her! Karina disappears every night! She must have gone out to get poison!”

Great. This is getting exhausting.

As Karina let out a sigh, Ariel asked anxiously,

“It’s not true, right, Karina?”

Meeting Ariel’s wavering gaze, Karina scratched her head irritably.

If she denied going out and it later came to light that she’d been sneaking out every night, things would only get worse.

“It’s true that I leave the room at night.”

Ariel covered her mouth in shock.

“See! I told you Karina’s the culprit!”

Isabella shouted triumphantly, as if she’d been waiting for this.

Karina calmly composed her expression.

“Just because I leave the room, does that make me the murderer?”

Isabella lifted her chin stubbornly.

“Leaving every night is suspicious in itself! That’s proof!”

Karina snorted at Isabella’s confident claim.

“Did you ever see me give that boy poison?”

“I didn’t see it, but… y-you never know! You could’ve poisoned him while everyone was asleep!”

At Isabella’s flimsy accusation, Karina folded her arms leisurely.

“If that’s your logic, you look like the more likely suspect. You were right next to him. And the way you’re so eager to pin this on me is suspicious too.”

At Karina’s calm counterargument, Isabella’s face flushed red.

“I-It wasn’t me!”

As Isabella trembled in panic, the head maid stepped in.

“The truth will be determined before the Duke. Let’s end this discussion here.”

With that, she instructed the maids to take care of the body.

Soon, the corpse—covered in a white sheet—was placed on a stretcher and carried out of the room.

Isabella, still glaring at Karina and fuming, stormed out as well.

Ariel then approached hesitantly and spoke awkwardly.

“D-Don’t worry, Karina. The Duke will find the real culprit. I… I believe you.”

Then why are you keeping your distance?

Watching Ariel slowly back away while shielding Denian behind her, Karina let out a hollow laugh.

Well, she couldn’t blame them.

In a place like this—especially in a situation like this—you couldn’t afford to trust anyone.

Karina glanced toward Isaac.

Despite having seen what she was doing outside, Isaac hadn’t said a word.

He simply watched from afar with amused interest.

Karina walked up to Isaac, who was leaning against the wall with his hands clasped behind his head.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Say what?”

Suppressing the urge to punch his smug face, Karina spoke calmly.

“You saw what I was doing outside.”

“Ah, that. Sitting in some weird pose, meditating?”

“Then why didn’t you say so?”

Isaac released his hands and smiled lightly.

“Why would I?”