In some lands near Tiana's palace, the allied soldiers were expanding, pushing east and west, then drawing new borders—because this land was now theirs. Judging by their numbers, it was clear that most of them were here for one purpose: expansion.
Farther away, inside the palace, some knights were looting expensive accessories, others were eating, and some lay sprawled across the wide rooms. But in one of the larger chambers, the commanders had gathered, discussing an important matter while maps and documents were spread out before them.
"We succeeded in our first conquest. We need to strike again quickly before they reinforce themselves," said the dark-skinned knight, Oxort.
"Yes, we can't delay. We have to keep crushing them before they regain their footing," Lumis added.
"Their reinforcements arrived this morning, so we'll need to plan our next battle carefully."
"I don't think their numbers are close to ours yet."
"I don't care about numbers. What worries me are those two heroes. If they're in the same place, they'll be a huge problem for us. And we still don't have a way to deal with them," Oxort muttered.
"Right. And even separating them would be difficult. Oh—what about a split assault? That would scatter their army again."
"An attack on unfamiliar terrain?" one of the officers asked.
And so the discussion continued. It seemed their next goal was to crush Yarum's soldiers quickly before they could recover. The war was getting fiercer this time, and it looked like the battles ahead would be even harsher. But far from the fighting and the planning, back in the camp, tension was rising—and the identity of the spy still hadn't been revealed. No one knew anything—except for one person.
It was her. Sabrina... Should I tell them? I'm sure it's her. God, this is insane. I don't know what to do. And what if they ask me for proof? Should I tell them what happened in the past? Ugh, I'm so lost. But I really want to report her. I'm certain—yes, if there's a spy, it has to be her. It's obvious.
But what if she targets me? Okay, I could take her down easily now. But what if she's hiding her true power? Then I'd be putting myself in serious danger. But come on—if she had hidden power, she wouldn't be a spy in the first place, right? Whatever. I'm anxious and confused. Things have gotten way too weird.
I was lying down beneath the trees, a cool breeze brushing against me, hidden away from the sunlight, soaking in the quiet far from the camp's noise. It was a beautiful moment. Birds chirping, cool grass, everything was perfect. So perfect I found myself thinking about quitting this war and going back to the palace. I really can't take this life anymore.
There are just too many annoying and exhausting things. Maybe going back to the palace and living as an adventurer who sells the resources he gathers would be much better. At least it's less chaotic than this mess. Yeah, way better. Ugh, wars? Who knew they were this bad. Not gonna lie, the adventure arc was so much better. I had fun there. I miss it, honestly. But here in war, everything's just frustrating.
Or maybe I'm just saying that because I couldn't surpass Tom? I don't know, I just don't like this life. And there are so many problems. Now there's a spy, and I know who it is, but I'm too scared to say anything. Everything's only getting worse. But I don't think I should give up now. I still have a goal—not just to surpass Tom or to become number one, but to bring victory to this kingdom.
I mean, imagine if it fell. What would happen to us—the ones who fought beside it all this time? We'd probably be executed or something. That's why I have to accept this life and stop acting like an NPC. Ever since I opened my eyes in this world, I've been complaining. First, I was in the palace—I left. Then Iveleth—I left. Then Yavan—left that too. And now I want to abandon this war?
I need to start focusing on one thing and stop quitting. But it's hard. It reminds me of my past life. I used to start playing a game, then switch to another one without finishing. It annoyed me so much. So I shouldn't repeat the same mistake here. That excessive desire to keep switching—it's harmful sometimes. I need to focus on one thing. And right now, that's this war.
To do that, I need to focus on success. Which means I have to expose Sabrina. Yeah, I have to do it! Damn, this NPC life is evolving in such an illogical and unexpected way. It's hard to keep up. You'd think, "It's just an NPC's life, what could possibly happen?" But no one would expect all of this to happen. Still, the only thing I can do is force myself to adapt and become part of it.
God, this place is amazing. Just look at the beauty. Not gonna lie, I'm a big fan of nature. It's unbelievable how gorgeous this place is. Honestly, nature is the best thing in this world right now. And this is just a forest. Imagine if I left this kingdom and traveled to see the natural wonders—now that would be epic. Oh! I just remembered!
"Thalesa! Let's try the new form!!" I shouted as I jumped up.
"All right, all right. You have a new form and two abilities. The form is your fifth one: The Sharp Wand. It's a very short blade, kind of like a wand. It increases the speed and fluidity of casting abilities."
"Okay, let's try it... The Sharp Wand!"
A glowing blue light burst from Astral Sword, and its shape changed. It really did look like a wand—but with a thin, sharp blade. Its handle was blue with some engravings and a round blue gem. It looked cute and very small—about the size of a knife. Definitely not ideal for combat. Okay, let's test it.
"Water Slash!"
The cast was indeed fast, and its formation was much smoother than the other forms. Yeah, I think it's a good form to boost attack speed and casting flow. But I probably won't use it much. I prefer forms that increase power. Now let's try the abilities.
"What about the abilities?"
"You have two: Blue Moon and Waven. Both are quite useful."
"All right, let's see…"
"Blue Moon!!"
Suddenly, my sword didn't release anything—but a glowing blue orb appeared above me, like a moon. It followed me as I moved, hovering overhead for a while before eventually disappearing. What was the point of that?
"This is actually one of the most useful abilities out of the eight you currently have. After the moon appears, any magical attack or effect will be weakened. And fire magic specifically won't affect you at all—the moon creates an aura that protects you from it. Remember, I said fire magic only."
"Not bad. It would've been better if it blocked all magic, not just weakened it. Okay, what about the second ability?"
"It's called Waven—a small wave with powerful impact that targets the ground, meaning the enemy's feet. You can knock anyone down if they're touching the ground."
"Waven!"
And sure enough, a small wave shot out across the ground. Its speed was decent, but I didn't get to see its power since it didn't hit anything. Still, not bad. At least I'm making progress. But I need more—more strength to crush these fucking soldiers. At the same time, I shouldn't rely too much on Astral Sword. But this is war... I guess I'll have to postpone training on harmony for now.
◆ ◆ ◆
Back in the camp, Vinnel was organizing the reinforcements who had arrived that morning. Analysts and strategists were gathered in the largest tent. Tom was training with some of the warriors, and Stephanie was sitting with a few priestesses who were trying to talk to her and get to know her better. But Stephanie seemed shy and didn't speak to anyone.
Laos emerged from one of the nearby forests and entered the camp just as the noise hit him—shouting soldiers, a group fighting over a piece of meat. He walked further in and headed toward the reinforcements, who were busy following Vinnel's orders.
Okay, this is the moment. I have to tell him everything I know. But I won't mention anything about the past—that would make him suspicious of me too. I mean, how would I know all this information for months and say nothing? That would put me right in the middle of the suspect list. As I got closer, I glanced at Sabrina. She was sitting calmly, reading a book and smoking her pipe. Suddenly, she looked straight at me!!
I quickly looked away. Oh God, that was terrifying. Those eyes… they were horrifying. Her gaze—it was like the devil's eyes. Should I tell him? Damn, I'm still hesitating. And more than that, I'm anxious. Ughhh. Fuck you, just talk already, you dumb. Even if she's hiding some kind of power, there's no way she can defeat all of us now. I'll make sure we kill her so she doesn't escape and come after me later.
"Vinnel, I've got something to say… about the spy," I said.
"The spy? Soldiers, I'll be right back!"
We stepped into one of the tents, just the two of us. That's when the anxiety really hit me. It felt like I was about to reveal the biggest secret in history. A secret that could shake an entire world, not just a random piece of intel that might be wrong. Vinnel waited for me to speak, but I froze, making him lose patience.
"Well? Spit it out!"
"I think the spy is Sabrina."
"Sabrina? Do you have any proof?"
"No, but I suspect her. Strongly. Go talk to her if you want—and keep an eye on her even if she denies it. I know I'm right."
He gave me a strange look, then silence. After a long pause, he left the tent. I followed him out and saw him head straight for Sabrina. Whoa, hold on! Damn, things are moving fast. What's going to happen now? No, I won't get close—I'll just watch from afar. Yooo, this is hilarious and terrifying at the same time. I feel like I just started a war. Yohohoho!
Vinnel approached Sabrina, seemingly following Laos' words to the letter. She sat calmly, smoking her pipe and reading a book—like she always did. But now, someone was walking toward her, questioning her entire identity—whether she was truly with Yarum or not. When Vinnel reached her, he gave her a look and said: "Sabrina, are you the spy leaking our plans to the enemy?"
"Excuse me… why would you think that?" Sabrina replied coolly, closing her book.
"Because you're probably the only one skilled enough to communicate over long distances with that owl of yours."
"That has nothing to do with it. My owl only communicates with the council."
"Good. I hope you're not the spy. But just so you know, you'll be under strict surveillance in this camp," Vinnel said as he turned to leave.
"Don't worry… I won't give you the trouble of watching me," Sabrina whispered with a smile, raising her hand and pointing toward Vinnel's back.
"VINNNNELLL!!!" Laos suddenly shouted.
In that instant, violet flames burst from Sabrina's hand toward Vinnel's back—but he vanished, dodging the attack in time and reappearing elsewhere. He quickly drew his sword, Laos also rushed forward to his side, gripping Astral Sword. And in front of them stood the witch, staring at them with eyes that Laos found terrifying—deep, violet eyes that seemed to radiate pure malice.
"You exposed me… but you'll never catch me," Sabrina said coldly, with a faint smile.
"Water Slash!!" Laos yelled.
As he swiftly launched his slash toward Sabrina, a massive violet fire enveloped her. The slash cut through the flames, splitting them in half. And when the flames faded—she was gone. The witch had vanished without a trace. No one saw where she went or where she was hiding. And just like that, the spy was finally revealed—the one no one suspected… except for one person. And so, the roses continue to bloom.