Several days after the monster tide, the soldiers of the duchy had their hands' full cleaning up the aftermath of the brutal encounter. Obsidian began collecting the usable parts left from the monster remains to be sold in the adventurer's guild. 

Speaking of it, the Aurum Kingdom has several branches in large cities like the Nebel and Anfang for example but Obsidian took great efforts to obtain a special permit from the king to trade it in other countries like the Freedom Federation and the Grand Crux Kingdom in the southwest. 

The sale for the parts returned a huge income enough to resupply Obsidian's nearly empty vault and rebuild the garrisons. 

Sterne sat on the couch inside the duke's study while he dealt with the work related to the duchy and the army. Duke Al noticed that his daughter looked bored as she kept swinging her foot. He stopped drafting and put the quill down. 

"What's the matter?" He asked smilingly. 

"Elder brother and big brother were both called back to the academy when it was almost time for the tide to come." 

Duke Al looked at her furrowed eyebrows and nearly laughed. Why this child is wearing an old lady's expression? He put his fist on his mouth and coughed. "It can't be helped since the two of them are still studying. They have a responsibility to report about their progress and resume their lessons."  

"But such a coincidence…" 

"Don't think too much about it." His two sons are capable of weighing the situation which was either favourable or detrimental to their future. 

If it had not been for the reinforced wall, they may have remained here to fight alongside the Obsidian despite the order to return. Knowing those boys even if it was the headmaster himself who summoned them they would just make up all sorts of excuses to delay returning. But since they judged that the enemies anticipated that move from them already and must have laid traps they did them a favour by voluntarily returning without raising hell. 

As for Sterne's worry that the request was deliberately done, he didn't doubt it. Well, Kyrios and Dio are known to be equally stubborn. Those people thought it was easier to target them when they are young and still have uncontrollable impulses. After all, the best way to deal with him and the Obsidian is through the seedlings they are carefully nurturing. If those two fail the expectations, Nachtwald is easier to knock down. 

"Your brothers will be fine, even if something happens in Royal Academy or all of Aurea, the two of them are the least likely to be caught in a tight spot." Chances are, they would only irritate those people who wanted to see them stumble. 

Seeing her father unruffled by the situation, Sterne felt she was being overly cautious and it's affecting her mind. Fortunately, she came here to see her father, as expected, he has a way to put her worries to rest!  

 

It was time to go to the fields once again. 

Sterne, after her lessons, rushed out of the estate to join the harvesting fever on the fields. The tenants and their families were already armed with sickles and rakes for cutting the wheat. Not far from them are children and women busy tying the stalks into sheaves for drying.

It was like any other ordinary day, strangers who come and go in the duchy find it hard to discern if the tide indeed arrived. The normality helped resume the entry and visits of people from other territories to Nachtwald hence keeping the increase of its commerce. 

"We have a particularly strong sun, perfect for drying the grains," Sterne said looking up. 

With a straw hat and a basket in hand, she and Emilia walked on the embankment to head towards the vegetable plantation. 

"Sterne, over here!" Dorn waved.

She waved back enthusiastically. 

Seeing the little lady coming, the tenants momentarily stopped and paid courtesy. 

"Don't mind me, everyone, I came to join the fun." 

While out in the vegetable fields the other children who spotted her hurried to catch up. Sterne opened the Herald's Eyes, taking on several herbs and information about them. No other people came to this part of the field yet because of the many unidentified species. Who would have thought that the colourful plants had many uses?

"Milady, what are these called?" A kid with a missing tooth held a yellow and green wild berry-like fruit on her palm.

She blinked. "That's pepper. If boiled, dried and crushed it will enhance the flavour of food… or so the recipe says."

"These tiny things are actually those peppers?" Emilia murmured.

Peppers are highly expensive as everyone knows, a spoonful of it costs hundreds of silvers already only rich households can afford.

"If we could process this..."

Reading everyone's thoughts, it goes without saying that the fief will reap a huge benefit from it. Besides, the territory needs something else to barter aside from its crops, a product that will represent the duchy. 

"Naturally we will process this." She beamed. 

The children, along with her, walked around the field and found more new plants. Most were valuable spices none of them had heard before. A long time ago, these plants were cultivated by a particular long-eared race who had a special fondness for vegetation. When the dusk of the magical beings came, the information about them was the first to be buried into oblivion. 

Thanks to the Herald's Eyes and Lost Recipes, she was able to distinguish the new species sprouting. A seemingly ordinary weed turned out to be an important herb. After making sure that they do have most of those plants, Sterne began the plan to employ everyone's cooperation to collect them. 

First, she needs to ask for their head butler's help. Sir Ahmose is more than glad to assist. The harvest is yet to finish, both men and women of each household were busy thus the menial task of picking was assigned to their children.   

The precocious children of the duchy listened to their lady's requests and did their jobs diligently. 

"Milady, need not ask us. We will gladly help." 

"Picking you say?" Dorn laughed, "I'm very good at it." 

To make the task easy, Sterne drew the spices and herbs along with their characteristics in a booklet. 

"Ah, I think this is it." A child holding a round and red fruit gasped. 

"Oh!" Sterne came to him. "It's a tomato!"

"But milady, didn't the folks often say that the colourful things are… you know, poisonous?"

Sterne picked one particularly fat fruit and took a bite. 

"Milady!!!" The boy cried out. 

"I'm fine. It tastes good." 

It's sweet and sour bursting with juice that fills the mouth but she would not eat this again. The lingering sour taste made her teeth tingle! 

Everyone watching in apprehension breathed a sigh of relief. If the lady says it is alright to eat them, then it must be! 

When the harvest concluded, everyone from young to old dove into the field for spices and herbs. Children select and carefully pick them off, while the meticulous processing is left in the hands of the adults. 

The peppercorns caused a huge sensation to the duchy upon discovering it. Everyone knows how valuable this little thing is! After picking, the adults lightly boil them in huge pots before laying them out in mats to dry. Aside from that, there are several varieties of chillies and many other aromatic flavourings were discovered. 

"This feels fun." Freiin commented while munching on yellow capsicum. 

It would be even more fun once they put these on sale. However, as her brothers advised through their exchange in letters, they can only sell their newfound speciality at a slow steady pace that will not let the whole market crash. The sudden rise in supply will affect the cost especially if there is no more great demand for it and putting out too many items will diminish profit rather than benefit them.

In the meantime, they can only harvest enough to test the waters. Sterne is confident that these herbs and spices will become the first golden egg that will rake in profit essential to rebuilding the whole territory.

After a long day of picking, everyone decided for a short break on the nearby stream.

Dorn stuffed his face with cucumber cooled by Freiin's ice magic. The children were seated on a fallen tree watching the adults busy themselves drying peppercorns.

"I never thought cooling food would have this much impact. Sterne thinks of strange but useful things."

"Nobody bothers to cool their food because they have no idea how it will taste after using ice magic. The basic foundation is freezing water with magic, magic only consumes mana so I think it won't taste that bad if it's just that… unless of course, you freeze filthy water you will get a stomach ache."

Who would do that anyway?

"True, but where does Freiin's ice come from? She didn't use water."

"There's moisture in the air, using mana she lets out a cool sensation in her palms then the scattered moisture converges and freezes in very low temperature."

"Ehh… how'd you know all that?"

"Observation plus I ask a lot of questions," Sterne said proudly. 

"I see, you're really weird."  

"No, you're just too lazy to study." She retorted with a toothless grin. 

The other day her front tooth fell while she was eating an apple. Come to think of it, most of the children she met today had one or two teeth missing. Thanks to it, she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. 

"I've been using magic but until now I've never heard of a theory like what Sterne said." Freiin praised. "I didn't know it worked like that!"  

Dorn suddenly protested, "I'm not lazy. I'm particularly diligent with my martial arts!"

"I know you are." She replied flatly. 

"But I guess I'm not as diligent as you when it comes to academics."  

Her little tail wagged proudly. Humph, it's true, perhaps because she was too nosy and always determined to figure things that she didn't understand. She would pester people endlessly until she got the answers she wanted. If pestering did not work, she would investigate giving people around her headaches. Emilia in particular. 

Lately, she seems to have found the solution to her dilemma. Although she had no specific magical attribute, she can freely inject mana into magic circles. The idea came to her after she and Viktor tried the [Fire Shot] spell. 

Viktor has Light magic qualities but he was able to use a fire spell with the aid of an improved formation. She had long discovered that most of the books in magic were flawed. There is a severe deficiency in magic settings required for activation. Some redundant parts were added while the most important parts of the spell were omitted thus burdening the caster. 

Unable to keep her curiosity, she tried using a simple ice spell by freezing a cup of water. If she truly is magic-less and unable to wield any, nothing will happen even when using the right formula. 

However, she did. And it wasn't just the cup that froze over but the whole desk where it was placed. 

Thinking about that accident made her head hurt. 

When she rushed to tell her father about it, he helped her clean up the crime scene and smiled simply. The duke calmly brought her outside of the estate to a secluded lake and let her practice a few more spells from other attributes. 

After seeing that she can freely conjure all the elements, he hugged her. 

"Sweetheart, you know that when a person is born they are gifted with magic no matter how weak. As a person grows, that magic also increases. However, it is a known fact that a person can only wield their innate gift. Practising magic they were not born with can cause severe damage." 

"T-Then what about me?" 

The duke fell into a thoughtful silence, "In your case, perhaps because of having no specific attribute to restrict you, made it easier to tap on any power your mana can sustain."  

To be born with no magic attribute and being a Nachtwald known for their tremendous amount of mana has gone beyond luck. It was predestined. 

"Restrict…"

"Yes. Being born with particular magic meant the same as having a lifetime label. Without the label, you are free."

Her father's words had a huge impact on her. What does a no magic attribute mean? She doesn't know anymore.  

"Father, how can Viktor use the fire spell when he is a Light mage?" 

The duke patted her head softly, "It's because you made it possible for him to do so. You gave him formula, didn't you?"

She nodded. 

"There are magic scrolls sold by the Magic Bureau at high prices that can only be accessed by selected nobles. In those are also rare magic formulas that had long been lost to man. But unlike the ones you gave Viktor, using those spells leaves the caster at a disadvantage because it consumes too much mana."

So to say her father is praising her for making revisions that are of great help to the mages. A spell scroll or a magic scroll is entirely different from the skill scrolls mainly because it uses a large amount of mana which non-mages don't have.

Ah, so it is also possible to use other types of high-level magic with an auxiliary aid. It looks like she needed to add rare items in her lessons. Just how many scrolls out there had been recovered and acquired like the ones Magic Bureau owned? 

Coming back to the present, when she looked around, Sterne found Dorn trying to coax Freiin into cooling a basket of wild berries they picked. 

"Enough eating," Freiin groaned. "I can feel my stomach cramping by just looking at you." 

It made Sterne laugh. "Alright! After Dorn finishes eating, we should drag him for exercise."

The children agreed in unison. They let Dorn eat to his heart's content and later played tag on the fields. When everyone was tired of running around, they took their fishing poles and sat on the side of the stream to fish. 

As a result, Sterne was ready to drop before she reached the manor.

Emilia and Sir Lyon could only look at her helplessly. For now, her carefree days are filled with so much happiness.

 

Or so she thought…

In a village miles away from Nachtwald fief where a squad of Obsidian patrols, the sound of screams tore in the blackness of the night.

"Somebody… help!"

"M-Monsters. There are monsters!"

Ten people rushed out from the fence of a small village. Disregarding whether they have sandals on their feet or another layer of clothing, the people only have one thought: Flee.

"Aya, Aya is coming!"

Right after the man said that a four-pronged pitchfork hurtled from the back impaling his chest.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" A woman nearby saw the horrifying scene that she fell on her behind. Witnessing a man wheezing on his last breath with his eyes wide open as though full of grievances frightened her. The pair of legs that were supposed to be in perfect condition lost their sense.  

Just how did this ordinary tranquil evening turn into a massacre? What sin did this small village commit to suffer a nightmare? Everything was fine with Aya a few weeks ago. Why did she become like this?

The chief's only daughter has become mad. She neither recognizes her parents nor her friends. She even attempted to murder her lady whom she served wholeheartedly. At first, none of the villagers believed what the other servants who brought her home said. Why Aya is such a sweet obedient girl. The villagers are simple people but they are not ignorant. Maybe she was coerced or plotted by other maids in the manor, maybe her noble masters were just finding an excuse to let her go.

The speculations went on, opinions formed rapidly but none of those can point to the real truth until five days ago when Aya began to show signs of agitation.

The chief has kept her inside their house ever since she went home. As for the real reason, none of them knows.

Then Aya's behaviour turned for the worst. She started hurting herself and everyone else within the house until it became difficult to hide her actual situation. Her family was at a loss.

The shadow of the sweet girl is no more. What they saw was a scourge. A thoughtless and violent being. 

"S-Save us… save us!"

From behind the fleeing people, a woman dressed in black emerged. Her hand still hanging in the air paused after throwing a simple barn tool.

"Kekeke…"

The raspy laughter raised the hair on their arms. Just then the Obsidian patrolling nearby finally came and suppressed the aggravated madwoman.

"Captain Legrand, there are five corpses near the well on the back. Most of them were stabbed by--" The knight's eye flew to the pitchfork on a victim's body. "A pitchfork." He added in a small voice. 

 No wonder the wounds were aligned.

The captain's eyes bored to the dead man's body. A woman in her teens was able to impale a huge guy in such a way? How strong is she? Then his eyes turned to the snapping young girl restrained by thick metal manacles.

"Has she really gone mad?" One of the soldiers asked suspiciously.

In the background, her growls of protest interlaced in the ongoing conversation.

"It's the first time I've encountered this kind of feral fool. Her disposition is no different from someone possessed but you see, a person possessed won't just sit obediently for many days and turn berserk all of a sudden. Possessed people show signs of aggressiveness immediately."

And if she does, calling a priest or an exorcist should have been her family's best choice. 

Also, the wreckage she left was beyond what a single person can do. Aside from the completely mangled corpses, the wall of the house where she stayed was smashed open from the inside. The wood planks split like toothpicks.

Most eyewitnesses cannot give a coherent statement. Everyone was distraught and mentally exhausted. The soldiers stayed up late helping the villagers bury the dead and clean up the place.

In the middle of it, a soldier guarding the madwoman rushed to report that she suddenly quieted and finally died giving them another puzzle.

"Something's not right," Captain Legrand thought deeply. 

From beginning to end, what in the world really happened to her?

 

In the Royal Academy, after submitting the report about their apprenticeship the students are now allowed to advance to the next level. Around this time, the academy will be giving them a list of monsters they need to hunt and present to their respective mentors for scoring. Each monster ranking from the lowest to highest had points and a passing score was set to put a distinction between those who worked hard and did not. The higher a student earns his points, a list of merit will be given as a reward.

Dio snorted looking at the paper filled with treasures to be given. What he wanted was to end this trifle long-winded briefing and return to the duchy as soon as possible, whatever grand compensation there is, he is not interested in it. When the speech of the dull-looking assistant finished, he collected his things and ambled out of the building towards the list of monsters on the task board under the scrutiny of hundreds of eyes. 

"That's Dio Nachtwald, the second son of the duke."

"Eh… that's him? But he looks so young!" 

"Look he's already carrying his own sword." 

"I wish to have mine forged soon as well. A knight must only hold his own weapon. I don't want to keep borrowing from the academy, they just don't feel right."

Dio tore a page and thought of Kyrios. What activities do the seniors have during this period? 

 

Kyrios, who already returned to Nachtwald three days ago, had no idea that his younger brother was looking for him. He sat on a boulder reading the contents of the patrolling soldiers' report.

Under Strange Case, first of its kind. Months ago, Sterne asked people from the special squad to make a separate report on any case they find unusual within and outside the fief. Possibly in all of the patrolled sites in the kingdom.

When he first heard of it he thought it was just his baby sister's typical odd requests since she phrased it quite cutely like someone asking for candy. With those huge silvery eyes, who has the heart to refuse?

The most outrageous thing is that she begged the people of his squad not to let this favour leak.

Sigh~ what a willful little missy. She even kept it from him, her big brother. Hahaha did she think she could hide it?

Naive! 

But now after reading what's on the paper, he thinks her action has a certain purpose. (Though he does not know yet what exactly that 'purpose' was).

Town of Aster near the southwest fiefs, a strange murder case happened. The suspect died on the very same night she did the assault. What's more, it was a madwoman with incredible strength.

Kyrios' eyebrow knotted as he read further. No definite conclusion?

The case was handed over to the authorities of that territory. The Obsidians merely helped them arrest a criminal.

Below is a vivid description of the behaviour and appearance according to Sterne's instruction. When he handed the paper to her, Kyrios observed her reaction.

"What are you looking for exactly?" He asked the moment they were alone in the sitting room. 

"Ah? What do you mean by that?" She asked innocently. Her eyes were on the sheet of parchment trying so hard to maintain a calm face.

"This. First, you kept asking about the monster tide, now you're worried about another thing. What's making you nervous?"

Her heart jumped. Why is my elder brother so meddlesome today? She thought. 

"You're exaggerating, I'm merely preparing," Sterne replied with her eyes shifting from side to side.

An obvious indication of anxiety. 

"For what?" Kyrios prodded squatting within her eye level, his evil claws slowly reaching out to her soft cheeks. "Speak."

Sterne yelped, having her cheeks squeezed to the point of deformity.

"Aww, aww… you can't do this-- ugh, you're tearing my face off!"

"Talk little girl or else I won't buy your favourite sweets."

She paused then squealed. "Thank you elder brother! I've had enough of those things I'm beginning to suspect if it was your roundabout way of torturing me." 

"Why, you little--" The threat was ineffective. "I thought you loved them?!"

Boo, they broke more of my teeth. Who wants those gritty candies anyway? 

Kyrios was heartbroken, he took out a kerchief and dabbed the corner of his eyes playfully. "Our little sprout is keeping secrets… she doesn't love me anymore." 

She collapsed on the seat laughing at him wildly. 

"Fine, I'm going to tell father about this now."

He pretended to let go and turned, but Sterne being quick that she is already flung herself to his back sticking like a monkey.

"Ahhhhh, you can't! I'll say it, please please don't tell father!"

A slow evil smile crept up on the elder brother's face. See? You can't hide anything from me.

Sterne let out a long heavy sigh of resignation. "Alright, but I really need you to promise me to keep it."

He nodded eagerly, missing the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You know I'm very good with secrets." 

"Oh, good. Good." 

Kyrios laughed inwardly. What insurance does she have anyway? One way or another, their father will know. 

"In return," Sterne cleared her throat. "I also won't tell people the truth that when you pretended to sprain an ankle you actually got stung by a bee in your butt."

Kyrios' smile froze.

 

Later that afternoon, young lord Kyrios riffled to the stacks of reports they obtained over the years.

The madwoman who died was a former maid of a good household. Because of the restriction, they can no longer get their hands on that case but Sterne is showing interest in it so he decided to give her a little aid because their little girl is taking this very seriously. 

"Red stains on the mouth, grey skin and black nails. Though there were no deformities, the most abnormal thing was the monsters. The moment the madwoman got out of the house, a few monsters began appearing and attacked her. Only her. At that time, the whole village was too confused. It wasn't until later that we found out that none of the people was eaten." The captain of the patrolling soldiers recounted.

So that explains why she had bite marks. Kyrios continued to look into the documents.

"Go on."

"Her strength was too strong and even killed the monsters that attacked her, but for some reason, she suddenly died just like that." What puzzles Captain Legrand is that there were no signs of bleeding even with that kind of wounds, hell she was even growling energetically at them while being suppressed. To die so quietly...

"Blood Grass." Kyrios tapped a sheet of old paper. "You said she had vivid red stains on her mouth, her skin grey and nails turned black. Great strength but died too early. I'm afraid the poor girl might have accidentally ingested Blood Grass."

People who eat them fall into a frenzied state but the symptoms do not show until the later stage. It's a tricky condition with no hope for a cure.

"But we don't have that here in Aurum. Furthermore, what's the use of Blood Grass? All I know is that it is a foreign plant."

"Exactly. Blood Grass is highly expensive and rare here but the other kingdoms with labyrinths have them because it is a primary ingredient for a monster lure."

The captain's eyes widened in horror. Monster lure?! 

"Lord Kyrios, s-should we start a much deeper investigation?"

Kyrios' fell into silence. Looks like the captain catches on quickly. In a kingdom already plagued by monsters, who has such a sinister idea to purchase that evil item? When he pestered Sterne, he did not expect this kind of surprise. All she said was that she wants to be prepared to avoid misfortune.

What misfortune? This discovery is a bud to calamity.

"We will."