Chapter Three – The Mortal Village
The road curved into a wide plain before narrowing again into a dirt trail. Ahead, rooftops rose beyond a stretch of farmland — smoke rising lazily from cooking fires, the chatter of people carrying across the morning air.
Lyria slowed her steps.
The scent of grain, iron, and sweat mixed in the breeze. Children ran between houses, merchants argued good-naturedly at their stalls, and cultivators in plain robes passed by without the arrogance she'd seen in higher realms.
It was simple.
Imperfect.
And… alive.
Kael waved as they passed the first gate. "Welcome to Rael Village — not much, but it's home."
Her gaze moved across every motion, every heartbeat. "So this is where mortals build their peace."
Kael laughed. "Peace, eh? Only until the next tax collector or beast attack."
Her lips curved faintly — her version of a smile. "Still, they rebuild each time. Fascinating."
They crossed into the square. Traders were unloading herbs, ores, and beast pelts. A group of young cultivators were gathered around a teacher, listening as he explained the first steps of Body Strengthening — the stage she was technically in now.
> "Circulate your energy to harden your bones, not your skin," the old man said, tapping his staff. "Your foundation begins within."
Lyria's eyes shimmered with soft light as she listened, analyzing every word. So this is how they teach it here… inefficient, but structured.
Kael noticed her watching. "You planning to train here?"
She tilted her head. "Perhaps. Observation requires proximity."
He blinked. "...Observation?"
She smiled slightly. "A habit."
By noon, the market had reached its peak.
Children darted between stalls carrying bundles of herbs; cultivators traded beast cores for food and talismans; and the scent of roasted grain filled the air.
Lyria sat under the shade of a tree, watching it all.
Every laugh, every sigh, every exchange — she recorded it silently, not as data this time, but as feeling.
She reached out, letting a small child place a flower in her hand.
"Pretty sister, you're new!" the girl said cheerfully. "Are you staying?"
Lyria tilted her head. "I haven't decided yet."
The child smiled. "Then stay! Mom says new people bring luck!"
"Luck…"
The word lingered, soft and unfamiliar on her tongue.
Kael returned, wiping sweat from his brow. "You're already popular, huh? The elder's wife runs an inn. You can rest there if you want. Safer than sleeping outside."
Lyria nodded. "That would be… acceptable."
As they walked toward the inn, people greeted Kael — but their eyes often drifted toward her. Her hair shimmered faintly even under shade, and her presence carried an unexplainable calm. Too calm for a wandering cultivator.
Inside, the inn was modest — wooden beams, warm firelight, and the quiet murmur of evening conversation. The innkeeper, a kind-eyed woman, greeted her warmly.
"Welcome, traveler. You've got the look of someone who's seen the wide roads. Food and rest, yes?"
"Yes," Lyria replied simply. "I would like to experience both."
The woman chuckled. "Experience, she says. You talk like one of those temple priests."
Lyria smiled faintly — the human expression still foreign on her face. "Perhaps I do."
---
That night, when the village had gone quiet, she sat by the window in her small room.
Moonlight painted silver lines across the floorboards.
She whispered softly,
> "Emotion readings… contentment, fatigue, mild affection. Humans are… peaceful."
But before she could close her eyes, her senses flared — sharp, instinctive.
A faint ripple in the air. Someone was probing her aura.
Outside, near the inn courtyard, a figure in dark robes stood motionless — hand raised, energy scanning through the night.
> "Such dense essence," a voice murmured. "Yet… contained. Who are you, traveler?"
Lyria didn't move. Only her crimson eyes opened slowly, glowing faintly through the window.
> "Observation complete," she whispered. "Counter-detection initiated."
The spiritual wave that followed was soft — like a sigh — but it erased every trace of her presence in an instant.
The intruder froze, eyes wide. "W-what—? My sense just vanished…"
When he looked again, the energy was gone — as if she'd never existed.
From her room, Lyria smiled faintly.
> "Curiosity is natural. But curiosity… can be dangerous."
She turned back toward the moonlit window.
> "The mortal world hides many watchers. Noted."