Chapter 80: The Garden of Hidden Intent
The moon hung high above Velkarth, its pale light cascading down upon the carefully curated tranquility of the Highshade Garden. Crystal-leafed trees shimmered softly in the windless air, and ghostlights floated lazily between glowing white flowers and arcane-paved walkways. The quiet hum of protective enchantments lingered like faint music.
Isaac walked alone, guided by an attendant who vanished before they reached the central glade.
There, seated on a marble bench shaped like a crescent moon, was Sylvalen Thalara.
The Ninth Princess of the Elaraiyan Glade.
She wore a flowing silk ensemble in tones of silver and green, blending with the garden's bioluminescent glow. Her silver hair was swept over one shoulder, and a thin circlet of translucent crystal rested across her brow.
She didn't rise.
She merely gestured to the open seat across from her.
Isaac took it, one leg casually crossed over the other.
"You came," she said, her voice as serene as the garden itself.
"You asked politely," Isaac replied, glancing around. "And I was promised a midnight garden meeting that didn't involve assassination attempts."
"Always a rare treat," she murmured.
They shared a moment of mutual stillness, as though waiting to see who would speak first with purpose.
Sylvalen broke the silence.
"I watched you during the auction. You didn't raise your hand once. Yet… I had the feeling you were gaining far more than the rest of us."
Isaac tilted his head. "Is that intuition?"
"No," she said. "It's instinct. I've lived among weapons long enough to know when someone is collecting their own."
Isaac said nothing.
Sylvalen studied him closely, not with suspicion—but with precision.
"You left the auction empty-handed… and yet I couldn't shake the certainty that you didn't leave empty."
He leaned back on the bench, resting one arm over its curved edge.
"I'm very good at admiring things," he said. "Aggressively, even."
Her lips twitched into the faintest of smiles.
"But not just admiration," she replied. "No. You saw more than we did. You learned something from the items on that floor… and I don't know what it is. But I want to."
At that, Isaac activated his skill—
[Skill Activated: Soulpiercer Sight – Rank A]Target: Sylvalen Thalara
Race: High Elf (Moonborne Lineage)Class: Arbiter of Celestial AccordTitles: Ninth Princess of Elaraiya, Twilight Duelist, Bondbearer of the Astral Rose
Strength: 104Agility: 123Intelligence: 112Endurance: 88Willpower: 96Charisma: 137Luck: ???
Known Skills:– [Luminous Prismdance – Rank S]– [Astral Veil]– [Moonbind Threads]– [Celestial Accord – Passive]
Status Alignment: Neutral-Favored (Order)Illusions Detected: None
He blinked once, deactivating the read.
Three base stats over 100. Confirmed S-rank. And her primary combat skill—[Luminous Prismdance]—was top tier.
'She didn't win Silverveil just because she could. She deserved it.'
"You've got sharp instincts," Isaac said finally.
"I try to trust them."
"And what do they tell you now?" he asked.
"That you're not easily intimidated," she replied, "and that you don't want to belong to anyone."
She stood slowly and walked a short circle around the bench, the moonlight glinting off her silk.
"But the world isn't comfortable with things it can't classify. If you don't choose where to stand, others will try to decide for you."
Isaac folded his arms.
"So this is the part where you offer me a banner to stand under?"
She stopped walking.
"No," she said. "I won't insult your independence."
She produced a pale shard of engraved crystal and held it out.
"This is an audience token. If you ever find yourself cornered—by armies, governments, or worse—break this. I'll come. No obligations. No collars."
He accepted it silently.
"But understand this," she continued. "There are eyes on you now, Isaac. Some see a threat. Others see a tool. I… see a possibility."
Isaac slipped the token into his coat pocket.
"Well, that's better than being seen as a puzzle or a monster."
"I suspect you're all three," she said, turning back toward the path. "That's what makes you interesting."
As she stepped into the starlit path of the garden, she paused again.
"I don't know what you took from the auction," she said softly. "But if my instincts are correct… you didn't leave empty-handed"
Isaac said nothing.
Sylvalen turned her head just enough to glance back at him.
"I can't prove it," she added. "But I'll remember it."
Then she walked away—measured, regal, unthreatened.
Isaac remained seated in the glow of the crystalline trees, his fingers tracing the outline of the token in his coat.
She didn't know. Not exactly. But she felt it.
He stood at last.
A rustle in the hedge signaled Lira emerging from her hiding spot, chewing the remains of a sweetbread.
"You know," she said, "for a garden meeting with a foreign princess, that went surprisingly well."
"No one bled, and I didn't get magically tagged. So yeah, I'd call it a success."
"She suspects something though, doesn't she?"
"She knows something. Just not what."
Lira nodded. "Smart girl."
"She's not the only one," Isaac said.
The two walked together back through the enchanted paths of Highshade, their silhouettes framed by moonlight and shimmering petals.
Whatever came next, Isaac was no longer just drifting.
He had a direction.
And the world had started paying attention.