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Even a baby chimera required a team of exorcists, and from the espera imprints, this chimera was particularly superior and dangerous despite being a fetus.

They could not fathom just how a kid like their young master had managed to handle and defeat such a beast alone.

It was something that made all the members suck in a cold breath—this showed the terrifying potential of the young master, if anything.

To be able to handle a chimera on their own was nothing but impressive. It was a feat that could get any rogue exorcist a direct entry into the top five clans instantly.

A talent beyond extraordinary was required for such a feat to be accomplished.

And if that talent belonged to someone from their own bloodline… it meant the future was shifting.

The team members didn't even consider the possibility that Oliver, after defeating the chimera, went straight to the heretics and defeated them too.

It was a maniacal possibility that they didn't even bother considering, because it was just impossible in their minds for Oliver to have even a single strand of energy left after battling the chimera.

Oliver was just a newly promoted Rank-1 exorcist, not a properly trained high-ranking exorcist like them.

His espera had lower limits—at least in their minds.

The truth couldn't be more different.

What they imagined as his ceiling was barely the floor.

So, in the end, after investigating deeply, gathering information from the police forces, the exorcists, and even some locals, they were sure that Oliver had been in the city, but no one had seen him leaving it.

In fact, they had rushed to this city very quickly, tracing Oliver's signature espera. It was their specialty—all the members were highly proficient and sensitive to espera.

And the last trace of his espera was in the basement room, after which it vanished.

They had no choice but to call upon the elder in charge to examine the place personally.

This matter was of utmost importance since it involved an heir of the clan—otherwise, the elder wouldn't have intervened personally.

Plus, this mission was being paid attention to by the clan matriarch herself, so it brought even more pressure.

When he arrived at the point where the espera trace had vanished, he instantly knew the cause.

The lingering spatial fluctuations in the air gave away the reason why Oliver's last remaining trace had suddenly disappeared.

And this gave the elder a huge headache, because Oliver had stumbled upon or accidentally triggered a teleportation talisman or artifact.

The worst-case scenario for a tracking specialist.

And now, he could be literally anywhere in the whole world, depending upon the range and capability of the artifact.

They now had to consider countless possibilities of where he might be.

The mission had become hundreds of times more challenging with this discovery.

The two heretics might know something about it, so they were instantly sent to the clan for treatment in hopes of preserving any memories that could be used.

However, even after getting treated by master healers, they remained clueless about the entire situation.

This left him no choice but to actually start looking for other clues.

Which ultimately led him to the current situation before Ophelia.

"I am ashamed of my incompetence, madam."

He admitted it straightforwardly. He knew beating around the bush was not ideal in front of someone like Ophelia. He gave her the detailed report and his honest answer.

There was nothing but an eerie silence behind the veil. Every second, the elder felt like aging a decade.

But he chose to endure silently; speaking or doing anything might just disappoint her even more.

Ophelia's emotionless and cold voice sounded at that moment, and she said, "Leave."

The elder was stunned momentarily before bowing deeply, his forehead touching the soft texture of the tatami mat, as he left while kneeling—dragging his knees backwards until he was out of the room.

Ophelia remained alone in the huge room.

Emotions like anger, happiness, and sadness were long gone. Only a logical and calculative mindset remained behind.

She was not angry at the elder—just immensely disappointed. She did not prefer subordinates who were not able to perform their duties properly.

The elder was responsible for locating her son. He failed. He would be replaced by someone more competent. Simple.

It worked like that. In her eyes, all of them were ants, trying to prove their worth and climb the ladder.

And ants that failed their purpose were crushed underfoot—no hatred, no cruelty, just necessity.

"It seems I need to see for myself."

She muttered, making a judgment.

The next moment, the space before her distorted, and a silver book appeared, suspended mid-air, controlled solely by her will and power.

Click!

As if a lock had been opened, the book made a clicking sound as it spread open.

Flip! Flip! Flip!

The pages slowly started flipping themselves. The book was mostly empty, as the somewhat yellowish pages came into view before finally stopping in the middle of the book.

Ophelia looked at the blank page with a calm expression.

She then retrieved a glass vial from somewhere. There was blood contained within the vial—it was deep red and glowing.

She gazed at the blood with no particular expression, yet her eyes held a strong reaction as she looked at it.

"Oliver…" she whispered. From her behavior, the blood most definitely belonged to him.

It was unclear from where and when she had gotten it without him knowing.

"What a disappointing child… yet, something is strange about you. Something that eludes me." She said to no one in particular.

There were very few things that could draw her interest or elude her at her level of power.

Oliver was one of them.

Born as a disappointment, despite sharing her blood and flesh, he was not a child worth nurturing for that.

However, recent happenings had made her doubt her own judgment.

The changes that had occurred in the boy were far greater and more mysterious than she had expected.

Something mysterious and big was inside him—something that could draw the attention of the clan guardian.

She was thoroughly familiar with that cat's behavior and knew that there was definitely something happening.

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