Arche gripped the iron staff tightly, sitting stiffly in her chair, visibly uneasy.
"Is she nervous?" Sakeer observed her reaction with mild amusement.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, his tone calm and casual.
"I-I'm fine," Arche replied hastily, straightening her back as if trying to maintain composure.
"Then let's have a cup of black tea as well," Sakeer said, gesturing to the server. He noticed her tension and decided to ease the atmosphere.
The young girl sitting across from him had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore the uniform of the Imperial Academy of Magic. It wasn't difficult to find her—not only because of her status as a student at the academy but also because of her reputation.
Even at her age, she had already mastered third-tier magic, placing her firmly in the ranks of geniuses in this world.
As Sakeer studied her, another girl's image surfaced in his mind—someone strikingly similar.
A girl named Ninya from an adventurer team called "Sword of Darkness" in E-Rantel. Who disguised herself as a man. She bears a strong resemblance to Arche.
In the eyes of this world's people, both were considered prodigies.
But there was a crucial difference.
Arche's talent had seemingly plateaued—her potential already spent. In contrast, according to the novel, Ninya possessed the ability to surpass the realm of heroes, potentially reaching the fifth-tier "Deviant" rank among human mages.
During his time in E-Rantel, Sakeer had specifically investigated this adventurer team. Yet, he found nothing—meaning it hadn't been formed yet.
A short while later…
A steaming cup of black tea was placed before Arche.
She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
"Your Excellency, is there something you need from me?" she asked cautiously. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly added, "A-And… is this request… paid?"
Sakeer chuckled.
"Of course," he said, placing a coin pouch in front of her. "Consider this an advance payment—ten gold coins. I sought you out to use your innate ability to test a newly acquired magic item."
Arche's blue eyes widened at the sight of the gold coins, her nervousness melting away almost instantly.
No other way.
Right now, she was desperate for money.
Ever since her father lost his noble title, her family had been left without a source of income. Yet, her parents still clung to their aristocratic lifestyle, spending what little they had left.
Their financial situation was dire, and she had already been considering ways to make money.
Now, ten gold coins lay before her, solving her immediate crisis.
And this was just the advance payment?
Even so, Arche hesitated.
"Your Excellency… I believe there may be a misunderstanding about my ability," she admitted, her tone serious.
"My innate ability only allows me to observe chants, as well as determine the highest tier of magic a person can cast. I cannot inspect magic items."
She hesitated before adding, "Additionally, my ability only works on magic from the Arcane system."
Her sharp blue eyes flickered over Sakeer's attire. His black hair and calm demeanor gave off an unusual presence, but it was his clothing that stood out.
Based on his robe, he wasn't an arcane spellcaster—he appeared to be a divine magic caster.
If that were the case, her ability would be useless.
Sakeer smiled, unfazed by her explanation.
"The magic item I acquired is designed to obstruct detection magic," he explained. "However, I need to confirm whether its concealment effect actually works."
He paused briefly before adding, "That's why I want to use your innate ability for testing. And don't worry—I can also cast magic from the Arcane system."
Upon hearing this, Arche finally felt relieved. At the same time, she was slightly intrigued.
An item that can block detection magic?
She had never heard of such a thing before. If it truly existed, it must be extraordinarily valuable.
Not only was this man wealthy, but he was also incredibly powerful.
Arche took a deep breath and nodded.
"Shall we do it here?" she asked.
"If necessary, we can move somewhere more private," Sakeer replied nonchalantly.
"No need," Arche said firmly.
Her expression turned serious as she looked up at Sakeer, her blue pupils beginning to glow with a faint magical light.
Under Arche's "All-Seeing Eyes," the strength of a person's magical ability was reflected by the brightness of their stance aura—the higher their mastery, the more radiant the aura surrounding their body.
And yet…
At this moment, Sakeer had no aura whatsoever.
To her eyes, he appeared like someone completely unfamiliar with magic.
If this had happened before, she might have assumed it was just a mistake in her perception.
Arche's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"I can't see anything… The magic item you purchased is incredibly effective," she admitted.
"I'm sorry you had to waste your time."
Sakeer's lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes gleaming with depth.
He didn't have any magic items on him.
Long ago, back in the royal capital, he had noticed a peculiar characteristic linked to his innate ability—"Player."
A simple description accompanied it:
Innate Ability: Player (Unobservable, Untraceable).
At the time, when he had just arrived in this world, he hadn't thought much about it. But now, after spending half a month in the Imperial Capital, he had begun analyzing his abilities more carefully.
And this realization changed everything.
Combat wasn't just about raw strength—it involved understanding one's traits and devising countermeasures.
For instance, the "Mind of Undeath" ability he had obtained from Khajiit was a mental defense, specifically countering enchantment magic.
Beyond that, certain magical detection methods, time-based abilities, and high-level restrictions—especially those encountered beyond Level 70—had to be carefully considered.
Now, this "Unobservable" trait confirmed something important:
His "Player" ability itself had an inherent anti-detection property.
And now, it had been verified.
Without hesitation, Sakeer retrieved another pouch and handed over ten more gold coins.
Arche blinked in astonishment.
"Spending twenty gold coins just for a simple test? This guy is seriously loaded."
"By the way, Miss Arche…"
Sakeer's voice broke her thoughts.
"Do you happen to have any classmates proficient in detection magic? I'd like to conduct one more verification."
At his words, a particular figure flashed through Arche's mind, but she hesitated to speak.
Seeing this, Sakeer seized the moment.
"If you can invite them here, I'll offer them the same payment—of course, separate from yours."
Arche's grip on her staff tightened slightly. She raised her head, meeting Sakeer's gaze with her clear blue eyes.
"I'll bring them," she said at last. "But please, don't offer them money. Also, if they act rudely, I hope you won't take offense."
Sakeer chuckled.
"Of course."
Inside, he was quite pleased.
"This visit to the Imperial Academy of Magic is turning out to be more productive than I expected."
If it weren't for the strict restrictions preventing outsiders from entering, Sakeer would have loved to tour the academy.
Who knew what valuable spells or even basic profession advancements he might stumble upon?
Arche, wasting no time, picked up her staff and hurried out.
Sakeer, meanwhile, gestured to the restaurant staff.
"Take these away," he said, motioning to the two cups of untouched black tea. Then, he ordered some food while waiting.
Half an Hour Later…
The restaurant doors swung open, and Arche reappeared—accompanied by a blonde girl of similar age.
Unlike Arche's slightly worn attire, the newcomer was clad in a dark blue mage's robe.
Though she carried no staff, an ornate, aqua-blue holy seal rested against her chest.
This wasn't just a symbol of faith—it was also a precious magical artifact.
The blonde girl stepped into the restaurant, her gaze instantly locking onto Sakeer. Without hesitation, she strode toward him.
"You're a friend of Arche?"
The blonde girl held her head high, boldly looking Sakeer up and down. A flicker of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
"You're older than Arche, but it's not too much of an issue."
"Friane!" Arche hurriedly tugged at the blonde girl's sleeve, her face flushing slightly.
Sakeer glanced at Arche, then stood up and smiled.
"Yes."
The blonde girl crossed her arms and smirked.
"Let me Introduce myself—Friane Wyliea Van Gushmond."
With that, she sat down directly, making herself comfortable.
Gushmond?
Sakeer's mind instantly recalled the noble families he had researched while investigating Leinas.
Among the well-known aristocrats of the Baharuth Empire, the Gushmond family stood out.
The girl in front of him was a duke's daughter.
Yet, in the anime, she never had any notable scenes—clearly a minor character in the grand scheme of things.
Still…
Sakeer decided to feign surprise at the revelation.
"One iced Matia," Friane ordered smoothly, addressing the nearby server before turning her sharp gaze back to Sakeer.
"Alright—what do you need me to do?"
Without waiting for a response, she continued matter-of-factly.
"As of now, I can use two types of detection magic—'Life Detection' and 'Object Positioning.' But the second one... well, my range is pretty limited."
Sakeer's eyes flashed with interest.
"You can use both?" he asked with a smile.
"No problem."
"Life Detection."
Friane placed her hands on the table and chanted softly.
This was a fairly common detection spell—it could sense life in the immediate vicinity. However, it had a significant weakness: it was completely ineffective against the undead.
A brief moment passed.
Then, Friane opened her eyes, looking at Sakeer with mild curiosity.
"I can sense you just fine. Your magic item is impressive—it managed to bypass Arche's innate ability, but it doesn't block standard detection magic."
Her words made Sakeer pause in thought.
Unobservable…
Logically, if Arche's"All-Seeing Eyes" failed to detect him, then "Life Detection" shouldn't have worked either.
Yet, the reality was the opposite.
What did this mean?
Could it be that his "Player" ability specifically blocked certain types of detection magic—the kind that involved direct observation or surveillance?
For example:
Clairvoyance
Crystal Screen Magic
Astrology-based foresight
Yet, abilities like:
"Life Detection"
"Magic Detection"
"Ki Perception" (common in warrior monks)
…were still effective because they weren't directly "spying" on him, but rather sensing his existence.
Interesting.
A newfound understanding settled in Sakeer's mind.