Walking down the underground hall beneath the Last Call bar, I looked around curiously.
For some reason, this place reminded me of Kai’s hideout. Of course, this one wasn’t nearly as covert and protected as the Wiseman’s hideout.
“I never knew about this place,” I mused aloud, trailing behind Amelia. “Well, to be completely honest, I don’t remember much about anything these days.”
Amelia glanced over her shoulder and cast a sympathetic look at me before reassuring with a bright smile, “Don’t worry. You will remember soon.”
My gaze locked with the lithe black-haired archeress in front of me, and I found myself getting lost in her calm green eyes, reminiscent of a lush forest.
Her eyes… for some reason, they triggered a sense of deja vu.
Before I could even understand the source of that feeling, my lips moved on their own and I whispered a question.
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
“Hmm?” Amelia turned around to look at me, urging me to repeat the words I failed to convey. “What did you say?”
Coming back to my senses, I shook my head. “I was talking to myself. Don’t worry about it. By the way, you mentioned your father gave you a mana beast?”
Amelia’s eyes widened as she nodded excitedly. “Oh, yes! Did you see the pics I sent you? I don’t know what kind of mana beast he is, though. What’s your opinion?”
“I have no idea,” I shrugged. “Did you ask your dad?”
“I tried, but he’s not picking up calls or answering my texts,” said Amelia. “It’s not unusual. Sometimes he visits places with poor reception.”
I tilted my head back and replied, “I see.”
Truth be told, I knew precisely what kind of mana beast her father had gifted her.
In the novel, Amelia’s father was only mentioned a couple of times outside of flashbacks.
The first time was when he left a Frost Hound pup – a rare divine-ranked mana beast – in the care of their neighbor for Amelia.
Yes, I had just lied to Amelia. I was well aware of the type of mana beast her pup was. I also knew why her father wasn’t responding to her messages or calls.
He was at the northern border.
It wasn’t an event related to the plot, and he was also not in any danger. That’s why I hadn’t told Amelia about his whereabouts to avoid worrying her.
Regarding her pup, she would soon find out about him on her own.
But the mere fact that she had received her new mana beast companion meant that all the pieces were falling into place for the beginning of the second volume.
Time was running out for me.
The second volume was about to begin in roughly three months. Lost in my thoughts about the future, I released a deep sigh.
Suddenly, Amelia came to an abrupt halt, and I followed suit by stopping right behind her.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Amelia pointed at the door to our right with her chin and informed me, “This is the room.”
As soon as she said that, Amelia swung the door open, and I entered the room behind her.
Inside, I beheld a cozy wooden chamber that must be a paradise during the winter season.
Looking around I saw a fiery red-haired woman sitting cross-legged on the sofa by the fireplace.
She wore a white, backless dress that perfectly complemented her jade-toned skin and snowy-white complexion.
A playful smile adorned her captivating face, which was capable of enthralling anyone fortunate enough to gaze upon her.
With a glint of allure and a spark of humor present in her dull gray eyes, the woman gave me a curious glance and nodded in greeting.
“Hello, Lucas Morningstar,” the beautiful redhead began. “I’m–”
However, before she could complete her introduction, I interjected, my voice filled with a sense of shock, “Minerva Hart?”
Amelia frowned, then turned sideways to look at me. “You know her?”
Minerva’s expression of curiosity turned into surprise as her gaze shifted between Amelia and me before settling on me.
Finally, she repeated Amelia’s question, “You know me?”
“I– um,” I scratched the back of my neck, then awkwardly nodded. “Yes, I do know you. They say you’re the best spy of our generation.”
Minerva smirked proudly. “Haa! That’s absolutely correct! People do say that. But, wait… isn’t fame the enemy of a good spy?”
Ignoring her mumbling, I turned to Amelia, my eyes widened in disbelief.
“Why didn’t you tell me that your information broker was none other than Minerva Hart?!” I questioned.
Amelia shrugged, looking puzzled. “I didn’t think she was that important. Why don’t I know about her?”
I resisted the urge to palm my face. Of course, she was important! But naturally, Amelia wouldn’t know about her.
In fact, anyone outside of those with family ties to the United Military wouldn’t be aware of Minerva Hart.
At least, not yet.
Two years from now, Minerva would be known as… the Shadow Rose.
She would become an invaluable ally to the protagonist and his group during the onset of the War of Union.
In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Nero only managed to unite the world after the Civil War solely thanks to the aid provided by Minerva Hart.
She deftly manipulated the information and secrets of all the major world leaders and presented them to Nero in such a way that left them with no choice but to cooperate with him.
Not only that but she also played a major role during the final struggle against the Vampire Monarch.
Undoubtedly, she was the greatest spy and information manipulator of our generation – no, of all time!
In the novel, aside from the Shadow Rose, she was also often referred to as the Queen of Secrets. 𝞰𝗈𝗏𝓔𝓵𝒏𝐄xt.𝓬𝐎𝓂
But despite her revered reputation, there was no information about her in the novel prior to the start of the war arc.
That was the reason why I didn’t know where to find her at this point in the story.
But who would have guessed that Minerva was right here in Wolfshire? And Amelia had led me to her!
If I didn’t have my grievances with the God of Fate, I might have almost believed in the magic of Fate myself.