The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 1362: Training Scenarios

Karl changed the scene around them and created a room full of illusionary Nobles, then smiled at Rue.

”You won’t always have that person with you, even if you find one. So, we will start training you in how to do it alone. Prince Lukas, do you mind standing in for our lesson? I need a substitute King to be the target of today’s lesson.” He asked.

Prince Lukas smiled, and walked to the throne that was set at the head of the table.

Karl nodded. ”For this lesson, I will first teach you the requisite skill, then your job is to recover the cursed item before it reaches Prince Lukas. How sharp are your senses?”

Rue shrugged. ”Almost as good as a dragon’s?”

”Oh right, I meant how are your abilities to detect magic and curses? We will work on those other senses later as well. But I need to know what you can sense, so I don’t make it too easy.

Obviously, the three Myths in the room will notice the item very quickly, as I’m making it something you should find on your own. We will work up in difficulty later.” Karl explained.

”Oh, in that case, I can feel the ripples in the mana when I’m standing near a magical item. But I can’t smell it or anything, like some dragons can.”

Karl smiled. ”Perfect. That’s a skill that most Elves have. They’re quite attuned to nature and magic. So, I will make this one easier for you, until you understand the process.

The goal is to eliminate the item without making a fuss.

Sometimes you want the traitor to be exposed. Sometimes, you just want to foil them without anyone noticing. Ruining an opportunity will cause them to scramble and make mistakes. Mistakes that will get them into the sort of trouble that they can’t lie their way out of.”

{Champion Karl Offers Knowledge} Skill [Pilfer] will be transferred to the Terrified Pushover Rue.

{Matching Skill Found in Skill Tree} Skill [Void Grab] activated.

Rue smiled as she read the description of the spell, which had been available on her skill tree before. It was just what it sounded like, the ability to relocate an item with Void Magic from someone else’s person to her inventory.

She could also use it to grab items from across the room to bring them into her hand, like a form of [Telekinesis]. The only real restriction seemed to be that she had to be touching the person to move an item in their possession to her inventory.

Using it to grab things that were just out of reach seemed way more useful.

The illusionary Nobles began to mingle, and Cara pushed Rue forward into the crowd to begin her training.

The room might all be strangers to her, but Rue had been well-trained, and shared a polite greeting with the few people who chose to speak with her, and then smoothly moved along, searching for whatever item Karl had prepared.

It was a shiny stone with [Mana Suppression] on it, that was standing in for a cursed or toxic threat.

It should be something that she could detect, and it was definitely one that the others had, as Lukas had looked directly at it when Karl cast the spell, and Barry was scribbling frantically in his notebook.

The first guest came up to present Lukas with a gift, and the Crown Prince chuckled as he realized what Karl had done.

He had given Rue a timer to work on.

Eventually, everyone would have to present their welcoming gifts to the Crown Prince. It had to be done before dinner, so the head of every family or group would be approaching him soon, and handing him their gift, for him to place on the table behind him.

Rue circled the room, making small talk as she looked for the item.

It didn’t take long before she felt the dip in ambient mana around the item, but now that she knew where it was, she had to find a way to discretely get rid of it.

The only advantage that she had was that it was in a box.

She had some shiny rocks in her pockets, treasures she had been collecting to polish later. But Void Grab wouldn’t let her swap the items. The best she could do was rely on them to be a decoy if she should be caught.

Using her height to her advantage, Rue simply stepped in front of the guest with the cursed item, and let him run into her back.

He had been on his way to the Prince, with the box in his hands, and nearly dropped it before a second guest caught Princess Rue’s hands and kept them all upright.

”My apologies, Princess, I was distracted and didn’t see you down there.” The man stammered as Rue activated [Void Grab] and straightened her clothes.

With luck, others would think that the spell was one for her appearance, and nobody would notice her attempt to rob the nobleman.

”Not entirely your fault, Sir. I was entranced by a most lovely necklace and was not paying attention to my surroundings.” Rue countered.

That was a suitable excuse for a young Princess, and the Nobleman smiled indulgently before handing her a polished Amethyst. Inexpensive, but pretty. 

”As a fellow lover of precious gems, this is my gift to you.” He insisted.

Rue curtsied and took the stone in both hands, then placed it in the small pouch that hung around her neck.

There was no good place for a coin purse in most ladies’ fashion, or any pockets. So, the necklace bags were a common accessory here in Nar, allowing the wearer to carry a collection of trinkets without filling their inventory.

”Thank you, it is beautiful.”

Then Rue moved away, looking for a way to get rid of the cursed item before it was discovered missing and someone searched for it.

[Finding] and other similar spells would trace the former contents of a container, even if it was in someone’s inventory. But they had a very limited range, unless cast by someone highly skilled.

There, the perfect spot.

An empty appetizer tray sitting on a table.

Rue brushed by it and slid the item under a soiled napkin, then took a snack off the next tray just as the staff took the empty tray away.

Within seconds, the item was out of the room, and Karl ended the scenario.

”Excellent work, Princess. Actually bumping into him was a bit clumsy, and caused a larger disturbance than necessary, but it wouldn’t have raised immediate suspicions, as you never touched the box, and didn’t place a hand on the carrier.” Karl congratulated her.

”It seems that she has a natural affinity for quick thinking. Disposing of it with the dishes was a brilliant move. They won’t be washed until after an event, so if the finding is cast, it will only detect the item in a pile of dishes and not implicate anyone directly.” Prince Lukas added.

”And that search effort would let everyone see that the item is not what it appears, as it would be in the open.” Librarian Barry noted.

That hadn’t been part of Rue’s calculations. She just wanted it gone. But she wasn’t going to argue against being given credit.