Published at 30th of January 2026 6:43 am

Chapter 1456: A Good Liar

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It didn’t take long for the game to end.

It was easy for a Mana Liquefaction Magus to get a hold of a Mana Foundation Magus, especially when the latter wasn’t even trying to escape.

Lebu, along with Kori and Pang, returned to the caravan. The dusk-skinned youth was tied with a rope and slung over Lebu’s shoulder.

He had proved to be quite the mischievous little boy who constantly tried to escape, leaving Lebu no choice but to bind him.

When they returned to the rest of the Magi, who were vigilantly guarding the caravan, they were met with curious and puzzled stares. More precisely, everyone was staring at the tied-up boy.

"Captain, who is this?" Someone couldn’t help but ask.

Lebu gently lay the boy on the ground and scoffed. "A kid foolish enough to play a flute in the middle of this dangerous forest."

"Foolish?" The boy sneered. "If it wasn’t for you, I would have killed all of them. So who’s the foolish one?"

The Acolytes were slightly taken aback by how disrespectfully the boy was talking to their captain. They were about to reprimand him, but Lebu stopped them.

He crouched before the boy and sighed helplessly. "Kid, what is your name?"

"Hmph!" The boy pouted, looking away. "Why should I tell you?"

Lebu didn’t mind the way the boy spoke to him. Instead, he asked another question. "Why were you drawing those orcs out? What’s your reason for trying to kill them?"

"Hmph!" The boy harrumphed again. "Does a human need a reason to kill an orc?"

Lebu deeply looked at the boy. He then asked in a soft voice, "Did they kill someone dear to you?"

The boy’s lips quivered. He turned towards the ginger-haired man and glared with reddened eyes. "What does it matter to you?! You ruined everything! Now, let me go!"

Lebu offered a woeful smile. "So they did kill someone close to you."

"No, they didn’t!" The boy blurted out in response, avoiding eye contact.

The Agent gently untied the boy, much to the latter’s surprise, and said, "You’re not very good at lying, do you know that?"

Although the boy had a suspicious look on his face, inwardly, he thought to himself in slight realization:

But, of course, the gift of a good liar is making people think you lack the talent for lying.

"You’re letting me go?" He asked with a dubious look in his brown eyes.

"Depends." Lebu shrugged.

"On what?" The boy pressed.

"Are there others living in this forest with you?"

The boy frowned. "No, I live alone. Everyone else..." He paused, his lips quivering again. "Well, they’re gone. So it doesn’t matter."

Lebu and the rest of the Magi were startled that the boy had been living alone in this dangerous forest. As far as they knew, they didn’t think there would be any human settlements in this dangerous place.

Could the boy be lying?

The boy rose to his feet, massaging his wrists. "If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving. Thanks for nothing!"

"I’ll help you kill the rest of the orcs."

Lebu’s words caused him to freeze.

"You will?!" The boy turned around, his brown eyes gleaming with desperation.

But a moment later, his eyes narrowed. "Why should I trust you?"

Lebu chuckled. "If you’re willing to wait a little longer, I can help you locate the orcs’ lair. So, what’s it going to be, kid? Are you going to take a leap of faith?"

The boy was about to refuse, but his expression changed. He lowered his head, deep in thought. The internal struggle was blatant for all to see.

At last, he looked at the man and nodded reluctantly. "Fine."

Lebu smiled in response. He summoned four Acolytes and led them a short distance away from the caravan, giving them instructions in a hushed voice. A moment later, the four of them vaulted off in different directions.

"So, are you going to tell me your name?" Lebu asked as he arrived before the boy again. "Or do you just want to be referred to as ’kid’?"

The boy pouted as he crossed his arms.

"Kenny," he said. "My name’s Kenny."

"Alright, Kenny." Lebu smiled. "Now, where did you learn to play the flute?"

"...My mother taught me."

"And where did you learn how to fight?" Lebu asked, genuinely curious. "You’re quite good at it."

"My father, he..." Kenny had a reminiscent look in his brown eyes. "He was a hunter. He taught me how to survive in the wilds. And also how to fight."

"Now, then..." Lebu’s eyes narrowed. "How did you awaken?"

"Awaken?" Kenny couldn’t help but frown as he turned to the man. "What does that even mean?"

The Agent deeply looked at Kenny and replied, "How are you able to feel mana?"

"Ah!" A look of realization struck the boy. "My father helped nurse a strange-looking old man a year ago. After recovering from his injuries, the man made me drink a magical liquid as thanks to my father."

"The Potion of Hope!" Someone exclaimed.

"That’s right!" Kenny’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the one who just spoke. "That’s what that old man called it! The Potion of Hope!"

Lebu had a contemplative look on his face as he stroked his chin.

So that’s how you stepped on the path of a Magus, he wondered.

If you’ve lived all your life in the wilds, you probably don’t even know what a Magus is. And judging by how you refer to your father in the past tense, I’m guessing he’s dead, and that orcs killed him, giving you your reason for vengeance.

But how come I’ve never heard of a hunter settlement so deep in the Sea of Green before? This forest is vast, so there’s definitely a chance this settlement might have been overlooked before. So there’s that...

Then there’s your ridiculous talent for combat. Even if your father taught you how to fight, that doesn’t explain the finesse with which I saw you utilize mana in your fight with the orcs.

At that moment, only one thought echoed inside his mind, the only one that made sense:

A prodigy!

Several minutes later, the four Acolytes returned.

One of the Magi stepped forward and respectfully said, "Captain, I’ve found traces of a mid-scale orc layer five miles away from our location."

"Good." Lebu nodded.

Another one added, "I found no traces of cultists."

"Same here, Captain," said another.

Lebu’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded nonetheless. This was still great news.

Finally, he turned to the last Acolyte. He had sent this one to find clues that would determine whether what Kenny said was true or false.

"What have you found?" He asked in a low voice, confident that Kenny would not be able to hear them.

"I’ve found traces of a small village seven miles south of here," the Magus reported truthfully. "It appears to have been razed to the ground, likely by orcs. Judging by the signs, it happened several months ago."

Lebu sighed softly.

"I see," he murmured. "Good job, everyone."

The group returned to the caravan shortly after, and the Acolytes prepared to depart.

"Alright, Kenny, it’s time to leave," Lebu said with a faint smile.

"Leave?" The boy frowned. "Where to?"

Lebu’s smile deepened.

"To kill some orcs, of course."

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