The Genius Evolution Store

"Hmm..." Chief Lucas frowned as he checked Evangeline’s file. "This is weird. I’ve been looking into her. The military denies her existence, so it’s clear that she’s not the person she’s claiming to be.

"The problem is, who? It looks like he’s already in trouble since she’s suspected her. The real Evangeline is indeed in the military, but she has recently been spotted at the Eretta Gate. Besides, her strength is only rank 3. She is talented, but she is not that talented.

"Who is the person using her identity?" Chief Lucas fell silent. "I have been checking this, but all the traces lead to..."

Suddenly his gaze shifted to the right as his phone rang. He saw the name. Auric Elfe.

"Hello, this is Lucasta speaking."

"Good evening, Chief Lucas. I apologize for calling you this late. It’s just... I have some concerns regarding Miss Evangeline. I didn’t want to call you at first, but the situation has changed."

"Not at all. I have looked into her, but there are still so many missing pieces that I can’t give you the information yet, lest you misunderstand anything. Is there a problem over there? Do you want me to solve it for you?"

"Not at all, sir. I have some suspicions already, but Miss Evangeline is an unknown variable to me."

"I see. You want to know more about her. Do you have a plan? I don’t want you to die needlessly."

"Yes, I have come up with a plan, but I might have to adjust it depending on the information about Miss Evangeline."

"Fair enough. Are you there alone?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I will keep it brief, so listen carefully. The real Evangeline does exist. No, she is not dead. She has joined the military, but she is still in Eretta Gate. In other words, the one in your group is a fake.

"However, after some investigation, it’s true that this person might have a background in the military. That’s why she understands how the military works, which should be enough to make you believe part of her lie. You know, mixing some truth into a lie will make it more believable.

"I’ve been investigating her, but the information about her is still not clear. I’ve heard that you’re being chased by a certain organization, is that correct?"

Auric hesitated for a moment, but with Chief Lucas’s resources, he could easily figure it out. So, Auric confirmed it. "Yes, sir."

"In that case, you don’t have to worry about that organization. The organization is likely from this country, but all the traces I’ve been looking into came from another country.

"She isn’t the person you think she is, but there’s a high chance that she is a spy from another country rather than someone from that organization. I’m currently searching for a match.

"There are four potential suspects. The first is Selena Mieuvette. She is a genius from Granda who has reached rank 4 in a short time. She is a powerful light-element user who is using a shield and a sword.

"Another one from Granda is Evelyn Rucandel. She possesses an extreme light element, but she is an elementalist.

"The other two come from Dermania. They’re Christina Leizy and Gloria Schaff. Both of them have extreme elements, but Christina is known for her twin blades while Gloria is known to use a single spear.

"The first and third women come from a military family, while the second person is a vassal to a military family. Only the last person is known to be a military genius. She has become a major at the age of 21, and there’s a chance that she will become a rank 5 human the age of 22. The rest of the girls are also 21 years old."

Auric’s expression turned serious. "So, she is not a spy from the organization, but from another country."

"Yes, so for the time being, I know what kind of trouble you’re getting into, but it’s not the organization. Is that answer enough?"

Auric fell into deep thought. The fact that she didn’t come from an organization meant he could be bolder with his plan.

Even if he suddenly changed his plan, the other party wouldn’t make a fuss. At the very least, the organization might not know about it.

At the same time, he didn’t know what her purpose was.

Auric asked, "Which one is most likely to approach me? And what is the purpose?"

"Well, the answer to the second question is easier. It’s either to kill you or to poach you. Are you intending to leave the country?"

"Not at the moment. At least the country hasn’t given me a reason why I should leave. I don’t know about the future," answered Auric, trying to be as flexible as possible.

"That’s a good enough answer for me. As for the first question, I think there are two most likely candidates. The first one is Selena Mieuvette. She is talented, but she’s not exactly the most talented in her family. She has a brother who is more talented than her, so the heir position is already clear.

"They might send her to seduce you, which would allow them to get access to your talent. She is also using a shield and a sword, so it’s not that different from the information you’ve provided."

"That makes sense."

Chief Lucas continued, "The second person is Christina Leizy. She might be using different weapons, which will fool all of us. Her family might be related to the military, but it has some connection to espionage.

"However, be careful. This person might come for your life if she can’t recruit you. After all, a dead genius can’t threaten anyone. If you fail to grow, their worries will disappear."

Auric frowned. "How about Evelyn and Gloria? Evelyn’s family should be serving a military family, right? It’s perfect. Just send your subordinate to handle the job. Gloria is also using a spear, so she just needs to add a shield."

"That’s what I thought, but looking at her family, I don’t think they will send her. It might be pressure from the family she serves. If the servant outshines the master, the servant will be executed. After all, their families’ power dynamics will change."

"I see. If she gets me, her family will be able to increase their influence." Auric couldn’t help but agree with the reason.

"As for Gloria..." Chief Lucas paused for a moment. "This person is the one with the lowest probability of coming here.

"First of all, her family was ruined, so she joined the military to rebuild her family. In addition, she’s the best genius the military has.

"Just think about it. There is such a big genius who is an orphan. Because her family was wiped out, she may hold some grudges against the country despite achieving so much in the military.

"That person has been given a mission to infiltrate another country to get a big genius like you. There are many motives, but the most likely one is to rebuild her family.

"So, think about it. You are quite a handsome child. She’s most likely the one who will be charmed by you. Without an anchor like her parents, she might be the one to defect rather than you."

Auric couldn’t refute this reason. It was true that there were plenty of reasons for Gloria to defect.

So, her country wouldn’t want to send someone to get naturalized, especially with her talents.

Auric raised his head, asking Lindwurm in his mind, ’Lindwurm, has that person shown killing intent? You’re sharp about this, right?’

"She hasn’t shown any killing intent."

’I see. I guess I can use her for this event to protect me and to fight the organization. Since there’s no problem with her, I can proceed with the plan. Besides, if what Chief Lucas said is correct, then the person who most likely came is Selena Mieuvette.’

Auric took a deep breath. "I understand. Thank you for the help, Chief Lucas."

"Is that enough for you to make a decision?"

"Yes. At least I know what I’m supposed to do during this event."

"I see. Let me confirm it. Do you not need my help? If you want, I can stop that event."

"Please don’t. This is not just for me, but also for others."

"Very well. If you need anything, you can ask me again. Also, congratulations on having five silver badges. Are you intending to add more?"

Auric chuckled. "Yes. Hopefully, I will be able to register two or three more elements after this event. With this, I will become a bona fide silver-grade evolution master."

"Hoho. I’m looking forward to it. Once you become a gold-grade evolution master, I’m sure that things will change for you. Becoming a silver-grade evolution master shows your potential, but becoming a gold-grade evolution master proves your talent. At that time, there won’t be any more doubt about your talents, and people will chase you to the ends of the world."

"That sounds annoying, but I can’t exactly escape from it."

"Hahaha. If you can’t handle it, you are welcome to join the association. We’re very protective when it comes to our people."

Auric chuckled, not responding to the statement. "Thank you for the help this time, Chief Lucas. I owe you one."

"No, you don’t have to think like that. Instead of worrying about owing me, you should continue to shine. That’s the best I can ask for."

Auric smiled. "I understand. I will do my best."

"All right. Good night."

"Yes, sir. Good night."

Auric hung up and took a deep breath. He thought, ’So, she is a spy.’

"Yes. However, she has no killing intent. Unless she’s extremely good at hiding that killing intent, I should be able to feel it. In other words, she might want to assess your power, kidnap you, or seduce you. Judging by how she has been behaving so far, I guess the third option is most likely."

Auric’s eyebrows twitched. He couldn’t help but recall how she had been behaving all this time, so he agreed with Lindwurm’s assessment.

’Still, at least we know that the change in plan won’t destroy us. In that case, it’s better for me to make Ellia evolve first. I don’t know when they’re going to attack, but they surely will do it soon."

"I agree. If they wait too long, the number of beasts in the area will decrease, and the military might prepare a countermeasure. Still, you need to act carefully. Don’t make that girl realize that you already know her true identity."

’Yeah, I know.’ Auric paused for a moment, completing the adjustment in his mind.

’In that case, I should...’ After a while, he exhaled deeply as he finally felt relieved now that a concrete plan had been prepared. Unexpectedly, his body shook when a female voice suddenly called his name.

"Auric."

"!!!"