Owl Overseer

Angel stood at the gates of Pat Manor.

Before he had even entered, he could see a flowering branch spilling over the wall. Its familiar fragrance stirred memories long buried within Angel.

Before Angel could collect himself and indulge in nostalgia, he sensed something strange in the air. Something was watching him. He looked up and saw a gaze faintly hidden amid the lush leaves.

Angel snorted coldly. A wind rose from nowhere, shaking the branches, followed by a flurry of wings.

A plump owl flapped its not-so-broad wings and flew deeper into the manor.

"If I wasn't mistaken, that owl seemed to be wearing a monocle?" Angel muttered with a frown. If that was true, it seemed to mean that something he did not want to see had happened.

Even a Demonic Beast owl would not wear a monocle that was so obviously an alchemical creation.

A proxy scout, or an alchemical familiar?

In other words, was there an unknown transcendent being inside the manor?

Angel's heart suddenly tightened. If there truly was a transcendent in the manor, would that person notice something unusual about Mentor Jon? And if they really had noticed... Angel had no choice but to start considering the worst-case scenario.

"I'd like to see who's changing the rules of this manor." Angel stepped forward and pushed open the gates without hesitation.

Beyond the gates lay a field of wheat.

People were still working in the field. When Angel stepped through the gates, one of the laboring servants looked up at him. At first, his expression was relaxed, but when he saw that the newcomer was a stranger, anxiety flashed across his face. He hurriedly waved for Angel to leave.

"What is George doing, letting a stranger in?" The servant looked toward the great tree by