Stripped City Adra: Tracking and Ambush

After walking for roughly ten minutes, Heine had reached the depths of the forest. He suddenly stopped and crouched down.

In the damp soil and grass, he found several faint depressions. Some of the bushes had also been broken, as though someone had passed through here.

"Footprints...?"

He identified the indented marks, then stood and took another item from his suit pocket.

It looked exactly like a child's toy: a little dog assembled from metal tubes.

Combining the metal dog model with a wind-up key, Heine murmured softly.

"(Turn.)"

As magical energy flowed into it, a faint glow bloomed across the toy dog's surface. As though it had been given life, it leaped from Heine's palm and immediately began twitching its nose like a real dog.

This was one of the Mage's Garments Heine had brought from the Istari Family. Not only could it detect scents, it could also distinguish magical wavelengths and residue. It was a product of Istari Family alchemy.

Before long, the wind-up metal dog began moving in a certain direction. It was the same direction indicated by the stone compass in his hand, which made him relax slightly.

But Heine knew he had merely taken a shortcut. He had not truly followed the proper steps to solve the puzzle, yet the invitation still reacted. That indirectly proved his guess had been correct.

He carefully examined the pedestal and, sure enough, found faint unworn traces at its base. They had likely been left by friction when it was turned. Heine crouched down and pushed the pedestal with force.

Heine instinctively widened his eyes. Not far in front of him stood a red-haired young girl dressed as a maid, aiming an enormous, oddly shaped firearm at him. Wisps of smoke still rose from its muzzle, filling the air