Hekkeran was the captain, so he reacted the fastest. He quickly showed a polite smile and nodded to Ivy. Then, he turned to Ilya and gave a standard adventurer's bow. "Good day, noble lady. We are the 'Foresight' team, and I am the captain, Hekkeran. Looking at you, you must be a powerful adventurer from far away. It is a pleasure to meet you."
He spoke very carefully and with great respect. He clearly treated her as someone much more important than himself. Roberdyck quickly followed with a clumsy bow. Linetta gave a small nod. Arche, however, stayed silent. She pressed her lips together and secretly prepared to use her special talent.
Seeing Ilya look at them, Ivy whispered an explanation. "Sister, these four are adventurers who visit our district often. They are very nice people! Especially Lady Arche—she buys flowers all the time and really helps my business!" Ivy sounded very grateful toward the team, especially Arche.
Ilya looked at Arche for a moment longer. She remained expressionless and simply said, "Mhm."
By now, the crowd and the members of Foresight were very curious. Since the mood seemed okay, Hekkeran smiled and asked Ivy, "Ivy, where are you taking this... noble lady? Are you going out for breakfast?"
"That's right!" Ivy nodded happily. "I'm taking Sister to 'Honey Whisper' for the best desserts! Sister said we should start the day with sweets!"
Desserts? First thing in the morning?Hekkeran and the others looked at each other. This mysterious woman certainly had unique tastes.
Roberdyck grinned. "'Honey Whisper' is good, but we know even better spots in the Capital! For example, the secret ribs at 'Dragon's Throat BBQ,' the fresh fish at the 'Silver Scale Fish Market,' or the stews at 'The Spice Princess'..." He listed them like an expert. He clearly loved food.
Ivy's eyes lit up as she looked at Ilya.
Ilya seemed interested. She finally spoke in a cool, pleasant voice that sounded naturally superior. "Is that so? It seems you know more than a young girl."
Hekkeran felt a spark of hope. He knew this was his chance. Befriending such a powerful person would be great for his team. He became even more respectful. "If you wouldn't mind, My Lady, we would be happy to guide you. We know the capital very well. We know where the best food is and which places to avoid."
At that moment, Arche finished activating her [All-Seeing Eyes]. She took a deep breath. Deep in her purple eyes, a magical light appeared that normal people couldn't see. She looked up at the beautiful woman in silver armor.
And then—
"Pfft—!!!"
Arche's pupils shrank instantly! It felt like she wasn't looking at a person. It felt like she was staring directly into the sun without any protection. No, it was something even bigger, brighter, and more impossible to understand than the sun!
Through her [All-Seeing Eyes], Ilya's image changed completely. Arche didn't see a woman in armor. She saw a whole universe.
It was a giant, holy, pure white space, like a heaven for gods. Countless golden chains with divine symbols crossed through the air. Each chain had a power that made her soul shake. In the center was something ultimate.
She saw a figure in a simple but beautiful white gown. It looked both holy and breathtaking. Behind the figure was a spinning ring of light made of stars, as if she were wearing the entire galaxy! Her hair looked like moonlight. Her left eye was a holy white that could wash away all evil. Her right eye was blue and gold, containing the secrets of time and space.
Arche saw level indicators, but they were broken and flashing. They weren't numbers. They were words like "Infinite," "Transcendent," and "Error." Her mana wasn't just a pool; it was a boundless ocean. It looked like the source of all magic in the world. All her stats were so high that the system couldn't measure them.
"Ugh... ah...!"
Arche let out a pained sound. Her body shook, and her face turned white. It felt like her eyes were being burned by a bright light. Her brain felt like it had been hit by a hammer. She felt like a tiny ant facing the entire sky. Her stomach turned.
"Blegh—!"
She couldn't stop herself. She doubled over and threw up on the street. Only water came out because she hadn't eaten yet. Her hands shook against the ground. Cold sweat soaked her back. Her eyes were filled with pure terror and confusion.
Everyone was shocked!
"Arche?!"
"What happened?!"
Hekkeran, Linetta, and Roberdyck rushed to help her. The people nearby cried out in alarm. They didn't understand why this calm mage had suddenly collapsed.
Ivy was scared too. She covered her mouth and looked at Ilya in confusion.
Ilya stopped walking. She turned her head slightly. Her blue eyes calmly watched the shaking Arche. For a second, she looked interested.
She had felt it. For a moment, a weak but strange power had tried to "look" at her. It wasn't a normal spell; it was a natural talent that worked on the rules of the world. When that power touched Ilya's divine protection—from her [Valkyrie] class and her World Items—it was blocked. The "feedback" of information was so strong it almost made the girl collapse.
(A talent?)Ilya thought. (Like a passive skill? It seems to gather information. I didn't expect to find such interesting people here. It's like when Ainz first found "Martial Arts" in this world.)
Seeing Arche in pain, Ilya smiled very slightly. Then, while everyone watched, she walked up to the kneeling girl.
Her silver boots stopped right in front of Arche.
Arche felt that massive, holy presence get closer. She shook even harder and almost fainted.
Then, a gentle hand in silver armor touched her shoulder. A soft but strong force pulled her up.
Arche was forced to look up into Ilya's calm blue eyes. At this close range, Ilya's beauty was so great it made Arche lose her breath.
Ilya tilted her head, looking at Arche's pale face. She gestured to the fact that Arche was much shorter than her.
"Are you alright, little sister?" Ilya's voice was softer now, but still very cold. "Some things should not be looked at carelessly. Especially... 'scenery' that is far above you."
Arche understood immediately. This woman knew exactly what she had done! The words "little sister" and the gesture about their height reminded Arche that there was a huge gap between them.
"I... I'm sorry... Noble Lady..." Arche's voice was raspy. She was terrified. She looked down, unable to meet Ilya's eyes. (Is she a god? Does such a thing really exist in this world? What did I just see? A goddess?)
Ilya pulled her hand away and shook her head, as if it didn't matter. "It doesn't matter. Everyone is curious." She looked at the worried Foresight team, then back at Ivy. "Are we still going to 'Honey Whisper'?"
She acted like Arche's reaction was just a small, unimportant event.
Hekkeran and the others didn't agree. They knew Arche's talent never failed. The only reason she would react like this was if the woman was incredibly powerful. This wasn't just a strong adventurer. This was something legendary—maybe even more terrifying than the "Magic King."
Hekkeran was scared, but he also saw an opportunity. He spoke very humbly. "Noble Lady, Arche is feeling unwell. Please accept our apologies. As for the food, we would still be honored to serve you! We know private kitchens that are much better than 'Honey Whisper'!"
He even used the word "serve." Roberdyck and Linetta also acted very humble.
Ivy looked at Arche, then at Ilya. She realized that this "Sister" was much more important than she thought! She was so powerful that even these strong adventurers were acting like servants.
Ivy swallowed hard and whispered, "Sister... are you... a very amazing person?"
Ilya didn't answer directly. She just said, "Does it matter? What matters now is breakfast." She looked at Hekkeran. "The private kitchen—do they have good desserts?"
Hekkeran felt relieved. "Of course! One of the chefs used to work for the King. His skills are the best. You usually need a reservation, but we helped him once, so he will let us in."
Ilya nodded. "Lead the way."
"Yes! This way, please!" Hekkeran stepped aside. Linetta helped the weak Arche walk. Arche shook her head to say she was okay, but she still looked at Ilya with total shock and fear.
The crowd whispered as they watched them leave. They didn't know the details, but they could tell the silver-haired woman was someone very important.
As they walked, the mood was quiet. Arche finally caught her breath, though she was still pale.
"Besides food, are there other interesting places in the capital?" Ilya asked, breaking the silence. She seemed to have forgotten the incident already.
Ivy perked up. "Oh, yes! The Imperial Arena! There are matches every week! And the North Market has stalls selling strange things—magic items and treasures from ruins!"
Hekkeran smiled. "Ivy is right. The Imperial Arena shows the Empire's strength. The North Market is a mix of everything. You can find many strange things there if you have a sharp eye."
Ilya nodded. "Sounds good. The arena and the market... I would like to see those."