Driving the carriage, Kenley and his group returned to the city. Their next destination was Lytalia's house, located in a narrow alley in the northern part of the commercial district.

  "We're here." Kenley hopped off the carriage, but he soon noticed Sylph standing still, staring in a particular direction.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.

  "It's nothing."

  Kenley followed her gaze and realized—what a coincidence. The place Sylph was absentmindedly staring at was exactly where they had first met her the day before.

  He shook his head without commenting further and instead led Tia toward Lytalia's house.

  Lytalia's home was a three-story building. Kenley was somewhat familiar with her daily routines. At this time, she was usually not at home—most likely working alongside her husband at the blacksmith's forge.

  As a dwarf, Lytalia wasn't just the wife of a blacksmith; she was also a rune engraver, which explained why she was skilled at crafting magical traps.

  Rune engravers were rare on the continent of Aude. In the early stages of their training, they had little presence or combat involvement. However, in the later stages of their craft, they became invaluable. After all, the ability to imbue weapons and armor with magical properties could change the tide of battle entirely.

  Sylph frowned as she took in the house's location. Though tucked away in an alley, it was still within the city. Avoiding unwanted attention from passersby and nosy neighbors would be extremely difficult.

  Just as she was about to discuss a strategy for infiltrating the house, Kenley took the lead—casually pushing open the door and walking inside, as if he were a frequent guest with nothing to fear.

  "Lytalia! Lytalia!" he called out while striding in, but there was no response.

  Sylph stared at him, dumbfounded. Is this human afraid of nothing? Doesn't he care if the mission fails?

  Shaking her head in frustration, she silently followed him inside.

  As expected, no matter how loudly Kenley called, there was no sign of anyone in the house. He eventually turned to the two women and said,"Alright, follow me."

  Tia exchanged a glance with Sylph before quickly following him.

  As they ascended the stairs to the third floor, Sylph realized just how complex the house's layout was. Every turn of the staircase made her pause to get her bearings, yet Kenley navigated the place effortlessly, as if it were his own home.

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  If not for her heightened senses as a ranger, Sylph would have had a hard time keeping up.

  This guy… was he a thief in the past? How is he so skilled at this? He's moving around like he's completely unafraid of getting caught.

  At last, they reached the third floor. As Sylph stepped onto the landing, she saw Kenley standing in front of a door, his brows furrowed.

  "Sylph, give it a try," he said, turning his gaze to her.

  "So in the end, you still need this princess to help you?" Sylph thought smugly to herself. However, she maintained a nonchalant tone as she asked,"What's wrong? Can't get in?"

  Kenley didn't seem to mind her attitude at all. Instead, he said,"Sylph, take a look at the magical trap on this door. Can you determine its rank and type?"

  Seeing how serious and cautious he was, Sylph lost interest in teasing him. She turned her attention to the door, stepped forward, and placed her right hand against it.

  "O Fountain of Magic, reveal to me all the secrets that lie within this place."

  A soft blue light immediately spread across the entire door, as if it had been wrapped in a glowing green LED strip—or at least, that was how Kenley perceived it.

  After a short moment, Sylph withdrew the light into her palm. Her eyes snapped open, and she spoke with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

  "A fourth-rank magical trap. The mana core is embedded in the door handle. If anyone other than the rightful owner of this house touches it, the trap will activate instantly."

  A fourth-rank trap? Just for a door?

  Sylph closed her eyes for a moment, as if analyzing further, before continuing,"We can't simply force our way in. That would also trigger the trap."

  She opened her eyes again, a hint of admiration in them."What a sophisticated design. Even I can't say for sure that I can disable it. Who knew dwarves had such impressive magical talent?"

  Hearing her explanation, Kenley frowned. Why did this trap's design seem so familiar? It reminded him of something—maybe from one of his past dungeon raids? The Draconic Heresy's secret ritual hall, perhaps? Hadn't he encountered a similar mechanism when fighting the High Priest?

  Tia, concerned, quickly asked,"Sylph, can you disarm it?"

  Sylph tensed up. She had boasted to Tia before, but now she realized she might have spoken too soon.

  "Uh…" Sweat beaded on her forehead. Damn it. I promised Tia I could do it, but I can't.

  A fourth-rank magical trap wasn't beyond her ability to break, but she would need to advance to the third rank herself before she could attempt it.

  "Tia, listen to me," Sylph said, trying to divert the conversation.

  "Hmm?" Tia tilted her head, her trust in Sylph unwavering. She didn't seem to doubt her abilities at all.

  "Tia, you know that magical traps have unique mechanisms. If someone who doesn't understand them tries to dismantle one carelessly, they'll trigger the trap instead. While I can see the structure and strength of this one, I need a little more information…" Sylph chose her words carefully, unwilling to shatter the competent image she had built in Tia's mind.

  But before she could finish, Tia suddenly pointed at Kenley.

  "Sylph, do you mean… like Master?"

  Sylph froze. She turned her head—and the sight behind her made her jaw drop.

  Kenley had casually placed his hand on the door handle. Without any visible magic or special techniques, he gave it a slight push, and with a soft creak, the door simply swung open. No trap activation, no resistance.

  He had done it effortlessly.

  Sylph's mind went blank.

  What… what just happened?

  Her voice faltered."H-he… how did he get in?"

  Tia tilted her head thoughtfully."While you were talking to me, Master seemed to draw a symbol on the door. Then it just… opened."