“So, you are going to be my stepson in the future? Fufufu, indeed, you are worthy and you have such glamor in you. I like you.” The small girl, Ruby, exclaimed as she jumps down from Hart’s shoulder and descends ever slowly like her whole body is being guided by the gravity itself.

“Careful now Ruby. We are still here to investigate who unleashed such magnitude of power that the whole world felt last Saturday.” Hart reminded Ruby as he took a glance towards Sigrun and Emeralda.

“Wait…? So Emeralda and Meld haven’t said anything about me yet?” Sigrun suddenly realized it as the notion of them still being wary of the phenomena is still unknown, at least for them.

“Wahahaha! You’re still saying that Ruby?! You still have your stalking tendency too!” Emeralda declared.

“W-What are you talking about?! Gramps and I are just passing by, you know!” Ruby’s voice shook as she denied Emeralda’s allegation.

“Hmm, I do sense them quite earlier but I paid it no heed since they don’t seem to be hostile.” Sigrun thought such.

“Playing dumb, huh? You and Hart said almost the same thing but the meaning is quite off from each other. Goodness, if you are going to give reasons to follow me or Sigrun, you should have done better.” Emeralda talked as if she is unveiling their plots. “Though, this is just a bluff. I’m just guessing it with Ruby’s tendency to stalk people she is interested in.” She immediately said inside her head.

“Ahahaha! My bad, Ruby. Our words did sound the same but considering that you just saw the huge flame while I saw Emeralda is just out of the context of our plan.” Hart laughed heartily while finding an appropriate chair to sit on, however, because of his size, he settled for the bed that gave off a creak when he rested his body.

“Hmph, game over. So what? More like, I am curious about that boy. His magic went out of control and created a flame way over the size an ordinary student can make!” Ruby said with a pout as Emeralda shows a smirk.

“As much as I’d like to discuss everything right now, we must wait until his classes are over. Then, we can truly continue this, how about it? I’m heading over to Meld’s place. You want to come?!” Emeralda excitedly said.

“Ah, let’s go! I want to see my beloved Meld!” Ruby happily said as her cheeks are tinged a little ablaze.”

“Well then, Sigrun, return to your class when you feel better.” Emeralda said as if she is trying to lure the two Paladins away from him.

With Emeralda as the lead, Ruby and Hart follow behind.

“Hey, why did you call him master earlier?!” Ruby coquettishly asked.

“W-Why indeed? Ahahaha…” Emeralda’s troubled laugh is what Sigrun last heard.

“I don’t want to be the one saying this but they are quite interesting people. Ah, but I have to look at the problem at hand. I miserably failed at using elemental magic like how they use it. Maybe I should have Alisa and Reed teach me after all.” Sigrun said to himself as he stretches his arms and proceeds to leave the infirmary.

When Sigrun gets back, he got scolded.

The entirety of the day is Reed and Alisa comforting Sigrun because of his failure while Amaryl and Enheirt tried to get more answer out of him regarding his identity as the Hero of Aldieas.

Thankfully, Enheirt and Amaryl still have pressing doubts but nonetheless, conferred to believe about Sigrun’s identity as they deemed that Meld wouldn’t lie about such sensitive case. Still, what happened to Sigrun’s magic still lingers around the class and he got all of the attention.

Finally, as the last bell tolls, Sigrun breathed a sigh of relief.

With Alisa, Reed, and Amaryl in two, Sigrun proceeds to the Headmaster’s office where Meld and the other Paladins are supposed to be. Enheirt could not come. According to Amaryl, he has a part-time job at a supermarket.

As they marched towards the office, Sigrun suddenly stopped point blank at the front of the door.

“What’s wrong, Sig?” Alisa asked with anxiety painted countenance. It was natural for her and the others to feel nervous since they are going to meet more of the Ten Paladins which are widely known to keep the peace in this world.

“There’s quite a lot of people inside, huh?” Sigrun muttered as he nonchalantly opened the door.

What they inside made them stopped at their track with gaping mouth of pitying eyes.

The man in question, Meld Valker, the headmaster of Estelle Harmonia Magic Academy is sitting on his chair with dead eyes as Ruby Mayfarer sits on his lap while trying every kind of flirting with him. Her words are ignored but her countenance if enough to convey that she is extremely joyous.

They see Hart Geliet, half naked as he stripped his upper clothes and strike poses in front of a large mirror inside the office. His extremely large build did nothing but to stand out and give a disgusting response, especially from Amaryl and Alisa.

Seyren has taken out all of the books from the shelf not to read them, but to amuse himself by stacking them as high as possible. He didn’t bother Meld’s angry scolding and proceeded to build his tower while trying to get Meld’s attention and once in a while, say how awesome his city is.

Emeralda is on the couch, guzzling on some expensive looking wine like it is some water. Quarts happily fills her goblet with it with an evil smile on his countenance. Emeralda on the other hand just keeps pouring the wine offered to her straight down to her throat.

On another side of the office where Meld’s techbook is located, a man with deep blond hair with blue scaly horns sprouting from his head and two scales with the same color on his jaws wearing a really dirty and greasy jumpsuit used for mechanical work.

Finally, the beret-wearing cat girl, Esser, runs towards them, specifically to Amaryl and gave her a hug.

“Lady Esser?” Amaryl only muttered as she watches the smaller girl shyly wags her thin tail.

“Come! Let’s eat some cake!” Esser drags off Amaryl away from the group. She pulls on Amaryl’s hand towards a vacant table with cake and teas atop of it.

Sigrun didn’t mind what just happened and proceed to walk inside. He decidedly sat beside Quarts and gestured to have a few shot.

“Oho? This one is a delicacy. A rare grapefruit of blue in color, traded from a far city called Mephis in which a province that specializes in cultivating fruits. Please have some.” Quarts readily poured a glass for Sigrun.

Sigrun picks up the glass and drank the content without abandon.

“OH?! Now that’s the stuff! Well, it’s quite pale in comparison when it comes to impact compared to what I make back on the mountain.” Sigrun said with a satisfied look on his face.

“You brew your own wine?” Quarts asked.

“I’ve learned a lot of practical skills during my time living alone. Cooking, sewing, cleaning, laundry, crafting, and a lot more than needed to live alone.” Sigrun stated with a factual tone.

“Hey, don’t start a uneccesarry discussion!” Meld snaps.

“Oh my, darling, why are you so mad?” Ruby asked Meld with teasing eyes.

“Get off me you flatboard! As if I’d get interested in a young brat like you.” Meld replied with convulsing cheeks.

“Geez, they’ll grow big after a few years...” Ruby said with a positive hindsight. “Urk!” However, her demeanor immediately shattered as she saw Amaryl, a fellow Serensis, sitting beside Esser, with a bountiful chest.

CLAP

Meld clasped his palm loudly to gather everyone’s attention towards him.

“Everyone, now that Sigrun is here, we may now start this talk. Though…where’s the other three?” Meld said as he surveyed the populace inside the room.

“Hmm? As usual, you know. Having their own schedules. Ah, Meld, I cashed in some parts delivery for an Exturbo under your name. Thanks!” the greasy man said.

“Damn it, Lahr! F- Nevermind! Just pay attention!” Meld shouted.

The greasy man who looks like a mechanic is named Lahr Briar. The ninth of the Ten Paladins. Unlike Emeralda, Lahr is a man who uses intellect rather than brawn.

“Yo, Meld, getting angry over petty stuff again? Ahaha, you never change.” Seyren laughs as he approaches them.

“Seyren, you, of all people, should know the seriousness of my job.” Meld sends a glare at Seyren.

“Well, fine. Everyone, let’s listen to Meld. We may finally close the case about that pressure we felt the other day.” Seyren commanded everyone with a stern voice. The entirety of the Paladins inside the room sobered up from the fervor of their enjoyment and gathered around.

As everyone is now paying attention to Meld, the atmosphere grew tense and Alisa, Reed, and Amaryl who got caught up swallowed their saliva in their anxiousness. The shift in the ambiance made the hair on their neck stand. They knew that the Ten Paladins are a group of extremely powerful people ranging from Tier two and above but they never imagined that such pressure could overpower their calmness.

Inside their mind, they are stiff still, inside their chest, their hearts stumps nervously, and inside their mouth, their tongue seeks moisture as it dried up.

“Everyone, as you may have heard, this boy here, Sigrun Valker, is my adoptive son. In reality, it was just a cover to give him a new identity to this new era that this world has reached.” Meld’s words seep right into everyone’s mind and they quickly process the information.

“This boy here is the actual Hero of Aldieas, Sigrun. He arrived in this city last week and now, he is trying to learn the ways of the society.” Meld announces, however, there was no visible reaction from everyone. Even Esser who is quite shy is showing a default countenance.

“Oh? So, Meld, you hid Sigrun from us. Nevermind the days that have passed, but considering that you never spoke a word of it to us is quite…what do you call it…? Treacherous.” Seyren said with a smile, however, his eyes are serious.

“If you have something to say to Meld, I, Emeralda, can also be held accountable too, don’t you think? I’ve known Sigrun for quite a time but this is the first time that I will announce my relation to him.” Emeralda said as bloodlust slowly seeps from her.

“However, hag, we could say that you’ve known about Sigrun longer than before the Ten Paladins is founded. Your words are regarded as a personal secret.” Ruby said while addressing an insult to Emeralda.

“Tsk, brat.” She only clicks her tongue.

“Un, my verdict is neutral. I don’t think it’s that serious anyway, meow.” Esser voices her judgment and cuddled up to Amaryl.

“W-why is she so attached to me? I get that she is a subspecies of a cat but…” Amaryl’s attention was momentarily stolen by Esser.

“Doesn’t really matter to me. All I want is to get some materials from Meld for my new Exturbo.” Lahr said as he turns his back and proceeds to leave the room.

“Hmm, I understand that this boy here, Sigrun, is that hero, as Meld claimed. I’ll repeat it, as Meld claimed. If it is so, then he his a potential ally to help us conquer the Eight Dungeon Tombs.” Hart said.

“Hart, that’s not something you say here. There are kids here who are not aware of its existence. Only Tier Three Degree Five Magus are allowed to such classified information!” Meld shouted with indignation.

“Eight Dungeon Tombs? What are those?” Reed’s mind tried hard to keep up with the conversation. Upon hearing something new, he immediately searched his memory if anything sounds related to it. Apparently, he remembers none.

“To be treated as kids…No, we are kids after all…” Alisa grits her teeth. She couldn’t do or say anything about the situation at first, it doesn’t really concern her. Second, if it does, what are the chances that she could actually do anything.

“Ahahaha, Meld, uptight as ever. Now then, how do we determine that authenticity of his claim? Simple. By testing the very boy he identifies as Sigrun, the hero of Aldieas.” Seyren sprouted a twisted smug as he turns his sight towards Sigrun.

“……” Sigrun only looks at Seyren, trying to determine what is he going to do next.

“If you are the real olden hero, then, you should recognize this blade.” Seyren said as a blinding light erupted around him. Everyone except Sigrun drew away from Seyren.

“Wha--?! Seyren, you!” Emeralda shouted as she drew back with Alisa and Reed on her arms.

“You really like to be this flashy, that’s why you don’t have friends.” Esser said while mocking him. In her arms, Amaryl is there, with a perplexed countenance.

“Seyren…you don’t have to use that…” Meld asked as sweat started flowing down from his forehead.

On his hand, pale blue transparent sword reveals itself. The power it leaks is astounding to everyone. The reason Seyren Aern is at the top of the Paladins, the reason why everyone respects him, the reason he is seen as someone akin to a legend…

Is because, in his hand, a Cosmic Blade shows its power.

“Well then, how about this, Sigrun, Hero of Aldieas?” Seyren said as he pointed the blade at Sigrun.

Sigrun stares at the blade with a bewildered face. It was a face of pure surprise as the blade with a blue glow appeared right in front of him. However, his stance changes as soon as the blade is pointed at him.

“Hey…you might not really know but…I’ll ask anyway…” Sigrun’s words are nothing but tinged with hostile intentions.

He then reveals an eye of pure rage.

“HeY, dO yOu KnoW whAt iT meANs tO pOinT thE COSMIC BLADE OF BALANCE tO thE wiEldEr oF tHe COSMIC BLADE OF CHAOS?!” Spiteful words are utter from Sigrun’s lips that basked everyone…everything…and the entirety of the city in his growing rage.

At that moment, the sky is dyed in pure chaos as the clouds are painted with malicious darkness. The very ground itself started to tremor and all of the establishments have gone awry as both magical energy and electrical energy are greatly disrupted.

That day, everyone learned how a simple rage of the Olden Hero could become a massive mayhem.