A/n: Welp, I didn't post a chapter yesterday, so I'll have to make that up sometime soon. In any case, hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Some interesting things happen in this one and it also the introduces a rather annoying character archetype. Hurray for 10 chapter milestone though. Can't believe how much I've already typed up. As always, rate, review, comment, criticize, and point out mistakes.

Also, anyone ever just stare at their fiction page and just refreshing every few seconds to look at the view counter? I now know how addicting it is. RIP my time.

///

Two men could be seen within a small study room. One of the men could be seen sitting behind a large wooden desk topped to the brim with documents and files of all sorts. Another could be seen standing in front of said desk and was nervously fidgeting around.

“So then, vice-guild master Alexius, tell me what really happened to that mana bauble that you were supposed to supervise. Don’t spout anymore of that nonsense from before. Even if that mana bauble is still functioning, anyone can see the strange changes that came over it, especially that crackling of mana that sometimes appears. You should understand, how important and expensive that high-quality bauble is, right? I’m holding you responsible for any problems associated with it so don’t hide anything.” The man behind the desk said.

“I-I’m sorry guild master Reinhart, but I can’t disclose that information even to you. You should know our policies when dealing with guild members, right? Ah-!” Alexius immediately closed his mouth after saying that.

“Hm… so it was a guild member was it? A new guild member at that since the crackling began recently and there were no incidents of this occurring prior, which means all the veteran adventurers are out of the picture. And from the fact that the bauble still crackles with mana, it must’ve been someone of considerable ability as well…” Reinhart deduced.

“Let me ask you a question Alexius. Have you heard of the recent dragon incident?” Reinhart probed.

“O-of course! An extremely strong adventurer was said to have killed earth dragon Agnare as unbelievable as it may sound. Though, we still have no idea who it was.” Alexius quickly replied.

“Now then Alexius, let me ask you another question. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that right after finding out about the mysterious change to the mana bauble that we then heard that a dragon was killed by a mysterious adventurer near here?” Reinhart inquired as he crossed his hands and placed both his arms on the desk while squinting at the nervous man.

“T-that…” Alexius was about to respond as he realized what Reinhart was implying.

“I feel that because such incidents occurred within such a close time proximity to each other, we can’t just waive it off as coincidence. Now then Alexius, what can you tell me about this?” Reinhart continued to stare straight at Alexius like a hawk searching for any weakness.

As if giving up, Alexius was just about to reveal the details of the incident on that day when he all of a sudden started yelling out.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Alexius shouted out as he collapsed to the floor while writhing in pain.

Guild master Reinhart instantly widened his eyes upon seeing this and hurried over to Alexius’s side.

“What’s happening to you!? What’s going on!?” Reinhart shouted at the writhing and gasping man as he started to calm down a little. It was then that Reinhart saw a glowing black sigil mark on the back of Alexius’s hand.

‘…I see. To even go as far as put a hex on him. Someone must really want to remain hidden…’ Reinhart thought in contemplation.

‘In any case, I’ll find out who it is soon enough. There can only be so many new guild members within the past few days after all. Even if I can’t find him, there is still a high chance that someone must’ve known of him in town. Still, for there to exist someone capable of killing a dragon…’ Reinhart thought as he considered the implications of this.

If someone really was capable of single-handedly killing a dragon, then this won’t just be a problem within the guild anymore. It’ll become a national issue if it were to ever be spread. People will soon be scouring the lands to find this mysterious person and that’ll only lead to trouble.

With a tired sigh, Reinhart could only rub his temples as he watched Alexius stop struggling.

///

“We’ve finally done it! Finally, we've reconstructed the ancient summoning magic!” A hooded figure shouted out with glee from within a dark, stone room. Piles upon piles of books, research documents, archaic runes, and many others could be seen strewn across the tables and floor.

“After so many years of research… we’ve finally done it… Soon, with this, we can summon individuals strong enough to counteract the secret weapon of those damned demons.” Another hooded figure shouted out, equally excited.

“Soon, this blasted war will be over, and with it will be the fall of those demons. Using what we’ve learned today and also ‘that’, we can soon exterminate all of them and finally secure peace.” A third hooded figure continued.

“May the Elemental God Solaris give us his blessings. May we forever be graced by his light; the light that will save us with its purity, that will rain down upon our enemies and the unworthy and smite them with its holy wrath.” A final hooded man could be heard chanting in reverence as the others started doing the same.

“May the light of humanity shine justice upon all those who stand in the way.” The four figures finished in unison.

///

High above, in the mountainous continent of Astheon, a grand, golden palace stood upon the highest peak where the ancient Celestial citadel once resided. Inside one of the rooms of this golden palace, a man and a woman could be seen sitting across a table from each other.

The man was wearing white and gold robes with intricate designs embroidered in the form of a sun. Across his waist, there was a glowing, white sash that seemed to ward away even the night itself in its brilliance. This person had long golden hair tied together in a braid that hung over his shoulder and his pure white eyes exuded an air of authority.

“So after two years, you still couldn’t find a trace of what caused that abnormality?” The man questioned the woman sitting across from him.

“None. I couldn’t find anything at all which should’ve been impossible considering its breadth of influence. Yet the source seems to have eluded me.” A woman sporting greyish white hair tied in a bun responded. The raging storm contained within her eyes flickered as her pride was slightly damaged over finding out nothing during her time away.

“Well, if you found nothing then you found nothing. No use digging any further for something we may not even know exists. In any case, you should get some rest. I’ll be leaving now.” The man sighed as he got up and left.

Walking through the hallway away from the room they were in, this man was sporting a rather annoyed expression as he clicked his tongue.

‘Tch. Useless. At least that bitch Umbriel would’ve done a better job than her. No matter. One or two unknown variables shouldn’t affect my plans too much.’ The man thought as he gave a smug smirk while he walked towards his own room.

‘Soon… Very soon… the world will be mine.’ The man smiled gleefully as he closed the door of his room behind him.

///

Cyrus and Seffy have been flying for nearly half a day now and it was already night time since they had left during the afternoon. They were currently soaring over an open grass plain as they had left the Sangin Wilderness a while back. While looking for a place to stop and camp for the night, they spotted a campfire in the distance. Having already cooled off from their earlier mood, they decided to head in its direction. Since the camping grounds had already been set up, they decided to save on the effort of having to do it themselves. Either way, if it were bandits or just simple travelers, they figured they’d have a place to rest ready for them there instead of having to search for one.

The two landed a fair distance away and decided to walk towards that direction instead of flying. After all, startling the people there probably wouldn’t be the best of ideas. They soon found a dirt road that had many wheel skid marks indicating that travelers use it often and followed it while approaching the campfire.

“So, what did you find out from that piece of trash? You looked into his soul, right?” Seffy asked as they walked.

“Well, unfortunately he didn’t really know all that much. He was probably on the lower end of the hierarchy. All I really got from him was the name of the organization and some information of what they deal with. They’re called the Black Legion, and as you can imagine of an underground organization, they deal with literally everything that can be considered unethical. Slaves, human experimentation, mind drugs, kidnappings, assassinations, you name it.” Cyrus answered back while shaking his head.

“I’m guessing you plan on dealing with them eventually?”

“Maybe. For now though, I’m not going to actively pursue them; killing a single man is easy, hunting down an entire organization is a bit more trouble than what I would like to deal with right now. However, should they try anything; I won’t hesitate to wipe them out.”

“Mmn. Alright, I suppose.”

They soon approached the camp as they chatted. Fortunately, it wasn’t a bandit camp so they didn’t have to do anymore killing today. As they got close, the people of the camp seemed to notice them. Even with their masks on, they still stood out quite a bit since they were the only ones walking the road at this time. This, and also the fact that their conspicuous attires literally made them stand out like lights in a dark cave.

The camp that came into view was comprised of three carriages surrounding a campfire in the middle. Huddled near the campfire was a small group of people of no more than fifteen people. There were three elderly people, eight adults, two teenagers, and two children. Of those eight adults, it appears that half of them were proficient in combat as they reached for their weapons while Cyrus and Seffy approached.

They seemed wary. Of course, that’s completely expected considering the circumstances, and especially since Cyrus and Seffy looked more like noblemen than travelers. As Cyrus and Seffy reached the edge of the camp, one of the four armed men shouted out.

“Stop right there and identify yourselves! Make it quick if you don’t want a sword in your gut.” The man declared threateningly.

“We mean no harm. We simply have had a long day of travel and would like a safe place to rest. Since you people have already set up camp here, we figured that it would be for the best if we joined you. My name is Cyrus and this is my travelling companion Seffy. If you would be so kind, may we set up our things around here?” Cyrus courteously replied.

“There’s no way we would let you do that. In case you haven’t noticed, but everything about you two is extremely suspicious. First off, why were you even travelling during the night, especially in those clothes, when you could’ve easily set up camp earlier? You do know that there are many dangers when travelling and especially so after dark, right? That and also the fact that you two look nothing like travelers. We can’t let you near us when we don’t even know the first thing about you.” The same man responded after refusing.

“Certainly we may seem suspicious… I’ll tell you what. We’ll let you search us for any weapons and after that, if you’re still uncertain about it, we’ll pay you guys for the inconvenience of letting us stay here. We’ll even let you guys keep watch over us.” Cyrus said, smiling while opening his hands to show he wasn’t holding anything dangerous.

Cyrus had long stowed away his scepter within his spatial ring. He was certain that they wouldn’t be able to find anything to raise their suspicions.

Lowering their hands that were on the hilt of their weapons, the men seemed to relax a little at hearing this. After discussing among themselves, one of them cautiously went over and searched through Cyrus and his bag before doing the same to Seffy, although he blushed a little when he did so. Seemingly satisfied that they were no threat, the man simply went back before one of the unarmed men in the back came over.

“Well, you’re clean and you don’t seem like you have any malicious intents so we’ll permit you. Considering the situation, it’s unlikely for you guys to be bandits anyway. However, know that if you try anything, we won’t hesitate to respond in kind.” The man gruffly spoke.

“My name is Casic and I am the leader of this group. We’re currently traveling to the capital for personal reasons. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The man continued as he held his hand out.

Taking the hand and shaking it, Cyrus promptly replied, “Likewise.”

After doing so, Cyrus and Seffy went off to the side to set up their tent. Finishing their tent up briskly, they then decided to move to the campfire to cook some of the food they bought in town. Sitting a bit away from the others, Cyrus took out some of the ingredients he kept frozen in his bag using magic to preserve them and melted them out of sight. After putting everything inside a small pot, Cyrus brought it over and put it on the fire before heading back to where Seffy was sitting.

As they sat on the edge of the campsite while watching the food cook, one of the teenagers noticed them and came over. The one who came over was a young human girl, looking to be around fifteen years of age. She had medium length brown hair tied in a single braid that hung down her back and had almond shaped brown eyes. There were some freckles on her face that seemed to indicate that she was an outdoors type of girl. She held a curious smile as she got close before standing in front of them.

Before Cyrus could say anything the girl simply asked, “Are those wings real?”

Smirking a little at this, Cyrus sarcastically responded with, “No, of course not, they’re just there for decoration. I hear it’s the latest fashion to travel while having large ornaments attached to your back.”

Pouting a little at being made fun of, she proceeded to ignore Cyrus before turning to Seffy. She then stared intently at Seffy while waiting for her to respond.

“They’re real.” Seffy simply said.

“That’s amazing. So you can fly and stuff, right? It must be so much fun just being able to soar through the air. If only I could grow wings.” The girl chatted on.

“Umm…” Seffy started before being interrupted again.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I still haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Cassidy. You know the guy who your friend here talked to before? I’m his daughter.” Cassidy introduced herself.

“Your wings are so pretty! They look really glossy and soft. Can I touch them? Can I?” Cassidy continued chattering, not even giving a chance for Seffy to respond.

“I suppose. Sure…” Seffy hesitatingly responded.

Before Seffy even had the chance to react, Cassidy already buried her entire face into her wings. As Cassidy rubbed her cheeks up and down against her wings, Seffy just looked to Cyrus for help. Unfortunately for her, Cyrus just gave her a knowing smirk as if amused by the situation. Unable to do anything else, Seffy just gave up struggling and waited for the girl to be done.

Finally lifting her face away from the now ruffled feathers of Seffy’s wing, Cassidy simply exclaimed, “So soft! It’s like a pillow. You’re so lucky you get to sleep in that every day.”

“Ah! Sorry, I got ahead of myself again. I don’t even know your name yet. Can you please tell me your name?” Cassidy asked after realizing that she had been one-sidedly imposing on Seffy.

“… My name is Saphiron, but you can just call me Seffy.” Seffy slowly replied, still a bit unsure.

“What a beautiful name! Just what I expected from someone as pretty as you are! How do you keep your skin so smooth and glossy? And that beautiful blonde hair! Just how do you manage it? I must know!” Cassidy once again began to run her mouth.

“I… This is just how it naturally is. I don’t really do anything.” Seffy honestly responded.

“Unfair! And I have to work so hard every day to manage my hair and skin and you don’t have to do anything! Sometimes the world is just so unfair!” Cassidy complained while puffing her cheeks.

“Well, whatever. Some people just get all the good things. Anyway! Why are you guys traveling alone? Actually, how are you traveling alone? Wait, no, you guys can fly, that’s right… never mind. Where are you guys going?” Cassidy rapidly spoke, shooting out question after question.

Seffy, unsure whether to answer or not, looked at Cyrus for confirmation to which he just nodded. After receiving the okay signal, Seffy simply said, “We’re heading to the capital to attend Sangin Academy.”

After hearing this, Cassidy revealed an utterly beaming smile as she excitedly responded with, “Me too! Me too! Oh my god, what a coincidence this is! To think the first friend I made outside of our village will also be going there. I’m so excited! We’re gonna have such a good time together there.”

Being completely thrown off after arbitrary being declared her ‘friend’, Seffy wasn’t sure how to respond to this overly bubbly girl. As she hesitated to say something, a call from one of the adults interrupted her train of thought. Cassidy, looking a bit disappointed, soon started to leave.

“Ah, sorry! It looks like we’ve been talking for way too long. My dad’s calling for me so I’ll talk to you later! Bye bye!” Cassidy quickly ended before she sprinted off to where her father was.

“…” Seffy was left a little dumbstruck, not sure of what just happened.

On the other hand, Cyrus had been snickering the entire time as he watched the whole ‘conversation’; though, it was mostly just Cassidy running her mouth off.

Looking a little annoyed, Seffy simply asked, “Why didn’t you help me?”

“Well, it was quite amusing watching you struggle. Besides, you need to talk to people other than me. Even you yourself should know this. I can’t always be talking in your stead after all. I think that it’s great that you already made a friend even before attending the academy. Hahaha, though I’m sure you’re going to have your hands full with this one. The hurdle on this one is quite high.” Cyrus laughed to himself.

“Ugh. Well… at least she’s still easier to deal with than you.” Seffy tiredly replied, as if giving up.

“Hey! I’m not THAT bad, am I?”

“No, you’re worse.”

“How rude. I’ve always considered my personality to be one of my charms. You know you like it, just admit it.” Cyrus smirked as he winked his eye.

“Eeeh… I’ll pass. In any case, I don’t really feel hungry so I’m heading off to bed right now. All that positive energy just drained me dry.” Seffy said while giving a tired shrug.

“Alright, suit yourself. I’ll just be doing the usual. Hope you have a good rest.” Cyrus spoke while waving as Seffy left towards their tent.