The walk back to Twilight Manor was uneventful.
After half an hour of walking, the familiar gates came into view, and when they stepped inside, the manor was noticeably quieter than when they had left.
Only a handful of guards and lower-ranked members milled about.
"It seems like we're one of the first groups to make it back."
Tione observed, hands on her hips as she surveyed the hall.
Then she turned to Judas.
"Alright, hand over the money. I'll deliver everything to the captain's office."
Judas gave a simple nod.
With a flick of his fingers, the floating crates and heavy sacks drifted toward her, settling neatly into her arms.
"If you need me," Judas said, already turning toward the corridor.
"I'll be in the training grounds."
His footsteps echoed softly as he walked away, leaving Tione and Lefiya behind in the quiet hall.
...
Now sitting in the training area... freshly repaired after the damage from his fight with Ais... Judas took a moment to assess the space around him as a magic circle slowly lit up beneath his feet.
"The amount of mana it's gathered looks decent enough."
He muttered under his breath before closing his eyes and shifting into a meditative pose.
Time passed quietly.
Before long, members of the Loki Familia began returning one after another, each carrying heavy sacks of coins in their arms.
Judging from their satisfied expressions, most of them had managed to negotiate a good deal.
"Huh? What's that newcomer doing?"
Several members paused, noticing Judas sitting in the middle of the training grounds, unmoving.
"Hey, do you guys feel something weird around him? What is that?"
A few elves and mages narrowed their eyes, sensing the faint swirl of an unfamiliar energy gathering around his body.
"Is that some kind of training...?"
From her room, Lefiya watched through the window with a curious look in her eyes as her gaze landed on the black-haired boy.
People were curious, but no one interrupted him out of respect.
Hours later, Judas' eyes finally opened.
The magic circle pulsed once before fading, scattering like dust on the wind.
He exhaled deeply, a faint shimmer of magic leaking out with his breath.
By now, almost everyone had returned.
The base was lively again... voices, footsteps, laughter, and the noise of coins being counted echoed through the halls.
That was when he heard a set of footsteps approaching.
"I hope I'm not disturbing."
A calm, gentle voice reached him.
Judas turned, spotting an orange-haired elf standing at the entrance of the training grounds.
She carried herself with a mature air... soft-spoken but steady, like a reliable older sister.
Alicia Forestlight.
Level 4 mage.
Second-string member of the Loki Familia.
"It's fine," Judas replied as he stood up, brushing dust from his pants.
"I was about done anyway."
Alicia gave him a warm, faintly amused smile.
Unlike most elves who were petite, Alicia possesses a well-endowed and curvaceous body that rivals Tione's which made other people wonder if she is really an elf.
"Good timing," Alicia continued. "Miss Riveria asked me to fetch you. She wants you in the library."
"Oh... right. I almost forgot about that."
Judas scratched his cheek.
"Let's go, then. It's best not to keep Lady Riveria waiting."
Alicia said as she turned, her long hair swaying behind her.
Judas fell into step beside her, leaving the training grounds.
They walked through the quiet corridor that connected the courtyard to the manor's interior.
Lantern light flickered along the walls, casting warm glows over polished wooden floors.
Alicia glanced sideways at him.
"You've only been with us for a short time, yet everyone keeps talking about you nonstop. Well, I guess that's natural when someone of your caliber joins the familia out of nowhere."
She said lightly as she continued walking.
Judas raised a brow.
"...In a good way or a bad way?"
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Mostly good. Riveria is curious about your magic. Lefiya... well, she's intimidated. And the others... either they respect you for your strength or they just don't know what to make of you yet."
"I see," Judas muttered.
Alicia's smile widened a little.
"Don't worry. The Loki Familia has plenty of eccentric members. You fit right in."
They turned down another hallway, passing a few adventurers who greeted Alicia with nods before glancing curiously at Judas, whispering among themselves once they thought he was out of earshot.
Judas ignored it.
When they reached the familiar ornate double doors leading to the library, Alicia slowed to a stop.
She lifted her hand and knocked twice.
"Lady Riveria, I brought him with me."
She called out, her tone shifting into something a little more formal. Riveria had that effect on people... especially elves.
"Come in."
Riveria's voice, calm and elegant as always, carried clearly from the other side.
Alicia pushed the doors open, and Judas was greeted with rows upon rows of towering bookshelves.
He shifted his gaze forward.
There, draped in her elegant robes, Riveria stood behind a desk piled with scrolls and open books, the light outlining her emerald hair like a halo.
Her sharp elven eyes lifted from the page, calmly assessing Judas the moment he stepped inside.
"Eh? Judas?"
A female voice filled with surprise rang in his ears.
Turning his head, he spotted Lefiya sitting behind another desk, a book in her hands.
It wasn't just her... the room was full of female elves, all seated at desks cluttered with books and scrolls, while Riveria stood at the center.
Of course, Judas didn't think this was a coincidence.
He was more or less aware of the lineup that made up the Loki Familia's forces.
'So this is the fairy force.'
A name that Loki insisted on giving them, though it had been outright rejected by Riveria.
Still, the members of the group liked it and referred to themselves by it in secret.
This was a group composed entirely of elves, with Riveria at the center.
The squad consisted of eleven members, all mages or magic swordsmen, who... except for Lefiya... had mastered concurrent chanting and trained for high-speed combat, able to skillfully use short chants.
'This almost feels like I'm in a classroom.'
Judas thought, tapping his fingers on his chin.
"You are finally here."
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