The next day, Dante awakens from his sleep and gets dressed, leaving the house without seeing his aunt or sister.
As he walks through the lively town, he greets neighbors who are enjoying their mornings.
He arrives at the café and notices that it is full of customers. A young waitress approaches Dante with a kind smile, carrying a plate.
"Good morning, Dante! Welcome back to the Genesis Order," she says with a wide smile. "Johnathan and Marcus aren't here yet."
Dante smiles back at the waitress, thinking to himself, 'Who is Marcus?' Just then, a young man with silver hair and dark blue eyes enters the café behind Dante.
Dante was about to say good morning to the man approaching him when he realized the man looked familiar. His gaze dropped, and he noticed the man was wearing Daniel's coat.
As the man smirked—a smirk just like Daniel's—Dante's suspicions were confirmed: this man was indeed Daniel.
"Daniel?" Dante asked, curious if his instinct was correct. The man stepped closer, invading Dante's personal space, and said, "You look tasty today, Dante."
A shiver ran down Dante's spine, solidifying his belief that this man was very much Daniel. "Ah, it seems I never mentioned that 'Daniel' is an identity I use. Yes, I know my dashing blonde hair and green eyes aren't real."
Dante looked at him, even more confused. "So if you aren't Daniel, then who are you?" he asked.
"My real name is Marcus Daines, and I can change my appearance using illusion magic."
Dante gazed into Marcus's dark blue eyes, and Marcus smirked again. "Don't stare too long; you might fall for me," he teased.
Dante's expression changes to dissatisfaction with his playful nature.
"Since it's so early, let's begin training. Now that you have a spiritual core, we can get serious," Marcus says while walking toward the back of the café.
Dante follows him to the back, where they enter the elevator again, going down to the main base of operations.
Marcus and Dante walk through the halls. Dante looks around, noticing more people either walking or reading, along with other activities.
Marcus notices Dante's gaze. "These are the other sorcerers back from their missions. While waiting for another mission, they study and train to always keep improving."
Dante looked around, captivated by Marcus's words. "This is so fascinating! Everyone is so focused on improving; it makes me want to improve as well," he said, feeling inspired by the other sorcerers around him. As they talked, some sorcerers walked past and bowed kindly to the two of them.
Both of them enter a large very tall room resembling a center where sorcerers gather and rest. Dante looks around, observing many sorcerers socializing, some eating, and others practicing spells.
He notices that all the sorcerers wear coats featuring the same insignia: a hooded woman outlined in gold.
"This is where sorcerers primarily come after completing missions," Marcus explains as he leads Dante to one of the stands. "We have many resources available here, including medical sorcerers, food stands, and magic crystals. There's also a designated area for training."
Marcus buys three blue crystals from the stand and starts leading Dante to a table where they then sit. "Well, Dante, you are now part of the sorcerer society. Don't worry; we are very welcoming to new sorcerers, especially those with a divine blessing."
Dante looks around at some people giving him polite smiles as they walk past. He smiles to himself, feeling welcomed.
He looks over at Marcus, who's placing the crystals in a pouch. "What are those blue crystals?" Dante asks Marcus. "These are enhancement crystals; they boost one's Spirit levels for a limited amount of time. They are very useful."
Marcus notices Dante's curiosity has peaked, and he smirks, pleased by his interest. "How long do these enhancements last?" Dante asks, pushing his curiosity to the limit.
"First, you take the crystal and crush it. Then you inhale it. Once you do that, it will enhance all your spiritual energy for fifteen minutes."
Dante's eyes widened at Marcus's explanation of the crystal's capabilities. "Curious little one, huh? Don't worry, you'll see them in action soon."
"We won't be seeing the captain for a while since he has been called away on a mission, so I will oversee your training," Marcus says, getting up from his seat and swinging the pouch of crystals in his hand. Dante follows him as they walk to a private training room.