Freya leaned forward slightly, staring straight into his eyes.
— You already want to take on a mission?
He nodded.
— Yeah, the sooner the better. Since it's Friday, I can do it over the weekend and be back by Sunday night, without missing Monday's classes.
She waited for him to finish speaking while running her fingers through his hair. When he did, she replied:
— I thought you'd at least wait until the Order finished the logistics mission.
Evo was taken aback. They'd only had the meeting last night… and she already knew? He narrowed his eyes.
— How much do you already know?
Freya gave him several mischievous smiles, making exaggerated expressions of doubt — which only made a vein throb on his temple.
— Hmmmm? Actually, I know everything. Hahaha! I'm smart, you know. Who do you think I am, you rascal?
— Luneth came here after the meeting and told you, didn't she?
Her grin instantly vanished.
— She did. But how did you know it was her?
Evo shrugged with a smirk.
— Just a guess. Honestly, when I picture you two together in my head, it all just fits. So I figured you were close friends. And even better... — his smile widened — I bet you were drinking with her, weren't you?
Freya pouted, puffing her cheeks.
— You're such a jerk! You're no fun at all! — she grumbled, clearly sulking.
Evo burst out laughing, which only fueled her irritation. She smacked him on the forehead.
— Don't laugh at me, you bastard! I'm sensitive! — she muttered, pretending to cry.
— Sensitive my ass! — he suddenly turned and bit her thigh.
— Hiiiaaackkk!— Freya shrieked. — You bit me?! You bastard! — she said, half embarrassed, half furious.
— That's what you get for pretending to be the victim. — He stood up from her lap, already preparing to run.
— Youuu! — she jumped to her feet, grabbing a pillow. — I'm going to get you, you bastard!
— Hahaha! You're too slow! — he taunted, running across the office. — You should stop drinking and go for a jog!
— Are you calling me fat, you dog?! — she roared. — Come back here!
He laughed even harder.
— Want me to slow down for you?
But he regretted it instantly. Freya vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
— Damn... I'm dead — he muttered, turning his head slowly.
She was standing right in front of him, smiling maniacally, pillow in hand.
— L-listen, Freya! I-I was just kidding! You're gorgeous, please calm down... — he pleaded, waving his hands nervously.
— It's alright, I totally understood what you meant... — she replied in an overly sweet tone. — You're dead.
Then she lunged at him, unleashing a storm of pillow blows.
Evo fell to the ground, laughing and trying to protect himself.
— Hahahaha! I'm sorry! Hahaha! It's a joke! Hahahah! Stop! — he begged between bursts of laughter.
— Still laughing? — she yelled. — I guess you're not sorry enough yet!
But before she could strike again, he grabbed her waist and rolled over, switching positions. Now he was on top. Both were breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling, drops of sweat sliding down their temples.
— Calmed down now, woman? — he asked, still catching his breath.
— Hmph! You're mean! You called me fat, ugly, and lazy! — she said with puppy eyes, pretending to cry.
He raised a brow.
— Lies. I didn't say that! You're making things up. — He shook his head firmly.
— You did! You called me old and fat!
Evo burst out laughing again.
— Hahahaha! You're making that up! There's no way I'd ever say that about you. — He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the floor.
They stared at each other in silence. The air between them grew heavy. Then Freya smiled slyly.
— And why not?
He shrugged and answered, eyes locked on her violet gaze.
— Because it'd be a lie. You're beautiful, charming, have a damn perfect body… and that air of maturity only makes you even more irresistible. You drive me insane, you know that? Everything you just said is pure imagination.
Silence.
— Hmm… so that's what you think of me? — she asked, her smile dangerously captivating.
Evo coughed and quickly looked away, standing up in a rush. He offered her his hand. She took it, still amused by how flustered he was.
But before either could say anything, the door opened. Ravina entered, narrowing her eyes at the messy room.
— What the hell were you two doing? Look at this place!
Without hesitation, Evo pointed at Freya.
— It was Freya. She snapped and started hitting me.
Freya looked at him, speechless, pure betrayal written all over her face.
— Well, I've got to go. Later. — He turned toward the door, flashing a smug grin before leaving.
— You bastard! You'll pay for this! — Freya's voice echoed down the hallway.
Evo walked away laughing, hands in his pockets.
— Hahaha... Ravina's going to scold her. But... — he stopped, looking up.
He sighed deeply. — Haaah... that was dangerous.
He ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself.
— I held back a lot... damn, why is that woman so hot? — He chuckled, heading toward the mission hall.
The place resembled a small guild — a counter with several receptionists, students taking missions, voices overlapping, footsteps echoing.
Evo approached an unoccupied attendant. She was reading something absentmindedly, but when he cleared his throat softly, she looked up — and froze for a second.
— Damn, he's handsome... — she whispered before she could stop herself.
— Pardon? — he asked, not catching what she said over the noise.
She blushed and straightened up quickly.
— N-nothing! How can I help you?
— I'm Evo Eylam, first year. I came to take on a mission with permission from Director Freya. Here's the seal. — He handed her the document.
She nodded, examined the seal, then began explaining:
— Alright, Mr. Eylam. This section works like a standard guild. Everyone starts at the lowest rank — Bronze.
The ranks follow the quality of metals: Bronze, Silver, Iron, Gold, Orichalcum, and finally, Mythril.
To rank up, you must complete ten missions at your current level. Once you reach Iron, you'll need to pass a qualification mission, and so on until Orichalcum.
— Got it... — Evo listened attentively, letting her continue.
— To reach Mythril, you must complete all missions from Gold onward with no failures. If you fail, the required number of missions doubles.
Points earned can be exchanged at the Guild Shop — for spellbooks, potions, weapons, and occasionally, even artifacts.
She pointed to each section as she spoke, explaining clearly and confidently.
Even though Evo preferred older women, he couldn't help but notice her charm — black hair, bright emerald eyes, and tiny dimples when she smiled.
— I see, miss.
— You can call me Lavena, Mr. Eylam — she said with a polite nod.
— Then please, just call me Evo, Lavena.
She smiled, relieved that he wasn't one of those arrogant nobles who looked down on her.
— So, can I pick my first mission? — he asked.
— You can, but please fill out this form first so I can create your card.
He leaned against the counter, filling it out carefully before handing it back.
— Here you go, Lavena. Sorry for taking so long.
— Not at all! That's what I'm here for. — She smiled and placed the form into a small magic box. Moments later, a shiny new card slid out, engraved with the name Evo Eylam and the class Swordsman. Of course, his true class was far more complex, but he preferred to keep it a secret.
She handed him the card. Evo thanked her and walked over to the mission board, scanning through the listings.
Bronze Rank Mission:
Dungeon of Corrupted Spirits — located along the Empire's coast.
Class E. Monsters up to level 25.
Reward: 2,000 pts.
Extermination Mission:
Mountain Wolves — creatures devouring livestock and terrorizing villages near the capital.
Reward: 4,000 pts.
Evo studied both.
— If I wanted points, I'd go with the wolves. But... — he murmured, thoughtful. — What I really need right now is something else.
His eyes fell on the dungeon notice.
— Dungeon missions have a chance of rare rewards. I'm in need of an attack spell... guess I'll take my chances.
Without hesitation, he tore the paper off the board and returned to the counter.
— Already decided, Evo? — Lavena asked.
— Yeah. This one! — he held up the paper. — Mark it as taken, I'm heading out now!
She nodded.
— You have one week to complete it. If you fail to finish in time, you'll receive a penalty point. Three points and your card gets revoked. Good luck! — she said, smiling as she handed his card back.
Evo thanked her and left for the dorms. There, he began preparing, checking his equipment.
— Kalythra, you awake, sleepyhead? We've got work to do! — he chuckled, tugging on his sleeve. The little serpent peeked out, clearly unimpressed, like someone rudely woken from a nap.
— Hahaha, don't give me that look! You've slept enough. Time to kill some monsters! — he laughed, and put your suit in the dimension ring .
— Guess I'll go in just my shirt and blazer. — he muttered, closing the door behind him and heading for the academy gate.
Guards stood watch as civilians passed by on the streets. Evo took a deep breath, hands in his pockets, blending into the crowd.
The sound of footsteps, chatter, and carriage wheels filled the air, bringing the city to life.
— Alright... south it is. — he murmured before disappearing into the crowd.