Avelion Headquarters Cafeteria
I stared sharply at the two girls eating breakfast across from me. For a while now, my eyes hadn't left them—barely even blinking—as if I were keeping watch over a pair of enemies.
"Um… why are you… staring at us like that, Azca?"
Dania finally spoke up, her voice uneasy. Naira, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed and continued eating as though nothing was wrong.
"Finish your breakfast first. It'll get cold," Naira said calmly.
"…Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.
"Tell you what?"
"That you two are elite soldiers as well."
Naira lifted her gaze slightly. "Hm? Didn't we ever mention that?"
"Don't play innocent! You never told me you're the famous Elemental Master and Arsenal!"
"A-Azca… didn't I mention before that I used to serve in the defense forces during the war?" Dania said cautiously.
"That part is true. But how was I supposed to know you were that Elemental Master, Dania?"
"With the way she uses her Genesta, you should've realized by now," Naira replied.
"…."
I fell silent.
Thinking about it now… she had a point.
Dania simply looked too innocent. The thought never even crossed my mind.
"Then why are you two teamed up with a newcomer like me?"
"That's exactly why," Naira answered lightly. "You're new. And on top of that, you've already been entrusted with Core-1st. Naturally, we're assigned to watch over you."
"…Fair enough." I couldn't argue with that.
Naira gave a faint smile. "You should feel honored, Azca. Being on the same team as us."
"Hearing you say that only makes me more irritated."
Naira and Dania burst into laughter, while I could only snort in annoyance. Honestly, I felt like tossing them both into my Gate Storage and locking them in there until they cried.
Just then, a woman approached our table.
"Hey, everyone! Mind if I join you?"
"Ah, Sister Jasmine! Of course, of course!" Dania greeted her brightly.
Princess Jasmine took the empty seat beside me.
"What were you all talking about?"
"We were discussing how Azca still doesn't know who we really are," Naira answered casually.
"That's because you never told me in the first place!"
Both of them struggled to suppress their laughter.
Seriously… how irritating.
"Alright, alright. That's partly my fault as well for not telling you," Sister Jasmine said with a gentle smile before turning to Naira. "By the way, how did your examination with Denis go?"
The smile on Naira's face faded, replaced by a serious expression.
"It's not good. There's a strong possibility that some group is taking advantage of the chaos there to conduct experiments on the city's residents."
My hand froze halfway to my mouth.
"E-experiments?"
"They're turning the residents into monsters," Naira continued.
"…!"
"That's the professor's current theory. They're targeting civilians who aren't Genesta and transforming them into monsters as well. He's still analyzing the samples."
"I see… no wonder Denis hasn't reported to me yet," Jasmine murmured.
"So what should we do, Sister? We can't just stand by and do nothing," Dania said.
"Yes. I'm starting to feel uneasy about it as well. The two kingdoms must have already noticed something strange happening in the southern region."
"Are you planning to cooperate with them?" Naira asked.
"Hm? Why do you ask?"
"I'd rather not run into Barner again."
Naira pouted slightly. It seemed she was still irritated about yesterday's fight.
"Hm… I'm not sure yet. Maybe not for now. Our side isn't ready either. We can't act recklessly—it might only make us look suspicious."
"That's true," Naira added. "So far it has looked like we haven't taken any action regarding the southern region. But after yesterday's infiltration was exposed, we can't keep hiding it anymore."
I was slightly taken aback by Naira's words. My gaze lowered as guilt crept in.
"Sorry… This is all my fault. I was the one who insisted on saving the townspeople back then."
"No, Azca." Sister Jasmine looked at me gently. "What you did was right. There are times when you have to follow your heart."
I stayed silent, feeling somewhat reassured.
"But of course, you should do it with a clear mind—and not recklessly," Naira quickly added.
"Ugh! Y-yeah. I understand. Next time I won't rush in like that."
The three of them chuckled softly at my reaction.
Not long after, a notification sounded from Naira's device. She glanced at the message briefly.
"Prof. Denis wants the three of us to meet him. He says it's important."
"Now? But Sister Jasmine—"
"It's fine," Jasmine interrupted. "You three go see Denis first. I'd like to rest for a while before finishing my report."
"Understood. We'll excuse ourselves then, Sister."
"Alright. And don't spend the whole walk joking around. Oh—and Naira!"
"Eh?" Naira stopped just as she was about to leave.
"Clean the table before you go."
"Y-Yes, Sister," she replied with a wry smile.
Obediently, Naira picked up the leftover wrappers from the table. She looked like a child who had just been scolded by her mother.
Or perhaps…
Princess Jasmine simply had that naturally motherly presence.
—
※※※ — ※※※
—
[POV: 3]
Jasmine watched them walk away with a faint smile. The girl who used to keep to herself could now laugh freely with her companions. Since their last mission, the distance between them had slowly begun to fade.
At least… for now, she could feel a little at ease about Azca.
She lifted her cup and took a sip of the tea that had already begun to cool.
"They seem very close."
The voice of a young man in a white ceremonial robe sounded from behind her. They sat back to back, neither turning to look at the other—as if this conversation had never taken place.
"So, that's the girl you mentioned before?" he asked quietly.
"Ya," Jasmine replied. "I didn't expect her to survive Barner's attack."
"Wasn't that an excessive risk, Princess? Sending her to the southern region while the forces of two kingdoms were also moving there."
Jasmine gave a faint smile.
"Some risks are necessary. Besides… I wanted them to see it for themselves."
"…?" The young man glanced slightly over his shoulder.
"So that they would become… more cautious," Jasmine continued before calmly sipping her tea again.
The young man smiled faintly. "That sounds a bit like showing off, Princess."
Jasmine chuckled softly. "Maybe," she said lightly. "So… what about your report?"
"As we predicted. Both kingdoms have started to realize that something is wrong. They're investigating the group responsible for turning the residents of two cities into monsters."
"I see. Then we don't need to get too involved."
"Right. And they won't stay idle either."
Jasmine stared at the surface of the tea in her cup. The reflection of her face looked calm—too calm.
"But there's something interesting I discovered yesterday," the young man continued.
"What is it?"
Instead of answering directly, he projected a hologram containing a photograph and data of a young girl.
Jasmine examined it carefully. "This is…?"
"The child was found in the ruins of Atala City. Carina is taking care of her now."
Jasmine studied the data with a sharp gaze.
"Is there something unusual?" she asked.
"I heard that the Wolvord Kingdom has been secretly conducting experiments on a young girl."
The cup in Jasmine's hand froze midair.
"…Are you sure?"
"Not entirely. But the pattern is far too strange to be called a coincidence."
The room felt quieter.
"Are you going to tell them?" the young man asked cautiously.
Jasmine remained silent for quite a while. Then she slowly placed her cup down.
"I don't think… they would listen to me."
"…I see."
Jasmine paused for a moment. Her gaze dimmed slightly.
"That person is moving faster than we expected," she murmured. "And they're aiming for something we haven't even begun to imagine."
The young man nodded slowly. "About the Core-5th now in Wolvord's possession… you haven't told him either?"
"Not yet. It's too dangerous if its original user becomes aware of our movements. Even Kozack himself doesn't fully understand what's happening yet."
"If everything is connected, then what happened in the southern region yesterday—"
"—could very well be part of the same scenario."
Jasmine's voice turned colder.
Silence.
"There's one more thing I suspect," the young man continued. "What if Asteria is also under that person's control?"
Jasmine's gaze sharpened like a thin blade drawn from its sheath.
"For now, focus on the second plan."
"…Why?"
"As a precaution. We must be more careful. Denis has already issued a warning."
The young man finally turned slightly, though only for a fraction of a second. He knew well—Jasmine never spoke carelessly.
"…I understand."
He stood up.
Before he walked away, Jasmine gave one final message, her voice much softer than before.
"I'm counting on you. If something happens… we might not get a second chance. Be careful."
"Yes, Princess."
The young man's footsteps faded into the distance.
Jasmine turned her gaze toward the window—toward the view of the city that looked so calm and peaceful.
"I hope you don't get dragged too deep into this," she murmured quietly.
The tea in her cup had gone completely cold.
And behind the calmness of Avelion Headquarters, something far greater was already in motion—silent, precise, and almost impossible to notice.
※※※ (Chapter— 13) ※※※