Inside Rio's dorm room, silence lingered quietly as faint evening rain tapped against the academy windows.
Astravax remained curled atop the sofa in the form of a black cat, seemingly asleep once more, though Rio had already learned not to trust that appearance.
Meanwhile Rio sat near the desk waiting for the complete details regarding his assigned mission.
Several teams had already begun discussing preparations throughout the academy.
Clara and Leon had apparently ended up on the same team alongside Reinheart Verilian and Darius Whitemere.
A combination that sounded far more chaotic than safe.
Yelena Zephyr had been grouped with Alyssa Croft, Samuel Crimson and Selena Thorne.
Rio honestly felt worse for whichever proctor had been assigned to Alyssa's group.
Soon—
his academy watch vibrated lightly.
A blue holographic screen appeared before him instantly.
[MISSION DETAILS]
Location: City of Solmere
Threat Level: B+
Objective:
The city of Solmere has reported sightings of a suspected demon near an orphanage located at the city outskirts.
Your mission is to investigate the reported sightings and submit a detailed report regarding the situation.
Engage only if necessary.
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Rio's expression slowly changed.
"…A demon?"
His eyes narrowed immediately.
Demons did not naturally exist within the world of Aetherion.
They belonged to Hell.
An entirely separate realm.
For one to somehow appear within the human world—
something abnormal had definitely occurred.
And if a demon had truly crossed dimensions itself…
then the creature involved was unlikely to be weak.
Rio leaned slightly back against the chair.
Troublesome.
Then his gaze shifted back toward the mission location.
Solmere.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
"…Seems like I can finally visit the guild."
It had been quite some time since he last contacted them properly.
Astravax lazily opened one eye from the sofa.
[A demon?]
The black cat sounded mildly interested now.
[How unusual.]
Rio glanced toward him.
"You know something about demons?"
Astravax yawned lazily before closing its eyes again.
[They are vermin that crawl beneath greater existences.]
"…That doesn't answer anything."
[Then ask better questions.]
Rio's mouth twitched slightly.
Talking with Astravax genuinely felt impossible sometimes.
Still—
his thoughts slowly returned toward the mission itself.
An orphanage.
A demon sighting.
And a warning to avoid combat unless necessary.
The academy clearly suspected something beyond a simple monster incident.
Rio quietly looked toward the rain outside the dorm windows.
For some reason—
he had a bad feeling about this mission already.
Night had descended upon Nexus Academy.
The massive academy grounds glowed beneath silver moonlight while countless transport vehicles waited outside the main gates, prepared to dispatch students toward their assigned missions across the continent.
The atmosphere felt entirely different compared to normal academy life.
Sharper.
Heavier.
This was no longer training.
This was reality.
Rio stepped outside the academy building carrying Nocturne Veil across his back, the black blade resting quietly within its sheath while cold night wind brushed against his face.
Around him, cadets gathered with their respective teams while instructors silently observed from afar.
Soon footsteps approached from behind.
Leon.
He shoved his hands into his pockets lazily before stopping beside Rio.
"Tch… still annoying that Aurelia won't let me accompany your mission."
Rio glanced sideways slightly.
"You sound more offended than worried."
"I am offended."
Leon clicked his tongue.
"What kind of mission splits apart two handsome prodigies like us?"
Rio sighed tiredly.
Leon grinned lazily
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Still."
His voice lowered.
"Be careful."
Rio looked at him quietly.
"And if things go wrong," Leon continued with that same lazy grin, "just scream as loud as you can."
A faint dangerous aura flickered around him for an instant.
"I'll definitely hear it."
Rio smirked slightly.
"…I'll keep that in mind."
Soon Clara hurried toward them as well.
She looked slightly nervous herself while holding her academy bag tightly.
"Good luck!" she said quickly.
Rio smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
Astravax lazily rested atop Rio's shoulder disguised once more as nothing more than a sleeping black cat.
Though several passing cadets still instinctively avoided getting too close to it.
Rio eventually turned and walked toward his assigned team.
Silver Ryker already stood there waiting calmly near the transport vehicle. A silver blade rested at his waist while moonlight reflected sharply across its sheath.
Rio's eyes lingered briefly on the weapon.
A named blade too…
Not surprising.
Silver noticed Rio's gaze but said nothing.
Nearby stood Reina Emberheart.
Unlike the unstable state she had fallen into months ago, she now appeared perfectly composed once more. Her posture was elegant, her smile flawless, and her noble demeanor had completely returned.
Too perfect.
Rio's eyes narrowed slightly.
The darkness around her had not disappeared.
If anything—
it had become harder to notice.
Then his gaze shifted toward the remaining two cadets.
A petite girl with green hair adjusted the bow resting across her back nervously. Despite her small frame, her sharp emerald eyes constantly scanned the surroundings carefully.
Fiora Grimwald.
An archer from S-Class.
Beside her stood Tristan Vaelthorn.
A mage.
Brown hair.
Green eyes.
And an expression carrying barely hidden arrogance.
Rio could already tell the boy disliked him.
Mostly because the team had already selected Rio as their leader.
Three votes had immediately gone toward Rio.
Only Tristan had voted for Silver.
"You two must be Tristan…" Rio glanced toward the boy briefly before shifting toward the girl, "…and Fiora."
"Yes, Apex," Fiora nodded politely.
Tristan simply crossed his arms.
"…Hm."
No greeting.
No respect.
Rio honestly didn't care.
If Tristan wanted to dislike him—
that was his problem.
Soon the transport vehicle doors slowly opened.
A staff member spoke calmly.
"Team Seven. Prepare for departure."
The group stepped inside one after another.
The interior remained quiet as everyone took their seats.
Silver closed his eyes calmly.
Fiora nervously checked her arrows repeatedly.
Tristan stared out the window silently.
Reina simply smiled softly without speaking.
Rio sat near the far side quietly while the academy gates slowly opened outside.
Then—
the transport began moving.
Toward Solmere.
...
Several hours passed during the journey toward Solmere.
The atmosphere inside the transport gradually relaxed slightly as Rio discussed basic strategies and possible situations with the team. Most of the conversation revolved around scouting formations, emergency responses, and how they would approach the orphanage investigation.
Silver contributed calmly and efficiently.
Fiora listened carefully while occasionally adding ideas regarding ranged positioning.
Tristan mostly stayed quiet unless directly questioned.
And Reina—
Reina simply smiled softly throughout the discussions.
Far too softly.
Eventually the transport entered Solmere.
The city stretched beneath the evening sky beautifully, countless lights glowing warmly across the streets while rivers of people moved through the massive marketplaces and stone roads.
Compared to the heavily militarized atmosphere of Nexus Academy—
Solmere felt alive.
The orphanage they had been assigned to investigate was located toward the northern outskirts of the city.
Still, Fiora eventually spoke up nervously.
"U-Um… would it maybe be okay if we rested a little first before heading there?"
She looked around the city excitedly.
"We've been traveling for hours…"
Rio considered it briefly before nodding.
"That's fine."
It also conveniently gave him time to visit the guild.
The team eventually split temporarily.
Tristan and Fiora immediately headed toward the busier marketplace areas to explore the city.
Reina quietly disappeared on her own saying she wished to "clear her thoughts."
Silver, however, remained beside Rio.
"I want to see this guild of yours."
Rio glanced sideways slightly.
"The second-best guild in the continent interests me."
A faint smirk appeared on Rio's face.
"…You're only curious because the first-ranked guild rejected your family partnership."
Silver remained completely expressionless.
"That too."
Eventually they arrived before a massive skyscraper towering above the nearby district.
The emblem of the Saviant Guild glowed brightly near the upper floors while countless adventurers and employees moved through the enormous building.
Silver quietly observed everything.
"…Impressive."
Rio pushed open the entrance doors casually.
The moment he stepped inside—
a familiar silver-haired woman immediately looked up from the reception area.
Lyra.
Her calm expression softened slightly.
"Hey."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Nice to see you again, Noctis."
Then her gaze shifted toward the black-haired young man beside him.
Recognition flashed within her eyes instantly.
"I welcome the heir of the Ryker Family to the Saviant Guild."
Silver nodded calmly.
Rio noticed Silver quietly observing the guild interior curiously.
"He wanted to see the guild's training facilities," Rio explained.
Then a dangerous smirk appeared on his face.
"…Can you also introduce him to Ogram?"
Lyra froze briefly.
Then she coughed lightly trying to suppress a laugh.
"O-Of course."
Poor Silver.
"Sir Silver," Lyra spoke politely, "if you would follow me."
Silver calmly followed her deeper inside the guild without noticing Rio's increasingly amused expression.
The moment Silver disappeared—
Rio immediately turned toward the private elevators instead.
Astravax lazily rested atop his shoulder as always.
The elevator carried him toward the highest floor of the skyscraper silently.
Soon the doors opened.
The familiar clerk near the hallway immediately noticed him before quietly nodding toward the large office doors.
Rio pushed them open.
Warm sunlight entered through the enormous glass windows illuminating the luxurious office beautifully.
And there—
sat Elena.
Her long silver hair shimmered beneath the evening light while papers floated gently around her desk through mana alone.
The moment she looked up and saw him—
her cold expression softened instantly.
Rio smiled slightly.
"I'm back, Guildmaster."
And Elena smiled back.