"Owwwww..." Finn grumbled, wincing with every step as he hobbled along, patting his lower back like an old man with a lifetime of aches. He shot an accusing glare at Emma, who was walking ahead, cheerfully clinging to Seren’s arm as though nothing had happened.

The group of seven, including Seren, walked along a winding dirt path through the lush green forest. They had already left the periphery of Chimera Vale Village and were now heading down the mountain, surrounded by towering trees and the rich scent of pine.

Kai, noticing Finn’s unusual gait, gave him a sidelong glance. "Why are you acting like you’re eighty?”

Finn rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Ask that little demon," he grumbled, jerking his finger in Emma’s direction.

Kai looked puzzled until Lorien, walking beside him, chuckled and explained, "I had Finn volunteer to take my place as her sparring partner yesterday."

Understanding dawned on Kai as he said, "Ah, so that’s why"

Emma was a prodigy in hand-to-hand combat and had a fearsome reputation. Though she was only nine, her martial skills were so advanced that even seasoned Lexarchs hesitated to spar with her. The only ones capable of besting her were the Rank 3 Elders.

"Seriously, Lorien, are you guys born in a family of monsters or something? You’re the most versatile fighter I know, and Emma… she’s, well—" he paused, still massaging his back, "she’s terrifying."

Kai chuckled slightly, "Why'd you agree in the first place?”

Finn scowled. "Because someone decided to duck out at the last minute," he retorted, glaring at Lorien, who just shrugged with an innocent smile.

Lorien laughed. "Hey, it's called strategic delegation. Besides, I figured you could handle her… or not."

Finn shot him a death glare but didn’t say anything. He had made the stupid choice of agreeing to spar with Emma, he could only blame himself.

After a pause of silence, Lorien while walking leaned in close to Kai and Finn as he whispered, "Hey, don’t you guys think Elise and Susie have been acting a little… odd today?”

Kai looked up, his gaze following Lorien’s as it settled on the two girls. Elise and Susie were walking side by side, a few steps behind Seren. They were silent, an unusual stiffness between them as they kept their eyes down.

"Maybe they just don’t have anything to talk about," Kai suggested, shrugging.

Lorien shook his head. "No, it’s not that. I don’t know, there’s just this… tension. Like there’s something going on between them that nobody’s saying out loud."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Like… they’re fighting?"

"Not exactly," Lorien replied, choosing his words carefully. "It’s more subtle than that, but yeah, it’s like… there's something simmering under the surface."

Finn grinned mischievously as he leaned closer. “I think I know exactly what’s going on.” He tapped his temple knowingly. “If my ‘Ladies-man’ senses are right, then this is all because of…” He paused dramatically, letting the tension build as Kai and Lorien leaned in, waiting eagerly. Finn finally finished with a satisfied smirk. “Love!”

Kai and Lorien exchanged looks, falling silent for a moment before Lorien rolled his eyes. “Just ignore this idiot,” he muttered.

Finn stumbled slightly, looking indignant. “Idiot? Who are you calling an idiot?”

Lorien shrugged, unfazed. “You. Obviously.”

Finn sighed, exasperated, before gesturing forward. “Alright, genius. Look up ahead.” Kai and Lorien looked forward, their gazes landing on Elise and Susie walking silently side by side behind Seren, neither of the girls saying a word.

“See?” Finn said, keeping his voice low. “They’re not talking, but they’re still walking close together. Now, if two girls get into a fight, they’ll usually do one of two things. They either start throwing vicious words at each other or go full silent mode and won’t even stand near each other.”

Kai’s eyes widened slightly as he nodded along, following Finn’s logic.

“But look at them,” Finn continued, growing more animated. “They’re quiet, yeah, but they’re not avoiding each other. It’s like they’re… anxious, like they want to say something but can’t bring themselves to. So, obviously…” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a confident whisper. “They have a crush on someone!”

Lorien raised an eyebrow skeptically. “So you’re saying they’re both crushing on the same person?”

Finn grinned. “That’s what my Ladies-man senses are telling me.”

Kai, now beginning to understand, glanced toward Finn and asked, “Then who is it they both have a crush on?”

Finn sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Who else could it be but Seren?”

Kai’s eyes went wide with surprise, his gaze darting toward Seren as if seeing him in a new light. Lorien, who had already somewhat suspected this, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then smirked. “Shouldn’t you be more upset, Finn? I mean, two of the best-looking girls in our class already have eyes for someone else.”

Finn scoffed. “Don’t underestimate me,” he replied, crossing his arms. “I don’t get dejected that easily—and anyway, I prefer older women more” He sighed, shaking his head with a twinge of jealousy. “I just don’t get how Seren gets all the girls’ attention without even trying.”

Lorien, walking quietly, shrugged. “Maybe because his head’s not constantly in the gutter like someone”

Finn bristled, rounding on Lorien. “The hell did you just say to me?!”

Within moments, the two were back to bickering, their voices growing louder as they traded insults, each one trying to outdo the other.

Meanwhile, a few steps ahead, Elise’s face flushed with embarrassment as she clearly heard every word of their conversation. She clenched her fists, silently yelling in her mind.

‘Please just stop talking, you idiots!’

She glanced sideways, catching a glimpse of Susie’s expression. Susie’s shoulders were slumped even more now, her face shadowed with an almost defeated look, as if each word of the boys’ conversation had driven her deeper into the trenches.

Wanting to ease her discomfort, Elise leaned in slightly, offering a gentle smile. "Hey, just ignore those idiots. They don’t know what they’re talking about."

But Susie stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the ground, as though lost in her own thoughts. Elise felt a pang of worry, her mind churning. ‘Is she actually worried about all this? I mean, it's not like they’re wrong but it’s just that…’ She clenched her jaw, wondering if anything she said could actually make a difference. ‘...If I admit anything even remotely close to the truth, will that make things worse?’

As her thoughts spiraled, a sudden, sharp sound of a smack interrupted her. Elise looked over in surprise and saw Susie had slapped her own cheeks with both hands, her eyes squeezed shut as she took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she turned toward Elise and offered a small, apologetic smile.

"Sorry," Susie murmured, letting out a slow breath. "I just… had a lot on my mind lately."

Elise was caught off guard by Susie’s sudden change in demeanor. “Oh, no—um, it’s okay!” she replied awkwardly, searching for the right words. But before she could say more, Susie spoke up again, her tone tinged with anxiety.

“So… you didn’t tell me but how did the experiments go yesterday?” Susie asked, glancing sideways at Elise.

Elise blinked, quickly gathering herself. "Oh, they went really well! We actually made a lot of progress—some new discoveries, even.” She forced a small smile, hoping to ease the tension. “Who knows, maybe you’ll even see them in action today."

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Susie nodded slightly, looking somewhat reassured, but Elise hesitated, then added quietly, “And, uh… just so you know, nothing happened between me and Seren. You don’t need to worry about anything like that.”

She felt her stomach twist as she said it, pinching her fingers behind her back to soothe the guilt bubbling up. ‘There’s no way I could tell her the full truth about last night. How could I even begin to explain…’

Susie’s expression didn’t change, her face unreadable as she fell silent. Elise’s heart pounded as she waited, a nervous feeling settling in her chest. ‘She doesn’t believe me, does she?’ Elise looked down, feeling dejected. ‘Right. Why would she? I probably sound so—’

But then Susie spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s fine… I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship.”

Elise looked up, blinking in surprise, not fully understanding what Susie meant. Susie continued, her voice growing softer as she admitted, “I’m just scared, I guess. Scared that if Seren… if he developed feelings for you, he might… stop looking at me, or just… leave me behind.”

Elise opened her mouth to respond, but she froze as Susie grew visibly more flustered, her words spilling out in a rush. “I mean, look at you, Elise. You’re so much… better than me. You’re from one of the Three Major Families, and you’re… you’re beautiful, and brave, and you have this confidence. You… you have everything.” Her voice softened, growing almost inaudible. “Compared to you, I’m just… miles behind.”

Elise’s heart tightened, guilt and empathy flooding her chest as she listened to Susie’s heartfelt admission. She hadn’t realized how deeply Susie’s insecurities ran or just how much she struggled with her self-worth.

Elise couldn’t help but feel a bitter pang at Susie’s words. ‘She’s wrong’ she thought to herself. ‘Seren only treats me like a friend. There’s no way he would see me as anything more than that…’

But Susie’s voice broke through her thoughts, quiet yet laced with a newfound determination. “But I’ll still try my best,” Susie said with a steady gaze. “I’m going to try my best with Seren, but…” Susie fidgeted slightly as she felt slight embarrassed to say the next words. “I just… I just… I just wish nothing would happen to our friendship.”

The sincerity in Susie’s words caught Elise off guard, and she felt herself grow unexpectedly emotional. Without thinking, she reached out, taking Susie’s hand. “You don’t need to worry about me and Seren,” she said, in a sincere voice. “I won’t get in your way. I promise.”

Susie gave a small smile, nodding. Elise felt a weight lift, and she attempted to lighten the mood. “Besides,” she added with a smirk, “it’s not like he’s my type anyway. I mean, where’s the fun in a guy who doesn’t even know how to tease?”

Susie let out a small laugh, and they both chuckled together, the tension between them dissipating. Elise felt a warm relief, seeing Susie’s familiar, relaxed smile returning.

‘I have to make sure I don’t hurt Susie’ she thought, a sense of determination washing over her. ‘She means too much to me, and I can’t let anything happen between me and Seren that will jeopardize our friendship’

With the mood now lighter, Elise took a breath, deciding to shift the conversation. “So, how was your trip with your family?”

Susie’s face brightened, her eyes lighting up as she began to talk about her family. “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it, my five siblings wouldn’t leave me alone! They kept begging me to show them my Lexarch abilities—I swear, they acted like I’d grown a second head or something.” She laughed as she recounted the events. “And when my mom found out I’d become a Lexarch, she cried. Like, really cried. She just hugged me so tightly and kept saying how proud she was.”

Elise listened, smiling as she saw Susie return to her normal self. “It sounds like you’ve got quite the supportive family,”

Susie’s eyes glistened as she nodded, a gentle smile on her face. “I just want to do everything I can for them. They’re the reason why I worked so hard to become a Lexarch”

Elise nodded as she and Susie began to chat normally like before.

Behind them, Finn nudged Lorien, his eyes on the two girls. “Hey, don’t you think they’re getting along better now?”

Lorien smirked. “Oh, look at Mr. Ladies-man, all insightful and observant,” he teased, poking fun at him.

Finn scoffed. “Hey, unlike some people, I pay attention. Maybe you should try it sometime.”

But before long, the two boys had dissolved into their usual banter again, trading jabs that quickly grew louder in the quiet forest as the group made their way down the mountain.

...

The group finally arrived at their destination. Sprawling before them at the base of the mountain was a massive docking station, bustling with energy. Towering ships, some five stories high, were docked along the waterfront, casting deep shadows over the people moving about like ants on the ground below. Behind the dock stretched a gigantic river, so wide that the far bank was barely visible. Across the river loomed an even larger mountain than the one their village perched upon.

People filled the port, crowding the platforms and pathways as they waited for ships or prepared to check into the rental properties that surrounded the dock. The air was filled with shouts and calls as workers loaded and unloaded cargo from the ships, their movements quick and coordinated. It was a lively scene, and Elise couldn't help but feel that this place was like a small village itself as a constant flow of people and goods moved in and out.

Seren’s eyes widened slightly as he took in the scene. “So that’s the second peak that Teacher Aldric was talking about,” he mused, gazing up at the massive mountain across the river. He had never left Chimera Vale Village in his whole life so this whole scene was completely new to him.

Elise turned to Susie, who was watching the activity on the dock with a faint, nostalgic smile. “Susie, your family’s on the other side of the river, right?”

Susie nodded. “Yes. I usually take the ship that leaves once a month for commoners”

Hearing this, a thought popped up in Elise’s head as she quickly said, “Wait—if you met your family yesterday, doesn’t that mean the next common ship won’t leave for another month?”

Lorien chimed in as he explained. “The monthly ship is for commoners. But for Lexarchs like us, we can hop on one of the academy-affiliated ships anytime. We just have to pay the fare—four soul stones.”

Susie’s eyes widened, and she let out an exclamation. “Four soul stones? That’s so expensive!”

The rest of the group nodded sympathetically. Being new Lexarchs, none of them had accumulated a lot of soul stones yet. But Lorien raised a reassuring hand.

“Don’t worry. The fare’s free for us as academy students—for our first three missions, at least,” he explained. “It’s to make sure that students from poor backgrounds don’t go bankrupt before they even complete their first few jobs. But after that, we’ll have to pay our own way.”

Susie sighed in relief, her shoulders relaxing. “Good. If I can get through these first missions, I’ll be able to support my family.”

Seren glancing up at the towering ships said, “We should get moving before the next ship leaves,”

The group nodded, setting off together toward the bustling dock.

…

"Okay, and that confirms your identities as students from the Academy. Here are your tickets—the next ship leaves in about 40 minutes," the port agent said, smiling as he handed Seren the tickets. Seren thanked him politely, and the agent’s smile grew wistful as he took in the sight of the seven young Lexarchs.

"You know," he said in a nostalgic tone, "seeing all of you reminds me of my own youth. Those were some good days… going on missions with friends, scraping for every soul stone, fighting Law beasts with our lives on the line. There was nothing like those adventures."

Finn’s eyes lit up as he leaned forward. “Really? What kind of missions did you go on? Tell us more!”

Emma, practically bouncing on her toes, piped up as well. “Yeah, me too, me too!” She stood on her tiptoes to peek over the counter, her enthusiasm infectious.

The agent chuckled, clearly pleased by their interest, and eagerly launched into tales of his past adventures. He shared stories of getting stranded on the remote mountain for three days with barely any supplies, of intense battles with beast hordes that stretched on through the night, and even of a daring rescue that nearly cost him his life. His face grew animated with each story, his gestures sweeping as he recounted the highs and lows of his Lexarch days.

But as he reached the end, his tone softened, turning a little dejected. “Of course, I never quite had the talent to break through to Rank 2,” he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. “And here I am now—a ticketing agent at the port, having given up on that dream of becoming a strong Lexarch.”

Emma’s face fell, and she reached up to the counter, giving him a sympathetic smile. “But you’re still amazing! I mean, all those adventures—you could still try to break through to Rank 2!”

The agent chuckled, touched by Emma’s attempt to console him. “Thanks, kiddo. Didn’t think I’d live to see the day a kid would try to cheer me up,” he said, laughing softly. “But really, I’m living a good life and I don’t have any desire to move up ranks. I get good pay, have a nice home, two great kids, and a loving wife…”

But then from the back office, his wife’s voice cut through the air. “Then maybe you should help me with these papers once in a while, Mr. Loving Husband!”

“Ack!” He jumped, then cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly at the group. “Er… maybe forget the ‘loving wife’ part.”

The group chuckled as the agent gave them a quick nod and gestured to a waiting area with tables and benches, where travelers sat eating or relaxing. “You can all go wait over there for your ship, and have a safe journey,” he said, hastily retreating toward the back of the office.

Seren and the others quickly found an empty table, arranging themselves around it as they got comfortable. After a moment, Seren spoke up. “Since we have some free time, you guys should study about the gloom crawlers before we head out. It’ll give us a better edge.” He reached into his storage artifact and pulled out six identical books on Law beasts, each covering their strengths, weaknesses, and known habits. He handed a copy to everyone at the table.

Lorien grinned, taking his copy with a sneer. “I have already done my research. A real Lexarch would never go on a mission without knowing their enemy first. Isn’t that right, Finn?” he asked, looking over at him smugly. But his smirk faded as he saw Finn already reading, his eyes intense with concentration.

Lorien stammered. “Wait—don’t tell me… you didn’t study before now?”

Finn didn’t respond, already engrossed in his book, flipping through the pages with purpose. Lorien’s eyes widened further as he glanced around the table, seeing even Susie and Elise absorbed in their reading. Only he and Kai had studied beforehand; the others either hadn’t thought to or had completely forgotten to do so.

Seren chuckled quietly, his expression calm. “It can’t hurt to go over the information one last time,” he said. “It’ll help pass the time until the ship arrives.”

Lorien sighed, defeated, as he opened his book. With a resigned mutter, he began reading as they waited for their ship.