Sunlight peeked through the curtains and landed on Novus’ wiggling nose. An extra tone of gold shine was present when Novus’ eyelids receded, and clarity focused his golden-irised eyes.

“Pew?”

Novus felt a flutter of legs on his chest as he craned his neck up at the black beetle snuggled in what Novus assumed was a daydream.

Wait, can a beetle even daydream?

Despite having no visible eyes, Mino, the black beetle, was surely looking straight at Novus with his antennae.

“Pew!”

Mino’s translucent wings blocked the peeking daylight as he fluttered them in awakening delight and a potential take-off flight. However, Novus’ fingers pet the beetle’s shell softly as he picked Mino up and lifted his chest from the bed.

“Pew!”

Mino grew excited as he scurried up Novus’ arm and buried into Novus’ nest of crimson hair.

“You sure do like me. I can’t say I know why, though.”

“Pew! Pew!”

Novus removed the blanket and was shocked by his healthy appearance. His hand that he was sure would be melted off was flexing and rotating like any other hand. Though the devastating pain when Novus tried to circulate mana was obvious, he half-expected it from unleashing a spell well beyond his body’s means. Instead, Novus closed his eyes and sensed his mana vessels' torn and ragged state.

I’ll have to find something to help restore and strengthen them. Perhaps the auction could help with that.

Novus hopped off the bed as his sore muscles groaned against him. He was dressed simply enough in the folded clothes left beside the bed, and when he opened the door out of the guest room, he could see a nearby stairwell with voices drifting from below.

Those are familiar voices.

One heated voice was leading a debate as two more argued in opposition. Novus heard another voice pipe in but was quickly overshadowed soon afterwards.

Novus shut the door behind him with a quiet click and tip-toed down the stairs into the main living area of what appeared to be Goibhniu and Circe’s house.

Slam!

Edna hit her hands against the table as Circe and Goibhniu looked at each other knowingly. On a seat not too far away, Percival sat while twiddling a ticket between his fingers in thought.

“Don’t you think finding Gaius or tracking down the Hidden Shadow is a little more important!?”

Circe remained unfazed as she calmly gestured with her hands.

“And how would you track them down now? You know better than anyone that Mercury is annoyingly one of the best in retreating and slipping into the right places. He even slipped through your Devil’s Fog Barrier to grab Gula.”

Goibhniu mirrored Circe’s statement.

“Mercury’s shadow transportation directly skips physical tracing, and you’ve already tried numerous times using your magic tracing skills without luck, right?”

Edna’s expression turned into a mix of embarrassment and frustration as she drank her cup of tea in an uproar.

“So, you mean to tell me that I have to wait for them to appear again? Do you think I’d really—”

“You won’t have to.”

Novus’ voice cut through Edna’s voice as he announced his presence. He felt the stares gather on him as he inwardly tensed from the one set of missing eyes. Then, finally, his eyes met Edna’s as he continued.

“Wait, that is. You won’t have to wait.”

Novus cleared his shaky voice and explained to Edna.

“I can’t help with the Hidden Shadow, but I know where Gaius should be.”

“Should be?”

“There are no guarantees in life.”

Edna eased back only slightly, but that was enough for Novus to continue.

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“However, we have to take a detour. Towards Sword Saint Mountain.”

“No! NO! UGH! Not you too!”

A confused Novus looked at Edna, who had her hands scratching into her scalp. Then, Novus spotted the smirks on Circe and Goibhniu’s faces.

“What a fine suggestion, Novus. That’s what we were thinking too.”

The wedding band on Goibhniu’s ring finger flashed as a piece of paper appeared in his hand. It was slightly golden in hue, and the thickness represented the importance of the words it contained.

Goibhniu slid the paper to Novus, who picked it up and read the regal writing aloud.

“Dear Edna,

It is with great excitement that I write to you.

As you know, the Gods and Goddesses of Angrea bequeathed you the privilege of protecting one of many islands welcoming the chosen apostles to our world.

As you may have realized, these apostles offer the opportunity to expel the final traces of evil from our world. Namely, to remove the Hidden Shadow.

However, unbeknownst to us, the apostles appear to have significantly weakened in their transport to our world. Thus, after careful deliberation and tremendous amounts of collaboration, a revolutionary idea has been put forward.

We have witnessed that the apostle’s growth accelerates rapidly amidst challenges, much like how a newborn struggles with each step as it learns to walk. Nevertheless, their growth rivals our own geniuses of times past during such challenges.

Thus, I, and many others, formally invite you and your chosen apostle to the single greatest challenge of this millennium.

The Tournament of the Divine.

Multiple of the continent’s finest vessels have been sent to the many islands to ensure the safest travel of both you and your chosen apostle.

My dearest wish is that this finds you well,

Grand Pantheon Priest, Xavier.

P.S. I’ve attached a few more invitational tickets to include your dear sister and her newly betrothed should they choose to watch or participate in the excitement.”

The letter seemed straightforward and highly formal, except for the footnote, of course. Novus reasoned that many drafts were likely sent, and the Grand Pantheon Priest himself edited this one.

A smirking Circe hurriedly got up from the table and covered her mouth as she whispered into Novus’ ear.

“This is for you!”

Novus could feel Circe’s hand slip a piece of paper into his pocket, and he guessed the paper would bear a striking resemblance to the ticket in Percival’s fingers. Circe’s grinning figure slipped back into the chair as Edna’s forehead sprung from the table. Her defiant eyes rebelled against Circe’s satisfaction.

“I won’t go. You can’t make me.”

Circe’s expression tried quite hard to soften as she pierced through Edna’s denial.

“Come on, Ed. Don’t you think it’s time to see him again? I bet he’s learned more about Gaius and the Hidden Shadow by now. He could finish teaching you the magic forms too.”

Edna’s eyes shook with conflict as she blinked rapidly. If Novus didn’t know better, he would think Edna was about to cry. Edna’s hands clenched on her lap as she looked to the gently staring Goibhniu, who offered no salvation. Then, Edna’s eyes landed on Novus, and her blinking eyes eased as a deceitful gleam snuck their way inside.

“Sorry, sis! Have to go! Rituals to complete and all that!”

Edna slipped out of her chair, grabbed Novus by the wrist, and dragged him out of the house.

“Ah.”

Slam!

The newly repaired door nearly jumped from its hinges as the duo left in a rushing hurricane of denial.

Circe shook her head as she took a warm, refreshing tea sip. She spoke to no one in particular.

“That silly girl. Just like mother.”

A quiet voice eased into Circe and Goibhniu’s ears.

“Umm, sorry. I apologize if this sounds rude, but, are you sure?”

Circe and Goibhniu both looked up simultaneously to see Percival tightly grasping the ticket in his hand. He alternated looks back and forth between Goibhniu and Circe, looking for some response, until finally, Circe smiled.

“Quite sure. Of course, if you aren’t happy with the ticket… I could take it back—”

Her fingers mischievously inched towards the ticket in Percival’s hand. But Percival quickly concealed the ticket behind his back as he rushed to say a sentence in a single word.

“Accept! I mean, I accept! I fully accept!”

Circe’s laughter filled the room as her extended arm gently wrapped behind Goibhniu’s neck. Goibhniu whipped his head around just in time for Circe to stare deeply into his eyes.

“Then, I suppose we are all in agreeance.”

Husband and wife entranced themselves in each other’s eyes as the world around them dulled. Percival couldn’t make heads or tails of what the two might be communicating at that moment, but suddenly, Goibhniu wrapped his arm beneath Circe’s crossed legs and knocked over chairs and tables as he headed with her upstairs.

“Oh!”

Circe was initially shocked at Goibhniu’s sudden action but soon wrapped her arms around Goibhniu as she giggled like a schoolgirl.

“You beast.”

Her graceful arms tucked in closer as her fragrance wafted into Goibhniu’s nose. Goibhniu’s steps intensified as the married couple disappeared up the stairs.

“Don’t worry, honey. I made enough little steroids to last us all day and night.”

Slam!

Percival finally awoke from his trance as he flinched alongside the eagerly slamming door. He rapidly blinked before tip-toeing outside the house.

Percival decided he would leave the couple alone for just that, a day and a night. Maybe a little more after that too.

Wasn’t this supposed to be the part where my hidden mentors trained me to be an overpowered player? Why am I getting the short end of the stick?

Percival’s shoulders hunched as he walked down the street towards the fields outside of town.

Self-training again, I guess.

Behind Percival, a plume of dust finally settled from Edna’s grand leap from the obsidian platform.