It had been a day since Aria's confrontation with the king. The students were free to do as they pleased until it was time for their scheduled training. Some of the students went to spar or train, trying to distract themselves from the aftermath of Ace's death. Others went to the upper districts for a change of scenery as they began their journey of recovery and resilience.

Aria was all alone as she lay on one of the garden trees, staring at the sky. She was lost in thought, wondering what to do now that Ace was gone. She felt empty, like a hollow shell, and was unable to motivate herself to move from her spot. She knew her goals and purpose in this world, but her thoughts of Ace constantly distracted her, recalling every happy memory with him only to be followed by tears of pain.

'I wonder what Ace was thinking every time he looked at the sky,' Aria wondered. 'Did Ace feel this empty without Luna? How did he bounce back after her disappearance?'

"There you are," Aria heard a familiar voice say. She looked up and saw Olivia, dressed in outdoor clothes, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Olivia..." Aria said.

"Oh dear... you look like a mess... and you've lost weight too, haven't you? Come on, a girl like you needs some cheering up."

Olivia had noticed the sudden change in Aria's appearance, from graceful to broken and lifeless. However, her goal was to help Aria slowly recover in time for their training session.

Olivia grabbed Aria's hand, dragging her along as Aria had no idea where they were going. Aria felt strangely calm and even mentally better once she was in Olivia's presence. Aria's lifeless eyes slowly gained life, as if she were following the light escaping from her darkness.

"W-where are we going...?" Aria asked.

"My house. I left a note for your friends letting them know you're in my care," Olivia replied.

"Y-you don't have to," Aria said.

"But I want to," Olivia smiled.

Aria had no choice but to go along with Olivia's plans. She followed her to the residential area in the upper districts, wondering what Olivia had planned for her.

In the higher districts of the residential area, the houses and buildings were built to perfection. The whole area had an expensive feel to it, with its cleanliness giving the atmosphere a shiny appearance. Most of the houses had marble white walls, but Olivia's house stood out with its warm colors.

'Her house looks comfortable...' Aria thought.

"Come on, don't just stand there. I cooked up my special just for you," Olivia said.

"Okay..." Aria replied.

Aria entered the house and was surprised to smell Olivia's cooking. Ever since their exploration of the Dungeon, Aria had lost her appetite. The food she ate tasted bland to her, and she only ate the bare minimum to keep her body functioning. As a result, Aria's body had become thinner and she had lost muscle mass.

"Help yourself to a seat. Let me just get something that you would like," Olivia said.

"Right..." Aria replied, taking a seat and looking around at her surroundings. She felt comfortable in Olivia's home. One thing that caught her attention was a small painting of Olivia and someone else. Aria stood up for a closer look.

"I'm back with your favorite. We'll eat this for dessert," Olivia said, bringing back a box of Aria's favorite cake. She noticed Aria's expression as she saw the cake and gave a saddened expression. She then focused her attention on the painting, seeing a young man with Olivia.

'Maybe the cake idea was a bit too much,' Olivia thought. It was naive of her to think that such a simple dessert would cheer Aria up. Olivia didn't know Aria very well, compared to the rest of her friends, and was struggling to find ways to take Aria's mind off what had happened.

"Was this David...?" Aria asked.

"Oh...? Yeah... He's the reason I have this fancy house all to myself. I thought inviting you here would help both of us," Olivia replied.

"Help you...? How?" Aria asked.

"Because, like you, I still get saddened by David's death, like you did with Ace's. Every time I'm in this house, I'm reminded that David's gone. We're not much different, are we?" Olivia said.

"I don't think I can get back to being normal..." Aria said.

"It's not like anyone can do that. All we can do is keep their memories alive and focus on those still living," Olivia replied.

Aria's eyes lit up as she remembered Ace's intentions of wanting everyone to return home. Although she knew Ace's top priority was finding Luna, she also remembered his desperation to make everyone's dream of going back home come true. He was the one who wanted to increase everyone's survivability in the formations he devised, and he was the one who covered for everyone's faults in making their tactics a success. With that sentence alone, Aria made her decision to carry on Ace's legacy and be the pillar of the class.

"Then I'll do that... Ace would've wanted everyone to survive," Aria said.

"That's what he told me when I trained him," Olivia replied.

"It can help take my mind off him... hopefully..." Aria held her hand to her chest, trying to ease the pain in her heart every time she thought about Ace. However, at that moment, Aria's stomach growled, causing her to blush as Olivia chuckled to herself.

"Hehe, maybe we should eat now. You'll lose all your strength if you starve yourself," Olivia said.

"It wasn't my intention..." Aria replied.

Olivia brought her food to the table they were sitting at. It was the first time Aria had tasted food in a long time, and she shoveled it in slowly, regaining the strength she had lost.

"It's good, right? Want dessert?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, please..." Aria watched as Olivia cut a slice of cake for her. When she received it, she held a sad expression, as it reminded her of Ace. After taking a bite, her expression became empty, as she was unable to taste the cake that she had always loved.

The taste of the cake was like eating dirt, lacking any flavor at all. Aria's taste buds were still affected, and she didn't know why she was only able to eat Olivia's cooking. After taking the first bite of the cake, Aria suddenly stopped and looked at it depressingly.

"Are you alright?" Olivia asked, giving Aria a concerned look.

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"S-sorry... I'm okay now..." Aria forced herself to eat the cake, despite the lack of taste. It seemed that she was only able to eat Olivia's cooking, as she continued to finish her plate until she wanted more.

"You can always tell me your problems, even if you can't get over him. You can take as much time as you need. I'll always be there for you," Olivia said.

"Thank you, Olivia. I think I'll be fine now..." Aria said.

"No, you're not. Just because you had a meal doesn't mean you're perfectly fine," Olivia replied.

Aria was about to respond to Olivia's statement, but she gave up halfway through, knowing that Olivia was right.

"Should we go for a walk? It'll help clear your mind and maybe your stomach. Despite how gracefully you ate, the quantity of food you took in must have been too much for your-"

"Okay, I get it. A walk should help me," Aria said.

"But before that, maybe not now when you look like that," Olivia interrupted, pointing out Aria's messy hair. On a usual day, Aria would wear her hair neatly, but after what had happened, she hadn't bothered to take care of her appearance. Her hair was frizzled in different directions, and her bangs covered half of her face.

"Is it that bad...?" Aria asked as she looked at her tangled hair in the mirror.

"You just need a little brushing and combing. Don't worry, it will only take a few minutes," Olivia reassured her as she grabbed her brush and comb, gently running them through Aria's hair. The messy tangles slowly disappeared, leaving Aria's hair silky and smooth. In just a few minutes, Aria's appearance was completely transformed. She had not realized how disheveled she looked until her hair was groomed.

"Just like that, you look much healthier again. Well, physically at least," Olivia said with a smile.

"Wow, I really did look like a mess," Aria said as she touched her hair, feeling a sense of pride in her appearance once more. She had always taken pride in her hair, hoping to catch Ace's attention, but to no avail.

As Aria began to braid a section of her hair, she hesitated. The memories it brought back were too painful, so she left her hair as it was.

"It's not unusual to not feel completely fine after a simple hairdo, but at least now you look the part," Olivia said, trying to cheer Aria up. "Come on, let's go for a walk. There's a small fountain that nobody goes to that always calms me down. It reminds me of Dave..." Olivia's happy expression faded as she spoke, a sad look replacing it. Aria noticed that Olivia fiddled with her ring to cope with her distress, just like Aria did.

"Then let's go. You look like you could use a walk to clear your mind too," Aria said, understanding what Olivia was going through.

"Ah, sorry for bringing you down. Follow me. There's a small fountain that no one goes to. It has a nice view of the sky," Olivia said, leading Aria down a path that was not commonly used by the citizens of the higher district. It was a longer, less convenient route to their destination, but the two women didn't mind. As they walked, Olivia gazed up at the sky, lost in her memories. Aria also looked up at the sky, thinking of all the times Ace had done the same.

Throughout the walk, Aria couldn't help but think of all the memories she had with Ace and how powerless she had felt. Every time she remembered him, a part of her body became numb as she reflected on her own weaknesses.

Finally, they arrived at the fountain. It was abandoned and overgrown, but behind it was a breathtaking view of the entire kingdom. Above them, the night sky was filled with stars, more than Aria had ever seen in one place. She was mesmerized by the sight, and for a moment, she forgot her pain. She pulled out a photo of herself and Ace, reflecting on her own weaknesses once more.

"Wow, that painting looks so real... it's almost too real," Olivia said as she peered over Aria's shoulder, breaking the somber mood.

"Oh, this? It's called a photograph. We have a device that captures a moment instantly, and then you can print it on special paper. That's what this is," Aria explained, holding up the photo.

"Your world is so interesting. Just one picture can tell so much. What did you call it again? A photograph? Even some of the words you use are interesting," Olivia said, fascinated as she was fixated by the photograph.

For a moment, Aria smiled at Olivia's curiosity, grateful that it had broken through her tension.

"Hey, I'm not the most knowledgeable person you know," Aria said with a laugh.

"Hehe, I forgot that you're not like us. I must sound like an alien to you," Olivia said, grinning.

"You... sigh whatever. If you can laugh like this now, maybe you're making progress towards feeling normal again," Aria said.

"Being sad won't bring Ace back, and blaming myself won't either. This walk helped me realize what I need to do," Aria continued.

"It's also a good way to explore the kingdom. Not every day does a newcomer like you get to explore a foreign land," Olivia said in a deeper voice, as if she were narrating Aria's situation. "Did my voice make you look dumbfounded?"

Aria just looked at Olivia and weakly smiled.

"Thanks... you really helped me get back on my feet. You didn't have to go so far for me," Aria said.

"You just reminded me of my past self, and I wanted to help you take care of yourself. Plus, I don't want the king to be angry at you again. He means it when he threatens to kill you," Olivia said, her expression serious.

"You're right about that. The king is probably the source of all my anger right now. He's the reason we're all here," Aria said with frustration in her tone.

"You're not wrong there. I have my suspicions about the king too. A lot of people do. His way of ruling and the wars he's dragged us into have been terrible for everyone. If this war never happened, Dave would never have died in that dungeon. And the way the king ruled his death seems off... Sorry, I shouldn't vent my frustrations to you," Olivia said, her expression apologetic.

"It's fine... it's getting late. I should get back to the dorm," Aria said, her mood turning somber again.

"It's a bit of a walk from here. Do you want to stay at my place for the night?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe that would be for the best, if you don't mind me staying," Aria said.

"That's why I offered in the first place," Olivia said with a smile.

The two women walked back, chatting about whatever came to mind. Olivia asked Aria questions about her world, and Aria learned more about Olivia's hobbies when she was off duty. Aria felt comfortable with Olivia, seeing her as an older sister figure. It was a feeling she had never experienced before, having only received artificial love from the mothers who worked at the orphanage.

During their conversation, both girls heard an unusual sound. There was a constant high pitched cracking noise followed by a cry of pain.

"Aaah! Please... stop...! I won't do it again...!" A girl's voice cried out.

Aria knew what was happening and rushed towards the source of the noise, with Olivia following closely behind. To Aria's surprise, she saw a silver-haired girl being whipped repeatedly by a well-dressed man covered in jewelry. The girl was covered in scratches, bruises, and wounds, with only rags to cover her frail, bony body and a large collar on her neck.

The sight of the girl reminded Aria of the days when she was bullied and begged her bullies to stop. Anger began to build within Aria as she gathered mana around her, preparing to summon her weapon.

"Aria, wait...!" Olivia cried out.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Aria shouted in rage.

"What is it to you?! I'm punishing my slave. This is the fifth time she's tried to escape! She even had the audacity to fight back." The man focused on the girl, not paying attention to the enraged Aria.

Crack!

"I'm sorry...!" The girl apologized, looking at Aria as if she was pleading for help.

Both of them had met eye contact. In response Aria turned her attention to the man.

"Stop that! Or else!" Aria summoned her spear and pointed it at the man.

"How dare you attack a noble!" The man shouted. He took a look at Aria and was immediately entranced by her beauty. "After one look, aren't you a pretty one? A girl like you would fetch a high price. Or should I keep you for myself..."

The noble imbued mana into his whip and aimed to attack Aria, but was intercepted by Olivia's spear.

"Aria! Stop! Put down your spear!" Olivia shouted.

"B-but... He-!"

"I know... but we can't cause a commotion."

"Hmph... Spell Warrior Olivia. So this one is your student this time. You're raising such a delicate flower. You should have taught her how to mind her own business and stay out of trouble." The man said.

"Forgive me, sir... I'll make sure she gets a scolding."

"Hah...! I'll let this slide this time! If I get King Regis on both of you for disrupting me again, both of your necks will have collars like this one. Many would pay for the deflowerment of girls like you two." The noble threatened.

"Sorry... I'll make sure it won't happen again." Olivia held her anger as she replied in a passive-aggressive tone.

"Hmph! Whatever you better not run again, you bitch!" The noble shouted as he whipped the girl again.

Due to her position, Aria had no right to stop such an act in front of her. She understood from the way Olivia acted that slavery was the norm in this kingdom. Aria looked at the girl with a sad expression as she walked away with her slave master.

"So slavery is a thing here...? Just when I thought this King couldn't get any worse...!" Aria's fist began to shake with anger.

"Not like we have the power to simply stop this system. We should head back now, it's already dark."

"Alright..."

Although Aria's mentality began to return to normal, her anger and rage continued to grow as she became more frustrated with King Regis.

'Regis... it's because of him! He has plenty of reasons for me to kill him!'