When the yearly Egg Hunt announcement arrived, it shocked the students again. It was the first time since it had been created to be hosted by their fellow pupils, namely the Misfits. It was made public at once that their groups would hold each of the Eggs, hosting trials inside, and the first group to complete them would earn the rewards. This news alone made more groups sign up than ever before because it was clear that there was a chance to win one of the golden eggs without having superior martial strength.

"You are kinda evil!" Lia chuckled while she stood beside Lucian, the two of them training and traveling through No-Space physically.

"Aaaand why is that?" He sighed, already expecting something silly to come.

"There are no rules set on how many can try the trials at once, no rules set down on interfering with one another!"

"You will see. I did not mention something important because I intend to do it at the start! Be patient! Anyway... I am used to students complaining." He answered coolly, "After many years, it is like listening to dogs barking in the background."

"Woof."

"Ha. Ha." He directed a slanted gaze at her, "You look extremely comfortable walking in here."

"Switching topics, eh?" Lia giggled before nodding, "But yes! I am! I think… it is because of my mind… my will."

"It is. Which is good! It makes me more glad and relaxed to agree to your Mother's instructions."

"What?" She stopped floating, looking at him stunned. "Mom said something? Why don't I know about it?"

"Now you do. She contacted me a few days ago. You and the rest of your close group will graduate early! This is the last few weeks you spend in here." He said, laying it out without pausing.

"B-but… but!" Lia stammered, getting so flustered that part of her soul suddenly slipped out of her body, forcing her to focus and redraw it hurriedly. "But!"

"It is an order from the leader of the Six Houses. From the one who this Institute answers to!"

"Not fair…!" She moaned, her mismatched eyes filling up with tears.

"Hm? I thought you wanted to travel and explore the continent!"

"Yes! But… but I like it here and… there was still a year left and…."

"There is no helping it." Lucian smiled, patting her head gently, "Things have changed, and you are required elsewhere. You wouldn't have come to this Institute in the first place anyway! Wasn't it a... punishment?" He chuckled before continuing, "Members of the Houses walk different paths. They must lead from the front, cutting out new pathways for us to follow! My Institute reinforces the cleared path and leads the rest after you all!"

"..."

"Don't tell me you don't want to get out of school?" He laughed.

"I don't…" She muttered, pouting a little before moaning, "Owie! What was that for?" Lia looked at him, holding the top of her head as Lucian smacked it with the edge of his palm.

"Silly Girl. Let's go!"

"Hmph! Silly Fox!"

"Yep!" He waved his hand and reentered into reality, appearing right in his office. It took a brief second, and Lia also stepped out into the room, still rubbing her head with a sour expression. Looking at the clock on the wall, they were only gone for a minute, yet for them, it was almost like an hour they spent in No-Space.

"Fucky…"

"Language, girl!" Lucian looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"But it is! I can't get used to how time is a mess in there!"

"Few can."

"What about Aurora? And Keily?"

"The former is good. She has a knack for it, same as you. But the boy…." He stopped, looking out his window, watching the bright midday sun and blue skies. "He just can't do it. He has the will, the drive, and the mindset… but not the talent."

"Which part of his talent is not good enough?" Lia asked, her voice serious.

"He is smart; if you sit him down, he can memorize anything and recite it perfectly! But… he can't understand it. The two are different! Very different!" He explained, looking back at her directly into her eyes. "Stop him before he injures or kills himself! He knows the theory, but he does not understand it."

"Can't we make… make him understand it?"

Stolen novel; please report.

"If he did not manage to do it by now, no. We can't."

"Are you sure?" Lia pressed on, but Lucian shook his head firmly.

"Go and explain to someone who was born blind what the color red is."

"..."

"There may be someone who can do it! But it is not me, not you, and I don't think I know anyone like that. No!" He raised his voice at the end, seeing Lia glance at her bracelet, "Not even her! Especially her."

"Why?" Asked Somia's voice, as if she was… challenged.

"Could you?" Both Lia and Lucian asked at the same time. One of them sounded hopeful, while the other was sarcastic.

"..."

"Thought so." Lucian snorted. "Now! Let our last lesson end here!"

"Last lesson…?" Lia murmured, looking deeply downcasted as if someone close to her just died.

"Yes!" The Headmaster walked forward, gently hugging her and patting her back. "You were my best disciple, Lia Amarin. I am glad to call you that, even if you only studied under me for a fleeting year or so!"

“Um… thank you… Headmaster…” She hugged back, burying her face into his chest.

"Call me… Silly Fox."

…

…..

……

"Your names will go down in the Institute's history," Ceiline said as the Misfits sat around their dining table. Lia just finished retelling what Lucian said to her, that they would graduate early, surprising them just the same.

"We will?" Keily asked, his eyes curious and unsure whether he was also qualified to just… graduate. He had the doubts swirling in his head that he was only let go because he was part of their group and not because he was ready for it.

"Yes." Ceiline nodded, looking around them, "Nobody in the history of the Institute graduated early! This will be a first, and we all did some first already, are we not?"

"Hah!" Raufon laughed, slapping the table, "Good! My kids will be proud!"

"Yeah…" Lia nodded, still a bit sour about it. "If you will see them at all..."

"Being so negative is a bad omen!" Koa stretched her arm over, rubbing her head, "Don't say it like that!"

"I know where we are headed and am not afraid!" Raufon slapped his chest, "My tribe is taking care of our own, and we are doing what must be done so they can grow up safely! They will understand it later!" He said firmly, his bestial blood steering his thoughts differently than many humans would.

"Do we know what we will do after graduation?" Aurora asked, taking the news calmly.

"Yes. Solren is waiting for us back home, and we will first accompany him around our territory, helping him to recruit talents." Lia answered her.

"Will-" Aurora raised her hand to write, but Lia just chuckled, speaking before reading her words.

"Yes, Sion will join us. Simbad too."

"What about Rinzen?" Ceiline asked, but Lia shook her head.

"Not yet. She is busy defrosting all the old men and women coming back!"

"Heh~!" Raufon chuckled and glanced at Ceiline, "You are coming too, aren't you?"

"Of course!" She replied quickly, "Why wouldn't I?" Just as she finished, Stumpy also raised himself up, standing on its hind legs, but Ceiline suddenly shut him down. "No! You won't! It is too dangerous! You grew up here, and no matter how smart you are, you are not strong enough!"

"Are you sure?" Koa asked with raised eyebrows, "His brothers were kinda… wild and strong."

"Well, he is not!" Ceiline said, like a mother who already made a decision. "If they were truly powerful, wouldn't we be here, aren't we? He stays here, and that is final!" She said with such a finality in her tone that Stumpy recoiled, whining softly, trying to rub its head against Ceiline's shin, but she had already made her decision, and nothing could change it.

"Yeah… He is the Misfits' little mascot." Lia murmured, "It is best if he remains at our tower. At least one of us, the original crew, will always be here."

"There you go again!" Koa nudged her, "Speaking in finalities!"

"S-sorry!"

"Stop! You are weird today!" She scolded Lia, "What is it?"

"I… I don't know…" She murmured, looking sorry, making the others sigh too, thinking it was because of the sudden news they would leave before time. Lia thought that too… but somehow, now… she was unsure. She had a weird feeling since saying goodbye to Lucian. Somehow she felt like she won't see him or the Academy she came to love ever again.

…

….

……

When the day of the competition came, many groups signed up for it, while the Misfits could do nothing but just sigh. Even if they wanted to challenge their own leaders, there was no chance for it at all, being banned from the event since last year.

"Which element are we going to challenge?" A girl asked her leader as a group of them arrived at the starting position.

"Fire." She answered with a somewhat nostalgic and also eager smile.

"A-are you sure?" The group of four behind her asked at once, stopping so abruptly they almost fell over. Everyone knew who would be behind that challenge.

"Yes." She looked at them. "It is our last year here! I think we ought to test ourselves and also… She will understand."

“Yanura… aren’t we… you know… not on the best terms with them?"

"I think we mended all the old mistakes!" She shrugged, opening her hands, "I wouldn't take this seriously, girls! We are here to test ourselves before leaving the Academy! Didn't you hear the news? What is happening behind the curtains?"

Because most of them were from a somewhat influential family, they knew something was going on. As to what they all had an inkling, thanks to how their last year's curriculum went, facing multiple Undeads in battle, overseen by teachers and many times by the Headmaster himself.

"Let's not stress about it right now!" Yanura clapped her hands, encouraging her friends. "This is our last event together; we should give it our best! When we leave the Academy, we may never see each other again, so… make it into something we can all look back on proudly!"

"Don't say it like that!" One of her friends complained as they all hugged, waiting for the competition to start.

…

….

…….

"Ready?" Lucian asked, his voice coming from all of the Misfits' bracelets, receiving their answers from Lia.

"Yes. We can start anytime! It will be your best Egg Hunt yet, Silly Fox!"

"Don't make this easy for them!" The Headmaster smiled, floating above the vast forest, watching the multiple images projected from his bracelet.

When the signed-up groups received a message that this year's hunt was starting, they were instantly teleported inside the forest at random locations while a message popped up for everyone.

"The challenges have been hidden by the Misfits inside the forest. Any group stumbling onto them can attempt it alone or as a group. No limits exist on how many participants can risk it at once. Watch out for interfering with each other's spells! Also... something you all should know. Allied groups can redeem the Egg as a whole." When hearing it, many shuddered as something like this never happened before. Usually, the groups were set against each other. Many blamed themselves for not looking for allies before being separated and teleported inside the Egg Hunt, but they did not know beforehand. "We are in a time when we need to work together." Lucian's message continued, "There are moments in our history when we must put aside our grievances. Now… Let the Egg Hunt begin!"