As the evening shadows lengthened, Hikaru and Lydia lounged in their room, chatting and speculating about the challenges that lay ahead. The room was filled with the soft glow of yellow light crystals, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"..."

Before long, Jesper returned to their room, his face glowing with satisfaction from his explorations.

Lydia looked up as Jesper entered the room. “Jesper, what’s with that look? Where have you been?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Jesper entered the room, his face lit up with satisfaction. “Oh, hi Lydia! You won’t believe what I found—a beautiful garden with high elves performing mesmerizing musical pieces. If it weren’t for the goblins around, it would have been perfect. The tranquility, the serene beauty, and the enchanting melodies made me forget all my worries. What about you two?”

Lydia smiled in response. “That sounds amazing! We haven’t quite experienced their culture like you did, but we did venture to the nearby market. It was quite fascinating seeing all the exotic fruits and magical trinkets. Hikaru even bought some mana scrolls.”

They chatted for a while before they got hungry. Hikaru then suggested to Lydia and Jesper that they visit the other room, as they had all promised to have dinner together. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the porters, who were already there. To their surprise, the porters were busy packing items they had recently purchased, clearly intending to resell them in Bailey. It seemed they had a similar idea to Hikaru.

After the rest of their group arrived, they decided to have their dinner in the restaurant at the hotel lobby as usual. Amid bites of food and sips of drink, they eagerly swapped tales of their explorations, each member taking their turn to recount their adventures. Soon, it was Hideo’s turn to share the results of his group’s exploration.

Hideo began recounting their morning exploration to the group. “The five of us went to the western area of the high elf settlement after hearing whispers about where they practice their archery skills. Since high elves are renowned for their proficiency with bows, we were eager to see their abilities and training methods firsthand. The first shooting range we found was primarily used by high elf children, so we decided to look for another one. While searching for another range, we stumbled upon a restricted area guarded by vigilant high elf sentinels. Curious, we asked why we couldn’t enter, but the guard simply stated that only locals and Paragons were allowed in. We suspected this area was where the adult elves trained their archery skills, but decided not to risk our lives for the information. The sky was also starting to get darker, so we halted our search and went back to the hotel.”

Hikaru’s curiosity was piqued. “Paragons? What are those?” he asked.

Hideo nodded, sensing Hikaru’s genuine interest. “It seems you’re not familiar, Hikaru. Paragons are the members of Ace Society, an exclusive organization that brings together individuals who are highly skilled in their respective fields or areas of expertise. This organization gathers those who have achieved excellence in their chosen endeavors. They are leaders, experts, or top performers in their respective domains, and this organization serves as a platform for them to collaborate, share knowledge, and further their collective interests.”

Lydia chimed in to add more detail. “Ace Society has some similarities to Adventure Guild in that it gives quests to its members, but that’s where the similarities end. Ace Society isn’t a guild-type organization, so the kingdom doesn’t have any control over them. So, although Paragons are held in higher regard than adventurers of the same level, they don’t receive the same special treatment from the kingdom. This is largely because Paragon missions are inherently clandestine, which can be both beneficial and detrimental for the kingdom.”

Hideo then added: “It’s also worth noting that people tend to trust Paragon’s ranks more because they more accurately reflect the members’ capabilities. This is because, to become a Paragon or advance in rank, individuals must be tested by their peers, unlike adventurers who simply need to complete missions—tasks that can be delegated to others.”

Lydia thought inwardly: ‘I need to inform Clay about this discovery. My suspicion is that the Ace Society has established an office here in the elf settlement. Otherwise, there would be no reason to grant access exclusively to Paragons. The fact that nobody knows about it suggests the office may have been established recently, or they’ve managed to keep their secret exceptionally well. It seems that placing Jesper here in the settlement was the correct choice.’

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Hikaru suddenly asked, waking Lydia from her silent thoughts: “Does the Ace Society have a branch in Bailey?”

Lydia replied as a matter of fact: “Yes of course, one of their headquarters is in the Bailey second ring.”

Internally, Hikaru noted: ‘The Ace Society could be handy. Maybe I should become a paragon.’

Throughout the entire conversation, the two Kaya clan orphans remained notably quiet, as if cautious not to disturb the flow. Despite the animated chatter during dinner, they sat in a thoughtful silence, perhaps lost in their own reflections. As the evening wound down, their group bid each other goodnight, and slipped away to their rooms for a well-deserved rest.

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Over the next couple of days, nothing noteworthy happened. They wandered through the settlement every morning, discovering new things one corner at a time. Evenings were spent in the cozy ambiance of the hotel restaurant, where they exchanged tales of their daily findings amidst hearty laughter.

On the fourth day, Arael finally returned to the settlement. Upon hearing the news, they hurriedly went to the Asura Temple to meet him, but the priest stopped them and instructed them to wait at the hotel. He assured them that someone would come for them when Arael was ready to see them, so there was no need to be hasty.

At dusk that day, their turn finally arrived when one of the priest's subordinates came over and informed them that it was time. They followed her as she led them to one of the luxurious rooms inside the temple.

Soon, Arael entered the room. Unlike during the tournament, his irises were now blood-red with a round-cut diamond pattern, captivating anyone who looked into his eyes. With a gentle smile, Arael approached Hikaru, who stood just behind Hideo. “Welcome, travelers,” he greeted, his voice resonating melodiously. “How may I assist you?” His warm demeanor and graceful gesture invited Hikaru to share his purpose, showing his willingness to help.

Hideo was a bit perplexed as he stood in front of Hikaru, but Arael chose to pass him over and speak to Hikaru instead. Meanwhile, Lydia thought to herself, ‘It seems that because Arael used Abyssal Eyes, he thought Hikaru was the leader of the group, as he was the only lord-grade human here. Hikaru couldn’t fool him, even when he controlled his chi emission, as the Abyssal Eyes technique can perceive any kind of energy both inside and outside a living being’s body. This makes the technique even more effective than using Aura Glasses, which can only detect chi emitted by living beings outside their bodies.’

Hikaru motioned towards Hideo, addressing Arael, “Actually, it’s my uncle here who’s eager to ask you something, Your Eminence.”

Arael turned towards Hideo, his expression curious. “Ah, it seems we’ve met before.”

Hideo readily nodded and said: “Yes, Your Eminence. During the tournament semifinal, you mentioned you could restore my daughter’s hand if I brought you three royal followers. I have brought these three people to you.” Hideo pointed to the two Kaya clan orphans and Jesper.

Arael looked at the three people Hideo had pointed out and stepped closer to them. “Do you all willingly agree to serve me and worship only Asura and its celestials?”

They responded in unison: “Yes, we agree.”

“If you are willing to serve me, you must prioritize the Asura religion above your kingdom, your master, your families, and your friends. Do you understand?” Arael inquired once more.

Again, they answered together, “Yes, we understand.”

“You will be bound by a divine contract, so any form of betrayal will have dire consequences. Do you understand?” Arael asked once more.

Once again, they chorused, “Yes, we understand.”

Arael summoned divine contracts using a certain celestial art. As he initiated the technique his entire body was enveloped in a golden light. He then began reciting the clauses of the contract aloud, with the trio repeating after him. Once they had all finished declaring the clauses, a golden parchment suddenly manifested in front of each of them, including Arael, who was supposed to restore Masaki’s right hand. He handed each of them a small needle and instructed them to prick their fingers, letting a drop of blood fall onto the contract if they agreed. Simultaneously, he too pricked his finger and added a drop of blood to the contract in front of him. After they had all signed the contract with their blood, it moved toward them and merged with each of them.

After finalizing the divine contract, Arael smiled widely and turned toward Hideo, asking: “Who do I need to treat here?”

Hideo pointed towards Masaki as Arael made his way over to her. Masaki’s heart raced with anticipation as Arael scrutinized her amputated right hand. Retrieving a needle from the bracelet adorning his wrist, Arael delicately pricked Masaki’s hand with it, collecting a drop of her blood on its tip.

*Gulp* Arael ingested a drop of her blood, while gently held her right wrist, preparing to cast a divine spell that took about five seconds to complete. As the spell unfolded, visible mana began to coalesce, taking the form of Masaki’s original right hand. Finally the visible mana gradually transformed into flesh, seamlessly becoming her new right hand.

Hideo’s joy was palpable, his smile stretching from ear to ear as he expressed heartfelt gratitude to Arael for his invaluable service. Each member of their group echoed their appreciation and bid a warm farewell to Arael. To honor the trio for volunteering to be Arael’s servants, Hideo decided on a special dinner—a jovial gathering to celebrate the time spent together before their inevitable parting the next day. Laughter and chatter filled the air as they savored their meal. As the night wore on, they retreated to their rooms, the anticipation of tomorrow tinged with a hint of bittersweet farewell.