The next few days happened to be quite peaceful, with the academy focusing more on prepping him and his fellow Apprentices for the upcoming commission assignments.

The preparational period was carried out diligently by both the departmental professors and their respective Deans, as they made sure to arm the greenhorn Apprentices with the basic skills and information needed to scale through their respective assignments.

Classes based on weaponry and physical fitness were especially intense, as they mostly covered the easier-to-adapt-to skills needed by Disciples and Apostles.

Elias had kept to his pre-arranged schedule of balancing his academy course classes with his personal research plans, making him more than equipped for the upcoming external assignment.

It could be said that he was the most prepared among the Apprentices of his year, with him not only possessing a wealth of advanced knowledge but also his secret identity as an Apostolic Deacon to boot.

It would be fair to say that Elias would be able to tackle any unexpected situation that may arrive from the relatively simple undercover task, provided that it wasn't something that surpassed his current abilities.

He had more or less adapted to the use of his easier-to-use Invocations—Finger Lines and Identification, as well as developed a fair amount of tolerance to the pain that came as a result of him using his Innate Blessings of true sight.

Though the pain that came from using the latter remained skull-splitting, he was now able to maintain the unique vision for longer, with an improvement of 3 seconds in comparison to the initial 1-second frame.

Elias had made sure to practice and acclimate himself to his abilities in the past few days, making him relatively calm about his commission taking place in a few hours.

What he wasn't calm about though was the current task at hand, as Elias navigated his way to his lecture hall with a stomped expression on his face.

Being the team leader, the job of deciding their group title had naturally been pushed onto him, as Professor Windsor had stressed the importance of transforming the group identity into a singular unit, stating that simply offering a name or designation would make each group stand out from the rest.

He also stated the benefits of fostering companionship and teamwork, going on to explain how people tend to get along better with each other once they operate under the same umbrella while protecting each other's interests.

This was why he made such a big deal out of the whole group naming thing, making sure to stress how important a step it was toward group solidity.

This was also what landed Elias in his current predicament, as he couldn't come up with a functional name no matter how hard he tried.

Contemplating the current situation while walking through the bright academy halls, Elias thought back to each of his team members, particularly to the unique situations among them.

They had an immensely novel-obsessed genius, who seemed to be able to keep up with the class without putting in any effort. Ne'em never spent more than 5-10 minutes paying attention in class every day, but still somehow managed to be up to date with everything taught.

He answered questions whenever he was called upon, making the trio of Elias, Aamiya and Damien conclude that he secretly studied whenever he was in his dorms.

Aamiya was also another case to look at, as the young lady presented the image of a doll-like delicate teenage beauty all the while concealing undertones of precision and ruthlessness beneath her seemingly cute mirage.

There were times when Elias saw her expression become quite cold and mature before fleeting back into her harmlessly delicate and rosy temperament, causing him to be quite curious about the true side of this 'Silver Swan.'

Damien was also an obvious case of an 'anomaly', as the young man's outward appearance vastly contradicted his values and goals in life.

There was also the one that was always almost forgotten—Yves, their uncannily faceless fifth member who was as silent as a hawk and never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary.

Because of her their group often felt like a group of 4 instead of 5, and they had to pen down written reminders for them to even have a conversation with her.

And finally, there was him—the group leader, the one person in the group who seemed to embody the full meaning of an anomaly in every shape and form.

Their clique really did seem like a gathering of unique personalities brought together due to the whims of fate, individuals that now had their lives tightly intertwined together by destiny.

'Fate huh...'

Mumbling the words under his breath Elias finally arrived at his hall, pushing the door open and turning towards the seating position of his group.

There he spotted Damien snacking on a white bread sandwich while pestering Ne'em with useless chatter, causing the latter to be pale with annoyance.

Aamiya was elegantly seated with a new scarf over her legs, ignoring the occasional glances thrown at her by her male classmate while tending to Ivory's snow-white fur.

The small cat was the first to detect Elias's entry into the hall, abruptly leaping up and proceeding to scurry in his direction. Elias also moved to pick her up, throwing Aamiya an apologetic glance while the latter just scoffed helplessly.

Stolen novel; please report.

An amused chuckle rang out from behind Aamiya soon after, his inability to detect anyone making Elias conclude that it came from Yves. The entire group had gotten quite used to her unique condition over time, no longer treating it as some big surprise.

Damien frantically waved at Elias once he noticed his arrival, with Ne'em throwing him a look like he was begging to be saved.

Looking at his newly found friends made Elias break into a soft smile, silently penning down his decided group name before making his way to them.

The written title appeared to be a declaration as well as a prophetic revelation, casting a shadow of expectation onto the fruits of these young teenagers.

This would forever be remembered in history as the starting point of the 'Fated Five' children's journey.

...

After the conclusion of a hectic academic day, Elias and his group members convened in his hostel suite to strategize for their assignment.

They were set to leave for the venue in a few hours and even though they had talked about the situation a bit in the past, Elias and Aamiya thought it wise to draft up a specific strategy that would play to each of their individual strengths.

Their goal of the day was to infiltrate and observe the evening ball, reporting any anomalies to the relevant authorities in charge of keeping the aristocrats and patrons of the event safe.

Since they were newly admitted Apprentices of a little more than 2 weeks their tasks didn't stipulate the need for direct interference, clearly stating that their personal safety was to be prioritized above all else in the case of something going wrong.

Elias and his group didn't want to settle for just that though, as they planned to take the success of their first commission very seriously.

The five of them hurdled around Elias's room, making Elias's previously dull quarters seem like the base for a gathering of young elites.

The boys collectively decided to vacate the large bed for the girls, with Ne'em taking up a position at the reading table, Elias deciding to stand and Damien sprawling himself shirtless on the floor.

They talked and exchanged ideas, making the atmosphere seem not the least bit awkward.

"I still think we should have at least one person undercover working with the staff since it would be easier to pay attention to employee gossip that way. It is not uncommon for the working staff to be infiltrated in an event like this."

Aamiya calmly gave her opinions without rushing, sitting on the bed in a kneeling position.

She currently had her hair tied up and was wearing a light blue night dress while covering up the otherwise exposed parts of her upper body with a matching scarf. The smell of her floral-scented cologne wafted through the air, making Elias's room seem more like a garden rather than a student quarter.

This gave her a sort of innocent and gentle charm capable of activating the instinct of protection in onlookers.

Elias carefully considered her suggestion, concluding that it made sense. He then took in the images of the people all around him, before settling his gaze on Damien.

"Then Damien would most likely fit the role. He would be perfect in infiltrating as a waiter or bartender, which would constantly keep him on the move, enabling him to efficiently gather information from the staff all around the hall.

"His Echelon also makes this a tailor-fit role for him, as it comes with the side benefits of stamina and agility improvement. There is no one more fit for this role than him."

Damien simply shrugged lazily, indicating that it didn't matter to him what the role was. This allowed Elias to heave a sigh of relief, as he had half expected Damien to complain about such a physically tasking role.

He then turned back towards Aamiya, intending to speak before being cut off by Ne'em's voice, "I will take up a position with the guards outside the event hall, as it would enable me to properly monitor the external terrain and report back to you guys before anything goes wrong."

Elias and Aamiya turned towards Ne'em in shock, surprised at how he had proactively taken up one of the more taxing roles.

For one to properly monitor their external surroundings they would have to pay close attention to each and every detail around them, making sure not to miss even a single thing. This is a hard task for many, as focusing your attention on multiple happenings at the same time can be quite tasking on the mind.

This was why Elias and Aamiya were quite shocked, as they didn't see Ne'em as the type to fancy such troublesome roles.

Noticing the looks of surprise on his teammates' faces caused Ne'em to shake his head in resignation while pointing to his head.

"I have a photographic memory."

Ah... Aamiya softly exclaimed while Elias in front of her had on a look of realization.

No wonder Ne'em was able to maintain good grades while being a story addict!

That one quality would greatly aid in information gathering, making Ne'em the perfect choice for external observation of the venue. He would be able to instantly grasp any hard-to-detect discrepancies in their environment, vastly increasing their reaction time in the case of an unfortunate incident.

It could be said that this made Ne'em the most important person for this particular commission, second only to Elias due to his identity as an already advanced Apostle.

Elias shared a knowing look with Aamiya, before giving Ne'em the go-ahead. Even if it was not made official, the group had basically taken Aamiya as the assistant group leader, making her opinions quite valuable in the decision-making process.

Elias further came to appreciate the young lady's intelligence, seeing that she was not only made up of beauty but also a lot of brains.

Ne'em nodded gladly with a smile, before focusing back on the book he was reading.

His unusual smile caused Elias's eyebrow to twitch, as he suddenly felt like the guy had played a fast one on them.

'No way... Don't tell me this guy picked that role solely for the reason of avoiding the noise and disturbance that would happen inside the venue. That definitely seems like something he would do.'

Elias observed the reticent Sapphite for a few more moments, before turning back towards Aamiya helplessly.

"Well... That just leaves me and you."

Aamiya offered Elias a cheeky smile, before waving a ticket right in front of his face.

"Yes well, I got us both sorted out. I was sent a ticket to the event by my father since he was invited and given an extra one."

'Sweet mother above... It must feel so good to be rich. Wait she said we? Who is we?'

Elias adjusted his posture slightly, before regarding Aamiya with a question.

"Uhh Aamiya you said we... Who is we?"

Aamiya's cheeky smile became much more obvious, causing Elias to feel all the more nervous.

"Well, you and me of course. The ticket gives me the option of bringing in a +1, so I plan to take you as my date."

"Wait wha-"

Before he could even react Damien abruptly kicked Elias in the knee, winking at him successively as a sign of the gods know what.

Even Ne'em turned his attention away from the book he was reading, alternating his gaze between Elias and Aamiya as if inspecting the two leads of a romance novel.

Elias felt stumped, swiftly regarding Aamiya with a sharp counter.

"Then why not take Yve-"

A calm and cold voice abruptly cut him off, interrupting his words before he could even finish.

"It's fine, I already have a way in as an attendee."

The retort suddenly got stuck in Elias's throat, causing him to look towards Aamiya with a helpless expression.

The young lady simply pretended to take no notice, shifting into a more comfortable position as she regarded Elias matter-of-factly, "That's the end of that then. I think it's time for us to start our individual preparations."

That was how everyone moved to exit Elias's dorm, leaving the young man alone to contemplate his unexpected first date which had been planned without his permission, nor his consent.