It was a new, peaceful day in New Lumingard. Ascalon had woken up early, as per usual, and was seated at the bar’s counter, enjoying an expertly made cup of coffee while chatting about various things with Raphael. They were mostly catching up after the Guild tests, though their talk was animated and pleasant, until the steward brought up one of the more worrying topics.

“So, none of those masked weirdos have shown up so far?” The older man asked, his gaze turning a bit concerned. Ascalon knew he was referring to the ones such as Wrath, who had antagonized them in Starugnia.

“Not as of yet. Though I believe it is unlikely they would act in the open—cowards do not dare step into the light often.” Ascalon replied with a disgusted tone, feeling his coffee would get soured by thinking about these villains. Raphael sighed in relief as a small smile formed on his lips.

“I see, that’s good.” The steward rubbed his temples. “Sorry for bringing that up and ruining the mood.” He apologized, grinning awkwardly. Ascalon nodded with a confident expression, as if to reassure him.

“Do not worry. It is wise to keep such threats in mind in order to not let our guard down too much.” The knight responded with utmost firmness, his words that of a honed warrior who, perhaps, needed to relax a little more. Raphael chuckled, when a ‘ding’ sound came from the kitchen.

“One moment.” The older man chirped, raising a hand and signaling Ascalon to wait as he disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Raphael came back with a variety of pastries and a cup of what looked like hot cocoa. Ascalon raised an eyebrow as he inspected the grand breakfast, and soon realized a presence had stirred in the second floor.

“I am once again in awe—your foresight and preparedness is unmatched, Raphael.” He commended the steward—who, for a while now, he had been calling without the ‘sir’ nor ‘master’ titles—impressed as always by the man’s service skills. The gentleman smiled proudly, and did a brief but elegant reverence.

“My, your kind words are wasted in one such as I! Nonetheless, I appreciate them.” Raphael acted grandiose, showcasing his more professional side with utmost dedication. Ascalon smiled in admiration, as the presence he had felt before quickly descended the stairs and bounced rhythmically toward the counter.

“Ooh!” A childish voice chirped, garnering both Ascalon and Raphael’s attention. It was of course Athanya’el, trotting as fast as her little legs allowed, with her cascading, long hair flowing behind her like a golden streak. With trained movements, she climbed onto a stool and sat beside Ascalon, beaming happily at him.

“Good morning, my Goddess.” Ascalon greeted her, bowing slightly.

“Morning, Thany.” Raphael chimed in, more affectionately.

The child let out a shy ‘hehe’ as her hands grabbed onto the cocoa cup and a strawberry pastry. “Good morning, both of you. Thank you for the meal!” Thany exclaimed as she prepared to nibble on her meal, her expression showing nothing but pure bliss. At that moment, Raphael decided to vanish into the kitchen, perhaps to prepare more treats for Thany.

Ascalon felt at ease seeing her so animated and talkative. She seemed to have grown fond of Raphael, and was learning a lot about ‘mortal’ culture! As she indulged on her cocoa, Ascalon decided to strike a conversation—something they had barely done since her awakening.

“How are you faring, my lady?” He asked in a soft voice, trying to not sound too worried. Athanya’el tilted her head for a moment as she placed down her cup.

“I am fine, as you can see, my knight! My energy is growing slowly but steadily.” She reassured him with a big grin, a small cocoa mustache adorning her lips. “But I wish I could recover faster—I yearn to explore the outside world! Alas, I cannot be bothered to do so when I might fall asleep out of nowhere.” She complained as she furrowed her brows, clearly annoyed.

Ascalon nodded at her words, agreeing that her situation posed quite the dilemma. He too wanted to take her out and show her the city—his new home—but that had to wait until she had recovered enough to function as a ‘normal’ person, as in, having a normal sleeping schedule! Trying to reassure her, he spoke up in a cheerful voice.

“I am sure you shall recover quickly enough—after all, you are none other than Athanya’el, Goddess of Light!” He proclaimed triumphantly, raising a fist in excitement. Thany beamed from ear to ear, her eyes glimmering with eagerness and glee.

“Indeed, for that I am!” She replied with confidence before nibbling on another pastry, completely mesmerized by the treats. The sight was always endearing, no matter how many times Ascalon had seen it. Just then, another presence descended the stairs, accompanied by merry humming.

“Morning!” Lilithra chirped animatedly as she quickly approached the counter. Athanya’el nodded a few times in greeting, her mouth stuffed with pastry, and Ascalon spoke up.

“Good morning, Lilithra. You seem happy—even more than usual.” The knight remarked with a grin. Lilithra smiled excitedly, hurrying to a stool beside him and quickly leaning closer.

“I’m so excited! I have great news—but we gotta wait for Selly, okay?!” Lilithra blurted out the words in a rush, her enthusiasm more than evident. Ascalon raised an eyebrow in intrigue, wondering what had made her so cheerful so early in the morning, just as Raphael appeared behind the counter again.

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“Morning, Lil!” The gentleman greeted as he placed a cup of coffee in front of Lilithra, accompanied by a small plate with toast and a pastry.

“Morning, Uncle!” She chirped excitedly in response, quickly grabbing the coffee cup and gulping it down, surprising Raphael momentarily.

“Oh? Seems like someone is in a great mood.” The older man flashed a knowing smile, while Lilithra giggled as she munched on her pastry. Ascalon smiled gently, and then noticed Athanya’el staring at her intently, her eyes burning with suspicion.

“Is something wrong, my Goddess?” He asked, somewhat unsettled by her gaze. Lilithra caught on and looked at Thany too, who simply shook her head as she let out a soft sigh.

“It is nothing… fortunately.” The child replied, a hint of relief in her voice. Ascalon and Lilithra exchanged confused glances, while Raphael scratched his chin—perhaps he too was wondering what Athyana’el meant. Still, the awkward mood didn’t last long, as the last rascal made his appearance at the front door.

“Morning~.” Selorien’s carefree voice reached their ears as he made his way toward them at a leisure pace.

“Selly! Perfect timing! Come, quick!” Lilithra exclaimed as she gestured with her hands frantically for Selorien to hurry. The elf narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace, taking a seat beside her.

“What’s up?” Selorien asked with a mix of curiosity and annoyance after having been forced to hurry up.

“Listen to this!” Lilithra began, exuding cheerfulness. “We… we already have… a new member application for our Guild!” She revealed excitedly, clapping her hands in clear elation. Both Ascalon and Selorien were taken aback by her words, surprised by her declaration.

“Wha—that’s crazy! How?!” The elf questioned with palpable confusion. “It’s only been a day!” He added, baffled by the situation. Ascalon nodded, sharing the sentiment. It was really surprising to know someone was already eager to join them, yet it also felt a bit exciting.

“I dunno, haha!” Lilithra blurted out, giggling. “I got the notification when I woke up!” She continued, swaying in place with unbridled enthusiasm. “But I haven’t opened it yet! I wanted everyone to be present for our first Guild member application!” Lilithra revealed with a mix of glee and shyness, her cheeks blushing slightly.

As expected of her! The kind and sweet Lilithra who always thought of her friends. Ascalon smiled fondly at her words, while Selorien’s expression brightened with a gentle grin.

“Alright then, go on!” The elf urged, sharing her enthusiasm. Ascalon nodded in agreement, while Raphael and Athanya’el watched from the sidelines with curiosity. Lilithra took in a deep breath to prepare herself, and then fiddled with her fingers in the air.

“Here it goes!” She exclaimed as she opened the notification, eager and happy. But then, her cheerful expression gradually shifted to surprise, followed by what seemed like a mix of disappointment and worry.

“What’s wrong?” Selorien asked, taken off-guard by her reaction. Lilithra glanced at them with a conflicted expression.

“Uhm… well, look at it for yourselves…” Lilithra said as she manipulated her interface, prompting a screen to appear before her friends.

You have (1) new Guild member application↴.

Name: Lyra Summers.

Class/Role: Magician, appraiser, healer!

Reason for applying. I wanna join! Let’s meet up when you have time, please!

Ascalon widened his eye in surprise as he read the name, just as Selorien raised his voice in realization.

“Oh! I see… I, uh, that’s on me.” The elf revealed, catching everyone’s attention. “I told her yesterday you received your gift, and that the Guild tests were finally over…” He explained with a bit of hesitation, his expression a dubious one.

“I—I see…” Lilithra replied, clearly conflicted. Ascalon was a bit confused by their reactions. Though surprising, Lyra was a dear friend of theirs, so why the reluctance? Weren’t they happy that she wanted to join their Guild? It was then that the most important detail dawned on him—for Lyra to join them, she had to leave her old Guild.

“Ah… I see. We should meet with her.” Ascalon voiced his thoughts aloud, and both his friends nodded. Athanya’el and Raphael were curious but didn’t interject, waiting for them to finish their talk.

“Yeah… we should.” Lilithra agreed with firmness, staring intently at the screen with her shoulders drooped. It wasn’t that she was disappointed it was Lyra—she was just concerned for her friend. Ascalon placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair softly.

“Do not worry too much. She must have her reasons!” Ascalon tried to reassure her, and she nodded shyly. Then, Selorien chimed in.

“Yeah, let’s just meet with her and hear her out.” The elf nodded, nibbling on a pastry he had stealthily acquired. “But hey, doesn’t it sound fun?” He added with a smirk, prompting Lilithra to perk up. Slowly, her expression brightened.

“Well, I mean… yeah, I’m actually happy she would want to join us…” She began with a shy smile, her dejection easing up. “It would be so cool!” Lilithra declared excitedly, though a bit of worry lingered behind her tone.

It was natural for Lilithra to wonder why Lyra would leave her Guild and join them—especially since her own brother was the leader—but Ascalon knew she would be delighted to spend more time with the cat girl. Even he had grown fond of Lyra, and Selorien seemed to enjoy her presence, so likely they all shared the same sentiment.

With that thought in their minds, Lilithra quickly produced her phone from her hoodie and began tapping on it decisively. She seemed to be contacting Lyra to meet up, her resolution palpable. Meanwhile, Selorien explained the situation to Raphael, with Thany listening in.

“Oh… that one!” Athanya’el exclaimed as she remembered Lyra. It had been a while since the last time she had seen her, after all. She then narrowed her eyes, and sent Ascalon an accusatory stare. “Do not be tempted!” She commanded, confusing Ascalon greatly. Selorien giggled mischievously, with Raphael chuckling along, just as Lilithra spoke up.

“There! She says she’ll come by today! I tried to convince her to meet midway but she insisted on coming here.” Lilithra explained, an awkward smile on her face. Lyra seemed to be quite resolute when she wanted to, and perhaps she wanted to pay a visit to The Chalice either way.

The important thing to focus on was that they would finally meet her again, and hear her reasons for wanting to join their Guild. Ascalon hoped everything was okay with her brother and wondered about what could’ve prompted this sudden decision.