(Sylvia's Perspective)
1:49 PM - 1/1/2018
The leather of my new chair creaked satisfyingly as I leaned back, stretching my arms over my head until my spine popped. Sunlight, filtered through the enchanted glass of my office window, warmed the silver strands of my hair.
Finally. A moment where nothing is on fire.
I let my gaze drift lazily over the chaotic stacks of parchment on my mahogany desk. Being the Guildmaster of Requiem wasn't just about looking authoritative and casting high-tier spells; it was mostly about managing the incompetence of others and counting gold.
Let's see the damage for the morning.
I picked up the ledger, tapping a manicured fingernail against the fresh ink.
Quest Log - Morning Shift:
The Whispering Well: A simple exorcism in the lower district. The locals claimed the water was singing nursery rhymes. Easy 40 Gold.
Iron-Back Boar Infestation: A classic. Farmers near the eastern road complaining about trampled crops. Sent a team of three brute-force rookies. 85 Gold.
Tidal Surge Suppression: A bit trickier. The coastal village of Morrow's End reported seawater rising unnaturally to submerge their docks. Needed a synchronized Water and Earth mage team to build a levee and disperse the mana current. High technical skill, high payout. 150 Gold.
Lost Cargo Retrieval: Some idiot merchant dropped a crate of enchanted crystals into a ravine. 87 Gold for a retrieval team with flight capabilities.
Total: 362 Gold.
Not bad for a sluggish post-New Year morning.
Requiem takes a standard 20% cut from freelancers and a generous 10% from our own members. That means the guild coffers are already heavier by… roughly 50 Gold before lunch.
I sighed, my thoughts drifting to the empty desk across the room.
Alina. My second-in-command, though she felt more like a chaotic little sister most days.
She took eleven of our C-Tier members this morning for an emergency request from the mining town of Oakhaven. Something about a collapsed tunnel revealing a nest of Cursed arachnids. The town offered 175 Gold upfront, which was suspiciously high, but Alina could handle herself.
Please come back in one piece, you reckless girl. I don't want to do your paperwork.
I stood up and walked to the window, looking out over Sylvaris.
My city.
It wasn't just a collection of buildings; it was a machine I helped oil. Since I slashed the trade tariffs for incoming caravans, the market district had exploded. I could see the colorful awnings of new stalls stretching all the way to the river. I'd poured guild funds into renovating the old stone bridges and reinforcing the city walls with aesthetic mana-glass, making the place look less like a fortress and more like a destination.
And then, there was my… personal investment portfolio.
I smirked, leaning against the glass. The Entertainment District was thriving. My stake in the Gilded Stage Theater was already paying dividends, and the new high-end Mana-Spa was fully booked for weeks.
But the real gold mine…
I thought of the discrete, luxurious establishment tucked away in the Velvet Quarter. I had dropped a heavy 700 Gold investment into upgrading the Succubus Service—strictly high-class, strictly consensual mana-exchange therapy, of course.
If my projections were right, that 700 Gold would turn into 2,500 within two months. People were stressed. People needed comfort. And I needed a new staff of fire-aligned battle mages.
Everyone wins.
A sharp knock on the door broke my reverie.
"Enter," I called out, turning back to my desk and adopting my 'busy Guildmaster' pose.
The heavy oak door creaked open, and Marcus, one of our receptionists, peeked in. He looked nervous. They always looked nervous.
"Guildmaster Sylvia? Apologies for the interruption," he stammered, holding out a sealed envelope with both hands. "A courier just arrived. He said this was… urgent. Priority Zero."
I frowned. Priority Zero? That was usually reserved for dragonic sightings or city-wide plagues.
"Bring it here, Marcus. And stop shaking, I haven't bitten anyone today."
He hurried over, placed the letter on my desk as if it were a bomb, and practically sprinted out of the room. "Thank you, ma'am!"
The door clicked shut.
I looked down at the envelope. It was made of heavy, expensive vellum, the kind that smelled of old money and older magic.
My silver eyes widened as they landed on the wax seal. It wasn't a local lord. It wasn't the Mayor.
It was a complex, radiant sunburst crest, stamped in pure, enchanted gold wax.
The Celestial Kingdom.
The dominant human power in the Celestine Lands. The kingdom that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Demon and Elvian realms. They didn't send letters to independent guilds unless something was disastrously wrong or incredibly profitable.
I reached out, my fingers brushing the seal. It hummed with faint, holy mana.
What could the High Crown possibly want with Requiem?
My fingers, usually so steady when counting gold, felt suddenly delicate as they approached the Celestial Seal. The gold wax, radiating a faint, sacred mana, cracked under the pressure, giving way to the thick paper beneath.
I unfolded the letter with the precision of a jeweler. The handwriting was elegant, slanted, and clearly expensive.
To Guildmaster Sylvia, of Requiem, in the flourishing city of Sylvaris,
May the blessings of the Celestial Light find you well this New Year. It is with both sincere hope for your prosperity and pressing concern for our shared realm that I address you.
I am Princess Shelara Caiwarin, representing the Royal Family and the strategic interests of the Celestial Kingdom. Our recent activities have unfortunately detected a significant and highly destabilizing presence within the South Seas of Celestine.
You may be aware of the abandoned island known as Sorrow's Peak—an uninhabitable mass of rock and tempest, formerly settled but evacuated generations ago due to extreme, unpredictable climates. It has been quiet for over a century. However, recent long-range scans have indicated unusual, rapid biological activity.
We have dispatched this same report to all major Guilds in the region, urging immediate and coordinated action.
I finished the first page, my brow furrowing. Movement on a haunted island? That was usually a job for mad mages or bored teenagers, not the Royal Family. This was either a massive waste of paper or a very expensive problem.
I flipped to the second page—the attached report. My breath hitched.
The sheet was dominated by spectral readings: a swirling map of Sorrow's Peak. The landmass was choked with countless red signatures. The accompanying data logs were what stole the air from my lungs.
Over 1,000 distinct monster signatures detected. Genetic variance: Extreme.
My silver eyes were wide as I scanned the text. The term "genetic variance" was a diplomatic way of saying they had biologically evolved. A natural monster outbreak meant a shared gene pool. This meant someone was engineering them.
I returned to the Princess's elegant script, my heart rate accelerating.
The Kingdom believes this activity signals the establishment of a clandestine base by the Cult of Nemesis—a shadow organization dedicated to the weaponization of the monstrous bloodlines and the disruption of world order.
The readings confirm an army of creatures ranging from common C-Rank to formidable A-Rank threats. Most worryingly, we detected a periodic, massive spike—a single, recurring signature that indicates the presence of a Modified S-Rank Beast.
We require immediate and total mobilization. We formally request that Requiem form multiple squads, prioritize the security of the coastlines, and send an elite force to Sorrow's Peak to neutralize the threat and secure any research materials.
We thank you sincerely for your attention and urge to hurry. Based on results and confirmed threat neutralization, the participating guilds will be awarded up to 3,000 Gold.
I dropped the letter onto the desk, leaning back heavily into the chair. My eyes immediately snapped to the report again.
Genetically modified.
That was the key. They wouldn't be simple brute-force creatures. They would have special, coordinated abilities. They would be able to think, adapt, and target the most dangerous members of a raiding party first. They wouldn't just attack the lowest rank; they'd prioritize the healers and the high-damage mages. A cult base meant strategy.
Three thousand gold… that's a decent motivator. I ran a hand through my silver hair, a tired sigh escaping my lips.
But this is a headache wrapped in an S-Rank beast. Nemesis. Right. Anxiety and tension on the very first day of the new year. I should have stayed in bed.
A light, hesitant knock sounded at my door, instantly breaking the dark concentration.
"Sylvia?" a familiar voice—one I hadn't heard in a long time—inquired softly. "C-can I come in?"
The door creaked open, and a head of messy brown hair popped in, followed by a pair of wide, mischievous green eyes.
Sophia.
She looked exactly the same as she did at the Academy—perpetually disheveled, radiating a chaotic energy that made my organized paperwork tremble in fear.
I decided to have a little fun. I clasped my hands together, adopted my haughtiest, most aristocratic posture, and looked down my nose at her.
"To whom do I owe this unexpected visitation? Has a peasant wandered into the royal halls of high nobility seeking breadcrumbs?"
Sophia blinked, her mouth hanging slightly open. She stepped fully into the room, looking completely bewildered.
"H-huh? Sylvia? Did the stress finally crack your brain?" she asked, her voice tilting into that familiar, whiny pitch. "Why are you talking like a bad theater actor? It's super weird! Stop it!"
I couldn't hold the mask. A small snort of laughter escaped me, and I waved her in. "It's called a joke, Sophia. You should try getting one sometime."
"I have plenty of jokes!" she huffed, stomping over with a clumsy sort of enthusiasm. "You're just too stiff to get them!"
"Right," I drawled. "So, how did you get past my security? I have wards, guards, and a receptionist who usually faints at loud noises."
Sophia pointed a finger behind her, looking at me like I was the slow one.
"From the door."
I stared at her. I slowly raised my hand and massaged my temples. She hasn't changed a bit.
"I meant, how were you allowed in, Sophia?"
"Oh!" She grinned, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "I just told that Marcus guy—the one who shakes a lot?—that I was your absolute bestie from Asura Academy and I came all the way here just to visit my dearest friend!"
She clasped her hands under her chin, mimicking a high-pitched, sugary voice. "I was very convincing! He looked so moved he almost cried!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Bestie? That's a bold revision of history. We barely survived being in the same room without an intense stare breaking out."
Sophia flopped dramatically onto the guest chair, crossing her arms. "Well, he didn't know that! And look at you, sitting there all high and mighty. You're still the same grumpy Goddess, aren't you?"
My eyes twitched.
Goddess.
The nickname from the Academy. The one the boys used because I was 'untouchable' and the girls used because they thought I was arrogant.
I hate it now.
"Don't call me that," I warned, my tone sharp.
"Why not? It fits!" She stuck her tongue out. "Miss Perfect grades, Miss Student Council, Miss—ow!"
I flicked a paperclip at her forehead.
"And you," I countered, leaning forward with a wicked smirk, "are still the same loud, clumsy little thing. How have you been, Kaiser's Ex-Girlfriend?"
Sophia froze. Her face turned a brilliant shade of beet red. She sputtered, waving her hands frantically.
"W-why?! Why did you bring that up?!" she squealed, her voice jumping an octave. "That was… that was ages ago! We don't talk about that!"
"Oh, but it's such a fond memory," I teased, resting my chin in my hand, enjoying her misery. "I remember it so clearly. First year. The two of you walking to class… holding hands so affectionately."
"Stop it!" she whined, covering her ears.
"And didn't he used to carry your bag everywhere?" I continued, relentlessly. "It was sickeningly adorable. 'Oh, Kai, my bag is soooo heavy!' 'Don't worry, Sophie, I got it!' Such a cute couple."
"I did not sound like that!" Sophia protested, sliding down in her chair until she was almost under the desk. "And his bag carrying was okayyy! It wasn't… it wasn't that cute!"
"It was disgusting," I laughed. "Everyone thought you two were glued together."
I watched her squirm for another few seconds before I finally took pity on her. I sighed, letting the tension of the Nemesis letter fade into the background.
"Alright, I'm done. You can come out now."
Sophia peeked over the edge of the desk, narrowing her eyes. "Finally done? You're evil."
"It felt like old times," I admitted softly. I gestured for her to sit properly. "Sit up, Sophia. Let's actually talk."
She sat up, adjusting her dress with a huff. "We never got along well, you know," she muttered, though there was no real heat in it.
"Is that how you remember it?"
"Yes!" She looked at me curiously. "In Year 1, you always looked at me with this… pity. Like I was a lost child. It was so irritating! And then in Year 2, you just looked at me with total disinterest and annoyance. You wouldn't even look me in the eye!"
I paused. She wasn't wrong. That was exactly how I had acted. But she had never known the reason.
I leaned forward, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Sophia, promise you won't tell anyone?"
She blinked, her curiosity instantly piqued. She leaned in across the desk, nodding vigorously. "I promise! Cross my heart! What is it?"
I looked away, focusing on the inkwell on my desk, and muttered the truth I hadn't spoken in years.
"Cause I was jealous."
Sophia's green eyes were wide, her mouth agape. She looked like I had just confessed to starting the Darkest Day.
"J-jealous?" she stammered, pulling back slightly. "W-why? Of what? You were always the top of your class, the 'Goddess' of the Academy! I was… I was just there! There was nothing special about me!"
I scoffed, rolling my silver eyes. "Oh, there was plenty special about you, Sophia. Just not in the way you think."
I leaned back, sighing dramatically, as if remembering a great personal tragedy.
"In Year 1, when I showed you 'pity,' it wasn't because I thought you were a lost child." I held up a finger.
"It was because you were dating the most pitiful guy in the entire Academy: Kaiser. The one who was consistently the second-lowest graded student and, by the end of the year, the lowest graded overall."
Sophia tried to interrupt, but I powered right through.
"And you two were glued together. I saw you, Sophia! You had better grades, pretty eyes, and actual social skills. I was so profoundly disappointed that you wasted your time on him! I thought, 'She can do so much better than that walking expulsion risk!' That wasn't pity, that was second-hand embarrassment for your romantic choices!"
"YOU HAD SUCH BAD TASTE!"
Sophia was dumbfounded. She stuttered, trying to make sense of my completely unhinged perspective.
"W-wait, wait a second! He—he was just… he wasn't pitiful! He was sweet! He was just couldn't do magic! W-what are you even saying?"
"I'm saying my disappointment was deep," I said, nodding seriously. "And in Year 2, when I 'hated you' and was 'irritated'?" I tapped the letter from the Celestial Kingdom, pointing to it as if it held the answer.
"That was different. At first, yes, I only saw you as Kaiser's friend, and I hated him more than anyone for what he did to me."
Sophia's face softened slightly, recognizing a moment of shared history. "The… the thing with the alliance?"
"Exactly," I confirmed, my voice hardening for a moment. "But as I moved on and changed for the better… I started to see the real problem."
"What problem, Sylvia? I'm confused!"
I slammed my hands down on the desk, startling her, and finally let the years of pent-up resentment flood out. I was muttering it all out, fast and furious, like a child who had finally snapped.
"I was jealous, you know! Insanely jealous!" I pointed an accusatory finger right at her nose.
"You! And Elfie! You two hogged Kaiser during the entire Island Exam! And for the whole of Year 1! He protected you two! He spent all his time making sure your fragile little girls weren't expelled! That was insane! It was extremely unfair!"
My voice rose to a dramatic shriek. "Do you even know how unfair it was for him to spend all his energy going out of his way to protect you?! While the rest of us—the actually good students—had to face constant risks of expulsion from failing the required tasks! You two could just run around free! It was a literal cheat code!"
Sophia's face had gone from red to pale. She tried to stammer out a defense, grasping at straws.
"N-no! That's not true! He… he didn't do much! He was just nearby! And… and he told us to stay safe!"
"Lies!" I countered immediately. "He even protected you two in Year 2 from the entire Class A! And he stopped Rose, the current Empress of Asura, from stomping all over you! Don't tell me he didn't do much!"
Sophia started shaking her head, mumbling to herself. "You're making that up! That's… you can't know that!"
"I was jealous he never did that for me!" I wailed, throwing my hands up in the air. "I always had a chance of being expelled for something mundane! He was playing knight for his friends while I was stuck doing the overwork!"
Sophia scrambled to her feet, equally enraged by my insane logic.
"You didn't need protection! You were the Goddess! You were too strong!" she cried out, swatting her hand at my shoulder.
I retaliated with a quick, playful strike to her arm. "You got all the attention! I wanted to be protected too!"
"He was protecting the weak! You're not weak!"
"I wanted to be pampered! You got flowers! I got assignments!"
We were batting at each other like two overgrown children, tossing out half-formed insults and irrational grievances born from Academy trauma. We swatted and giggled until we were both breathless and laughing, collapsing back into our chairs.
I wiped a tear of laughter from my eye, feeling lighter than I had all day.
"Okay. Okay. I'm okay now," I said, catching my breath.
Sophia groaned, leaning back and resting her head against the chair. "Finally. You're insane, Sylvia. Utterly insane."
Sophia was still pouting, but the genuine shock of my confession had worn off, replaced by her usual childish annoyance.
"I still don't understand why you were jealous," she insisted, pushing her brown hair out of her eyes. "There was nothing special about me! You had silver hair, silver eyes, a noble title, and a perfect GPA! Everyone knew you were the one to watch! Me? I was just… there."
I sighed, shaking my head. "That's what I mean, Sophia. You're only focusing on the surface stats. Let's play a game to forget this nonsense for five minutes. Who was the most talented person in the Academy? Besides the obvious answer, of course."
Sophia immediately brightened at the distraction. "Ooh, a game! Okay! Well, if we discount the obvious… I'd say… Elfie! No contest!"
"Elfie, yes," I conceded, nodding. "Extraordinary leader. Mana-control was insane, even if her social control was… terrifyingly possessive."
"And then there's Lucas," Sophia added, counting on her fingers.
"Lucas," I agreed, leaning back. "The quiet loner of Class A. He hid his celestial magic well, but that focus and control? Next-level. A quiet powerhouse."
Sophia wrinkled her nose. "Well, I didn't really like him. He always looked so stressed out and didnt interact with anyone really."
I patted her shoulder sympathetically. "He's an okay guy, Sophia. Just… intense. Okay, forget people. People are too complicated."
I pushed the Celestial Kingdom letter aside. "Let's play a different game. In the world, what do you think is the best talent to have?"
"But I thought we were playing the person game," Sophia whined.
"We gave up, it was too difficult, and we already know the answer," I dismissed quickly. "Now focus. What is the ultimate talent?"
Sophia chewed on her lip, thinking hard.
"Okay, obviously, having all three magic types—Cursed, Celestial, and Elemental—would be peak. That's cheating."
"A legitimate answer," I mused, tapping my pen against the desk. "Next?"
"Natural gifts in Elemental control! Like, being born able to summon a hurricane without breaking a sweat! Or being a Dual-Wielder—talent in both swordplay and high-level magic! That's impressive!"
"Good, good. That covers physical prowess," I said. "But what about the rare stuff? Like being a Gifted Genius with an IQ over 200, able to process information at an impossible speed? Or having Innate Physical Abilities that let you dodge spells without realizing it?"
"Or what about Emotional Intelligence?" Sophia countered, pointing at me. "You're good at that! The talent to manipulate people and get them to do what you want!"
I chuckled. "Thank you, but that's not a talent, that's just good business. What about Willpower? The ability to force your mana past its natural limit? Or Bloodline Purity? Being so white-blooded you can speak to the very nature?"
We threw ideas back and forth—Pure Cursed Magic, True Charisma, the mysterious Gift of Foresight—until we both collapsed back, breathless.
"See?" Sophia finally gasped, shaking her head. "We can't know! There are too many things to be good at! It's impossible!"
"Exactly," I agreed. "Which is why I was jealous of you, Sophia, for entirely different reasons. Anyway, I have one last question before I have to deal with something. And be honest."
I leaned in, a mischievous glint in my silver eyes.
"Did you ever… meow for Kaiser?"
Sophia instantly flushed bright red. "W-what?! No! Of course not! What a weird thing to ask! Stop making things up!"
"I don't believe you," I stated flatly, crossing my arms.
"Wh-why?!" she stammered.
"Because Kaiser is fond of cats, Sophia," I revealed, keeping my tone perfectly serious. "He used to often pet a stray cat that hung out by the outside cafeteria window."
Sophia tilted her head. "So…? Lots of people pet cats. That's not a reason!"
"Ah, but once," I continued, leaning closer to whisper the crucial detail, "I saw Elfie—yes, the Class Leader—get down on her knees, right in front of the cat he was about to pat, and she let out a perfect little meow, thinking he would pat her instead."
Sophia's eyes went wide with shock, then narrowed with a flash of irritation. "She… she did not! Elfie wouldn't be that ridiculous!"
"Oh, she absolutely did," I confirmed with a smug nod. "And you know what? He did, in fact, pat Elfie on the head that day, and she was absolutely beaming." I smiled sweetly. "So, if he offered to pat your head for meowing, would you do it?"
Sophia sat up ramrod straight, crossing her arms stubbornly. "NO! Never! I have dignity! I wouldn't make a fool of myself for him!"
"Oh, you absolutely would," I countered, standing up. "You'd be down there faster than a collapsing elemental spell, batting your eyes and purring, just to get a head pat."
"I would not!"
"You would!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
Sophia's green eyes drifted from my face to the heavy vellum envelope on the desk. She recognized the Celestial Seal immediately; you couldn't graduate from Asura without knowing the major players.
"That looks serious," she noted, pointing a finger at the crest. "The Royal Family doesn't usually send fan mail."
"Hardly," I sighed, sliding the report toward her. I gave her the summary—the abandoned rock in the South Seas, the monster readings, and the suspected Cult activity.
Sophia frowned, picking up the paper. "Sorrow's Peak? I've read about that place in the archives. It's a desolate wasteland. Nothing grows there. The soil is too saline and the winds strip the rock bare. There aren't even trees to hide a goblin, let alone a base."
"Not anymore," I corrected, tapping the genetic variance chart. "The report says there's forestation now. Dense cover. My guess? The Cult used the monsters. Some creatures carry spores or have passive magic that alters the environment. If you have a thousand of them, you can grow a jungle on the moon if you want to."
Sophia looked at the map, her expression shifting from confusion to recognition. "You know… before the climate shifted and it became 'Sorrow's Peak,' that island had a different name in the old texts."
She looked up at me. "It was called Avalon Island."
"Avalon," I repeated, testing the weight of the name. It sounded far too majestic for a monster nest.
"So…" Sophia hesitated. "Is there going to be a subjugation?"
"Bigger," I said grimly.
"The Avalon Island Raid."
"When?"
"A month, give or take. We need to coordinate with the other major Guilds, hire adventurers, and pray the Celestial Kingdom actually pays up."
Silence settled over the office for a moment. Then, I let out a long, shuddering sigh. I grabbed a tissue from my desk and dabbed at my perfectly dry eyes, sniffing loudly.
"Oh, the tragedy of it all," I lamented, my voice trembling with theatrical despair.
Sophia looked at me, her face scrunching up in annoyance. "What now? Why are you crying fake tears?"
"I'm just worried!" I wailed softly, peeking at her from behind the tissue. "An island raid is so dangerous! Who could possibly handle such a terrain? Who has experience surviving on a hostile island surrounded by enemies?"
I grabbed Sophia's hand, my eyes wide and pleading. "Sophia, could you do me a huge favor? Could you summon your ex-boyfriend to solo the raid for us?"
Sophia ripped her hand away, her face flushing. "What?! No! Why would I—stop bringing him up!"
"But he's so good at island fights!" I insisted, grinning wickedly.
"Remember Year 1? He basically treated that survival exam like a vacation. You should just go to Avalon, get 'lost' in the woods, and scream for help! He'll sense it with his 'Prince Charming' radar and come save you! It's the perfect strategy!"
"I am not a damsel! And he is not a prince! He's a jerk!" Sophia pouted, crossing her arms and looking away, though the flush on her cheeks betrayed her.
"Alright, alright, maybe you're right," I mused, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you aren't the right damsel. Maybe I should find Scarlet and ask her to do it."
Sophia flinched visibly.
Scarlet. The Elf. Another one of Kaiser's close friends. The innocent, hardworking girl who had also dated him and treated him with sickening amounts of affection.
"She was always so sweet to him," I continued, twisting the knife. "Always reading alongside him and cheering him on…"
"Ugh," Sophia groaned, a look of intense irritation and annoyance crossing her face. "Fine! Can we stop? I get it! He was popular! Move on!"
I chuckled, finally dropping the act. "Okay, okay. Fun's over."
The room quieted down again, but the mention of the Academy hung heavy in the air. The laughter faded, replaced by a thoughtful, almost heavy silence.
"Our Academy days were intense, weren't they?" I murmured, staring at the dust motes dancing in the sunlight. "Full of questions."
I looked at Sophia. "You had questions too, didn't you?"
"Yeah," she admitted softly. " Lots of them."
We sat there for a moment, two graduates reminiscing about a time that felt like a lifetime ago.
"Sophia," I asked, my voice serious now. "Who do you think it was? The one who tried to get you expelled during the Island Exam? And again during the 2nd Year Mid-terms?"
Sophia shook her head slowly. "I… I honestly don't know. We suspected everyone."
"I've thought about it for years," I said, leaning forward. "I can't imagine myself believing it was just random. There were only four Class Leaders. Class A had two minds controlling them. My Class, Class B, had Victor—an idiot, but straightforward. But your Class… Class D had Elfie and her lackey, Kaiser."
I frowned. "Even so… it doesn't make sense. Your class had the most questions. I feel like I was close to the truth, yet so far away."
Sophia spoke up, her voice tinged with the frustration of the past. "It was odd. Elfie was targeted in every exam. Subtly or majorly. We always thought it was Milo's group in Year 1, but in Year 2, it got even worse, and Milo wasn't even present anymore."
"Exactly," I said. "Someone hated you and Elfie to their hearts. And to this day, nobody knows who was controlling that from behind the shadows."
"There was someone," Sophia whispered. "A sort of 'Y'. Someone who manipulated the Academy, even the board members. Even the person we called 'X' was just a pawn."
"Maybe…"
"'Y'," I repeated. The letter felt heavy. "It's in the past, I suppose. But it's still a mystery."
I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs of conspiracy theories. I looked at Sophia—really looked at her.
"I think it's time, Sophia," I said, my voice dropping the playfulness entirely. "Why are you here?"
Sophia blinked, suddenly nervous. "I told you! I came to visit my bestie! And… and I wanted to see Sylvaris! It's famous for its donuts!"
"Not a valid reason," I said, cutting her off. "You are an A-Rank Mage, Sophia. You graduated from Asura Academy. With your qualifications, you could walk into the Asura Empire's Imperial Sorcerers tomorrow and get a high-paying job. You could go to the Capital. You could go anywhere."
"I just… I wanted a change of pace!" she tried again.
"You hate travel," I countered. "And you hate cold climates, yet you came north in winter. You say you came to see me, but we both know there's another reason."
I waited.
Sophia fidgeted in her chair. She looked at the floor, then at the window, and finally, she looked at me with a determined, stubborn glint in her green eyes.
"I…" She took a breath.
"I wish to join your guild."