The trio returned to Shaul City to rest and stay for a while. Tzukaga greeted them warmly, his demeanor both respectful and enthusiastic.
[Tzukaga]: "I'm glad that you three are back in one piece."
Derima pointed at him, his expression playful but feigning anger.
[Derima]: "What?, you think we were gonna die??, huh!?.."
Tzukaga chuckled at Derima's attitude, though he thought to himself "I feel sick." He shook off the thought and spoke up.
[Tzukaga]: "I have something to offer you all."
Altair's eyes widened – before becoming an adventurer, she had worked as a trader and merchant in the Kingdom of Euler.
[System]: Kingdom of Euler
[System]: Age: Founded 2000 BJT
[System]: One of the Four Great Kingdoms, where the Ethereals of Snow and Shadow are born
Derima wondered why the System – Zarathustra – had been silent. He called out to it in his mind: "Zarathustra!" When there was no response, he sighed deeply and decided to let it be.
They went their separate ways to their homes – though as usual, Derima and Altair lived together in the same house with separate beds. Tzukaga resided in the Jaero Family Mansion, in what he called his "Divine Room."
Tzukaga carried a heavy past – he had watched his entire family die right before his eyes. He had attempted suicide ten times, but each attempt failed; he felt it would be selfish to leave when he still had purpose. Through all his suffering, he became the Divine Knight after his father, Light Ven Jaero the Light Knight, passed down his techniques, abilities, and powers before his death. Even now, guilt and remorse weigh on him for being the only survivor. He often thinks to himself: "Why should they die..? I should've died too.." and "I feel sick.." – words rooted in the trauma he still carries.
Back to Derima and Altair
(Getau is at his carriage)
Now that Derima had seen Altair's Ethereal powers, he wanted to ask her about it directly and seriously.
[Derima]: "Hey, Altair.. Why do you hide your Ethereal status..?"
Altair was caught off guard by the question but replied with a calm, gentle voice.
[Altair]: "Well.. because of my mom. She was the Ethereal of Snow before me.. she told me that if she died, I should hide the title of Ethereal."
Derima understood her reasoning and felt curious to learn more about her past.
[Derima]: "Ah, I see – that's why you keep it hidden. Now I'm even more curious about your past, though I guess I have my answer for now."
Altair smiled and stood up to stretch.
[Altair]: "Alright!.. I'll either do some chores or practice Joga.."
(Joga is the same as Yoga)
Zarathustra finally appeared beside Derima's right shoulder – and for the first time, revealed it could speak, along with its gender.
[Derima]: "I've been trying to get you to respond – were you doing a system update..?"
His tone was slightly sharp with frustration. Zarathustra's voice was soft and serene, with a faint glitch-like quality typical of a system.
[System]: You're a destitute one without me.
Derima grew annoyed and looked away, but Zarathustra continued.
[System]: I see. Should I reveal all your secrets from your search history..?
Derima flinched and panicked slightly.
[Derima]: "Wait, wait!!, don't even try!.."
Zarathustra let out a playful, almost wicked chuckle before calming down.
[System]: Fine then – but I'll share some specific information about your so-called 'girl.'
Derima blushed deeply and stammered.
[Derima]: "W-What do you mean?!.."
Zarathustra huffed lightly, then displayed updated information about Altair Acantha.
[System]: Altair Acantha
[System]: Age: 20
[System]: Identity: Ethereal of Snow
[System]: This character has extensive data that exceeds current system capacity
Derima was surprised to see how much information there was – even Zarathustra couldn't process it all at once.
[System]: Her personal information is 100% accurate, but it is extremely lengthy and would require over 35 separate systems to display fully.
He sighed and accepted it – she was four years younger than him, yet stronger in some ways. While part of him felt disappointed, he also admired her power.
On Getau
Getau was outside Shaul City, tying his horse to a fence beside his carriage.
[Getau]: "Phew – now I can finally get some peaceful sleep in here."
He climbed inside, lay down, yawned, closed his eyes, and drifted off.
Blink.
Suddenly, something large and dangerous swallowed him whole. Getau jolted awake, relieved to be alive but confused about his surroundings.
[Getau]: "Where am I!?.. Inside a stomach..?"
Outside
Four hundred and fifty knights guarded the city entrance. A figure who looked like a child hovered above a purple-glowing magic circle called "En Nuava." He introduced himself with a polite gesture.
[Cygni]: "Greetings, Shaul City!!.. I am Chie Cygni – one of the Five Majors of the Titius Organization.. I shall bring destruction to this great city!!.."
Getau was suddenly expelled from the creature's intestines. Cygni shrank to a height of 154 centimeters, revealing his true appearance: a spiked purple jacket over a black button-up shirt, black pants, purple shoes, and a necklace marking him as an Honored Major of the organization.
As he prepared to walk coldly into the city with his hands in his pockets, Tzukaga stepped forward and swung his sword. Cygni ducked just in time – the blade struck a tree, cutting it clean down. Cygni's eyes widened in amazement.
[Cygni]: "Wow!, cool! I didn't know the Divine Knight was this powerful!!"
Tzukaga's gold eyes glowed with annoyance as the 450 knights stepped back, ready to attack.
[Tzukaga]: "You shall not enter this city without the Majesty's approval!!.."
Cygni tilted his head curiously.
[Cygni]: "Hmm..? Your 'Majesty,' eh..?"
He laughed maniacally, placing his hands behind his back and raising an eyebrow as Tzukaga pointed his sword at him.
[Cygni]: "En Nueva.."
Purple magic erupted beneath the knights' feet. Tzukaga dashed away and slashed at Cygni's hand, but it regenerated instantly. Cygni kicked him – luckily, Tzukaga had activated his Divine Protection, sending Cygni stumbling back in surprise.
[Cygni]: "I see! You have Divine Protection too!.. How amazing – this will be a real challenge! I love it!.."
Tzukaga's face was fierce with determination to protect his city and comrades. Cygni hurled purple fireballs – far more powerful than ordinary flames – but Tzukaga dodged every one, then dashed forward and sliced through Cygni's upper body without hesitation.
Cygni smiled creepily as his body regenerated in seconds. Tzukaga knew he faced an enemy with near-infinite regeneration – making him practically immortal. He stared at his Divine Sword, and a flashback flooded his mind, his family's voices echoing in his head:
"Run dear, run!"
"Brother!!"
"Brother!!"
"Big brother!!"
"Big bro!!!"
"I have faith in you, my son."
"Good luck."
"Goodbye."
A new pupil formed in Tzukaga's golden eye – pure gold, shaped like a dodecahedron. Cygni stepped back in shock; dodecahedron pupils are incredibly rare, only appearing when one of the world's top five strongest beings enters an awakened state.
Before Cygni could react, Tzukaga appeared in front of him and slashed his neck at light speed. Though Cygni regenerated in a millisecond, Tzukaga used that brief moment to duck and cut off his legs, lower body, and even his brain – all of which regenerated instantly.
Cygni realized he was outmatched, but Tzukaga pressed on, activating his Divine Magic Awakening.
[Tzukaga]: "ELTA TAU."
He swung his sword with just 30% of his mana, unleashing a devastating blast that destroyed everything within 45 yards and triggered a small earthquake. Cygni was nearly vanquished when Derima and Altair arrived.
[Derima]: "What's going on?!.."
Derima looked around at the knights, who pointed toward Tzukaga. Both he and Altair stared in shock – Tzukaga had defeated Chie Cygni on his own. His pupil returned to its normal oval shape as Getau ran over to join them.
They all tackled Tzukaga in a group hug, laughing while checking if he was okay. He smiled joyfully and laughed along with them – the Divine Knight had defeated the "evil magic user." Or so they thought.
At the Titius Organization
Cygni's clothes lay on the ground, his body half-gone and struggling to regenerate. Canis approached and laughed.
[Canis]: "You fought the Divine Knight, didn't you..?"
Cygni laughed weakly as his body fully healed, though he remained unstable – Tzukaga's awakening had drained his mana to just 1%, putting him at risk of cardiac arrest.
A woman in a maid's outfit appeared and sighed deeply. She placed her palm on Cygni's back, and his mana recovered rapidly.
[Cygni]: "Thanks."
The woman smiled mysteriously, bowed slightly to show respect for an Honored Major, then walked away. Canis yawned and stretched.
[Canis]: "Welp.. I guess I'm off. Don't let the big guy find out you failed – or else."
Cygni laughed nervously, sweat beading on his forehead at the mention.
[Cygni]: "Wait, you can't be talking about Master Scuti.."
Canis laughed creepily and walked off into the distance. Cygni headed away as well, shaken and wary of Scuti.
Back to the Group
Tzukaga, Getau, Derima, and Altair walked together through Shaul's streets, laughing, smiling, and sharing stories about their hobbies and lives. Eventually, they parted ways.
[Tzukaga]: "Alright, good luck.."
[Derima]: "Got it."
Tzukaga waved goodbye and headed to the Jaero Mansion in the city center. Getau also said farewell with a smile – his hometown was in Taisa, the northeastern district of Shaul.
Derima and Altair returned to their home. Derima skipped breakfast, as he could sustain himself by absorbing mana, then lay down and fell asleep. Altair practiced Joga, cooked a meal while he rested, and went to bed at 9 PM, sleeping peacefully.
The next morning, Derima was up by 6 AM when someone knocked on the door. He opened it carefully, wondering who it could be.
[Deneb]: "Hey!!!"
A young demihuman girl waved at him – she wore a mail carrier's uniform, looked to be around 16, and had stunning features with a voice even softer than Altair's. Derima looked her over, confused.
[Derima]: "A mail carrier..?"
The girl – Deneb Benedetta – nodded energetically, holding an envelope in her hands.
[Deneb]: "Yes sir! Someone named Getau Sakanti asked me to bring this to you!"
Derima took the mail quickly and started opening it as Deneb kept smiling. Zarathustra interrupted to share information about her.
[System]: Deneb Benedetta-->
[Derima]: "Alright, hold on – let me read the mail first, then you can tell me about her.."
Zarathustra huffed in frustration, but Derima ignored it and read the note:
(Hey dude – when are we heading out to explore more towns or cities? I'm getting pretty bored. -Getau)
Derima crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trash. Deneb looked shocked that he'd discarded it so casually.
[Derima]: "Damn Getau.. he just needs to be patient a little longer.."
Deneb glanced at the trash then back at him, her smile returning quickly.
[Deneb]: "Well! Anyway – I'll be going now, see you later!"
As she left, Zarathustra displayed Deneb's full information.
[System]: Deneb Benedetta
[System]: Age: 16
[System]: Identity: Powerful Demihuman
[System]: She may seem like an ordinary mail carrier with a cheerful demeanor, but do not underestimate her. She is extremely powerful – her combat skills are nearly unbeatable and beyond belief.
Derima's eye twitched in pure surprise as he stared after her.
[Derima]: "A Powerful Demihuman?! That mail girl..?"
He looked between Deneb's retreating figure and the System just as Altair woke up around 8 AM. She yawned sleepily and looked at him.
[Altair]: "I'm going to make breakfast.."
Derima smiled at her.
[Derima]: "Alright!"
He was still stunned that one of the world's top fifteen strongest beings worked as a mail carrier – he couldn't wrap his mind around it. He groaned in frustration, ran his hands through his hair, then closed the door and walked inside.
[Derima]: "Hey – Getau asked when we're heading to another town.."
Altair chuckled as she prepared food.
[Altair]: "Can't he be patient..?"
Derima wasn't surprised – she'd said exactly what he had moments earlier.
[Derima]: "That's what I said.."
Altair smiled and laughed softly.
[Altair]: "Is that so..?"
She finished making breakfast, and they ate together. Afterward, they dressed in casual clothes and headed to the city entrance, where Getau had been waiting for an hour. He waved enthusiastically, and Altair and Derima waved back.
[Getau]: "So – where are we heading next?.."
[Derima]: "Let's go to the Town of Dethail, west of Shaul City.."
He smiled – ready for a new journey that promised to bring surprises.
[Getau]: "Alright!! Let's go!!.."
The horse pulled the carriage forward, and they set off for Dethail.