Thud...
The corpse of the monster slammed against the rocky ground with a wet sound, black blood spreading through the cracks of the cave floor.
"Ugh... These monsters are getting seriously annoying." One of the boys muttered while wiping dark blood off his glove.
Another boy approached him from behind.
"Did you find it?"
"Nah..." He clicked his tongue. "Are you sure the intel was right?"
A third boy stood near the wall of the cave, his palm glowing faintly as spell circles flickered around his fingers. Sharp blasts of magic slammed against the rocky surface while he searched for hidden passages.
"Yeah man..." he sighed. "Even I'm starting to doubt it now."
The cave went quiet for a moment.
Only the distant dripping of water echoed through the darkness.
The first boy turned his head.
"Hey, Seris. Are you really sure the intel was right? We've been searching these giant caves for three whole days."
Seris remained calm.
He had dark ash-gray hair brushed neatly back, though several loose strands rested over his sharp eyes. His features were refined and clean, carrying the composed appearance of someone raised with strict discipline. A silver earring hung from one ear while a long black coat rested over his shoulders, the edges lined with deep silver patterns that faintly shimmered whenever mana flowed through them. His narrow eyes continuously scanned the cave with cold attentiveness.
"They said it was most likely here." Seris replied flatly while inspecting the walls. "So stop complaining. We haven't searched properly yet."
"Hah..." another boy chuckled while dropping the corpse of a monster he had been dragging.
"Fine then... let's keep looking."
The four figures slowly stood together within the darkness of the cave.
All of them looked around Rowan's age.
Their uniforms were strange yet elegant — long dark coats tailored perfectly to their bodies, with layered belts crossing over the waist and silver-lined collars reaching up near the neck. The fabric itself looked smooth and expensive, almost military-like, yet lighter and more flexible than armor.
Silver symbols were stitched subtly along the sleeves and hems, giving the clothes an ominous aesthetic without appearing excessive.
One had a violet wand at his waist.
Another twirled a thin silver wand between his fingers.
One leaned lazily against the rocky wall while spinning a dark wand coated in mana.
And Seris stood at the center of them all, calm and observant.
Without another word, the squad continued deeper into the darkened cave.
Their footsteps slowly disappeared into the abyss.
---
Roomm... Roommm...
The train thundered along the rails.
Inside one of the cabins, Rowan sat near the window with dull eyes.
His chin rested against his palm as exhaustion covered his face.
He remembered the past few days.
---
Rowan sat inside the classroom while Miss Valeria taught the lesson.
His eyes looked heavy enough to close at any second.
He remembered—
Right after seeing that mysterious portrait yesterday, he had rushed toward the library full of excitement.
But the moment he entered and saw the endless shelves packed with gigantic books...
...he had already wanted to give up.
Still, he tried.
He wandered through the history section, pulling books one after another, searching desperately for anything that could help him learn about his brother.
But the library felt like an endless ocean.
And Rowan couldn't find what he was searching for.
Even so, he forced himself to read one or two books related to the Second Grand Mage War.
Thinking maybe—
Just maybe—
He would discover something connected to his brother.
But all he found...
...was disappointment.
There was nothing.
Yawnnn...
Rowan let out a long yawn.
'Just when will I find something...?'
'I thought maybe the library would help but... there was nothing.'
He slapped his own forehead.
'I'm an idiot...'
'Why would history books mention bhaiya in the first place?'
"Okay students!"
Rowan forced his eyes open upon hearing Valeria's voice.
"Tomorrow, all of you will head toward Rune Island for the next material-gathering lesson for your wands and staffs. Be prepared."
Rowan slowly lowered his head onto the desk.
"I just want to sleep..."
---
Back to present—
Sighhh...
Rowan let out a tired breath.
'Brother... where are you?'
"Hey, why are you dozing off?"
Rowan glanced forward.
Ritvik sat across from him with crossed arms.
"I seriously can't believe someone could get bored inside a train." Ritvik said. "What? Have you travelled in luxurious trains before or something?"
Rowan stayed quiet.
Instead, he slowly looked around the cabin.
Without a doubt—
The train itself felt incredible.
The polished metallic interiors.
The glowing mana lamps attached to the ceiling.
The smooth movement despite the insane speed.
Back in Rowan's small hometown...
Something like this didn't even exist.
As Rowan looked around, he once again felt just how different this world was from the place he came from.
Then—
His gaze landed on Ashwin.
Ashwin sat several rows away surrounded by students from different Sanctums.
He sat like a monarch upon a throne.
One leg crossed over the other, arm lazily resting against the seat while several students stood around him speaking respectfully. Yet Ashwin barely acknowledged them. His posture carried effortless authority — relaxed but dominant. Even while sitting casually, he somehow looked like the center of the entire cabin.
Rowan remembered the rumors he had been hearing recently.
That Ashwin had united the Sanctum students across different years.
And now—
Almost every Sanctum student in Grand Aetherion followed him.
Rowan quietly turned his gaze back forward.
Ritvik sat there looking outside the window with a relaxed smile.
Rowan remembered Ritvik's advice.
"You shouldn't involve yourself with factions yet."
"The moment you side with one faction, another faction automatically becomes your enemy."
"You should just enjoy academy life instead of getting dragged into faction conflicts."
Ritvik suddenly noticed Rowan staring at him.
He immediately frowned.
"What the hell are you staring at me for? Look outside."
"Hah..." Rowan let out a quiet scoff.
'Yeah... it's not like it'll affect me anyway.'
He turned toward the window.
And the moment he looked outside—
His eyes widened slightly.
The scenery beyond the glass was breathtaking.
Endless green plains stretched beneath the bright sky while rivers sparkled like flowing silver under the sunlight.
The sunlight poured over the Massive mountainous landscape so beautifully that it almost felt unreal.
Giant birds flew alongside the train for brief moments before disappearing into the clouds.
For a brief moment—
All the exhaustion in Rowan's mind seemed to disappear.
'It's beautiful...'
He quietly stared outside.
And slowly—
A small smile formed on his face.
'Yeah...'
'No matter how much I feel like I don't belong here...'
'I'm actually glad I came.'
'This world is very beautiful.'
---
CHAPTER ENDS