Alicia glanced toward the training field outside, recalling the earlier fight.

"Thunderstorm, hailstorm, downburst…"

Her mind moved quickly, analysing.

'Since her strength lies in controlling the environment. If I don't give her time to build that control…'

Alicia's fingers tapped lightly against her arm as a thought formed.

'I need a fast movement technique. That can end fights in one move.'

Her expression softened a little.

'I'll ask Luis later.'

It was almost instinctive at this point. Whenever she ran into a problem, the answer somehow led back to him. Whether it was techniques, equipment, or training methods—he always seemed to have a solution ready.

A faint smile appeared on her lips without her noticing.

'He really is… amazing.'

Lumine, watching from the side, caught that expression immediately. She didn't say anything, just shook her head slightly to herself.

'She's definitely thinking about him again.'

She picked up her tea again, taking a small sip before setting it back down.

"Aurelia," she said, drawing the conversation forward, "what about the Sovereign Class? Is it similar to what you showed earlier?"

Aurelia's expression turned thoughtful.

"You could say that," she replied. "Sovereign Class Totems are… different. They're closer to legends than anything else. Their abilities don't just enhance or modify—they can bend natural rules, evolve continuously, and in some cases even affect the surrounding environment on a large scale."

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

"To be honest, I don't know much about other Sovereign Totems. Information on them is extremely limited. Most of what I understand comes from my own experience."

Lumine leaned back slightly, folding her arms. "Then let me ask you something important. For a Totem wielder, what determines their growth limit? Their personal talent—or the potential of the Totem?"

Aurelia hesitated for a brief moment.

"I'm not completely sure," she admitted. "I'm still growing myself, so I haven't reached that point yet."

Her gaze lowered slightly as she continued.

"My personal talents aren't particularly outstanding. I only have one A-rank talent—Precision. The others are C-rank. So if it were just me… my growth ceiling wouldn't be very high."

She lifted her head again.

"But my Totem…" she added quietly, "…it feels different. As long as I can draw out more of its power, I can keep growing. There doesn't seem to be a clear limit yet."

Lumine studied her for a few seconds, her expression turning more serious.

Then she nodded.

"In that case, the direction of your training is clear."

Aurelia straightened slightly.

"I'll focus on strengthening your foundation," Lumine said. "Your body needs to catch up to the level of power you're handling. Along with that, I'll design combat drills suited to your style."

Aurelia gave a small, relieved smile. "Understood, Aunt."

***

The light of the transport circle faded slowly, leaving behind two figures standing at the transport hub centre of Almast City.

Alex blinked once as the world settled back into place. The faint hum of mana dispersed, replaced by the noise of a living city.

Beside him, Sera adjusted her posture calmly and looked around.

Alex glanced around, then at her. "You still haven't told me… why are we here?"

His tone carried a trace of impatience, though it wasn't directed at her.

Truthfully, his mind wasn't in the right place.

The memory of the academy exam still lingered like a shadow he couldn't shake off. The attack had been too sudden. If Professor Darrin hadn't intervened and saved him… who knows what would have happened.

Alex clenched his jaw slightly.

'Was it someone from that family?'

He dismissed it almost immediately.

'No… if it were them, I wouldn't still be standing here alive.'

'They didn't try to kill me.'

That was what bothered him the most.

'They could have. They had the chance.'

Instead, they knocked him unconscious and took him away.

'So what was the point?'

His thoughts looped back again.

Why did they want to capture him?

For what reason?

The lack of answers left a dull weight in his chest, dragging his mood down despite the change of scenery.

"Just wait," Sera said, her voice light, almost teasing. "It's for your own good."

Alex let out a small breath.

There she goes again.

Mysterious, as always.

Still… His eyes drifted toward her for a moment.

Her long green hair was styled differently today, falling in soft waves that framed her face neatly. It suited her elegance.

'…She looks nice.'

He didn't say it out loud.

But the thought alone eased some of the tension in his shoulders.

Sera, meanwhile, had already started walking and hailed a taxi. Alex followed without another word.

Soon, they reached the adventure market near the Servail Mountains.

Stalls lined both sides of the street, displaying everything from crude weapons to monster materials and low-grade potions. The air carried a mix of iron, herbs, and something faintly unpleasant that came with the profession.

Alex looked around, a little confused. "You want to buy something here?"

It didn't make much sense to him. Sera's background alone meant she had access to better quality items without needing to come all the way here.

Sera smiled faintly. "Just looking around."

Alex studied her for a moment, then nodded.

'She brought me here to distract me.'

The realisation settled easily in his mind.

A city far away from the academy. Far from the place where that incident occurred.

A place where no one knew him. It must be to make him relax.

A small warmth stirred in his chest.

'She's… really considerate.'

His expression softened slightly as he followed her.

'No matter what happens… I'll make sure she stays with me.'

His thoughts carried a quiet determination.

Sera, however, was focused on something else entirely.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.

'It should be around here…'

Her gaze moved from one shop to another, occasionally slowing as if trying to match what she saw with a memory.

'That shop… it should've been here.'

She stopped at one place. Her brows furrowed faintly.

The location matched with her memory, but the shop didn't.

Instead of a run-down blacksmith's shop. In its place stood a modest flower shop, colourful and well-kept—completely different from what she remembered.

'So it's gone…'

She exhaled softly.

Her original plan had been simple—find him naturally, as if by chance encounter. But clearly, things hadn't gone as she wanted.

'Since that's the case. Then I'll just have to look for him directly.'

She turned toward a nearby stall where a man was selling low-grade potions.

"Excuse me," she said politely. "Do you know where the blacksmith shop run by a half-dwarf is?"

The shopkeeper looked up, his eyes briefly scanning her clothes before settling on her face. A subtle shift passed through his expression.

"Half-dwarf… you mean Pietro?" he said.

Before Sera could respond, another voice joined in from the adjacent stall.

"His shop's gone," said a man arranging tools. "Closed down a while ago."

Sera blinked. "Closed…? What happened?"

The first shopkeeper snorted lightly. "Sold it."

"Sold?" the second one scoffed. "More like handed it over. That widow didn't even have to pay properly."

He leaned back slightly, lowering his voice but not enough to be discreet. "Lucky woman, if you ask me."

The first one chuckled. "Pietro just gambled everything away. Shop included. Now he has nothing left."

They exchanged knowing looks, their conversation drifting into something more suggestive.

Sera's expression cooled.

"Do you know where he is now?" she asked, her tone firm enough to cut through their chatter.

The two men glanced at each other, then back at her.

Their smiles turned a little sly.

"Maybe," one said slowly. "But it's hard to remember…"

"Yeah," the other added. "Feels like I saw him this morning… or maybe not."

Alex's gaze darkened slightly at their expressions. He shifted his weight forward, clearly about to step in.

Sera raised a hand subtly, stopping him.

Without another word, she reached into her pouch and took out a few crisp notes. The value was obvious even at a glance.

She held them out.

"Now," she said calmly, "tell me where he is."

Their hesitant expressions disappeared instantly.

---

The tavern was quiet.

Too quiet for a place meant for drinking.

At this hour, only a few scattered chairs were occupied; most were empty. The smell of stale alcohol lingered in the air, mixed with the heavier smell of sweat and damp wood.

Behind the counter, the owner barely looked up as the door creaked open.

"Welcome~"

His voice was automatic, lacking any real enthusiasm.

Sera stepped inside first.

The moment she did, her nose wrinkled slightly.

The smell hit her immediately.

For a second, her expression faltered, but only for a second. She composed herself quickly, her posture straightening as her gaze swept across the tavern.

Alex followed, his brows knitting slightly as he took in the surroundings.

This wasn't a place someone like Sera should be interested in coming.

At the far corner of the tavern, a single figure occupied a table.

He slumped onto the table, motionless.

An empty mug rested near his hand, another half-filled one tilted slightly as if it had been forgotten midway.

His clothes were worn and stained, his hair unkempt, falling messily over his face. Even from a distance, the faint stench surrounding him was noticeable.

The tavern owner didn't react.

Clearly, this wasn't unusual for him.

Sera's eyes lingered on the man for a moment.

Then a faint smile appeared.

She started walking toward him. Alex followed, still unsure what exactly they were doing here.

As they drew closer, the details became clearer. That man had a rough build, slightly shorter stature, and the faint traces of what once might have been a craftsman's strength.

Sera stopped beside the table.

Looking down at the slumped figure, she spoke softly, almost to herself.

"Found you… Pietro."