Once Nina was prepared, Lucen brought the two to the Thornehart estate, where Robert waited in the personal airship dock.

Unlike the other airships they had seen, which were basically made with transportation in mind, this one seems to be made with the intention of war.

It was also slightly bigger than the ones being made commercially. Still, it looked incomplete, and rather dangerous, at the same time sturdy.

Well, it should be sturdy, as the materials used on this thing were mostly monster parts alongside reinforced steel and treated timber.

Once they entered the airship, they saw Lucen and Robert talking to one another. It finally dawned on them that they were standing in the presence of two legends.

The mad alchemist of the Yellow Tower, the one who created many things alongside Lucen, and had revived the status of the Yellow Tower to its past glory. The most renowned magic genius in Norvaegard, this was Robert Duskwell.

Of course, there was the most famous noble heir in Norvaegard, who not only advanced the technology of Norvaegard years ahead of others, but also his own personal strength was above his peers, the Ever-Victorious, the ruby-eyed monster, Lucen Thornehart.

For a brief moment, neither Ryan nor Nina spoke. It was one thing to know those two names from stories, rumors, and the mouths of others.

It was another thing entirely to stand inside a dangerous-looking airship and see the two of them casually speaking to each other.

Ryan, who was sitting beside Nina, spoke to her. "Who knew that just a few days after meeting each other, we would get to join in a mission alongside the Ever-victorious himself?"

Nina looked at the enthusiastic Ryan and responded. "It was quite a surprise that someone like him would ask us for help."

Who in Norvaegard did not know the stories of the dragon-slayer, the killer of monsters, the genius among geniuses? Lucen, who wasn't even Duke yet, had military power greater than most nobles.

Someone like that actually asked them, who hadn't even started their first day in the Royal Academy, for help.

Before either of them could say more, Lucen turned around and walked toward them. "We are making a few more stops."

Ryan leaned back in his seat and looked up at him. "A few more? Just how many people are you planning to drag into this?"

"As many as I need," Lucen replied calmly.

Nina, who had been quietly taking in every detail inside the airship, shifted her attention from the reinforced walls to Lucen. "Then our next destination is?"

Lucen did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Robert, who was checking several levers and gauges near the front of the cabin.

"Valerious Village first. After that, Ironhold," Lucen responded.

Ryan blinked. "Valerious Village? Then... Are we picking up Alexander and Mina?"

Lucen smiled a little as he gave a nod. "Yes."

"Does that mean the reason we're going to Ironhold as well is to get your younger brother, Cael?" Nina chimed in and asked.

"That's correct," Lucen responded.

Ryan then realized something. "Are you gathering the entire first-year S-class?"

"That's right, you can think of this as a special class supervised by the newest instructor of the Royal Academy."

"Wait! You're an instructor!" Ryan and Nina exclaimed in surprise, which was not surprising for Lucen, but even Robert reacted.

"What do you mean you became an instructor!" Robert, who was doing nothing but look at the valves of his airship, approached Lucen.

"I decided to become an instructor and teach how to use guns."

When Ryan and Nina heard what Lucen said, they became very interested. Right now, guns were slowly becoming a must-have weapon, especially for those without mana or aura.

Guns were already spreading. Even in their households, they had heard of revolvers becoming common while rifles were being issued to soldiers.

They really wanted to learn how to use that weapon, but didn't have the chance to as their families had their respective martial arts they needed to learn first. This was their chance to use a gun.

While the two were getting a little excited for the upcoming semester, Robert, on the other hand, was very irritated.

"Instructor?" Robert's voice was slowly rising. "You chose to teach, instead of continuing to create? Why?! Why did you do this?! We had so many more things to create! We haven't even perfected battle alchemy yet!"

Lucen looked at Robert, who was clearly on the verge of launching into a much longer complaint, and answered with the same calm expression as always.

"Instead of getting mad about my decision, why don't you try to become an instructor as well?"

"Huh?" Robert looked utterly disgusted by the idea. "I know I was the one who taught you alchemy, which is why you might think I'm a good fit to be an instructor, but the only reason you were able to learn so well is not because of my ability but because of you."

"Well, now that the Yellow Tower is becoming popular again. You might be able to find a few people to help improve battle alchemy. If it is just the two of us, there will be limitations, but if you teach other students, who knows what insights you might get."

Robert narrowed his eyes at Lucen's words and clicked his tongue.

"I have no interest in wasting my brilliance on dullards," he said, though his tone was less heated than before. "Still... Hm. If a few capable ones gather under me, then perhaps they really could produce something unexpected."

Lucen knew that was probably the closest thing to serious consideration Robert would ever give.

***

It didn't take long for the group to arrive in Valerious Village. To many of the villagers, this was the first time they saw an airship.

The moment Robert's personal vessel descended above Valerious Village, people began pouring out of their homes and shops, pointing up at the sky with wide eyes.

Children clung to their parents, some in fear and others in excitement, while a few of the older villagers simply stared in disbelief at the strange craft hovering above them with steam hissing softly from its frame.

Robert landed in an open area beside the village. Once that was done, Lucen was about to look for Alexander and Mina, but that turned out to be unnecessary, as they were already there.

Unlike with Nina, Lucen only needed to say four words to Alexander, and that was "I need your help." Those were the only words he said, and Lucen could imagine Alexander's response.

"Then of course I will help," Alexander answered without hesitation.

There was no pause, no request for a detailed explanation first, and no attempt to measure what kind of danger might be waiting ahead. The moment Lucen said he needed help, Alexander had already decided.

That straightforward answer, without any hesitation, he truly was hero material. For as long as someone needed help, he would always respond. The moment someone reached out, his answer was already decided.

'This is why you are one of my favorite protagonists.'

Of course, since Alexander was coming, there was no need to convince Mina to come along as well, as she naturally followed.

She did not even need to say anything. The moment Alexander chose to move, Mina had already made up her mind to stand beside him, just as she always did. They then came with Lucen into Robert's airship.

***

While they were heading to Ironhold, Lucen gave a brief explanation of what was happening. The second Alexander heard the situation, his brows drew together, and the warmth in his eyes turned into something far sharper. For once, there was no awkward smile, no scratching at the back of his head, and no hesitation.

"To think there were such people in Caelhart... I didn't know..."

Alexander hated that such things were happening in Caelhart, and all he did while he was there was have fun, while others were in mortal danger. Children who were most likely screaming for help.

Lucen noticed the change in Alexander immediately.

The boy's hands had clenched atop his knees without him realizing it, and his jaw had tightened just enough to show how deeply the matter had struck him. Alexander had always been like this.

The moment he learned that someone was suffering, especially people too weak to protect themselves, he could never remain detached.

Mina, who was seated beside him, noticed it as well. Her gaze softened for a brief moment before she spoke in a quiet voice.

"You could not have known," she said.

Alexander lowered his eyes slightly. "Even so, I was in Caelhart. I was there while all of this was happening."

Lucen watched him for a second before answering. "Now you know. What matters is what you do next."

Alexander lifted his head at once and looked directly at Lucen; his righteous eyes seemed like they were burning.

"Yeah, it's not like you were the one spreading the pill." Ryan suddenly spoke. "I think I have a rough grasp of what kind of person you are now, Alex. Do not blame yourself too much for what you cannot control. It's like I always say to myself, no sense looking back and always move forward."

Alexander stayed quiet for a moment after hearing that. The tension in his shoulders slowly eased, and the force in his clenched hands loosened at last. He let out a slow breath, then looked at Ryan and gave a small nod.

"You're right. Blaming myself now will not save anyone. Thanks, Ryan."

Not long after that, the airship crossed into the skies above Ironhold, and even from a distance, the difference between it and Caelhart was obvious.

Caelhart was a grand capital, but Ironhold was something else entirely. It was a fortress of stone and steel, a place that looked as though it had been built to endure endless war. Its walls had grown twice as tall and thick; there were huge metal weapons mounted along both the outer and inner walls.

The streets inside were wider than before, and the sounds of industry never truly stopped. Workshops, smoke, storage buildings, and the ring of hammers gave the whole place the feeling of a living war machine.

They saw several airships built with far less concern for comfort and far more concern for survival, and destruction rested within the fortress. There were even trains fitted to carry massive artillery pieces.

This was Ironhold, the first line of defense against monster waves and foreign invaders. When Alexander and the group left the airship, the first thing they noticed was that there were barbarians and dwarves living in Ironhold.

This was rather surprising, since dwarves were rarely seen in Norvaegard, but there were dozens of them here in Ironhold.

What was even more surprising were the barbarian warriors. Everyone in Norvaegard knew that one of the main enemies the Iron Duke used to face were the barbarian tribes.

It would seem that at some point, they had formed some sort of alliance. The group didn't dwell much on it, as they had seen Lucen's play and knew that the so-called barbarians were not the savages they once thought they were.

Before the younger ones in the group could look around Ironhold more, a familiar voice called out from nearby.

"Big Brother."

It was the usual monotone; the group saw Cael approaching them. He walked toward them with his usual straight posture and calm, unreadable face.

Lucen looked at his younger brother and gave a small nod. "You are just in time. We are going to save some missing people, and I need your help."

Cael did not react loudly. He did not look shocked. He simply stood there for a brief second, then gave a small nod of his own.

"I understand. Then I will join as well."

With Cael now standing beside them, Lucen looked at the gathered group and felt that the pieces he needed had finally come together. The original party had gathered and was about to embark on their first mission.