Mrs. Aurelia had just finished administering Ethan's final dose of daily medication, as scheduled after his morning classes.She returned the medication containers to their place inside the drawer across from her desk, settling back into her seat as the morning light gave way to the heavier heat of the afternoon.
As she did every day, she asked him once he entered for his dose, "Have you had any hallucinations recently? Were they severe or mild?" She diligently kept track of every patient who came to her for treatment especially Ethan, who was dangerously close to losing the ability to control his warped magic altogether.
Ethan shook his head, reminding her that his last hallucination had occurred two days ago, the only one since then.He added with a small grimace, standing up from the uncomfortable chair that strained his back, that all he could see now was the sweat dripping from him.
Mrs. Aurelia sighed heavily and continued, "Those hallucinations of yours... the pale-skinned woman with the strange white hair and the crimson dress."
She read aloud from a small notebook on her desk, where she kept careful notes on her patients' symptoms at the academy. From the doorway, Ethan confirmed, "Yes, it all felt very real. I floated beneath an ancient crimson moon, and she came so close that her forehead touched mine... then she vanished in the blink of an eye."
He watched as Mrs. Aurelia reconfirmed what she had written in her notebook. Thanking her for the valuable information, he made his way out.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned the doorknob, causing the door to slide open automatically, revealing a large man standing just outside.Ethan wondered briefly: Is he a patient or a professor? But the man's worn, grimy clothing quickly shattered that expectation.He had seen plenty of visitors like him lately those summoned to Azuria by the Adventurer's Guild under a cooperation agreement between the Guild in Iron Plateau City and Azurea Academy.
The man stepped inside, carrying in his right hand a rodent-like creature with white and dark purple fur, and broken horns about the size of a fat lamb's.He slumped into the chair Ethan had just vacated and began to haggle in a rough, hoarse voice with Dr. Aurelia, trying to raise his payment from five copper coins to two silver coins to cover his losses hunting the rodents among the cinnamon stalks in a nearby village.
Ethan quietly closed the door behind him, feeling no need to overhear a conversation that had nothing to do with him.
However, his absent-mindedness caused him to bump into one of the academy's maids, who was busy cleaning this particular hallway a place made even more labyrinthine around Dr. Aurelia's office.Both of them tumbled to the floor. Quickly, Ethan helped her to her feet, his fingers brushing against her right hand a prosthetic crafted from thin, cool copper that mimicked the shape and feel of a natural hand.
The maid thanked him politely, and Ethan responded in kind, recognizing her from his frequent visits to this part of the academy.He explained to her her name was Chill that he had been distracted by the strange man who had entered Aurelia's office, guessing he was from the Adventurer's Guild.
Chill confirmed the information. "He's an adventurer, all right. Arrived two nights ago by hot air balloon same as most adventurers this time of year.
"Ethan grinned and asked, "What ranks are the newcomers? Copper or silver?" He assumed silver was the highest, given that silver-ranked adventurers or higher were considered elite, trusted with dangerous quests and multiple invasions.
Chill explained that most were brass-ranked, with a few silver ones sprinkled among them. But she added, with a playful tone, "The one who just walked into Aurelia's office? He's gold-ranked. His name's Arthur an old friend of the Academy, who's seen more than a few winters!"She laughed lightly, hinting that she herself was still new, barely two years into her service.
Ethan blinked in disbelief, feeling the weight of the gold rank settle over him.Even so, he couldn't shake the awe he had felt earlier when he locked eyes with Arthur those intense yellow eyes gleaming under the brim of a battered hat.
He apologized again to Chill for bumping into her earlier, distracted as he was by the distant crackle of the announcer's voice over the academy's loudspeakers.He offered a quick goodbye and made his way out of the hallway, which was starting to fill up with students as morning classes wound down.
For the younger students, the public square had always been a favorite gathering spot after a long day of lessons.
Ethan was sitting at an old wooden table, finishing the last bites of his breakfast, when Nila approached at a brisk pace, weaving through the growing crowd of students. She plopped down across from him, her face flushed with anger, and immediately launched into a rant about one of Professor Camilla's classes—an old lecture on how to grow a rare flower from seed.
It hadn't been easy, but Nila proudly told him she had managed to germinate her plant faster than anyone else, observing the delicate process inside Camilla's ancient classroom, where the walls still smelled of old, damp leaves.
Curious, Ethan asked what had sparked her anger. Nila admitted it wasn't the class itself, but the way another student had taunted her afterward, calling her a "slang girl" and treating her with disdain. The insult had stung deeply, igniting her frustration.
Softening his tone, Ethan gently asked if she knew who the girl was. Nila hesitated, but her friend who had been sitting nearby quickly supplied the name: Thalia.
Ethan turned a sharp gaze on the boy, his eyes narrowing in thought, until he noticed the family crest stitched on the boy's shirt: two rivers crossing each other the unmistakable emblem of a family from the House of Fusonite, fief of the Rooster and Sun.
Ethan returned to the subject, recalling Thalia's behavior from their childhood. She had never held the moral high ground, especially considering her frequent clashes with Vermouth and Stromhide before Ethan's poor mother passed away.These tensions had lessened after Sylviana's death, prompting Lady Stromhide to stay away altogether.
Unlike the warm friendship shared between their mothers, Ethan and Thalia's relationship had always been tense.
In the bright courtyard set aside for elementary students, the usual buzz of chatter was more subdued. The courtyard wasn't nearly as large as the main one behind the Lantern Tower.Nila, seemingly having shaken off her earlier frustrations, leaned forward with a determined glint in her eye.
"Can I really summon the nectar of the red bougainvillea from somewhere nearby?" she asked, rocking the table and causing Ethan's empty plate to rattle.She explained that she had visited the laboratory before coming here, only to find Master Vasmo telling her the supply was exhausted and the next shipment wouldn't arrive anytime soon.
Nila loudly shared her frustration with Ethan and their friend Ovend, emphasizing how desperately she needed that flower to impress Professor Camilla in their next class. The project had been assigned personally by Camilla and had a strict deadline.
"But we're out of garnet flowers," Ethan replied, "and the next shipment won't arrive for at least a week. You'll just have to wait."
The thought of waiting a whole week clearly unsettled Nila; her project was due in just three nights.She needed a faster solution and immediately began racking her brain for an idea.
Ovend, a honey-brown-haired boy often mistaken for Nila's sibling because of their similar hair color suggested they hire a low-ranking adventurer to retrieve the flower from a nearby cave, especially since adventurers were currently flocking to Azuria.
However, Nila knew that hiring an adventurer would cost money money she barely had. She had heard that even the cheapest adventurer charged at least one silver coin, a fortune for her.
Though she didn't want to ask for pity, Ethan quickly offered to cover the cost, and Ovend readily agreed.Nila could have refused, but she didn't want to hurt their feelings after their insistent generosity.Thus, they agreed to hire a low-ranking adventurer and set another day to prepare for the trip.
The old courtyard bell clanged noisily, signaling the passage of time. Ethan rose and said firmly, "The nearest adventurers are at the South Tower reception desk, right next to the steam balloon station."He bade them farewell and hurried off, his lesson with Professor Leona about to begin.
After finishing breakfast with Nila and Ovend, Ethan headed to his swordplay training with Leona.He had completed all his homework beforehand, so there was no need for any excuses.Even after showering and washing off the sweat from the training arena, fatigue still clung to his weary eyes.
Today's practice had been different special somehow. Ethan felt a newfound appreciation from his peers.Perhaps his reputation had grown ever since his victory over Freneth, or perhaps it was Freneth's recent antics in practice, where he seemed eager to get closer to Ethan.Still, Ethan knew their relationship was just beginning, and there was a long way to go before true camaraderie could form.
His breath caught slightly as he reached the seventh floor, where the mechanical elevator remained out of service for repairs that seemed nowhere near completion.
After a long climb, Ethan finally reached the South Tower Hall.
The place resembled a quiet chapel, with rows of empty seats scattered here and there.
He approached the small reception desk, relieved to find no line, and handed the old matron behind the counter a slip of paper bearing the official permission from Master Siegfried allowing him to leave the Academy with an adventurer.
She accepted the paper with a faint sigh and informed him, with a trace of regret, that all available adventurers were currently busy.There were fewer adventurers around this year, she explained, as the number of young recruits had declined significantly.If Ethan could wait a day or two, she suggested, he might find someone to accompany him.
The news was disappointing but before Ethan could walk away defeated, the old woman added, "Well, not everyone is truly busy."
That's when Ethan's eyes caught sight of a lone adventurer sprawled lazily across a set of benches.He wasn't a stranger.Curious, Ethan moved closer... and closer.
"Is that Arthur? From earlier in Aurelia's office?" Ethan asked, recognizing the familiar hat and scruffy beard that gave him away.He didn't try to wake him up; Arthur stirred on his own, drool trailing from the corner of his mouth. Despite his disheveled appearance, he sized up the young man standing before him, dressed in short navy-blue academy robes.
Ethan, keeping a straight face, gestured seriously, wondering if he could hire Arthur for an official mission under the Azurian agreement between adventurers and the Academy.
Arthur didn't respond immediately. He stared at Ethan's face, as if trying to place him in a distant memory. Then he rose slowly, speaking in a sluggish, heavy voice:"Vermouth? You're one of Vermouth's sons?"
Ethan wasn't surprised by the question; after all, every noble family's crest was emblazoned on the chest of their children's uniforms it was only natural he'd be recognized.
Arthur lifted his hand, revealing a thick scar that stretched from under his chin down his neck. He said in a low voice:"One of the Vermouth boys gave me this."
"Boys?" Ethan thought inwardly, puzzled. His family wasn't large.Arthur quickly answered:"Aldric. That was his name. I saw him in the Iron Plateau cities, traveling with his master—the head of the Vermouth family."
Ethan quickly pieced it together: Arthur was speaking of his father's old bodyguard, Aldric, who had once trained him and his brother Henry in swordsmanship.
But Arthur didn't linger in the past."What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
Ethan explained that he needed an adventurer to accompany him and asked if Arthur was available.Arthur gave a lazy grin and said:"I can't say no. It's part of my duty here at the Academy... but you'll have to pay."
Ethan pulled out two silver coins from his allowance and offered them.Arthur didn't snatch them up immediately; he eyed the coins with his sharp yellow gaze and said:"That's a generous amount if I were just a copper or silver-ranked adventurer."
He then proudly revealed his badge three large golden stars gleamed on it."If you want to hire me," he added with a confident tone, "you'll need to pay more."
Determined, Ethan pulled out another silver coin... and another.He wasn't going to let this slip. Nila needed that flower.
Even if it meant sacrificing a portion of his monthly allowance seven gold coins in total he dug deeper and finally offered two gold coins to Arthur.
"This is the most I can pay," Ethan said firmly.
Arthur, still wearing that lazy smile, finally accepted. He stood, stretching his tall frame, and chuckled:"If you could find two more gold coins, that would've been even better... but it's fine. I'll take it. I'm just a tired adventurer doing his duty."
After a long stretch, Arthur asked casually:"When and where? Tell me, and I'll be there."
Feeling the tension lift off his shoulders, Ethan quickly told him the agreed-upon time and place.He was relieved happy even that he could pull this off for one of his oldest friends.