He mused, nodding at the logic behind the preliminaries before his eyes arched slightly at the meaning behind her last words.
"You participated in the last academy selections?" he asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, I did," Eira muttered. Then her cheeks turned red as she continued, her burst of rage momentarily forgotten. "And the time before that... b-but I still failed," she murmured, looking at the ground, ashamed.
"You can repeat the academy selections after failing?" Aurelian pressed.
"Uh, yes... but it’s only limited to three attempts. If you still don’t pass, your qualifications are revoked—you can never participate again." She said it quietly, a painful realization tugging at her mind. If she failed this time, she’d be condemned to a life of mediocrity.
"Interesting... very interesting," Aurelian murmured, the whole picture forming in his mind as he marveled at the mechanics of the academy selections.
The carriage rocked gently as it came to a halt, snapping Aurelian back to clarity. Sera, who had been quietly observing their conversation, broke into a smile before stretching her hands in a welcoming gesture.
"Well, would you look at that? We’ve arrived," she said, as the door swung open to reveal a breathtaking view.
Not that it surprised him, he had already perceived most of it through his sphere of soul detection, but even so, a thousand-meter range was still too small to judge a guild by.
Stepping out, his eyes swept across the lush greenery surrounding them, a massive building standing proudly at the center. A large plaque reading White Springs Guild hung above.
Inhaling a mouthful of fresh air, he nodded in contentment, relishing the beauty of nature. Maybe there was more to life than just clearing dungeons, he mused playfully, before Eira bounced up beside him, voicing excitedly,
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"
"It is," he muttered, his hands clasped behind his back, feeling strands of his hair flicker in the breeze.
"I’m glad you like it," Sera said with a content smile before adding, "Can you please follow me? There’s more I’d like to discuss with you... privately."
A moment of silence passed as she looked at Aurelian hopefully, before a small smile cracked his lips.
"Sure. I don’t see why not," he muttered, unbothered.
Eira caught the implication in Sera’s words and smiled knowingly. "I’ll be on my way," she said, her figure retreating into the distance.
"This way," Sera said, gesturing for Aurelian to follow as they entered the building.
Aurelian walked behind her, his figure calm and composed.
Inside, the hall buzzed with conversation. Adventurers crowded around notice boards lined with quests.
The moment Sera entered, silence blanketed the room. All eyes turned toward the guild leader, and the unfamiliar, handsome young man following behind her.
Most didn’t recognize him, but those who did widened their eyes. Questions formed instantly in their minds. Regardless, everyone was curious, about him, and about his connection with the guild leader.
Aurelian paid them no mind, following her across corridors and up staircases until they arrived at a large office.
A massive table sat at the center, papers sprawled across it, with chairs on both sides. The walls were plastered with posters about various White Spring Guild events.
"It isn’t much, but it’s something," Sera said with a sheepish smile. Looking around, she realized maybe a bit more furniture would make the place feel less barren. But then again, she had never been one to indulge in superficial pleasures. Power—that was all that ever mattered to her.
"So..." Aurelian breathed, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on her. His obsidian eyes locked with hers. "What do you want from me?"
"Huh?" Sera’s eyes widened, her lashes fluttering rapidly. "H-how did you know I was going to ask you for a favor?" she stammered, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as the youth before her saw through her intentions.
"Pretty simple, really," Aurelian muttered, slowly pacing the room. "From what you told me, I figured that’s all there was to the academy selections. Meaning whatever you want to discuss is something else. And given your fidgeting hands, I’m guessing it’s a favor."
Aurelian smirked, a hint of smugness coloring his face. Not that he could help it. With his monstrous sphere of soul detection, little cues that were once unnoticeable were now laid bare before him. And with his ever-growing intelligence, it wasn’t hard to piece things together.
Suppressing her twitching lips, Sera cast another glance at Aurelian, reevaluating him in the back of her mind. He wasn’t only talented... but intelligent too. A rare combination among most geniuses. Still, the smug look on his face didn’t sit well with her.
Was she really that easy to read? she mused, staring at her hands before slowly regaining her composure. She sighed under her breath and locked eyes with the figure before her.
"You’re right. I do indeed need your help," she began. "It’s a bit shameless, given that I should be repaying you." She paused, the blush on her face spreading down to her neck. "But it’s of utmost importance to the future of the White Springs Guild."
Her voice and demeanor grew more grave as she continued.
"What is it?" Aurelian asked, intrigued by the weight of her tone.
"You’ve seen Eira and the team you helped inside the Raging Boar Dungeon," she started, her eyes drifting toward outside the window into the distance. "They’re currently our most promising geniuses, but even then, in the face of the upcoming academy selections, they’re still a bit... lacking. However, with you by their side during the preliminaries, that would change significantly..."
"You want me to babysit them?" Aurelian muttered, his brows furrowing at her request.
"No, no, I would never—" Sera interjected quickly, trying to placate his worries. "With your strong presence serving as a deterrent to those who would try to snatch their points, nothing more. If they can’t defeat the beasts on their own, then they’re not worthy of entering the academies."
"Hmmm." Aurelian hummed, his tone skeptical. "Your plan hinges on me forming some sort of team with them. What makes you think they’ll even gain any points with me around?"
"Hmph." Sera broke into a faint smile before replying, "I trust your prowess, but you’re underestimating the sheer number of monsters inside. The preliminaries don’t just test skill and talent, they test survival." She paused, then added quickly, "Of course, if you accept, you can name a request that the White Springs Guild will try to fulfill to the best of our ability."
Nodding in thought, Aurelian stared at her intently, weighing his options before coming to a decision.
"Find me a purple-haired girl, Amber Rose and bring her to me. She’s likely hovering around F-rank dungeons somewhere in the city. If you can do that, then I might be willing to consider your request."
He exhaled softly, then turned and walked out, leaving a bewildered Sera behind, though somewhere in her eyes, a faint flicker of hope now burned