Chapter 210 - Future Excursion Mission

  Nathan Evenhart:

  As we stepped out of the carriage, finally back at our home in Apsalon for the weekend, I felt a refreshing chill in the air, and the silence was a stark trast to the stant hum of the city.

  "I promised myself I’d study... but I think I’ll end up napping," Kinue murmured with a tired sigh.

  “Is third year really that tough?” Chloe asked, curiosity in her eyes.

  Beside me, Cyl walked quietly, her gaze cast downward. She still seemed affected by what had happened earlier.

  “From third year onward, we have monthly theoretical exams c all the material…” Kinue replied, sounding drained. I made a face, imagining the grueling hours of memorizing information ahead. Spending hours drilling that stuff into my head didn’t sound like fun.

  As we crossed the expansive grounds, I gnced around the neighborhood. It eaceful area, set back from Apsalon’s ter and reserved for politiobility or those with busiied to politiansion stood amoerees and garden beds, surrounded by aensive garden my mother meticulously cared for.

  “AH!” Kinue jumped back, dodging something.

  Chloe ughed. “Watch out. Those pnts love to grab at anyone’s hair if they’re not paying attention.”

  A ivorous pnt lurked in the shadows, its slender neck stretg out of the bushes before it retreated again. I looked at it with a mix of fasation and nostalgia. When I was younger, I’d spend hours pying with smaller versions of these pnts, pletely unafraid of their little bites.

  “Is Aunt Katie putting more of these pnts around?” Kinue asked.

  "Ever since what happeo me, she’s beeing these ‘guards’ nonstop,” I replied, notig the in her eyes.

  We’d told Kinue about the attack, even though it had been more than two weeks si happehe third assassin seemed to have backed off for now. But feeling truly safe felt like a fantasy; being stantly on guard was our new normal.

  One of the closer ivorous pnts stretched toward me, bringing its thorn-covered face close to my hair, almost as if it reized me. I smiled as I identified this particur pnt—it looked far more monstrous thahers.

  “Is it you, little sister? Looks like Mother finally put you to work,” I murmured, stroking its knobby surface. This one was rger and more robust thahers, having absorbed my mother’s mana over the years, making it especially powerful. I remember once feeding it a monstrous rat, which it crushed within seds.

  As I petted the pnt, a prig sensation washed over me, as though a pair of eyes were watg us, trag every move. Cyl, beside me, seemed to se too and took a subtle step forward, positioning herself as if ready to react.

  “Did you guys feel that?” I asked, keeping my voice casual, though my hand had stopped petting the pnt.

  Kinue and Chloe gave me puzzled looks, but Cyl gave a slight nod, her eyes gleaming with a determined light.

  I bolted towards the house, an anxious impulse c through me.

  “There’s a strange st in the air…” Cyl whispered, staying by my side.

  “What’s going on, Nate?” Chloe called, worry edging her voice.

  I ighe questions, pushing myself to run faster.

  Mother! A sudden urgency to protect flooded through me. I knew I was the target, but that didn’t matter. They were my priority.

  As I reached the entrao the mansion, the door swung open before I could even touch it.

  “Wele home, young master,” one of the maids greeted me with a slight bow. “We have guests.”

  A wave of relief swept through me, loosening the tension in my muscles. Moments ter, Chloe and Kinue, who now had her halberd at the ready, appeared behind me.

  "I think I was mistaken…" I murmured, feeling a bit embarrassed by my overrea.

  We stepped into the mansion, and my mother came rushing toward us, her face lit up with a mix of joy and relief.

  “Children!” she excimed, immediately pullio a tight embrace. She didn’t hesitate to pepper my face with kisses, and each time I tried to pull back, she only held me closer.

  “Mom… enough…” I tried to protest, but it seemed to ence her even more. Finally, she stopped, givihh once-over, her hands moving over my arms as she examined my face closely.

  “You’re fully healed… what a relief,” she murmured, pullio aighter hug. “I had such a terrible dream st night.”

  “Aunt, who’s visiting us?” Chloe asked.

  “A couple of friends you all know,” my mother replied, moving to hug Chloe and then Kinue, who returhe gesture with a shy smile.

  She k down to greet Cyl, but the cat brushed her off, trotting up the stairs toward our room without a sed thought.

  “What’s wrong? She’s usually more friendly,” my mother observed, a bit surprised.

  “It seems someoouched her with bad iions,” Chloe remarked.

  As we walked toward the sitting room, I expined, “Someone grabbed her with a greedy look, seeing her as an object. Somehow, she se and got upset.”

  “I’ll have Martha prepare something special for her,” my mother said, signaling a maid who stepped forward to take my coat.

  “e, let’s go in,” she guided us down the corridor, and soon we could hear voices chatting in the drawing room.

  As we entered, I saw three unfamiliar faces: two adults and a girl slightly older than me, dressed in the academy’s uniform. Martha eaking with them, and I notiatty and Catty were there as well. Since our schedules were different, they must have arrived earlier for the weekend.

  “Martin and Cra, look at how much they’ve grown. I bet they look so different to you now!” my mother said with a warm smile.

  At that moment, it all clicked, and I remembered who they were.

  “Children, this is the Norfolk family. You met them when you were little, right after the prince’s party at the underground transport port,” she expined, looking at us fondly.

  They're one of the families in charge of produg healing potions! I really o thank them for making that miraculous liquid—I feel as good as new.

  “Pleasure to see you again,” Martin said, standing from the sofa to greet us, followed by his wife, Cra, and their daughter, Nora.

  “You’ve grown so much,” Cra remarked, smiling warmly. “You two have bee lovely young dies.”

  “Th-thank you,” Kinue replied, while Chloe, slightly embarrassed, murmured her thanks.

  Nora, their daughter, approached us, her expression a mix of excitement and anticipation. “I’ve been a bit anxious and couldn’t wait to talk with you all,” she said.

  “Talk with us?” Chloe asked, a little surprised.

  My mother stepped closer, expining in her usual calm tone, “It seems you’ll be w together on an academic project soon.”

  “I’ll bring you something to eat,” Martha announced, quickly exiting the room.

  We sat down and began chatting with the Norfolk family. I took the opportunity to ask a few questions about the process of making healing potions—something that would be on the est.

  Who better to learn from than one of the experts behind the produ? I thought, holding ba internal chuckle. Chloe noticed my i and immediately joined in, asking strategic questions. Martin, visibly delighted to share his knowledge, eagerly began expining every detail.

  Martha returned with a tray of sweets and cookies, pg it on the coffee table. As I watched her, I felt an intense gaze on me.

  Alright, you crazy thing, I’ll touch the tray.

  The moment I touched it, aical copy appeared in Athena’s hands, who chuckled, satisfied. “Thanks, Icarus,” she said before starting to eat.

  At least now a siouch duplicates the whole tray; before, I had to touch each item individually.

  We tihe versation, gradually uanding the purpose of the visit. Nora, who was a year older than Chloe and me, mentiohe uping colboratioween the csses.

  “Oh, I get it. This is going to be so much fun,” Chloe said, visibly excited.

  “That’s why I’m getting ready and giving you guys a heads-up. I want to be your uppercssman guide on the excursion,” Nora said with a smile.

  She expihat there would be a group excursion to the dungeons, a kind of practical mission allowing sed-year students to invite first-years to joieams. Nora’s css had performed exceptionally well and earhis privilege, and now, as mentors, they were eager to share the experieh the newers.

  The thought of desding into the Ied Tower, fag challenges alongside experieudents, and learning through hands-on experiearted to intrigue us all.

  The inexperieudents would only explore the upper floors, known for being safer and housing museum-like areas with exhibits and archaeological remnants. Advaudents would apany us to ensure safety and provide guidance. From what I uood, each group had to include a minimum number of students from each academic year to be approved.

  “That’s why I wao know if you’d be ied in joining,” Nora asked, her gaze hopeful. “We o invite a few freshmen, as our task will be to guide you and expin the history behind some of the a civilization’s excavations. And, to be ho, you’re the only first-years I really know.”

  These dungeons are relics from the a people—the same people ected to those dark figures with glowing eyes, the giant serpent sleeping inside me, and Cyl’s lineage. More than ever, I o see what information I find down there.

  “I’d love to,” my cousin said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Me too,” I agreed, feeling a growing curiosity.

  Kinue, already familiar with the dungeon explorations, mentiohat the upper floors funed almost like a living museum, where a relid remnants of old structures mingled with smaller, retively harmless creatures. However, she warned us that as we desded to the deeper levels, the creatures grew increasingly fierce, requiring experiend skill to face.

  So, it should be perfectly safe… and there’s a ce I could uncover more about Alfheim, Jotunheim, and Midgard. In theory, I’m desded from Alfheim and Midgard. So, is Kinue’s in partly in Jotunheim? And Cyl… what exactly is she? Cyl grow huge too, so maybe she’s part Jotun as well?

  “Kinue’s in a more advanced css than mine, so I’m not sure if she’ll be able to go. We’re only required to invite a few freshmen. But there will be students from all years, so there’s a ce she might end up in the same group as us,” Nora expined.

  Our fox friend looked a little disappointed but nodded in uanding.

  These dungeons are at the heart of what ects the three realms and hold cultural significe from the aimes. If the Founding Emperor drew inspiration from the a civilization and this pce is protected by the academy as a symbol of unity between races… perhaps, somewhere down there, I’ll find a clue about this a people and why my people are called the 'Norse' by those shadowy beings.