"Hey, Lockhart. I didn't expect to see you here."
Yun slowly lifts his head from the table, his face a portrait of defeat.
"Dominique Von Auber… What do you want from us?"
"You're as unreliable as I thought. What if poor Luna got attacked by those thugs?"
"I was about to kick them out myself."
Dominique tilts her head, conceding the point with a faint smirk.
"Still so sure of yourself," she says, the words edged with irritation before she exhales, letting it go. There's no winning an argument with Yun, and she knows it.
Meanwhile, Luna reassures us that everything's fine before slipping back to her work.
Dominique's gaze shifts to me. "Is this a friend of yours?"
"He's not nobility," Yun says quickly. "You wouldn't be interested anyway."
Her eyes linger on me longer than I expect.
"He's a commoner?" she repeats softly, disbelief flickering through her tone.
For a heartbeat, I can't tell if she's judging me or just curious.
"I see…" she murmurs, then adds with a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "I'll leave it at that—for today."
"Don't mind her, Will," Yun mutters, stabbing what's left of his meal. "She's a trickster. Don't let your guard down around her."
Dominique chuckles, low and amused.
"Trickster? Like a clown?" she teases, leaning on the table. "Coming from you, that's rich."
I let out a quiet laugh, and she glances my way, intrigued
"Just Will, eh?" Her gaze softens, almost playful. "And what are you two misfits doing in Clairmarche?"
"We're training to join the academy in a few years," I say, trying to sound casual. "Are you… uh, a mage yourself, Miss Dominique?"
"Miss?" she repeats, amused. "We're the same age, dummy. No need for formalities."
She pulls a chair over, resting her elbow on the table. "The academy, you said? You're not a noble, so how did you learn magic?"
She looks over to Yun. "Did you ask the capital to borrow your family's artifact?"
"No," Yun says, shaking his head. "He got his own from the Timeless Lake. News probably already hit the capital— didn't you hear the Mystery Dungeon got conquered?"
Dominique's expression freezes for a heartbeat, the confident gleam in her eyes replaced by pure surprise and disbelief. But before she can speak, a hand lands gently on her shoulder.
The man standing beside her looks older, dressed in the kind of quiet refinement only a lifetime of discipline can forge. He doesn't need to say much; his presence alone commands respect.
"It's time to go, miss," he says, voice calm and even, as if he's done this countless times before.
Dominique glances over her shoulder, lips parting as if to argue—but the words never come. Instead, a faint sigh escapes her. Her jaw tightens for just an instant, her composure cracking under the weight of whatever she wanted to say.
Yun doesn't even bother to look up. He's still poking at his meal.
"I've met her once before," he mutters. "Her family's trouble. Best to keep your distance."
Dominique's eyes narrow at him briefly, irritation flickering like a spark before she masks it behind that same polished smirk. "I'll be seeing you two at the academy then," she says, tone light but with that teasing edge that lingers in the air.
"Looking forward to it," I manage — more awkwardly than I'd intended.
The butler gives a polite bow before guiding her toward the door. She follows without another word — her poise impeccable, though her steps feel heavier than before.
Just before leaving, she raises a hand and waves at Luna across the room — her smile small but genuine. Then, for a brief moment, her eyes find mine again.
And then she's gone, the faint scent of smoke and sea mist hanging in the air where she stood.
***
A few days later, that same scent still lingered in my memory as I stepped into the guild hall. Maybe it was because I could still feel her eyes on me — or maybe it was just nerves.
"This place is as loud as ever. Although… aren't there more people than usual?"
"Hey, kiddos, you're heading to the training floor?" the guild secretary asks. "There are rumors of an envoy from the capital arriving today. I hear it's because of what happened at the Timeless Lake—they might want to meet with you, Will."
My stomach knots. News travels fast — too fast. I thought the dungeon would earn me time to learn magic, not attention.
"Well, if they're looking for us, it's not like we're hiding," Yun says. "Let's go train already."
We enter the training room. It had been about a month since we started coming here. Most of the guild members had returned from their expedition east, leaving only Hyung and a few senior mages still away.
Our sessions followed a rhythm by now: an hour of meditation for mana control, another to work on our own magic, and then sparring. Other guild members often joined in or gave advice — without their help, I'd be far weaker.
Before we can even start sparring, a group of people I don't recognize enters the room.
"Is a man named Will here?"
The room falls silent. Not a word from anyone in the guild. The air tightens, heavy with unease.
Heinrich and Hyung had told the guild to keep an eye on us while they were away — which probably explained the way hands hovered near weapons the moment the envoy entered. No one here trusted the Order of the Chained Sun.
I step forward before a fight can break out—or worse.
"Heinrich told me about you when we met at the capital a few weeks ago. You really do look like a noble."
The man's voice carries an odd calm. He introduces himself as Kairen—the head of the envoy.
"The crown has sent an invitation for you. We're just delivering it." Another member of the envoy says, after handing me a letter.
"An invitation?" Yun asks, lifting his head mid-swing from practice. "So much for choice, huh? Guess we're honored."
"Heinrich already enrolled you both at the academy," says Kairen. "You'll be going to the capital in a little more than a year. When you do, the royal family would like to meet with you."
A bystander from the guild steps forward. "You're telling us you needed an envoy to deliver a letter? Cut the act. What are you really here for?"
"The capital is in an uproar right now." Kairen replies, this time with a more serious tone. "It's not every day that a child without a lineage strolls into a dungeon untrained—and consumes the god's remnant."
Kairen pauses, eyes narrowing slightly. "And the artifact itself… you're sure it's gone?"
"Yes," I answer. "It turned to ashes after linking to me."
"Good," he mutters, though the relief in his tone feels forced.
"Captain, can we make this quick? There's a place downtown I want to try later," a member of the envoy mutters.
Kairen exhales, and the pressure in the room fades instantly. The aura around him—faintly similar to Heinrich's—melts away.
"You're right," he says quietly. Then his attention returns to me.
"We're here to assess and document your abilities and magic, Will. I'd like you to cooperate."
"So what do I do?" I ask.
"As I said, I'd like you to tell me about your magic. Things in the capital have been… restless since you conquered the Mystery Dungeon. If it weren't for Heinrich and his reputation, you would have probably already been taken there for questioning."
Kairen studies me as I explain the nature of my magic — intrigued, but calculating.
"Molecular motion… it's basically controlling the kinetic energy of matter," Kairen murmurs. "Quite the unique little mage, aren't you?"
He pauses for a long moment, as if trying to piece something together. Then steps back, throwing his coat toward one of his companions.
"Would you mind sharing a spar with your senior here? I need to test your combat prowess as well."
I nod slowly. The air hums faintly — every mage in the room is watching now.
I had a feeling things would lead to this…