"That's not only it!! You will also have a clear way to the military! I am sure you're after more power, and the Military will be the best place for that. Accepting these two conditions will make your journey smoother!! Not only that, the Dragon Empire will be your backer in anything!! No one will dare mess with you when we are right behind you! Oh! Not only the Dragon Empire, even the academy will be right behind you!!" He yelled, his voice booming across the garden and stunning everyone present into a deafening silence.
"...?!!"
Mirabella rubbed her ears, the ringing slowly fading. 'Is it so important to him to have me as his student? But still, all these privileges... absolute immunity, military resources, and the weight of an Empire. It's a strategic buff I can't ignore.' She thought, exhaling a long breath.
"Ok, I accept your two conditions..."
"Good!!! From this moment on, you're my student!!" He snapped his fingers with a theatrical flourish, and a vintage bottle of wine along with a crystalline glass appeared in both hands, pulled from his high-grade spatial storage.
"Here."
He stretched both towards Mirabella, a triumphant grin on his face.
'Really?! You've got to be kidding me!' Mirabella snapped inwardly, her eyes twitching. However, she maintained her cold, calm mask on the outside.
"Come on, I am sure you know what to do," Hayatobi said, nudging the bottle toward her.
Mirabella sighed, the weight of tradition pressing down on her. She took the wine bottle and deftly uncorked it. She took the glass, pouring a full, crimson measure. Setting the bottle on the marble table, she held the glass with both hands—a gesture of formal submission—and bowed her head, extending it toward Hayatobi.
"This student offers her respect to her master," she said, her voice steady.
"Good! That's the respect I am talking about! Very good!!" He took the glass with a booming laugh and gulped the wine down in one go.
"From now on, you're my student!!" He yelled, his silver eyes flashing with joy.
"Master, can you at least stop yelling?" Mirabella asked, already settling into the familiar, slightly exasperated Master-Student dynamic.
"Hahaha! I am just happy... Ok." Hayatobi's expression finally shifted, his aura settling into something serious and sharp. Mirabella raised an eyebrow at the sudden change.
"I will get going now." He said, his body beginning to glow as he started ascending into the air.
"Where are you going?" Mirabella asked, staring up as his feet left the stone path.
"It's about the issue that happened in the red dungeon. I have to at least give the Sword Empire some... warning," he said, his tone carrying a hidden edge of steel.
"I want to come along!" Mirabella yelled, her words stopping Hayatobi in his tracks.
"Oh, and why is that?" Hayatobi asked, floating several feet above the ground and staring down at her.
"The lady I fought in there—Jessica. I know her. At least, I want to know what happened to her," she said. It was more than curiosity; it was a ghost from her past life she needed to lay to rest.
"I am not sure if you'll get any information, but oh well..." Hayatobi descended back to the ground, his boots clicking on the stone.
"I am sure that old hag running their academy will be curious about you, too... I should introduce you guys." Hayatobi nodded his head, a mischievous thought crossing his mind.
'Yes, that old hag... We have a score to settle from my previous life. But...' Mirabella looked at her hand, the pale skin hiding the power of an Imperial Bloodline. 'We don't have any scores in this life. No need to dwell on the past... I have to focus on the future.'
She clenched her fist, a rare, sharp smile touching her lips. "When are we leaving?" She asked.
"Well—"
BOOOOM!!!
"Huh?"
Everyone turned toward the source of the violent explosion that rattled the garden's tranquility.
"That seems to be from the training ground," Elizabeth stated calmly.
"Ok, let's go take a look." Hayatobi started walking toward the entrance. "You aren't yet a Lv300, so you can't fly... Let's walk." He added, a reminder of the physical laws that governed even God-tier players.
Mirabella nodded and turned to Elizabeth. "Go and rest, Elizabeth... You need it."
Elizabeth walked toward her and snapped her fingers. A thick, fur-lined black overcoat appeared from her spatial storage.
"Take it slow. It's cold tonight, so you'll need this," Elizabeth said softly, draping the heavy, warm coat over Mirabella's shoulders.
"Thank you." Mirabella nodded, looking at Cupcake, who leaped from the bench and landed on her right shoulder.
"This is an order, Elizabeth. Go have some rest," Mirabella added firmly before turning to follow Hayatobi.
Elizabeth stood in the silent garden, watching their figures until they disappeared around a hallway turn. She smiled a small, secretive smile.
"How would I sleep when you'll be heading to another Empire? Sorry, Milady, but I can't do that," she whispered to the empty air. Her body began to fade, becoming translucent. "I will always be your shield."
With that, she vanished into the shadows, a silent guardian in the night.
_____
[Academy Hallway]
As they walked through the dimly lit corridors, Mirabella stared at Hayatobi's broad back and asked, "About the red Dungeon... what really happened? Who was behind it?"
Hayatobi looked at her over his shoulder, then fixed his gaze ahead.
"The Devil Cult sent a spy. She manipulated the dungeon's core and turned it into a red one," he explained, his voice echoing in the hall.
"She? So you caught her?"
"Well..." Hayatobi remembered the grisly sight of the body nailed to the tree by Hitachi. He sighed. "She is dead. Someone got to her before we could... Don't worry, that person is a friend." He explained, his tone indicating the subject was closed for now.
'Hmm... Seems he doesn't want to tell me everything. At least he told the truth while keeping the identity hidden.' Mirabella nodded silently. She followed behind Hayatobi, her black coat swishing against her boots as they continued their journey toward the training ground.