---
[There you are…]
Arthur raised his gaze, and he didn't need more than a moment to be sure.
The smile that formed on his lips was not one of surprise… but of rare relief.
Before him stood a woman impossible for the eye to ignore.
Her dark blue hair flowed in a regal length, styled with a precision that only someone accustomed to nobles and leaders would recognize.
Her horns were not savage, but shaped like a crown—a crown that did not declare authority, but imposed it in silence.
Her crimson eyes were steady.
Cold… at first glance.
But those who knew faces that rarely smiled,
those who had lived long among people who hid their emotions behind masks of discipline,
would understand immediately—
She was happy.
Not a childish joy.
But a calm… composed… mature happiness.
Arthur spoke after a brief pause, his voice carrying a sincere respect he did not bother to hide:
"Professor Celestia… you arrived faster than I expected."
---
She approached with calm steps, as if the ground itself softened her sound.
She stopped a breath away from him.
They stood at nearly the same height—189 centimeters of taut silence, and memories whose doors had yet to be opened.
Arthur did not move. He simply looked at her…
like someone reading an old map in the eyes of a person he once knew—
an enemy?
an ally?
or something more complex than both.
After a moment that stretched longer than it should have, Celestia whispered:
"You've changed a lot…"
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
It wasn't surprise, but a calculated motion—a simple feint to hide a smile he refused to let appear.
"I hope it's a change for the better…"
He said it in a light tone, carrying a gentle, non-cutting sarcasm… like an old memory returning without asking permission.
Celestia let out a short laugh. Not a laugh of sound… but a laugh of knowing.
"You've matured physically, that's obvious.
And I almost want to say mentally… but the truth?
Your mind was always larger than your body."
She studied him with an expert's eye—an eye that did not see only the surface, but what lay beneath.
"Perhaps only now… has your body become capable of bearing what that mind carries.
Or perhaps… it has become ready to hinder you more than it helps."
Arthur did not smile this time.
He looked at her for a long moment, then said in a low voice:
"The body is just a shell. What matters is what we do with it…
before the void tears it apart once again."
Her expression changed.
Seriousness returned to her features like a sword returning to its sheath.
"We need to talk about your awakening."
She paused, as if remembering where they were.
"But not here. I'm certain that this power…
its source is not insignificant."
Arthur merely nodded, without comment, and began to walk.
---
(This woman is strong…)
The beast within his tattoo spoke, its voice less mocking this time… and more cautious.
(She carries the blood of one of the primordial lords.)
Arthur frowned slightly, without slowing his steps.
"How do you know? You're inside the tattoo."
(I know more than I appear to. Believe me… if she wanted to kill you here, even I wouldn't be able to help you.)
Arthur clenched his jaw.
That admission was not trivial.
He realized then that he had altered her original path.
She was supposed to die at Roselyn's hands.
Yet she was an unknown character—there had been no hint of her in the game, not even how she died.
But after the beast's statement, one thought crossed his mind—
Was she stronger than Roselyn all along?
And if that was the case… then how did she die?
(Author: I want a name for it; I can't just keep it called "The Monster.")
He exhaled and cast the thought aside.
He was tired of secrets.
And even more tired of questions he knew he wouldn't get answers to now.
---
"We can fly. There's no need to walk."
He said it after noticing the slow pace of their movement.
Celestia looked at him in confusion.
"Can you fly?"
He didn't answer.
His arm pulsed once—just a single pulse.
And the wings opened.
They were majestic, jet-black mechanical wings, like those of a mighty dragon.
They looked like true bloodline wings, not as if they were made from a spiritual weapon.
Celestia froze.
This was not ordinary surprise.
This was systemic shock.
"How…?"
She said it in a low voice, then it rose slightly:
"You're still in the Basic Awakened stage…
how did you use the power of a fourth-grade bloodline?"
Here lay the real problem.
"This—"
Arthur began, but she cut him off immediately.
"No. Not now… not in this place."
Arthur understood the danger.
He knew that any avian-type bloodline was rare outside its original clan.
Without argument, Arthur took flight toward the city.
---
But before they reached five hundred meters, two war aircraft cut off their path—one in front of them, the other circling in a precise surveillance loop.
An automated voice rang out through the aircraft's speakers:
[Agent Code: 3456456]
[Identity verification in progress…]
[Professional Title: Alchemist — Mage]
[True Name: Celestia Starveil]
[Your exit was recorded ten minutes ago… return time is abnormal.]
[Accompanying individual: Arthur Gray]
[Classified: Previously missing — incomplete awakening state]
[Please follow us for identity confirmation and interrogation]
[Any resistance will be classified as a threat]
Arthur looked at Celestia.
She calmly signaled for him to descend carefully.
---
(I told you we must avoid human-populated areas.
If even the slightest trace of Abyssal power inside you is exposed… we're dead.)
The voice reached Arthur's mind with cold clarity, completely devoid of emotion.
He replied without concern, his tone carefully measured, as if every word had passed through precise calculations:
"Don't worry. If things don't go the way we want, we'll retreat using instantaneous teleportation.
For now… everything is under control."
Yet despite his words, Arthur was not deceived by the surface calm.
This place—carrying the weight of organized human presence—was the worst possible stage for even a single mistake to be exposed.
And more than that… he intended to avoid using instantaneous teleportation by any means necessary.
After landing, Arthur was the only one who slowly raised his hands into a clear gesture of surrender.
It wasn't fear… but a cold awareness of reality.
He was the most suspicious one here.
And if this operation failed, he would not be given a second chance.
A few moments passed—
though they felt far longer than they should have.
Then…
The air split apart.
Three figures descended from the sky simultaneously, without excessive noise or any display of power.
Even so, from their presence alone, it was clear—they were anything but ordinary.
Compressed power that did not leak.
A heavy presence that pressed down on the chest.
And bodies that spoke the language of warriors who had fought real battles… not training simulations.
At the center stood their leader.
A tall man with a muscular build, standing firm like a rock that had weathered countless storms.
His short gray hair bore no ornament or disorder,
and his deep blue eyes were hard and sharp—as if they had seen enough death for it to become familiar.
His features alone told the story of someone who had endured the bitterness of thousands of battles.
No excess enthusiasm.
No hesitation.
Only lethal calm… the calm of one who understands war, and the price of mistakes.
To his right stood a member of the dwarf race.
Dark-skinned, solidly built, slightly shorter than the leader—
yet his presence was no less imposing.
What stood out most was his long silver hair,
tied tightly into a ponytail, not a single loose strand.
He wore square glasses that reflected the light coldly,
and from his gaze alone, it was obvious—
This was not a warrior who relied on strength alone.
But a sharp mind, just as deadly as any weapon.
To the leader's left stood a human woman.
Her long brown hair flowed freely behind her,
and her blue eyes were bright, steady, alert—
observing every detail… every movement… every breath.
She was no less imposing than the two men.
She carried the calm and professionalism of a veteran combatant,
the kind who does not rush… and does not hesitate when it's time to decide.
All three wore tight military attire,
designed with precision to clearly display the extent of their training and physical conditioning.
No decoration.
No showmanship.
Only practical gear meant for those accustomed to real combat.
And from their stance alone…
it was clear they had not come merely to observe.
---
The leader finally spoke.
His voice was steady, rough,
and every word he uttered released the pressure of his presence directly onto Arthur—
like a silent test of endurance.
"Agent Celestia…"
He paused briefly, choosing his words with care.
"One hour ago, you submitted an official request to leave in order to bring one of your students for the academy registration examination."
Then his gaze slowly shifted toward Arthur.
"However, after reviewing his personal records,
it became clear that this boy has a past connected to the Abyss."
His voice tightened at the next sentence.
"Unfortunately… for a full two years, no examinations were conducted to confirm his physical condition, nor his psychological—"
Then he raised his tone slightly at the final word, without hiding his doubt:
"—or mental state."
Arthur did not move.
He did not lower his hands.
He did not object.
But his frown deepened at the commander's tone.
At that moment, the other man—the dwarf—intervened before the tension escalated further.
"Alright… could you calm down a bit, Alfred?"
His voice was calmer, but no less serious.
"We are not here to accuse him of something that hasn't been confirmed."
He cleared his throat lightly, then continued:
"What the commander is trying to say is this:
You, boy—Arthur…
two months ago, you submitted a request to leave for an awakening,
in one of the dungeons registered under your instructor, Roselyn."
He shifted his gaze slightly, as if reviewing the sequence of events.
"Up to that point, everything was within normal parameters."
Then his tone changed.
"But after disappearing for a full two months, on another continent…
you now reappear within the borders of the continent of Loraice."
He looked directly at Arthur.
"And that is unusual."
"The continent of Tsukinori is far from ours,
requiring no less than three days of travel via teleportation gates."
He paused.
"So… we want to know how, and more importantly why, you appeared here."
Arthur opened his mouth to speak—
"Oh, and one more thing."
The man's tone suddenly shifted,
into something resembling a warning… or a direct threat.
"I know when someone is lying."
His words edged closer to the brink.
"So don't try to fabricate a strange story.
It will only make things worse."
Arthur slowly nodded.
He took a deep breath.
Then spoke with unexpected calm:
"I have a question, sir."
The dwarf raised an eyebrow slightly.
"In your opinion…
if someone possesses a special lineage,
how long does it take for it to fully awaken?"
The man didn't grasp the intent behind the question,
but answered objectively:
"It varies from one awakened individual to another.
There are rare lineages whose awakening is delayed due to their power,
or because the original host is weak."
He continued:
"And there are other lineages that continue to form within their host for an unknown duration—
it could be a week… or it could extend to a month."
Then he frowned.
"But… I don't understand what this has to do with my question."
Arthur smiled.
A faint smile… calm—
and then he dropped his bomb.
"Because I awakened a noble lineage…
from the faction of the Primordial Dragons."
The statement fell upon them like a meteor.
As if the air itself shattered.
The shock wasn't only in the words—
but in the coldness with which they were spoken.
The brown-haired woman quickly glanced toward her colleague,
trying to understand—
Was this boy telling the truth?
Or were they standing before the most dangerous lie they had ever heard?
After a brief moment, everyone's eyes turned toward the dwarf,
waiting to see what he would say.
He finally spoke, his voice carrying awe and disbelief.
"...He's… he's telling the truth."
---