Dark clouds converged over the town of Winterfrost, as across the sky flickered several white serpents with thunderous roars.

  Huge rain droplets fell upon the ground, making puddles on every step while softening the dirt and creating mud everywhere.

  Despite that, the raging winds brought with them pleasing warmth as if announcing that the spring had finally come in full swing.

  ‘While there will be big struggles for power in the town since there are more competitors feigning to be allies, we should be able to avoid it completely once you give them your signature. They will consider you a tool that lost its usefulness at this moment. You should be at ease for minimally three or so years. That means during that time we will have to find a way to extract that magic chest out of you.’

  Illyan remembered the last thing that Aurelia told him before he left the manor.

  He finally explained to her where the so-called key was residing and the problem that came with it.

  In the Ruin City of Faruin, Illyan stole it because it was one of the keys of the inheritance.

  Or rather, it was obvious that the key was inside.

  So, without opening it, they would not get anything.

  And even before that, he needed to actually find it inside of him and get it outside.

  Since that day, he could not feel its presence at all and it made him frustrated.

  During their ride back from the expedition, he had many times an urge to tell Aurelia about it and to locate it within him but the fact that they were watched during the entire time was a very suffocating experience.

  Aurelia didn’t know what he managed to obtain the entire time. Just that he succeeded.

  As Illyan walked with a cape over his head through the rainy weather, he started to ponder.

  ‘Maybe there is some kind of trigger to open it. I thought the tiles could have a way to help in opening it but even she could not feel anything extraordinary within them…’

  Illyan felt a faint disappointment when she told him this but still didn’t let go of them.

  ‘Maybe even she can’t feel it. She is not omnipotent.’

  Deciding he will keep them until he fully understands them, he hid them in the basement where no one would visit.

  Soon, Illyan’s figure passed through an alley he had never gone to as he looked at the inconspicuous house in front of him.

  The sky was dim and everything was veiled in darkness.

  It was hard to see as every single house in the neighbourhood was as dark as ink with no source of life.

  Yet the moment he stood up right in front of its door, he felt a slight shift in the surroundings as the distortion of the air around him revealed bright lights flickering inside of the windows inside of the building as if they were there from the beginning.

  Illyan felt a wave of surprise but didn’t show it to himself.

  ‘This is the right place.’ He only nodded to himself as he was now sure after seeing this magic.

  It was already strange to see magic in some random building but the fact that the lights were lit up just because of the bad weather showed something was off about this place.

  It was unusual since this building was not in the district where the wealthy reside nor any important place.

  Common folk had no way to keep lights during the dark. It simply didn’t pay off. Most of them would only own a few candles for emergencies or important events. That was all.

  It was normal for peasants to go to sleep at dusk and wake up at dawn.

  Thus the lights in the building would be quite conspicuous if not for the distortion that hid it.

  But that was also the indication that he was in the right place.

  The place that Korin told him shortly before he left his manor.

  Just as he reached his hand to knock on the door, the sound of creaky hinges could be heard as the crooked wooden door opened.

  “Hello, Kaoran! I am glad that you decided to visit.” Tami, who stood there in a robe, smiled with a heartfelt expression as she let Kaoran inside.

  “Good evening.”

  Illyan nodded as he greeted everyone inside.

  Mufa was working on something with Neddard who just nodded while Arun was pretending to read some scrolls as he glanced at Illyan once in a while trying to be discreet.

  “Let’s not waste time here. Miss Vanda and Mr. Korin are waiting,” Tami said as she guided Illyan further into the building and took him downstairs.

  There, he followed Tami through a small corridor until she stopped at the end as she knocked at the door.

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  “Let him enter,” a muffled voice behind the door said.

  “Please go ahead, Kaoran. You will definitely not regret this. We will achieve everything we want. There is no doubt about it,” Tami clenched her fist and teeth in determination as she nodded to Illyan and left words of encouragement before she left.

  “I hope that too…” Illyan muttered to himself as he entered the room.

  The moment Illyan entered the room, he was hit by the strange smell and mix of bright and dim lights.

  The walls were covered by the shelves from the floor to ceiling and were holding all kinds of strange things. Jars filled with organs of who knew what species, strange plants that were moving on their own and other strange materials that Illyan could not identify.

  The most familiar thing to him were the few dried-up herbs that were hanging from the ceiling shelf.

  On the ground, many sturdy tables were put together as various tools, materials and glasses filled with unknown liquids filled up the space on the tables.

  There was even a gigantic cauldron at the back of the room looking almost archaic compared to other things around. However, it didn’t look out of place. Instead, it felt just right.

  Everything was lit up with high-quality lamps that Illyan never saw before. He only knew about the oil lamps, but these were definitely not them.

  All in all, it was a very strange place.

  Though, Illyan didn’t show a negative reaction. Despite not knowing most of the things inside, he felt his academic soul stir as he felt the attraction towards the unknown items.

  But he didn’t dwell on it as he focused on the important thing.

  In the middle of the room, one table was empty with only a stack of few papers, a feather quill and an ink bottle.

  Korin and Vanda were sitting behind it as they read certain books with tea cups prepared in front of them.

  “Please sit down,” Korin smiled as he put the book aside and adjusted the monocle on his eye.

  Vanda also smiled, it was obvious that she didn’t even read the book and just waited for him as she grinned with her white pearls at him.

  Illyan didn’t hesitate as he strode over and sat on the chair prepared for him.

  “You chose quite decisively,” Korin mentioned as he leaned on his own chair.

  “Well, after seeing the scene in front of the gate today, I started to feel more urgency. I feel that if I don’t make a choice here, I will be swept up in the tide of change,” Illyan shrugged off as he took a kettle and poured a tea cup for himself.

  It would seem to be quite a rude gesture but no one batted an eye at it as they both knew that after this day, they would be true ‘comrades’.

  “Oh? That’s really accurate. Your instincts are sharp, huh?” Vanda chimed up as her eyes almost bore a hole into Illyan’s head.

  “That’s what kept me alive until now… Miss Vanda? I guess this is what I should call you from now on right?” Illyan said with a completely blank expression.

  That made the grin on Vanda’s face disappear as she scowled.

  “There is no need for that, is there? After all—” Her face turned seductive as she spoke but stopped when she saw Illyan’s corner of mouth curled up.

  “You are teasing me!” With a righteous indignation, she slapped the table as she called out to his wrongdoing.

  “I am just trying to lighten up the mood. After all, being nervous can be detrimental during such a huge decision.”

  After a short exchange of banter where Korin just stood there with a surprised but otherwise peaceful expression, they finally started the negotiation.

  “I believe that Korin told you what this contract entails, but he probably told you only the superficial things. So I will explain it to you,” Vanda’s expression was somber now as she put her hand together in front of her on the table.

  “Our group is looking for the ancient heritage of the last emperor of the Gondoris Dynasty. We have many enemies with the most probable being the Acolytes, the Academic Institute that was originally built to find the heritage, and even the royal family of Vanaras.

  So far, we have alliances with several powers like the prince you saw today, although they may be, or rather are, temporary…” As Vanda started to explain, Illyan feigned a startled expression as he heard all the obstacles that would be in front of them.

  “I will tell you more details later on as other information is classified. You just need to know that if you let them, they won’t hesitate to tear you apart. And that brings the next point that is very important for you to take into consideration if you want to be one of us.” Vanda’s expression turned cold as she finished her sentence.

  “We are not here to be heroes. Each of our members has their deepest wishes that they are willing to sacrifice all their life for and this inheritance will be the key to turn their lives around. If needed, we will walk over corpses of the people who stand in our way. This is something we can’t compromise on. To be honest, I was hesitating whether you would be willing to join us because of this since you are a physician who doesn’t even charge his patients properly but…”

  Vanda stopped talking as she smirked.

  Meanwhile, Korin who sat beside her frowned as he felt tense. While Illyan wasn’t essential to their mission, he would still be very important if he could improve in mathematics at the rate he was doing so far.

  Being able to treat their injuries was also a great bonus since what they were doing was very dangerous.

  Illyan who heard that turned silent as he looked down.

  Vanda nor Korin could see his expression but their reactions were different.

  Korin’s nervous expression and Vanda’s confident one created a contrast as Illyan sat opposite them in silence.

  After a while, even Vanda’s smile faded as she waited for Illyan’s answer.

  Just then…

  “Heh…”

  A small laugh escaped Illyan’s mouth as he looked up with a curled-up mouth.

  Korin tilted his head in confusion and Vanda stayed silent.

  “Hahaha!” It was then when Illyan laughed loudly and clearly. It was the first time they saw him show this much emotion in front of them.

  It was not even forced. Illyan truly felt the desire to laugh at this moment.

  “This is one of the funniest things I heard, I tell you. I take it that what Korin told me in the manor was a white lie then?” Illyan smirked as he leaned on his chair.

  His demeanor different from normal, Vanda was thrown off while Korin felt a wave of awkwardness.

  Seeing this, Vanda turned to him with a questioning gaze.

  “Cough… Well, you see…”

  Korin hesitated a bit before sighing and staring right into Illyan’s eyes.

  “That’s right. The Academic Institute is our enemy in this case as the entire organization was created just for the search and excavation of that inheritance. Their sense of mission diluted over time but the library still holds mostly the historical archaeology books of that era with many elders in the council having their eyes on it.”

  Saying that, he took a sip of the tea and didn’t elaborate any more.

  He didn’t make any other excuses as this one was enough in his opinion.

  They were their competitors and because of that also their enemies.

  Illyan narrowed his eyes as they returned their gaze unwaveringly.

  “So you betrayed the institute you worked for decades?”

  Korin was one of the few academics that worked in the institute for a very long time and slowly crawled his way up as he became one of the most accomplished scholars in Vanaras.

  But now, he would bite the hand that fed him?

  “There is no true connection within the institute. It is just an equivalent exchange. Don’t tell me that now that you became an academic you would fight for them?”

  Korin asked with genuine disdain as he didn’t hide the fact that he never felt that this place was home or the colleagues inside were his friends. Everything was purely professional and he paid off anything that was owed.

  There was no reason to feel indebted.

  Illyan smirked in his heart.

  ‘At least now I feel your true sincerity.’

  It was visible to him that they were going all out and that refusing was not an option for them now…