"Hiro, that is my name."

  He replied.

  "Hiro, what a strange name. Stranger still you are with prince Aleus, bu I don't recognize you."

  She said with a pondering tone, her eyes narrowed.

  "The world is vast how can it be possible to know everyone."

  Hiro said plainly, he could tell the truth, explaining everything but that would only serve to create confusion and suspicion within her, more than his indifferent reply.

  "Should I say as expected of a hidden expert."

  Isis continued as her gaze went to Aleus, right now with these two before her, many thoughts emerged and conflicted with one another as she tried to derive an answer to it all.

  (Whoever he is, he must at least be trust worthy enough for Aleus to bring along. And judging by his life force, a master, that is if he's not an expert whose life force has been increased by a master. Reaching this stage while so young, definitely a genius on the same level as the Aleus and Arisu. His attitude also aligns with this.)

  She assessed Hiro, despite them meeting for the first time he didn't show any signs of admiring or an idolizing attitude towards her, even though she was the number one rune finder on the continent. But she wasn't bothered by this instead she preferred it, constantly having people trying to gain her approval and attention was tiring.

  (But more importantly his presence here, what does it signify? Not long ago the life force I receive from the world surged and is still climbing, although now steadily. This can explain why Aleus is here, but him. Could this be due to the success of Rune King's plan of holding a gathering of masters, is Hiro a recruited hidden rune practitioner after the fact. No, it is too soon for most of these developments.)

  She concluded her thoughts finally asking the person in question.

  "I assume it's not a coincidence that you ended up in this ruin and are here looking for me. That being the case something major must have happened in the time I was inside the ruin besides the obvious. So please tell me everything of importance that has happened in the last twenty four hours?"

  "In the last twenty four hours, are you sure that's what you mean?"

  Hiro responded with a question of his own feeling perplexed. It wasn't that nothing had happened recently on such a scale but he expected the question to be about the recent days not day.

  "I was but I'm not so sure anymore. Something is definitely amiss here, just tell for as far back as you believe I should know."

  At her suggestion Hiro explained every major event since arriving at Akarn's capital and joining the gathering of masters at the palace. From the world's restoration, the ongoing conference for the continent future as a whole and the fragment's subjugation.

  "That's not good, the rate of time inside the ruin isn't in sync with the outside world. I've only been inside for no more than twelve hours and I got inside the ruin a day before the gathering at the palace was held. I was thinking your arrival was too sudden but now it makes sense."

  Isis exclaimed recovering from her temporary shock after receiving the information.

  (So there's a reason she's still here despite how fast Aleus made it through the tests, as his master she should be at least be his match. But it is still too long even when factoring the guardians.)

  "You've been here for that long, it couldn't have been the tests and ruin guardians that ate away at your time, right?"

  "That's right, after intruding into the ruin I was stealthy enough to not be discovered by the ruin guardians. Managed to explore every rune inheritance mountain but when the world's life force surged I was confident of victory. I took the opportunity struck the ruin guardians, managed to chase them away then came here, where the most valuable rune is."

  She answered with sincerity despite still not being clear of Hiro's identity.

  "I see. Then how long does it take to fully comprehend this rune inheritance?"

  Even though Hiro didn't say it, Isis could already guess where Hiro was going with this. If it took even just an hour then it wasn't worth staying for, they were pressed for time. Regardless of whether everyone who came wasn't relevant to the subjugation except Hiro, to leave Hiro couldn't do it alone. After inheriting the rune a door leading out did not materialise thus only those who had fully inherited the rune could make a passage out, a condition Isis had guessed Hiro did not fulfill.

  "It can't be helped then we'll have to disrupt him we need to leave now."

  She said while taking out her engraver and drew on the air, her delicate hands moved fast but with precision. Hiro observed in silence not sure what it was she was drawing while thinking.

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  (At first I thought drawing on air was common but now I know it's a matter of mastery. Rune apprentices can engrave anything solid, rune experts take it further, engraving liquids. While rune masters take it even further engraving the very air itself.)

  Less than a breath later she was done. She had drawn a violet and black butterfly, afterwards she used the inherited rune, it translated to dream, Hiro could finally see now that it wasn't glowing as bright as before. The butterfly came to life and flew into Aleus head causing him to wake up.

  "Master it's been while"

  Were his first words as he opened his eyes seeing her before him.

  "Forget reunions your friend here tells me we're short on time."

  She said extending a hand to pull him up, he took it rising with ease while he said.

  "Hence the reason for cutting me short, no matter, the ruin isn't going anywhere. But us running out of time is something that can't be excused."

  Aleus wasn't sure of the situation but hearing Hiro was the one hinting at their loss of time, there was no need to hesitate besides the ruin wasn't even the reason they came in the first place. He wasn't the least bit disappointed, now that they knew its whereabouts they could always return.

  Seeing his resolute attitude Isis also did not hold back and hastily drew a door that led them to the second dark space. Faced with the sleeping bunch she did the same as before, drawing several butterflies that flew to those still lost in the dreaming. One by one they woke up, some appeared dazed while some were clear headed.

  "We failed didn't we."

  Exclaimed Nubel with clear dejection.

  "You didn't fail we just don't have as much time as we thought and our primary goal has been achieved..."

  "So it was all a dream..."

  Exclaimed another interrupting Aleus, someone was about to scold this person but seeing the tears trickling down his cheeks they held themselves back. A man crying at a time like this, clearly his emotional state wasn't right and evidently he wasn't the only one like this but he had it the worst.

  "No need for regrets, this was just one trip there'll be more in the future. Not to mention this isn't the only rune to be inherited here."

  Encouraged Isis.

  Outside the illusion world, Leandro and the other failures of the second test, they sat anxiously gazing the portraits that had returned to their original positions and state, and before the portraits was the summoned Spiriton. After being kicked out of the first dark space they had returned to this hall and while they waited for the others Spiriton suddenly appeared, not only were they startled after its appearance they were overcome with a feeling of trepidation.

  "How long has it been since that sword has been like that?"

  "Beats me I'm just glad it doesn't appear agitated any more."

  "I feel the same way. It really was quite the surprise to think this sword can display cognition. Sigh, let's just hope it calming down means it was just a false alarm."

  While they continued discussing, filled with many questions about holy sword Spiriton, the portraits fluctuated again but this time at no apparent cause. The same inky substance spewed out covering the wall, from which Hiro, Aleus, Isis, Nubel and the rest came out.

  Leandro and the other failures moved to welcome them as relief washed over them. While they expressed their worries over what happened, Hiro took hold of his sword with a faint smile.

  "Now let's see if this works."

  He muttered before slashing with Spiriton and tearing space apart, from the gap the Aleus's sky ship could be seen along with the scenery of buildings buried in sand. No one was shocked at this display aside from Isis but she did not let it show as she too silently exited the ruin through this short cut. As she left her attention was on the sky, the sun was at its peak, around midday she guessed recalling what records said. Telling the time by assessing the sun in the sky was a first.

  (A blue sky, honestly I never thought I would live long enough to see it.)

  She thought, her feelings were complex, being in the ruin this was her first time seeing the outside world after the change and unlike everyone else she didn't even witness the gradual transition of the sky to its current color. It was no longer the dark and gloomy cloudy sky but a blue one with scattered clouds and a vibrant sun. It was scorching hot but at this moment to her this discomfort she felt from its rays served as comfort and hope for what's to come.

  "Leandro go get the ruin key, Nubel prepare the ship for flight."

  Aleus instructed after they left the ruin and the space tear closed. The two acted with enthusiasm carrying out their orders. It didn't take long for them to complete their tasks, Leandro brought back the ruin key and handed it over to Aleus.

  "Good with this the ruin is officially Akarn's, all we have to do is share two or three runes from the inheritances and the other kingdoms won't cause us any trouble."

  Noted Aleus clear of the situation, even though the Secluded Rune Era had passed and runes were wide spread, they still a source of power and were definitely not handed out like candy. But keeping the ruin secret would only be temporary and after being found out they would be accused of hoarding. And the only way to claim it publically, Akarn had to share the bare minimum of spoils with the rest of the continent.

  At present they weren't sure how much time had passed as such before taking flight Hiro used Spiriton once more opening a tear in space shortening the distance the sky ship had to fly, bringing them was close as between Akarn's capital and the city closest to it.

  With this brief period of travel Aleus finally took the opportunity to speak with his master, he hadn't forgotten his initial purpose for seeking her. He quickly explained his predicament, how with her vouching for him others would too pressuring his father to let him participate.

  "Sorry, don't think it will be possible. You see I wasn't sure what was going on with the world's life force increasing, so when I launched my attack on the ruin guardians I wasn't even one fifth from how I am now. It was a guaranteed win so I acted without hesitation but if the subjugation is as soon as you say it is it won't be possible for me to go. I need too rest."

  "So that's it. If you don't go then the value of your words for the subjugation plummet."

  Isis silently nodded, this was indeed the case, even as his master who would take her seriously when she vouches for him to go into danger she wasn't more so when even the king was against it.

  "Look forward to tonight, you'll finally see those stars you taught me about. They are definitely sights of wonder, the books don't do them justice. As for my participation in the subjugation you can forget I mentioned it."

  He said as he left thinking to himself.

  (Nothing has changed but this trip was not without gains.)

  "I look forward to it then."

  Isis replied watching Aleus's back as he moved farther away, her gaze was anxious.