Devus wiped the last smear of egg yolk from his plate with a thick crust of dark bread before shoving the whole thing in his mouth. The smell of fried bacon and toasted oats still hung thick in the small kitchen. That kind of weekend breakfast usually left him sluggish and happy, but today, it only fueled the nervousness buzzing beneath his skin.

  "You're really going for a whole month?"

  Devus looked up. His little sister, Mily, sat across the wooden table, her chin resting on her folded arms. Her big brown eyes were wide, filled with both curiosity and the childish fear of being left behind by someone. Again.

  "Yeah, squirt," Devus said, offering her a reassuring smile. He popped the last piece of bread into his mouth and chewed slowly. "Four weeks. Don't worry, it'll fly by before you know it."

  "But is it really necessary?" she asked as her voice dropped to a whisper. "Auntie says the wilderness is dangerous."

  Devus's aunt, who had been scrubbing a pan by the hearth, stopped what she was doing. She didn't turn around, but her back stiffened. She had taken them in without hesitation after their parents died in a battle at Kastal's border and had raised them as her own. The thought of losing one of them to another war—whether on the battlefield or in its shadow—was probably terrifying for her.

  Devus stood, the wooden chair scraping against the floorboards. He walked over to Mily and kissed her forehead, closing his eyes for a brief instant as he breathed in the scent of milky soap that always clung to her. Everything he did was for her. For her future.

  "It is," he said, kneeling next to her. "But if we want a better world, Mily, we need strong people," he continued. Looking at her, he flexed his bicep, the muscle straining against the fabric of his linen shirt. "People who can protect others."

  Mily giggled as she poked his arm. "You're just showing off."

  "Maybe a little," Devus admitted with a wink.

  "Devus."

  He turned to his aunt. She had finally spun around and was now wiping her hands on her apron. Her face was lined with worry. It was the same expression she'd worn the day he'd announced he wanted to get a sponsor and join Trogan Academy.

  "Be prudent," she finally said. "Strength means nothing if you don't come back."

  "I know. I promise I will."

  Devus crossed the room and grabbed his gear from where it was hanging. First, he slipped into the chest armor and let the second skin of leather and steel plates settle over his shoulders. He then buckled the piece, tightening it until the cold metal pressed hard against his sternum. The greaves and boots came next, followed by his shield, which he slung across his back, and finally came his Endless Pouch.

  The moment he was done, he turned back toward the hearth of the room. Mily's hands clenched onto her cup, and her eyes were locked on him. Devus moved closer and kissed her forehead once more.

  "I'll be back in no time, squirt."

  "You better!" she immediately answered.

  After straightening up, Devus gave a brief nod to his aunt and grabbed the spear leaning against the wall along with the letter resting on the mantel. The parchment was crisp beneath his fingers, its seal marked with a red cross in the white circle. The crest of his sponsor.

  Outside, the cool morning air met him like a slap. As he walked, his gaze drifted to the houses around. Most were built from blocks of gray quarry stone rather than the dark, creaking timber that one could see in Arthuri. Sharp slate roofs sliced against the brightening sky, and heavy iron grates covered the lower windows of the street-level workshops.

  Devus adjusted the strap of his pauldrons as his eyes moved back to the dirt road ahead. He didn't regret moving his aunt and sister to Trogan. After the… mess with House Faertis, keeping his aunt and Mily in Arthuri would have been reckless, especially given how close he was to Seth.

  Trogan was expensive, and the presence of the noble Houses was even stronger here, but at least they were safer. And over time, the lower taxes would make up for the higher cost of the house—and the higher cost of living in general.

  Devus looked down at the letter in his hand, his thumb brushing the broken seal of wax. he thought.

  Navigating the winding, paved streets, he made his way toward the district's edge as the rest of the city woke up; the smell of baking bread warred with the metallic tang of the smithies firing up their forges. By the time the Adventurer Outpost came into view, the morning bustle was in full swing.

  He spotted her immediately. Leaning against a wooden post near the entrance was Jenna, tapping her foot, arms crossed over her chest. She wore her light leather armor, twin swords at her hips, and her shoulder-length brown hair caught the early sunlight.

  "You're late," she said before he even reached her, pushing herself off the post.

  Devus offered a sheepish grin. "Breakfast ran long. Mily didn't want me to leave."

  "Is she doing any better?" Jenna's expression softened instantly, and the edge dropped from her voice. "Crying less?"

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  Devus let out a long breath. "Yeah. A little."

  At first he'd planned to keep everything to himself. But after he'd shown up late to their morning training more than once, Jenna had started asking questions. In the end, he'd told her everything: how the move from Arthuri to Trogan had uprooted Mily's life, how the first few weeks had been filled with hours of sobbing—over the loss of her friends, her routine, everything she had ever known.

  It had reached a point four weeks ago where Devus had abandoned the dorm tower altogether, spending his nights beside Mily's bed until she finally drifted off, clutching his hand like a lifeline. Being late had become routine. Seth, being Seth—always focused on his next hunt or how to get stronger—hadn't noticed a thing. But Jenna had. And so had Elena.

  "She's tough," Devus added, more to convince himself than Jenna. "She stopped asking when we're going back to Arthuri, at least. That's progress."

  "It is," Jenna answered. "She just needs time. At that age, it can be… a lot."

  Devus nodded, then looked at the road on the left. "Yeah. It really can. Anyway, let's get going. We don't want to make them wait."

  Wasting no time, they fell into step together, their boots striking the stone in a steady rhythm as they made their way toward the caravan station. Carts rattled over the streets, merchants shouted prices from behind stalls, and both soldiers and Adventurers moved with purpose through the crowds. With the upcoming war, of them used weekends to train.

  "I still can't believe your sponsor hired the Champions of Chaos to take us on an expedition," Jenna said, shaking her head. "Do you have any idea how much that ? It's ridiculous."

  Devus puffed out his chest in an obvious show of false pride. "What can I say? He believes in me." He glanced at her sideways. "And you, since he told me to invite my friends."

  Jenna scoffed. "If he believes in you so much, why didn't he just buy you better spell-scrolls? One or two Epic ones would have been just as useful as a month-long trip with high-Rank adventurers… and way less expensive!"

  "He must have a reason," Devus said, pressing his lips together. He looked down at his calloused hands. For over a year, he'd thought his sponsor didn't believe in him and that was the reason why he'd been forced to fight with Common and Uncommon spells. "Maybe he thinks I'd rely too much on powerful spells. If I just beat everyone in class with those, I wouldn't get better at actually fighting."

  "Maybe," Jenna answered. "But still… it's the Champions of Chaos, Dev. Hiring them for nearly a month sounds . And why allow both me and Elena to come? It sounds like Seth did something too." She narrowed her eyes before looking at him. "Yeah, he definitely pulled some strings. Maybe he convinced them to give a discount to your sponsor?"

  "Could be that," Devus replied with a shrug. Seth had been secretive lately, always out hunting, coming back with new wounds, an intense look in his eyes. And now he'd left on a month-long Rift dive with Professor Reat. "He's got his ways. Speaking of which, where exactly is Elena joining up with us?"

  Jenna sighed. "She said she'd meet us at Sidera. Her parents were… hesitant, to say the least. Letting their daughter train in the wild with commoners and a group of Adventurers."

  "They aren't just Adventurers, they're basically the best."

  Before Jenna could answer, the duo reached Trogan's caravan station with all its chaotic sprawl of wagons, harnessed beasts, and travelers. The air was thick with the smell of manure and sweat, yet Devus barely noticed. His attention instead fell on the group waiting near a large, reinforced wagon at the back of the lot.

  The four figures next to it stood apart from the rest, exuding an aura of power that made passersby stare.

  There was a woman, clad in white Priest robes, with a staff that radiated a faint, soothing glow even under the midday sun. Beside her stood an archer, who was tightening the string of her bow while her blonde ponytail swayed in the breeze. Behind, a massive, bald warrior waited with his arms crossed, looking like a boulder that had decided to take human form. And finally, next to him was a man Devus remembered seeing in the medical area after Seth's fight with Lucius: Orwen, the leader of the Champions of Chaos.

  The man was absently fiddling with a piece of parchment, the edges of which were spotted with what seemed to be mold.

  "They're actually here," Jenna whispered, her skepticism transforming into awe.

  Devus swallowed the lump in his throat. "Let's not keep them waiting."

  They crossed the remaining distance, the gravel crunching beneath their boots sounding impossibly loud despite all the surrounding noise. As Jenna and Devus approached the reinforced wagon, the Champions of Chaos turned their attention toward them. Up close, the aura the group of Adventurers projected was suffocating.

  The blond archer was the first to break the tension. She stepped forward, slinging her bow across her back. Her green eyes swept over Devus and Jenna.

  "You must be Seth's friends, Devus and Jenna," she said. A moment later, she hooked a thumb toward her chest. "I'm Lyria."

  Orwen moved in right after her. "And I'm Orwen," the man added, extending a hand to Devus. "I believe we met about a month ago. At the academy nursery?"

  "Yes, sir," Devus replied, shaking his hand. "That's right."

  Orwen's attention then shifted to Jenna. His gaze lingered on the twin swords at her hips before flicking briefly to his own. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Double one-handed sword style? Good choice."

  Jenna straightened slightly. "That's because of you, sir. My father used to tell me about his sparring with you. And how you always won. I couldn't really imagine following any other path."

  Orwen blinked, surprised, then let out a short laugh. "Georges? The captain of the Surani Guards?"

  "Yes, sir."

  A broad smile spread on Orwen's face. "A great man," he said. "And a good friend."

  The moment the man stepped back, Lyria seized the opening. "Alright, let's finish the introductions," she said, gesturing toward the two silent figures behind her. "This is Krystel, and the grumpy one is Drack."

  The massive man let out a single, deep grunt that sounded like grinding stone, but Devus' chest still tightened.

  . The Crusader of the Champions of Chaos. One of the greatest Guardians of Kastal—someone whose name came up in academy lectures and half-drunk tavern stories alike.

  Beside the man, Krystel offered a polite nod as her hands remained tucked within the sleeves of her robe.

  "A pleasure," Devus managed, keeping his back straight while beside him, Jenna dipped her head.

  "Alright." Orwen clapped his hands together, and the sharp sound cut through the din of the caravan station. "Introductions are done, so toss your packs in the wagon. We're burning daylight."

  The leader of the branch turned, looking out toward the northern gate, where the road stretched into the horizon like a gray ribbon.

  "We've got a long ride to Sidera ahead of us," he continued. "Once Miss Surani joins us there, we'll use the remaining time on the road to walk all three of you through what's coming. You need to know exactly what you're stepping into before we reach the Inferno Mountains. Your sponsor may have paid for your safety, but out there, knowledge keeps you alive more than coin."

  Devus took a deep breath, then followed Jenna, Orwen, and the others toward the wagon. The Inferno Mountains. Whatever awaited them there, one thing was clear: this was no longer just training. These four weeks could mean the difference between life and death in the coming war.

  It was time to give everything he had. For Mily. And everyone.

  (NOT UPDATED):

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