The storm was unexpected, and it forced the coach driver to change plans abruptly. That should have meant that anyone waiting for them either knew about the weather beforehand, which was very unlikely, or had been tracking their progress.

  Of course, there was also the possibility that the coachman had meant to take them to the Floating Bridge alone using some excuse, and that he’d exploited the storm to lead them into a trap. However, Orion had inspected the man and found nothing suspicious, and this scenario seemed too complicated—especially since it would have been much simpler to attack them in the wilderness rather than in a place where both the Collegium and the Sanctum had a presence.

  Asteria led the way into the dining room, where this mysterious person was waiting for them.

  Orion, on the other hand, wasn’t as relaxed. Maybe it was because they were finally crossing back into the Sanctum’s lands, or because every time something this unexpected happened, things escalated quickly, but he didn’t think it was that strange to be a little more cautious.

  Still, he didn’t linger too long and entered the room, nearly bumping into his mother’s back.

  Asteria stopped suddenly when she saw who it was, and Orion followed her gaze, only to quickly realize why she had become so tense.

  Someone he knew very well was sitting on a chair, nursing a tankard of beer. He had never expected to find her here, especially in the condition she was in.

  Her silver hair, once lustrous and radiant, had become dull, and her presence, which had felt like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, had faded, leaving her looking almost sickly.

  “Eire?” Asteria whispered, and although she said nothing more, the woman flinched, looking up at them with wide eyes.

  Almost instinctively, Orion examined her. He couldn't believe this was his first true teacher in this world, as even in the worst times, she’d kept her composure.

  Yet, the System didn’t lie.

  Eire Nautilus - Faded Heir

  Class: [Light of Transmutation] [B-rank]

  Level: 144

  Mind: 758

  Attunement: 815

  Body: 160

  Traits: Touch of Change [B-rank]; Breath of Life [B-rank]; Moonlit Witchcraft [B-rank]; Mana Manipulation [B-rank]

  It was definitely her. Her class fit, her name fit, and her power fit.

  It was just... Orion didn’t know what he’d expected. The last time he saw her, she’d been shamefaced about having to let him run away despite promising her protection, but that had been nothing compared to what he saw now.

  “Magistra Voidwalker,” Eire finally found the strength to say. Her eyes remained fixed on Asteria, widening the longer she looked at her. “Congratulations,” she finally croaked, sensing the power of a tier four.

  “You didn’t know?” Asteria asked, raising one imperious eyebrow. It was a reasonable question, since the clearest reason Eire would come here was to try and mend bridges before Asteria could reach the Sanctum and be enshrined into its canon by the High Priestess.

  Having such a powerful enemy would be another obstacle to Eire’s journey to becoming Veil Priestess herself, and not something that could be easily forgotten, given the circumstances of their departure.

  “I didn’t,” Eire said, shaking her head. Her hands gripped the wooden table, and she visibly forced herself to stay calm.

  That much was appreciated, as Orion wasn’t sure how he would have reacted if the woman had made herself even more pitiful. In a way, he understood that she had been caught between a rock and a hard place. Morliana was definitely a more dangerous enemy than Asteria and him, and although it hurt her credibility, she could regain it, but not her life.

  But there was also a deep well of contempt within him that he’d tried to ignore so far. It came from the profound betrayal he’d felt when he realized Eire would not follow through on her word, and that he was truly alone in the Sanctum, aside from his mother.

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  It wasn't going to disappear anytime soon, either. He knew because he felt something similar toward his original parents, and that had only begun to fade recently as his relationship with Asteria improved.

  “Then how did you find us?” Pauline asked. Surprisingly, she seemed to know who Eire was and why she was in the state she was, which meant that either Asteria or Kissea had filled her in. Probably both, since Pauline was supposed to serve as his guard.

  That question seemed to restore some of Eire's strength. She stood taller and met their eyes directly for the first time. “The High Priestess told me you would come through here. That you would need my help before too long, and that this would be the only chance I’d ever have to do something to settle the debt I owe you.”

  Asteria had been clearly preparing for a tough confrontation, likely with plenty of harsh words for the woman who betrayed her promises, but learning that Seraphina was the one who sent her changed everything, especially considering why she had done so.

  “What do you mean, we’ll need your help?” She hissed instead.

  Eire’s lips twisted, and it was clear she hadn’t been given many answers. Orion had only spoken with the High Priestess once, after she saved him from the harpy, and he could still remember the feeling that every one of her words had multiple meanings and depths he could only begin to understand.

  It wasn't surprising that she gave such vague orders.

  Sighing, Asteria finally broke the standoff and crossed the distance, eliciting a minute flinch from Eire, before she sat down and gestured for everyone to follow her lead.

  Once they had, she turned to Eire and pinned her with a hard look. “Do not think this means we are good. But for now, I am willing to hear you out, if only out of deference to the High Priestess.”

  Eire nodded seriously, understanding the implicit warning. “I know. I do not have all the details, as the mission I was given was relatively vague, but you all know just how complicated future-sight is, and if the High Priestess felt strongly enough to send me, I do not feel we can ignore the warning.”

  “I agree,” Orion spoke for the first time. Eire’s eyes skittered over to his, and he could see the surprise at how much he’d grown since they’d last seen each other.

  Still, she didn’t say anything and instead nodded to show her gratitude for his support and continued explaining. “I have been here for two days, and in this time, I did my best to get the lay of the land and try to prepare for whatever it is that she saw coming.”

  She didn’t seem especially pleased with her findings, but with such vague augurs, it was to be expected.

  “There have been some strange monster movements in the past week, especially aquatic ones, as they entered the Belt from the northern sea and were not chased out by the hordes of adventurers of the Tower of Ambition like they usually are. That, I believe, is the most pressing danger, but there is another thing I found that gave me pause.”

  Orion silently watched her, internally torn between how easy it was to fall back into a familiar dynamic and how much resentment he still held. I wonder if this is what Mom feels like whenever she has to meet with Antares. It’s probably even worse for her.

  Few things annoyed Orion more than feeling helpless against his own emotions. It was the reason why he became so skilled at suppressing everything, and it was tempting to fall back into that habit.

  Ignoring his bitter anger toward Eire would have been easy. He could rationalize it all away with the urgency of the situation, as the High Priestess had foreseen enough danger in their path to send reinforcements—though notably not enough to come herself.

  But he knew that if he allowed himself to do that, he would slip back to where he had been before his recent emotional growth, and he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to have to feel anything about anything that wasn’t pure scientific progress, despite how much he enjoyed it.

  And so, he left the room he’d been assigned for the night and wandered out to the balcony.

  The storm still howled all around them, showing no signs of easing, but wrapped in the building’s wards, it was easy to forget about it.

  He didn’t turn around as the footsteps neared, but he spoke first, not wanting to give her the first move. “Did she not give you all she promised? I’d think someone as old as her would know better than to fleece people.”

  Eire sighed but didn’t rebuke him for speaking ill of a Veil Priestess. Still, she managed to surprise him. “She offered more than enough resources and aid to see me to the fourth tier,” she said, and Orion turned around in surprise.

  Under the weak light of the balcony, her pale skin and silver hair made her look almost like a ghost, but the bitter smile on her face made everything seem more real. “Yeah, Morliana was more than happy that I let you go. She saw it as a chance to strengthen her grip on the new generation and wanted to raise me to become one of its leaders.”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t take it,” he said slowly. Her level hadn’t changed since he last saw her, which, while normal in typical circumstances—since gaining enough experience at the end of the third tier was a monumental task—made Asteria’s record growth even more astonishing. However, this was simply not possible when Morliana was involved.

  Even without holding Eire’s hand, she could have easily given her access to powerful monsters and rare tomes that would have allowed her to progress on her own.

  “I didn’t,” Eire replied. “I couldn’t really. The moment you left, I knew I had made a terrible mistake, but at the same time, that there was no other choice.”

  Orion turned back around. “If it is my forgiveness you seek, you have much to do to earn it.” It was a struggle to keep the bitterness from tinting his tone, but perhaps the cold lack of it was still enough.

  Eire clenched her hands and nodded slowly. “I know. That’s why I’m here. Though I guess you didn’t need my help, since your mother has managed to do what I’ve been trying to accomplish in much less time.”

  “She is a talented woman,” he replied, and she could only twist her lips at the understatement. Still, he hadn’t rejected her, and that was as close as he could get to agreeing to accept her help.

  “Also, pull yourself together. If we're in for a hard ride, I don’t want to have to worry about you too,” he said as a parting shot before turning around and leaving her there.

  The following morning, they all gathered in the carriage, now including Eire. The coachman and hostess looked at her with curiosity but didn’t ask about her circumstances.

  She looked nothing like she did the night before. The haunted look and messy hair were gone, replaced by a resolute expression and stark austerity that made questioning her presence impossible.

  She also didn’t sit, preferring to stand by the window, staring into the howling storm, waiting for her moment to act.

  Orion still wasn’t sure what she expected to happen. Seraphina’s warning had been serious, but also very vague. They could be attacked from any direction, or just become collateral damage to others’ trouble.

  After all, they weren’t the only carriages crossing the bridge. At least a dozen more were making the journey despite the weather, since business had to go on even in these conditions.

  Thunder rumbled, and lightning streaked across the sky, briefly illuminating it and revealing a massive shape lurking above.

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