We arrived back at the Ashborne mansion just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The mont the heavy front doors clicked shut behind us, the exhaustion finally hit . My muscles ached from the continuous brawling and the sheer weight of the ore we had hauled out of the catacombs.
"Take the sacks down to the basent," I told Alicia, slipping off my tactical coat. "Give it all to rle. He will figure out what to do with the materials."
"Understood, Master," Alicia said, hoisting the heavy canvas sacks over her shoulder without complaint. She looked just as tired as I felt, her face sared with soot and dried monster blood.
I left her to it and headed straight for the washroom.
I stripped off my ruined clothes and sank into a hot bath. The steaming water stung the freshly healed skin where the jungle beasts and catacomb monsters had cut , but it washed away the foul stench of the swamp and the ash. I sat there for a while, running through the day’s combat in my head. My physical conditioning was holding up. The auto-healing of the Rune was flawless. Now, I just needed rle to finish forging the new weapons.
By the ti I dried off, dressed in comfortable clothes, and walked down to the dining room, dinner was already on the table.
Lily had prepared a heavy beef stew. Alicia was already seated, looking refreshed and wearing her clean butler uniform. Irina and Nero were eating quietly at the end of the table.
I sat down and picked up my spoon.
"Master," Lily said, pouring a glass of water. "You had a visitor while you were out today."
I paused, the spoon halfway to my mouth. "A visitor? Who?"
"Lady Elisha Ravenscroft," Lily replied.
I raised an eyebrow. Elisha rarely went out of her way to visit my estate, especially unannounced.
"Did she say what she wanted?" I asked.
"No," Lily shook her head. "She waited in the parlor for about an hour. When I told her you might not return until late, she decided to leave. But she left a letter for you."
Lily reached into her apron pocket, pulled out a crisp, white envelope sealed with the red Ravenscroft family crest, and handed it to .
I wiped my hands on a napkin and broke the wax seal.
Alicia, who had been quietly eating her stew, suddenly stopped. She leaned slightly to the side, her crimson eyes trying to peek over my arm to read the contents of the paper.
"What is it, Master?" Alicia asked, her tone entirely too casual.
I used the letter opener Lily brought, unfolded the heavy parchnt, and scanned the short, cleanly written lines.
[To the esteed Cadet Lucien Ashborne.Even with the sumr sun approaching, we remain diligent Academy cadets. It has already been two weeks since vacation began. I am writing to you on behalf of the Academy’s Shooting Club.We are hosting an event to invite skilled marksn to volunteer at the border, showcase their shooting skills, and assist the local guard. We urge you to participate.]
In summary, they were holding a volunteer training camp and wanted there.
Clubs weren’t just for fun at the Imperium Academy. They were created for cadets to pursue practical field experience even during vacations.
But why would the Shooting Club invite ?
[We invite Cadet Lucien on the direct recomndation of Cadet Elisha, an executive mber of the Shooting Club.]
It was Elisha, of all people. The haughty noblewoman who usually looked at with deep suspicion. Not Kael, Mariella, or Bordon—she invited personally. Why? I had no clue.
There was no logical reason to go. That was my initial conclusion, right up until I read the final part of the letter.
[Location: Ironridge Border Camp, Northern Territory]
[Inviter: Elisha Ravenscroft]
[Club Advisor: Professor Valerius]
[Club President: Senior Cadet Leon]
I stared at the location. Ironridge Border Camp.
"It’s an invitation," I said, folding the letter and placing it on the table. "She wants to join the Imperial Academy’s Shooting Club for a volunteer expedition."
"The Shooting Club?" Alicia frowned, resting her chin on her hand. "Are you going to accept it? You just got back from the Spire."
"I think so," I replied, picking up my spoon again. "It would be rude to reject an invitation after she took the ti to co here personally to deliver it."
That was a lie, of course. I didn’t care about being rude to Elisha.
I cared about the location. Ironridge. According to the original storyline of Asteria Online, now that the Marquis Vance bombing incident was resolved, the narrative was moving forward. The next major mid-ga villain was scheduled to make their debut at that exact border camp.
*****
[The Next Day]
It was early morning. A cool mist still lingered in the air, though it would soon burn off under the hot sumr sun.
"Cadet Lucien."
I turned. Elisha Ravenscroft was waiting near the Academy’s central teleport gate. She looked different from her usual polished self. She was dressed in practical, reinforced leather adventurer’s armor, carrying a large tactical backpack and her signature red compound bow.
"I didn’t think you’d actually co," Elisha said, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"You invited , and now you say that?" I adjusted the strap of my Winchester rifle on my shoulder.
Through various incidents, the rift between and the Protagonist, Kael, had deepened. The alleyway fight after the Vance Marquis bombing had crossed an irreversible river. We were essentially enemies now. Yet Elisha, who was firmly established as one of Kael’s core party mbers, had invited here.
"Let’s go," she said briefly, turning toward the gate.
"They won’t welco ," I pointed out.
"Whatever. Just stick behind ."
If my goal was to hang out with the Protagonist’s party, I never would have co. But as we approached the teleport gate, the other cadets of the Shooting Club were already gathered in a huddle, checking their rifles and bows.
"Oh, look! Lady Elisha is here!"
"Cadet Elisha! Over here!"
They cheered for Elisha enthusiastically, but the mont they saw walking a step behind her, the entire group froze.
"That’s..."
"Lucien Ashborne? Why is he here?"
"I heard he nearly killed soone in the Black Market..."
The whispers started imdiately. Elisha stepped forward, raising a hand to silence them.
"It’s fine. I invited him, and I vouch for him," Elisha stated firmly.
"If Cadet Elisha says so..." the Club President muttered, clearly unhappy but unwilling to argue with the daughter of a Duke.
With Elisha’s defense, the cadets reluctantly agreed to let board the teleport pad with them.
I stood in the back, ignoring their glares. I didn’t care about club politics or Elisha’s hidden motives for bringing along. I was here to secure my own survival. A new villain was about to step onto the stage, and I needed to be the one holding the gun when they did.
****
The Shooting Club mbers rushed to greet Elisha.
Regardless of our current relationship, she was a scion of the Ravenscroft Duchy—a highly respected noblewoman admired by everyone in the Academy. That only made more curious. Why did she insist on bringing ? It made no tactical sense.
A man stepped forward from the group of gathered cadets. He looked gentle on the surface, but his posture was sharp, like a drawn bowstring.
"Good morning, Lady Elisha," he said.
"Professor Valerius. Hello," Elisha greeted him.
Professor Valerius was the Shooting Club’s advisor. He was a master sniper and archery instructor, frequently consulted by the Academy’s martial instructors for shooting assessnts. Like most senior Academy professors, he was a Gold-Rank aura user.
His eyes shifted to . "And beside you... Cadet Ashborne."
Valerius looked mildly surprised, as if he hadn’t expected to actually show up. The wariness beneath his polite smile was obvious. That was the burden of my reputation.
"Lucien is fine," I said. "I assure you, I’m not here to cause trouble."
"I vouch for him, Professor," Elisha added firmly.
"Very well. Welco to the expedition, Cadet Lucien," Valerius said, offering a practiced smile. "If you have any issues or questions, feel free to ask."
"Thank you."
Valerius clapped his hands to get the club’s attention.
"Alright, everyone is here. As you’ve been inford, we are heading to the Ironridge Border Camp in the Northern Territory. For the next two days, we will be assisting the local border garrison with periter defense and holding a Shooting demonstration for their new recruits."
It sounded like standard volunteer work. The club mbers were all smiling, eager to show off their skills.
"Club President Leon?" Valerius called out.
"Yes, Professor," a senior cadet answered, stepping up.
A few of the female cadets whispered and giggled. Professor Valerius and Senior Cadet Leon were brothers from a prestigious Earl family. Valerius was in his late twenties, and Leon was a third-year senior. Both were blond, classically handso, and the top shooters in the academy. It was a walking cliché.
"As the club president, I’m counting on you to keep the cadets organized," Valerius said.
"Leave it to ," Leon replied confidently.
"Let’s move out," Valerius ordered.
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