Kael watched as the students quickly began to group up. The atmosphere in the classroom was exciting for so and tense for others. Since the expedition involved multiple years, the diversity of skills was evident.
He didn't have much ti to think before three familiar figures rushed toward him.
Sylphie, Irelia, and Alia practically jumped at him, each with a competitive gleam in their eyes.
Well… he was fully aware of their feelings—who in their right mind wouldn't be? They practically threw themselves at him… And well… he didn't exactly dislike it.
"Kael! You're going to be our leader, right?" Sylphie asked, grabbing his arm with a determined smile.
Irelia crossed her arms, glancing at Sylphie as if calculating her position. "Hmpf, we don't need a leader. We just need a well-balanced team. But yes… Kael, you're with us. There's no room for you to say no."
Alia simply smiled, tilting her head slightly. "I think that was already decided without you, Kael."
He sighed but couldn't help a small smile. "I guess I don't have a choice, huh?"
"Not at all!" Sylphie responded cheerfully.
'It's good to see her smiling like this… Was I worried for nothing?' he thought.
Ever since the incident, he had been seeing Sylphie frequently, always trying to keep her stable without letting her dwell on that day. Even though she hadn't suffered any physical harm, the guilt of knowing that he got hurt because of her weighed heavily on her…
However, a small issue quickly caught his attention.
They still needed a fifth mber to complete the group.
Kael scanned the room and noticed that most students had already ford closed groups.
And then, his eyes landed on a solitary figure in the corner of the room.
Stella Xerath.
The girl with crimson hair and piercing eyes stood apart from everyone, adjusting her glove, clearly ignored by all the groups forming around her.
Kael rembered the previous incident, when—unintentionally—he had humiliated Stella.
Since then, she seed even more isolated.
Her reputation as "The Demon of the Sword" made her a target of distrust. Many feared her, others avoided her.
But Kael?
He didn't see anything particularly alarming.
She was just a strong girl trying to prove herself. Sure, he might have been a little harsh on her, but… she had her own charm.
He turned to the three girls. "We're missing one person, and I think I know who should join our team."
Sylphie followed his gaze and imdiately frowned. "Seriously? Stella?"
Irelia sighed, looking more neutral but still hesitant. "She has a difficult temperant, Kael. I don't know if working with her will be easy."
Alia, however, simply observed, not voicing her opinion.
She had so interaction with Stella during classes, and despite her explosive and arrogant personality… she was strong.
Strong enough for Alia to decide that she'd rather not deal with her directly.
Kael remained unshaken.
He took a few steps toward Stella, who continued pretending not to notice anyone around her.
"Hey." He called, stopping beside her.
Stella looked up at him, her expression closed off. "What do you want? Here to mock ?"
"Do you want to join our group?" Kael asked, nodding toward the three girls.
She blinked a few tis, as if trying to process the question.
Then, she frowned.
"You're serious?"
"Yes." Kael replied simply. "We're still missing one person, and you're alone. I don't think it's right for them to leave you out."
Stella looked around, as if expecting this to be so kind of prank. But when she saw the sincerity in Kael's expression, she looked away, biting her lip.
"Are you sure? I an, after the last ti we fought..."
Kael scratched the back of his neck, looking a bit awkward. "Look, I didn't an to humiliate you that day. If I did, it wasn't intentional. I just want everyone to have a fair chance."
There was a brief silence. Stella took a deep breath and, at last, sighed.
"Fine. But don't expect to fit in so easily."
Kael gave a small smile. "It's a start."
He turned and walked back to the group, with Stella following hesitantly.
Sylphie and Irelia didn't look convinced, but they didn't say anything. Alia, on the other hand, gave Stella a small smile—a subtle gesture, but one that didn't go unnoticed.
As Stella joined the group, the atmosphere beca noticeably heavier.
Sylphie crossed her arms, looking away, clearly displeased.
Irelia maintained her rigid posture, not bothering to hide her distrust.
Alia simply observed, her expression unreadable, though there was a slight analytical glint in her eyes.
Stella noticed it all imdiately.
It wasn't a surprise.
Ever since she arrived at the academy, she had always been seen as an outsider.
She clenched her fists, feeling that all-too-familiar discomfort settle in her chest.
"What?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation. "Are you going to tell I'm a burden now?"
Sylphie finally looked at her, her gaze sharp. "If you are, I'll leave you behind."
Kael raised an eyebrow, sighing. "Sylphie…"
"I'm not joking!" Sylphie snapped, still glaring at Stella. "I don't trust her. No one does. What if she does sothing reckless in there?"
Stella narrowed her eyes. "As if I need your permission to fight. I know exactly what I'm doing."
Irelia finally spoke up, her voice controlled but firm.
"This isn't about what you can do. It's about whether you can work with others. This is a team mission. Can you follow orders, or are you going to act on your own?"
Stella let out a humorless laugh. "Funny hearing that from you, when Kael is the one actually calling the shots here."
Kael sighed again, placing a hand on his hip. "Alright, that's enough. Look, Stella, I know you don't have many allies here, but we're not in the middle of a fight right now. If we want to get through this expedition without problems, we need to work together. Can you do that?"
Stella hesitated.
Her pride told her to snap back, but… Kael wasn't mocking her.
He wasn't being condescending.
He was simply trying to make things work.
She huffed, looking away. "I can."
Sylphie still didn't look convinced, but Alia, who had remained silent until now, smiled slightly.
"If she says she can, we should at least give her a chance," Alia said softly.
Irelia let out a short sigh, but Sylphie was still wary.
In the end, Kael simply nodded.
"So that's it," he concluded. "Our group is complete. Let's get ready for the expedition."
The room fell silent as Erika, the instructor in charge of the expedition, stepped onto an elevated platform to grab everyone's attention. Her gaze was sharp, and her posture as rigid as ever.
"Now that the groups have been ford, I will explain the mission details."
Her voice echoed through the hall, and everyone turned their attention to her.
Kael crossed his arms, watching attentively, while Stella, beside him, kept her closed-off stance. Sylphie, Irelia, and Alia were also focused on the explanation.
"The expedition will take place in a cave-type dungeon," Erika began. "For those who have never faced this kind of environnt, be aware that it presents unique challenges. The space is confined, visibility is limited, and in so areas, the tunnels can beco narrow and dangerous."
So students exchanged worried glances. Cave-type dungeons were known for being treacherous—not just because of the monsters inside but also due to the unstable terrain, which could collapse at any mont.
"To ensure no one gets lost," Erika continued, "each of you will receive a tracking device. This item functions as a magical map that automatically adjusts as you explore the dungeon."
Kael watched as an assistant began distributing small round devices, similar to dallions, to the groups. He took one and felt a faint magical pulse emanating from the object.
"This device will mark your position in real ti and highlight the paths you've already traveled," Erika explained. "Additionally, it has an ergency feature. If one of you gets lost or is in danger, you can activate the signal, and our rescue team will be dispatched imdiately."
"Does that an they can find us at any ti?" a student from the back asked.
Erika shot him a stern look. "Yes. But I hope you're not foolish enough to need rescuing."
A few nervous chuckles spread through the room.
Kael looked at the device again. "This could be useful..." he muttered to himself.
"Monsters," Erika continued. "Since this is an unstable dungeon, the types of creatures may vary. However, based on previous investigations, we can expect Deep Goblins, Crystal Spiders, and possibly a Stone Golem in the lower levels."
Sylphie grimaced. "Spiders, seriously?"
Alia chuckled softly. "Not a fan of them?"
"Not at all!"
Kael kept his focus on Erika. A Stone Golem? That could be troubleso, depending on the creature's resistance level.
"The expedition will have a six-hour ti limit," Erika announced. "If this ti is exceeded, any remaining teams inside the dungeon will be forced to return imdiately."
"Our main objective?" Irelia asked, always focused.
"To map the dungeon and recover resources," Erika replied. "Teams must collect Ether Crystals, which can be found throughout the caves. Additionally, if you co across anything unusual, you must report it."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine at those words.
Sothing unusual, huh...?
"The group that collects the most crystals will receive a special reward," Erika added, and suddenly, the students' motivation doubled.
Kael noticed a competitive gleam in Sylphie and Irelia's eyes.
"Great..." he muttered.
Erika clapped her hands. "If there are no more questions, grab your gear and get ready. We leave in fifteen minutes."
Kael's group exchanged glances and, without another word, began preparing to enter the dungeon.
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