The morning air in the academy courtyard carried the faint scent of dew-soaked grass, the golden light filtering through the towering stone arches casting long shadows across the flagstones. Students moved in the distance, their chatter and laughter a soft backdrop to the tense little circle gathered at its heart.

Luca stood there, hands in his pockets, his calm expression betraying none of the anticipation simmering beneath.

In response to Selena's cool question, he simply said, "Just wait. I'm waiting for someone else as well."

Where is she?

A ripple of curiosity passed through the group. Aiden gave a slow, understanding nod, while Eric crossed his arms, keeping silent. Lilliane glanced around, as if expecting the mystery guest to emerge at any second.

Kyle, however, leaned forward slightly, brows furrowed. "At least tell us who we're waiting for."

Luca opened his mouth to answer—

"May the Goddess bless us all! Sorry for the delay!"

The bright, melodic voice carried across the courtyard, cutting through the quiet like a sunbeam breaking clouds. All heads turned toward the source.

She walked toward them with unhurried grace—lavender-silver hair catching the light like spun moonlight, silver pupils glowing faintly as if holding the reflection of some divine realm. Even among Arcadia's elite, her presence was otherworldly.

Chairs scraped back and boots shifted as everyone instinctively rose to their feet.

"Greetings, Saintess," they said in unison, their tones a mix of respect and awe.

She smiled gently, lifting a hand. "We are all students here—there's no need for such formalities."

The tension eased slightly, though the reverence in their eyes lingered.

Her gaze found Luca. "Why did you call me here, Mr. Luca?"

Before he could answer, Kyle leaned in, unable to contain himself. "Yeah, come on now—don't keep me in suspense any longer. Just tell us already."

Luca leaned forward slightly, resting his palms on the polished table as his gaze swept across the faces before him. His voice was calm but carried a certain weight.

"First of all… thank you all for coming here."

The flicker of sunlight danced across their eyes, the air heavy with unspoken tension.

"The reason I have called you here," he continued, his tone tightening, "is because, as you all know, the danger we are currently facing comes in the form of devil cultists."

A murmur of acknowledgment rippled through the room—small nods, a tightening of jaws, Aiden's fingers drumming once against the armrest before stilling.

Luca drew in a slow breath. "I had… another vision related to it."

That broke the calm. Brows lifted, shoulders shifted, and for the first time, a visible reaction crossed their faces. Aria, the Saintess, tilted her head ever so slightly, her serene expression giving way to a faint crease of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice soft yet cutting through the air.

All eyes turned toward her.

Eric gave a small chuckle under his breath, leaning back in his chair. "Saintess here doesn't know about that, right?"

Luca offered a brief nod, his expression steady. "I was planning to tell her about it this time."

His gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat longer, thoughts sharpening. I know I can trust her… she's probably the only one I can trust in the Holy Kingdom.

Turning fully toward Aria, his voice lowered, the words deliberate. "What I'm about to tell you now… please don't share it with anyone."

A subtle shift crossed her features; the faint softness of her smile vanished, replaced by a grim, unreadable mask.

"I can sometimes see… the past of someone's life, or a place." He hesitated, searching for the right phrasing. "It's complicated to explain, but it's related to my affinity with space and time."

Aria's eyes widened, her usually measured composure slipping. "You mean… y-you can see a person's past?" The words left her with a rare glimmer of excitement, almost leaning forward in her seat.

"You can say it like that," Luca replied, his voice calm but guarded. "But I can't control it—it only happens when I, or someone I care about, is in danger."

There's no need to tell her I can actually travel back in time… that's too complicated to explain anyway.

Aria let out a small sigh—less of relief, more of disappointment—and folded her hands neatly on the table. "That….. explains how you knew about the dragon's weakness… and some of the other unexplainable things around you."

She must have investigated me, Luca thought, studying her composed yet calculating gaze. She's kind, but she's not exactly your typical soft-hearted saintess.

His thoughts were cut off by Lilliane's hesitant voice. She sat with her hands clenched in her lap, knuckles pale. "W-what were you talking about… the v-vision?"

Luca's voice dropped lower, his gaze sweeping the circle of familiar faces.

"I just saw it briefly… a vision of war. And I witnessed the power of the Devil Emperor—" He hesitated, the words dragging from his throat. "Even without showing himself… he killed thousands of warriors, magicians, and beasts."

The weight of the statement landed like a stone in still water.

Brows knitted. Aiden's foot stilled mid-tap. Selena's cold eyes narrowed further, her chin lifting slightly. Kyle leaned back in his chair, but his usual easy grin had vanished.

"You're not kidding… right?" Kyle's voice was quieter than normal, almost wary. "I mean… how is that even possible?"

Luca explained, his words steady but his jaw tight, outlining what he had seen—the devastation, the sheer helplessness of the defenders, the suffocating force that had swept the battlefield.

The silence that followed was heavier than before. Lilliane shifted closer to Aiden, her hands curling into her sleeves. There was a subtle tension in Selena's face, the faintest ripple beneath her ice-cold mask. Eric's smirk was nowhere to be found.

Luca took a slow breath, forcing his tone to remain even. "I'm not telling you this to burden you… but because I want us to prepare more thoroughly. We need to strengthen ourselves."

His gaze moved deliberately from one face to another.

"For that… I want all of us to travel around the continent. Fight more cultists. Gain more strength as soon as possible."

So that I can guide them to more powerful artifacts and techniques to power them up early.

The stillness broke with Aiden's voice—deep, calm, but skeptical. "How can we even do that? We're academy students."

The others nodded in agreement, the practicality of the statement settling over them.

"We'll have a month of vacation after the semester ends," Luca replied. "I'm planning to do this then."

The air shifted again—some faces showing cautious interest, others retreating behind guarded expressions.

"I'm willing to do it… but I need time to think," Aiden said at last, his tone unreadable.

"Me too—" Lilliane glanced at him before continuing, "—with Aiden."

Kyle exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll have to ask my grandfather first."

Eric said nothing, his silence nor refusing nor affirming.

Then Aria's soft voice cut through the pause. "I also have various duties as the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom."

Luca looked at them all, shoulders loosening as he let out a long sigh. I thought it would be easier than this.

I haven't told them everything… not because I don't trust them, but because the rest of the vision involves Her Majesty. And although they're the heroes of this world… that's in the future. Right now, they're still just seventeen-year-old kids. They wouldn't be able to handle what I saw—it might even break some of them.

He drew in a slow breath, masking his thoughts as everyone began to stand, offering polite goodbyes.

They'll think about it, he told himself as they left one by one, their steps echoing in the quiet courtyard.

Luca wandered through the courtyard, his steps unhurried, almost drifting with the breeze. The hum of student chatter washed over him, muffled, distant—like a world half-faded. Their lukewarm reactions earlier replayed in his head, each one another reminder: They don't understand what's coming.

A faint frown tugged at his lips. Even he didn't fully know. The Devil Emperor's true strength had never been revealed in the game—at least, not to the version of him that had failed. And yet, the dread was real enough. His hand curled slightly at his side, fingertips brushing the edge of his saber hilt, as though the cold steel might ground him.

I wasn't able to beat him then… but still…

His thoughts broke like glass at the sudden, familiar voice behind him.

"Where were you these past few days? I haven't seen you."

Luca turned, almost startled, his eyes locking onto the speaker. The tension in his shoulders eased just a fraction.

"...Aurelia?"