CHAPTER 156: 156. SELFISH

Amelia took her time.

She didn’t rush to answer, didn’t let emotions dictate her words. Her gaze flicked between the people standing silently around her. She held her breath for a second longer, then finally parted her lips.

"Yes... I would like Leon’s help."

The words were quiet—no louder than a whisper. Everyone heard it. Loud and clear.

I clapped my hands, grinning. "Perfect!! That’s one mess handled."

Without wasting another second, I turned to Art, my voice already shifting to command. "Art, you go find Leon. We’ll handle the next step—tracking down her mother."

Freya spoke up then, brushing strands of hair behind her ear as she recalled the moment. "I think... we already know where she went. Right when she burst through the ceiling, I saw it. A massive portal opened up. Wide enough to swallow a damn fortress. It engulfed her whole."

Zyon groaned, rubbing his temples. "This entire thing was orchestrated. All of it. There’s only one place she could’ve been sent to. Whoever’s pulling the strings—they’re targeting Everhart."

My stomach dropped.

’Everhart Valley...’

That place was dangerous enough without a berserk Rank ★★★★★★★★ Dragon showing up.

But what made my chest seize—what made my throat dry out and my fingers curl into fists—was the thought that hit me next.

I spun toward the others, eyes wide. "Wait—what about the rest of the students? The ones who joined the academic tour? Are they still inside Everhart?!"

My voice rose, unfiltered panic bleeding through every syllable. The others visibly flinched.

No one answered.

I shoved a hand through my hair, gripping the strands so hard it hurt. "Just tell me... have they evacuated or not?!"

Art grimaced, then shook his head. "No. They’re still there. Nothing appeared out of place from the outside. Everything was done behind the scenes. There was no signal to evacuate."

"...Fuck!"

The curse left me like a roar, my chest heaving.

Mia.

That idiotic elder sister of mine was still inside. That stubborn, reckless brat was somewhere in Everhart Valley with a dragon on the loose.

I couldn’t think straight. I clutched my head, then grabbed Art’s shoulders with both hands.

"Open a portal. Now. To Everhart. I need to go. Immediately."

He blinked at me, taken aback for a split second. But he knew better than to argue.

Art let out a breath, lifted his hand, and slashed it sideways through the air. A distortion rippled before settling into a glimmering violet portal.

I didn’t even wait.

Without another word, I dashed in.

...

The world warped and twisted. And the next thing I knew—

Region 1 of Everhart Valley spread out before me. The terrain was still. Silent.

Too silent.

The skies were clear. There was no sign of the maddened White Dragon or the chaos she could’ve wrought.

But that didn’t mean we were safe.

I wasn’t here for answers or strategy.

I was here for one thing.

"Mia..." I muttered under my breath.

My only objective was clear. Find her.

I activated [Phantom Surge]—mana flaring through my body like lightning. My figure blurred into the wind, every step launching me forward like a missile. My senses honed to the limit. I scanned every corner, every rooftop, every alley and shadow.

No time for caution. No time for anything.

Region 2.

Region 3.

Everywhere I searched, she was nowhere to be seen. My heart hammered with each passing second. Panic clawed at my spine.

Then—finally—I spotted two figures. A couple, dressed in the familiar uniforms of our Academy.

I dashed toward them, skidding to a stop, panting hard.

The guy flinched at my sudden appearance. "Wh—what the hell?"

"I don’t care," I snapped. "Listen—have either of you seen Mia Lancaster? Rank 2 in academics. Short girl. Black hair. Black eyes. Probably has a permanent scowl on her face."

The guy blinked, then stepped forward, shaking his head. "Sorry, brother. We haven’t seen her. Everyone scattered when first arrived here. No one stuck together."

My chest tightened. "Is there anyone coordinating you guys? Like Celia? She was the lead for this whole tour, right?"

He scratched his head, thinking. "Yeah. Celia said if anything went wrong, we could find her at the Sapphire Hotel in Region 7. She’s stationed there to keep track of the situation."

That was all I needed.

I grabbed his shoulder and patted it hard. "Thanks. Stay safe. Stick with your partner. And don’t try to play hero."

He nodded, still dazed.

I was already gone.

[Phantom Surge] flared again, and I vanished like a ghost in the wind.

Region 7. Sapphire Hotel.

’Hold on, Mia. I’m coming.

’If anything happens to you—anything at all—I’ll raze this entire damn valley to the ground. Dragon or no dragon.

’I promise.’

...

It didn’t take me long to reach the Sapphire Hotel.

It was fancy, alright. But I couldn’t care less. Time was bleeding out by the second. My sister was out there, possibly caught in a region with a raging Dragon-class threat—and I was stuck here wasting breath.

I ignored the doormen’s puzzled looks and bolted through the main entrance without a shred of hesitation.

The guards posted near the reception desk reacted instantly, shifting into combat-ready stances. Their hands flew to their weapons, mana flickering faintly from the hilts of high-grade artifacts. I didn’t stop.

I shoved my identification card—given to me by Evelyn—straight into the face of the nearest one. "Step aside."

They blinked, glanced at the badge, and—thankfully—didn’t push their luck.

I moved on, brushing past the velvet ropes toward the reception desk.

A young woman stood behind the counter, visibly startled by my pace and tone.

I didn’t give her time to breathe. "Excuse me. Is someone named Celia staying here? She’s an instructor at Rose Academy. I’m her student. I need to contact her—now. Urgent Academy matter. Just tell me the room number."

She blinked, clearly taken aback by the sheer speed of my words. But she nodded, brows furrowing, and tapped away at her crystalline screen. It flickered with violet runes as it loaded the registry.

"Yes, she’s checked in. Room 20, second floor." She gave me a polite smile. "Would you also like to book a—"

I was already gone.

My boots hammered against the staircase as I launched upward two steps at a time. My mana churned in frustration. No time. No time for amenities. No time for idle questions. No time for hesitation.

Room 20 was right at the start of the corridor.

I raised my fist and knocked—sharply, twice.

A voice came from inside. "Who is it?"

I cleared my throat. "Cassius Lancaster, from your class. I have something urgent to discuss. Please, it’s important."

There was a pause. Then the door cracked open.

Celia peeked out from behind it, brows furrowed in suspicion. "You’re being surprisingly respectful. What’s the catch? What kind of urgent?"

I met her eyes head-on. "I don’t care whether you believe me or not—but there’s a Dragon. An actual Dragon, somewhere in Everhart Valley. It’s loose. Rampaging. And I need to know—do you have any method to track the students scattered across the region? Any method of contact, anything?"

Her eyes narrowed. Of course she didn’t believe me. No sane person would. A dragon returning from extinction? That sounded like the kind of bedtime story drunk adventurers muttered before passing out in alleyways.

Still, after a few seconds, she sighed and opened the door fully. "Come in."

I did.

She walked to the bed and sat down, crossing one leg over the other, still eyeing me cautiously. I took the chair at the corner and leaned forward, elbows on knees, fingers laced together. I didn’t have time to dance around this.

I told her the basics and asked whether she had a method to track the students or not. She stayed slient for minutes, letting the silence linger.

"So..." Celia began, voice flat. "Let me get this straight. You’re saying a Dragon is lurking somewhere in Everhart. You want to locate your sister. You want to know if I have a method to contact or evacuate the students. That about right?"

I nodded. "That’s exactly right. Mia—my sister—is still inside the valley. I don’t care if you believe me about the dragon, just know that Amelia Everhart has a plan. She’s going to try something to stop it. I’m not asking you to fight. I’m just asking if you can help me find my sister."

Celia didn’t respond immediately. She just... stared.

Then her frown deepened.

"So you’re telling me," she said, her tone growing increasingly scathing, "that even though you don’t believe in Amelia’s plan, you’re letting her do it anyway. And you—despite being a student of Rose Academy—only care about saving one person. Your sister. Not your classmates. Not your peers. Just Mia Lancaster."

Her voice sharpened with every word. "Do you understand how selfish that sounds? You’re from the Lancaster family, for fuck sake a noble. You have responsibilities. And here you are, rushing into a panic because your precious sister might be in danger, while everyone else is equally at risk."

I sighed and rubbed my temples. "Are we really doing this right now?"

"Damn right we are," she snapped. "You think this is a joke, mister Lancaster? A selfish brat like you—prioritizing your family over your duty, ignoring the lives of dozens of students—and calling yourself a student of Rose Academy? You’re just like your father."

That hit a nerve.

She wasn’t done.

"Your father may be a bastard, but he’s powerful. When he takes action, people listen. Even if he’s an arrogant tyrant, he earns his place through force alone. But you? You’re nothing but a pale shadow. No strength, no leadership, no conviction. Just entitlement."

I tilted my head.

"Are you done yet?"

She glared at me, hard. Her fingers tightened around the sheets.

I leaned back, exhaling.

"I didn’t come here for your judgment. I came to ask for help. That’s already more humility than I usually show. Whether you think I’m selfish or not doesn’t matter. I’m not calling my father, because Amelia wants to handle this herself. If I do anything more than what I’m doing now, he will come. And when he does? That Dragon’s corpse won’t be the only one left in ruins. This entire valley might burn."

Her lips parted slightly. But I wasn’t done.

"You want to play the ethics game? Fine. Amelia’s risking her life trying to save the Dragon. Freya, Art, Zyon—they’re all helping her. I’m not stopping them. Let them play heroes."

I leaned forward, voice quiet but cold.

"But I’m not one of them. I know my limits. And my only priority right now is Mia. She’s my sister. She matters to me more than some idealized image of what a student of Rose Academy should be."

Silence.

Long and heavy.

Celia slowly exhaled, her glare faltering just a bit.

"...So?" I asked again. "Do you have a way to track her or not? If not, I’ll find another way. But don’t waste my time."

Her jaw tightened.

Then, finally, she stood up.

"I’ll see what I can do."