Chapter 44: Sunshine Batch

"Oh yeah, Aria—keep it like that..."

"Seriously?"

Aria rolled her eyes, continuing to squeeze Cassius's shoulders with deliberate pressure. Her fingers dug into the knots beneath his uniform, working them loose with practiced efficiency.

"I mean, out of all places you want me to fix your shoulders—it's in the middle of a Freshers' Party?" Her voice dripped with exasperation, though her hands didn't stop moving.

Cassius cracked his neck to the side, the joints popping audibly. "Well, isn't this well-deserved after all the things we did for the past week?"

The words came out casual, but there was genuine exhaustion underneath. Between the Class Selection Exam, the aftermath with Whisper Jr., hunting down remains of Snow Guild, and now the celebration—it had been relentless.

Aria's voice turned sarcastically sweet. "Yeah, aren't you too tired? You know, I totally don't need a break myself."

Cassius sighed, the sound heavy. "You know you don't have to make a big deal about it."

Aria's hands stopped. She pulled back, pouting slightly, and turned on her heel. "Fine. I'm getting ice cream."

"Get me one as well!" Cassius called after her. "Butterscotch!"

She didn't acknowledge him—just kept walking, blue hair swishing behind her.

Cassius sighed again, deeper this time.

"Rave?"

His guardian appeared immediately—stepping out from the shadows near the wall, his movements were silent, efficient. Within seconds, his hands replaced Aria's on Cassius's shoulders, pressing down with controlled strength.

"Agh..."

Cassius groaned, tilting his head forward as Rave worked a particularly stubborn knot near his shoulder blade.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

The voice was light, feminine, tinged with amusement.

Cassius blinked, his grey eyes shifting toward the source.

A young woman stood a few paces away—tall, elegant, with long blonde hair that cascaded past her shoulders in smooth waves. Her green eyes glinted with curiosity, sharp and calculating. Her ears—long, pointed, unmistakably elven—were partially visible through the strands of hair she tucked behind them with one delicate hand.

A grin appeared on Cassius's face.

"Elarin."

The Light Elf Princess tilted her head slightly, her expression neutral but her eyes assessing.

"Oh, I must say..." Cassius began, his tone turning playful. "You must be really curious about it. But I'm afraid I can't disclose that information to you."

Elarin's eyes narrowed.

"It's not that difficult to find, after all," Cassius continued smoothly. "Aren't you the Light Elf Princess? Surely you have resources."

She stared at him, green eyes unwavering. Then she moved her long blonde hair behind her pointed ears in one smooth motion, the gesture deliberate.

"I'm buying it for personal use," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Which is why I'm here."

She paused, stepping closer.

"So tell me..." Her voice dropped slightly, gaining an edge. "Star Dust. How did you manage to get your hands on it?"

Cassius remained silent.

His grin didn't falter, but he didn't answer either.

Elarin frowned, the expression barely visible. "You're making this unnecessarily difficult. I believe I don't need to say it—as you know, I'm willing to pay for it. Or offer something in equal exchange."

Hearing that, Cassius's smile widened.

His fingers snapped once—the sound sharp, crisp.

"Well, since you're that curious," he said slowly, leaning back slightly, "how about you help me in return? You see, I have a problem."

He paused for a second.

"Tell me—how much information can you get me on the Shadow Merchants?"

"Wow, you even found my replacement."

Aria's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

She had returned, holding two ice cream cones—one chocolate, one butterscotch. Her red eyes locking onto Rave, who visibly sweated under her stare.

Aria took a large bite out of the butterscotch cone—and turned around without offering him anything. "Nothing for you," she said flatly.

Cassius's hand reached out reflexively, but Aria was already walking away.

He sighed.

Elarin's voice pulled his attention back. "Shadow Merchants, huh..." She folded her arms, considering. "I'm hearing about them for the first time. But I'll put people on it."

His grey eyes amused. "Star Dust... are you going to use it to read the Prophecy of Child of Fire?"

Elarin froze for a second.

Her entire body went still, and then she glared at him.

Cassius grinned even wider.

"Then Star Dust isn't the only thing you'll need," he said lightly, waving one hand dismissively. "Sure. Get going."

Elarin vanished.

Not metaphorically—she actually disappeared, one moment she was there; the next, gone.

Cassius stood, brushing off his uniform. "We should get going too, yeah?"

Rave nodded silently, stepping back into position.

Cassius's grey eyes scanned the crowd, sweeping across students laughing, eating, dancing.

Then they landed on someone.

Agni.

Cassius's expression didn't change, but his gaze sharpened.

Another strange man.

I can't sense him above Level 2—or maybe a bit higher.

But I must say... from the time he entered the academy to now, it seems like he's completely a different person.

His jaw tightened.

What are you? Who are you, Agni?

And why do I feel such a strong gut feeling that you're behind what happened to my Snow Guild?

He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling through his nose.

A giant's guts are never wrong. Even if he's only half-giant.

He glanced around again—spotting the other Moon Empire heirs scattered throughout the party, enjoying their rare day off.

Let them enjoy it.

His hand brushed through his white hair, pushing it back.

We have a lot of things to deal with, starting with the Shadow Merchants.

That's when I'll work you all off to the bone.

Serina watched them from a distance—Agni and Dhaga, standing together.

Agni blinked, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, I think I know that. You know, feeling it again, I felt it in my right hand—after fighting Walton in the forest."

His right arm twitched slightly, fingers curling inward for just a moment.

"That mana is extremely similar."

He blinked again, frowning. "So, like... who are you exactly?"

Dhaga smiled—casual, easygoing. "I'm your newly assigned guardian."

He paused, then added with a grin, "Not the typical one, though. So you have no problem if I call you Agni, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Agni shrugged. "Guardian... like the one who manages my stuff?"

Dhaga nodded. "Something like that."

He turned toward Serina, raising one hand in a wave. "Congratulations on your success, Ms. Serina."

Serina waved back politely, but her smile was strained.

She leaned slightly toward Ashen, lowering her voice to a whisper. "He seems creepy, doesn't he?"

Ashen whispered back, his golden-slit eyes fixed on Dhaga. "The whole Sun Empire seems like nutjobs to me."

Agni blinked.

Then his eyes widened.

He stepped back, his expression shifting—confusion melting into realization, then suspicion.

"Wait a minute." His voice dropped, sharper now. "Tell me—how do you know about what happened in the forest?"

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Serina and Ashen caught it immediately—the sudden tension, the way Agni's posture changed, the edge in his voice.

Dhaga smiled wider. "Oh, surprise you're asking me about it?"

He stepped closer. "I think it was very obvious what happened."

Ashen and Serina both stepped forward instinctively, their faces concerned.

"Back off," Ashen stated flatly, his voice cold.

Dhaga blinked, raising both hands in the air. "Whoa, guys—calm down."

He turned back to Agni, expression still cheerful. "Agni, what happened in the forest... I was sent to monitor your journey from a safe distance."

He paused, letting that sink in.

"Well, then—after the conflict, I helped you, and you continued your journey."

His grin returned. "Satisfied?"

Agni stared at him.

Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable.

Then Agni's voice came out—flat, emotionless. "What if I didn't make it?"

Dhaga shrugged.

"I would have intervened and prevented it. That's my job too."

He tilted his head. "You of all people should know how His Majesty is about... being independent. Trust me—he's very happy that you defended yourself."

He nodded to himself, like that settled everything.

"What is this about, Agni?" Serina questioned softly, looking at his blank expression with growing concern.

Agni's mind became empty.

Completely, utterly hollow.

Happy.

The thought crossed his mind like a blade cutting through fog.

He closed his eyes.

"Sure," he said quietly, voice cutting off. "I'm glad to know he's happy."

Then, without another word, he turned and stomped off— disappearing into the crowd.

Serina opened her mouth to call after him, but the words died in her throat.

Dhaga stood exactly where he'd been.

He tilted his head slightly, glancing between Serina and Ashen with genuine curiosity. "So I did good, right? My first interaction with the prince?"

The question hung in the air—awkward, tone-deaf, wrong.

Serina's black eyes widened slightly, her expression caught between disbelief and confusion. Is he... serious?

Ashen's golden eyes narrowed, staring at Dhaga.

The party continued—music playing, laughter echoing, completely oblivious.