On the outskirts of the city, the Silver Wings group waited beside a stone road. A thin mist covered the surroundings.

  "I hope this is something important. The last time they called us, it was for something stupid," Mira said while rubbing one of her eyes.

  "It better be," Kael replied without looking at her.

  Theoder stared at the horizon. He still struggled to believe everything that had happened.

  Suddenly, from behind, Darik lightly tapped him on the head with a book.

  "Ouch."

  Darik looked at him with a cheerful expression.

  "Read this book. It'll help with your problem."

  Theoder took it. On the cover was the silhouette of a person sitting in a meditation position, surrounded by lines that resembled flows of energy.

  "Thanks, but… I can't read this."

  Darik frowned.

  "Why? Aren't you the reading type?"

  Theoder tried to avoid his gaze.

  "No, not really, it's just… I can't read this."

  "You can't read?" Lyra asked, surprised.

  The cold wasn't the only thing making him uncomfortable now.

  "Don't worry, I'll teach you," Darik said while adjusting his glasses and smiling.

  "Really?"

  "Of course. I can't let our new member be an incompetent illiterate."

  Lyra let out a small laugh.

  The sound of wheels rolling over stone interrupted the conversation.

  From the mist, a wooden carriage emerged, pulled by two sturdy horses. The driver stepped down and approached Kael.

  "Here you go. I hope you arrive safely."

  He didn't wait for a response and left.

  "Everyone aboard," Kael said as he climbed to the front of the carriage and grabbed the reins.

  The others climbed into the back. Theoder sat next to Darik, while across from them Lyra and Mira talked.

  "Alright," Darik said, opening the book. "Let's start with the basics…"

  As the carriage moved forward, Theoder repeated words under Darik's instructions.

  The journey lasted nearly a full day. Along the way they made several stops to rest, eat, and occasionally stabilize Theoder's circle. As they moved deeper into the kingdom, the roads became wider and more crowded.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  At sunset, they saw it—Doletto, the city where the Central Headquarters was located.

  High walls, reinforced towers, banners waving at the top, and large buildings could be seen in the distance.

  "That city is Doletto?" Theoder murmured. "It's much bigger than Arthera."

  "Yes. The closer you get to the capital, the bigger the cities tend to be," Lyra replied.

  A crow with a yellow feather on its head landed in the center of the back of the carriage. Everyone looked at it.

  "Isn't it afraid of us?" Theoder said as he moved his finger toward the yellow feather sticking out.

  "It's not a normal crow," Kael replied without taking his eyes off the road.

  The bird tilted its head and pushed Theoder's curious hand away with one of its wings before taking flight again.

  "They already know we're here," Kael added.

  After a while, they entered Doletto. The main entrance was larger, but it kept the same medieval style as Arthera. The streets were empty, which was normal since it was almost night.

  Kael stopped the carriage in front of a building similar to the guild in Arthera.

  "We've arrived."

  The door opened, and from inside emerged a short, slender figure with short blond hair and a firm gaze.

  "Welcome to Central Headquarters, Silver Wings."

  The girl looked confident. Her eyes scanned each member of the group one by one. Her gaze lingered on Theoder, she was evaluating him.

  "Enough with the formalities, Alice. Where's Druga?" Kael said.

  She gave an awkward smile.

  "Let's go inside first. This isn't the right place to talk."

  Everyone entered the building. Alice led them to a private room illuminated by lamps made of blue crystal. In the center stood a table surrounded by chairs.

  "Well?" Kael asked.

  "Kael, don't be so impatient," Mira interrupted.

  "Relax. We already know each other anyway… all except you," she said, pointing at Theoder.

  "He's our new companion," Darik said. "His name is Theoder."

  She slightly tilted her head.

  "Is that so? I thought Superior Kael didn't accept new members."

  Kael lightly struck the table.

  "Cut the games, Alice. Answer me, where's Druga?"

  "Mr. Druga isn't here."

  "Then you're the one who called us? What nonsense," Kael said as he prepared to leave.

  "They're Mr. Druga's orders. He told me to call you."

  Kael stopped.

  "I told him not to bother me."

  "He said you owe him. That this is your last favor."

  Kael clicked his tongue.

  "Mr. Druga is in the Yggdrasil Forest. He went to investigate an anomaly in the second and third rings. That's all I can say."

  Kael fell silent in thought.

  'The second ring of Yggdrasil… that's where I appeared in this world…'

  "Superior Kael, I know you don't like being called, but we need your help. Right now you're the only person of Class 2 or higher on this side of the Crescentia Kingdom."

  "Fine. What's the emergency?"

  Alice sighed.

  "A Dark Knight has appeared."

  The room fell silent.

  "At least Class 3… though it's estimated it could be higher."

  "Where is it?"

  "It was last seen on the outskirts of nearby cities. It has probably gone into hiding."

  At that moment, a window shattered.

  A crow with a red feather on its head flew inside.

  Alice flinched.

  "Damn it, we have to go," she said as she headed for the door. "It's appeared…"

  The group followed behind her.

  "The Dark Knight."

  Somewhere else…

  Night wrapped around the walls of a nearby city.

  A group of soldiers rested beside the western tower. Cards scattered across the ground, along with a half-empty bottle.

  A few meters away, a young warrior was doing push-ups without stopping.

  "Hey, rookie, stop doing push-ups and come play."

  "Sorry, I haven't finished my training yet."

  One of the soldiers chuckled.

  "Relax for a while, kid. Even if you train that much, you won't become someone special without great talent."

  "Wasn't this the one who said he was going to become a hero?"

  The drunk soldiers looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  "Ha, ha, rookie, you're delusional."

  The captain, somewhat drunk, glanced at him.

  "Come on, stop wasting time and go report our guard shift. I'm dying of sleep."

  The young man stopped doing push-ups and got up from the ground.

  "As you order, captain," he said as he ran off.

  "Well, at least he's got determination," one of the soldiers said.

  The captain watched him walk away.

  "Yeah… maybe he'll achieve great things in the future," he said…

  Before being decapitated.