Advent of the Three Calamities

The most chilling trait of a 'Spirit' user was their ability to cast a spell directly into someone's mind without their awareness.

The trigger could be something deceptively ordinary-a leaf, a trinket, or an unassuming object.

These objects were often known as 'singularities.'

The instant someone's gaze fell upon a singularity, the spell could already be woven into the fabric of their thoughts, taking hold before they even realized it. The weaker someone was, the less likely they'd be able to spot the singularity.

An especially powerful 'Spirit' user, could trick anyone into falling for their trick.

This was precisely why Spirit users were so feared, and why rigorous checks were necessary to ensure no one remained controlled by the spell.

"You're all good. None of you are still being controlled."

Thankfully, the checks weren't too difficult.

Typically, one would call a Cleric to be absolutely certain that there was no hidden spell, but a powerful enough figure had enough control over their mana to check every nook and cranny of someone's body to determine if a Spirit user's control was still present.

"You are all safe for now. Please take this and keep it close to your bodies."

The guard handed the cadets a small black stone.

Upon touching it, the cadets noticed that the stone was strangely warm.

"Although it's not entirely foolproof if any of you succumb to an illusion or sense your mind being taken over, the Shadowstone will act as your anchor. The instant it turns cold in your hand, you'll know something is wrong."

A Shadowstone, while quite rare within the Empires, was not that rare in the Kasha. It was in fact one of the main resources that the Empires sought after and one of the biggest trading points between the two parties.

Created from the corruption that came forth from the Mirror Cracks, the Shadowstone had the unique ability to calm one's mind.

It was an extremely valuable resource for those practicing the [Mind] path as it helped them train their minds.

Staring at the stone in her hand, Kiera silently whistled.

"This looks pretty expensive."

"....That's because it is."

Evelyn replied beside her. She was also staring at her own stone which felt warm to the touch.

"If you sell it within our Empire it could go for tens of thousands of Rend."

"Oh..."

Casting a quick look around, Kiera pocketed the stone.

"It's good to know."

Evelyn felt her jaw grow weak at the sight and when she turned her head to look in Aoife's direction, she was surprised to see her in deep thought.

'Is she okay?'

Usually, Aoife would be the first to berate Kiera for her antics, and yet, she didn't even glance in Kiera's direction once.

This...

"What are you thinking so deeply about?"

Kiera also seemed to have noticed this, and given her personality, she directly confronted Aoife about it.

Her voice was enough to pull Aoife out of her thoughts and when she raised her head to look in their direction, her lips pulled into a sad, almost defeated smile.

"No, I was just thinking about how useless we were in this entire ordeal."

"Uh?"

Both Kiera and Evelyn paused.

Aoife continued,

"Think about it... Outside of those last moments, what did we actually do? We all fell for the illusion and we were all controlled at the same time."

"Yes, but-"

"So what if our opponent was strong?"

Aoife cut off Evelyn before she could elaborate.

"Julien and Leon were also against the same person. We may not be as strong as them but it's not like we're that much weaker than them."

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Neither Kiera nor Evelyn said a word.

"How is it that our strength is so similar yet our roles are so different? How many times has this happened? How many times has it been Julien or Leon who took care of the matters while we just became baggage for them?"

Kiera wanted to refute her comment, but the moment she opened her mouth she realized she couldn't find any words to refute her.

She thought back to all the moments in the past when they were in trouble and realized the same thing that Aoife realized.

They were... always a burden.

At times they were less of a burden than others but generally, they were never really much

Help.

How was it that Julien and Leon always helped them?

No, even Leon struggled at times...

It always seemed like Julien resolved their problems. While it was also true that most

Problems occurred when he was present, he solved most of them.

"I don't know, maybe I'm blabbering too much but I don't like this feeling..." Holding onto the Shadowstone, Aoife pocketed and stared in the direction of the guard who handed the last Shadowstone to the cadets.

Following this, he beckoned them to follow and escorted them to a different place.

Walking through the wide corridors of the estate which were brightly lit by the lights on top, none of the three girls talked, each absorbed in their own thoughts. It wasn't until they were led in front of a large wooden door that they stopped and looked up.

"Now that all of you have been cleared of the spell, you will be regarded as guests of the

Astrid family."

Clank-

Opening the large door, a powerful smell swept over the surroundings, prompting many of the stomachs of the cadets to rumble.

As the door creaked open fully, an enormous 'u'-shaped table came into view, its pristine white cloth laden with an astonishing array of dishes, each more extravagant than the last. Besides each dish was a nice lamp that further highlighted each dish.

Gulp.

As several cadets swallowed in unison, the eyes of the others shifted toward the figures seated behind a few of the chairs.

From the young to the elderly, all sorts of people were seated around the table. However, one group in particular drew their attention-a familiar trio who, without so much as a glance in their direction, focused solely on the food before them, eating with an air of indifference.

It was only once they noticed the silence around them that they looked up and noticed them. Suddenly raising his brow, Julien broke the silence, his voice low and filled with disinterest. "....What are these criminals doing here?"

***

Giiii-

Not one, not two, not three, but quite a few gazes were directed my way. Many of such gazes

Were anything but friendly.

Well, it couldn't be helped considering what I said but those weren't really the gazes that

Were bothering me.

I rather liked the glaring stares.

What I didn't like were the curious ones...

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

Unable to take it any longer, I finally addressed the elephant in the room as I turned my head

To the right where a certain figure sat, her brown hair gently cascading down her shoulder and

Her blue eyes blinking rapidly.

"No, err..."

She clearly didn't expect me to address her so suddenly as shown by her reaction.

I could even see her face turning red for a brief moment.

However, quickly recomposing herself, she brought her fist to her mouth and coughed.

"Keum."

As if that was a real cough...

"...No, you know, I'm just curious."

"About?"

"Your age... Are you really the same age as me?"

"Why? Does it look like I'm old?"

"No, it's just that..."

"I'm twenty."

I think...

I had lost track, to be honest.

Julien's birthday wasn't something I particularly memorized

".....

Her face grew slack upon hearing my answer. After a brief moment, she turned around and

Looked towards several other figures I presumed were the six other spears. The pressure

Coming out of their bodies was quite the sight to see, rivaling that of ours to some extent.

'As expected, they really are different here.'

My finger almost twitched at the thought.

For some reason, I wanted to see just how strong they were. Perhaps even test out my new

Skill...

Ting, ting-

My attention shifted away from them at the sharp 'ting' of a spoon striking a glass. When I directed my attention towards the source of the noise, I saw the Head Elder of the Astrid

Family stand up.

"May I have everyone's attention, please."

She wore a warm smile while she addressed everyone present.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone here for attending this banquet. In particular, the heads of the Myron, Chester, Aison, and Bunzel Households. I know that all of you are seeking answers regarding what transpired with us, and I am here to provide those

Answers."

With a sad smile, Rosanna looked down at the glass in her hand and spoke, "....Unfortunately, our Family Head has passed away."

The surroundings turned extremely quiet following her words, with the family heads of the

Four other households raising their brows at the unexpected piece of news.

The Pillar, and the Four Houses.

Such was the power structure within the Eastern Kasha.

With the Astrid family standing at the top of the food chain within the Eastern Kasha, the four

Other Households, while not as strong as them, carried a certain amount of authority within

The Kasha.

The Myron, Chester, Aiso, and Bunzel Households were the four powers that followed after the House of Astrid.

However, things seemed to have suddenly taken a turn.

With their Family Head suddenly passing away... the unbridgeable gap from before didn't

Seem to unbridgeable.

As if noticing the thoughts of the other households, Rosanna smiled.

"I can understand what you all are thinking, and I don't resent you for it. We're indeed a lot

Weaker now that our Family Head has passed away. However... before passing away, he left us with one final gift."

She turned her head toward the large window and pointed directly at the blue sky outside.

"...He ripped the sky for us."

"He what?"

"Wait, are you saying...?"

"Yes."

Cutting through the confusion of the four other Households, she nodded.

"His last parting gift was indeed the sky."

Tak-

Placing her glass down, she pressed her hands against the table and alternated her gaze

Between the four other heads.

"I'm sure you four understand the meaning behind the sky, correct?"

11

Her words were met with silence, but everyone present understood, including me.

"The liberation of the Kasha."

Grasping onto the tablecloth tightly, she took a deep breath.

"That is what the sky signifies."

Freedom.

Liberation.

And most importantly...

"The start of our rise. With the sky no longer pressing down on us, the land will change. We'll

No longer be constrained by the trades and rules of the Four Empires. No, we can grow beyond

Them." Pausing and looking in the direction of everyone present, she let out a long breath. "This is an opportunity that we cannot miss. I know all of you understand that which is why I

Have invited everyone present. I want all of us to combine our forces. To become one major

Force that can rule over the Eastern Kasha and expand our growth." Extending her hand forward, she turned to look in our direction. "With that being said, none of this would've been possible if not for their help."

A warm smile marred her features.

"...And for that, we should naturally show our appreciation."