CLEAVER OF SIN

In a streak of white light, Asher, William, and Finch appeared within a quiet yet familiar hall. They felt the firm ground beneath their feet as their senses slammed back into place, reality re-anchoring itself around them. The moment the world clicked into motion once more, waves of chatter filled their ears, confirming that they had indeed arrived in the Logistics and Mission Operations Hall.

Asher frowned slightly; he had expected that they would reappear at the exact point from which they had vanished within the Star Academy, his room. But, as the surroundings made clear, his assumption had been incorrect.

'On the other hand, it makes sense,' Asher thought, quickly understanding that every mission-based teleportation would logically return them to this designated hall rather than their private quarters. His eyes shifted toward a side table where a familiar man sat, his face devoid of expression, posture relaxed in a way that suggested he had been waiting for them but was not particularly invested in their return. Without hesitation, Asher and the others walked forward.

Hearing the firm and approaching footsteps, the man raised his head. He was the facilitator who had assigned their mission in the first place, the same man whose unchanging, almost bored demeanor made it difficult to tell whether he was pleased with their return or simply acknowledging it as routine.

"You three are finally back. I was already starting to think you were dead or something like that," he said in a flat, almost dull tone. Although he was clearly joking, absolutely nothing in his voice indicated humor.

"Good morning," Asher replied simply, unsure how to respond to the man's morbid jest. William and Finch followed with their own greetings.

"Morning," the facilitator echoed without shifting his expression. "Your mission permit."

Asher complied immediately. Without wasting a second, he retrieved the mission permit from his space ring and placed it into the facilitator's waiting hand. The man got to work at once.

His hands moved methodically across a few small machines and glowing orbs arranged neatly on the table. For a moment, everything seemed routine, until his movements paused. His hand froze mid-adjustment, and a faint hint of surprise flickered across his face as one eyebrow arched.

Asher, William, and Finch noticed the subtle change, but none of them spoke. They simply allowed the man to complete whatever verification process he was conducting. After a brief silence, the facilitator finally spoke. "Your mission has been cleared and confirmed as completed. We have received confirmation from the other end."

The three students exchanged no words; they already knew that "the other end" referred to Baron Rivelle.

"What if Baron Rivelle had claimed we never came, or that we did nothing, even after doing everything the mission required?" William asked, voicing a hypothetical that had bothered him since the beginning.

The facilitator lifted his gaze to meet William's. "Then we would investigate, and whoever was lying would suffer the consequences."

William and Finch nodded, accepting the answer as reasonable and expected.

"Well, there is a surprise for the three of you," the facilitator continued. William, Asher, and Finch exchanged minor glances, each lifting an eyebrow in quiet curiosity. The man went on, "The original reward for the mission was seven thousand points, but it has been increased to twenty thousand points by your employer."

His words froze the trio in stunned silence. None of them had anticipated such an overwhelming increase. Their expressions shifted from confusion to shock, and the facilitator, noticing their reactions, allowed a faint but fleeting smile to form.

"It seems either the three of you performed perfectly during the monster tide, or… Baron Rivelle is attempting to form a connection with one of you." His gaze lingered on Asher for a brief moment before shifting away.

William and Finch were not oblivious. They immediately understood that the Baron would not have increased the reward because of anything they had done. They had not contributed anything exceptional during the monster tide. Only Asher had, and not just one achievement, but multiple. Beyond that, forming a favorable connection with a member of the Wargrave family would certainly benefit the Baron.

Asher, unlike the other two, understood that Baron Rivelle's intention was not to curry favor with him. The man had simply increased the reward because he could, and perhaps because Asher had saved his life, as well as left behind a Grave-Rank monster corpse for him. If the Baron wished to repay any portion of those debts, then an additional thirteen thousand points was, in truth, not and will never be enough..

"Is this allowed?" Asher asked, even though he already suspected the answer.

"It is," the facilitator replied. "Most employers do not bother increasing rewards unless they wish to establish a connection. The Star Academy allows it, because the world itself runs on connections." He spoke with a tone that suggested deeper meaning, as though encouraging them to reflect on the reality of power and influence.

"But," he continued, "some people have attempted to cheat the system, looking for loopholes to secretly send points to their children, just as many once tried to send us fake missions. But as usual, the Star Academy sees through such schemes."

The finality in his tone earned a synchronized nod from Asher, William, and Finch.

"Now," the facilitator said, shifting his attention back to the matter at hand, "who am I transferring the points to? Or, if there are trust issues, I can distribute them according to however you wish to divide them, so that no one person holds all twenty thousand."

"Transfer the points to me," Asher said calmly. The facilitator turned to William and Finch, waiting for confirmation. The two nodded without hesitation, and moments later the facilitator transferred twenty thousand points to Asher's Academy card.

Receiving the points, Asher asked, "Anything else?"

"Yes," the facilitator replied, "you will all be searched to make sure you did not sneak in anything from the outside world."

'Thought as much,' Asher mused silently. If teleportation scrolls sent students directly to their rooms instead of this hall, they would have plenty of time to hide contraband.

William and Finch did not react; they had brought nothing back with them. Asher also remained calm, not because he was innocent, but because what he carried could never be detected by ordinary or unordinary means.

The facilitator rose and conducted the inspection thoroughly, checking their bodies and space rings before concluding that there was nothing to find.

"Do you want to repair your equipment? They look rather damaged," he commented, noticing the wrecked breastplate, vambrace, and greaves inside Asher's space ring.

"No need," Asher replied. "I'll just buy a new set later."

"Then that concludes our meeting," the facilitator said, his expression returning fully to its natural, bored state. "See you three during the next mission."

With a simple nod, Asher, William, and Finch turned and walked away. The moment they stepped out of the Logistics and Mission Operations Hall, warm sunlight washed over their faces.

Finch inhaled deeply. "It's been a while," he said, his eyes lifting toward the drifting clouds above.

"It's been merely six days," William countered.

"Whatever," Finch muttered. With that, the three began strolling casually through the Star Academy grounds. There was no urgency to return to their rooms. They weren't exploring, there was nothing left to explore. They were simply stretching their legs, allowing their bodies to unwind after the intensity of the short training.