Chapter 148: Council meeting
"I-If he was the strongest, what could kill him?" Vlad asked, utterly shocked. "Was it a disease, or had he already reached the end of his lifespan?"
These were the only two logical explanations for his death that Vlad could think of.
"Neither," Lirien replied, her tail swaying. "You are too weak to know the truths of the world yet. I will naturally reveal more when you grow strong enough to bear the weight that comes with that information. For now, I can only tell you that he died saving the world."
Her revelation only left Vlad with more questions. If he was already stronger than the then leader of the Dragon Clan, what danger had befallen the world that forced him to sacrifice his life?
His eyes suddenly widened as a realization struck him, forcing him to rise from his seat.
"Miss. One last question," he pleaded. "I promise this is the last one."
"What is it?" Lirien asked with a sigh.
"When did the Legendary Knight die?"
"Twelve years ago," Lirien revealed, her tone laced with grief.
The moment those words left her mouth, shivers surged through Vlad’s entire being. He fell back into his chair, all strength leaving his legs. "Th-that’s the same time she was taken... No, it must be a coincidence."
"Vlad, are you alright?" Lirien asked worriedly as her fluffy body jumped onto the table, her fluffy tail wrapping around his wrist to check his temperature.
"I-I am fine," Vlad answered, shaking his head. "Thank you for trusting me with this invaluable information. I will not reveal anything we discussed today to anyone."
He pulled his hand back and rose from the chair.
"Please send me back."
"Fine," Lirien said, swaying her tail.
The reality behind him fractured, forming a void. Just as his body was about to slip into it, she waved her tail and said, "Bye-bye."
His body fell backward into the void, and reality knitted itself back together.
The fluffy plushie puffed. In its place, Lily sat on the table with a grief-stricken expression.
"He made me remember those unpleasant memories," she scoffed, jumping down from the table. Bending over, she took out the paper bag and pulled out a chocolate bar.
"Only a few more hours," she murmured, taking a bite of the chocolate. Her grief slowly melted away, a serene smile spreading across her face.
Whether it was the excitement of hearing the lullaby or meeting her first friend in decades, she found herself checking the clock every few minutes, waiting for the sun to sink below the horizon.
---
"This meeting was completely worth it," Vlad said, lying on the roof of the main building where he had landed after traveling through the void. "Although I still have many questions, I’m sure of at least one thing. No one can defeat the Legendary Knight."
He rose to his feet, shaking off all the shock he had accumulated from the meeting. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his phone and contacted Seraphina.
The call was declined. A moment later, a message arrived.
---
Sera: In class. Five minutes. Council office.
---
It took exactly five minutes for Vlad to reach the council office from the roof.
"Good morning, Miss President. Senior Raphael," Vlad greeted as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.
Both of them shot to their feet, their eyes widening in confusion and shock at Vlad’s tall figure. As the Discipline Head, it was rare for Raphael to lose his composure, and this seemed to be one of those rare occasions.
"Are you Vlad’s elder brother?" Raphael asked, trying to make sense of his appearance. He looked uncannily similar to Vlad, only more mature and... handsome?
"I should be glad he didn’t say ’Vlad’s father,’" Vlad let out a weary sigh. He was already exhausted from giving the same old explanation about his sudden growth.
"No, it’s me. Vlad," he replied. "I—"
"You entered the State of Enlightenment again?" Seraphina asked, her eyebrows still raised in mild surprise.
"Bingo!" Vlad said, giving her a thumbs-up. He felt truly relieved that there was a smart person in the room.
Seraphina quickly walked around the other side of the table, stopping in front of Vlad.
"So this is how it feels to be Sophia," she said, tilting her head back to meet his eyes. "Are you trying to touch the heavens or something?"
What else could she say? Even before, her eyes had barely reached his lips. Now, with her head held straight, all she could see was his neckline and broad chest.
"I guess I’ll take that as a compliment," Vlad chuckled awkwardly.
They settled onto the sofa opposite the table, with Seraphina and Vlad sitting on one side and Raphael on the other.
"So what level have you reached?" Seraphina asked, beginning the conversation.
"Enough to accept S-Ranked quests," Vlad revealed calmly. "But I need to complete ten A-Ranked quests first, and I don’t have a party for them. My previous party members were all first years, so they aren’t eligible for A-Ranked quests."
"I knew you could do it!" Seraphina exclaimed, her eyes brightening with both pride and satisfaction as she repeatedly patted his back. "As for the party, there’s no need to worry. All the party members for your A-Ranked quests are already sitting in this room."
"You mean..."
"Yes. Me, you, and him," Seraphina clarified, pointing at Raphael.
He did not respond. Unlike Seraphina, who seemed unfazed by Vlad’s sudden growth, his jaw hung open as he stared at Vlad as though he were looking at some exotic species.
"Y-you really reached the level of a Sentinel Knight in less than a month?" he asked, making sure he had not heard wrong.
Vlad nodded.
Raphael still seemed unconvinced. "I know it’s rude, but could you show me your identity card?"
"Raphael, that is very offensive," Seraphina interrupted sharply.
"O-oh, right." Raphael pulled himself together, shaking his head. Realizing how rude his request had been, he rose from his seat and said calmly, "I don’t know what suddenly came over me. I am truly sorry for the disrespect."
"No, it’s alright," Vlad said, waving a dismissive hand, completely unbothered. "It’s only natural to doubt such sudden growth. Nonetheless, I have no reason to lie."
Seraphina clapped her hands, drawing the duo’s attention back to her.
"Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s focus on the tasks at hand. The other party eligible to accept the S-Ranked quest will most likely return in six days. We need Vlad to earn his eligibility before then. An A-Ranked quest normally takes five to ten days to complete. With me personally participating in each one, we can finish one quest per day. So we’re short by four days. Not to mention, he still needs to defeat one of the top ten within that time. So here’s the plan..."
She leaned forward on the sofa, her fingers tapping against the glass table as she revealed with a sly smile, "Vlad, you will participate in two parties at once. Both will complete one A-Ranked quest each day, but you will only be physically present with one of them."
"Miss President, you are really shrewd," Vlad said with a grin, feeling proud of her.
Seraphina only shot him a sharp glare. It was as though his words had offended her.
"Miss President, I meant that in a positive way," he quickly added to avoid any misunderstanding.
His words only backfired. She looked even more displeased now. If looks could kill, Vlad would not have been breathing anymore.
He decided to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the discussion.
Naturally, as upright as Raphael was, he seemed clearly displeased with manipulating the system like this. Still, he could not voice his objections since there was no other way. Besides, if Vlad could truly defeat one of the top ten, then even without completing ten A-Ranked quests, he would prove himself worthy of participating in an S-Ranked quest.
The meeting continued for half an hour as they selected the quests that could be completed in the shortest amount of time. Seraphina also shared Vlad’s information with the leader of the alternate party, in which Vlad would be a ghost participant.
"The quest hunting will begin tomorrow," Seraphina announced, stretching her arms after finishing the quest selection. She glanced sideways at Vlad, who was scrolling through her phone, reading the quest details.
My suspicion was true after all, she murmured inwardly. There was an error in his Rank Awakening. His talent is at least SS, or possibly even SSS.
"Is there something on my face, Miss President?" Vlad asked, never taking his eyes off the phone.
Until now, she had not truly been looking at him. She had only been thinking about his growth. But now that he mentioned it, she noticed his long raven-black hair, sharp jawline, and mature features. He had become even more handsome. Slowly, a faint rosy hue bloomed across her cheeks as she quickly turned her head away.
"N-nothing."
He handed her phone back. She left first since she still had classes to attend. Vlad was also about to leave when Raphael called out to him from behind.
"Do you have a minute to spare?"