After about an hour of travel, the trio finally arrives at the square in Sector 9.

"Didn’t he send the exact location?" the Hongi girl asks.

"No, he just said that when we arrived, we could wait on any bench and he’d find us," the other yellow-eyes responds. "How does he expect to find us in such a busy square?"

Feeling a bit frustrated, the yellow-eyes girl scans the crowd around her, which is composed of a vast diversity of races, including couples of humans and foreign beings.

Still observing the crowd, the yellow-eyes girl raises a question, "Could he have changed the meeting location on purpose? To camouflage the meeting?"

The trio stops and looks at each other in silence.

"It’s quite probable. Especially considering his family," the young man argues, still holding his phone.

The trio walks in silence, reflecting on what the topic of their meeting could be. Then, the Hongi girl exclaims:

"Regardless of the topic, we’ll find out soon enough. There he is!"

The duo looks in the direction the Hongi girl is pointing, and without realizing it, they end up expressing slight smiles as they recognize the back of the individual.

Wearing a dark overcoat and hood, carrying a backpack, the young man is at a mobile food stall buying a dozen hamburgers, which he receives from a tall, voluptuous mixed-race young woman with a pair of short, thick horns on her head.

"Hi, Kemiro!" exclaims the yellow-eyed girl.

The young man turns around and smiles upon seeing the trio.

"Oh! Hello, Amira. Just a moment, please."

"Good evening, Leader!" says the Hongi girl.

"Good evening, Astela," Kemiro replies.

The other young man and Kemiro simply nod their heads in greeting.

Kemiro, finishing paying for the hamburgers, turns to the trio. He is a tall and well-built young man with a toned body that exudes a firm posture. His hair is short and black. His eyes have a natural grayish hue from his Bloodline, but Kemiro has Akrava—an effect that occurs in the iris of Ma’Jis who have comprehended some deep truth of Ma’Jia and Hein’Ra.

His Akrava manifests as a multitude of circles moving slightly, diminishing in size until disappearing in the center of the eye, representing the flow of Hein’Ra’s threads. He wears a constant enigmatic smile. Pulling down his hood, Kemiro comments, "You found me quickly."

The first to respond is Astela, who remarks while analyzing the box of hamburgers.

"Leader, if you were hungry, you could have let me know. I found a place that offers high-quality meals around here."

"What are you talking about? This food is for you, Astela. I asked them to double the concentration of Ma'Jia infused in the ingredients," Kemiro exclaims as he hands the box to Astela, leaving her no chance to refuse.

"Eh?" Astela receives the box in confusion.

"I can see that your Ma'Jia flow is smooth, unlike usual. You’re still following human diets, right?"

Kemiro asks in a gentle tone, but with no room for denial. Astela just lowers her head in silence. He continues:

"I've told you not to be influenced by these kinds of magazines; they set standards that even humans struggle to meet. In my opinion, these magazines should be considered fiction. Come on, eat. Even if you’re resistant, I know you need high calorie levels to keep your body at its peak vitality."

Gyuu!

Astela hesitates, but her stomach betrays her after smelling the aroma emanating from the hamburgers. With her cheeks blushing, Astela timidly picks up a hamburger and eats in silence.

Seeing this, Kemiro nods in approval and continues, "Astela, you’re already a very charming girl; you don’t need to succumb to these crazy trends."

Astela feels her face heat up, with the redness spreading to her pointed ears, adorned with two pairs of spherical earrings.

"Hehe! My condolences," Amira teases, placing a hand on Astela’s shoulder.

"You too, Amira!" Kemiro exclaims, surprising Amira.

"Eh? What about me?"

"I can see from your dark circles that you’re still having trouble sleeping, right?"

Amira brings her hand to her eyes, looking at Astela for confirmation, where Astela just shakes her head. Kemiro continues:

"Your makeup is impeccable, but it’s not enough to hide it from me." Opening his backpack, Kemiro pulls out a small box tied with a handkerchief; the box contains six small vials. Kemiro explains: "I have an acquaintance who is as dedicated to his research as you are, so he developed an elixir to relax the body during sleep."

As he hands the box to Amira, he continues, "Dilute five drops in your tea before going to sleep, no more than that! This supply should last about a year. When it’s running low, let me know."

"What a cute wrapping," Amira whispers.

"Did you understand?"

"Of course, I’ll be more careful."

"Great. Lin!"

Hearing his nickname, Linzanr’s expression furrows.

Ignoring his expression, Kemiro puts his arm around Lin’s neck, saying, "Don’t make that face; I have a little gift for you…"

Turning his back to the girls, Kemiro retrieves a rectangular package from his backpack and hands it to Lin, who cautiously removes the contents.

"OH MY GOD!"

Trembling with tears forming in his eyes, Lin speaks without pause, "The special edition hardcover with less than a thousand copies! Given free to subscribers with over a decade of membership. By the gods! I never thought I would actually hold a copy in my hands. As if being a rare edition wasn’t enough, the model portraying the duchess Nora, Alalma Turunde Kadelia Markan, really holds a noble title in her native dimension. This fact just intensifies the immoral feeling of witnessing the training of a noble woman, whose mere glimpses of beauty are considered a blessing for commoners! Even five years after its release, people still discuss how the producers managed to persuade her to participate! By the Hein’Ra, Kemiro, it’s still in its original packaging! This is a treasure that is impossible to value. H-How did you…"

"Don’t ask how I got the copy. You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you."

"You’re the best, Leader! After I read and reread it ten times, I’ll give my life for you!"

Lin hugs Kemiro tightly as tears stream down his face.

"I know. I know. But no dying. If you’re dead, you can’t help me with anything."

"Kemiro, sorry to interrupt your moment with Lin," Amira interjects. "But could you tell us the reason for this unexpected call? Wasn’t our next mission supposed to be in another thirty days? Did something happen?"

Pulling away from Lin, still with a slight smile, Kemiro explains:

"Yes. I received a mission from my family."

"You mean, from your household?" asks Astela.

"No. This one came from the Main House, from one of the Elders. I immediately refused, but he didn’t accept it. The idiot even threatened to revoke some of the few privileges I have." Lowering his head to the trio, Kemiro says, "I apologize for the out-of-contract call, but I’m going to need you!"

The trio responds immediately:

"Lift your head, Kemiro! We all know your situation, and you were clear when you invited each of us to your team. There’s nothing to apologize for," says Amira quickly.

"Yes, Leader! If you need my skills, just point and I’ll obey!" adds Astela with a smear of ketchup on her cheek.

"What’s your plan, Leader?" comments Lin, with a sinister gleam in his half-closed eyes.

Hearing the trio’s responses, Kemiro’s smile widens before returning to normal. Raising his head, he says:

"Thank you so much, everyone! I’m truly fortunate to have you with me. First of all, let me tell you that I managed to negotiate a threefold increase in the normal amount. So, even after the split, each of you will receive two million Nuran."

The trio is astonished by the amount. But, noticing something, Amira asks:

"You mean divided among the three of us. And your share?"

This catches the attention of Astela and Lin, who look at Kemiro. Under the trio’s inquisitive gaze, Kemiro can only smile, saying:

"I exchanged my payment for another reward, so you don’t need to worry. This amount is the least you deserve."

None of the three believe him, but they don’t dare question Kemiro. However, even hesitantly, Amira asks:

"And what did Lady Azarthine said about this?"

"Azarthine had to return to Ayndora to handle some personal matters."

The trio frowns, understanding the underlying situation. Amira, who has more insight into the internal workings of Kemiro’s family, reflects:

Cowards! Only when Lady Azarthine isn’t around do they have the audacity to command Kemiro this way.

While Amira is lost in thought, Astela asks innocently:

"Can a Sere’No be away from their Pair for long periods?"

"Normally, no," Kemiro responds. He continues, "However, Azarthine is a high-ranking Sere’No, so she is exempt from certain rules that other Spirits must obey."

Taking advantage of Astela’s ‘introduction,’ Amira inquires, trying to hide her concern for Kemiro’s situation:

"And when does she plan to return?"

"She didn’t inform me. She just said it would be beneficial for me. Anyway, whether she is present or not, it’s a fact that we have a contract to fulfill."

Sighing, Amira asks:

"What’s the objective of this contract?"

"That’s where it gets oddly curious. Our mission involves exploration and data retrieval in a research laboratory."

Surprised by the simplicity of the objective, Lin asks suspiciously:

"And what’s the ‘curiosity’?"

With his smile widening, Kemiro explains:

"It’s that this is a joint mission; four more teams are participating."

The trio looks visibly confused, but Kemiro continues:

"However, that’s not the point; the mission’s location is the most interesting part…"

Frustrated with the strange look on Kemiro’s face, Amira questions:

"Just tell us! Don’t keep us in suspense."

"It will be inside the Phantom Zone."

"Eh?"

The trio is taken aback. Amira is the first to ask:

"You mean the Island’s Void?"

"Yes. Where else would it be?" Kemiro responds cheerfully.

"Before accusing you of being drunk or under the influence of some drug… you’ve checked the details of the contract, right?" asks Amira with an assertive tone.

"Of course! Just because I’m threatened with losing some privileges doesn’t mean I’ll put any of you in danger," Kemiro replies with his usual smile, then continues. "The truth is, I received the summons from the Elders eight days ago. Since then, I’ve contacted the leaders of the other teams, but, as expected, the ‘competitive spirit’ hindered an ideal information exchange. Well, Sollênia was the most receptive, but she also couldn’t get any relevant information."

Kemiro takes a brief pause, analyzing the trio, then Lin asks:

"But you managed to get something, didn’t you?"

As if expecting the trio’s participation, Kemiro continues:

"Actually, no. Not even a single clue! But that doesn’t mean I’m ignorant of the situation. First of all, information that can’t be acquired with money already says a lot about its nature. Someone is controlling the flow of information. With this simple deduction, we can already determine which is the only family with enough influence to control the flow of information coming from the Phantom Zone and, if the information provided is correct, to conduct research there."

Observing the trio, Kemiro is satisfied that all three, even without speaking a word, have inferred which family he is referring to.

“That’s right. Only the Royal family is capable of such mobilization,” Kemiro thinks.

Choosing his words carefully, Amira asks:

"But if it really is them, why aren’t they mobilizing higher-grade specialists? It doesn’t make sense."

Smiling at Amira’s question, Kemiro comments:

"Are you sure? If it were a delicate matter, they would certainly be more rigorous in selecting the teams, especially in the recruitment process. What does that tell us?"

Kemiro makes the trio think, just smiling while he waits.

"Does that mean the situation is already resolved or…?"

The first to speak is Lin, but he is interrupted by Amira, who continues:

"This mission is a test."

"A test? A test for what?" Astela inquires.

"Hehe! That’s the question I can’t answer. The most obvious would be regarding the new dimension announced." Sighing, Kemiro continues, "With the lack of information, I can’t narrow down the possibilities."

Without Azarthine here, there’s no way I can collect information from the Royal family.

Controlling his frustration at not having his Pair by his side, Kemiro informs:

"This deduction is the basis for our preparation. Arriving at this answer should already be part of the test. So, you don’t need to fill your heads with unnecessary questions. Just prepare as usual; whatever awaits us, the mission will be in twenty days. For now, that’s all I had to inform."

Hearing his words and noticing his usual enigmatic smile, it’s clear that the trio feels relieved. Then, Astela, who devoured twelve hamburgers during the conversation, suggests with a smile:

"It’s been a while, but how about we go to that place I mentioned for dinner?"

Everyone smiles and decides to share the meal together.