"Seeing everyone's happy faces makes me feel good too."
A warm smile formed on Asmer's lips as he watched the trainees, no, now apprentice knights, hugging each other and rejoicing.
The one who directly taught them was Asmer. When Osian acknowledged the apprentices, Asmer felt like he was being acknowledged too.
"The physical training is almost complete."
"Yes. But what's important is, of course, the true power of a knight."
Osian nodded.
[Starlight]
[Moonlight]
[Sunlight]
While knights need strong bodies, if they can't handle that power, they're just physically strong people.That alone wouldn't hinder their life in the world, but the reason the apprentice knights fundamentally wanted to become knights was because they saw Osian's starlight.
"While Starlight might be the quickest to learn basically, even that's not certain. The abilities one can learn differ according to individual tendencies."
It would be easy to think Starlight is the most basic form, but that wasn't the case.
Starlight was a well-balanced form, but it couldn't be called fundamental.
A knight's power manifests differently for each person.
While on average more knights handle Starlight, there were also cases where the first power they grasp is Moonlight or Sunlight.
'Due to the small number of knights, it's difficult to make a general assessment, but exceptions definitely exist.'
Moreover, even when grasping the same Starlight power, the speed of manifestation varies significantly between individuals.
Some could draw out Starlight just by feeling it, while others could barely draw it out in extreme situations.
This was something even Osian couldn't help.
Talent isn't something that can be overcome just by effort.
However, even so, a knight's power could be considered fair in another sense.
That talent wasn't like magicians or black magicians' mana sensitivity or the clever mind needed to use formulas.
What's important is the heart.
How far one can go without stopping, that unyielding heart that stubbornly pushes forward.
"At the very least, they will be able to achieve excellent results."
Asmer's special training was not only about creating a body befitting a knight, but more importantly, it was about strengthening their mental fortitude while enduring that difficult training.
Training is, metaphorically speaking, the stage of stacking firewood.
No matter how sufficient the spark is, fire won't catch without wood to burn.
The size of the light at the moment fire catches depends on how consistently and diligently the wood was stacked.
They have stacked sufficient firewood. And now what remains is waiting for the fire to catch.
"The spark has been scattered. How it blooms in their hearts depends on themselves."
Osian could directly bestow starlight upon them but starlight received that way wouldn't be their true power.
Borrowed fire is bound to eventually go out when fuel is depleted because, after all, true stars must shine brilliantly on their own.
He only shows the path.
Whether to walk that path or not is solely their choice.
It's not something that can be done just because someone forces it.
"I'm sure they can do well. Just like they have until now."
"Yes. Just like they have until now."
As their conversation ended, the newly appointed apprentice knights came flocking.
"This is all thanks to Sir Asmer!"
"That's right! Captain!"
Captain.
Although they were apprentices, they had become knights, and since Asmer had taught and led them, it was natural for him to be captain.
As for Osian, well, he was someone above captain, so that was that.
"On such a joyous day, shouldn't we have a refreshing drink?"
"Right! I'll treat everyone!"
"This guy says he'll treat!"
"Hey, you idiot! At times like this, we should all split the cost!"
Osian smiled faintly at the sight of them bickering among themselves.
"I should tell Ena to pay special attention to the cooking today."
*
"This is interesting."
Doctor Cromwell muttered quietly while looking at the report that came directly to him.
On the report was a map clearly printed, and on that map, six X marks were drawn.
They were all secret laboratories that the White House had been operating secretly.
The report stated that they were all attacked and completely disappeared.
"If only one place had been attacked, we could have dismissed it as carelessly leaving a trail, but having six places attacked in a short time... We have to conclude they came knowing from the start."
It took less than half a day for six secret laboratories to disappear…truly lightning-fast.
Even if they finished one place and immediately moved to the next, it was an unbelievable speed.
"Even though they were small-scale laboratories, there would have been agents guarding them and test subjects, yet they were breached this easily?"
If it had been one place, he would have thought of management negligence, but when six places were simultaneously like this, it's a different story.
It meant the attackers were extremely skilled, and they came knowing from the start where we were and what we were doing.
[Doctor. Have you checked all the reports?]
Doctor Cromwell spoke into the communicator with his usual calm voice.
"Yes. I've checked them. Seems like some troublesome fellows have latched onto us.”
[Even after reviewing the reports and materials from the time of the attacks, we still haven't identified them.]
"Haven't identified them? That's strange talk. Haven't we been constantly updating the list of those who might investigate us?"
The fact that they could survive and operate in the city under Tirna's oppression was because they maintained such thoroughness.
It was the same even when attacked.
They had anticipated contingencies and thought about external enemies attacking, creating their own system accordingly.
Namely, to quickly update information about enemies and gather countermeasures against them.
Therefore, within the White House, information about entities that could threaten them was constantly updated.
Though it was a huge city, it was also a magical capital, so threats to them could be anywhere.
[That, that is...]
Perhaps due to Cromwell's disappointed voice.
The conversation partner across the communicator unconsciously trembled.
"I'm not trying to reproach you. It was just pure curiosity-driven doubt."
[The system is maintained as always. However, this case was an exceptional situation.]
"An exceptional situation?"
[Yes. The attackers did not exist on the list at all. It's literally close to being a first encounter.]
Cromwell tapped the table with his finger.
"That's quite an interesting story."
The White House doesn't always stay hidden just to prepare for dangers.
They also possessed power. Even the experiment conducted in District 45 was just a part of what they possessed. If they wanted to, controlling one district would be nothing.
They only bow their heads because of the existence of the giant dinosaur called Tirna City.
They are also predators in this ecosystem all the same.
"No matter how much we stay hidden, when we operate, conflicts inevitably arise. And most of the time, when conflicts arise, we handle them in advance to prevent them from becoming bigger problems."
If they were opponents they could sufficiently subdue, they often attacked first.
Considering the organization's size, this was actually the case most of the time.
As a result, there were hardly any who dared to touch the White House first because the White House would uproot them beforehand.
But they were attacked.
How interesting and amusing this story is.
"The numbers?"
[The number is seven. Overall, they possess superior physical abilities. The physically enhanced test subjects and agents were completely overwhelmed.]
"If they could overwhelm the agents, they must be either mana users or mutants?"
[One individual is definitely a mutant. They say it has skin hardening ability from the physical enhancement category. That's why we think the others are mutants too.]
"Seven with just physical enhancement abilities? That's strange. Aren't those among the lower abilities of mutant manifestations? It would be hard for them to even belong to Supremacy, so for them to band together, has a new mutant organization we don't know about formed?"
[We're checking on that now.]
"We need to check quickly. I may be patient, but there's someone who's quite angry about losing six laboratories."
[Yes! Understood!]
After ending the communication, Cromwell leaned back in his chair.
Even at the news of six laboratories being lost, he didn't feel any particular emotional fluctuation.
He wasn't angry, nor was he bothered. It wasn't related to his area anyway, and there were separate managers in charge.
His mind had been focused solely on one man from some time ago until now.
"Right. He said he's going down to the underground waterway after receiving a request from the city."
Osian.
Though just a fixer, Cromwell fully grasped his value.
A human who handles the lost power of the ancient times.
Just that alone made him feel the passionate desire burning hot in his cold heart.
Passion, from someone like himself who looked at everything with cold, indifferent eyes.
The flame burning in a frozen heart. This phrase perfectly suited the situation.
It couldn't be helped. Osian's power stimulated his curiosity that much.
He was curious. What's the principle behind that power? Where did it originate? What's its maximum output? What are the manifestation conditions? Is anything else possible?
Questions kept leading to more questions.
There was always one way to solve them.
Only through 'experiment' which had brought him to this position.
"With few eyes watching and the city unlikely to intervene much, it's just the perfect location."
Cromwell let out a faint smile.
*
Day 3 of flood recovery.
Osian came to the appointed place and joined up with the people.
"Thank you for your help today as well."
Adela greeted Osian with a much more polite tone than before.
On the first day of flood recovery, Osian successfully completed the request, but this wasn't a project that would end after just one day.
As this rainy season was more severe than usual, the flood recovery project was likely to be longer than before. That meant the number of times Osian would need to be deployed would increase as well.
Of course, Osian didn't think much of it.
At that nonchalant response, Adela's eyes sparkled.
'As expected of such an amazing person. Not showing any sign of finding it bothersome even once. Even if that wasn't the case, they could have made excuses to avoid it somehow, but they willingly came out.'
Adela thought Osian came out because of a sense of responsibility, but that was a misunderstanding.
Osian was rather welcoming this underground waterway request.
There was significance in exploring unknown spaces in Tirna that hadn't been checked yet, but also because he didn't know what beings might be lurking inside.
During the first day Osian encountered Rommel who had become a monster underground, and through that fight, he was able to gain many things.
So Osian never regretted that fight. It was one of the most memorable events in his life.
But Adela, not knowing Osian's inner thoughts, felt both grateful and sorry towards him.
Although they had made a deal with the Zero Ground residents, it was because Osian took on the very dangerous role of luring the monster.
'I couldn't do anything. But today will be different.'
Adela's pride wouldn't allow her to rely completely on Osian.
If she kept depending on someone like this, she wouldn't be able to stand alone when it really mattered.
That was Adela's principle that she had held throughout her life.
Therefore, while feeling grateful to Osian, Adela decided to succeed in this mission with her own power.
"However..."
Adela's gaze turned to Osian's side.
More precisely, towards the man who came with Osian.
"That person beside you..."
"Ah."
Osian nodded as if he just understood.
His gaze turned to his companion, Mist, who stood beside him.
"He's a colleague from the same fixer office. He said he wanted to join today's flood recovery work with me."
"Is that so?"
Adela looked over Mist with an unbelieving gaze.
The scarf covering his mouth, the hood pulled low over his head, even the mysterious atmosphere.
While Adela didn't have much information about solvers, other employees did.
Just by picking up their whispers, she could learn approximate information about the man before her eyes.
'Mist. The embodiment of mystery whose real name and identity are unknown but his skills as a fixer are said to be excellent.'
She wondered why such a Mist came here, only to find out he was from the same fixer office as Osian.
'But don't fixers usually work individually? I heard they just belong to the same place but don't have any camaraderie, was I wrong?'
Violet Fox was just a very unusual case in the industry, Adela was correct in her understanding.
"Is it not okay for someone else to come?"
"No. There's nothing wrong with it. Rather, if another excellent fixer joins us, it's something we should welcome."
Of course, the usual Adela would have refused. Her personality was thoroughly measured, as if with a ruler. Negatively speaking, she was inflexible.
The fact that such an Adela allowed Mist's accompaniment was because he was Osian's colleague, a choice that could be made not because of trust in Mist, but because she trusted Osian.
The quick-witted Mist caught onto this immediately but he didn't show any particular dissatisfaction. Why? Because fixer Mist was a cool person. He needed to know how to magnanimously overlook things like this.
'Adela. I'll remember this grudge.'
Of course, Mist didn't forget to inscribe that name in his mental grudge notebook.
Then, when his eyes met Adela's, Mist naturally turned his head away.
While she often caused conflicts due to her strict and inflexible personality, Adela was still a beauty who caught the eye.
Mist, who was weak to beauties, couldn't properly meet her eyes.
'Hmm hmm. She doesn't seem like a bad person.'
Instead, he erased Adela's name from his mental grudge notebook.