Daniel Song had been worried. He’d heard the news— Helena Warshade had vanished. He’d wanted to leave Alyras with the search team. He was, after all, a [Hero]. Unfortunately, his hands had been tied.

“I apologize, [Hero] Daniel Song, and I assure you that this frustrates you as much as it frustrates me, but we cannot permit you to face a potential threat that even Archmage Warshade could not handle.”

Ulric Magnus spoke in a calm voice as he tried to placate the young man. Daniel hesitated. He eyed the [Archbishop] before shaking his head.

“Isn’t that all the more reason for me to act? If there’s something like that out there—”

The [Hero] started. But a second voice spoke out. Thorsten Siegfrid stepped forward and cut Daniel off.

“If there is something like that out there, [Hero] Daniel Song, then it is all the more reason you shouldn’t venture out to face it.”

“Why not?”

Daniel gritted his teeth. He looked between the two [Archbishops] standing before him. They’d trapped him in this room— in this large, lavish hall with silk tapestries hanging from the walls and glistening jewels decorating the furniture. Even the couch was laced with diamonds. It looked anything like a prison cell, but the [Hero] had been locked in here like he was a prisoner.

A pair of guards stood at the exit. They wore heavy plate armor, and their faces were covered by a dark great helm. They were like statues.. or robots. Daniel had seen them escorting both Thorsten Siegfrid and Ulric Magnus around for the past few days, but he couldn’t ever use [Identification] on them. Although, he was quite certain they were at least Level 100 each.

Nevertheless, if he had to fight his way out, he would. The only problem was that Thorsten Siegfrid decided to finally make a logical argument.

“Unfortunately, [Hero] Daniel Song, you are not yet at the level where you can face an opponent capable of defeating Archmage Warshade. You will die a pointless death.”

“That’s..”

Daniel bit his lower lip. The [Archbishop] from the Den of Souls patted him on the shoulder.

“Please, do not be so brash. I understand that as a [Hero], it is only natural to want to help at any given occasion. But until we find out what happened to Helena Warshade, it is better for you not to act.”

That’s true, Daniel agreed only in his head. Ulric Magnus chimed in with a chuckle.

“[Archbishop] Siegfried is right, [Hero] Daniel Song. We do not want another Steven the Failure in our hands, do we?”

That callous laugh from the gaudy man made Daniel’s brows snap together. Ulric Magnus.. annoyed the young man from Earth. Everything about the [Archbishop] from the Sanctum of Elements seemed so fabricated. So fake. Like a con artist putting on a facade to lure their prey into a false sense of security.

It irked Daniel so much so that he made a decision there and then— and it was to do the exact opposite of what Ulric Magnus said. Which meant leaving to find Helena Warshade here and now.

“Excuse me, but I will be going now.”

The [Hero] spoke briskly as he started past the two [Archbishops]. Ulric Magnus froze as Thorsten Siegfried sighed. They tried to stop him.

“Please reconsider, [Hero] Daniel—”

“You can’t just leave—”

But before Daniel even reached the doorway, he heard the commotion from outside. He narrowed his eyes as Thorsten blinked. Ulric was too preoccupied trying to stop the [Hero] from leaving, he didn’t hear the noise. It was Thorsten then who pushed the door open with a frown.

“What’s going on?”

The [Archbishop] asked curiously. There was a clamor of voices in response. Footfalls echoed down the hallway as Thorsten poked his head out. Daniel shoved his way past Ulric and frowned.

“What’s happening, Thorsten?”

“It’s..”

Thorsten Siegfrid opened his mouth, and the answer came a moment later from an outside voice.

“It’s Helena Warshade! She’s back! And she’s brought him with her!”

Daniel’s frowned.

“Who?”

“Him!”

The young man from Earth paused. He heard the name. Then his jaw dropped.

“What?!”

Was it really him? Scarlet Vermillion heard the news, just like everyone else. She'd been working with Laux Lionfist to organize the adventurer alliance— making preparations to depart as soon as possible. Then Helena Warshade went missing. The rumors quickly spread over the course of a few hours, eventually reaching the Rising Veterans Company and all its associate companies. They erupted into a panic.

Their leader, the Great Tempest Archmage of Mavos Academy, Helena Warshade herself, had vanished after casting her Grand Skill. It was worrying to anyone who knew even a semblance of what Helena’s Grand Skill was capable of. She would never use it without due cause, and the fact that she’d completely vanished right after only sowed even more chaos into the ranks of the adventurers.

Thankfully, with Laux Lionfist’s help, Scarlet was able to restore some semblance of order to the hundreds of thousands of gathered adventurers. Truth be told, the young Elite found this job incredibly stressful. She’d been thrust into this position without any preparation. She was still new to being an Elite Ranked adventurer, and now she was forced into leading one of the biggest adventuring companies in the entire world.

It wasn’t easy. She was glad that the much more experienced Laux Lionfist was there to guide her along the way. However, sometimes she wished she didn’t have to deal with this. She wished that.. Mori Gladius didn’t die.

It didn’t seem possible to her. He was Mori Gladius— Champion of the Human Land. A Level 168 [Divine Spearmaster]. The second highest-leveled [Warrior] in the world. He was unkillable. He had died before, and he always came back.

But this time.. it was real. Scarlet had seen it with her own eyes. She’d cried every night for weeks after it happened. It was something unbefitting her station. Yet, she didn’t care if she was caught. She needed to grieve.

Mori Gladius was her mentor. He had chosen her to be his successor, five years ago. She didn’t know why— he said he saw something in her. She’d only been a middling Platinum Rank back then. But his faith in her— his belief that she had something special— had driven her beyond what she thought she could possibly accomplish, and in five short years, she reached the ranks of Elites. An achievement less than a hundred individuals in the Human lands could boast.

Still, she knew she’d have been nothing if not for Mori. Scarlet knew she would never be able to live up to her predecessor. He was forever gone, and she was going to be but a mere fraction of what he was as the new leader of the Remembered Order Company.

Scarlet had asked Tyrian to help bear the leadership mantle with her. He agreed, but only temporarily. The Brightsbane Archer was, sadly, not the leader-type himself, either. But he was willing to bear Scarlet’s burden with her for now.

It was really quite ridiculous. If not for those around her— Mori, Laux, Tyrian, and a multitude of others— Scarlet wouldn’t really be much of anything. Yet, so many people were relying on her. It was both frustrating and tiring. So, when she heard the news, she was the first one to return to Alyras.

She was a [Rogue]. She reached the walls of the city in mere moments after receiving the missive. She sprinted down the halls of the palace as her heart raced with her, pounding like a smith’s hammer in her chest.

Is it really..? Scarlet didn’t believe it. But she wanted to believe it. Helena Warshade had returned. The Red Rose was glad to hear that news. However, there was more to it than that.

Please.. the young Elite begged. Please be true..

Scarlet whirled around a corner and came face-to-face with a sea of faces bursting out of a large hall. She slowed in an instant, reducing her pace to but a brisk walk. Her gaze swept over the bustling crowd, ignoring their whispers of excitement.

“It’s really—”

“Helena is..”

“How did she—”

Scarlet pushed past the large gathering as she made her way to the front.

“Excuse me! I’m sorry! I have to—”

She needed to see it to believe it. Eventually, the Red Rose reached an opening in the crowd. She stumbled out and looked up, seeing Helena Warshade standing at the center.

“Archmage—”

Scarlet started, before cutting herself off. A soft gasp left her lips as her mouth hung open. Her eyes quivered, then welled up, and she inhaled sharply.

“It really is him..”

Her vision blurred for a moment, and she closed her eyes. When she opened them once more, everything was crystal clear. Yet, she didn’t see Helena Warshade or Salvos or Daniel Song or the hundred other people in the large hall. She only saw one man. The man who taught her everything she knew. The only person in the world she revered.

“Mori Gladius..”

Scarlet whispered his name. Standing there, having triumphantly returned with Helena Warshade, was the Champion of the Human Lands himself.

The Red Rose wiped the tears off her face as she whispered.

“You’re really alive.”

[Warrior - Lvl. 167]