The sudden burst of noise made Ethan glance in their direction. He caught sight of Albedo waving her spoon like a flag while Arael carried her with an expression somewhere between amusement and resignation.

Rue, of course, remained completely Rue.

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the field.

Ishtar had already released her attack. A concentrated beam of greenish energy holding its impact onto Nina’s raised shield.

Nina’s feet dug into the ground, with her muscles straining as she held the Shield of Pythos steady against the attack.

Ethan lifted the clipboard in his left hand and scribbled a few notes.

┌───────────────────

│ CARRION- OBSERVED EFFECTS │

├───────────────────

│ ✓ Strength Boost

│ ✓ Speed Boost

│ ✓ Flight Capability

│ ✓ Mana Blasts .... STABLE

│

└───────────────────

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched the beam. "Curious to see what this can do next.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"

Then he glanced at the stopwatch in his other hand and raised his voice. "Okay! That’s enough!"

Ishtar immediately pulled back, letting the glow around her dim as the energy dissipated. Nina slowly straightened up, lowering the shield with a heavy exhale.

Ethan could see the subtle tremor in her arms and he looked at her with a small smile. That one pushed her harder than the last ones, he thought.

But before he could say anything, a series of notifications came into view.

[Nina Dragonheart has gained 250 XP]

[Current Nina Progress: 15,100 / 15,000 XP to Emperor Class]

[Nina’s progression from Legendary to Emperor Class: Complete]

A fiery aura erupted around Nina, swirling upward before settling back into her frame. Ethan could feel the shift in her presence, then he gained an approving smile. "Finally."

Ishtar floated down toward him, offering a slight bow as she reached. "I can still go some more, Lord Ethan."

"Yeah, no doubt," Ethan replied, closing the clipboard. "And maybe now Nina would even be able to match you properly. But we’ve been at this for a while, and you need rest too."

He glanced at his stopwatch once more, then exhaled. "I also need to get ready for my summons with the King."

Ishtar inclined her head in acknowledgment.

Ethan’s expression softened. "You’re doing a good job, Ishtar."

Her eyes had some level of relief and determination in them. Now she could protect those she cared about."Thank you, Lord Ethan."

He nodded, then turned to leave. As he walked toward the manor, he cast one final amused glance back at his summons.

They were already beginning to cluster around Nina.

[Playing Role of Guardian: +5,000 XP]

[XP Balance: 212,500]

Over the previous day, he had gained roughly 7,250 experience points between his guardian duties and handling some guild work.

The right time for the rune hadn’t come just yet.

-

A moment later, Ethan pushed open the door to his room and stepped inside.

His eyes widened at the sight of Hayley launching herself toward him.

"What the—?" he muttered, instinctively catching her before she hit the floor. She let out a delighted laugh as she landed perfectly in his arms, cradled like a bride.

She smoothly her arms around his neck, and grinned up at him with mischief in her blue eyes.

"What... was that for?" Ethan asked, still processing what had just happened.

"I just wanted to know you’d always catch me," she said in a teasing, sing-song tone.

Ethan stared at her for a moment. Then, without warning, he shot his hands upward and launched her off his arms.

Hayley yelped as she went airborne, landing with a soft bounce on the bed. "What?! Ethan!"

She grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him with. Ethan ducked his head slightly, but the pillow still hit the side of his head.

He laughed as he crossed the room toward the bathroom, completely unbothered.

"You’re annoying!" Hayley called after him, though her voice was more amused than angry.

Ethan glanced back with a grin, then disappeared into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind him, and a moment later, the sound of running water filled the room.

Hayley had been spending her nights at his place ever since their movie night. It stayed mostly cordial, filled with light teasing and alot of laughter.

Her eyes remained at the bathroom door for a moment. The thick, textured glass allowed only shadows to pass through, but she could see the outline of Ethan’s figure moving behind it.

The shape of his shoulders. The way he ran a hand through his hair.

She bit her grinning lip, and her heart beat just a little faster, especially when she saw a rather special outline .

Then she forced herself to look away, inhaling slowly and exhaling even slower.

She smiled to herself, shook her head, and slid off the bed. If she stayed here any longer, she was going to have thoughts that were far too vivid for her own good.

The kind of thoughts that would make her walk straight into that bathroom and do the most bizarre things.

And while she wasn’t exactly known for her restraint, she still had some dignity.

Besides, they weren’t there yet. So she turned and headed for the door, deciding it was better to go downstairs and distract herself with a conversation with Francesca.

Anything was better than standing here imagining what it would be like to join him behind that glass.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

About two hours later, Eduardo was behind the wheel of the sleek black sedan. He had insisted on being the one to drive Ethan to the palace today, and he had done so with such conviction that Ethan hadn’t even bothered arguing.

Mr Stark sat in the back, dressed sharply in his signature three piece suit. His distant gaze outside the windows were disrupted when he glanced down at his Arcphone when it buzzed.

Miss Berlene ❤️: I think I just saw your ride drive by

A second message followed almost immediately.

Miss Berlene ❤️: Good luck. I’ll be waiting for you.

Ethan’s lips curved into a smile. He slid the phone back into his pocket without replying.

The academy was closed for the weekend, and Isabella had decided to leave the palace for the day, timing her departure with his arrival.

She didn’t want to sit in her room pacing with worry, wondering how the meeting was going. More than that, she wasn’t sure she could trust herself with maintaining her cool.

If she stayed, there was a real chance she’d try to find out what was happening, and in doing so, she’d break the careful distance she had maintained for such a long time.

The car slowed as they approached the palace gates. Eduardo rolled down the window and exchanged a few words with the guards stationed there.

There was a brief pause, some scrutiny, a glance at Ethan in the back seat, and then the massive iron gates open up.

They rolled forward along a pathway, lined with trimmed hedges and fountains. The palace ahead had cream-colored walls crowned by blue zinc domes.

The architecture was grand in every sense of the word.

Eduardo brought the car to a stop in a circular courtyard closer to the entrance, then turned slightly in his seat. "Master Ethan, I won’t be able to go in with you since I have not been summoned."

He paused, and his voice lowered just slightly. "I don’t expect anything to go wrong, but rest assured, with me here, no harm will befall you."

"It’s alright, Eduardo," Ethan said with a smile, glancing at his sheathed sword on the passenger seat before stepping out from the back of the car.

He took in the full scope of the palace grounds as it was his first time seeing the place in person, and he had to admit, it was impressive.

A figure approached from the palace entrance. General Iroh. The tall and broad-shouldered man in his dark green uniform.

"Mr. Stark," Iroh said with a slight incline of his head. "The King is waiting. Follow me."

Ethan fell into step behind him, and together they walked through the grand archway and into the palace.