Because of the distance, the white class had to make a request to the academy to be absent for a while. After all, they had to calculate the time traveling to and from Fuera and the time they needed to complete the quests.

Ophelia, who was the new headmaster and their teacher, gave them permission and announced that they would depart at the start of the weekend.

The week ended before one could blink with their eyes and the group found themselves traveling to Fuera.

Since the Malnor incident, there had been a brooding tension between Lucio’s nations and Rostanta, making it a lot more complicated to pass the borders. Usually, the guards would conduct a thorough inspection but because it was Ophelia, the group was allowed into the nation without any problems.

And after a few additional days, they finally arrived in the capital of Rostanta, Fuera.

There was no need for them to lodge in an inn because of their connection to the royal family, thus, they were offered rooms in the private mansion of Olivia Rostanta, the queen of Rostanta.

"Make yourselves at home here. Unfortunately, I have to leave already but if you need anything, you can go ask the maids and butlers of the mansion to help you." Olivia stated after greeting the students and Ophelia in her office.

She had received a letter from Ophelia that she and her students would come in order to do some quests in the vicinity, however, Ophelia could not change her plans and could instead just offer them a place to stay.

"Are you heading out for your next mission?"

"Yes. This time, we received information about a group of demons so the whole unit was assembled for this one." Olivia replied indifferently as she finished signing the last pieces of paper.

"Sounds tough... Didn’t you just return here?" Ophelia sighed with a smirk.

"Well, you know what kind of person he is." Olivia sighed back.

"Ehm..."

Lily nervously stepped forward while the two siblings talked to each other.

"Is it possible that you’re on a mission as a member of Hunters...?" she asked cautiously while paying attention to her manners in front of the queen.

"Why do you ask?"

"If I may be arrogant, I would say that I’m quite strong with the title of a Grand Order member as proof. Therefore, may I ask if I could accompany your Highness on the mission?"

"?!"

Her fellow students looked at her stunnedly.

"What’s your reason for wanting to join me?"

Olivia put her pen aside and stared at Lily.

"Because I want to be acknowledged even more."

"Hm~ And what exactly do you mean by that?" Olivia asked again amusedly.

"The Grand Order was once the end goal of any mage as it was once the group where the strongest gathered, however, with the appearance of Hunters that image was shattered. As your Highness and Sara Tiam, two of the Grand Order’s previous cornerstones left it for Hunters, many people, especially younger ones, started to believe that Hunters had the potential to surpass the Grand Order. Thus, I came to my own conclusion that fighting with members of Hunters would make me get more acknowledgment than being a mere member of the Grand Order."

"L-Lily!"

Ophelia was about to remind Lily whom she was talking to but Olivia chimed in.

"It’s fine, Ophelia."

Olivia stood up from her seat and walked over to Lily.

"I like your honesty." she admitted with a smirk.

"However..."

"?"

"As much as I would like to bring you with me, I don’t have the authority anymore to decide things on my own." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

She passed by Lily and opened the door.

"I can see that you’re strong. So don’t be impatient. Your time will come."

Olivia left.

"She’s right."

Ophelia patted Lily’s shoulder, trying to cheer her up.

"Your time will surely come." she added.

The group left the room, too, and prepared themselves for their departures tomorrow.

Each team went through their strategies and information once more, whereas Lily spent her time alone, strolling around as she was the only one among the group who would do a quest on her own.

Out of boredom, she summoned her relic and flicked it in the air, caught it and repeated the process. And while she did that, she glanced at the black bracelet on her right wrist.

"..."

Her gaze turned slightly grimmer as she remembered something unpleasant.

The next day.

"Good luck with your missions." Harik wished the others.

"Considering who they are, I don’t think they necessarily need luck though." Rachel joked.

"We’re all on the same page when we all return here, right?" Ophelia asked once more.

The whole group gathered in front of the mansion with each team having a carriage prepared for them.

The team with Ophelia, Harik and Rachel had to head to the far north of Rostanta for their quest which contained the elimination of spiders. The trip to the location alone took them two days.

"Yes. We will wait for you here." Lisa replied sternly.

She and Belian departed to the east of Rostanta in order to slaughter wolves. Compared to the other team, it took them only one day to get there.

Everyone agreed on returning to Loogam together after completing their quests but because Ophelia’s team had the longest way, the others would wait for them to return.

And after looking each other in the eyes with firm resolves, they entered their carriages and departed.

"..."

Lily was left behind when the others departed. It was not because she wanted to stay behind or the like. She just had another method of transportation.

She took out her wand and summoned one of her stored fire creatures.

This time, she summoned a big and majestical phoenix.

And although it was a creature purely made out of flames, Lily hopped on it without getting burnt or feeling hot which was due to her being the creature’s master.

The phoenix spread its large wings and took flight.

Reaching her destination would normally take her days but with the help of a flying creature, it took her only a day.

She was headed to the south of Rostanta, near the border between Rostanta and Stakew.

And while the Loogam group split up into three groups, Olivia joined up with her group in Stakew.

"I don’t know how I should feel about being here as the queen of Rostanta..." Olivia sighed.

She was currently in a bar in Prat, the capital as well as the port city of Stakew.

"Is there a problem with that? I mean, you’re not here for diplomatic reasons nor are you here as Rostanta’s queen but as Hunters’ Olivia Rostanta." Sara responded carefreely.

During those two years, Sara grew taller. Her clothing style was still the same as she revealed a lot of her now more toned and charming body. Her hair was also still long but it was tied into a high ponytail this time.

Many body parts were wrapped up in bandages and Sara even wore an eye patch on her left eye. Furthermore, aside from those bandages, Sara had a lot of scars on her.

Sara and Olivia sat at a small and round table. And because it was still morning, the bar was empty.

"?"

Then, someone else entered the bar, obviously attracting the two women’s attention.

Olivia smirked.

"Is it time to head out now?" she asked anticipatingly.

"It’s been a while since we did a mission together if I remember correctly." Sara chuckled.

The mood was light despite them heading out for a dangerous mission.

"This is ridiculous. Back then, the whole Grand Order may have been mobilized for this one." Olivia remarked with a huff.

They approached the robe-wearing person who was waiting for them at the door.

"Well, technically speaking, we three would be equal- No, we have surely surpassed them already." Sara stated with a wide grin. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Heh, you cheeky brat."

Confirming their states, the person with the robe turned their back on them and headed out again.

Those three met up to depart for their mission as well.

It was a quest only Hunters could take on in today’s age.

It was a quest consisting of the subjugation of a group of demons near Prat.

For that mission, the whole unit had to be gathered.

Currently, Hunters consisted of three people but there were already a few candidates for the team even though those candidates themselves did not know about it yet.

Still, they may be just three people but those three were the strongest humans with each one of them being able to take down a whole nation if they wanted.

The strongest human Olivia Rostanta, queen of Rostanta and former captain of the Grand Order.

The sword god Sara Tiam, crown princess of Grat and former Grand Order member.

And last but not their mysterious leader who possessed power surpassing even those of Olivia and Sara.