"Okay, how about we relax and introduce ourselves first? We didn't really get a proper introduction, so let's do that now."
Leo said, trying to calm everyone down and steer the conversation elsewhere. He especially wanted to avoid mentioning sky fishing—just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine.
Haruo looked at him, then sighed.
"Do we really have to introduce ourselves? Feels kind of repetitive. Introduction after introduction... do you know how many people I've met in the past three days?"
"Still don't you think we should get know each other since we'll be working from now on? It makes things a lot easier if we knew our strengths and weaknesses don't think?"
Isaac nodded in agreement, he held his sword tightly before saying:
"I agree. We might be able to fight better or handle situations more easily if we know more about each other."
They all agreed and proceeded with the introductions. Haruo was a bit annoyed—he already knew everyone and their abilities, except for Theodor. He had only just met him, and the guy hadn't really used his ability during the second half.
Or did he? Haruo wasn't sure. Maybe Theodor did use his ability, but it seemed unlikely—he hadn't sensed or seen any abnormalities in the field during their fight. If he did, it was probably a low-tier ability, which only made Haruo more doubtful.
"So who's first? I'll go last since most of you already know me."
A pause filled the air. No one volunteered. It was complete silence—well, not completely quiet. The only sound was the airship soaring and tearing through the skies, its engine humming steadily in the background. It wasn't loud, just there.
Then finally Leo broke the silence:
"I'll go start it off then, haha... I'm Leo Novikov. I'm a semi-pure. My ability is lies within the mist, legendary rank. It lets me create illusions, heal and generate water, generate fire, and summon a sword. Of course, there's more to it than that, but that's the simplest way to describe my ability."
Isaac tilted his head before questioning:
"Why did you name your ability "Lies Within the Mist?" You didn't mention anything about being able to use mist."
Leo only smiled politely before answering his question.
"Well, you see, Isaac... long ago, when I was a child—around six years old—I found a beautiful rock. Ever since then, I visited it every day. Then one day, as I went to see it again, a thick fog surrounded me, and a giant snake-like dragon emerged from the rock. It stood before me and granted me my ability. Since my power came from the mist and the snake within it, I named it that."
Everyone just stared at him, pausing for a moment. Leo kept his smile up, unfazed. Whether they believed him or not didn't matter—it was their choice, not his. So why should he care?
Of course, a snake emerging from a rock wasn't completely impossible—or even that uncommon these days... But being granted an ability by some mysterious being, instead of having it happen naturally? That was the part that stood out. That was surprising.
"...What? You never told us this, are you lying?"
Tatiana had never heard this story before. They'd been friends since childhood, and all of them knew each other's secrets—or at least, most of them. Even Theodor looked just as confused, as if he had no idea what Leo was talking about.
"You believe me?"
Leo was genuinely surprised they believed it. He never expected his friends to be this gullible. With hearing that, the group expression only died down.
Tatiana just rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Of course..."
Leo cleared his throat before continuing his introductions. "Well, since Theo and Tia probably won't introduce themselves properly, I'll do it for them."
He gestured toward Tatiana and theodor. "These are the Andreev siblings from the Andreev household. As you can probably guess, they're nobles—well, practically nobles since they're semi-pures."
"Yeah, I know. I was one too." Haruo kept his gaze fixed on Theodor, trying to figure out what his ability might be. Theories swirled in his mind, each one trying to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Theodor didn't seem bothered at all—his head was slumped on the table as he casually chewed on something.
"You were? How come I didn't know?" Ena said.
"Oh, come on. It was obvious. Didn't you ever wonder why I actually resembled my nationality?"
"No, no, it wasn't. You have white hair and grey eyes. Not to mention, you wear that skin mask all the time—I don't even know what you really look like. At first, I thought you were adopted, considering how you don't resemble Taiyo, At all."
Haruo coughed lightly before turning away. "Fair point."
"Wait you haven't showed her what you look like yet? I thought she would know how you look like. I guess I'm the only one who knows what you look like in this group." Leo was just shocked by this revelation
"You aren't the only one y'know, I was there too. I saw his face before he could've killed you. Like seriously why were you guys killing each other, It was a test for goodness sake!"
Tatiana recalled their experiences during the second test, the clear memory of how they had both been way too dramatic. Like who kills someone in a test!?
"Technically, you couldn't die during the tests, even if you tried. Ford, the main butler for the royal family, was the one who created the testing area—an entirely separate space where he controls everything, even death." Haruo said.
"Did you know that before hand?"
Haruo looked away again, knowing he was cornered. "Well, you shouldn't be the one to talk. Yesterday—or the day before that—the moment you heard your brother's name in first place, you got all dramatic and called the team weak in Russian! Not to mention, your mood got even darker right after that!"
'Was that what it looked like to him?'
***
During the second test...
'I'll kill those bastard!' Tatiana her eyes full of anger as she was recalling on what Leo and Theodor did before the tests.
'I was saving up for the auction this week and those fools just spent all of it on food! Not even something that last long, Just how big is that stomach of his for him to eat 60,000$ worth of food!?'
She was the first to enter the room, so no one was there to witness her tantrum. With clenched teeth, she kicked the floor in frustration. But the moment someone else entered, she swiftly composed herself, returning to a neutral stance as if nothing had happened.
Though she managed to conceal what had just happened, she couldn't hide her fury. The atmosphere felt suffocating for the other person. Poor Liang Chen—he had just returned from a grueling battle, only to face a mental one as well.
After everyone gathered, they went around introducing themselves. In the middle of it, Tatiana couldn't help but mutter something in Russian—calling her teammates weak. While keeping a straight face, her mind wandered to how she'd beat her brother to a pulp… and maybe strangle Leo while she was at it.
But she couldn't do any of that—not unless her teammates were actually strong. Then again, maybe arrogance was just something all nobles had in common. It made sense, considering she was born into a wealthy family and was a potential representative for her country.
***
"Yeah, don't mind that," A quick cough escaped Tatiana, dismissing the topic. She was slightly embarrassed, though she concealed it far better than she had hidden her fury.
"My ability is quite simple—it allows me to teleport. Of course, I can't teleport across an entire continent in one go; that would be too exhausting. In fact, I can't even teleport 500 meters yet. It's also an A rank ability"
Haruo nodded, already grasping the full extent of her ability—though he had expected more. Still, he understood its fundamentals. He then shifted his gaze back to the short airhead.
'For someone who's an airhead outside of battle but a monster in combat, he probably has a strong ability—perhaps even on par with Isaac's,' Haruo thought, carefully studying him.
"And yours?" He directed to Theodor, trying to get an answer.
Before he heard Theodor say something, a loud sneeze echoed through the speakers. The airship shook for a moment before steadying again. Everyone caught off guard had their eyes wide open.
"Uh, hey—this is your, uh, captain speaking. We just hit, like, a really strong gust of wind or something... but no worries! Everything's under control." The speakers crackled awkwardly before cutting off with a burst of static.
'Yeah right, you definitely lost control when you sneezed. At least come up with a better excuse than that. Talk about customer service.' Haruo scoffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
After finishing his internal rant, Haruo blinked when he heard Theodor casually say, "And that's my ability."
'What!? He explained it during the turbulence!?' Haruo's eyes widened—he didn't even catch a single word. Not a hint. Nothing.
"Hold on! Can you repeat that?!"
Ena raised a brow, clearly puzzled. "Either you're bad at explaining your ability, or it just doesn't make any sense at all. I'll just go with the idea that you suck at explaining it."
"His ability is conditional, is what he means. He can't activate it unless he finished his condition." Leo corrected Theodor.
Haruo looked more confused but didn't push it. He wanted to understand it without having to look into it later, but since it was a conditional ability, he figured it wasn't something he could rely on for his plans. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't ask about it. An ability is an ability, doesn't matter if it was conditional or not, good or bad, just has to be useful in certain situations.
Besides, he could always ask about it later. The trip to the northern regions would give him more than enough time to bring it up. So, after the turbulence settled, he got comfortable in his seat and let the introductions continue.
***
Back in the Marion Kingdom, Kilian leaned back in his chair, resting one arm on the armrest as he stared up at the ceiling. Then a knock echoed through the room. He adjusted his posture and turned his gaze toward the door.
The doorknob turned, and someone stepped inside. Kilian smiled faintly at the figure as they made their way to the couch and sat down.
"Was it really necessary to knock these days? Especially when I'm the one you're knocking for?"
"Was it really necessary for you to send him there? A Junalia flower—the cure for manifestation failure—isn't limited to the northern regions, y'know. And he knows that too."
Kilian snapped his fingers. A kettle and two teacups appeared out of thin air, and the kettle began pouring on its own. He shifted in his seat, resting an elbow on the table and leaning his head against the back of his hand.
"Don't act like you weren't listening when he and I were talking. I know you heard everything—and even if you didn't, you'd still know why I sent him there in the first place."
Su-nae picked up the teacup, eyeing it closely. Kilian took his own, drank a bit, then rested it on the table. "I know you're not a tea person and lean more toward coffee, but at least give it a try. It's rude to turn it down after I went out of my way to prepare it just for you.
Su-nae was no longer wearing the long robe she had on a few days ago. Instead, she wore something more formal—a skirt paired with a white long-sleeved polo shirt, the kind you'd expect in a professional setting. Her hair was neatly done up in a bun.
"Are you still mad about what happened last week? It was a tiny mistake, y'know that." His smile shifting into a smirk before taking another sip.
Su-nae sighed and took a sip before speaking. "I know he's strong, but he's not that strong. There are things over there I wouldn't even think of touching—things I avoided long when I was still a researcher, countless of years ago. Especially with how things are now over there."
"Heh, you worry too much. They'll be fine. I handpicked his allies for a reason— even that Hyakagure brat is somewhat the same level as him. Did you forget how strict Chiharu was? He probably trained him well enough to handle himself."
"And how extra he was..." She added.
He curled his lips into a wider grin. "Besides, this is just the first period of their learning. Consider it their entrance exam."