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Before he could ask, Roan seemed to handle it for him, “Oh, hey, Faust, this is your nephew. Faust Omnisul, meet Emilio Dragonheart.”

“Wha–” Both Faust and Emilio reacted in unison.

Even Melisande found herself shocked by this sudden revelation told abrasively by the red-haired adventurer.

Faust swooped in, leaning down and inspecting Emilio closely, which proved to be uncomfortable for the youthful Dragonheart as he stood like a statue while the man looked him up and down.

“Hmm…” Faust hummed.

From the sounds of it, the Omnisuls and Dragonhearts didn’t seem like they were on good terms when Father explained it all–there’s no way I’d survive if this guy wants me dead! Emilio thought.

As Faust stood up straight again, he looked down at Emilio with his adamant, sapphire eyes before suddenly–a smile perched itself across Faust’s lips as Emilio found his hair being gently ruffled by the man’s hand.

“You’re a Dragonheart, there’s no doubt about that,” Faust said, “So, you’re Julius’ runt then, I take it?”

“…Yeah, I’m his son,” Emilio said, fixing his hair embarrassedly.

Faust seemed amused by this development, but there was no animosity from him, “What a peculiar day this is. Meeting my own nephew, and he’s traveling alongside my fated rival. Quite motivating.”

“We’re both on our way to the Guild Foundation,” Roan explained, “Emilio and Melisande plan on taking the world-class trial. I’ve got some vital information that the Heads will want.”

Mention of ‘vital information’ for the ‘Heads’ piqued Faust’s interest as he raised an eyebrow, “Oh? If that’s the case, I’ll bring you to the Guild Foundation right away.”

“Seeing as our carriage got destroyed by the lich you were supposed to have killed…I’d say that’s fair,” Roan joked.

“Don’t push it,” Faust replied.

Pushing his palms together as the black leather of his gloves squeaked, Faust invoked a high-level spell that manifested in a soil amidst the putrid soil, surrounding all four of them in a blue light.

“Ars Temporus,” Faust invoked.

Emilio was still stunned by the grandiose power wielded by the man related to him, glancing up at Roan.

“…Just who is he anyway? I mean, I feel like I should’ve known if my Uncle was a big shot like this, but well…I guess that’s another thing they would’ve kept from me,” Emilio asked in a whisper.

Roan responded, “Faust is a member of the Nihilum Core–err, just think of them like a secret force working directly under the Heads of the Guild Foundation. You’re right in thinking he’s a ‘big shot’–every Nihilum member has to be at least a ‘Void Ranked’ adventurer–like so.”

Displaying what he meant, Roan briefly showed Emilio his pitch-black adventure insignia, which finally helped him realize just the intensity of that rank.

“Oh–”

Before Emilio could even discern what sort of magecraft was being used, the humming light flashed, blinding him momentarily as a weightless feeling swept over him.

As his vision returned, he found himself, along with the others, no longer in the bounds of the deathly swamp, but faced with a new scenery:

A colossal domain in the shape of an ivory cube occupied a space the size of a city; castles that looked fun-size in comparison clung to its sides. There was a moat between the structure and the pale-pink grass of the mysterious territory, to which a bridge suspended by tall beams connected the land to the otherworldly building.

“Is this…?” Melisande muttered out.

Faust glanced back, “Welcome to the Guild Foundation.”

It wasn’t just the stupendous, city-sized cube, but the region itself; isolated behind trees that reached to the skies, bearing bright-pink and violet leaves that danced down. These colorful trees were stuck closely together in a perimeter around the region, creating a sort of wall that secluded the Guild Foundation.

“This is it…” Emilio mumbled, “…I’m finally here.”

Vandread…I made it, he thought.

[Guild Foundation: Reached.]

All that was left was to cross the bridge, which was an experience in itself in its grand size as he followed both Roan and Faust as they moved with a certain sense of urgency.

“Are you excited?” Melisande asked.

He didn’t know how to respond right away as there were many thoughts running through his mind, especially when looking at the nebulous structure ahead, but he smiled, nodding his head, “I am. This is the beginning of a new path in life.”

“It is,” Melisande nodded, smiling as she watched the building alongside him, journeying across the rain-slick bridge.

Surprisingly, there were no guards stationed outside of the building as he found himself crossing a courtyard decorated with subtly-glowing, amber trees. It was all mystical, feeling as though he entered a new world entirely.

They came to a stop as Faust did, placing his hand against the outline of a door, though it didn’t appear to be a conventional one. Once recognizing his presence, a magical glow emitted from the grooves in the etched entrance, causing the ivory material to part into a doorway.

This is it–this is really it, he thought.

Entering into the Guild Foundation, he found himself in a vast lobby, already enamored by the marble floors and rows of floors that stretched high. Staircases led to dozens of visible floors, in which workers at the foundation moved through.

There were reception desks that seemed to handle high-priority quests, handed to adventurers who by a single look, were a step above him in every caliber.

“–I feel out of depth here,” Melisande said, sticking close to his side.

“Me too…”

Roan and Faust were talking to each other, seeming stressed about the information they needed to pass to the Heads, in which Roan turned back to face them.

“This is where we part ways,” Roan told the two youths.

“What–? But–” Emilio stepped forward.

Roan stopped him, pointing to a desk across the marble-floored, busy lobby, “That’s where you’re going to want to apply. Just a heads up…be ready the moment you apply.”

“You can’t stay?” Melisande asked.

The red-haired adventurer shook his head, “Sorry, but even if I didn’t have urgent business, it’s not my place. This is up to you two now–it’s time to forge your own destinies. Good luck.”