Thankfully, both Vanessa and Faeloria were "adults," so the discord between them was resolved through peaceful negotiations.


    "Then, we''ll have Aster for four hours each, alternating. This is final, alright?"


    "Fufu, I have no problems with that arrangement either. Just make sure you follow the schedule properly."


    "..."


    And so, without hearing his input at all, the two women decided how they''d "share" Aster between them. Of course, Tina tried to object, insisting shee along too. However, given her current skill level, she''d just end up being a burden. She''s too powerless to evene close topeting with them.


    After their brief meeting, the trio made their way toward the ss Exchange Hall, heading to the top floor where Faeloria''s office was located. The room had a much simpler designpared to Magnus'' borate office, yet it had its own unique charm. As they stepped inside, they noticed someone else was already there.


    "Wee back, Director." The male elf greeted Faeloria respectfully, presenting a ring inside a jewelry box before her.


    Aster almost thought the man was about to propose, but the situation wasn''t quite right for that. Faeloria took the ring, slid it over her pinky finger, and infused it with mana, opening a small portal.


    "Take one of these," Faeloria said, offering a pair of gas-mask-like devices to both Aster and Vanessa. "This is Anti-Brainwashing gear, crafted in Juviel City. Even if brainwashing doesn''t normally work on us, it''s better to be prepared."


    By "us," Faeloria was referring to herself and Vanessa, unaware that Aster was also immune to such mental attacks. Still, he epted the mask without hesitation and put it on.


    Once Aster had it on, he realized the mask wasn''t as simple as it seemed. The lenses disyed information simr to Augmented Reality, providing details like distance, height, and even status indicators.


    "This mighte in handyter..." Aster muttered quietly, appreciating its utility.


    After securing their Anti-Brainwashing gear, Faeloria turned back to the male elf. "Broly, teleport the three of us just outside Juviel City''s walls. After that, you''ll take over my responsibilities as Deputy Director of the ss Exchange Hall until I return."


    "Yes, Director," Broly replied instantly, his professionalism evident.


    Though their conversation seemed ordinary, there was more going on than Aster realized. Both Faeloria and Broly were members of a covert Hit Squad. Faeloria wasn''t just the Director—she was also the Team Leader of one of the elite squads. Broly, her secretary, was also her vice-leader, responsible for taking over in her absence.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The three of them huddled close, preparing for teleportation. Broly raised his hand and cast the spell without a word, though Aster caught a flicker of concern in Broly''s gaze as he looked at Faeloria.


    A sh of light enveloped them, and when it faded, they found themselves in a different location.


    "Ugh!"


    Aster suddenly appeared a few meters above the ground and began to fall. Panic washed over him, but before he hit the ground, someone caught him mid-air.


    "What a yful subordinate you have, Director Faeloria Shadowleaf," Vanessa smirked as she shifted Aster into a morefortable hold.


    Faeloria chuckled, albeit a littlete, shaking her head with a wry smile. "I know. I''ll have to scold himter. Apologies for the scare, Mr. Aster."


    "N-No, it''s fine. I wasn''t hurt or anything..."


    Even if Vanessa hadn''t caught him, the fall wouldn''t have caused him serious harm—just a minor bruise, at worst. It felt more like a harmless prank than anything malicious, so Aster decided to let it slide.


    "Uhm, can you let me down already?"


    Read new adventures at empire


    However, the situation was still embarrassing. His face flushed slightly as he made his request, but Vanessa''s mischievous smile didn''t fade.


    "Nope. You''re staying like this for a while."


    Aster looked to Faeloria for help, hoping she would step in and stop Vanessa''s antics. To his dismay, Faeloria agreed. "Right. You should stay like that for a bit. Be quiet, alright?"


    As if they had nned it, both women took off at top speed, leaving Aster with blurred vision as they raced across thendscape. The wind pressure was intense, making it difficult for him to even catch his breath.


    Thankfully, the sprintsted only about thirty seconds before they came to a stop under the shade of a broken house. Their sharp gazes immediately scanned the area, searching for any sign of enemies.


    After exchanging a series of silent hand signals—anguage Aster didn''t understand—they resumed their rapid movement. This pattern repeated five times before they finally reached arge, half-destroyed building, unnoticed by anyone nearby.


    They slipped through the building''s security and descended into an underground space, entering a concealed room.


    "We''re here."


    Atst, Vanessa set Aster down, his previous embarrassment fading as his curiosity took over. He looked around, wide-eyed. "What is this ce?" he murmured.


    The room, though small on the outside, was incredibly advanced inside—far more sophisticated than the 10th underground floor of his parents''b. Various monitors disyed streams of data, while the walls were covered with maps marked with pins and strings. In the center stood arge holographic meeting table, the kind Aster had only ever seen in movies or TV dramas.


    "This is Orinfeld City''s Juviel City Information Outpost. It serves as the gathering spot and information exchange center for all our spies operating within Juviel City''s territory," Faeloria exined with a calm smile. "I''ll be reviewing the logs left by our agents. You two can rx; I''ll only need about five minutes."


    "Then, I..." Aster trailed off, his attention drawn to a monitor showing live video feeds from outside.


    He walked closer, tapping the arrows to change the view. The hidden cameras provided surveince over key locations like City Hall and the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "This is terrible..."


    Each location the cameras disyed was in ruins, as if ravaged by an airstrike. Corpses were scattered everywhere, many dismembered or burned beyond recognition.


    All of this destruction was the work of the Aracelli Race. The sight stirred a deep sense of anger within Aster''s heart.


    "Cassy..."


    He whispered her name softly, wishing with all his might that they would soon find a clue to rescue her before it was toote.