WHOOSH!

"Don't let them get away!"

A loud cry echoes in the air, and a sudden gust of wind blows violently in the clearing.

Nathania, the White Shaman, hurriedly casts a Spell that traps the five Cadre 3 Magivores in the vicinity. A white barrier made from a wind-like membrane covers the battlefield, preventing anyone from coming in or going out.

This is one of her signature moves—White World.

The disadvantage of this is that she has to remain in the same spot for the barrier to be intact.

However, this isn't a problem, since she often works with her husband, Fernand.

"Good! They're trapped!" I yell out, my eyes flash with excitement. "Move out, everyone!"

These Cadre 3 Magivores are known as Rhinoceros Hares, and they are incredibly fast.

Even after trapping them, they almost managed to escape.

If we didn't have Nathania, then…

The good news is that, even though these are Cadre 3 Magivores, they don't have an absurdly high attack potency. They specialize in speed and defense, and they're also cowardly in nature, which means we only need to constantly attack them once we block off their escape.

The reason we're hunting them down is due to the fact that they keep destroying the farms of all the neighboring residents. That's because the Rhinoceros Hares like to develop large craters where they can play, and farmlands have the best environments for this.

They don't exactly attack humans, but they still cause great disasters that cannot be ignored.

These things also destroy infrastructure and can be indirectly responsible for the deaths of humans, to which they are largely indifferent.

For that reason alone, they need to die.

Even Brad is with us on this expedition, and that's because he understands their threat.

With Nathania preventing their escape, and Fernand protecting Nathania, only seven of us remain active on the battlefield.

Austin, Dahlia, and I serve as the vanguards, while Rupert and Esther offer backup support. Brad and Ruthina assist with crowd control, ensuring all the Rhinoceros Hares move exactly where we want them to.

Since they have low intelligence anyway, and they're skittish in nature, these creatures are largely predictable, so it isn't difficult at all to fight them.

Using our formation, it takes about a few hours before they're all down for good.

Normally, we wouldn't be able to catch them since they're so fast. Even if we did, their defenses would be a problem as well. However, by working together and targeting their weaknesses, we were able to succeed.

I have to admit, even though we have defeated a Cadre 4 Magivore before, this would have been one of our most difficult fights.

Slippery creatures are just too annoying to deal with.

"Good thing we had you with us, Javier!" Austin pats my shoulder and laughs. "Who would have thought you'd be such a Magivore expert?"

"Right? And you even came up with the plan we used. That saved a lot of time and effort."

"Yeah. It also saved quite a bit of resources. I know how much we would have spent if we went with our former strategy."

Esther and Rupert also chip in their respective thoughts.

Before long, everyone begins to speak about how amazing my vast knowledge is and how effective my strategy has been. Not just in this instance, but also in past missions.

I won't lie, their praises make me a little sheepish.

Looks like all the time I spent in the Academy wasn't wasted, after all.

The thing is, even I am surprised by how much I ended up learning about Magivores.

In my past life, I wasn't very knowledgeable. I only knew details of Magivores I faced in battle before, or those near my territory. I certainly didn't know many details regarding their habits, anatomy, etc.

However, after enrolling in the Academy, I developed a deep fascination with certain departments like the Department of History & Academia and the Department of Sciences & Natural Philosophy.

They really opened my eyes to the realm of the mystical and how these phenomena can be studied with empirical science.

For example, one of the Core Courses in the Department of History & Academia is "Introduction to Magivore Studies" in which we looked at the most well-documented Magivores, and broke down their details.

I was honestly surprised by how much humanity knew about Magivores.

Growing up, I was always told that they were vastly revered as mystical, with some people revering them as gods or devils. However, that really isn't the case at all in the realm of academia and advanced studies.

In Universities, there are even more complex and sophisticated Courses that focus on the study of Magivores and other mystical phenomena.

Speaking of mystical phenomena, in the Department of Sciences & Natural Philosophy, one of my favorite Courses was actually an Elective called "Mystical Phenomena and Scientific Discourse," where we learned to bridge the gap between science and mysticism.

What most people view as mystical is usually just an unknown phenomenon that can be explained with sufficient scientific inquiry.

Magivores have special abilities that make them mystical in nature.

However, these abilities are derived from their core aspects, which can be considered Special Resources, and they have an anatomy that allows for these Special Resources to display their raw power through biological processes.

That makes sense, right? In essence… they aren't anything 'mystical.'

Even Special Resources!

Aren't those simply materials that contain properties that create special phenomena around them? These properties can be mixed and combined to create Potions or Armaments.

I also took a "Basic Alchemy" Course, so I know about the science behind it.

In the end, all of these can be studied.

They aren't 'special' or 'mystical' in the sense that they are unexplainable.

Using that approach in Mercenary work—especially hunting Magivores—it becomes relatively easier to formulate plans and deploy them to better take down these creatures.

Who would have thought, huh?

Being a Scholar actually helps me better as a Mercenary than being a Knight would have.

"Okay, okay… enough with the praises…" After getting my fill of their compliments, savoring every moment of it, I divert their attention to the corpses of the Magivores.

It's time to harvest them.

**************

Flames dance, flickering violently within the campfire.

The bright orange fires create a brilliant hue, dispelling the shadows of the night, as we all sit under the moonlight and enjoy the wondrous breeze of nature.

Right now, all nine of us are gathered in a circle atop my Gray Turtleback Camel, and a campfire stands in our center.

No worries, the flames don't affect Gray at all, and it doesn't harm the shell.

Now several meters from the ground and closer to the sky, all of us sit on the smooth surface of the large snail-shell of my sleeping steed and converse.

We strayed a little too far from civilization in our just-concluded hunt, so we have to camp here for the night, and then we'll return to the nearest town tomorrow. None of us minds such an arrangement, though, as we're used to camping out in the wild like this.

In fact, it has gotten quite enjoyable.

"To our one-year anniversary working together!" Suddenly, Ruthina stands up and raises her cup in a loud cheer.

"Hear, hear!"

"To think I've known you idiots for a year now…"

"So it's been a year already? Felt like ten, with how old you guys seem to be getting."

"Fuck you!"

"Damn straight!"

"Pfft!"

Everyone raises their glasses and cheers, our brilliant smiles resonating with one another to the point that such an ordinary night becomes magical.

Indeed…

It has been a year since the Lerois Cathedral Incident—our first job together.

So much has happened in that short while.

Nathania is pregnant with Fernand's child, Austin managed to get himself a girlfriend after being single for so long (the last one cheated on him and ran off with his best friend), and even Ruthina is casually seeing someone now.

Of course, there's also my secret relationship with Dahlia.

Ahh… It's been going great.

Esther is thinking about retiring soon so she can open an Alchemy shop, since she has gathered almost all the rare materials she needs to brew all the Potions recorded in the Grimoire she found at a mysterious Ruin. Rupert is thinking of opening a Fabricant Workshop right next to hers, and I can actually see the two of them getting together in the future.

Or, they could just be very close friends—like how Ruthina and I are.

As for Brad, he'll continue working as a Mercenary until he gathers enough clues about the Sanctuary he is seeking.

It looks like everyone has their plans and goals in life.

Around the bonfire, we talk extensively about the things we plan to do and how we intend to achieve them. Before we realize it, we stop discussing future plans and start to divulge secrets of our past.

"I grievously wounded a High Noble who assaulted my younger sister. That's why I was disowned by my family." Austin laughs as he finally tells us his story. "They said I sullied their honor. Can you imagine that? Want to know what's so fucked up about it all? That bitch ended up marrying the guy anyway!"

I sigh, smiling sadly as I think about my past and how my sister was married off to someone else.

"Maybe… she was forced to, for the family's honor."

I mutter aloud.

I glance at Austin and realize he heard me.

He smiles and nods slowly. "Maybe. She could have even cut a deal with their family to marry the jerk in exchange for preserving my life. I've always wondered why I was never assassinated after what happened…"

"…."

"But, you know… It's just easier to hate everyone in that family, including my sister…" Austin sighs as he looks at me with a defeated look.

I can understand him.

He would rather view himself as the renegade hero who tried to protect his family and was cast out by them instead. Disowned by his parents… betrayed by his sister.

If he doesn't, what's the alternative?

His sister sacrificed her happiness just to preserve his life? His parents sent him off in order to absolve him of his duties to the family? It's more difficult to think of the horrid actions of others as filled with good intentions, especially when they affect you.

I truly understand Austin…

"My turn!" Ruthina points at me and yells. "I don't like Javier, okay? I like girls and girls alone. The only person I had a brief crush on in this team is Nathania… but then I found out she was married to Fernand, and… pfft…"

Everyone laughs their ass off almost immediately, tears practically streaming down their faces.

Nathania blushes slightly, and Fernand pokes fun at her.

Ruthina nearly screams, practically regretting outing herself until we finally stop laughing and end up comforting her.

After that, Dahlia tells everyone about her former Noble status. Naturally, most of the audience is stunned by this new information, but I simply laugh to myself.

After her, more of us speak, revealing our past in the most hilarious, but also concerning ways.

"Okay, okay… so, remember how I said I have a dark past that I must never speak of? Well, I actually used to work as a Gigolo for a Sugar Mommy, but she wanted to peg me one day… so I ran off."

"Some of you already know this, but I only get turned on by big, muscular women…"

"I want to have a Harem one day!"

"I just wish some rich dude would just come and take me off in his carriage. He should die the next day and leave me with everything to inherit. Muahahaha!"

I laugh and shake my head, wondering how I got acquainted with these people in the first place.

Life surely works in mysterious ways.

When my turn comes, I consider telling them about my regression, but instead, I tell them about the Academy Incident that happened when I was still a student. I told them of Professor Alaric and his obsession with the Leviathans.

As expected, none of them know of these mysterious entities.

… Except one.

"Only they drink from the everlasting waters of the primordial cup. Tribute be given to the Leviathans—the ones who move the world." Brad mumbles those words to me as he stares, almost blankly.

"What?"

"It's an excerpt from the most ancient text in recorded human history—The Rites of Exaltation."

"Really?" I never learned about this in the Academy. "What else does it say?"

"I don't know. Most of it is shrouded in mystery. Even the author is unknown. Its validity has also been discredited among scholarly circles, so you probably didn't learn about it in the Academy." Brad adds, almost discontentedly. "But I believe it's real. The Leviathans… I think they're out there somewhere."

The more I learn about these obscure entities, the more questions I have about them.

How come no one knows about them at all if they've been around for so long, and they're practically famed to be the gods of the world?

Even in my past life, I never encountered anything remotely close to Leviathans.

The only mention I heard of them was in my Uncle's journal.

Also, why does Brad know about them? I'm guessing the Vey'lithar who settled in his village told him about them, since he attributes most of his secular knowledge to her. She even taught him how to read and write, especially in their language.

He has been teaching me bits and pieces of the Vey'lithar tongue in his spare time, too.

I don't know when it might come in handy, but I'm someone who would always embrace new knowledge, regardless of its utility.

As long as it interests me, I'd want to know more.

And, with Brad's sudden but limited knowledge of the Leviathans, I've grown more invested.

Believe it or not, we actually talked till sunrise.

There were simply endless things to discuss, and it never got boring—not even for a second.

The only person who fell asleep was Nathania, and that's simply due to her pregnancy and the rest she needs out of consideration for the baby, as well as her health.

However, she woke up just in time to witness dawn.

As all nine of us sit atop the camel's shell, we witness the sun slowly peeking from beyond the horizon. Its bright golden form is, at first, obscured by deep orange light, before slowly brightening up and turning yellow.

Our eyes sparkle as we watch with unbridled ecstasy.

The winds greet us with delight, and our entire bodies embrace the warmth of the morning.

This must be what freedom feels like.

I look around at everyone, watching them with a warm, affectionate gaze. They also look around, meeting my gaze, as well as the gaze of others.

Then, my eyes settle on Dahlia, who sits right next to me.

She reaches out to me, softly grabbing my hand. I tightly clench them, feeling her soft skin press against mine, and we stare warmly at each other.

The others must have gotten the wrong idea, but they also grab each other's hands, and we all end up holding hands as the sun ascends high in the sky. Slowly, we mimic the sun and rise to our feet, eventually raising our hands above our heads.

It almost feels like we're children.

Then, we laugh and cheer, concluding the celebration of our one year together.

I didn't think too deeply about it before, but now that I do… I've come to realize that these people have slowly become more than just teammates.

They've become more than friends, too.

They've become my new family.

Yes…

All of us: Esther, Rupert, Nathania, Fernand, Austin, Ruthina, Brad, Dahlia… and me—Javier.

We're family at this point.

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