Aji leaned back against the roof of the building where they were staying, observing the quiet surroundings enveloped by the night. A few soldiers paced back and forth across various posts, particularly around the gates of Adante’s residence. From his high vantage point, Aji could monitor the entire area with ease.

Someone ascended the roof using a weight-lightening technique, approaching Aji with silent steps. It was Nagada, who had spotted Aji from below and decided to join him.

"Beautiful view from up here, isn't it?" Nagada remarked, standing beside Aji.

Aji remained unmoved. "Why aren't you sleeping, Nagada?"

That was Aji's usual demeanor—never one for small talk. Nagada had come to expect it, knowing Aji was simply built that way.

"No reason, really. I just wanted to..." Nagada hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Thank you for destroying the Heart Dragon artifact. It freed me from the grip of the illusion during the exam."

Attempting to build rapport, Nagada sat down beside Aji, both of them looking out over the cityscape.

"Doesn't everyone know it was Gayatri who destroyed the Heart Dragon?" Aji replied neutrally.

As far as the public was concerned, Gayatri had already claimed responsibility for destroying the Heart Dragon with her own power. Her display of strength had even forced Advisor Silvi to acknowledge her capabilities.

"My gut tells me you were the one who shattered the Heart Dragon, whether anyone else believes it or not," Nagada said calmly. "I saw the power you used to destroy the wall at Dompai. That wasn't a level of strength I could ever hope to reach. It makes far more sense if you were the one behind the Heart Dragon's destruction."

Aji glanced briefly at Nagada. The young man's intuition was remarkably sharp—he had correctly deduced who was responsible for the artifact's collapse.

"Who rules the Hanusan Kingdom now?" Aji asked, shifting the subject. He was well-versed in the backgrounds of everyone in the Sky Squad, knowing Nagada hailed from Hanusan as a member of its nobility.

"The throne remains vacant for now," Nagada explained. "My mother is filling the void, waiting until someone worthy emerges to succeed King Samadi."

"What happened to King Samadi?" Aji asked, genuinely surprised. He hadn't heard any news regarding the kingdom in quite some time. Twenty years ago, Samadi had only just been crowned King of Hanusan.

"Did you know my father, Aji?" Nagada asked, looking at him with surprise.

"So... you are Samadi's son?"

"Yes. King Samadi, I mean."

Indeed, it seemed improper for a young man like Aji to refer to an elder king so casually by his first name.

"What happened to King Samadi?" Aji asked, adjusting his phrasing.

Nagada explained that three years ago, his father had suddenly fallen ill. Every renowned physician and healer was brought in to treat him, yet to this day, the king remained bedridden in an unconscious state. Even the finest doctors could not identify the nature of his affliction.

Nagada went on to share that ever since his father fell ill, his uncle Toda had sought to seize the opportunity to claim the throne. Nagada's mother, however, refused to yield, insisting they wait until Nagada was ready. A decision would then be made on whether Toda or Nagada would rule, allowing four more years for Nagada to reach the age of twenty-five.

At that point, the royal advisors would evaluate who was fit to rule, taking the will of the people into account.

Aji knew Samadi well. He had been a fiery young man full of determination to fight the forces of the Demon Lord. When war broke out twenty years ago, Samadi had even begged to join the Three Legends on the front lines, but Yonan forbade him, tasking him instead with holding the borders should the legends fall.

"One day, I would like to visit," Aji said quietly. "I met your father once."

Nagada nodded, welcoming the idea whenever Aji could find the time.

They went on to discuss the other members of the Sky Squad. Nagada was well-acquainted with most of their backgrounds, having heard of their respective reputations before joining the squad. He admitted frankly, however, that he had never heard of Aji Bagaskara prior to their meeting.

Aji merely offered a subtle smile, explaining that he had only recently emerged from a long period of seclusion, studying in a remote location.

As they went down the list of squad members, Alicia's story caught Aji's particular attention.

Alicia—the granddaughter of his closest friend, Yonan.

"Alicia has always hated the Golden Crane Academy," Nagada noted.

That statement piqued Aji's curiosity. He wanted to understand why Alicia held such deep resentment toward the Golden Crane Academy. Nagada shared that he had been childhood friends with Alicia.

Shortly after the great war that resulted in Saint Yonan's disappearance, tragedy struck again when Alicia's father passed away suddenly. His abrupt death left Alicia heartbroken.

Misfortune seemed to stalk Alicia's family ever since her grandfather was declared missing, compounded by her father's passing. Alicia lived with her mother, enduring severe financial hardship until their family accumulated massive debts owed to the Golden Crane Academy.

In the past, while Alicia's father was still alive, her family had partnered with the Golden Crane Academy in manufacturing and trading weapons and artifacts. However, a catastrophic failure in their distribution business left Alicia's family saddled with immense unpaid debts to the academy.

Following her father's death, Drakos—the head of the Golden Crane Academy—officially proposed a marriage between Alicia and his son, Sengturi. Sengturi was a prodigy who had mastered high-tier magecraft at a young age, reaching Rank 9 at just twenty-seven years old, making him one of the most prominent young figures across the Orpris continent.

Receiving Drakos's marriage proposal placed Alicia and her mother in a painful dilemma. They could hardly decline, given their overwhelming debt and the fact that their families had agreed to a preliminary marriage contract while her father was still alive.

Her father, of course, had never intended to force his daughter; she was meant to have the freedom to accept or reject the arrangement as she saw fit.

Even now, Alicia preferred to focus on becoming a Rank 9 martial artist before considering marriage. Now that she was heading toward the Golden Crane Academy, she found herself deeply unsettled, as she harbored no affection for Sengturi. Yet she felt trapped, unsure of how to reject the proposal given her family's ruined state.

Aji fell deep into thought. A hero like Yonan had saved the world and sacrificed his life, only for his family to be left destitute and vulnerable. Did these martial artists not realize that their freedom existed solely because of the sacrifices made by the Three Legends?

"Alicia needs to decide her own destiny and forge her own path," Aji said quietly.

"You're right, Aji. I just hope she finds her way forward," Nagada agreed.

Aji felt an urgent need to uncover concrete evidence quickly—not only to expose the corruption, but also to break the chains binding Alicia as the granddaughter of his old comrade. He would feel a profound sense of guilt if he failed to aid the bloodline of Saint Yonan.

Everything had to be proven. The Golden Crane Academy needed to be brought under intense scrutiny to expose how deeply the Mondu had infiltrated the governing bodies across all continents. If left unchecked, the resurgence of the Demon Lord and his legions was only a matter of time.

The Demon Lord would return once more to plunge the world into chaos. Aji had to stop them—by anticipating their moves and severing their plans before it was too late.