Nora held steadfast in his belief that Advisor Alex could never be a Mondu. It was Alex, after all, who had taken him in as a impoverished child and sponsored his enrollment at the finest martial arts academy in Elenoir, altering the trajectory of his life forever.

Back then, young Nora had sworn a silent vow never to present himself before Advisor Alex until he had grown into a recognized warrior in his own right. Though they had briefly crossed paths during the formal inauguration of the Sky Squad, Nora had yet to introduce himself as the young boy Alex had once saved.

Prior to their arrival, Aji and Barsha had reviewed Advisor Alex's background. On paper, his record was impeccable—he had spent decades at the absolute forefront of the fight against evil. Before stepping into an advisory role, he had served as an elite operative for the Martial Arts Association, taking on perilous missions across every continent to eradicate lawlessness and dark factions.

His duties had taken him to every corner of the realm. The global alliance of martial artists—currently led by Commander Dasatama—had originally been built under Alex's leadership. Indeed, Alex had served as the Grandmaster of the Martial Arts Association before stepping down a decade ago, passing the mantle to Dasatama.

At fifty-five years old, Alex was older than Dasatama. He was blessed with a daughter and a grandchild, and by all accounts enjoyed a peaceful retirement following his decades of active service to the association. He prioritized family life, maintaining his advisory post on the Emerald Continent primarily as an elder statesman.

In his current role, Alex served purely in an oversight capacity, offering strategic guidance to the municipal leadership of Elenoir, the capital of the Emerald Continent.

While Mayor Basel served as the administrative leader of Elenoir and the highest governing official on the continent, leadership positions across all continents were typically held by accomplished martial artists who had dedicated their lives to the association and the preservation of peace.

The Martial Arts Association operated as a global peacekeeping alliance. Whenever remote villages or regional governments requested aid, local association branches organized joint task forces composed of martial artists from various continents to handle the threat.

This cooperative system allowed the association to suppress dark factions and lawlessness efficiently, ensuring an equitable distribution of martial strength to resource-scarce regions like the Frost Line continent.

Preserving continental peace through unified martial strength was the core founding principle of the association. The Sky Squad, however, occupied a distinct role. Formed as a specialized task force under the direct authority of the high council, the Sky Squad operated specifically to dismantle dark magic factions—most notably the lurking forces of the Demon Lord, who constantly sought to plunge the world into blood and tyranny.

Barsha led the way as the trio approached Advisor Alex's estate. They had dispatched a formal notice of visit beforehand, framing the meeting as a courtesy call from Sky Squad members who wished to pay their respects to an esteemed senior.

Reaching the outer perimeter, they encountered two guards stationed at the front gate. Dismounting from their horses, the trio approached. When the guards questioned their identity and intent, Barsha reached to her belt and presented her official identification token.

Today, none of them wore their official Sky Squad uniforms. They had agreed to Nora's request to travel in civilian attire, avoiding drawing unnecessary public attention to their visit.

This detail was crucial to Nora. He refused to let rumors spread that the Sky Squad was investigating Advisor Alex before any wrongdoing had been proven. Nora still hoped that the intelligence extracted from Nasura's subconscious by Aria might prove inaccurate or misunderstood.

After all, placing an order for custom armaments did not automatically prove allegiance to the Demon Lord. It could have been an independent commission for high-grade equipment needed for local defense.

Because the Golden Crane Academy's forge refused direct commissions from individual clients at the time—a restriction Aaman had encountered firsthand while attempting to place an order under a disguise—Alex might have simply used Nasura as a broker to bypass the academy's backlog.

The trio intended to verify the truth through careful observation. However, as they stepped onto the estate grounds, Aji's senses flared—he picked up the faint, unmistakable trace of dark energy lingering around the perimeter. Aji kept his discovery to himself for the time being, resolving to investigate it quietly.

Upon confirming their Sky Squad tokens, the gatekeepers opened the heavy entrance doors. One guard hurried ahead into the estate to announce their arrival to Advisor Alex, while the second instructed the guests to follow an attending maid. The guard explained that Alex was currently conducting a martial arts practice session for local children—his routine activity whenever he was free from official duties.

The maid led the three Sky Squad members deeper into the compound, passing several residential pavilions. Advisor Alex's estate was expansive yet strikingly modest, devoid of ostentatious luxury.

While an elite warrior who had spent a lifetime taking high-risk assignments naturally accumulated considerable wealth, Alex clearly preferred a understated lifestyle. His sprawling compound was surrounded by lush gardens, quiet courtyards, and shade trees.

The entire layout was thoughtfully designed, reflecting a preference for natural beauty over grand architecture. At the far edge of the grounds lay an open-air training field, where a group of young children could be seen practicing basic sword stances.

The guard who had run ahead returned from the training ground, confirming that the master had been informed. The maid escorted Barsha, Aji, and Nora to an open-air reception pavilion featuring a simple wooden structure—a serene space used for receiving guests.

Meanwhile, at the training field, the guard delivered his report to Advisor Alex. Nodding thoughtfully, Alex instructed his young students to continue practicing their drills independently.

Wiping away sweat and taking a long drink of water, Alex made his way toward the reception pavilion. Living simply had become second nature to him, setting him apart from many retired martial masters who lived in luxury.

Dressing in a clean, simple robe, he fastened his advisor token to his chest—a formal gesture of respect for his visiting guests from the Sky Squad.

Despite being in his fifties, Alex maintained a sturdily built physique comparable to a man in his prime, with only a few strands of silver hair at his temples revealing his age.

Approaching the pavilion, Alex studied his three visitors: a calm, sharp-eyed youth; a composed woman carrying the subtle, deadly aura of a master assassin; and a broad-shouldered warrior wielding a massive broadsword across his sturdily built frame.

Do I know one of them? Alex wondered, stepping into the light.