Chapter 211: New Mission
The soft morning light filtered through the high windows of Noel’s room. The once-oppressive heat had finally begun to fade, giving way to a more bearable warmth. Noir lay curled up near his legs, her black fur with subtle purple accents gently rising and falling with her quiet breaths. She didn’t seek shade anymore—just the comfort of being near him.
Noel groaned, lifting a hand to his forehead.
"Ugh... my head feels like it’s about to explode. We really shouldn’t have drunk that much..."
The night at Mirae’s came back to him in fragments—Charlotte’s bright laughter, Elena’s flushed cheeks as she tried to keep pace, and Elyra’s smug grin as she poured glass after glass of Estermont vintage, clearly enjoying her role as the instigator. They had all eaten well, talked too much, and drank more than they should have.
"We’re getting the announcement today... two days until we leave. Daemar will probably tell us during training since Nicolas is still out."
Just then, the familiar chime echoed in the air, and a bright system window flashed in front of him.
[New Mission: Find the 5th Pillar and deal with him. Reward: ???. Time limit: 40 days.]
He blinked at the screen.
"Great. Just like last time... no clue what the reward is. Forty days though... Guess the system factored in the ten-day sea trip. How thoughtful."
He exhaled and leaned back on the bed, careful not to disturb Noir.
"The Circle’s been quiet lately. Too quiet. In the novel, the Fifth Pillar made several moves before the actual event kicked in. Guess I’ll have to attend the event and investigate on the side. If Nicolas found anything, we’ll probably cross paths in the Dwarf Kingdom. That’s where the bastard is hiding, after all."
He paused for a moment, tapping his fingers on the bedframe.