Gladius and Arianna regarded the newcomer with mild interest, quickly assessing his mana levels to be on par with Zephyr's, if not slightly more.
However, the reaction from the rest of their group was far more pronounced.
Zephyr's fist clenched instinctively, a mix of emotions flashing across his face as he cursed his bad luck.
Despite his inner turmoil, Zephyr managed to put on a calm, welcoming smile as he addressed the approaching mage.
"Brother Neil," he said, his voice carefully controlled. "Good to see you... is there something you need from me?"
Neil maintained his brilliant smile as he replied, his charm turned up to its fullest. "Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to congratulate you in person for completing that last mission. After all, that mission in the death ranking, even Senior Mages..."
