"I refuse."
Aiden spoke firmly as he made sure to express his utter displeasure with the idea.
"I have already passed all the exams until now. I'm not entitled to follow your commands and do what you want."
He further added as Enel stopped drinking his coffee and put it on the table.
"I knew you would say that." Enel said as Louis raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
'Does he have something that might make the young master want to go?' He thought as he looked towards the city lord.
"If you take part in this exploration, you will have an upper hand in the academy against your peers." Enel said.
'… So, he just wants to make him agree with his words.' Louis thought.
"There's also a reward for you when you return." Enel said as Aiden frowned.
"What are they?" He asked.
'Idiot. Why are you even asking? Decline.' Eden, who was listening to his words, warned him as he tried to make Aiden's priority straight.
"Two skill stars of your choice from the treasure inventory." Enel said with a firm voice as he stood up.
"Think about it. I won't hear an answer unless there is agreement." He said it with a strict voice as he left the dining room for his office.
Clack
'Huh? Just like that? Does he think that little thing will make me agree?' Aiden thought with frustration as he ate the pancakes.
"Y-young master. S-so what are you going to do?"
As Aiden was eating the pancakes, Louis, who was standing beside him, spoke up. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice, as Aiden realized it pretty easily from his stuttering.
"What? I'm obviously going to reject it." Aiden spoke as Louis flinched.
"Y-young master. It might be because you lost your memories and forgot the value of a skill star, but please accept this mission." Louis said as Aiden frowned.
"What? Why must I be involved in a hassle for skill stars?" Aiden said as Louis felt his soul leaving his body.
"It looks like I will have to teach you all about the skill stars again." Louis said as Aiden frowned some more.
'I'm definitely not going.' Aiden thought as he continued eating the pancakes.
…
There are seven wonders of the world.
All of them are unique to each other, and nobody knows why or how they exist.
Skill Star is one of them.
There are four types of skill stars: two-tailed, three-tailed, four-tailed, and five-tailed.
The number of tails on a skill star determines its quality.
Skill stars are the most desired item all over the world by every race.
A skill star's power is very wide.
One might help with simple work like counting things, while the other might even wake a person from death.
"Wake a person from death?" Aiden muttered as he carefully listened to Louis's lecture.
"But why do I need them?" Aiden asked as Louis frowned within his veil.
"Young master. You might have shown some good performance in your magic, but you are still very weak compared to your peers at the academy. Your sword skills are fine, but that won't take you far, so to bridge this huge gap, you can use the skill star." Louis said as Aiden's eyes flickered.
"Will that help me become strong?" Aiden muttered as Louis smiled and nodded his head.
But it wasn't Louis who Aiden was asking.
Ding
[Yes. Skill stars are very rare to come by. This is a very good opportunity for you to become strong.]
A window appeared as it answered Aiden's question.
'So, what do you think? Eden.' Aiden was still indecisive. Although the offer was very enticing, this mission was still said to be dangerous.
'I don't know. I don't care. I will agree with whatever you decide.' Eden said as he didn't really care anymore.
It had both pros and cons for Aiden, so Eden would agree with anything.
'Life's already hard; why not suffer some more?' Aiden thought as he assured himself that it was all for his safe future.
"When is the exploration mission?"
…
Back at the Frond Forest,
"Hmm."
A beautiful woman with white hair and a white dress was sitting on a wooden throne as she stared into space.
"What's the problem? Boss."
A brown fox with a hint of white on its tail, Scarlet, who was sitting in front of her, asked as she looked up at Biju.
"The anomalies have been frequently appearing lately." Biju said as Scarlet stood up.
"Is this about that anomaly we failed to capture ahead of those traitors?" Scarlet said with a hint of disgust in her voice.
"It's unfortunate. I wonder what made the proud dwellers of the night turn against us."
A woman with green vine hair and emerald-eyed pupils said as a tear ran down her eye. There were small white flowers on her hair, indicating she was one of the servants.
"Jaya, have you gotten rid of those black things?" Anel, the blue fox with a white nose, asked as he looked towards Jaya.
"My sisters Luna and Abel are helping me with it. Those black things left by that detestable anomaly have caused a lot more trouble than anticipated." Jaya said as she addressed the other two fellow servants who were helping her.
"But worry not; I, as a proud treant race, will assure that the forest I was born in doesn't fall down." Jaya spoke with a confident voice as Biju and the others smiled.
[Treant race: A proud, sensitive, and emotional beast of the forests. They are semi-spirit beasts who are not completely spirit but can be regarded as one. They are also known as the caretakers of the forest, as they care for the forest they were born in.]
"It is partially about that anomaly, but others too." Biju decided to answer Scarlet's previous answer as Scarlet raised her ears.
"Others? You mean the shiny little one?" She asked as she wagged her tail.
"It looks like you are quite attached to him." Biju said as Scarlet shook her head.
"No. It's just a strange creature that I haven't seen before." Scarlet said it with honesty.
"I see," Biju said as she smiled.
"Oh. You have seen creatures like that one. I am also somewhat of a similar creature to him." Jaya said as she put her hand on her chest.
"Just like him, I am also directly born from the embrace of mother nature. It's just a little different since he is more embraced by Mother Nature. In this regard, he is also my brother." Jaya said as a hint of happiness arose in her heart.
"I wonder if we will meet in the future." She said it with a hint of excitement in her voice.
"I am happy for you, but it would be better for us if we don't get involved with him any further." Biju said with a gloomy voice as all three servants looked towards her in confusion.
"""Why?"""
All three of them were questioned at the same time as Biju smiled again.
"Beasts with no destiny or fate are frowned upon a lot."