While Sophia was en route to the Estath Cathedral to meet Archbishop Ralph, Henry was already at the Dunlyre Tavern, the place Jacobs had designated for their meeting.

  As Henry stepped inside, the warm golden light of the tavern illuminated Jacobs' somewhat pensive face. His captain was already waiting at a small table tucked away in a corner, just large enough for two. The clinking of tankards and the lively murmur of conversations drifted from other tables, but their small space seemed insulated from the general hubbub.

  "Care for a celebratory drink before we get down to business?" Jacobs spoke first, a hint of enthusiasm in his voice, breaking the silence as Henry settled into the chair opposite him.

  Henry pulled out his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at his captain. "Are you treating me today?"

  "Reached Rank 3, your salary nearly doubled, and you're still stingy? Saving up to get married, are we?" Jacobs winked teasingly, a knowing smile gracing his weathered features.

  "Likely soon." Henry replied with a cryptic smile. "You might as well start preparing the wedding gift now."

  "Such youthful decisiveness." Jacobs chuckled, shaking his head in mock amusement. "Barely twenty-two and already deciding to bury your youth in the prison of matrimony so early."

  "The experienced ones always have the best insights." Henry countered, a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth. "So, how does that prison feel to you now?"

  Jacobs grinned, a fleeting thoughtful look in his eyes. "Relatively soft, comfortable, occasionally a bit loud… but overall, definitely worth being locked up in."

  Both men burst into laughter, the lively banter about the topic of marriage and family continuing. A short while later, their food arrived, a rich aroma filling their small space.

  Today, they indulged in the tavern's finest fare: a robust black pepper steak, pan-fried mushrooms glistening with butter, fragrant butter-roasted carrots, and bone marrow slathered with herb butter melting on their tongues. Two glasses of shimmering red wine accompanied the feast.

  After finishing their hearty meal, Jacobs and Henry sat in comfortable silence for a while, the quiet stretching for nearly five minutes, broken only by the faint strains of distant music. Henry was the one to finally speak, shattering the peaceful stillness.

  "Was it my accident during the Lake Loknezt mission that made you so determined to drastically change your approach?" Henry's voice was low, his gaze direct as he looked at Jacobs, awaiting an honest answer.

  Jacobs sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "Partly, Henry. My being haunted by the loss of comrades cost everyone so many opportunities for advancement and promotion. Always choosing safe missions is why our group matured so slowly. My previous way of doing things held everyone back significantly." His voice dropped, as if he were reproaching himself for past decisions.

  "It's alright, Captain Jacobs." Henry countered, his voice sincere. "The fact that we're still in your group, without requesting transfers to other squads, proves that the entire team trusts you. So what if we leveled up slowly? What we gained most was the ability to reason, judge, learn, and analyze problems thoroughly. This is because you were always dedicated to guiding us, always creating opportunities for us to make our own judgments, to cultivate and constantly refine our skills. This can't be translated into money or rank, but these skills are incredibly important to us in future missions."

  Jacobs looked at Henry, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes.

  "You've always worried about us." Henry continued, his voice firm. "Our squad may have developed slowly, but we are the only squad that has never had a member die on a mission. You blame yourself for holding us back, but for our sake, you also held yourself back. Normally, you would have reached Rank 4 two years ago, but you only accumulated enough experience and contribution to advance now, and that's because you accepted that trade-off for our safety. Our elder brother sacrificed himself like that; who are we younger siblings to complain?"

  "Elder brother, hahahaha." Jacobs laughed, a rare, unrestrained laugh. "That sounds surprisingly refreshing. I never imagined I held such an important position in everyone's hearts."

  "I don't think you asked me here just for a casual chat and some comforting words." Henry said, his gaze probing as he looked at Jacobs. "Do you want to discuss the mission in more detail? Or, now that I've reached Rank 3, are you going to propose me as vice-captain?"

  "Hahahahaha." Jacobs roared with laughter, clapping Henry on the shoulder. "I must admit, you and Sophia are truly exceptional. One is erudite, the other is perceptive."

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  "It's all thanks to your guidance." Henry replied with a smile.

  "And you're also good at flattery." Jacobs teased.

  "Hahahaha, good flattery leads to promotions and pay raises." Henry said with a laugh, raising his wine glass for a small sip.

  "But you're only half right this time." Jacobs said, his tone turning serious. "There is indeed another matter I wanted to discuss with you, but it's not about the mission or a promotion. I want to dismiss you from the squad. This will be your last mission with this team."

  Henry choked on the wine he was drinking, sputtering and coughing as he spat some back into his glass. Before coming here, he had considered many of Jacobs' intentions, imagining all sorts of scenarios in his head, thinking they would discuss the mission in more depth or that Jacobs would give him some advice about leveling up… but being dismissed from the squad like this was a major curveball. He hadn't expected it at all.

  "What's with the dramatic reaction?" Jacobs asked, frowning at Henry. "I'm doing this for your own good."

  "Of course." Henry replied sarcastically, trying to mask his surprise. "Now I just need to figure out the church's handout schedule for the poor, and I can comfortably enjoy my life of leisure."

  "Alright, alright, serious now." Jacobs sighed. "Yesterday, after your interrogation, Lord Ragley himself came to see me. After reviewing the report and hearing my assessment of you, he wants you to join the Aerion Investigation Division after you reach Rank 3, working directly under him. This is an excellent opportunity for you. It's not just a promotion; the information you'll gather and the authority of the Investigation Division will greatly benefit your future."

  Henry knew this was indeed a good opportunity in every aspect, but he still felt a slight hesitation. He remained silent, continuing to listen to Jacobs. Seeing Henry's lack of reaction, Jacobs continued:

  "This will be the last mission for both you and Sophia in this squad. Uhm, not just you, I also want Sophia to pursue a different, more suitable path."

  "You mean the church?" Henry asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

  "That's right." Jacobs nodded. "A Rank 3 like Sophia will develop much faster if she works entirely within the church. With her potential, reaching the powerhouse level of Rank 5, even Rank 6, is entirely possible. You must know this yourself; those with a bit of talent can still reach Rank 3 or 4. But from Rank 5 onwards, natural talent, supporting resources… those are the deciding factors."

  "It must be difficult to make decisions like this." Henry said, understanding his captain's internal struggle.

  "I still think this is the best path for both of you." Jacobs replied, his voice firm.

  "Thank you for thinking so much about Sophia and me." Henry said, his voice sincere. "This concern truly means a lot to us."

  The two men talked for another thirty minutes, the atmosphere becoming more relaxed. Jacobs handed Henry a formal letter, inside which was an invitation from Chief Ragley to join the Aerion Investigation Division, then he stood up to leave, leaving Henry alone at the table, deep in thought about their conversation.

  He had nothing to argue with because it was the truth. To reach Rank 5 or higher, effort was no longer the primary factor. Just the complete ritual to ascend to Rank 5 was already very complex, sometimes requiring performance in particularly sacred locations, sometimes requiring the sacrifice of precious artifacts, and sometimes requiring countless supporting resources… Each ascension ritual varied greatly between countries, affecting the success rate, so these rituals could be considered national secrets, strictly protected.

  The ascension ritual to Rank 5 had the highest success rate at eighty percent, Rank 6 at thirty percent, and Rank 7 - demigod level - at less than five percent. These were the rates for those who already possessed the potential to reach that level, those favored by destiny, possessing exceptional talent and qualities, and also having enormous resources to fully support all the requirements of the ritual. For the vast majority of ordinary people, reaching Rank 5 was a pipe dream, almost impossible to achieve.

  There was a rather harsh truth for most people in this world: from the moment they were born, destiny seemed to set a highest limit they could reach.

  This was also why, when Henry assessed his own abilities in the past, he knew the limit that destiny had placed upon him. Therefore, he didn't overly strive or feel envious when he saw his talented best friend Haziel rapidly advance on his path to becoming a powerful Paladin.

  For each nation, powerhouses of Rank 5 and above were the core fighting force, individuals capable of turning the tide of armies on the battlefield. Therefore, when individuals with potential were discovered, the government would always provide the best conditions for those individuals to develop as quickly as possible. In recent years, many outstanding young individuals had emerged, potential seeds to be nurtured into powerful Rankers in the future.

  Among them were three exceptional individuals, surpassing all others, qualified to be called geniuses, individuals upon whom all of Zephyros placed their hopes:

  Drake Manson - 30 years old, Rank 5, the pride of the nobility. Possessing an extremely terrifying natural talent, currently approaching Rank 6, and likely to successfully ascend within the next three years. Katherine Martinet - 26 years old, Rank 5, the younger sister of the demigod Larsus, the one chosen by the holy sword Calibur after Larsus' heroic sacrifice. When she fully unlocks the power of the holy sword, she can reach the demigod level. Haziel Navius - 22 years old, Rank 4, a genius with natural potential reaching Rank 7. He is even compared to Zephyros' Four Divine Monarchs; four legendary Rank 7 demigods, geniuses who brought Zephyros its most glorious era. Haziel is the most highly regarded individual of this generation. And Sophia, if she had accepted the church's nurturing from the beginning, she might have already been compared to Katherine and Drake.

  If Sophia had high potential for development in the religious field, then Henry also sincerely wanted her to quickly achieve great accomplishments. He himself also possessed immense development potential thanks to Mystic Sense and the mysterious assistance from the Sanctuary. Jacobs' proposal was truly very good for both him and Sophia, opening up a new and promising path for their future.