Gazing on the lower part of the bridge, Victor found Eleanor leaning against the railing, twiddling with her thumbs as if caught in some invisible loop of thought. She looked almost out of place, with a crestfallen face that spoke a thousand words.

  “Are you alright?” Victor asked, a bit confused.

  Eleanor sighed, glancing up with an unusual weight in her eyes. Victor realized that after she escorted Lillie to her room and accompanied her for the night, she’d returned with a somber expression that hadn’t lifted since. Considering that she had always been a capricious girl, it was strange to see her dispirited like that.

  “It’s just that Lillie’s situation is so similar to what happened to mine…” she admitted quietly. “Makes me not know what to feel right now.”

  It made sense. All this time, she had been focused on accomplishing her goal with everything she got, almost never looking back in the process. Lillie’s arrival must have struck a deep chord, stirring memories she’d long since locked away.

  Victor found himself at a loss, struggling to find the right words for this kind of situation. In stories, the hero always seemed to know just what to say to lift their friends’ spirits, with grand speeches that stirred courage and resilience. But Victor wasn’t a storybook hero; he wasn’t someone with an endless reserve of inspiring words or poetic wisdom.

  Still, he was the headmaster. And if there was ever a time to rise to that title, it was now.

  With that in mind, Victor spoke up. “Does thinking about it change anything?” He shifted his gaze to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the windows with a melancholic expression. “You know, I used to have a complete, loving family too once. And then… they were gone— Poof. Just like that.” He gestured. “Sometimes you think you’ve moved on… and then something reminds you.”

  Perhaps it was more correct to say that they lost him instead, but Victor wasn’t going to explain this to Eleanor since there was no need to.

  Eleanor’s eyes lightened up, and she looked up at him in understanding. “You’re talking about the Asteriscus family, aren’t you?”

  At this question, Victor didn’t answer, only giving her a small, wistful smile, allowing the silence to speak for itself. He looked out the window, the landscape stretching before them. “Losing people changes you,” he said gently. “Maybe what we’ve lost — who we’ve lost — can—”

  “—Victor, look! It’s the City of Brightmoon!” Eleanor suddenly exclaimed as she pointed out the window.

  Really now? Here he was, attempting to convey something profound, but, as usual, this airheaded girl couldn’t read the scene. Well, not that he cared anyway.

  He glanced at where she pointed. Below, fields spread like patchwork blankets of green and gold, stretching far beyond the reach of Thornwood Village’s modest farmland. Further ahead, about five or so kilometers away, a sizable city hugged the shore of a large lake, shimmering as though a thousand candles flickered in greeting. With the lake reflecting the daylight in a soft glow, he could see how the city had earned its name.

  “Ahem. Let’s inform the play— acolytes about this,” said Victor, steering the conversation back on course.

  “Will I be going down too?” Eleanor asked excitedly, eyes gleaming at the thought of exploring the city below.

  Victor shook his head, much to her disappointment. “I need you to stay here to protect the dirigible. Lillie will also require some company; it’s far too risky to bring her into the city.”

  After all, she was the last remaining heir of House Brightmoon. Every other family member eligible to inherit the estate was dead, and now this land was essentially under the rule of the Merlin family. Victor could change his appearance with the Mask of Impersonation, but it would be difficult to disguise Lillie with just simple spells when there might be unknown Magi keeping watch.

  On that note, there was always the option of retaking the city from the Merlins outright. Yet such a move would draw the eye of the kingdom and the Arcane Radiance College, and that was a risk he couldn’t bear at this point in time. Confronting his former academy right now would be tantamount to suicide. Even if the players were immortal beings and could resurrect endlessly, a single Nexus Temporal Magus could flatten what they had built. Truly an unwinnable battle.

  A village in the boonies would be overlooked. But a sizable city like Brightmoon? It would draw eyes and questions from every direction.

  Putting that aside, Victor stepped toward the bronze-yellow pipe on the side and announced, “Attention, all acolytes. We’ve reached our destination — the City of Brightmoon. Time to drag yourselves out to the lounge and prepare for the briefing. Don’t keep me waiting.”

  He stepped back, a smile creeping on his face. From the moment he announced that, excitement rippled through the ship, and he could already hear the eager chatter filling the corridors. The dirigible wasn’t that large, and within moments, players were hurrying to the lounge, eager to be the first to hear the mission details. For them, this would be their first glimpse of a city within the game.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  As he turned to leave the bridge, he felt a light punch on his shoulder and turned to find Eleanor with a mischievous grin. “Even if I can’t join the fun down there, I’ll keep things secure up here. Just bring back something interesting.”

  Victor nodded. “Hold the fort, and I’ll make sure to return with something worthwhile.”

  When he arrived at the lounge, the scene was just as he’d imagined — players crowded against the windows, craning their necks to catch their first sight of the Brightmoon city. Though the view was limited because the lounge only had windows on the right and left sides of the dirigible.

  “Esteemed Headmaster!”

  “Sir Astralium, are we landing now?”

  “Will we be allowed to roam free?”

  As soon as they saw him, the players immediately bombarded him with all sorts of questions. Most were eager and sparkling with excitement with uncontained glee.

  “Silence!” Victor commanded, unleashing his mana force that pressed against the room before sitting on a nearby chair. The players instantly hushed, sensing that whatever he was about to say was worth their undivided attention.

  “From here on, you are to follow my instructions precisely,” he continued. “The city is currently under the control of the Merlin family, who have illegally occupied it and murdered the rightful lord of the region, which is Lillie’s father. While this injustice is something we will address in time, we cannot afford to draw unnecessary attention for now.”

  The players glanced at each other with a mix of excitement and concern crossing their faces. Some of them were clenching their fists upon hearing that it was Lillie’s home that was snatched away.

  “Remember, we’re here for a specific purpose — to gather materials and secure a channel for future trade,” Victor went on, his gaze sweeping across the room. “You will be divided into teams, and each team will have specific tasks to complete. You’ll receive briefing details on your Shadowlink Mark, and I expect each and every one of you to stay out of sight. Blend in, and avoid trouble.”

  Naturally, Victor wouldn’t allow the players to scatter until they had entered the city. Brightmoon City had strict regulations, and it wasn’t the sort of place where random strangers could stroll in without identification. A group of mages in robes was bound to draw suspicion. Fortunately, the players’ acolyte robes were dull in color, designed to blend in with the surroundings. Only Victor’s acolyte robe looked a bit fancy, but that would be taken care of by his Mask of Impersonation.

  A murmur spread through the crowd as they absorbed his words. Judging by their stupid expressions, Victor could tell they were thrilled by this infiltration mission.

  “Now then,” Victor began, standing up once again, “let’s get started.”

  “Yes, Headmaster!”

  “As you command, Sir Astralium!”

  “Just watch — this pro’s about to show you amateurs how to sneak without a sound.”

  Enthusiastic responses came as several players grinned, ready to take this challenge.

  “Good.” With that, Victor turned toward his room to make final preparations, leaving the players to ready themselves.

  ***

  The city walls of Brightmoon loomed closer, casting long shadows over Victor and the players as they approached. He had carefully anchored the dirigible behind a nearby hill, out of sight of the nearby inhabitants to avoid unnecessary attention. Given the current situation here, he didn’t want even a hint of trouble finding its way back to them.

  As they joined the line of people waiting to enter, Victor subtly glanced at the players, ensuring their hoods were pulled low and their expressions neutral. Well, they looked the part — just another group of quiet acolytes moving through the city — but he couldn’t help but notice that these people’s facial expressions were contorting to hold back their excitement. Truly a bunch of players, through and through.

  “Wow, look! Are those guards on the wall holding muskets?” One of the players pointed atop the wall.

  “Confirmed. This game’s setting is indeed not medieval,” said Storm.

  Indeed. While muskets couldn’t compare to modern guns, ordinary humans would be able to easily use them to deter enemies, especially in defensive terrain like this. However, their effectiveness was quite abysmal when used against extraordinary beings and life forms, as round bullets propelled by black powder wouldn’t be able to injure strong Ki-Warriors, much less destroy Magus’ defensive spells.

  Eventually, they reached the gate—

  “Halt!” a stern-faced shouted and blocked the path with his spear. “Show me your identification document and state your purpose in the city,” he demanded, eyeing their robes with suspicion.

  Victor’s current appearance was that of a wise-looking, middle-aged man, who looked no different than a typical distinguished Magus. Without hesitation, he tossed an insignia toward the guard, who caught it with a grunt. “That should be sufficient proof of my identity,” Victor said coolly.

  The guard examined the insignia carefully, and his eyes gradually widened in shock. “The Arcane Radiance College?!” He looked at Victor and turned back at the insignia with unimaginable surprise and awe. “Honored sir, please, come right in.”

  The insignia was an official identification object, one given only to Arcane Radiance College’s acolytes and staff. Displaying it here would raise no suspicion, as the kingdom was under the rule of the academy, and it was not that uncommon for acolytes to venture to this city.

  After taking back the insignia, Victor stepped forward, but as the players moved to follow, the guard blocked the players’ path. “Please show me your identification as well.”

  “They’re under my direct supervision,” Victor replied in an authoritative tone. “You may grant them passage. I will vouch for each one of them.”

  “This…” The stern-looking guard hesitated, looking troubled as he glanced back at Victor. “I apologize, sir, but because of the recent change in…” he pointed at the sky, “regulations have tightened considerably. Any guests or outsiders must undergo individual inspection. I’d be punished otherwise.”

  Victor tossed two platinum coins to the guard, saying, “That should cover their entry and ensure your discretion.”

  The guard caught the coins, his expression shifting from stern to gleeful as he examined them. “Yes, this is more than enough! More than enough! Please call for me if you have any trouble.”

  For a city guard, two platinum coins represented a small fortune, enough to provide for half a year of lavish living. It was clear that he had never seen such wealth in his hands before.