-1469- The arrived malice

The Next Day, Morning.

Sunlight poured into Mistgun, illuminating every corner while also bathing a vast, open field in its glow.

This was the landing site, a place specifically designated for the takeoff and landing of airships.

At this moment, a young girl appeared here.

She was a girl dressed in the long skirt uniform of an undergraduate, holding a book in her hands, with her long, violet-silver hair meticulously braided behind her head, exuding an air of extraordinary competence.

The girl walked with purpose into the landing site.

There, an airship was already docked.

It was a sleek, pure white vessel, with a pentagon-shaped shield and griffin emblem painted on its hull.

For those familiar with airships, they would recognize this as a Squirrel-class shuttle.

Given that humanity now resided in the aerial domain, the most important mode of transportation in modern times was undoubtedly the airship. The most advanced airships, in particular, were held in high regard.

This is because the performance of an airship not only signified safety but also strategic importance. If confronted by Armored Beetles, whether or not they could successfully repel or even destroy them depended entirely on the performance of the airship.

Therefore, modern airships weren't just about high flight speed. They also needed to guarantee sturdiness, stability, and combat capability.

For instance, Vebel housed the highest-level, combat-capable large airship, equipped with cutting-edge technology: the Falce-class Forced Reconnaissance Airship.

This airship could venture into all kinds of dangerous territories and even be used as a combat vessel. It was not only equipped with various weapons but also boasted top-notch performance in every aspect, powered by three large compressed mana reactors and twelve additional large mana reactors. In battle, it could be more fearsome than a bomber. As long as there was ample mana and sufficient mobility, it could even capture a floating city, making it incredibly powerful.

As for the Squalor-class shuttle, it was primarily used for transportation. With top-notch flight speed and camouflage capabilities, it also had facilities like a built-in restaurant. While it might not guarantee repelling enemies, its escape and retreat capabilities were excellent, often used to transport important personnel.

The person who arrived at Mistgun aboard this airship was a young girl dressed in a pure white long skirt, with beautiful golden hair, and a face as adorable as a doll, adorned with a sweet and graceful smile.

"It's been a while, Cris."

The girl warmly greeted the person who had come to meet her.

"It's been a while, Elis."

The other party gazed at her intently for a moment before calling out her name.

The newcomer was none other than Elis Wiegert, the younger sister of the Council Chairman of the Floating City Alliance.

And the girl who had come to greet Elis was one of Mistgun's top administrators, currently a second-year student in the Information Technology Division, and the Academy's Chief Executive—Cristine Barkhorn.

As mentioned before in the conversation between Freon and Chloe, the girl called Cris, who was Mistgun's Chief Executive, wasn't only someone dispatched by Vebel, but also a friend of Elis.

Upon hearing that Elis would be arriving at Mistgun, Cris personally came to greet her. The two were meeting again after a long time.

However, despite being friends, the atmosphere between them seemed a bit tense.

"I knew it. When Rorelai Arneet reappeared on the battlefield and demonstrated overwhelming power, Lord Zeth wouldn't be able to resist contacting him again." Cris said with a blank expression. "But I didn't expect that the one to come would be you, Elis."

At this point, Cris' tone inevitably grew a bit complicated.

It was because she was friends with Elis that Cris knew the true nature of the girl standing before her.

To put it simply, this girl was very pure, even naïve. Although she was adept at scheming, deep down, there was still an innocence about her.

However, this innocence was not entirely a good thing.

At least, Cris knew that Elis's innocence manifested as an extreme dependence on her brother. She would even harbor strong jealousy toward anyone who got close to him, often leading her to do things that would cloud her judgment.

This time, Elis's arrival brought Cris not joy, but deep concern.

Of course, Elis was completely unaware of this.

"Since Onii-sama trusted me enough to send me on this important mission, I naturally have to give it my all. Cris, you're the same, right?"

Elis spoke to Cris with a gentle smile, though her words carried a subtle malice that was imperceptible to others.

"Of course."

Cris still wore a blank expression as she nodded and replied.

"Your purpose for coming this time is probably to get close to Rorelai Arneet and probe his true capabilities, right?"

It seemed that Cris had already figured out Zeth's intentions, and by extension, Elis's intentions as well.

Naturally, Elis had no reason to hide anything.

After all, Cris, like Elis, was also one of Zeth's subordinates.

Back when Cris was assigned to Mistgun as the Academy's Chief Executive, it was by Zeth's orders.

Unfortunately, no one could have anticipated that a figure like Rozen would emerge in Mistgun, which Cris was responsible for.

After all, when Cris took up her post at Mistgun four years ago, Rozen had just started making a name for himself there. He hadn't yet been specially summoned to the front lines to play a role that would shake the world. Naturally, Zeth couldn't have paid attention to him at that time.

Who would have thought that Mistgun would produce someone who could not be ignored by either humanity or the Armored Beetles?

Thus...

"Let's not waste time, could I ask you to arrange a meeting between me and that man?"

Elis directly made this request.

"Are you sure you want to see him now?"

Cris frowned.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Elis raised an eyebrow.

"No, there's no problem." Cris shook her head but hesitated briefly before saying, "It's just that I haven't met Rorelai Arneet face-to-face either. We'll probably need to call in the Head of the Sky Wizard Division."

"You haven't met him either?" Elis was surprised.

After all, Cris had been at Mistgun for four years and had previously been entrusted by Zeth to investigate Rozen. The fact that she hadn't personally contacted him was indeed surprising.

But how could Elis have known?

"I think that man is very dangerous." Cris said seriously. "He doesn't just excel in combat; he's also incredibly intelligent. And since he's been so unfathomable all this time, I've been intentionally avoiding contact with him out of fear of exposing my identity."

"Is that so?" Elis thoughtfully nodded, then indifferently said, "But contacting him is Onii-sama's order. No matter what, it must be carried out, so I'll leave it to you."

"...Understood." Cris remained silent for a moment before nodding. "In that case, I'll make the arrangements right away."

Only then did Elis smile sweetly, her face faintly tinged with a trace of anticipation.

"A person who even Onii-sama praises highly—let me see for myself whether you truly deserve such acclaim."

If not, then sorry, but you will have to exit the stage.

Because we don't need you, and neither does the future of humanity.