Don't regret it.

Clémentine saw Professor Santulli say goodbye as she watched the live screening of the class.

"Why did they make us watch this class?" Clémentine asked hesitantly, but since she was alone in the car no one answered.

Looking out over the Cosmos Portals, Clémentine was just about to get out when her holographic clock vibrated.

"Have you gone to that group yet?" asked a voice when Clémentine answered the call.

"No, Father," Clémentine answered in a serious voice.

"You still have time to repent. That group won't help your development at all and you'll only lose time." Said her father from the other side, his voice does not hide his contempt.

Without Clémentine being able to respond, the voice followed.

"You can join the company or an affiliated guild and even go with your brother... But a small group without a name? I agreed to let you sign up for the heroes' academy, but going to a group of girls to play is not what I expected." Her father declared with a voice that did not hide his irritation, letting out a low growl, he added. "No, maybe a group of rich girls would have been better... But you're in a nameless group that's questionable whether they can have a mission all month, or if you'd sit behind a desk all month."

"Father, we're not going to go play and I don't care if I have to sit behind a desk. I have chosen this group... A group that was approved by the same academy." Clémentine responded calmly and quietly.

The times when her father or brother intervened in her decisions were numerous, but since she enrolled in the academy, she was looking for more independence.

"Tch..." A snap of the tongue came from the other side, and before Clémentine could respond, she added. "I'll see if I can get an assignment for you, so at least you don't get stuck in an office."

"Fath..."

Before Clémentine could refuse the call, it was over.

With a sigh, she shook her head slightly exhausted.

She came from a lineage of psionics, which meant that her entire family was psionic and had a good chance of 'waking up' psionics in the future.

Her family was so focused on psionics, or psionic energy, that she made Clémentine herself act for the benefit of her family.

She loved her family, but... She wanted to be a hero, it was that simple.

"Miss, I think your friends are waiting for you." The driver reported from the front.

Clémentine changed her status and got out of the car, heading with the group that was waiting for her outside the Cosmos gates.

"I'm sorry, I was getting a call," Clémentine said and then greeted them all.

"I thought you were nervous... I am nervous." Nicole commented with a shy laugh.

"Well, it's my first time going to Africa, I'm nervous and excited too". Added Andres with a half-smile.

"I think we're all going to Africa for the first time." Leslie murmured as she looked at the others, and they all nodded in agreement without being able to deny her words.

It was very difficult to think that one day they would travel to Africa.

With a little talk that didn't hide their excitement, the group went ahead.

Everyone who had joined the group of mercenaries was present today to travel to Africa and begin their month of practice.

Leslie, Nicole, Clémentine, Érica and Andrés

In a line, the group passed the controls of the Cosmos Gates, and when they entered that great sky layer, their view was boundlessly sky blue so their vision changed completely.

Unlike what they expected from Africa, they did not encounter a large crowd of dark-skinned Africans.

Instead, between the portals, a large number of people from different regions and countries came out of the portal.

When they came out of the portals of the cosmos, they found huge buildings of great size that occupied the whole central area.

Cars of all kinds, lights, posters, lively atmosphere, big stores, and bright stores.

Although some of them had seen images, there was a clear phrase for this situation.

"I didn't expect this..." Erica muttered with a serious expression.

The image of Africa before the 'Great Cataclysm' had increased due to the fall of governments, the expansion of the magical forest, destruction, and warlords.

The image of a 'poor' continent was latent even in these times.

It might sound prejudiced and it was, but no one could deny that that image was still in their minds.

While all sorts of people wandered off to their jobs and the streets were crowded with cars, as in any city, a young man approached from the front.

"We meet again." Liam greeted the group with a smile.

"Good morning, sir..." Each member of the group responded in unison.

They were now part of the mercenary group and had to treat their 'elders' with respect to maintain the 'hierarchy', but...

Liam froze momentarily, feeling old.

"No, give importance to hierarchical issues. As long as they know who their bosses are, it's all right." Liam commented with a smile.

Giving him a signal to follow, the group headed to the parking area and then got into a van that had a large space for everyone present.

"Ha, believe it or not, Alice made fun of me for buying this car," Liam commented with an amusing smile and started driving.

This kind of car was usually what large families bought to take their entire family group.

No one knew what to say to Liam's comment.

As they drove through the streets of Zerzura City, the group was amazed.

The surprise came not only from the large buildings or the modern infrastructure but also from the drones that walked in the sky and some magical flying beasts.

"Usually the city has many visitors whose profession is beast tamer, it is normal to see some flying beasts... Although they are regulated only to fly in certain spaces". Liam explained with a smile and looking at the group in the mirror, he added. "You know, beasts throw debris and..."

"Yes, we do," Clémentine responded with a smile trying to put the image Liam was trying to create out of her mind.

For his part, Andres only laughed.

Excretion was a natural action for any beast... And doves were well known for doing it while flying, so the other flying beasts... Everything was natural.

"And what do you think?" Liam asked with a smile and looking forward, he detailed. "The City of Zerzura, known as the 'Oasis of Africa', or the 'Jewel of Africa'. A big city with more than 20 million people... that was created about five years ago."

The members of the group had already been informed of these data, but even so, to hear it and see it was undoubtedly a surprise.

The City of Zerzura was known as a city-state, but it was not controlled by a country or nation and belonged to a particular group of people.

Like the Atlantis City that was created by the Cosmos Multinational Company, the Zerzura City was founded with the support of another Multinational.

The Multinational Company Apicius had invested in the city to make it what it is today and after diplomatic negotiations, it had become an independent city-state recognized by all the countries of the world.

The government was administered by the Apicius Multinational, the Church of Time and Space, a Minister elected by the people, the guild of adventurers representing the city's guilds, and a special seat of representation.

The sovereignty of the people in these lands lost strength when monsters, beasts, and creatures attacked and destroyed most of the countries in Africa.

Now what the African people sought was to be protected rather than to elect their rulers or exercise their sovereign power in their lands.

That was given by the Apicius Company, which was also limited by the Church of Time and Space while having as an opposition in extreme cases a Minister who represented the citizens and the guild of adventurers as a last separate power representing a great part of the users of skills.

In a sense the Apicius Company represented the legislative power, the Minister the executive power, and the Church of Time and Space the judicial power, if a traditional system was followed.

But that was in theory and was far from reality.

Erica, who had investigated Zerzura City, knew that the control was in the hands of the Apicius Company and the Church of Time and Space.

Like the government of Atlantis City which was a council system with one member represented by the people, the most important and final decision was made by the Cosmos Company.

After walking around the city a little and heading to a slight inclination that gave a view of a large part of the city, Nicole went to the window to look at the city and...

"Is that a wall?" asked Nicole with surprise when she saw in the distance where the city ended a large wall could be seen.

"Yes, the city wall. It serves as protection for the magical beasts that are lost as well as it serves to face the waves of monsters when the dungeons overflow... Of course, it has been a long time since a situation like that has occurred, but the wall continues to improve and expand as the city grows." Liam explained with a smile.

He had come here to show them some parts of the city, after all, he had been a person who had been here since the city was a small emerging town.

He as well as many of the adventurers and mercenaries who had worked here was proud of the city they managed to create together.

"I read that the wall is created with a special malleable metal that can be extended without tearing down the wall." Erica murmured with bright eyes.

"Yes, the city is still expanding and Africa is still a chaotic place, so refugees from other places with terrible situations are always accepted." Liam responded to her murmur and noting that she had let out a slightly heavy voice, she changed the subject and added "So the wall can be extended with the right procedure so that no one is left outside of Zerzura's protection."

"It must have cost millions." Leslie added in surprise.

Liam just gave a smile and commented. "You can't even imagine the number."

The knowledge, the technology, the materials... And a great number of other elements, all to create a wall to protect themselves in the most dangerous continent on earth.

Liam drove a little further and eventually, they came to a four-story building.

It had a fenced-in front yard and on the back, it had a large backyard area that was not visible because of the green barrier of plants as a wall.

Liam stored the car in the building in front by opening a private garage with his holographic watch.

Inside were different cars of all kinds, and when the group looked at Liam, he just shrugged.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not going to park my car outside and the nice building over there doesn't have a garage," Liam responded by pointing to the building with the garden and grumbling. "All that because Alice doesn't like to drive."

With a look to keep from being outed for his last words, Liam led the group into the courtyard of the building.

This building design without the fences that stopped the passage looked like an eco-friendly administration building, an eye-catching design, and more in a concrete city.

When they entered, they realized that the interior was not a corporate building, but was an antechamber like any home.

"The whole building is ours... It's our headquarters, but we use it as our regular residence." Liam reported, writing on his holographic watch, but seeing that the students were still shy of a new place, he explained. "On the second floor are the kitchen, dining room, entertainment rooms, the bar, the living room, you know all the usual things. On the second floor are the alchemy labs, craft, and high-tech rooms with a personal drone design room."

Liam could not help but hold a smile when he saw Andrew's bright eyes and declared with an arrogant tone. "That was built for me."

"After you cried for months." Interrupting Alice eating her chips as she entered the room, she looked at the students with a smile and declared. "Welcome to the group, I hope at the end of the month you won't regret your decision."

Her tone had a funny ring to it, but the group was excited to have someone they knew and greeted him friendly.

Although most could be considered adults in many countries, and three of them came from important families, there was nothing better than being with someone they knew to adjust more quickly and calmly.

"Come, I'll take you to see who's in charge," Alice said, concealing her amused smile.

The group looked at each other.

A guild of nameless mercenaries had no registered leaders and only members, which was why the quintet had thought Alice was the leader.

Guiding him to the second-floor office, the group entered a rustic office filled with books.

At the desk was Aurora, checking documents on various screens.

The expression with which she read was very different from the lazy expression she always wore in the academy and which she had in class.

Now she was wearing a serious expression and her frowning gave her a heavy feeling... that the quintet could not describe.

Aurora, sensing the presence, cancelled the holographic screens, and looked at Alice.

"Giving her the performance was your job, Alice," Aurora commented with a sigh, but noticing that Alice only gave him a smile and stood next to him like a subordinate, he looked at the group, and with a smile, he commented. "Welcome to Africa.

Keeping her smile on, Aurora looked at each of them and her smile only rose with subtlety.

"I hope that at the end of the month you will not regret your decision". She said with a serious tone and a funny smile.

The group's expression shook.

Why did they tell him that they hoped they would not regret it?