One year

As the party made their way back to the Citadel, they encountered no obstacles. They sold the remaining valuable organs of the ant folk warrior to an intermediate rank alchemist named Old Witch Hale, who was known for her studies in dark magic and her penchant for voodoo spells.

Despite her vicious reputation, Swale was not concerned. Hale was a reliable customer who always paid the market price for ant folk remains, regardless of the quantity. Over time, she had developed a strong relationship with the Turtle Crew Party, who specialized in hunting ant folk nests.

Over the past year, Greem had taken the initiative to investigate why the party was so invested in ant folk hunting. In addition to the rewards for subduing them, each member of the group had their own reasons for doing so. Elazar, being a bloodline-type acolyte, benefited the most. Greem also found the flesh and eyeballs to be surprisingly nutritious, even though they were tough and crunchy. Ourin and Swale, on the other hand, could strengthen their mana cores by exchanging or using the ant folk magical cores as fuel.

Aside from personal gain, there was another reason for hunting ant folk nests. Occasionally, magical ore would appear in the outer nests, which was a crucial component for creating magical artifacts. While the quantity was typically small, it could still fetch a few magic crystals, which could cover the party's expenses. Swale made sure to hide this fact from the rest of the acolytes in order to keep this source of income for her party alone. She would even go so far as to sell the magical ore to wandering acolytes outside the Citadel, rather than anyone related to the [Magical Craftsman Guild]. Otherwise, Steel Demon Gale, one of the three advanced acolyte from the Citadel, would monopolise the ant folk nest for his faction, letting nothing for the turtle crew party.

Thanks to Swale's prudent leadership, the Turtle Crew Party remained stable. She always chose nests that were neither too easy nor too difficult, seeking out the appropriate level of danger. The group would scout the nests with commoners, usually mercenaries, in search of money, and then launch a raid with their core members. The process remained consistent, and the party grew stronger with each successful mission.

Swale, Ourin and Elazar had all reached the limits of the beginner acolyte realm, with 8 points of magical power from the evaluation stone. As for Greem, his stats had grown tremendously in a single year.

[Name: Greem Steelguard | Rank - Beginner Rank Acolyte | Age - 16 Years Old

Strength - 9 | Agility - 6 | Vitality - 8 | Magic Power - 7

Talent - [Upper Low Grade]

Affinity - [Water]

Perk - Knight Physique, Enhanced Neurological System (increased reflexes)

Spell mastered: [Frozen Enchant] (Zero Circle), [Beast Sense] (Zero Circle), [Ice Skin] (Zero Circle)

Skill mastered: Greenhill Breathing Technique (Knight Level), Greenhill Military Swordsmanship (Knight Level)

Knight Killing Technique: Hyena Heavy Cleave (Knight Level), Heavy Charge (Knight Level), Power Thrust (Knight Level)]

Occasionally, Greem would still complete assassination requests from [Black Rose], but they were minor missions, only rewarding him one or two magic crystals. Most of the time, they were about weak wandering acolytes who probed the Citadel too close, or influential merchants, often targeted by their own kin for the sake of inheritance.

Most likely, the acolyte behind the red-eyed ravens did not want him to wander off too far from his main objective of killing Swale, as the missions were conveniently close to the Citadel.

Sometimes, he would waver.

He had developed a sense of kinship with each party member. Ourin was akin to his big brother, always looking out for others and healing him when he was injured, going so far as to risk his life for doing so. Swale was the mother, always making the right decisions, even if they entailed cold bloodedness. She even sacrificed an acolyte who joined an expedition for the sake of surviving an extreme situation, leaving him behind as bait, so as to allow them to leave the nest.

As for Elazar...

"Have you finished looking at yourself already?", the voice of the green-haired bloodline-type acolyte reverberated in the room, "You know I have to relieve myself after a raid"

Greem smiled. Their relationship was no secret for anyone in the tower. Neighbours did not dare complain about the noise.

"Hey...Have you thought about my proposition?"

Elazar was already 24, and needed to find a mate before reaching 30. Otherwise, her family would force a husband upon her. At first, she felt that Greem was too young, as he was only 16 at this point. However, she quickly came to understand Greem's character: Hardworking, strong and...greedy. It was the greed that appealed to her the most. Furthermore, Greem's affinity was water, which was compatible with her bloodline, which meant that their offspring would most likely inherit from the red-eyed acidic crocodile.

For the sake of magic crystals, Greem would do anything. And she understood it well.

"My family might have declined a lot over the years, but it should still be able to offer you a considerable dot. You would be able to earn the necessary resources to break through the intermediate realm, and even learn Grand-Knight level swordsmanship from the elders. What do you think?"

Accepting it was definitely worth it. However, Greem felt like there was so much to do in the tower. If he accepted this simple marriage as he was now, the elders would shackle his freedom. He did not want to die as a mere intermediate rank acolyte. He wanted to reach the magus realm, and even if it was hard, considering his talent grade, he knew he could achieve it.

Greem had definitely become more masculine over the years. Beginning of a beard could be seen on his cheeks, and his torso had become massive, befitting his physical athletism. His blond hair was always cut short, and his blue eyes revealed a wisdom rarely seen in youth his age. Most people would believe it if they said he came from noble lineage. However, it turns out his family was just a wealthy merchant household. Although he never lost contact with his family, he knew they would end up walking a different path than he was.