Inside a large mansion, explosions could be heard from every direction. Several stone golems were sent flying into the air, crushed or destroyed by devastating purple magic. A maid watched the scene with sweat running down her forehead at the sight of such power. If it had been her first day in that house, she would have thought her young lady was furious, but all that devastation wasn't happening because of any particular emotion.
'Well... maybe it is, since the young master told her to work hard and become stronger when he returned.'
What was happening at that moment was that her lady was training with all the dedication she could muster. It was incredible to watch how mages trained, although this was far from ordinary training for a Circle Six mage.
'You're working so hard, Miss Serenya. Without a doubt, the young master will admire you when he returns.'
The maid admired the movements of Serenya's hand as she split several golems in half. From what she had heard, those creatures had been sent by an alchemist considered the greatest prodigy of the current era. She sent them to test her creations and asked for whatever remained of them to be brought back.
'They're new types of golems with two magical cores of different elements.'
Furthermore, they were all Circle Five. The problem she had noticed, and intended to report to the alchemist Malunes, was that although they were powerful to a certain extent, they were very fragile because they didn't have enough durability to withstand attacks of the same level.
Serenya was one of the best Circle Six mages at the age of eighteen. She was surpassed only by people like her young master, young Kai, the prodigy Victoria, Kael, the greatest young mercenary of the current era, and a dark elf named Ocirne, who was training to become a strong ally of her young master Enrico's house. She was a girl whom Victoria herself praised highly, so the maid believed she possessed enormous potential, even though she had never seen her before.
"Tabitha, bring me a towel."
Serenya calmly walked over to her, although she showed some signs of fatigue. Tabitha immediately picked up a towel and held it out to the noblewoman before her.
"Here you go, Miss Serenya."
She was wearing training clothes different from the usual ones. They were the training clothes Enrico wore from time to time. Of course, the maid would never ask why. She still wanted to keep her neck attached to her body.
"How are things in my hometown?"
"Lady Zenaria informed us that everything is fine and that you shouldn't worry. No family has more power than the Malquess family."
Serenya's family now held great influence after forming a marriage alliance with the Solcren Ferreira family. The people who had once harassed her, trying to force an arranged marriage to take advantage of her family's prestige, no longer even dared to stand before her. Satisfied with the information, Serenya decided she would send a message to her mother later.
"You're Serenya, right?"
Suddenly, the two of them were startled by a bird girl who appeared above them through a magical portal. She was hanging from the edge of the portal, reading the names on the three letters she held in her hands.
Serenya immediately assumed a serious expression and summoned her control magic to compress the mana and air around the palm of her hand. That stranger had invaded her beloved's house without her permission or anyone else's.
"Who do you think you are—"
"I came to deliver a letter from the great star Enrico Solcren Ferreira."
"Ah, I'm sorry about the mess. I'm Serenya de Malquess. Would you like some tea?"
Serenya pointed toward a table outside the training field with a gentle smile on her face. She had completely forgotten what she was about to say. If that girl had been sent by her dear future husband, then she was a good bird.
"That would be nice, but I still have to deliver the other two letters."
Serenya received the letter and opened it immediately. From the very first syllable, she recognized his handwriting. Her cheeks flushed as she continued reading; she even missed Enrico's handwriting. She ended up completely forgetting about the bird girl standing before her, even though she was still talking.
"I sensed Danyana's and Angela's magic around here. Where exactly are they...?"
"What about me?"
Two curious voices came from behind her, belonging to Angela and Danyana. They had noticed someone entering the mansion and hurried over together with the other girls. Agie even broke into a slight sweat when she saw the threatening Aura of Rina, Aoi, Seraphina, Yumeha, and Valença standing right behind the two of them.
"Hello, my name is Agie, and I came to bring information about Enrico."
"Oh, welcome, Agie. Would you like to sit down?"
"Would you like something to eat?"
Every trace of threatening Aura disappeared the instant Enrico's name was mentioned, exactly as it had with Serenya. Agie couldn't deny that she felt like laughing at the girls' reactions. In her opinion, watching them interact with the great star Enrico was her favorite part. A hand grabbed Agie's shoulder.
"My subordinate needs help. Where is he? How do I get there? When will I be taken to where he is?"
Serenya was serious because she had just finished reading the letter. It was a request for help explaining that the situation in the True Dungeon where Enrico was had worsened. At the end, an unfamiliar handwriting informed her that she would be taken there at the right time, but Serenya wanted to go immediately.
"Well... I think I can tell you a few things."
Agie took the opportunity to hand Angela's and Danyana's letters to them. As soon as they finished reading them, both of them also became serious while Agie finished explaining the entire situation. She also handed them a magic stone that the God had slipped into her pocket without Enrico noticing. It contained a recording of everything that had happened to him in the True Dungeon.
"I understand. Can we go too?"
"Why only three?"
Valença was the first to ask, followed by Rina. Agie couldn't explain many details, but the True Dungeon had rules that had to be respected. The God himself had already broken one of his own rules to add more people.
Yumeha and the others wore sullen expressions. They expected to receive some kind of reward from Enrico later for not being chosen, even though they knew he had logically chosen those three. Serenya raised her chin with a confident smile, displaying an arrogance that made the others click their tongues in annoyance.
"Very well. We'll be waiting. And tell that God he'd better hurry."
"All right..."