Neron was surprised to see the familiar face of Legris as it had been a while since he had seen the boy.


    "I didn''t know you were still around here," He said casually to Legris who was grinning from ear to ear as though he had seen his best friend or something.


    "Of course I am still around. You never just looked for me. Don''t tell me you took on the Wyrm cave solo and finished it? There were rumours of a certain masked man taking on the job so I figured it must be you."


    Neron shrugged like he had done nothing special, confirming Legris'' question.


    "Whew, that''s great, you''re one brave guy. I can tell you that."


    He acknowledged his praise with a nod. "Thanks. Just doing what needs to be done," he said, keeping his tone casual.


    "Who are your friends?" Neron said, his eyes lingering on some group of well dressed Adventurers seated to the far right end of the hall.


    He had noticed them from the moment he had first walked in and noticed that they were a bit different from the regr Adventurers there.


    Apart from the fact that they were better dressed, they also appeared to be seasoned Adventurers.


    It didn''t make them stiff and uptight as one would expect rather it was the opposite.


    They were a lively bunch and racousughter and banter punctuated their conversations.


    Though Legris hade from a different part of the hall, Neron noticed how their attention had been drawn when the boy had walked over to meet him.


    They weren''t hostile or curious looks but he glimpsed an air of familiarity from them towards Legris.


    Since then, there had been stylish and furtive nces in their direction the longer he and Legris talked.


    "You have an eye for detail" Legris said, clearly impressed by his observation.


    "Shouldn''t we all have it in this line of business?"


    "I figure. Anyway, they are my party members. We are about to go on a particrly dangerous dungeon expedition east from here. Have you heard of Scythe guild?" Legris asked and tutted when Neron said that he had not. "Well that''s the Guild I''m now partnered with. They''re one of the strongest in the entire kingdom with a high sess rate.


    They asked me to join them a day after the exams."


    The name sounded familiar to Neron and he was sure that they were one of the numerous guilds that had approached him too seeking to recruit him.


    "Good luck with that. It''s nice to see that you''re in safe hands after all. Your chances of sess are high. We''ll see some other time."


    "Where are you going to? Whates next after this?"


    "Nice question," He mused internally stopping in his tracks as he yed with the idea in his head. "I don''t know, myself."


    With a final nod to Legris, Neron turned and left the guildhall, fingering the gold pouch in his hands as he walked.


    As he stepped out into the evening air, he couldn''t help but wonder how functioning in a group permanently would feel like.


    He hated to admit it but being a lone ranger had a lot of cons as opposed to its pros.


    *


    *


    *


    A few months passed, and Neron''s reputation as Nero grew.


    He became known as a skilled and reliable adventurer, one who could be counted on to get the job done without fail.


    Though he asionally teamed up with others for specific tasks, he never fullymitted to joining a party or forming anysting alliances.


    His preference for working alone earned him a reputation as something of a lone wolf, though no one could deny his effectiveness.


    One evening, as he returned to the central guild hall after another sessful mission, he overheard a conversation that piqued his interest.


    A group of adventurers was huddled together, speaking in hushed tones about an uing expedition.


    "Did you hear?" one of them whispered. "Lord Alistair is organizing a dungeon expedition. They say he discovered a new dungeon in his territory, and is offering a huge reward to Adventurers willing to brave it."


    "Pfttt. You must be kidding. Sure you haven''t had too much to drink?" The man nearest to him said, dismissing what he said.


    Another adventurer nodded eagerly in support of the first man.


    "Yeah, he isn''t lying. I heard he''s paying top coin for anyone willing to brave the depths. It''s a newly discovered dungeon—no one knows what''s in there, but there are rumors that the treasures are worthwhile."


    Neron listened closely, his curiosity growing.


    A noble organizing an expedition to a newly discovered dungeon?


    It was too tempting to ignore and he stood quietly, mulling over the conversation he had just overheard.


    The prospect of venturing into an uncharted dungeon, particrly one under the patronage of a noble, intrigued him.


    But there was an underlying tension that apanied the idea—something that gnawed at the back of his mind.


    He stepped away from the huddled group of adventurers, finding a quiet corner of the guildhall where he could think.


    The thought of returning to a noble''s court, even for a mission as dangerous as this, brought a strange mix of emotions and he didn''t know if he could face that part of his past again


    His mind drifted to Serah, the one person he had left behind without exnation. She had been his closest confidante and he knew how hurt she would be.


    The thought of possibly encountering someone from his past, or worse, Serah herself, made him hesitate. What if they recognized and exposed him?


    The very idea sent a chill down his spine as he had worked hard to build his new identity.


    He figured that if he wanted to sever his past, he would have to confront it so he looked at the bright side.


    It was certain that he would advance to four stars if he went along with them though he knew that it would bring a lot of attention to him.


    Pushing himself off the wall, Neron headed back toward the group of adventurers who were still discussing the details of the expedition.


    "Count me in," he said, his voice firm with resolve.