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Scene 3: Keela and Noren
Keela and Noren's group headed into the house, but a quick glance around revealed that there weren't enough chairs for everyone. And so, we all moved outside to the table in the garden. Even then, a few had to settle for rocks, logs, or simply took to sitting beneath the trees. The girls, however, gathered in a circle around the table.
Most of the conversation naturally flowed among the women, occasionally drifting toward talk of the men. But without a doubt, the hosts of this lively discussion were none other than Keela and Noren.
Keela opened the conversation with a warm tone.
"Everyone, this is Noren Fairsteel—my childhood friend. We grew up together in this very village, so we're really close."
"That's right," Noren replied. "But after some tragic events, I lost both my father and my older brother. My mother had already passed away long before. So I had to take over the family business at a very young age."
She spoke as if it were a mere fact, but the glimmer in her eyes betrayed the lingering pain behind those memories.
She turned to Luvian.
"I'm incredibly lucky to have Luvian's steady guidance—especially when it comes to marketing strategies. As for Zhuan, he's been a tremendous help in personnel management. Without them, this little girl wouldn't have made it this far."
Luvian responded humbly.
"Oh no, most of the ideas came from Lady Noren herself. She often asks me if they sound strange, but when I point out the potential opportunities, they're usually worth trying."
Zhuan added,
"And managing people wasn't really my doing either. Lady Noren genuinely cares about her staff. She offers great welfare, proper compensation, time off, and encourages them to pursue their passions. That's why everyone loves her."
Noren waved it off gently.
"It's not like that… I just don't want the people working with me to suffer because of me. They have families to care for too."
Keela beamed.
"You really are a great leader."
But Felix interrupted with a blunt opinion.
"If I may, I think Lady Noren is a bit too lenient. Your father and brother were much firmer—commanding respect. This kind of soft approach could lead to lax discipline."
Seraphina frowned.
"Felix, please. We're in front of Keela's friends."
But Noren raised her hand calmly.
"It's alright, Fina. A person who can speak their mind without sounding accusatory—that's a form of sincerity."
Seraphina pouted.
"I still don't like anyone criticizing my big sister."
She leaned over to hug Noren's waist affectionately.
"There, there, my sweet girl." Noren stroked her sister's head with gentle affection.
Keela offered a thoughtful perspective.
"But Fina, I think Noren is right. No one is perfect at everything. So if someone points out your weaknesses kindly and constructively, that's actually something valuable… right, Akira?"
She turned and flashed him a sweet smile.
Akira flinched slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus.
"Y-yeah! Totally. We can take that feedback and use it to improve, right? Eliminate our weaknesses. Once all criticisms are gone, we're left with nothing but strength."
Seraphina tilted her head curiously.
"But isn't that just being perfect?"
Akira chuckled.
"Just being 'flawless' is already tough enough. Great people don't need to be perfect. They just need to know their strengths and develop everything else to support them. That's the key. No one really gets close to true perfection. Anyone who claims they are… I mean, I wouldn't know whether to call that arrogance, pride, or something else entirely."
"That sounds a lot like pride to me," Osiris commented.
"Isn't that one of the Seven Deadly Sins?" Yue asked innocently.
"Yes, dear," Kalisa replied. "And I should say… the Sin of Pride has existed here in Skyperion for a very long time."
Her words stirred murmurs among some of the listeners.
Grandpa Gryp spoke up.
"It hides itself well—subtle at first, but gradually pushing people toward arrogance. That's what led to the political and social decay in Skyperion. That's why I sent Keela to find the group Hikari once spoke of. That's you, Akira."
Keela nodded.
"That's right. I set out for Draft after hearing that you all had defeated the Sin of Envy and were heading that way. But on the way, I heard there was internal conflict, so I took a detour through the wastelands… and that's when I got sliced by Zekhtau's giant laser sword."
Suddenly—a loud boom echoed through the air.
The ground cracked, dust scattered, and a deep growl followed. Everyone turned to see the source: Grandpa Gryp himself.
"Hmph! Just thinking about it makes me mad. That gaming-addicted brat actually dared to hurt my precious granddaughter!"
Kalisa quickly intervened.
"Gryp, calm down. You don't want to start a war with Draft or the Guardians, not with our political situation so unstable right now."
But Grandpa Gryp remained agitated.
"What? You think I won't? I'm a royal of Arcadia!"
Keela frowned.
"Grandpa! That's pride talking. Are you under the influence of Chaos? Yue, check him right now!"
Gryp protested.
"What? I'm the Gatekeeper of Dimensions! I'm supposed to fight Chaos, not be infected by it. That's not funny, young lady."
But Keela insisted.
"No, Grandpa. Yue has to check, or I won't be satisfied."
Reluctantly, Gryp gave in. Yue stepped forward, gently placed her hand on him, and activated her Starseer's Sight. Her eyes flicked around cautiously. Then she pulled back and floated upward, scanning the surroundings.
After a pause, she descended slowly, looking shaken.
"Everyone… I have something shocking to tell you."
The group fell silent. Some even swallowed nervously.
Yue's voice trembled slightly.
"Grandpa Gryp is lightly infected by Chaos. But more than that—right now, Chaos is floating in the air, all around us. It's so faint you can't feel it… so faint it's invisible up close. But from a distance, it looks like black mist drifting everywhere. I think what Grandpa said about people changing gradually—it's because of this."
Gasps erupted. Kalisa covered her mouth in disbelief.
"So Chaos is being spread in the form of invisible dust… and people have been breathing it in over time, like a kind of pollution? That's terrifying."
Gryp's expression turned grim.
"Hmph… It's intentionally making people change little by little. What a patient, insidious sin… truly vile."
"But the effect is still mild," Yue reassured them. "I'll purify everyone here."
She performed a purification spell on everyone present at the Thunderwill residence.
Akira immediately asked in concern,
"Are you okay? That must've used a lot of mana. Don't push yourself."
Yue smiled brightly.
"I'm totally fine. Everyone only had trace amounts. Actually… we barely had any at all. It's strange."
Akira patted her head gently with a warm smile.
"That's probably because Chaos is too scared to come near you."
Yue giggled and hugged his waist tightly.
Osiris teased,
"What kind of Chaos would dare get close to her? Just standing near Yue feels like being purified already."
Yue looked thoughtful.
"So should I purify the villagers too? Or… the whole of Skyperion?"
Her innocent question landed like a weight on everyone's hearts.
On one hand, it was a humanitarian choice—a fulfillment of their mission.
But on the other, it meant risking Yue's safety… and potentially plunging Skyperion into chaos.
Who could possibly answer that question?
Yue tilted her head, pointing a curious finger to her chin as she waited for a reply.
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Scene 4: Helping Within Limits
An innocent question can often become a heavy burden for those who carry great responsibility. Amid the silence, Akira spoke up with a trembling voice.
"Yue… it's a good thing to want to help others. But sometimes, you have to ask yourself—are you pushing beyond your own limits?"
Yue still looked unsure.
"But… if I don't help, I won't feel right inside."
Akira's next words were reluctant, as though he didn't like the answer he had to give.
"Yue… if you see someone drowning, and you don't know how to swim… why would you jump in and become another victim?"
He swallowed hard but continued.
"But if you help in other ways—throwing them a stick, a life ring, a rope… or calling someone who can swim—then the best-case scenario is you save them. The worst case is… you lose them. But if you jump in recklessly, it'll only make things worse."
Yue's face darkened, her eyes clouded with confusion. Elina stepped in gently.
"Yue… you may not remember, but I noticed it. Back when we first entered the Chaos zones in Draft, you offered prayers for every soul we found. Akira let you do that even though he knew it might become dangerous or cause bigger problems. But he let you, because he knew it was important to you. And you knew it too."
Tears welled up in Yue's eyes.
"But I… sniff… sniff… I just wanted to help everyone… waaahh…"
Akira pulled her into a hug. The mood turned heavy instantly. Watching the brightest, most cheerful soul in our group cry in front of us—no one could remain untouched. And for Akira and Elina, the pain cut even deeper. They loved Yue deeply, but even so, they had to draw a line for her. If it meant preventing greater harm in the future, then their pain and her tears were a price they had to pay.
Seraphina approached gently.
"I understand how you feel, Yue. You want to help people. But sometimes, we have to choose—only help those who deserve it. There are people who will take advantage of kindness… manipulate it for their own gain. And someone like you… you're an easy target. Don't you see how much your siblings worry about you? Just look at their faces."
Yue lifted her gaze, eyes red and teary, looking at her older siblings. She stayed quiet for a moment, then gently buried her face in Akira's chest and slowly stood up, her eyes now shining with determination.
"I understand now. You're all worried about me. So from now on, I won't just use my Starseer's Sight to search for Chaos… I'll use my normal eyes to see people more clearly too. Just like Mother always taught me—to see into people's hearts. That's why she wanted me to go out into the world… to meet and help people with my own eyes."
Akira ruffled her hair playfully.
"I know you want to help others and see into their hearts… but first, can you do something about my shirt? It's soaked through with your snot and tears, even inside now, you little rascal."
Yue couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter. The heavy atmosphere finally began to lift.
Mirelle stepped in, offering to help by drying Akira's shirt with a mix of wind and gentle fire magic. She stood just a bit too close, though. Keela whispered to her teasingly.
"Wow… do you really need to stand that close?"
Mirelle smiled back with a wink that practically said, "Well, can you blame me? It's the perfect opportunity. Hehe."
Grandpa Gryp cleared his throat to change the subject.
"So, Noren—how long are you and your group staying here? Or do you have other business?"
Noren answered politely.
"I've cleared my schedule only until tomorrow morning, Grandpa. I plan to spend tonight here with Keela and use this time to rest… and let those close to me unwind a bit from all the stress as well."
Kalisa asked with concern,
"Is it really that stressful, dear Noren?"
Noren lowered her gaze and fell silent for a moment. Zhuan stepped in.
"Pardon me, Lady Kalisa. If I may explain—right now, we're facing multiple developments, both good and bad. It's been a hectic time."
Kalisa's eyes narrowed.
"Bad developments?"
Zhuan nodded with a steady tone.
"Yes, ma'am. If I may elaborate…"
He leaned in closer, his expression turning serious. What followed was a shift in the atmosphere—as if a great wave of information was about to crash upon us with force and gravity.
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