The announcement of their first mission left a lingering tension between the six students. Aiden, Leon, and Xaleth sat at their usual cafeteria table, now joined by Elara, Elysia, and Lyra. The air between them was thick, not with hostility, but with the silent challenge of proving themselves to one another.
Aiden glanced at Elara, who was calmly sipping her tea. It was strange—he had spent most of his childhood with her, yet now, in this new setting, she felt distant, as if the gap between their strengths had widened even further.
"So," Leon broke the silence, tapping his fingers on the wooden table. "How do you all want to do this? We can just let me clear the bandits out in ten seconds, and you guys can watch."
Elysia raised an eyebrow. "Confidence is one thing. Overconfidence is another."
Leon scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. It's not overconfidence if it's a fact."
Xaleth, who had been quietly watching everyone, finally spoke. "We don't know how many bandits there are. It's D-rank, but that only tells us the estimated danger level, not their actual strength. Rushing in is stupid."
Lyra nodded in agreement. "We should establish a strategy before we arrive. Elara, since your power is most suited for recon, can you scout the area ahead when we reach the outskirts?"
Elara set her cup down. "I can. My shadows will give us a good look at their numbers and positions."
Aiden observed the discussion, feeling slightly out of place. Everyone had something to contribute. Leon had overwhelming speed, Xaleth had precise spatial awareness, Elara had scouting abilities, Elysia had strong offensive magic, and Lyra could enhance their powers and control the battlefield with air magic. Meanwhile, he…
"What about you, Aiden?" Elysia's voice cut through his thoughts. "What do you bring to the team?"
He hesitated. "Uh…"
"Bad jokes," Leon answered with a smirk.
Xaleth let out a quiet chuckle, which was rare enough to make the table go silent for a second. Even Elara smirked slightly.
Aiden rolled his eyes. "I was going to say that I'm pretty good at thinking on my feet. I can adapt."
Elysia didn't seem impressed, but Lyra gave him an encouraging nod. "Adaptability is important. You might be more useful than you think."
Aiden appreciated the words, but deep down, he knew the truth. Until he awakened his powers, he was still the weakest link.
The next morning, the team set out on their journey to the northern trade route. The Academy had provided them with horses, making travel faster. The ride was mostly quiet, aside from Leon occasionally complaining about how slow they were moving and Xaleth ignoring him completely.
Aiden found himself riding beside Elara, the rhythmic sounds of hooves against the dirt road filling the silence between them.
"You've been quiet," Elara finally spoke, her silver eyes watching him carefully.
Aiden shrugged. "Just… thinking. Feels weird, you know? All of this. The mission, the academy, the fact that I got placed on this team. Feels like a mistake."
Elara tilted her head. "Why do you think that?"
He sighed. "I wasn't even in the top twenty. Hell, I barely made it into the academy. You, on the other hand… you've always been strong."
Elara looked away for a moment. "Do you remember when we were kids?"
Aiden blinked. "Yeah?"
She gave a soft smile. "You were always getting into trouble, but you never gave up. Even when you lost fights, you kept going. That's why I never saw you as weak."
Aiden chuckled. "Well, I'm still losing fights, so not much has changed."
Elara turned back to him, more serious now. "Maybe. But you haven't given up yet, have you?"
Aiden hesitated, then shook his head. "No. Not yet."
Elara nodded. "Then don't start now."
Aiden smiled slightly. Maybe she was right.
By the time they arrived near the bandit hideout, the sun had started to set, casting an orange glow over the rocky terrain. They dismounted their horses, keeping low as Elara sent her shadows forward.
A moment later, she turned back to the group. "There are ten of them. Armed, but nothing special. They have a small camp built around a ruined outpost. There are two lookouts."
Xaleth stepped forward, a map floating in his palm as he visualized the layout. "We should take out the lookouts first. I can teleport behind them and eliminate them silently."
Leon cracked his knuckles. "Once that's done, I can blitz in and take down most of them before they react."
Elara shook her head. "No. We don't know if they have reinforcements. If you get caught in the middle, you'll be outnumbered."
Lyra placed a hand on Elara's shoulder, her magic faintly glowing. "I can enhance your shadows to expand their reach. It'll make it easier for us to control the battlefield."
Elysia crossed her arms. "Then I'll handle long-range attacks to suppress them if things go wrong."
Aiden, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "I'll stick close to Leon. If anything goes wrong, I can help distract them."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "You? Distract them how?"
Aiden smirked. "By being really annoying."
Leon rolled his eyes, but a small grin played on his lips. "Fine. Just don't slow me down."
Takeda Renzou had always emphasized teamwork, and now, for the first time, Aiden felt like he was truly part of something. They might not be the strongest team, but they were a team nonetheless.
As the night settled in, the six of them got into position.
Tomorrow, the battle would begin.
And for Aiden, this was his first step toward proving he belonged.