Chapter 107: One Month

By the time the Ashcroft family’s vehicle entered Elyndor, Reinhard already knew their arrival would not go unnoticed.

Two weeks ago, Emily had returned to the public Awakener world after years away, stepping into the Central Combat Arena as a D-Rank and defeating four C-Rank professionals in less than two minutes.

She had surpassed one of the records she once held herself before leaving behind the simple message, I’m Back.

What followed had been even more ridiculous, as Reinhard had turned the record board into a public argument between husband and wife, Emily had retaliated, and the two of them had eventually tied an ancient Mana record that had stood for centuries.

The footage had spread throughout Elyndor, and it was still being replayed on public displays as their vehicle passed through the city.

Emily appeared on one screen fighting the four C-Ranks, while another showed the moment her message appeared. A third displayed the final exchange between husband and wife, and Reinhard glanced toward Emily as she watched the screens with a faint smile.

"Looks like they haven’t gotten tired of us yet," Emily said.

Lily leaned forward from the back seat to get a better look. "Why would they? You’re famous."

Maki glanced at her with amusement. "You’re saying that as though you aren’t part of the group."

Lily paused before looking around the vehicle. "Wait. Does that mean I’m famous too?"

Yuna laughed quietly. "Give it another ten minutes."

They didn’t have to wait that long.

A young Awakener walking along the street suddenly stopped and stared through the vehicle window before asking his companion, "Is that Emily Ashcroft?" His companion recognized her a moment later, and an older Awakener nearby overheard them and confirmed it was really her.

"The woman who fought the four C-Ranks?" the younger Awakener asked, but the older man shook his head with a knowing smile and told him that Emily was the woman who used to be even stronger.

That answer changed the younger man’s expression. He had known Emily as the woman who had recently returned and broken records, but he was beginning to understand that her recent performance was only the beginning of a much older story.

The reaction continued as the vehicle moved deeper into the city, and before long someone recognized Reinhard as well.

"Isn’t that Reinhard Ashcroft?" one person asked, drawing several others toward the vehicle. Someone else recognized him as the husband who had tied the ancient Mana record, and the question that followed was immediate.

"What’s his Rank?"

Nobody knew.

Reinhard noticed the attention through the window and smiled to himself. A month ago, he could walk through most cities without anyone knowing who he was, but that seemed to be changing quickly.

Another person then noticed Maki, Yuna, and Lily.

"Wait, aren’t those the people who were with them during the evaluation?"

Lily happily waved toward the people outside until Maki caught her hand and lowered it. "Don’t encourage them."

"But they were waving at us," Lily protested.

"They were pointing."

"That’s basically the same thing."

Yuna covered her mouth as she laughed, and by the time they reached their hotel, the five of them had already become a topic of conversation.

The hotel was one of Elyndor’s better Awakener establishments, with Mana-resistant rooms, private recovery facilities, secure equipment storage, training areas, and restricted access for high-profile guests. Reinhard had rented a large family suite for the entire month, but when they arrived, a manager was already waiting outside.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft, welcome to Elyndor," the manager said with a polite smile. "We’ve prepared everything according to your request."

Emily looked slightly surprised. "You’ve already recognized us?"

"After what happened two weeks ago, I don’t think many people in Elyndor could miss you," the manager replied before explaining that they had moved the family to one of the hotel’s private floors. It was normally reserved for S-Rank Awakeners and official representatives, but the hotel had made an exception because of the attention surrounding the family.

Reinhard raised an eyebrow when the manager handed him a special access card. "An exception?"

"Your privacy should be our responsibility," the manager explained. "The private floor has restricted access, its own elevator, and direct connections to the training and recovery facilities. If your family needs anything, contact us directly."

"Thank you," Reinhard said as he accepted the card.

Lily looked around the luxurious suite after they entered and leaned toward Reinhard. "Are we famous?"

Maki gave her a sideways look. "Apparently."

Reinhard smiled. "Apparently?"

"You broke a centuries-old record two weeks ago," Maki reminded him.

"What can I say, I was strong."

The family settled into the suite quickly. Maki inspected the training room and decided it would be suitable for basic exercises, Yuna checked the security system and emergency exits, while Lily immediately found the kitchen and discovered that the suite had two refrigerators.

"There are two," Lily said, staring at them with obvious interest.

Maki immediately understood what she was thinking. "No."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were thinking it."

Lily looked offended. "What if we buy too much food?"

"We have one month."

"Exactly."

Yuna laughed while Emily shook her head, and Reinhard watched the family settle in with quiet satisfaction.

Emily eventually moved toward the window and looked across Elyndor. The reality of the next month seemed to settle over her as she realized this wasn’t another short visit or evaluation. She was going to spend an entire month here as an Awakener again.

Reinhard joined her and asked, "How does it feel?"

Emily looked at the city before turning toward him. "Good."

"That’s all?"

Emily leaned lightly against him and smiled. "I’ll tell you more after I’ve had time to actually experience it."

Before they left, Reinhard noticed a massive public display across the street. The headline had changed to THE ASHCROFTS RETURN TO ELYNDOR, with images of both him and Emily beneath it.

Reinhard stared at the display for a moment.

For years, Ashcroft had simply been the name of their family. Now the city was beginning to treat it as a name worth remembering.

Emily followed his gaze and smiled. "You look surprised."

"I am," Reinhard admitted. "I’m not used to seeing my face on public displays."

"You’ll get used to it."

"That’s a dangerous thing to say."

"It probably is."

They left the hotel and walked toward the Awakener Association, drawing attention throughout the central district. Younger Awakeners recognized Emily from her recent fight, older professionals remembered her former career, and others recognized Reinhard from the record exchange. Eventually people began to recognize Maki, Yuna, and Lily as part of the same group.

"Are they forming a team?" someone asked.

"I heard they’re staying for a month."

"Emily is still D-Rank, right?"

"Officially."

The questions followed them until they reached the Association.

The receptionist looked up when the five entered, recognized Emily first, then Reinhard, and finally the others. She immediately straightened in her seat before asking, "Are all five of you here together?"

Emily nodded. "Yes."

"Are you looking to register as a team?"

Emily glanced toward Reinhard before smiling. "Yes."

The receptionist asked for the team name, and after a brief discussion Reinhard suggested, "Ashcroft Family?"

Lily immediately approved of it, Maki agreed that it worked, and Yuna gave her approval as well.

Emily looked toward the receptionist. "Ashcroft Family."

The receptionist entered the name into the Association’s system, and moments later the main display above the reception desk changed.

[NEW TEAM REGISTERED]

[ASHCROFT FAMILY]

Several people in the reception hall turned toward the display, and whispers spread through the room as they realized Emily Ashcroft had officially formed a team with her family.

The receptionist then asked who would serve as leader.

Before Reinhard could answer, Emily said, "Reinhard."

The receptionist entered his name, but the system paused before displaying a notification.

[Combat Classification: Pending Evaluation.]

The receptionist frowned and checked his profile again before looking at Reinhard. "I’m sorry, Mr. Ashcroft, but the system can’t assign you a combat classification."

The nearby conversations quieted.

"His combat data isn’t registered," the receptionist explained. "He’ll need a formal evaluation before the Association can assign him a Rank."

Someone nearby immediately pointed out that Reinhard had tied the ancient Mana record, while another wondered how someone capable of doing that could have no recorded Rank.

Reinhard simply smiled. "I haven’t had much reason to register my combat ability."

The receptionist nodded, although the people listening clearly weren’t satisfied.

Emily looked toward her and asked, "Can he still be registered as our leader?"

"Yes."

The registration was completed, and Reinhard’s name appeared beneath the team.

[TEAM LEADER: REINHARD ASHCROFT]

Emily looked at the display with a small smile. "He’s the best person for it."

Reinhard returned her smile. "Then I guess I’ll do my best."

The receptionist then checked Emily’s classification and gave a slightly awkward look. "Emily Ashcroft... D-Rank."

Several people nearby immediately reacted, wondering how someone who had defeated four C-Ranks could still officially be D-Rank.

Emily didn’t seem bothered when the receptionist explained that her promotion was still being processed. "That’s fine. Then give us missions appropriate for our current classification."

The receptionist immediately called over a senior mission coordinator, who guided them toward the mission board.

Several missions were available, including monster extermination, escort work, resource gathering, and exploration, but one stood out because of its reward.

[BADLANDS RELIC RETRIEVAL]

[Location: Outer Badlands]

[Objective: Retrieve an unidentified valuable object]

[Recommended Rank: D–C]

[Team Size: 4–6]

[Reward: High]

The coordinator explained that another experienced team had discovered the object several days earlier but withdrew after monsters began gathering around the location.

"How many monsters?" Yuna asked.

"We don’t have an exact number," the coordinator admitted.

Maki frowned. "Then why is the mission still classified as D to C?"

"The Association hasn’t confirmed the strength of the monsters surrounding the site."

Emily looked over the mission details. "What do we know about the object?"

"Very little. The previous team described it as valuable, but they couldn’t identify it."

Maki asked why another team hadn’t retrieved it, and the coordinator explained that the previous team had decided not to force the issue after the monsters gathered.

That made the mission considerably more interesting.

The coordinator then warned them that safer missions were available.

Emily looked at Reinhard, but he didn’t make the decision for her. She looked toward Maki, Yuna, and Lily before returning her attention to the mission.

"We’ll take it."

The coordinator hesitated. "Are you certain?"

Emily nodded. "Yes."

Reinhard understood why she had chosen it. The training array could improve their coordination, and the arena could test Emily’s strength, but a real mission would force her to make decisions against unknown enemies and in unpredictable terrain. It was exactly the kind of experience she needed, and it was something Reinhard couldn’t give her simply by protecting her.

The coordinator finalized the assignment, and the moment it went through, the mission appeared on the Association’s public team board.

[ASHCROFT FAMILY — ACTIVE MISSION]

[BADLANDS RELIC RETRIEVAL]

Several people noticed immediately. "The Ashcroft Family took the Badlands mission?"

"They just registered."

"Wasn’t that the one the Red Talons refused?"

"I heard they withdrew after finding the relic."

The news spread through the Association, giving the family’s first mission an audience before they had even left the building.

They soon reached the Association’s vehicle rental center, where the employee recognized them and looked surprised when he learned they were leaving for the Badlands immediately.

"Most teams would spend at least a day preparing," he said.

"We’re prepared," Yuna replied.

The employee showed them several vehicles, and Reinhard chose one of the higher-end models with reinforced plating, a Mana barrier, terrain-adaptive suspension, emergency communication equipment, and secure storage.

"Good choice," the employee said as he handed Reinhard the keys. "It’s one of the safest vehicles available for Badlands missions."

Reinhard paid without hesitation, and Lily leaned toward Maki as they loaded their equipment.

"That’s expensive."

Maki nodded. "Very."

Lily considered the vehicle for a moment before asking, "Can we get two?"

Maki immediately shook her head. "No."

Once everyone was inside, Maki opened the mission map while Yuna checked their supplies. Lily explored the vehicle’s controls until she discovered the heated seats.

"This thing has heated seats," Lily said with obvious excitement.

Maki didn’t look up from the map. "Don’t touch anything you don’t understand."

"I understand heated seats."

"That’s not what I meant."

Emily sat beside Reinhard as the vehicle left Elyndor behind. She watched the city disappear through the window before Reinhard glanced toward her.

"Excited?"

Emily looked at him and smiled. "Very."

"Why?"

She turned toward the road as the familiar city slowly gave way to open land. "Because I’m finally going somewhere dangerous again."

Reinhard watched her for a moment and understood what she meant. She wasn’t chasing her old reputation or trying to prove that the woman from years ago had returned. She simply wanted to be an Awakener again.

A month ago, Reinhard had been the one pushing everyone forward, but things were different now. Emily had chosen the mission herself, Maki was already planning their approach, Yuna was handling security, and Lily was eager to see what waited ahead.

They still needed him, but they were no longer waiting for him to decide where their lives would go.

They were beginning to walk beside him.

The vehicle’s warning system suddenly sounded, drawing everyone’s attention to the display.

[Multiple Mana Signatures Detected.]

Maki straightened in her seat and asked, "How many?"

The system calculated for several seconds before displaying the answer.

[Estimated Count: 17.]

Yuna’s expression became serious. "Seventeen?"

Another notification appeared beneath it.

[Threat Classification: Unable to Determine.]

Emily’s hand moved toward Aeon as the green fields disappeared completely, replaced by rough stone and barren ground. Jagged rock formations stretched across the horizon, and strange Mana fluctuations distorted the air above the Badlands.

Then the vehicle displayed one final notification.

[Mana Source Identified.]

A second line appeared beneath it.

[Source Location: Registered Relic Site.]

Reinhard looked toward the distant terrain. Whatever was protecting the relic had already noticed their arrival.

Emily slowly smiled as she rested her hand on Aeon. "Looks like we’re not going to have to search for our first fight."

The vehicle continued toward the Badlands, carrying the newly formed Ashcroft Family toward their first real mission.