Base of Operations: Silver Eagles

[Apollymi]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1912/44839706194_98b5351e24_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2bjkdsE)

Base of Operations Silver Eagle is located in a mountainous region of the Clover Kingdom near an open river and surrounded on three sides by high waterfalls and lush greenery. This place is home of all the the Magic Knights who are part of the Silver Eagles and includes all modern ammenities including private bedrooms, public restrooms and baths, kitchens and a dining hall which are both always stocked and has a complete staff of people to cook and take care of everyone lucky enough to be a member of this place. It was built and funded by the House Silva upon the creation of the Silver Eagles squad.

[Bloodedge]

The differences and similarities between this pair of individuals was becoming obvious by their movement styles and patterns. A free-spirited show off and a more reserved but equally or higher talented young man. A chuckle escaped Sibylla as Asher explained that he'd been able to fly even as an infant. And shared a story likely shared with him throughout his life. She took comfort in knowing this, but for reasons which likely weren't clear. "I'm sure you would have come down when you wanted to..." mentioned Sibylla because she knew it to be true. It was part of the reason he'd been known to be quite powerful immediately after his birth. Perhaps she'd witnessed such an event herself, regardless Junon seemed to be having quite a bit of fun. "Sugoi!" she mentioned, though whether this was meant for Asher or not would be left up to the imagination as she seemed to be enjoying herself. "Are you curious about the eagle?" she asked the lad taking note of his apparent curiosity. He'd seen it before now, or at least the very small version of it. Soon after this question the Base of Operations for the Silver Eagles would come into view. It looked like a giant waterside castle surrounded on three sides by waterfalls. The nature was pristine, the sky was clear and the whole of the base looked calm.



Asher's trip was a smooth one, kept steady by the small bits of conversation had between himself and the others. He wasn't quite sure about his past self's desire to come down from that flight years ago, but he had nothing to go by. Besides, his attentions were set on the eagle spell, which he did in fact feel he recognized. When he looked at it, he could briefly see his own reflection, but... it wasn't a reflection of his current self in his mind; it was a version of him long gone, which Asher himself didn't know. When asked if he was curious, he didn't exactly know what to say. "I... no. I just thought I saw something," he said. Soon enough, he was descending to the base of operations, and stepping up to the front with his own two feet.

[Apollymi]

"Sugoi! We get to live here?!" Junon questioned of this place, which she was looking at. She grew up in the Witch's Forest, but she'd still never seen a building like this one before. It seemed to be only a step or two below that of Clover Castle in sheer volume and size. It was full of winding towers with flags bearing the crest of the House Silva, and by association the Silver Eagles. "Hai hai, this is the Silver Eagles base of operations," she said to the pair of them, as she made her descent, cancelling the magic she'd used to fly over, and having it disappear as she stepped onto the grounds. The front door of this giant castle seemed to have several pathways leading up or down into open court yards, practice areas. Several walkways leading down to the waterfront, and out into the woods or mountains depending on terrain preferences. Sibylla stood out in front of this pair as both of them came to their own stops. Junon from ground level looked up at the entire building structure, and beyond this Sibylla would give an opportunity for pause before she began her explanation, besides that she expected at least one other to greet them.

[Bloodedge]

There was much to be said about the building they were now upon, but Asher didn't even have enough words in his vocabulary to describe the sight he was taking in. His feet carried him forward to the entrance of the main hall, but he did not yet enter. His senses informed him of another approaching mana, coming down the hall. The splitting shadows soon revealed he who possessed this mana, as the light unveiled a male figure with long, ashen hair, sporting a Silver Eagles robe accented with white feathers. This man's every step brought him closer to Sibylla, whom he'd been expecting to return for some time now. "Okaerinasai, onee-sama. Did you acquire any good selections this yea-" His sentence fell just shy of completion in the moments he took to observe the two youngsters next to the Captain. One of them in particular was nigh unmistakable, if by nothing other than the strange rainbow effect of his hair. His eyes widened before his gaze returned to the woman he'd referred to as his sister. "Where... have you been?"

[Apollymi]

Junon was also left astounded by this building and she had begun taking steps forward as well only to stop around the same time Asher had. Sibylla knew why they'd stopped and it likely had everything to do with the approaching presence. A wide smile crossed her face, as she was greeted in quite the informal manner by an ashen haired man who bore enough resemblance to her to be fully acknowledged as some sort of relation, though his greeting gave away its exactness. "Tadaima, Dior." The sentence left Sibylla's face but there was much calm after, because this she got to watch as her brother saw who she'd brought with her. There was extreme recognition in his face, as she fully expected there to be, since he was only a few years younger than she was. At his question a gentle smile came to her face, and thought there was much excitement in those silver eyes of hers, there was caution to come from her explanation.

"I went where I was supposed to go, to the Magic Knights Exam, and then after to pick up our other candidate," she said pausing. She figured formal introductions were in order. "This is Dior Silva, he's the Vice-Captain of the Silver Eagles and quite obviously by now my younger brother," she said making Junon nod her appreciation of this situation. "Dior this is Junon Evanglista, she's the witch who wanted to be a Magic Knight but didn't want to end up in the coven that is Purple Orca. She's a free spirit, and an amazing find. And this... " she said cutting her eyes at the boy with the rainbow hair, while Junon bowed to her introduction without saying much else. "Is Asher, just as talented and put on a very interesting display for the Captains. In fact... everyone tried to get him," she mentioned in a manner most casual. "Tread lightly, Dior... I haven't gotten to explain everything yet," she said. This could have been applied to a great many things, not the least of which would have been how this building functioned where these teens would be staying and all other manner of things including their duties. But in this case, and with steely resolve tinting her eyes, she meant only to convey their younger brother's current ignorance to their kinship. This was something Sibylla wanted to bring up gently as she wasn't entirely sure of the lad's reactions. She'd spent her most of her conscious life looking for him, had dedicated her life to becoming a Magic Knight and then Magic Knight Captain just to find him, but she couldn't burden him with that knowledge. In fact, she hadn't mentioned it yet because it seemed like a lot of stress to put the lad through initially. Her bond with her siblings was close enough that she figured Dior would take this hint directly without further prodding.

[Bloodedge]

Dior was revealed as the name belonging to this Silver Eagle. His expression remained unchanged for some time to come, as Sibylla claimed she had only gone to the places she claimed she would be going initially. With what he knew about their potential witch recruiting, only one option remained for how she'd ended up locating their missing sibling. "Really now? After all that time, that is how you ended up completing that journey? I'm not sure whether we should be happy or... frankly, disturbed," he commented. It quickly became tough to fight against a powerful grin that wanted to spread itself across his visage, but he felt he was managing it well enough. Hearing that the brother they'd lost had managed such success in the Magic Knights Entrance Exam was a point of pride, even though Asher wouldn't understand why said pride truly existed if he knew it. Sadly, he would not even begin to understand just yet. Sibylla warned Dior of the fact that she'd yet to share this crucial bit of information to their brother, and he could certainly understand why this was the case. It had to be somewhat jarring to take that sort of information in. But, he trusted the woman to find the right time and place eventually. "Well, don't make us wait another two decades. By the way, this may not be the best time, but they have confirmed the appearance of that dungeon on the way to Sosshi Village. We've been tasked with investigating it."

[Apollymi]

It seemed her younger brother also found the irony of her journey ending this way. She'd spent almost two decades searching for this lad, only to have him practically turn up on their doorstep. She was glad about this and continued her conversation with Dior about this lad's happenstance. "I've been going with a bit of both mixed with my general surprise," she said in all honesty. All of her normal mannerisms had gone out the window the moment this lad had stepped before her. She'd even spoken whole sentences in front of people and that wasn't something she did lightly. As their conversation progressed it seemed that she would be teased at least lightly by her younger brother in a way that most wouldn't really understand. "I know I know... I promise I won't make us wait so long..." she said though she did want to at least give the lad some time to settle into his duties and life as it was before she confronted him with such information. She didn't know if it would affect how he felt if she told him now, and it seemed like she wouldn't get a chance to.

"I'm surprised they handed that off to me," she said about the dungeon. "Wait aren't dungeons like high mana concentration areas with like lost treasure, traps and all kinds of cool stuff?! I've always wanted to see one of those!!" this was a question and excited utterance from Junon which made a small smile come to Sibylla's face. "Hai, that is exactly what they are... Actually," she eyed this pair of young people curiously. Both had goals that would lead them into the loftiest of reaches, but Sibylla was considering something almost unheard of. "How would the pair of you feel about a trial by fire? We usually do in house confirmations even after making a choice to see how you work together. But going out and getting some field experience in a dungeon might work out for the pair of you. Especially if you manage to pick up any of those magical treasures," she said absently. Having just found her younger brother though, Sibylla was prone to anxiety at the idea of letting him out into the harshness of the world again so soon. But she masked this worry behind an explanation of sorts. "Dungeons are dangerous though, so I'd be sending someone else with you to answer your questions and help along in your experience. Dior would you go with them as their lead? You're the only person I can trust with this, well aside from myself..." she said technically speaking Sibylla was known to be quite protective of her siblings. She'd been a very large part in Dior's rise as a Magic Knight and had him as part of her elite forces to keep an eye on him. And accompanied him on missions even before then.

[Bloodedge]

"I'll make sure you remember that promise," Dior said when Sibylla claimed she wouldn't have them wait long. Much like her, though obviously not to such a great extent, Dior looked forward to the day he could properly interact with his younger brother after being separated for so long. The longer Sibylla waited to tell the boy the truth, the more of a hassle it would be to have him in reach at all times. Interestingly enough, Sibylla very quickly made the request that Dior accompany Asher and Junon to investigate the new Dungeon their squad had been assigned. It was strange to hear about two new Magic Knights - especially on their first day - being sent on such a task, but since Dior knew he could have done this alone if needed, he could understand going as a chaperone for this pair. "It would be my pleasure. I haven't stretched my legs in a while, and I can more than handle any dangers these two can't by themselves or together."

[Apollymi]

"Hai," this was all that was spoken on the matter of the promise to be made. Of course, she had every intention of revealing to the lad with the rainbow hair the nature of his heritage, but she didn't want to do it, when it could be a disadvantage to him. She understood her nature, and knew the need to look after her younger siblings was probably going to have to take a bit of a hiatus until she gave full details on why she had such behavior. It was going to be a juggling act but... she'd waited almost eighteen years, she could handle finding the right time in the next few days to have this important conversation. But right now the Dungeon was being discussed and it seemed her elder little brother had no problem being a help-hand in her need to meddle as a sibling. Moreover as a senior and a general adviser he'd be able to give more advice and be a much better telling of the boy's skills, abilities and temperaments than the little match up in the exam had been. "Hai, arigatou gozaimasu, Dior." she said feeling exceedingly relieved knowing the pair would be in good hands. She turned to both of them and smiled. "Alright then, I'm sending you three to investigate the Dungeon that appeared at Sosshi Village. You'll be representing the Silver Eagles while you're out so I expect you to act accordingly. Explore, become familiar with your skills and duties, and bring back any important treasures for the good of the Clover Kingdom." These words were expressed firmly but with the same general warmth that Sibylla seemed to possess. "Be careful, and I look forward to your successful return. You can leave when you're ready," she finished with a smile. She had a few parting words for Dior as well. "I'll be waiting for your honest opinion afterwards. You'll likely be more than a bit surprised while you're out, remember to have fun too. And they're brand new so they might have a lot of questions okay? And watch out for traps..." she said, the doting older sister got ready to send out her brothers on a mission together as if it was the very first one. She knew she was worrying unnecessarily but she couldn't help but express it in this moment.

All the while Junon's eyes widened. She hadn't expected her new Captain to be so free in giving away adventures. She fully expected to have to earn a more than passing hello to be able to go to a dungeon. It was an exciting prospect and she could only wonder how she managed to find such a compassionate Captain. "Hai, arigatou gozaimasu. Danchou!" she squealed. She could only imagine the sort of thing she'd be able to get into. The types of magic she could see, whatever all these treasures were... all the prospects were exciting.

[Bloodedge]

Asher nodded to the Captain, accepting his first mission on his first day of active duty. Rather, this was more like an initiation, considering how it was broached initially. Dior stepped further outside and used his own magic to create a large eagle made of mercury to be ridden when their journey began. As he did this, he looked through the corner of his eye at Sibylla, who was beginning to show every ounce of the genes she inherited from their mother. He struggled to stifle a laugh, but in the end, he chose to tease. "I'll pick them up toothbrushes on the way, and I'll make sure they don't talk to any strangers too." With that said, he mounted the mercury eagle, which he also made large enough for the newcomers to sit upon. "Both of you, get on."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla was left fending off minor embarrassment at the teasing of her younger brother. Of course, she knew that he knew why she behaved this way, even so, it was no less embarrassing to have it pointed out. "Urusai, Dio!" that was of course, the only comeback that the Captain could manage in this moment. And it was more of a tell than anything, when she referred to her brother by his childhood nickname. Even so, it seemed the group at large was ready to depart and as such he created a giant eagle made of his magic type. "Sugoi! That Eagle is cool too!~" she said making the assumption that the general shape of it was something which ran in their family for whatever reason. "Ah, I'm my own lift!~ I'm too excited to sit still!" she mentioned spinning wind around herself she'd prepare to take off with the lad. It wasn't personal at all but she'd have more fun this way. Sibylla watched this and chuckled wondering if Asher would follow suit as well, because of the nature of their 'light' rivalry. Regardless, Junon was now ready to go and would leave accordingly. And Sibylla would stay to see them off.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai hai," said Dior with a chuckle. From there, he had his eagle rise ever so slightly from its spawn location to await the others. Asher was once again staring at the eagle, feeling less familiar with this one, but still feeling as if he could have seen it in a very small form at some point. He wasn't sure how to react to this, but Dior's attention was elsewhere: namely with Junon, who claimed she was 'her own' lift. "Be less excited. As your senior, and with neither of you being seasoned as Magic Knights, I don't make suggestions. Do as I say, when I say, until you've proven yourselves."

[Apollymi]

Dior said about what Sibylla would have expected. Of course, his general attitude wasn't what Junon expected at all, especially not after dealing with Sibylla for an extended period of time. She looked at this man pouted but since the bird was in the air floated onto with the wind cancelling around her person. "Hai hai..." she found him to be a bit of a killjoy instantly, but she wouldn't let it get to her. She felt this was the sort of contrast that people liked to create for others. You know, understanding your current place in the world and all of that. Still she'd be rather fidgety for the duration of this ride regardless of what was done. 'Hm, I wonder how they will get along...' Sibylla thought, knowing that Dior was a bit strong and strong-willed especially for someone as free spirited as Junon appeared to be.

[Bloodedge]

Once she had it as more of an order, Junon abandoned her wind magic to take a seat upon Dior's eagle. With that out of the way, all that was left was a spaced-out Asher, whom Dior looked to and chose to verbally snap out of his current state. "Asher," he said simply. That alone seemed to be enough, leading Asher to wake himself up mentally. "H-hai!" the younger male replied. He noticed Dior was standing atop the eagle's back, thinking it to be a strange way to fly on a creature. Nevertheless, he hopped onto its back as well, deciding he would mimic whatever method Junon went for when riding this magic beast. Meanwhile, Dior spoke again. "Any questions or necessities before we go?"

[Apollymi]

Junon had chosen to sit on the back of this bird to the left with her legs crossed and hanging over the edge like one would expect someone to sit at the edge of a bed maybe. Irrespective of how crazy this likely looked, she seemed to be exceedingly comfortable this way, and showed no strain in her choice of seated position. Asher seemed to be in a world all his own for several seconds but he was soon called to attention as well, when asked if they had any questions or necessities, Junon had several things running through her mind, but chose to focus on the task at hand. "Um, I have an idea of what Dungeons are, but how will we know if we've done what we need to?" she asked, which was a valid question for one unfamiliar with the inside. Knowing what the goal was would help give her focus and help her better understand what was going on. Her curiosities were double because it seemed like it was almost a waste of resources to send people into potential death over treasures or whatever. This seemed to be her thoughts on it, regardless of the fact that she would have entered just to do so, because she liked new things.

[Bloodedge]

One question was presented by Junon. When Dior looked to Asher to see if he had a question as well, the boy simply nodded to imply that his only curiosity was the same as the witch's. Since he only had one question to answer for now, Dior had the eagle lift higher while Asher seated himself behind Dior and to the right of Junon. "Good question. There's no telling what any dungeon's treasure room holds, but once we have it... there won't be a dungeon anymore." This was all he had to say. In Dior's experience with dungeons, every last one of them had created its own cave-in once whatever artifacts it offered were taken, whether the physical treasures were claimed or not. Either way, now that he had sated curiosities, Dior took the go-ahead and forced his mercury eagle to have a very hasty take-off toward the northwest region of the kingdom.

[Apollymi]

Asher was out ahead for only a few moments before Dior's eagle took the lead in their rise as a group. This ended up being for the best, especially for Asher. Dior's mercury spear penetrated the dungeon ceiling before Junon followed his lead, simultaneously proving that very lead to be virtually useless with her application of very potent spirit magic. Dior hadn't expected another surprise to come from within this dungeon, but he now had reason to assume what Junon had obtained from the treasure room to complete the dungeon.

Asher was less surprised by the spirit magic, considering what he'd seen since entering the dungeon's final chamber. He was still, however, impressed by the spell Junon was now capable of using, and he was feeling more of the rivalry she mentioned earlier as a result. The boy also caught a glimpse of the spirit who was to blame for this development. In viewing the spirit, Asher realized he was presently being winked at by it. His eyes widened, and his face tinted very slightly. In no way was he sure how to interpret this sudden exchange, but the spirit vanished mere moments after regardless. More pressing yet was the fact that they were presently flying through the roof of the dungeon, out into the open world where they would follow a straight path back to the Silver Eagles' base.


In the end, the Spirit which was now attached to Junon seemed to have taken a liking to Asher as well as the girl. Whatever the case though, this wouldn't be something immediately discussed. There was quite a bit of surprise in this day for Dior, and soon they were simply headed all the way back to the Base of Operations of the Silver Eagles. And there would be someone there to greet them when they landed. Unbeknownst to the group at large, they'd been gone for almost a week, and their Captain had started to worry about how long they'd been gone. So as she saw the mercury Eagle of Dior come into sight she headed down the towers and out into the front of the courtyard. She managed to hide her worry behind a regular greeting as she stood tall happy to see the return of both her siblings. "Okaerinasai!"

[Bloodedge]

Dior Silva descended into the courtyard while standing on the back of his mercury eagle. He hopped off the magic creature's back within a meter or two of the ground, while Asher continued floating slightly above ground, standing atop his new staff. Dior heaved a sigh of relief after his soles touched familiar ground again. "Tadaima," he said. It was after this that Asher floated between them, albeit off to the side just enough to not be obstructing the siblings' view of each other. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Danchou. The dungeon's gone," the young male announced.

[Apollymi]

Now that they were back home, Junon also hopped off the bird they'd taken to get here. Obviously she could have flown herself back, but she felt no need not to take a ride readily offered. Strangely enough, upon returning they were greeted directly by the Captain of their squad, which wasn't all together surprising for Junon considering Sibylla's relation to both of the young lads who were with her. "Taidaima, Dancho..." the girl managed, remembering she was still wearing the cloak which belonged to the lad she'd been with she went about removing it to return it to him. "Arigatou gozaimasu... Asher-kun," she offered the lad thanks for helping her out on their journey. Sibylla watched this and took note of how she was greeted and fought the desire to sigh, as far as she was concerned only one person here should be referring to her as such. Instead of focusing on this, she watched the start of the interaction between the teens and put together some interesting things about the situation they must have faced. "They are supposed to disappear, I take it then your mission was a success. You have a new staff too, interesting... Congratulations, both of you," she said to the two young ones. "Goblins?" she asked of Dior making the assumption that the young witch wouldn't have bothered covering up for any other reason. They were indeed becoming something of a menace in more recent times, but that didn't matter as no one seemed any worse for wear.

[Bloodedge]

There was something Asher had forgotten about. He hadn't even realized he was now without the cloak he brought to the entrance exam, until Junon was handing it back to him. When she held it out, though, he shook his head. "Take it to the next dungeon. I only needed it so nobody saw me going to the exam. You'll get more use out of it than me now," he claimed. The cloak had been given to him in Hage Village because he needed it at the time. Asher didn't have any lasting attachment to the article, so he now felt it best to pass it along to someone else who could be helped in any way by wearing it.

Dior found himself sighing yet again. He understood why he'd been sent along on this mission initially, but while he'd technically accomplished a single feat within the dungeon, he knew all too well that even that was unnecessary in the end. "They both went above and beyond expectations. We did encounter goblins in so great a number that I wonder if it will be a manageable task for any female Magic Knight in the future to come, but... nothing in that dungeon was an issue for these two. Honestly, I could have not been there at all. I still think I made a great chauffeur though."

[Apollymi]

It appeared that Asher held no lasting attachment to the cloak he'd let the lass borrow within the dungeon. "You hid on the way to the exam?" she questioned that knowledge. She figured anyone going to the exam would have been hailed as a hero, especially if they came from the forsaken region. Such a feat would be considered a great boon to the area, especially if they managed to produce one who held a four leaf clover book. Still she was hardly in a position to argue how useful the article of clothing was to her in the context of the Dungeon they'd gone into. "Hai hai, arigatou gozaimasu~" she followed up. This lad was quite generous and she appreciated it, even if she wasn't necessarily used to this level of niceness.

Meanwhile Dior had nothing but positive praises to sing about the pair within the Dungeon they'd gone to, and while the news of more goblins than a female knight would normally be able to handle was a disturbing. Even so, she was proud the female of this pairing was able to overcome this hurdle with the help of her companion. "Sou ka..." the normally silent captain of the Silver Eagles said. It was quite interesting news that her little brother thought he could have not been there and it wouldn't have made any difference to the group at large, that was a ringing endorsement of the pair of individuals before them if nothing else. "I sent you to help them understand their duties as a Magic Knight. Chauffeur Dio though, has a pretty interesting ring to it~" she teased her younger brother. Hearing that the pair has happily risen above expectations made her happy as well, she figured she'd lucked out quite a bit, in ending up with her youngest brother and having him be very powerful and independently ending up with the four leaf clover book was simply extra. The young witch had seemed a bit free-spirited and headstrong but it seemed that she was more than capable of taking instruction and obviously powerful enough to take care of herself. "Thank you for going along with them. I figured they would be fine, but I needed to be sure," she said calmly. "Kajun!" the name brought forth a young woman with purple hair and a very well put together outfit. She had a butterfly clip in her long purple locks and wore a long white coat with the Silver Eagles insignia on it. What she came out holding though was two short cloaks for each of the two individuals, they were fur wrapped, silver in color and seemed to mark them both as members of the group in an official sense. "Those are for you two. You've done well on your first mission. I'm sure you're both tired, feel free to go inside with Kajun she'll show you to the dining hall then to your rooms, you two can eat and the like while I get a full debrief from Dior." The woman praised both of these individuals and had them presented with the uniform pieces, which she'd had made while they were gone. It seemed as if she always had faith in them.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai," the boy replied. His staff descended further yet, until he was able to easily step down from it and return it to his hand. "I wasn't supposed to take the exam. I got my grimoire three years ago, and I wanted to become a Magic Knight then, but... I wasn't even allowed to leave the village. I had to run away just to chase my dreams," he concluded. Soon enough, there was a noble-looking purple-haired woman before the pair, presenting them with the capes that would mark them as official members of the Silver Eagle squad. Asher, with wide eyes, reached out to take one of these items. He donned it immediately by tossing it around his left shoulder with his right hand, letting it cascade over his head and fall into its proper place. It felt... right, somehow. Asher bowed to the woman named Kajun, offering his respects to her and the other superiors standing nearby. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"

While this exchange occurred, Dior continued his discussion with the squad's Captain. "I think I'll keep my day job, but I'm happy to have this experience under my belt. It just says the rest of us will be able to rest easy every now and then in the future. Actually, if I'm being honest... they may already be better than most of our ranks, even if they were alone."

[Apollymi]

Junon got an interesting story from Asher, about how his taking the exam wasn't exactly sanctioned by whoever had previously been in charge of him. It seemed that he'd always wanted to be a Magic Knight but he'd been forbidden from doing such things, Junon's eyes went wide at this news, because the boy was so nice she hadn't thought him to possess anything remotely resembling rebellion. "Sugoi!~ From meeting you I wouldn't have thought you had that sort of spunk. Good on you, chasing dreams is quite important~" said Junon who seemed to appreciate the idea of going after what you wanted even if it meant upsetting people initially. Soon enough their shared dreams were being recognized in the form of a couple of capes for the pair of them, marking them as official members of the Silver Eagles. Seeing this new lass show up, Junon also bowed to her, taking this little cloak for herself she also placed it on her shoulders affixing it before blowing it outward with a minor gust of wind to figure out how she liked it on herself. "Arigatou gozaimasu..." the girl also said. This prompted Kajun as she was apparently known to shake her head from left to right. "Iie, Dancho chose you, and Senpai vouches for you... that's enough for me," she said seeming to rely very heavily on the opinions of the two elder Silva siblings about the newcomers. "Kajun Faycott, I'm a 4th Class Intermediate Magic Knight and I look forward to working with you both. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with..." she said seeming to not care much one way or the other. The follow up instructions from Sibylla caused her to nod in the woman's direction. "If you two would follow me. We will get you fed and to your rooms so you can settle in. I'm sure Dancho will check on you later..." she said willing to lead the way through the building neither of them had gotten a proper look through.

Meanwhile, Sibylla watched as both of her newest members donned their new attire pieces. She'd heard a bit of what the lad had said about having to follow his dreams by running away, but she decided that would be a conversation topic for another time. Of course, she also felt a gentle tightness in her chest, as she looked at him in his cloak, she couldn't believe she was honestly seeing this, and it was something she'd dreamed of, even before she knew it to be a possibility. There was a smile of esteemed pride on her face, and it wouldn't be removed, even as Dior explained what he thought of the two youngsters. "Oh feeling like you'll get to take it easy? I don't know if I'd let you do that... even once in a while," she mentioned with a raised brow. Even so, she turned towards the inside of the building and motioned to him. "I had a good feeling about both of them. Like I said, Asher managed to impress everyone at the Exam but I didn't know what kind of potential Junon would have to fight with. Besides that I felt like you two might bump heads a bit given her carefree nature," she said moving right along, she'd led her brother to a private study where tea and such were prepared and take a seat behind an immaculate desk to have some leaving a cup and other things open to the young man before her.

[Bloodedge]

"Well... sort of. Growing up in the Forsaken region, sometimes you have to figure out a few things to get by. It's hard work being a commoner," Asher said while shifting around to inspect his own cloak, while also taking a moment to check out Junon and her new article. "I think it works better than the other one," he asserted. Kajun took a moment to introduce herself. One to show respect to a senior, Asher was attentive until her speech came to an end. At that point, she offered to guide them into their settlement of the headquarters. "Hai. Boku wa Asher. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" was his response as he followed along.

Dior was sighing yet again. He never expected a chance to actually relax, but that wasn't all too bad at the end of the day. "Of course not. Maybe I'll just have to overthrow you and take Asher as my Vice-Captain. Then we can make you do all the work," he said in a moment of jest not often seen outside of interactions with the Silver Eagles' Captain. He followed the woman into the office, expecting to give his report. Her state of mind during their absence was more than apparent by the time he reached said office, but regardless, he took a seat at the other side of the desk, and picked up the cup of tea obviously reserved for him. "Junon presented the least problems, in my opinion. She was fine on her own, but when I gave instruction, she followed without hesitation. Asher... may have been slightly influenced by the commoners. How many cups of tea have gone cold since you started expecting us back?"

[Apollymi]

"Hm, that sounds different. The Witches' Forest is a bit different... but independence is valued above most things. Make your own decisions, do your own thing, be proud of you when no one else is..." she commented on the likeness and differences of their rearing. She wondered how such independence would be received by his elder siblings. But she supposed that would just be something she'd have to look into later. She also took a gander at the lad as he donned his own cloak. "Hai, super cute~" she said thinking about it for a second. "Dashing, maybe? I'm not sure what words I should use to describe men's clothing choices..." she said. Such a statement caused a bit of a giggle from Kajun who figured this girl spent most of her time around women exclusively until recently. Just as Asher had greeted Kajun and she'd greeted both of them, Junon followed up. "Junon Evanglista nice to meet you," she managed, prompting a response to the girl's statement and Asher's introduction from their present senior as they followed along. "Hai, both of you will fit in just fine. Cute or dashing work, but the cloak works and..." she paused thinking about these two new people. "It suits you both."

Sibylla had no problem settling into her office with her younger sibling. Even among some teasing from the lad, who claimed to want to take over for her, and have Asher as his Vice-Captain forcing her to take a demotion and do all the work. "I'd do it too~ I find myself missing the adventure a bit from time to time..." she said and this was true. It was among the many reasons she took trips repeatedly besides it being able to search for their younger brother. As Dior gave the explanation of what he thought of Junon, a gentle nod came from the Captain of the Silver Eagles. "To be honest, I was wondering how she'd react to the sudden influx of men in her life. Medea was a a bit of shut in and wouldn't even look directly at a man at first she was so unused to the attention," she said inadvertently explaining a very strange clothing choice of the Captain of the Purple Orcas. "I'm glad she didn't come with those types of hang-ups. It could have been a bit harder to settle her if that was the case," she said. She was content that Junon was apparently capable of taking her orders and also of taking care of herself if she needed to. As for Asher and the tea she'd wasted waiting for them to come back, she decided to answer these things in reverse order. "I expected the trip to take at least a day, but you three have been gone for at least 4 days by now. So about a dozen tea cups went cold and I paced like crazy. Even with the oddities of Dungeons I didn't expect it to take you so long..." she admitted. Even knowing she didn't need to worry, she worried incessantly about her siblings out in a brand new Dungeon. Especially since she'd sent out two brand new recruits. "I have a feeling they rubbed off on him, given his goal, to make sure people are treated fairly... was he disagreeable?" she asked of the lad, she wondered a bit what would have made her brother mention that the lad was less apt to take orders than their female companion.

[Bloodedge]

Dior raised the tea cup to his lips and casually sipped from it as Sibylla spoke her conclusions involving Junon. From what little he knew about the Purple Orcas' Captain, he could understand the potential for these issues, and what an impact they would have on life in a new squad. It was good none of these negatives came wrapped around Junon; he wouldn't have been sure how to deal with them at all. "She showed no signs of that sort of behavior, even after being faced with a massive goblin horde on her first day out. She'll be just fine," he spoke between sips of tea. It was then that Sibylla mentioned the amount of time they'd been gone. The dungeon they entered obviously had some issues related to time, so he wondered how long they were actually travelling inside it. All in all, it was somewhat good to have some confirmation at last. As for Asher, though... "It wasn't that he was disagreeable. It was more... he became a little adventurous. The dungeon had a very strange time loop around it, and a lot of traps that only he was able to get around with his light-based abilities. In one of those situations, he disappeared entirely. We were separated for a while after that, but we ended up running into him just outside the treasure room, after he conveniently helped us get there with that staff he picked up."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla absently enjoyed a teacake as Dior confirmed that their newest female addition didn't have any hangups concerning men. What was more, she seemed even content enough to face goblin hordes which by far said a lot about that young woman's character. There were more hardened female members of the Magic Knights who couldn't handle goblins. She wasn't among them, but completely understood how unnerving goblins could be for women, and the horror stories surrounding them and the unwary within dungeons were the things nightmares were made of. "Any woman who can stand before goblins and not back down is worthy of admiration," she agreed with the assessment. "I'm glad, she seems like she will fit in just fine." At the conclusion of this statement was the information about Asher's behavior within the dungeon, which apparently included a bit of adventure. Sibylla's eyes widened at this news, because she could only imagine the amount of distraught the boy disappearing from sight would cause herself or any of her other younger brothers. "Sou ka... I bet that was a bit more stressful than you would have liked. But good came from it, he brought a staff and helped you two navigate the rest of the way through the dungeon. I assume the staff is powerful," she summarized. She was more than used to her younger siblings causing her to worry. "Also... I'd say it's just your turn to experience the nerve wracking complexity of a younger sibling doing something on their own without you expecting it," she commented. She'd been through this quite a few times herself, Dior was also a bit more adventurous in his first outings than she would have liked. "Oh and you got to see their magics in action? What kind of capabilities do they have? I didn't get to see a wide range from their spells, nor any of Junon's to begin with, aside from knowing that she uses wind magic and has a 4 leaf clover grimoire," she mentioned questioning the actual abilities of the children.

[Bloodedge]

"True. After the first wave, I gave her an opportunity to turn back. She had no intentions of doing that, and Asher... well, that's when she ended up with his cloak." Content to continue sharing the tale of their journey with the Captain, Dior further relaxed into his chair over time. She was understanding of the occurrences, at least more so than he expected upon mentioning their brother's sudden disappearance. What's more, she was rather invested in finding out what they were generally capable of. Time would see that Dior's tale reached these topics to give proper answers. "They were like veterans out there. Not just in their individual abilities, but they showed signs of a team that compliments each other incredibly well. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they've worked together before for a very long time. As nerve-wracking as it was when Asher disappeared, and as useless as I was for the duration of that dungeon, it was worth it to be able to see those two in action. Asher's light magic is fast and precise, and he gained some connection to the sprites that were floating around the dungeon through that staff he brought back. Junon's wind is widespread and versatile, and now seems to have the added power of a spirit behind it. Frankly, I'd already rather have them at my side than the elites."

[Apollymi]

As Dior continued to explain the happenings of the Dungeon he and a set of completely new people had been sent to clear, Sibylla found herself listening to the exploits and gaining a fuller picture of the personalities and skills of everyone involved. "Sou ka, both of them strong-willed then, but compassionate. I like that..." she said of the duo of youngsters. Of course, she knew a bit about both of them but not enough to have formed these opinions without a bit more insight. The progress that Dior spoke of, made this woman's eyes widen. It wasn't often that the younger brother before her didn't feel useful in an endeavor. For him to say he was almost unnecessary to the pair while they were out was somewhat stunning. "Sou ka, you went with them, and would again just to watch... I didn't expect them to start with that much skill. It is strange, I usually choose people who are elite in their own right, but I never usually get this lucky," she mentioned thinking about it more. "If you say you'd rather have the pair of them than elites, I believe you, still though it is rather shocking, when I sent them off with you it was their first day doing anything resembling Magic Knight duties. I feel like the pair of them will be making a rather large mark on this place, and will likely earn their way up at an exponential rate. I didn't expect the mention of spirits or sprites, I suppose I'll busy myself in the library and that the Magic Emperor will question all of that himself," she summarized. This was a plethora of information to take in but she seemed to do so well enough. She felt rather good about her choices, but though she didn't voice it she did have one concern with what she was told. 'They work together like a veteran team, but I know for a fact that until she arrived in a Royal Capital, Junon lived in the Witches' Forest. And given that I couldn't find him, I can also make the assumption Asher has always lived within Hage Village. I am not sure how to feel about that information. But if they work well together I won't break them up.' she thought absently.

"Sou desu, that is quite a tale. I am excited for them... I'll leave them paired up for now. If they work well together there is no need for me to interfere..." she said in a manner befitting her sisterly disposition. "Arigatou Gozaimasu, Dior, for seeing them through. Even if you weren't directly much use to them, your insight into them is beneficial to me. Anything else about them I should be aware of before they end up in regular rotations?"

[Bloodedge]

Having brought his story to its conclusion, Dior returned to sipping from his cup of tea. Sibylla was a bit less overbearing in how she accepted the given information than he expected, given her apparent similarities to their mother. Still, at the end of the day, she was a Captain of the Magic Knights, and her ability to act as a leader spoke for itself in situations such as this. Moving on, he couldn't argue the likelihood of the Magic Emperor wanting to ask questions of his own. There was no way that man could hear about two new mages with four-leaf clover grimoires picking up the ability to use spirit magic. This idea was given extra credence when considering that this was their first day as Magic Knights, and that they had cleared the dungeon by themselves. He sipped once more while considering this, pausing to speak only when asked if there was anything else. "There is... one last thing. The spirit that bonded with Junon is probably the most substantial thing to be taken out of a dungeon in a long time, but... That staff Asher has. It seems to be connected to the very same magic that birthed that dungeon."

[Apollymi]

It seemed her brother's tale had come to an end and surprisingly, Sibylla had managed to take in all necessary information without becoming overbearing. One would think this particularly pointed in the case of the apparent random disappearance of the young Asher. She'd taken all necessary information in stride and had no doubt she could now formulate proper rounds and regimes for her newest members to help them further their goals. That being said, there was one more piece of information she needed according to Dior. His words stated that the spirit picked up by Junon was likely one of the most substantial things taken from a dungeon in quite a long time. This was to be expected as spirit mages were rare in and of themselves but beyond this the news that the staff which Asher now possessed a staff which seemed to be connected to the dungeon he'd taken it from gave the girl a bit of pause. "A staff connected to the magic which created that dungeon... like Archer?" the words left her mouth and she seemed stunned. There was a single individual who had that kind of ability, but it was also directly related to all of his capabilities. Perhaps, there would be time to pay him a visit and get some extra information. But that would be a lot to bring to a member of another Squad even if they were about the same age. "Sou ka, arigatou Dior. You can enjoy the rest of this, and make sure you get some rest too... even if you don't feel like it. You need to rest too, at least before tomorrow when you three will likely be called before the Magic Emperor," she said, and then Sibylla stood, excusing herself to walk away with extreme purpose.

There was someone else she needed to see, and now that she knew the whereabouts of all of her siblings she could go without any weight on her heart. As such when she left Dior's presence she took several long and twisting hallways before she began to ascend up a winding staircase which would seem to some as if it was endless. At the top of this staircase was a single wooden door, which was locked from the outside. A gentle turn of the locking mechanism would allow this door to swing open. And when it did, Sibylla would enter it. The room itself was average for what one could expect of this dwelling nothing in it seemed like it was outlandish. The only exception to this, was against the farthest wall in the form of a giant ornate mirror. She slowly drew closer to this mirror each step would bring her closer and closer until her steely silver eyes would meet whatever she expected to find there.

[Bloodedge]

"Not quite like Archer. I've worked with him, and his tool gives him access to the treasure room of the dungeon he got it from. I watched this one control the dungeon itself in a way, whether Asher realized it or not. It didn't just open the treasury door... It made the door disappear." Dior offered this explanation to the best of his ability, but nothing could properly capture all the things he'd seen with his own eyes in this most recent dungeon. The two young Magic Knights were incredible, and what they'd gained from the dungeon had potential that could not be properly quantified by one such as Dior. Whatever the case, the job was done for now, and he was left to finish his tea as Sibylla went about her own business. He would indeed rest to prepare for summons from the Magic Emperor, figuring he'd need to do more explaining of what happened when said Emperor got word of the mission completion.

A short while later, Sibylla entered a room typically vacant of people. Now that there was a stirring in said room after so long, that ornate mirror on the rear wall gleamed briefly. Her approach would show what was strange about this mirror. What lied beyond the threshold of reflective glass was what one could expect: an inverted copy of the area in front of it. What was strange about this mirror was Sibylla's reflection. Rather, her reflection was nonexistent as she approached. There was instead a male figure approaching from beyond the mirror. He was taller than Sibylla, yet similar-looking. He had long and luxurious silver hair with bangs parted to either side of his face, and his eyes were green and cat-like. Silver pauldrons sat atop a black coat which was open to reveal the male's muscular chest, with leather suspenders crossing over it. As Sibylla encroached upon the mirror, this figure's eyes met hers. He smiled in a way that could almost be seen as menacing. "It's good to see you again... Sibyl."

[Apollymi]

If Sibylla noted the difference between Asher's and Acher's abilities she wouldn't be saying so now. There was a lot to consider as it was, especially as she approached the mirror in the room. Within this mirror she found not a reflection of herself but one of an entirely different and obviously male individual. The smile this man presented would be seen by most as menacing, but Sibylla herself didn't seem swayed by it. At the greeting she was offered she gently scoffed. The use of a pet form of her name was common only to this man standing before her in this mirror. She only heard it in moments like these, and many others in the past. "Is it? It doesn't appear that way to me... you should practice your greeting face. This one looks too mean," she said sounding strangely deferential considering her own rank. "Nii-sama..." she started to speak before getting distracted. "Or would you prefer to be called, Dancho?" she asked quizzically. "I wouldn't want to offend..." she said. This man had been legendary in his time, and beyond that well respected and powerful. Whatever circumstances led to this strained relationship could hardly tarnish that for most people. In Sibylla's case though, this man's attitude had led her on a journey of almost two decades to reach a certain point, which she'd reached only very recently. She was relieved, and excited, but she could not properly enjoy this happiness until she spoke to this man. "Do you... know why I am here?"

[Bloodedge]

"Of course it is. Every now and again, I have the privilege of seeing the woman you've grown up to be. Maybe one day, you'll take the time to sit and take a meal with this relic," he said. Sibylla may have claimed his 'greeting face' was too mean, but this was simply how he'd always been. Even during his time as a Captain of the Magic Knights, the only thing saving his appearance was his ability, and his merit. "Dancho..." was repeated while his past life crossed his mind, thanks to Sibylla's query. "Gone are those days. As it seems from my very limited perspective, the days of supreme glory for the Silver Eagles are long gone as well. It's a pity. You could be so much greater, but your ideals are your own shackles."

Few movements were made by this man as he conversed with Sibylla, but few needed to be made. After all, there was hardly anything he could do from inside a mirror, unless something was added to the outside for the sake of reflecting it in his version of the world. It was by that very method that he took his meals, often at the hands of whatever squad member happened to be tasked with that job. Aside from these facts, Sibylla questioned the man's knowledge of her current visit. Did he know why she was here? In a way, of course. The changes in her countenance were unmistakable, and to him, achievable only by a certain method after so many years. Knowing this, his brow furrowed. "Leave him where he is, Sibylla. Stop this childish rebellion, and let things be as they should be."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla looked at the man in the mirror and gave an honest frown. The idea of sharing a meal with him was a bit more than her psyche would be able to withstand. "Iie, I can't eat with you in the room... I suppose eventually I could be the one to bring you food though..." she said it was an old habit of hers, but one that she hadn't been able to get over unlike some of the others. Her brother's gaze had always seemed angry and at some point in the past it'd given her anxiety. Because of this, she found herself unable to take meals while he was present at the table, and this was a thing that had gone on for a long time when she was younger. In fact, there had once been a time where she would have avoided him as much as humanly possible, never really speaking or looking in his direction, even when she was a member of this squad under him. But this was a point for another time, it seemed as if her brother was content to not be called by a more official title, stating that he was beyond those days. Worse yet, he went on to speak of his idea glory for the Silver Eagles which made her scoff. "Authoritarian rule was you, Nii-sama. I have my own pace... but I wouldn't say supreme glory is out of reach... well in the way you like to think of it anyways..." she mused. She didn't hold the same interests nor competitive spirit as many, but ever so often she felt the need to try as hard as those around her, and if their first mission said anything, Sibylla might be on the verge of coming out of her shell once more. Finding a motivation like the one which had driven her search for nearly two decades.

As their conversation progressed it seemed her elder brother was against her finding someone. A smirk came to her face as he mentioned that she was being childish and that she should give it up and leave the boy where he was. "I am not being childish... and I am pretty sure anything that counted as a rebellion ended when you were put into this mirror," she said calmly. "You've still never given an actual reason for doing anything you've done. Just like your mean face... it's simply something that is," she concluded. Ever so often she tried to get information out of her elder brother about her younger brother. She obviously still respected him, and didn't hate him enough to end his exstience regardless of the fact that he'd ended up in a mirror. Sibylla began to clarify the information for her brother lest he become confused. "I didn't find him by the way, I didn't go fetch him from whatever corner of hell you left him in," she mentioned not knowing if this would settle the man within the mirror at all. "In fact, I was only doing my duty as Captain and attending the Magic Knight's Entrance Exam..." she relayed this information. "So imagine my surprise when I saw him there... taking the exam, acing the exam. Every single Captain, vying for his attention..." she said. This was the culmination of all of Sibylla's feelings pouring out from the depths of her soul. She found herself studying her brother's face in this moment, wondering if there was anything there that would hint at his logic his reasoning. There was distinct pride in this woman, thinking about her younger brother, coming basically from nothing, earning his spot unlike so many.

[Bloodedge]

"You aren't being childish, yet you refuse to sit with your older brother for dinner? No. By that alone, you're still that same little girl limited by her own views of how the world works. To even think my rule was authoritarian speaks wonders for how young a mind you possess." The more this man spoke, the closer he came to the barrier separating himself from the world outside the mirror. The news that their youngest sibling had not been found, but had instead found his way to the Magic Knights of his own accord, caused this man's eyes to widen as his slit pupils narrowed. Hearing that the boy had the attention of every Captain in the Magic Knights' current roster was astounding. To think he could have become so powerful before joining the Magic Knights. Frankly, this was incredible news... but also horrendous news for the exact same reason. "Every Captain, you say? That must have been a sight to behold. Send the boy back, Sibylla. You'd have been best off never seeing him again, but I suppose there was no avoiding this."

[Apollymi]

"Iie, not being childish at all, there are plenty of reasons, for me not to want to eat with you in the room. Admittedly, as a child being around you made me nervous, as an adult that isn't so much the case. But... I still wouldn't feel right about it, knowing I trapped you in that mirror," she said calmly. it was perfectly rational that she'd not want to have dinner with someone she was anxious of, even if the reason for that anxiety had shifted over the years. Perhaps it was more adequate to say, she felt a bit of guilt surrounding this occurance as she was kind-hearted enough not to enjoy the idea of anything resembling torture being done to any of her siblings, even the one she'd previously been afraid of. She even noted him moving closer to the mirror's edge but didn't shy away from it herself either. "Authoritarian is how I see it. It might not be like that to everyone, perhaps it ruins my appetite. Seeing you like this reminds me of a time I felt myself becoming too much like you..." In her own mind, Sibylla thought her reasoning sound enough, it wasn't simply how she felt as a child which made her act one way or another, but a culmination of many things. She'd changed enough over the years to see the necessity of some things, but still couldn't be bound by the idea that she should force things she didn't have to.

Regardless of this difference in ideology, it seemed at least her brother understood the gravity of what she had to say concerning her youngest brother. The fact that the lad had managed to impress every Magic Knight Captain was something worthy of innate amounts of praise. If she went on to explain what he did beyond that, he'd likely understand the position she was in now, or perhaps she wouldn't have to give that much away right now. Still her elder brother persisted that she send the lad back, and she simply couldn't do it. "I can't send him back, and you should understand that better than anyone," she started looking at this man with a piercing gaze that wasn't unlike his own. But what she had to say next wasn't nearly as sentimental as she was as an elder sibling. "Taking myself out of the equation as the sort of meddling rebellious child, you claim I am. I already told you, he was scouted by every single Captain. Even if I send him back, under the ruse that he shouldn't be a Magic Knight, someone else would go fetch him, at least one would on the basis that he likes rejects," she said. "I've always entertained the idea that you might have done what you did to protect him, given this... I can't reject him and send him back out into the middle of nowhere. You understand at this point, even if it was done to protect his physical self, his psyche and good will would suffer for such a rejection. Breaking him would be worse," she said knowing of the lads positive goals and wanting to nurture those into flourishing. "I can't allow that when he has clear and righteous motivations... besides, if it was some other reason you worried for him, because of something about him... it is probably better to keep an eye on his progress directly. Such is the difference between us, Nii-sama." She explained her case, and knew the man before her likely wouldn't agree even though it was the most logical of actions to take. As she'd previously mentioned her brother had still yet to explain his proper stance on any of this. As a child she'd just been angry and wanted her brother back. And she'd devoted herself to becoming a Magic Knight to have the means to oppose her brother's rule and go find him. Now, even if she could entertain it for the greater good, she could not allow greater harm to come to the lad for whatever good the man failed to mention.

[Bloodedge]

"Hoh? So it's because you put me in here, is it? That's even worse. If you're letting something you did out of personal obligation affect you to such an extent, then you're being more childish than I thought. That is the difference between us," he said as his eyes met a gaze which, for all of Sibylla's rejection of him and his ideals, looked more and more like viewing a mirror to the man. As much as he spoke about her selective conviction, these were moments where he saw the young woman shining brightly... just as he felt she needed to. "Look at you. It's laughable how much you resemble me sometimes. It is fully within your power to banish him from the Magic Knights, as well as the Clover Kingdom. You can't do it, though. I do understand. I should have killed him years ago instead of sending him away, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. Maybe I am too much like you now. But... what about you? If I bend to your will just this once... if you are made to understand why I do what I do... could you do it? Could you do what I couldn't do when I should have, and what you couldn't do in retaliation? Keeping Asher here as a Magic Knight... having your precious little brother within arms reach... there is a cost. You will one day have to kill that brother, and I'm afraid to say he may be far more powerful than you when that time comes. So, I'll ask you once again after all these years: How strong is your resolve, Sibylla?"

[Apollymi]

"Or maybe I just don't like looking at your face," Sibylla did have moments of real childishness and they were always more obvious to her siblings. None would have seen more of her childishness than the one sibling she had who actually had more than a few years on her. And while she continued to look at her elder brother with the same piercing gaze he seemed to be so perfectly capable of maintaining, a chuckle escaped her as her brother tantalized her with the idea of acquiescing to her wishes. His words came with veiled meanings, vague explanations and something which seemed to correspond with a subtle threat. He asked her if she was capable of killing this lad, in the way that he hadn't been able to, and in the way that she hadn't been able to kill him as well. "I don't think I like you comparing yourself to me, Nii-sama..." Sibylla started whether or not this man planned to cave to her wishes or simply scream at her every time she appeared here that she should send the boy back was of little consequence to her. "You still think you know everything, even when I tell you differently. I never intended to kill you, and I told you that back then. I wouldn't harm any of my brothers. I never would..." she said her gaze meeting his still full of that same resolve. "Even you," Sibylla's words left her mouth and she felt renewed. The thing she tended to dislike about discussions with her brother was that he always talked about things as if they were set in stone. "So, what I can tell you, is that I absolutely won't kill him," she said, but in meeting her younger brother and knowing what he wanted to do with himself, she could hardly contain her new desires. "But if you think it will be such a travesty, I'll just have to make sure, I'm strong to keep that future from happening too."

There was finality in Sibylla's words, and for a brief moment she saw her smaller younger self staring at her older brother with disdain as she told him she'd beat him on her own terms and then find her little brother. She worked towards these things on the basis of the challenges this man set before her. She could at the very least, appreciate this man for the obstacle he made himself into, perhaps then, she owed it to him to have a meal with him once in a while. After all, it was her choice to keep him as a prisoner instead of killing him, and living up to the consequences of that choice was part of the penance necessary to walk this differing path she chose. Silence over came her. It was the silence she was known for throughout the Magic Knights, the one which had earned her the nickname of Silent Magician among her peers. Her thoughts were complex and hidden, and though she still didn't know what it was which made her elder brother think there was something amiss with her younger brother. She'd spoken to the lad, she'd seen his light and understood at least a portion of his goodness, and with that in mind, she couldn't even dream of snuffing it out before seeing what the lad would choose for himself.

[Bloodedge]

And there it was - the childish streak of one Sibylla Silva in one shining moment of a rebuttal. The man in the mirror seemed unfazed by her retort, and even her distaste of comparisons between them. He could see it clearly, and if she couldn't, it simply meant she did not understand his true purpose in everything he did. Of course, this was no one's fault but his own, but there was so much more beneath the surface that he could not reveal. "Sibylla..." he said with a tone so low, it could almost be called a whisper in spite of its clarity. When asked about her resolve, she responded in kind with her desire to do no harm to her siblings. Still, no good could come of this. Considering this discussion to be at its end, he turned away and began walking deeper into the mirror world, stopping only to share a few parting words with his sister. "I'll see you again on the other side. When I do, I'll once again ask you... What does it mean to be a Magic Knight? We'll see the outcome of your resolve then."

[Apollymi]

The silence of Sibylla's mind was interrupted by her brother saying her name sometime after she'd finished speaking. She'd been known to cause exasperation in this man at least a little bit, and she never understood why this was the case. If he simply explained himself better, she'd likely have been just as considerate of him as she was her other male siblings. Regardless of this, it seemed that he was content to leave their conversation where it was, her own childishness aside, it was stated by him that he'd see her sometime later and question her resolve. Though he spoke of seeing her on the other side, she wondered what circumstance he thought would arise to make her let him out of the mirror she'd trapped him in. It was too much to think about that, combined with the question of what it was to be a Magic Knight the girl was left to sigh, it was like yet another logic puzzle, yet another test. Her elder brother never seemed to understand what was frustrating about him in moments like these. "So, does that mean you don't want me to come back later for dinner?" she asked of the man rhetorically. She'd take her leave of the room at this point closing and locking the door behind her. She'd stand in front of it for a few seconds looking mildly stunned. It wasn't often that she spoke with her elder brother and she knew well why this was the case. She always found it to be emotionally draining and more so than that she realized that despite their differences and what he'd done to make her angry, she did miss her big brother. There was a pang in her chest at this realization because though she'd done much because of him, and even more than she wanted to him, she'd still prefer to have him around. She didn't understand why he didn't get that when it came to the rest of her siblings as well...

[Bloodedge]

"... Hmph." This was the final utterance of Sibylla's elder brother beyond the mirror. He was content to retire to his own devices until further notice, but he truly wondered when that time would come. Regardless, Sibylla took her leave of him. There was no telling when these two would meet next.

As Sibylla returned downstairs, she would find a male figure in her path, leaned against a nearby wall at the tower's base. This young man stood at about 5'6" with ash-blond hair. He sported a tan coat lined in white fur over a black shirt and light pants. A blue visor was upon his face, but it did not obstruct the view of teal eyes looking toward Sibylla. "Quality family time again? Looks like you had fun."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla was a strange person when it came to her siblings in general. Her elder brother had given an utterance which wasn't necessarily quantifiable as good or bad, but she'd heard it enough in her life to know what it meant. 'So dishonest...' she thought, knowing that she could well go back to that room and have a meal with her brother at a later time, she was more than content to descend from the tower with a strange mix of happiness and determination on her face. This face would first be greeted by an ash blonde man who was posted against the wall near the foot of the tower which held her elder brother. This person was a member of her own squad and one of the more trust worthy ones to boot. Still, Sibylla seemed to maintain a distant yet sisterly relationship with any not part of her immediate family. As such a glance from her silvery gaze met this man's teal eyes as he spoke to her. Obviously having been a member for quite a while, he knew who was contained within this tower and as such she didn't deny what she'd been doing. In fact, she only chose to question how he thought such a visit affected her. "Hm? Does it?" she asked only to shift her gaze up the stairs. She supposed overall she did enjoy speaking with any of her family even in those strained moments. "Were you looking for me, Hawks?" she asked, making the assumption that this young man didn't come here to visit her elder brother as well, not that it would have bothered her if he did.

[Bloodedge]

"Hmm..." The man apparently named Hawks pushed away from the wall and leaned toward Sibylla, seemingly performing an intense study of her face from up-close after her response. Suddenly, his expression broke out into a toothy smile. "Nah! Not really! Well, maybe. I dunno; chit-chat is weird," he said. With that, he backed out of Sibylla's personal space bubble, placing his hands on his waistline and tucking his thumbs under his belt. "I wasn't looking for you or anything. Well... I was, but I wasn't. I'm bored. I need work, so I guess I was kinda looking for you in a way." The more Hawks spoke, the more jumbled his thoughts became. He grew antsy in his boredom, and in doing so, he either lost his natural way, or fell back into it. "I mean... it's not that I didn't want to see you or anything. I just didn't want specifically you... right now... as much as the work. But you're cool too! I just uhh... yeah. Got any jobs?"

[Apollymi]

The strange ash-blonde young man known as Hawks went on to invade the personal space bubble of his captain, studying her face. Sibylla for her part in this didn't seem bothered by it, but it was soon followed by a toothy grin and a strange explanation about how weird small talk was and how he wasn't sure. She didn't speak while he was in her personal space bubble, but after he backed out of it a small smile came to Sibylla's face softening the cold expression she bore. "Sou ka, I understand. Try making small talk with someone you haven't seen in about a year. It's too difficult," she mentioned, though she wasn't unhappy at all. As their conversation progressed it seemed that Hawks was looking for work and not necessarily Sibylla. The young woman watched as this man stumbled his way through an explanation which let loose all of the lads anxiety and social quirks in a single moment. After he was finished she looked at him blankly humor coming to her eyes in a brief moment. "Yare yare, it's fine. Don't hurt yourself... Hawks," she managed. Thinking about it she had a couple of missions come across her desk in the last couple of days and she wouldn't want her elites falling too far behind her new recruits. As such she'd make sure to send them out as much as they desired. "I wouldn't want you and the others falling behind our newest additions. I have a mission for you, it isn't really glamorous, but there is a strange theft ring going on outside of the of the Capital City. You can go on that one if you like, take Kajun with you," she said with a nod knowing that there were a few other less in-depth missions for people to be sent on, but these were meant for her elites. "And we can have tea and catch up when you get back..." she mentioned since the lad said he didn't dislike the idea of seeing her.

[Bloodedge]

Hawks raised his right hand to scratch - with his forefinger - the small area separating his hairline and temple. He realized how strange he was being with all of his stumbling, but Sibylla seemed to understand every time it occurred. Much to his satisfaction, the Silver Eagles' Captain did indeed have a job for him. Only one other person was mentioned for coming along on this job to deal with an entire theft ring, but such was the nature of the elites. "Faycott, huh? I just passed her while she was showing around some new guys. Right! Grab the girl, stop thieves, take down the gang boss. I'm on it!" he said as his grimoire floated out of its holster and opened, bringing about a spell which caused Hawks to sprout two large, black-feathered wings. He used these to hover initially, taking a moment to speak his parting words with Sibylla before flying off. "Sankusu! I'll be back with the report soon!" he said. With that, he was off at breakneck speeds to the halls where he'd most recently seen Kajun and the two new members of Silver Eagle. "KAJUN!"

[Apollymi]

Hawks seemed to process the news of him having an upcoming job very easily. That being said, the way his phrased his to do list, left Sibylla a little worried for a more immediate uproar. "I don't know if it's a good idea to..." she was stunned as Hawks immediately opened up his Grimoire, spouted wings and took off in search of the other person who was to be part of his group for this particular endeavor. "Grab the girl..." she finished her sentence with a bit of a chuckle. "Gomen, Kajun... he's always so excitable. I was hoping you'd rub off on him a bit. Perhaps he'd liven you up a bit too..." she whispered to herself. It seemed that it was simply the habit of Sibylla as Captain to match two people based on their similarities and differences to get the best possible team for any particular outcome. Still the excited lad had at least said thank you before he disappeared looking for his partner and as such, the Captain of this squad took off at a more reasonable pace to catch up with him. Fully intending to take up where Kajun had left off in her tour and make sure her newest members were familiar with their facilities.

Meanwhile, Kajun herself was standing near the dining hall type area with assumably the two individuals she'd been with before. One pink haired girl in a witches hat and white robes of a rather skimpy variety seemed to follow along taking in all the sights as they came here. "Hai, so we can just order food? Like anything we want?" she asked. This made Kajun smile and nod. "Hai, Dancho makes sure the kitchen is fully stocked and the chefs are all really well versed. So just about anything that you could want you can have. Besides, if there is something you want that we don't have, if you tell the chefs they will make the requests to get it. Dancho likes for everyone to be comfortable. That includes food. We can take a break here, and get you two fed, since you've seen everything but your rooms by now..." she said opening the door for the girl to pass her by. She opened her mouth to speak once more only to be surprised part way through. "Do you have any questions? I can answer them while we..." she looked stunned as a man with giant bird wings rather suddenly came flying up the hallway towards her while screaming her name. Her lavender gaze widened and she squealed in a manner most strange. "Va...va va va... Vaude-senpai!" it was very strange to her that this man addressed her and literally everyone else so casually. It was also stunning to her that he always seemed to be in a rush, much like right at the moment and she had no idea why he was even looking for her at the moment.

[Bloodedge]

"Sugoi! I don't think I've eaten anything besides tatoes in years," said Asher, the silver-haired boy who also accompanied these two in the dining hall. True enough, the church he'd been raised in at Hage Village only ever really fed its children a variety of potatoes, locally referred to as "tatoes" as Asher had so recently called them. The idea of being able to eat whatever else he wanted, whenever he wanted, was almost as exciting as being able to serve as a Magic Knight.

In no time at all, Hawks was upon the young woman he sought. Her reaction may have been one to be expected, but it didn't seem to matter at all to Hawks. There was a mission at hand, and he would see to it that he collected his partner for it. With this in mind, and ignoring the two young Magic Knights being guided by Kajun, he reached out with his left arm mid-flight with the intention of scooping the purple-haired woman up by the waist. If such a thing were to occur, he would begin explaining only after he began taking her toward the base's exterior. "Danchou gave us work. We're gonna go take out a crime syndicate!"

[Apollymi]

"Tatoes?" this word was questioned by Junon who had never heard of such a thing. To be honest she would likely have something simple just to see how she felt about things. She was prone to eating vegetables and fruits but not a lot of meat in her diet. She wasn't a vegetarian per se but she did not seem to eat a lot of things. it was nice to know she wouldn't starve due to being a picky eater. Before she could turn to ask a question though, their guide of sorts was being carted off. More accurately she was disappearing from sight with a man picking her up around the waist and flying off with her atop wings. "Sugoi! He had real wings!!" Junon said seemingly excited by the prospect.

Meanwhile, a captured Kajun was left a mass of confusion as her body generally moved from the place it was at to being strung along by Hawks Vaude. Soon enough though her capture was still fresh on her mind, he was giving her the basic information about why he'd come along in such an immediate fashion. "Ano, Vaude-senpai..." she started seemingly abashed by the suddenness of her moving person. "I could always walk you know..." she said, seemingly content with things as they were. Of course, since they'd been given a mission she was more than ready to go on one, she just didn't imagine being carted off in such a way, and she could only hope, their Captain had the foresight to do something about the two youngsters left behind in Hawks wake.

Though still stunned Junon found herself looking at Asher before shrugging lightly. She didn't expect this particular squad to be so full of exuberant people, but she supposed there were worse things all together. Besides that, Junon was quite hungry herself, the audible sound of her stomach growling would soon enough be heard. She had the grace to look a bit embarrassed by it, as she inched her way inside of the dining hall. "Obviously nothing we can do about that... so, we should have lunch, dinner or whatever meal this is, and after that look for someone to tell us where we'll be staying?" she offered the most considerate plan of action. Sibylla was making her way towards the pair, following the distraught faces of her members to know where Hawks had previously been. 'Sou ka, he really just grabbed her up and left huh? I envy that sort of energy...' thought the Captain. The lad she was thinking about wasn't that much younger than her, but she wondered still how he managed to move around so much.

[Bloodedge]

"Oh... right. Hage Village is known for its potatoes. There are dozens of ways they're prepared back home, but it's still really easy to get tired of the same thing all the time." Asher had fond memories of these "tatoes" from Hage Village, but he was also fond of the idea that he could try a number of other things. His train of thought was interrupted briefly by the sudden snatching of their guide. He was used to moving at incredible speeds, so he managed a decent look at the culprit. This man, Hawks, had taken the time during his travels to don the elite robe of the Silver Eagle squad. "His cape looks like Silva-senpai's," Asher commented. In mere moments, the sound of Junon's stomach became audible. Asher hazarded a chuckle as he stepped forward. "I'm hungry too. Let's eat. I'm sure somebody will be willing to show us to where we sleep."

[Apollymi]

Apparently, the village that Asher grew up in was known for the production of potatoes. That sounded very different to the lass, who'd never been one for exceedingly starchy foods, but perhaps they were tasty. The white haired young man went on to mention that they could be prepared lots of different ways and that he'd been eating the exclusively for several years. "Sugoi! That sounds interesting..." she said but that wasn't on her mind right now. Instead they found themselves discussing their most recent sight which was the disappearance of their guide and the sudden appearance of a new face. "Hm, you saw that much? I barely made out the wings..." she said of their most recent brush with greatness. "I wonder why the robes are different?" she questioned. It could be a matter of seniority. The girl who had been leading them around also seemed to wear specialty clothing compared to everyone else that Junon had seen. Regardless since Asher had agreed to the plan of eating, the audible rumbling of Junon's stomach ceased and she found herself ordering food as the stoic leader of this group stumbled upon the pair in the dining hall. She also went up to the chef but was content to let these two order for themselves before she said anything to that person. "Can you make Tsukimi-udon?" she asked of the man before her who looked at the girl wide grin on his face and nodded. His hair divided in to pigtails were a light purple in color and he was deeply tanned. "Of course!" and he began working on what she'd asked for. Within minutes he'd prepared the noodles and was letting the soup and vegetables lightly poach the egg in the bowl. He was then left to wait for the next order before anything else would happen.

"Sou ka, this is where you two are. I assume you've seen everything else then... Gomen, Hawks is excitable when he has work to do, I'll answer any questions you both have," Sibylla mentioned from her spot behind the two in line. Of course, she could just have food made and sent to her private quarters but she didn't often do that aside from tea. She enjoyed being around the members of her squad, and felt she owed a bit more time specifically to this pair of individuals.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai. It was long like Silva-senpai's, and it looked like it was split down the middle. Probably because of the wings," Asher deduced. Moving on from matters that were now out of their hands regardless, Asher joined Junon at the chef's counter. There were so many options in the world that he didn't even know of, unless they involved potatoes. The young male was just shy of freezing up, but the dish ordered by Junon gave him some clarity. "Eto... could I try that as well?" he asked, thinking that at this point, he could try literally anything. Deciding was a different matter entirely, but for right now, he didn't have to do that. Assuming a second serving of the dish would be prepared for him, Asher stepped back to wait. When he did, he picked up on the voice of Sibylla. At least they hadn't ended up abandoned completely when Kajun was snatched away. "Hai. I think we've seen pretty much everything, except... we weren't taken to our rooms."

[Apollymi]

Asher went on to explain the things he'd noted about the difference in Hawks attire versus that of others they'd come across, including now themselves. It wasn't that much to go by, still he'd seen far more of the man than Junon herself had managed to. "Hmm, long cloaks huh... customized to fit individuals styling and abilities," she said, making a mental note of the fact that the girl who'd been with them most recently favored a similar look with a longer almost laboratory coat. Moving along, the chef seemed excited about new faces, and though he was a bit stunned that the young lad had simply asked for the same thing as the girl before him, he couldn't really fault him for this. "Of course, of course... just one moment," said this man who seemed to be just a strange side of girly as he went on to prepare another serving of the same meal. Soon enough noodles would be cooking in broth with vegetables and one raw egg left to poach atop them for just a few moments until it was ready to serve. The chef soon looked to Sibylla hoping for something extra but she simply nodded meaning she wanted the same thing this group was having. "You're killing me Danchou~" the man said but went on to make her portion as well.

Meanwhile the Captain of the squad joined the duo of youngsters who much to Junon's relief hadn't been completely abandoned. The elder woman's words even implied that she'd known such a thing would happen. Beyond this, Asher mentioned that they had been pretty well acquainted with the facilities except their lodgings which was also fine. "Hai hai, I'll take you both to your rooms when you finish eating," she said seemingly pleased that they'd managed to do so much while she'd been otherwise occupied. Speaking of being otherwise occupied she looked to the chef. "I'd also like strawberry tarts. I don't need them now, but I'll take them for my late night tea, arigatou gozaimasu..." she said. This stunned the man, mostly because he hadn't made such an order in quite a while. Especially not for the Captain of this illustrious squad. A grin came to his face as he knew he'd have quite the project to undertake. "I understand." he said offering a bow. He handed off the order to another chef to search for ingredients while he put the finishing touches on bowls of Udon for all three of these individuals. Meanwhile Junon managed to look stunned that this woman had shown up in such a way and was ready and willing to answer questions, obviously she had at least one. "What's the difference between their cloaks and ours? That new guy, Faycott-senpai and Silva-senpai all have really different outfits..." she asked which made Sibylla's brow raise as she thought about it. "Hawks, Kajun, and Dior are all elites, they are allowed different cloaks as a mark of that..." she finished up this explanation as the chef handed all three the bowls they needed as well as chopsticks. "Dinner is served!~" he chimed leaving the three to walk over to any of the tables. Junon picked a table which allowed her to see a great deal of the room and sat down. Sibylla followed if only to keep the lass within speaking distance in case of more questions. "Elites, huh?" she thought about this for a few seconds and wondered if this should be the first mark she aimed for in her ascent up the ranks.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai!" was Asher's response to the Captain. Once they were taken to their rooms, he could finally see an opportunity to wind down and let the events of this day sink in at last. Overall, the week had been quite the lively one. He'd run away from home, taken and passed the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, and cleared a dungeon - an act which was typically only taken by Magic Knights who'd already proven themselves in some aspect. All of this happened, and he'd yet to take a break and absorb the occurrences. As he claimed his bowl, he heard the answer to Junon's query regarding the cloaks, which apparently belonged to the elites among the squad members. He knew Dior was counted as the Vice-Captain of this group due to moments of small talk between members of their earlier expedition to the dungeon, but it was beyond him that there was a full group of members with an elite status. As he moved to the table where the others were, he mulled over this train of thought. "What makes them elite?"

[Apollymi]

As they sat down, Junon raised her chopsticks happily, clapping her hands together atop her bowl. "Itadakimasu~" she chimed seemingly happy to begin her meal. Though she obviously had more questions the aching of her stomach needed satisfaction long before the questions of her mind. Luckily enough, it seemed that Asher would ask a question related to the ones she had, and Sibylla would be left to answer them while the girl enjoyed her food. "They are elites by merit," mentioned Sibylla, whether this was needed further clarification or not, she was going to explain it, because these two were new and might be interested in what she was about to say. "Elites within the Silver Eagles are elite, because they complete the most jobs, gain the most merit and have the most responsibility. They've proven themselves capable Magic Knights and their attire is upgraded to indicate that. We often tell new recruits if they have questions to ask Elites because they are most likely to be able to help. I also generally send out new recruits with elites so they can learn and grow with them," she said with a small smile on her face. "Becoming an elite is a matter of personal effort and it comes with a few extra perks. Better pay, more advanced lodging choices, the ability to take missions with fewer individuals involved," she said pausing to take a bit of food and finish it before she spoke again. "They are also most likely to accompany me on higher tier missions," she finished this part of the explanation and gave a bit of pause for the two to consider if they had more questions or not. Junon was eating and her food was amazing. Her eyes sparkled from happiness, but beyond that there was an extreme bit of light in her eyes. As if the mention of her own merits carrying her internally through the ranks was just as exciting as the merit based system which would progress her as a Magic Knight.

[Bloodedge]

As Junon prepared to have her meal, Asher was doing the same. With chopsticks in his right hand, he clapped both hands together around them and tipped his head slightly. "Itadakimasu!" he said as well. He was then content to begin eating, which he did while Sibylla explained the nature of elite squad members. Everything about being a Magic Knight was seeming to be based on individual merit. It felt like the journey to his goals would be a long one, but ultimately worthwhile in the end. After all, a merit-based system meant that any situation where one would be required to prove themselves would be handled before the situation itself arose. To truly realize his goal, though... he needed far more than what he could accomplish with merit alone. This would be a stepping stone on Asher's list. Gaining merit allowed one to become an elite. Becoming an elite allowed one to take more difficult jobs that would also warrant the presence of the Captain, thus equaling more merit gained. Between bites, Asher spoke on this matter again. "How much merit would it take for an elite to become a Captain?"

[Apollymi]

Sibylla happily explained all she needed to and took a break to consume more of her meal. Of course, within a few seconds of finishing the first half of her explanation, it seemed that Asher had another question. In the middle of a bite of food, the Captain of the Silver Eagles found herself looking at her younger brother strangely. She had no idea what his long term goals truly entailed, but somehow suddenly felt as if her job might have been in jeopardy. Of course, as she'd only taken this job in the first place to find him, it was fine with her... a small smirk came to her face as she heard this. "It's really strange to be on the receiving end of that question like that... I wonder if I should worry about my job~" she said with a small smile. 'I might owe someone an apology.' she thought. Even so, she finished up another bite before she spoke once more. "The merit necessary to become a Captain of one of the Magic Knights Squad is the designation Grand Magic Knight," she explained, but as not to led the boy astray she decided to fill in some necessary details. "The lowest designation is Junior Magic Knight, it has five classes. It is how all recruits come in..." she said giving a gentle nod. "Next would be Intermediate Magic Knights, of which there are also five separate rankings. Then Senior Magic Knight, also with five separate rankings," she commented absently. She'd pause to take a bit before clarifying a couple of extra things. "Elite status can be gained anytime after reaching Intermediate Magic Knight. Most choose their Vice-Captains from the Senior Magic Knight designation unless they show extreme promise. And if there is a slot avaliable for you, after ascending all the way through the ranks of Senior Magic Knight, you get the designation Grand Magic Knight and are eligible to become Captain." her words finished and she looked to Junon who simply nodded her understanding. Though she hadn't initially had such a question it was nice to have a clarification on where she stood presently versus where she could end up eventually.

[Bloodedge]

Asher continued eating while Sibylla explained the ranking system of the Magic Knights more thoroughly. 'That's fifteen more. Fifteen ranks, and I can do it...' he thought. By the time this thought finished, Asher reached into the udon bowl with his chopsticks again, only to realize there was nothing left for him to grab. He didn't realize how much he was actually enjoying this dish that was so new for him. Whatever the case, he now had some level of understanding toward where he needed to be. However he was to achieve merit, he would do it until he was counted as one of the Silver Eagles' elites. Afterwards, he would continue moving forward until he was eligible to become a Captain. Perhaps then he could work toward achieving the title of Magic Emperor. "Sou ka. I'll be joining your elite group soon, then," he said as he put down his chopsticks.

[Apollymi]

Sibylla finished her explanation and watched as the boy with her finished his food. She went silent after that, wondering exactly what the lad was thinking about in regards to his future. After he was done thinking he put down his chopsticks while making a very forward declaration. Junon had finished her food as well and watched this with wide eyes. Sibylla felt a strange inkling of pride in this moment, as she always did when her younger siblings made their intentions known. "Sou ka... I look forward to it," she said acknowledging the lad's intention. The ever excitable Junon looked at the lad and squealed. "Yosh! I have to get in on that... I don't know why yet though, but I feel like I don't want to be left behind," Junon said, this got her a curious look from Sibylla. For a long time, the Captain of the Silver Eagles had what most would consider a not personal reason for progress. But any reason to progress was a good one. "Hai, then go for it... you'll find your own reason in time. I wasn't unlike that myself when I was younger," Sibylla offered encouragement the only way she knew how, this made Junon's eyes light up as she received such encouragement. "Danchou..." she murmured. She'd come out of the Witches' Forest to seek adventure and meet new people. Already her journey seemed to be introducing her to quite the cast of new and different people, and she could only hope to make such a mark.

Sibylla also finished her food and sat down her chopsticks, standing she looked at the two young members of her Squad and understood her place. "So, to get you both started, you have to take care of yourselves. Come along, I'll show you to your rooms so you can rest before you're called away tomorrow," she mentioned. She stood and moved her bowl to the drop off, waiting for the other two the join her. Junon followed seemingly astounded by this entire experience. Even so, her Captain seemed to be very invested and caring and she didn't know if she expected that initially or not. Even without her being as dedicated to her as she was to Asher in a way which was all but too obvious. Whenever everyone was ready, she'd lead them to the far left side of the castle, to a single tower, with a room on the ground floor. Such would open up into a moderately spacious bedroom complete with bed, desk, lamps and side tables. A moderate space in the middle gave the room a warm feeling and it also came with a single window which overlooked the court yard in front of it. "This is your room Junon. As you progress in rank you'll be moved up the tower, better views and a bigger room. For now... look forward to it," she said. The young girl was amazed. Though she was used to living quite a different kind of life, she never expected anyone to put this much work into a bedroom for someone so low in the ranks. Perhaps she'd lucked out more than she thought, ending up part of the Silver Eagles.

[Bloodedge]

"She's right. Once you make it to the top, there are a lot of things you could do. You can pick your focus whenever you want!" Asher chimed in. While his own upbringing gave him a certain set of motivations to start his career as a Magic Knight, he could easily understand that such wouldn't be the case for everyone. Soon, Asher was standing with that same motivation he thought to share with Junon, though he did nothing with it besides drop off his bowl and follow Junon and Sibylla. The latter woman led the way to the base of a tower, where she pointed out Junon's room. Asher refrained from entering, but through the open door, he saw all he needed to see. This was enough of a sight for him to realize how much more luxurious his life was fated to be from this point forward. "Sugoi... This room is as big as our dining room was."

[Apollymi]

This pair of young individuals seemed keen to help each other. With Asher having much clearer motivations than Junon he seemed apt to help her find her own. And in her own way, Junon was quite encouraging to the boy's own goal furthering, given she was willing to stand along side him and push him along when he needed it. Anyway this was looked at the pair was shaping up to be a pretty interesting set of additions to the Elites of the Silver Eagles. Eventually, Junon followed along until they reached the room which was fated to be hers, she stepped inside of it and took a few looks around flopped on the bed and had it all out testing it out. This was about the behavior Sibylla expected from the carefree girl. "Sugoi! This bed is so comfy, arigatou gozaimasu, Danchou~" she chimed seemingly happy with her accommodations. As she stood she opened the window and had a look outside as well, this view wasn't bad, but she wouldn't wait to rank up and get a bit of a wider view of the water falls outside. The words of Asher didn't go unnoticed either as it was mentioned that this smallest of bedrooms was bigger than the dining room where he'd grown up. Sibylla was made curious by the boy's previous living conditions, but she supposed given his current attitude it couldn't have been bad. "Sizes of the rooms tend not to matter so much, it's more about the memories you make in them... right?" she asked of the lad rhetorically before turning to leave this girl to her own devices. "Enjoy your space, Junon. There should be a few more experienced Knights around if you have any questions or feel inclined to meet new people. I do advise however actually getting some rest, the lag outside of Dungeons can be daunting..." she said which made Junon stand at attention and smile. "Hai, I understand!" she said. "Ja, Asher-kun... have a nice night!~" she chimed in appreciation of her new teammate. She figured there would be a bit more bonding with the lad's drop off, and as such she wasn't much bothered.

Sibylla took this girl's thanks and nodded as she left this area, assuming of course that Asher would follow. His room would be located on a different tower to the right of the buildings middle. It was identical to Junon's in size and placement, except instead of overlooking a courtyard his end overlooked a small stream leading to the bigger lake and falls outside of the castle. This was simply the view this side of the castle got. As the door was opened she let the lad inside of his room, and waited. She had a few things to say to him not unlike she did with Junon, but with subject matter of a very different nature. "This room is yours, Asher..." she started not knowing exactly how to lead into the next aspect of their conversation she fell silent for just a bit.

[Bloodedge]

As impressive as Junon's room was to him, Asher was left wondering how distant his room would be. As far as the Magic Knights were concerned, he couldn't say he had a single friend around, and there was always the chance he didn't end up making any by virtue of being a commoner. The Captain and Vice-Captain didn't seem to care, but they could have easily set their pride aside for results. Any other member of the Magic Knights would not have to be so lenient if they had a distaste for peasants. Either way, the time had come for Asher to follow Sibylla to his own room. As he turned to trail behind the woman, he raised his hand in a wave toward Junon. "Hai. Ja ne," he said. The path Sibylla led him on was longer than he would have expected, and in a different tower even. He stepped inside, and was somehow more amazed than he was by the previous room, if only because this one belonged to him. Straight to the window he went. If one thing was different, it was this view which Asher decided to take in stride as he opened the window. Soon enough, he was hopping up into that very same window to sit on the sill facing outside. "It's... amazing. Honto ni arigatou. I've never had my own room before."

[Apollymi]

As Asher took in the view of his room, Sibylla was left feeling a weird mixture of emotions. She always felt for her siblings and this one likely had a bit of an edge by virtue of being so new to her. That being said, his gratitude seemed to come from a place deep within himself, and he appreciated his room in a way she hadn't expected. Sibylla's eyes widened momentarily filled with warmth before she simply nodded. "You've never had your own room before..." this was said simply as an acknowledgement of the varied circumstances of his upbringing. This was a rather complicated situation because while she could appreciate that she was providing something this lad had never known before, she didn't like the idea that he might feel isolated. To this point she decided to ask him something else. "What was it like then, growing up where you did?" she asked, wanting to get an appreciation of the lad's life experiences before this point so that she might help him. Her questions to the lad were noticably more prodding than the ones she gave say Junon, but she had a reason for this. She'd been given most of Junon's history directly, but her little brother had been searched for, before he showed up in the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Now he would have to relay his experiences to her himself. She was curious as to how he'd ended up this way, and wouldn't leave him on his own completely until she'd broached the necessary topics at hand. She didn't want him to feel lonely, and it would be an embarrassment for him to when he had two, technically three elder siblings living within this very castle. Even knowing this, she didn't want to pile on too much for him, perhaps it would be easier to take a gentle approach to telling him. So she took a gentle approach, respecting his privacy by not entering his room as well, unless she was invited, she was content to be an ear for his explanation while thinking of how best to confront her own truths.

[Bloodedge]

"Nope. Never," he confirmed. True enough, there was hardly even much of a bedroom for the children at his church. If Asher intended to tell the tale, Sibylla's following inquiry gave him the perfect opportunity to do so. While thinking about the situation he'd grown up in, he raised his right leg to tuck it into his arms, holding his knee against his chest from this perch in the window. "It was... weird. Crazy, even. It's not like I never slept in a bedroom or anything, but there was a whole group of kids sharing one room that kinda passed as a bedroom. We would all wake up every morning, waiting to find out how Sister Cereza would prepare the tatoes this time. Everybody worked. Even us kids were sent out to do things that would help out, and it helped us find day-to-day uses for our magic and get practice using it at the same time. There were bad times... a lot of them. It was all worth it, though. I wouldn't have been taken in by anybody else if I had to do it again and make a choice. Even though we were poor and hated by everybody who wasn't, we had each other, and that was enough to make everything okay."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla's question apparently opened the flood gates so to speak. She was left listening to this young man's tale of growing up living in a single large bedroom with his adopted siblings. He worked, he helped out, he looked after others, and they in turn looked after him. Though it would be easy to find such a thing gruesome and to not understand the nuances of such an upbringing, Sibylla had her own different kind of life experience. As such, she completely understood why one could find the happiness even in moments which would seem like despair to others. She couldn't really imagine what it was like to be properly poor, money had never been a concern of hers at all, but she was happy to see such a situation hadn't changed the lad in a negative way. In fact, he spoke so fondly of his life, she felt the need to comment on a random bit she'd picked up earlier in his conversation with Junon. "It sounds like you found yourself with quite an adoring family, considering you are happy despite your challenges. You'll make sure to tell them you became a Magic Knight and clear up why you ran away, right? It wouldn't be good long term to drag around unresolved feelings, for you or them. And I am sure you could come to a proper understanding now..." she commented in the same way she did everything. On the matter of unclear feelings though, she had a bit more experience than most in a rather direct way. She wouldn't make this an order, she only meant for him to consider how much it would mean to his group to know he was okay after they'd done so much bonding. And beyond that, if there were any younger in his group, they might look up to him, and need a bit of reassurance as well. Either way this lad's stories lightened her heart quite a bit, it always worried her that she didn't know what kind of man her little brother would be when he was found, but at this moment she realized she'd worried for him in ways she hadn't realized. And now... she was proud he'd grown up to make such positive choices on his own. In having this thought, she realized it was almost impossible for her to properly convey this with the shroud around this lad's identity. "You've experienced a lot of changes over the last few days... I'm sure it's a lot to try and cope with," she started speaking only to be unsure of if she should continue. "I don't mean to add too much to that, but I did promise you would understand everything and that time should be sooner rather than later. But I won't tell you if you aren't ready to know yet..." she mentioned. Their time together as siblings had been quite limited, but she still needed to offer him an explanation of all things she could, from her own perspective.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai. Everyone was great. Looking back on it all, even the bad times are something I appreciate. If it wasn't for all those things, there's no telling what kind of person I would be today. But... here I am, and I'm going to make sure they all benefit from it." Asher's explanation came with a brief pause. The fault of this was Sibylla's additional query, seeking confirmation of whether he intended to tell his adopted family about becoming a Magic Knight. "I... do plan on telling them. I will, whenever I find out how to approach it. It's weird to be suddenly separated just to come back later and say everything's fine, but... I'm probably not saying anything that would matter to royals anyway. Sumimasen. I don't mean to bother you with my troubles," he concluded. It wasn't beyond him how little nobility cared for the plights of common folk in this country. Though he was pleased to have been approached and given opportunity to discuss his personal life at all, he'd hardly seen a noble with any real concern for their lesser countrymen. Sibylla did seem a bit different, but the reason behind this could have been anything. After all, she was strangely invested in him more so than the other new recruit, to have stopped for the sake of conversing with him alone on multiple occasions now. Even now, she was content to discuss with him matters that would clear up his earlier confusion, though she essentially urged him to be mindful of his own readiness. "Tell me what? You're my Captain; if you think it's something better explained sooner than later, then I'm ready."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla listened to the story of this young man's life and beyond that his understanding of the events within it. "Sou ka," she muttered understanding the lad just a little bit better. While she did this she couldn't help but smile, he'd become so well-rounded, it was beyond what she might think necessary for him, most nobles would find this kind of compassion a weakness, but... her own mother was a bit more complex than most nobles would ever be. As such, she'd always been taught a high level of empathy and passed it along whenever she could. Seeing such compassion from him made her quite happy inside, but it seemed his behavior was just as strange as her own. She simply shook her head to the apology offered for bothering her with his troubles. "Iie, offering such guidance is generally what I am here for. I'd suggest writing a letter initially so they don't worry too long. And then you could always take a trip on your day off to visit in person to make a proper apology. You do still get those after all..." she mentioned in a casual explanation of how his life would work as a Magic Knight, as the finer details were sometimes missing from people not raised in close quarters of already existing Magic Knights.

Their conversation progressed even further, and she found herself staring at the lad as he convinced himself that he was ready to hear what she had to say. She looked at him with steeled silver eyes and after finding confirmation of his readiness she spoke, somewhat softly of a rather delicate matter. "I am your Captain, but I didn't choose you because I needed new members. I wanted you at my side as I do all of my brothers and you are the youngest of them... you are the lost child of House Silva the boy with rainbow hair named Asher," she said calmly. This was a lot she figured there would be questions or disbelief and she was more than willing to bear the brunt of this for the sake of her other siblings. That being said, this was no easy conversation to have, still, Sibylla was ever composed.

[Bloodedge]

Sibylla had a suggestion for dealing with those in his home village, and it wasn't bad at all. If he wrote a letter first to let everyone know everything was fine, perhaps he could more easily transition into telling them the finer details in person. He could even send the letter early, and perhaps use his first day off to pay them a visit. "That's a great idea! I'll start the letter tonight," he proclaimed. In fact, he truly planned to do this before turning in for the night. If he managed to portray the message properly, he thought maybe he could even send it by then. For now though, there were more immediately pressing matters to address... such as the claim that he wasn't chosen by Sibylla simply because the Silver Eagles needed more names in their roster... and the more shocking claim that he was some lost child of a royal family - Sibylla's, even. Asher's eyes widened as he stared outside from his window perch. Had he been any less balanced at the time, he'd have likely fallen outside at that very moment. He did feel a strange level of familiarity with Sibylla, and Dior as well. And yet... this couldn't be so. "... Everyone in my family was killed in Hage Village. My brother survived his wounds long enough to bring me to the church so they could take care of me."

[Apollymi]

It seemed Asher was content to take the idea she'd given him on dealing with his adoptive family. She was happy to help him, as she would have been any of her siblings. Sibylla simply nodded her head in appreciation of this moment, still pleased simply to help him. Of course, their conversation was soon taking a rather serious turn, and though she expected some disbelief and opposition, the reasoning behind this was stranger still. Sibylla's eyes widened immensely at this news and she had to suppress the desire to scoff at the mess created by her elder brother. "Sou ka, you were told something like that... I was confused by the lack of obvious belief and acknowledgement, even with you being so much younger, I thought it was a bit much. I mean, you look just like us, but I suppose that explains it..." she commented. Thinking about it from a logical perspective, this young man should have noticed the physical likeness between himself and Sibylla and himself and Dior after spending any amount of time with them. The fact that he didn't meant he wasn't allowing himself to witness it. "You were lost to us, because the former head of clan Silva wanted you displaced for a reason he still hasn't given. You were told your family was dead so you wouldn't search for them, and the people who adopted you, were likely told never to allow you to become a Magic Knight to keep you from coming here..." she said aloud. Internally she all but cringed. 'Nii-sama, why would you be so dramatic...' she thought. Still after speaking with her elder brother today, she had a bit of a better grasp of the type of person he actually was. "But... don't hold that against him too long. Nii-sama was just doing what he thought was right..." she said, strangely she found herself defending her elder brother even while not agreeing with his actions on the matter.

"I think this is very complicated, but I recognize you as my brother. Rainbow hair, mother's magic, those hair ornaments Dior picked out... all of it. I thought you realized that I knew your name... I had no reason to know it before hand, if we were just meeting," she said. These instances of pure logic were likely one sided to the young man with her, but they were quite honest. While explaining all of this, Sibylla managed to be calm standing in the doorway of Asher's room. In fact she was waiting to see this lad's reactions, she knew this information was a lot to take in, and she didn't expect immediate acceptance from her younger brother. Still her heart went out to him, as it would to any of her siblings. "Sumimasen, Asher." The apology was one she felt he was owed, and it was for a lot more than simply laying this much information on him. "I know this is unbelievable at best. We are just really excited about you, but we don't expect anything. We just want you to know, you don't have to feel alone."

[Bloodedge]

Everything Asher was being told was some level of ridiculous. Suddenly, the tale he'd been told about his discovery in Hage Village was nothing more than a story. But... that couldn't be so. His left hand reached for an engraved stone attached to a necklace he wore, and he gripped it tightly. "What could be right about abandoning family," he said in a voice which barely escaped him at all. Surely this couldn't be true. He was disallowed from joining the Magic Knights to keep him from suffering the same fate as his family. This was the only thing that made sense, except...

Sibylla did know his name. From the moment he left Hage, he hadn't spoken his name once, but she spoke it when she should have only had a number as reference to his identity. Knowing this, how could she have been making up her version of his story? She even placed the ornaments he wore in his hair, which he had most certainly been wearing since he was taken in by the church. "I... I don't understand why that would be true."

[Apollymi]

"That is a question I have asked myself. Several times. If I ever manage to get a straight answer out of him about it, you'll be the first to know," Sibylla said this and meant it, though coming from her in this moment the statement could be seen as particularly snarky. To be honest, she'd probably gotten as close to a proper answer out of her elder brother as she'd ever get. She assumed the elder male thought it part of his duty in some way, but without a proper explanation she couldn't be sure, and thus she wouldn't speculate on it. But that wasn't really it, it seemed that Asher was pulling himself through this entire situation pretty well given what he was being told. The logic wasn't failing, even so it was more to take in than it needed to be. "Life is complicated, admittedly yours more than most," said Sibylla. "These things are true because they are, you are Asher the lost son Silva. You were raised in Hage Village by a collection of interesting and kind people, because our older brother may or may not be short-sighted. You're a compassionate individual with goals and a wide world view," the Captain of the Silver Eagles mentioned. "The only thing that really changes is now you have the support of a few extra people... if you'll accept it." Sibylla spoke these words knowing she meant to comfort the lad, and wanted to do so more directly than she was able to. "You don't have make anything of this extra information immediately. We've waited to find you. Knowing you're safe... we can wait for you to adjust to our existence," she finished up.

[Bloodedge]

Everything being taken in was extremely hard to sort through for the silver-haired male. In multiple ways, he could not argue against her points at all. It was very strange that he would be disallowed from taking the Magic Knights Entrance Exam to prevent reliving his family's demise, considering he was left behind by a dying man. Still, what was he to do now? This wasn't what he knew, so he had no idea how to deal with it. Was he to acknowledge this undoubtedly? There was only one way he could even think of dealing with this at the moment. "I..." he started. Sadly, there was hardly even anything in mind. "I'll be ready whenever it's time for the next task... Dancho."

[Apollymi]

Unsurprisingly the boy seemed more than a bit overwhelmed by the information he was given. Sibylla expected this to a great extent, even so, somewhere deep inside it hurt her feelings just a bit that she couldn't properly bond with her little brother after searching for him for so long. She couldn't blame him for this, as such she nodded and turned but not before giving the emptiness of her silver eyes to the lad. "Right. Dior lives at the highest point of this tower if you should have questions or need anything you can't figure out on your own. Do try and get some rest..." she mentioned in passing and with this she left.

It'd been quite an interesting day for her, but she felt it wasn't nearly as bad as this lad. At this point she was content to retire to her own room, only leaving sometime late in the night to stand in front of that strange mirror again, this time bearing tea and tarts. Her countenance something of an angry grimace with shining eyes, filled with determination. "I wasn't ready for dinner yet. I figured we could start with midnight snacks," she said to the man she expected to find within. Whatever happened next time would past gently into the next day, and the order would come for a debriefing with the Magic Emperor. As such there would need to be a gathering of a certain trio of individuals.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai. I'll keep that in mind," Asher said, speaking only in relation to the comment about Dior's location and potential usefulness as another guide. He had a lot to think about over the course of the night, and he only truly began when Sibylla left his doorway. For a very long time, he did not leave the windowsill. Actually, the sun set long before he brought himself inside properly to shut the window. Further time was wasted by Asher attempting to throw together a letter for the people of his home village. Asher spent many hours of the night searching for the right words to say in this letter, only for his mind to betray him because of all he'd taken in this day. Eventually, he fell asleep, and remained that way - despite numerous tosses and turns - until the next day's summons. Then, and only then, was he taken from his room by Dior, whom he shared not a single word with as they moved to collect Junon and make their way toward the Royal Capital.

[Apollymi]

Junon eventually found herself in front of the Silver Eagles Base of Operations once more. This time, coming simply from a meeting with the Magic Emperor. During this the entire team that had ventured into a dungeon to explore it, gained higher rank, including herself and the rainbow haired young man now in her presence. She'd traveled back not by her usual wind manipulation but instead via the light manipulation of Asher. Upon settling down she'd have something to say. "Sugoi!~ It was so fast. It's a wonder you can see anything..." she mused having no idea how the young man managed such a feat, but being stunned by it just the same.

In addition to this the Captain of this particular squad could be found on the steps as usual when her siblings left for anything waiting to greet them. "Okaerinasai, Asher and Junon... how was your first visit to the Royal Capital?" she asked of the pair seeming to be no more or less invested than she usually was. Of course, she was asking mostly about their visit with the Magic Emperor but she supposed she could do without the direct questioning for a bit.

[Bloodedge]

When the pair of new Magic Knights landed in front of their squad's base, Asher released his hold on the pink-haired witch in his company. Junon's comment about their traveling method for this venture was met by a chuckle. "It's no big deal. I've got good eyes because I've used magic to move around so much," he explained about his ability to perceive his surroundings while moving at such speeds. Such was the same reason he boasted the amount of precision he did when using his offensive magic, but that was an aside.

Before they entered the building, they were met by the Captain herself: Sibylla. Looking at this woman, Asher remembered instantly what his purpose was, causing his gaze upon her to be cast in a more serious light. "Tadaima... Danchou," he said. Asher took several moments thereafter to resolve himself for what he intended to do, but after that time passed, he pulled his grimoire from its pouch at his hip. "Sumimasen. Hikari Mahō: Danzai no Kōken." The spell Asher chose was his usual go-to, so to speak. Its casting created six shards of light in the air behind him, each one crossed over four times by lines. With these in place, he figured the only message he needed to convey to Sibylla could be easily taken - his conviction had brought him to challenge the woman on their very next meeting, which had already come to pass now.

[Apollymi]

"Sou ka, that makes sense I guess..." she said coming to the conclusion that the lad's ability to see was in fact due to trying to see while using this method of movement. Still it was amazing to her and as such she was keen to let her own compliment stand. And what happened next was about the pink haired girl expected as their Captain came to greet them. Junon would also greet her as she was quite happy to be back and on the ground. "Tadaima, Danchou... the Royal Capital was huge, and interesting looking," she said giving pause. She would have gone on to say more but she noticed the actions of Asher and decided that she'd just hold on to it for now. "Sou ka..." she said moving by way of the wind to have a seat in an open nearby tower window.

Meanwhile Sibylla was confronted by a strange sight, as her youngest brother chose to cast magic in an obvious challenge to her and apologized for doing it. For the first time in a rather long time, she managed to look surprised, "Of all possible greetings I expected, a challenge wasn't really on the list..." Sibylla said but after a few seconds her brows lowered but she still couldn't think of any real reason for this to be happening. "Why challenge me?" she asked for clarification, she seemed unworried about the shards of light hovering overhead, but that was about to be expected given what she knew of her own abilities.

[Bloodedge]

Asher's brow became furrowed over time as he looked toward Sibylla. She didn't quite accept his challenge, nor did she outright reject it. The latter wouldn't be given as an option, though. Asher's resolve had become unbreakable over the trip here; he'd either have his answer, or the equation which required answering would no longer exist for him, and he'd live based only on the life he knew. In place of a potential acceptance or rejection of his challenge, Sibylla offered him the question of why. In response, Asher smiled. "I didn't expect this either, but someone told me something earlier..." As he spoke, his smile remained and his eyes closed. The message he'd received was one he took to heart quite easily, and would likely be one he went on to apply in many aspects of his life henceforth... the advice of a friend. "Someone told me that magic becomes you! If you are who you say you are, and I am who you think I am... then there's only one way to find the answer. Here I come!" With that, Asher's eyes opened again with a great burning inferno in the gaze he set upon Sibylla. No longer would the young Magic Knight hesitate; his light shards angled themselves toward Sibylla, and the two farthest out in the lineup shot forward one at a time. The shards' speed remained dwarfed by Asher's movement via magic, but the swift movement was that of light magic nonetheless. Asher's right hand swept forward, then his left, each one willing the movement of a shard toward Sibylla's left thigh, then right upper torso in succession. Performing these assaults by willing the shards with his hands allowed Asher to maximize the speed at which they moved, albeit in exchange for the readability which came from such a projected attack.

[Apollymi]

Junon watched as this battle was about to start, she had no idea what had led the young man to this conclusion, but she was more than a bit shocked to hear the reply his gave to his sister. 'Ano, this isn't exactly what I meant, but... figure it out how you need to~' she thought to herself. She got to watch to see how Sibylla reacted to the lad as he spoke.

The Captain of the Silver Eagles gave great consideration to the lad's words. She supposed him thinking her tale of his life was unbelievable was one thing, but she didn't really know what to think about what the lad would have to say about coming to terms with that information. She felt strangely proud of the lad for finding a way to feel right about the situation and finding a way to resolve his own convictions. She could have had many things to say about this, but the burning desire in the lad's face meant that she couldn't deny him his challenge. "Yare yare, Zinc is going to have a field day with this later..." she mused knowing her other younger brother quite enjoyed people who showed resolve in their actions. Still there was the matter this young man's attack which was now launching with or without the woman's approval, still she didn't seem too worried about it, in fact as the lad aimed several shards of light at her body with speed and precision. Instead of doing anything her body shifted and she lifted the staff she always carried, doing so cast a spell at a distance and left the light shards to plant themselves into the ground where she used to be. Her spell of choice caused a mirror to appear in the distance and allowed the woman to step through it well out of harms way. "Kagami Mahō : Mirāzu Shifuto," she said with an apathetic expression, though her eyes told an entirely different story.

[Bloodedge]

Four of Asher's shards remained at his location as the first two made their trip toward Sibylla. His assault was neither deflected nor evaded, but left to connect with the ground as Sibylla relocated herself to a distant mirror she spawned into existence. Asher's gaze soon found her again. Their eyes met, and Asher's narrowed. What was he seeing here? Even if the Captain's face told no tales, something underneath it was quite powerful. Whatever it was, he had to find its true meaning. The only way he thought to do so was to continue his onslaught, and so he did. Three of his remaining four light shards moved without his hands guiding them. They traveled through the air in unison, but diverged onto paths all their own, in which they encircled Sibylla and spun around her while facing inward. At a moment's notice thereafter, all three would thrust inward with intentions of piercing her midsection, as if meaning to bind and maim, though their continued circling would imply further intentions of bifurcating their victim, if not turning her with them.

[Apollymi]

Surprisingly enough, even after she moved, she was soon making eye contact with her younger brother. Sibylla was aptly impressed by the lad's reaction times but noted that his eyes had narrowed almost in suspicion upon viewing her own. She was of a mind to wonder what the lad was actually looking for in her eyes which made him react in such a way. She knew her elder brother's face always seemed malicious but she was pretty sure her own wasn't the same. Though there was still the matter of the rest of the lad's light swords which traveled towards her simultaneously only to split into random directions. "Ah..." she said as her own eyes shifted only briefly before she moved once again lifting the staff she had in the air overhead. The mirror ball at the tip shining in one brief moment before creating a conglomeration of mirrors around her all connected in a dome like fashion. "Kagami Mahō: Mirror Ball," this spell was completely defensive and so far the woman seemed to do nothing but defend herself from the coming onslaught. But such was her way when it came to her siblings. Doing so would not allow the light of these swords to reach her at all. In fact they'd all be reflected back towards the directions they'd aimed to converge but with much greater power behind them, as if empowered by making contact with the mirrors. Still the look in her eyes remained, warm and silently full of empathy.

[Bloodedge]

One shard remained. The three Asher had most recently sent to attack Sibylla were destined to be deflected by a barrier made of mirrors. During this time, Asher took hold of the final shard in his right hand, wielding it as if it were a sword as he dashed forward. If his precision would not serve him at range, he would make use of it from close quarters. One of the returned shards followed a path toward him as he ran, but with the use of his magic for movement, he was easily able to move around it and remove the remaining time it would have otherwise taken for him to reach Sibylla. He was focused enough to keep his eyes trained on Sibylla where she appeared in the spaces between each mirror. In fact, he never broke eye contact from the moment it was initiated... until the moment in which he would have aimed to manually slip his remaining light shard into one of the gaps to attack. In that very moment, he saw not Sibylla, but was face-to-face with his own reflection in one of the mirrors. He wasn't sure how long this had been the case. Perhaps this began the moment this defense was erected, but it was certainly himself he was seeing... and that visual looked no different than what he'd seen of Sibylla in prior moments. Both Asher and his weapon came to an immediate halt, and his eyes widened to the sight of themselves. 'That's... How long have I been looking at myself?'

[Apollymi]

Sibylla's defense had the desired effect, protecting her from several light shards and having a strange effect on the lad outside of it. She watched intently with those silvery eyes of hers, as her youngest brother seemed to be planning out a full frontal assault instead of his more ranged tactics. Even if she hadn't seen where this was going, it was the most likely of any of his movements to be truly useful against her. Of course, she was also prepared to handle close combat too, she probably wouldn't have been a Magic Knight without that ability but it seemed it wouldn't immediately be necessary. In between the time in which the lad would have attacked and he broke eye contact with her, he seemed to have some sort of revelation coming completely to a halt with his light sword in hand. The white haired woman's face was still passive, but the mirrors were like extensions of herself, so of course, she knew the lad was looking at himself in them. She wondered what it was that gave him that much pause in his attack, and so she questioned it... "Did you find what you were looking for, Asher?"

[Bloodedge]

'Sou ka. It's been there the whole time. But...' Asher thought. It was never the case that he didn't believe Sibylla's story about their relation. All his life, the commoners of Hage Village had looked to him as if he somehow didn't belong, even while accepting him. Perhaps they knew something all along. Either way, the issue he was having with Sibylla's claims was that he never wanted to believe it. With this in mind, his grimoire closed to fully cease his assault on the woman, but there was something unsatisfactory about the entire ordeal. Tightly-clenched fists began to tremble as Asher fought the urge to simply break down after mentally accepting his place as a member of the Silva family. When he spoke, he did so in a way that completed his unfinished thought as well. "It... doesn't make sense. Why? If you're my family... if Dior-senpai is my family... What sort of family would do that? Why wasn't I here!?" he asked as his eyes began to moisten. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. True though Sibylla's tale may have been, Asher couldn't possibly fathom how he ended up in the forsaken region if nothing had actually happened to his immediate family.

[Apollymi]

The boy had found whatever answer he sought and though he'd gone quiet, Sibylla continued to watch him because situations like this seemed to be a bit extreme. Though soon his magic faded and his grimoire closed and as such the mirrors surrounding Sibylla disappeared as well. She felt for this lad, more so than he'd likely realize or rather more than he'd likely accept. She sighed, she talked to her elder brother twice in the last few days and he still didn't clarify why he'd done this, she could only answer the best way she knew how. "I told you yesterday, the previous head of House Silva made that decision without giving anyone a reason. I fought the decision, but I couldn't oppose him while I was still a child myself. He asked me how strong my resolve was to have you back after he took you. It took a while but I fought him, I won, I took over and I looked for you... I never really stopped," she said. She could explain to this lad that finding him was the driving reason behind her becoming a Magic Knight in the first place, but that wasn't really the important bit. "I did this because like you, I didn't think that was what families did. So I swore I wouldn't let us be that kind of family again," Sibylla finished speaking on this fact and her eyes burned with the sisterly resolve that she always had. "I can't change what happened then. I can only offer you your rightful place in what we are now." Sibylla's statement was made with the same conviction that she'd had when she asked the lad to come with her during the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

[Bloodedge]

Sibylla's tale found Asher's ear once again. This time, it was a little something more than it was in their previous discussion, even though the gist remained the same. His abandonment was the fault of House Silva's previous head, and Sibylla was a mere child at the time. It was understandable that she didn't have the ability to do anything about the situation at the time of it happening, but his emotional state had already driven him to speak. "Sumimasen. I spoke out of turn," he said, lightly mumbling. "You already explained that it wasn't your fault. I can't pretend to suddenly be fine with everything, but I'll give being Asher Silva a shot," he concluded, looking up again with halted trembling, and the return of the fire in his eyes. He couldn't exactly lie; even though he was a little bitter, but deep down, he was also happy to know for certain that he'd never truly been without a real family... and presumably wouldn't be without one henceforth. With his right hand held out, he flashed a grin at the silver-haired woman. "Onegaishimasu... Aneki!"

[Apollymi]

A bit of a chuckle came from Sibylla when the lad mentioned that he'd spoken out of turn. "Iia, I understand..." she said. Though she didn't understand the exact feelings the lad had growing up apart from his siblings, she did know what it was like to feel cross and bitter for things out of ones own control. Beyond this he was content to mention that though he hadn't quite made peace with how his childhood had turned out, he was willing to give being their younger brother a proper try. Sibylla for her part looked stunned, she didn't expect such a revelation. 'Well, I suppose that is all I could ask.' she thought about this bit, she didn't expect to rush him into new feelings of familiarity. But if she didn't think her eyes could get any wider, she was definitely addressed as sister and she couldn't have been more surprised. "A-neki?!" she let the word fall out of her mouth completely and utterly surprised, as she looked at the lad's extended hand. She then extended her own to his, but pulled him in a bit, placing her other hand atop his hand and smiling at him. "You don't have to rush yourself or anything, just be nice to Dio... speaking of where is he? I thought you guys went together?"

[Bloodedge]

His extended hand was taken, but it was accompanied by a pull which resulted in Sibylla placing her otherwise free hand atop his. She claimed he didn't have to rush this whole family thing, but he shook his head in response. "Iie. I'm not rushing or anything. If anything... I think I accepted this yesterday; I just couldn't come to terms with it. She was right, though... Magic becomes you, and seeing yours let me accept this." With that said, Asher somewhat reluctantly released his hold on the woman's hand. Her question about Dior's location reached him then, and frankly, he had no clue where the older male was. Before he could say anything about it though, Dior himself walked toward the group. "Right here, of course. Apparently, deciding to walk here made me show up second and miss something major."

[Apollymi]

"I feel like I might have heard that somewhere before..." Sibylla said, the words the lad spoke of were indeed ones she'd heard as a small child, but they were long since displaced from her normal thoughts. "But if what you saw helped you out at all, then that is fine," she said with a chuckle, noting the lad had let go of her hand somewhat reluctantly. Soon enough there was the matter of her other little brother showing up and answer the question concerning his whereabouts. "Okaerinasai, Dio... and you didn't miss much. Asher came back and challenged me, it helped him settle in a bit," Sibylla explained as if it was the most normal thing int he world. "How as your trip to the Royal Capital?" she asked of this lad, knowing she'd not really received a proper answer from either of the teens. Whatever the case, Sibylla was in an excellent mood surrounding the idea that Asher had referred to her as sister.

[Bloodedge]

Asher shrugged when the woman mentioned hearing those words before. "Junon-chan said her mother used to tell her those words. You said our mother was a witch, right? Maybe they were friends," he said, having only a general idea how this could have worked out in the past. Regardless of how she'd heard the statement, it was a clause which did indeed help Asher.

A brief moment of eye contact and a mutual grinning nod was shared between Asher and Dior before the latter returned his attention to Sibylla. He had heard enough of the final moments between his two present siblings to understand exactly what happened between them, and knew now that he wouldn't have to walk on eggshells in Asher's presence. As for the question regarding his trip to the capital, he lifted his head with satisfaction. "Well, despite hardly being a participant in the clearing of that dungeon, I was rewarded as well. Mahoutei-sama seemed to approve of our sharing of credit, so like the others, I was given a small promotion," he explained.

[Apollymi]

"Junon's mom..." Sibylla thought about this her eyes widened just a tad and then simply shook her head. "Hai, that sounds about right..." she said not bothering with further explanation. After all, the Witch Queen was one of the people in the world with abilities scary enough for Sibylla to think the woman a great feat to potentially overcome. Beyond all this, what the boy had heard, help him come to terms with all that he knew about his family which was about all anyone would ask. As they moved along with this conversation, it seemed that Dior had gotten a promotion for his trouble, this made Sibylla chuckle as she thought about it. "Arthur handing out promotions for sharing credit. That's pretty sweet of him..." she said with a smile on her face only to think about it a bit more and look towards Asher and Junon. "Wait?! You two got promotions? Really? Congratulations to both of you," Sibylla said it was beyond admirable for the pair of teens to get promotions. "Or rather all of you. You don't think you did much, but you could have which is what's important, Dio." Sibylla said dismissing the idea that he got one for basically nothing. For the first time in a while, Junon spoke up. She'd mostly been just taking in the sights and the mini-battle between Asher and his elder sister. "Arigatou Gozaimasu, Danchou!~" she chimed.

[Bloodedge]

Something was strange about the way Sibylla accepted his words. Asher didn't think too much about this, moving on instead to the matter which had not been mentioned until Dior did so: their promotions. In the midst of everything, Asher had actually forgotten about the entire thing until now. As such, he seemed a bit bashful when congratulated. "Arigatou gozaimasu!" he said regardless. What's more, since he was already thanking someone, he flew toward Junon and perched next to her. A bright smile was upon his face as he looked toward Sibylla and Dior, speaking to the pink-haired witch. "You too. Arigatou."

During this exchange, Dior continued speaking with Sibylla. "Say that all you like, but it doesn't make things any different. I'll still gladly accept any promotion. I just prefer the idea of actually doing something."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla noted the bashful look on Asher's face as he accepted his praise and returned it with thanks. Then the lad moved away without any hesitation towards Junon. The pink haired girl's eyes widened as the lad came up to her, offering her thanks as well for the part she played in his day. She managed to look stunned again for the second time today and waved it off with a bashful tint spreading across her face. "Iie, no need to thank me. I'm glad I could help, and you look a lot less distracted now~" she said happily. She'd figured the family situation he was dealing with had been getting to him, she thought to help him out a bit. She was pleased that he'd made peace with everyone and she could do nothing but be happy for him, and she definitely couldn't take any responsibility.

While this happened Sibylla had a glance over at her little brother interacting with the pink haired witch from the forest with a small smirk on her face. But she did this while still managing to listen to Dior. "I understand, it's okay. I'm sure you'll get yourself a nice busy mission. I even found a good one for Hawks and Kajun the other day," she said calmly. Though in the return of that pair of individuals she knew she was also supposed to be sending Asher out again in two days time. She was quite surprised by the amount of work that her youngest brother kept finding himself with, but she did say she'd find him a large number of other things to do if she could. She just didn't expect them all to happen so closely together.

[Bloodedge]

"I am," Asher said about his distractions being cleared. More importantly, Junon rejected the idea of being thanked by him for how she'd been of assistance. Asher, on the other hand, had to insist. "No way. Like I said, it means a lot. I'll repay you somehow... someday. That's a promise," he said. Without this girl's words, Asher had no earthly idea what he would do about this family situation he found himself in. With that said, Asher rose from his perch and looked toward Junon again. Seeing the blush on her face once more, he found himself oddly transfixed yet again, still without an idea as to why. Suddenly, his eyes widened just a tad. "I uhh... think I should catch up on sleeping. I hardly got a wink last night," he added. Since the previous day, Asher had been so bothered by Sibylla's claims that he'd lost multiple hours of bed rest. However, this claim was more intended to be a change in topic, as Asher actually managed to realize his fixed gaze this time around.

[Apollymi]

Junon was quite happy with the lad's current happiness, but as she blushed through trying not to be thanked for what she'd done, she found that Asher was most insistent about returning the favor at some point in time. The look on the lad's face as he promised that he'd make it up to her someday made her eyes widen to their largest possible. As she stared at Asher, she felt an exceeding warmth in her chest, but couldn't be forced to look away. "Well, I mean if you're so set on it. I guess I'll hold you to it!~" she chimed seeming to have a good general disposition about this. She could almost say the lad's gaze was just as transfixed as her own, but she had no idea why he might be looking at her too long. Soon enough though there was the mention that he'd should probably catch up on his sleep because he had spent most of the night awake. "Sou ka, me too. Though for different reasons..." she mused finding it in herself to finally shift her gaze. "The older girls on my side of the Tower spent all night scaring me with ghost stories about a haunted mirror in the base. It gave me the creeps but it was pretty fun, I couldn't fall asleep after though... and then I overslept this morning too..." she said, remembering that she'd always overslept when she was trying to do things, including the day she'd met Asher and their Captain.

[Bloodedge]

Junon's claim that she'd hold him to his promise was met by the widening of Asher's grin. "No need! Once I say I'll do something, I'll do it. If that's what you want to do though, I can't be mad," he claimed as his own gaze lingered yet. Even though he'd come to realize what he was doing, he didn't look away until several seconds after Junon did. In fact, his stare only intensified in the short time he maintained it while she looked away. It seemed Junon's sleep pattern was also thrown off the previous night, for reasons very different than Asher's. She had ghost stories on her mind while his was busy with family issues, and after hearing why she'd lost sleep, he couldn't resist the sudden laugh which followed. "Haha, really? No way; you're made of way tougher stuff than that. I doubt you could really be scared by a ghost."

[Apollymi]

"Hai!" Junon said to the idea that he was fine with her making sure he kept his promise. Strangely enough, she thought she likely didn't have enforce such a thing. In fact, she was almost certain when she looked at Asher, he'd do exactly what he said, and she had no reason to believe this, but she did deep down in her heart. Beyond this point it seemed Asher found funny the girl's lack of sleep which pertained to the haunted mirror she'd been told about. She knew it was silly even so, she couldn't help but feel that it was weird as an idea. "I mean sure, I am plenty able to be tough in the face of explainable things, but can you really imagine standing in front of a mirror and not seeing yourself. Or leaving a plateful of food in a room and having it disappear in a short amount of time for no reason..." she said leaning in with great intensity. "Or creepy laughter in the distance from no foreseeable source!" she had her hands up in the air fingers moving maniacally as she explained this a bit of evil laughter at the end just for effect. This was all done before she burst into regular laughter. "I know its silly but the other girls were super serious. I think they were just teasing, but still something like that would be pretty outlandish," she commented after the fact. As she thought about this more, Sibylla probably had the final say on this particular ghost story, but Junon wasn't sure she was ready for the mystery of it to be cleared up. "Anyway, wanna get something to eat before that catching up on sleep for the day?" she asked of the lad, now content to have another meal before she tried to sleep.

[Bloodedge]

Asher thought about the idea Junon suggested. Considering how he'd grown up, he could easily explain away everything bar the lack of a reflection in a mirror, but he felt there was something more to it than that in the case of this story. "Well... where I grew up, the food was liable to disappear from your plate the second you looked away anyways. The reflection thing is weird, though," he stated, though even with that, he found himself glancing in the direction of their Captain. Asher had plenty of evidence to say there could have been some form of truth to this ghost story, but even that evidence was just assumption on top of assumption. Moving on, Junon's tale became more and more of a jest-filled horror, in which she leaned toward Asher while comically mimicking some spooky apparition. In this moment, he looked at her with widening eyes and a growing tint in his face, though his gaze soon averted. "Eheh... yeah. Those girls are pretty crazy," was his retort. Before they parted ways, the witch suggested a meal before bed - something Asher was also lacking on since the previous day. The mere mention of food actually caused his stomach to growl audibly, and it seemed to be visually rippling as it did so. "Actually, I don't think I've eaten in a couple of days. I could use a bite," he said, certainly content to fill himself before turning in early for the night.

[Apollymi]

Asher had some relatively good explanations for why food could go missing. And Junon herself had decided that mirror itself probably wasn't actually haunted and that it was likely connected to the magic of their Captain. Beyond all this though, he agreed with her about the other girls she'd met since coming to this particular squad. "They are... but, I think it's all in good fun. I am pretty used to stuff like that anyways, there are only women where I am from," she said of the Witches Forest. That entire thing was funny to her after the fact, and now they were discussing food and the audible sound of Asher's stomach made the young woman shake her head. "Yep, definitely time for food... Let's go!" she said willingly accompanying this lad for a meal. At some point the pair would eat and then separate for the day. But the next day would be full of separate adventures for this pair. Junon overslept and remained in bed for quite some time, but something different would happen with Asher.

Sibylla waited in her office for Asher. Strangely enough the woman had breakfast tea set up on her desk before her, including a cup for the person she aimed to have sitting across from her. As she waited she knew she was about to send the lad out on a strange adventure, and it was likely due to the fact that he'd grown up in the Forsaken Region and wasn't recognizable as a royal or Magic Knight. 'I know he'll be fine, but I wish I didn't have to send him...' she thought absently, full of anxiety for her little brother. And beyond all that excitement shown in her silvery eyes of this particular Captain because she had faith that her brother would rise to any occasion.

[Bloodedge]

And so, the pair of young Magic Knights departed from their senior and Captain to find themselves something to eat before retiring for the night. Late the next morning, Asher was awake once more. He had also overslept, racking up more hours than he could have really needed as far as sleep was concerned. Now, the young man ran toward Sibylla's office with a slice of bread hanging from his mouth, and his grimoire bag held in his left hand instead of being attached to his waist. When he entered the Captain's office, he paused and leaned over to huff until his breath was caught enough for speaking. "Huff... huff... I'm here," he said upon pulling the bread slice from his mouth. "You wanted to see me?"

[Apollymi]

Soon enough Sibylla heard the rushing of steps towards her very own office and soon enough her younger brother appeared before. He was winded, in a state of disarray with a slice of bread hanging from his mouth. While he was a tad late for this particular meeting, this current hurried state wasn't at all call for. She looked on with surprise and amusement as she chuckled through is explanation. "Good morning Asher, I assume you actually slept well last night~" she mused. Still the woman's eyes held a strange warmth towards this young man, which was always present. "Hai I do need to see you, but there isn't so much a need to rush. You have to be briefed, and it will take a little while. You can have tea with me if you'd like while I explain," she said gesturing to the seat across from her and sipping her own tea while waiting. It was such a strange new feeling to have this particular younger brother in her presence she still didn't really like the idea of sending him off. But, she'd made him a promise and she had her duty as a Magic Knight as well, and as such she would do her best to be fair to him and his known abilities.

[Bloodedge]

Soon enough, Asher's breathing was something closer to normal. He nodded a response to Sibylla about his past night's sleep. "Yeah, but I slept way longer than I thought I would. I guess I've just been missing a lot of sleep since the entrance exam," he clarified. Once he was certain he wouldn't be huffing all over the place, he stepped forward and took a seat across from the Captain. In doing so, his attention was brought to the already-prepared tea she had in wait. "Oh... arigatou gozaimasu," he said while organizing himself to be capable of holding his bread and teacup simultaneously. Once his grimoire was properly secured, Asher held the bread slice in his left hand, and the tea in his right hand while alternating between bites and sips. "Alright. I'm ready."

[Apollymi]

It seemed the boy had been missing out on sleep, as Sibylla figured this was the case, she was sure he'd be fine as he adjusted to a more proper schedule. As it stood, he took a few moments to settle himself before taking a seat and having tea with his slice of bread while awaiting the conversation. He even managed to thank her for to which Sibylla only shook her head after lowering her tea cup. "I always serve tea at briefings and debriefings, and pastries for special occasions. I can't have people leaving or coming back and being dehydrated," said the white haired woman thoughtfully. Truthfully she enjoyed these moments and it gave her peace which she hadn't gotten to know initially while being a Magic Knight. Sibylla had a look at the lad, and wondered if it was simply his upbringing that made him keep a hand on his food at all times. Regardless she soon sat down her own tea cup for a little while so she could speak. "There is a mission for you and it comes straight from the office of Matouhei-sama. Usually he gives the jobs to us Captains and we decide who in our groups would be best suited for them. Your first mission was like that," she stated rather calmly. "This one is a bit different, it is likely meant to be cooperative between our Squad and another, and as such, Matouhei-sama, requested a specific Magic Knight from the Silver Eagles... you. And you'll be teamed with another Magic Knight from another squad for a special mission," she finished this calmly and waited just a few more seconds. Though she had no need to worry about the lad she still didn't like how much he was being forced to do so early.

[Bloodedge]

Following his claim to preparation, Asher continued eating and drinking in wait of Sibylla's debriefing. It became apparent as she spoke that there was a mission assigned specially to him from the Magic Emperor himself. As surprising as this was in its own right, there was hardly a reason given for it. Still, Asher took a moment to let the bread hang from his teeth again. Not only was he requested by the Magic Emperor to take on a mission, but he was also meant to carry on with said mission in the company of someone from a different squad. He'd at least expected a mission which was to be done with other members of the Silver Eagle squad, perhaps even Junon. At the same time, he expected this to be something Sibylla chose him for, not someone even higher on the proverbial totem pole than the Captain herself. "So I'm working with another squad today... I hoped I'd be able to become better acquainted with everyone here, but I guess a job's a job. Why me specifically?" he asked, wondering why the Magic Emperor would demand his presence in particular.

[Apollymi]

Sibylla had more tea while watching the lad after explaining the first leg of her debrief. As she did this she got the feeling the lad might have wanted to participate in a mission with his established friend. His words confirmed this and made a smile spread across the white haired woman's face. "Not to worry there will be plenty of time for that, but you're needed for this particular mission along with your partner because you two are the only ones who can do it," she said. "I should explain first that Hawks and Kajun the latter of whom you've met, were out on a mission the other day to clear out a theft ring. It turns out that there is likely more to that theft ring than the single side of it they found. The issue is that they need someone to go to the Black Market and find the other branches of the ring," she said giving a bit of pause. "But most Magic Knights are nobles and would stand out in such a situation. And the Magic Knights that are commoners are a bit of a liability for being able to face the kind of individuals that Hawks and Kajun had to face in their mission," she said calmly. "So you and the person going with you were chosen because you are both unrecognizable and capable of taking care of yourselves, if an altercation breaks out," she said rather calmly. She was still rather upset about this, but she understood the decision. She couldn't say she would have made a different one if she'd been the one to make it, even so she didn't like it. "It is apparently the plan that you and your partner not wear anything identifying you as Magic Knights and wander around the Black Market searching for things which are... 'sketchier' than normal..." she said, the word 'sketchy' wasn't one which Sibylla would have used, and when she did it, she made quotation marks with her fingers.

[Bloodedge]

More details were to come regarding Asher's upcoming mission. He was to take on this task with another from a separate squad just because he and this other person were unrecognizable as Magic Knights. What was exciting about this, was the location they were to investigate to find whatever was beyond this apparent theft ring that had been taken down by other members of the Silver Eagle squad. In Asher's case, his status as a royal was something new even to him, so he could blend into the black market crowd quite easily without wearing the clothes of a Magic Knight. After swallowing the final bite of his bread slice, he washed it down with the remainder of his tea, and grinned. "Sou ka. So I go with someone new, we browse around the black market, and we find something... extra illegal? Sugoi! When does it start? Do I go somewhere to meet my partner, or...?"

[Apollymi]

Sibylla finished her cup of tea while the lad seemed to summarize what she'd said to him. To be fair, he was taking all of this pretty well considering she was now making him go out into the world again specifically because of his status as someone who wasn't previously considered noble. It seemed that regardless of the truths he'd come to accept, he was very much a product of the people who raised him and as far as Sibylla could tell this was fine. She nodded her head to answer his question. "It starts when you you and your partner make it to Kikka. You'll be looking for a girl named Hikage. She has green hair and was in the Entrance Exam with you," said Sibylla thinking of whether or not the lad would remember her. "She's the girl who took two fights," she said remembering that the girl's first fight had been one in which she'd brutalized an opponent. Regardless there was the rest of the lad's question to answer. "She should meet you before entering the Black Market. I've been told she'll know how, and stuff there isn't necessarily illegal it just isn't allowed to be sold in regular stores. Magic tools and things like that is usually what is found there... I don't know what sort of things you should be looking for, but I trust your judgement," she finished. "I'll answer any other questions you have and then you can leave when you're ready," Sibylla said. She'd been trying a great deal to control her doting affection and sisterly urges, but she was mostly just waiting to tell the lad things she thought he might forget while he was out.

[Bloodedge]

After finishing his makeshift breakfast, Asher gently placed his teacup atop the small saucer he'd originally retrieved it from. Now, he had virtually every bit of information that could be considered crucial to the mission. All he had to do was meet someone named Hikage in Kikka, and he now knew how to identify her. "Ah, I remember. I think she was from the Forsaken Region too," he commented while rising from his chair. He couldn't think of anything else he might consider along the lines of pertinent information, so he was quite ready to depart at a moment's notice. That was precisely what he did after turning back and waving to the woman sat at her desk. "I'll head out right now then. Ja!" he said, flashing a grin as he made his way out.

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Asher needed no more information and did indeed remember the girl he was supposed to look for. Sibylla could do nothing but appreciate the lad's memory in this moment, even as she fought with herself over the amount of worry she had about the lad and his actions. "Hai hai, just be careful okay. Don't do anything too reckless..." she said in the face of a grin which reminded her of all of her other brothers. She knew the lad would be fine and resigned herself to waiting for his return whenever that might have been. 'Ano, I feel like I should have sent someone else too...' she thought to herself, but pushed aside the thought for the sake of the white haired lad's continued growth. After he'd left she leaned forward on her desk with her elbows propping up her head. "Yare yare, I haven't had to worry like this in ages..." she mumbled aloud to herself.

[Bloodedge]

Another mission proved to be successful, chalking up one more victory for the youngest member of House Silva. Asher returned to his squad's base by riding atop his staff. His method of travel brought him directly to the entrance, then into the building before he even hopped off to return the staff to his grimoire. With its return, numerous sprites of light that had been surrounding him also disappeared. Asher walked casually through the base while whistling a happy tune, seeming quite satisfied with the outcome of his recent mission.

[Apollymi]

Within the Silver Eagles Base, Sibylla was waiting for the return of her younger brother. She was trying not to worry and then rather suddenly he was back within the base without her having to wait very long at all. "Okaerinasai, Asher... Did everything go well?" she asked of the lad. It was a bit crazy to see him so soon after he'd left and she wondered if he hadn't been able to find anything or if it'd just been a bit easier for him than she thought it would be. Beyond this since he seemed uninjured and in a good mood she could only assume everything was fine, still there was a hint of worry in her silvery eyes.

[Bloodedge]

Asher continued moving about until he eventually stumbled upon Sibylla, who seemed worried about something. He looked confused for a moment, but when she asked if everything went well, Asher's teeth unveiled themselves in a bright smile. "Hai!" he said without a moment of hesitation. "I think I even made a new friend. We ran into some lady's puppet who tried to sell us a magic knife, but we found the owner. She took us to where the rest of her supplies and associates were, and I drew out her confession when she tried to poison me and sell me the antidote! We took them out pretty quickly after that," he said. In spite of what happened in his story, Asher seemed happy throughout the entire tale. As a matter of fact, he was. "They sent a witch to pick up all the guys, too. She was really weird around me, apparently 'cause she gets nervous around guys... so I warned her to keep away from dungeons, and I think she took the message well. It's been a good day so far!"

[Apollymi]

Sibylla stood and listened to what Asher had to say. His tale included making a new friend. Being bartered with by a puppet, finding someone who controlled the puppet almost being poisoned. Being threatened for the antidote and and then quickly being able to combat the opponents and having met another witch who was apparently afraid of men, but managed to take advice from Asher about avoiding Dungeons for obvious reasons. He converted this into a good day so far. She looked at the lad for several seconds while he explained his day a bit stunned. There was even a gasp when he mentioned that one of the assailants had tried to poison him. But all seemed to be well with the boy and his outlook was phenomenal. "Sugoi. That is a busy morning and you don't seem any worse for wear. I'm glad it all went well..." she said calmly. About the young witch he'd met who'd had a problem talking to him she could only chuckle. "The Witches' Forest only has female inhabitants, they have varying degrees of social anxiety. Some don't know how to talk to men, some think they are innately better than them, some are kind of normal but it's a mixed bag..." she mentioned in case the lad was curious for his future interactions with other witches. "And you aren't poisoned or anything? You actually feel alright and both you and your partner were uninjured?" she asked a few more questions.

[Bloodedge]

The witches were apparently a melting pot of weird social issues to be found at random throughout its former inhabitants. Asher was interested in the fact that Junon for one showed no such anxiety, but he supposed there was every chance of many witches not having problems with their adaptation to the outside world. It had to be an interesting place overall, this forest. Asher wondered if he would ever have the ability to visit the place. More questions were to come from Sibylla involving his well-being after the mission. Before he replied, Asher chuckled. "I'm fine. It's not the first time I've pretended to drink a poison just to get my way. Hikage's a battle maniac, so she came out fine too."

[Apollymi]

Sibylla's eyes widened at the idea that this wasn't the first time her younger brother had 'drank' poison to make something happen. The more he revealed things like this the more she wondered about the lad's upbringing. Moreover, she was relieved a great deal that he'd managed not to have too many problems and that his partner for this particular mission was also fine. It would have been bad to have too many traumatic things occur early on in his life as a Magic Knight. She had a great deal of hope for the lad and his ability to bounce back given what he'd already been through. With the basics of the information surrounding his mission in her mind and knowing that it had been a success, Sibylla stepped forward and placed a hand atop his head. "Hai hai, good job then Asher. You can eat and relax if you'd like, you might need to report to the Magic Emperor again tomorrow, but... everything will be fine. You can relax the rest of the day..." she said calmly. Knowing he was alright and also not wanting to smother the lad too much she was content to leave him to his own devices for a while.