Located at the outer disciple training grounds, Zeke came to visit some faces he hadn't seen in a while. Strolling through the many disciples he easily passed by, a mixture of admiration, rivalry, and contempt followed in hushed murmurs upon his arrival.
"Zeke!"
Liz enthusiastically shouted, accompanied by Kenshin, Rosmarie, Sakura, and Sayuri. Breaking away from the group, she ran toward his side.
"Long time no see, pipsqueak."
Zeke greeted her, lightly flicking her forehead while maintaining his usual monotone expression.
"You jerk, what was that for?"
Liz rubbed the spot indignantly, glaring at him eye to eye.
Having lived for over a hundred years, Zeke stubbornly refused to accept the role of younger sibling. Unlike when he was around Amber and Julep, he saw no need to put on a childish act.
Before their standoff could continue, Kenshin stepped between them as he often did.
"Come on, Liz. You should be used to this by now. That's the closest thing you'll ever get to a hug from our younger brother."
"Hmph, who would want a hug from this stinking brat?"
Liz pouted, folding her arms and turning slightly away.
Rosmarie, Sakura, and Sayuri soon joined the conversation.
"How could you treat such a cute sister so rudely?"
"Yeah, we won't let you bully Liz while we're around!"
Sakura and Sayuri quickly came to Liz's defense, huddling around the red-haired, pink-eyed girl as though shielding her from a dangerous beast.
Over the past year, while posing as outer disciples, the three girls had formed a stronger bond than any of them expected.
Under their protection, Liz stuck her tongue out and made several childish faces at Zeke.
"Don't mind them. They mean no harm."
Rosmarie offered a coy smile.
Choosing to ignore Liz and her new entourage, Zeke simply moved on.
"Anyway, what brings you here? I'm sure you didn't come all this way for a friendly visit."
Referring to his rare appearances since becoming an inner disciple several weeks ago, Rosmarie followed him toward a more secluded area alongside the others.
"I'll be leaving the city tomorrow morning on an escort mission."
Zeke answered bluntly.
"I probably won't return for at least a month."
The group's expressions immediately darkened.
Everyone understood the implication.
Less than a month remained before the Blood Centipede deadline expired, yet they had made little progress in locating the Angelic Flute.
The pressure of failure weighed heavily upon them all.
Still, Zeke hadn't neglected the task despite his training under Amber and his growing reputation within the Martial Alliance.
After finally uncovering a slim opportunity, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
Using voice transmission, Zeke explained what he expected each of them to do while he was away.
....
Meanwhile, on the western side of the vast outer disciple compound, a brother-and-sister pair with black bobbed hair and orange eyes met with a short, pale boy sporting rosy cheeks.
"The preparations have been handled, Miz."
The young man, Akane, reported alongside his sister, Aka.
Miz simply responded with an eerie smile.
....
A new day dawned.
The morning sun greeted a lavish carriage and the escort team assembled near the Martial City's massive gates.
Standing at the forefront was Sensei Haruto Namgung, accompanied by five mages and eight martial cultivators.
"Attention!"
Haruto called.
"Take your assigned positions as discussed beforehand. We depart immediately."
After receiving confirmation from Amber, who was preparing to leave for the Red Mage Academy, the formation finally moved out.
Among the thirteen escorts was Zeke, who took up position on the right side of the carriage.
He quickly recognized the five Fourth Circle Mages guarding the rear—the same individuals who had escorted Amber during his encounter as the Masked Panther.
He also noticed two familiar faces guarding the center alongside him.
"How are you holding up in there, Amber?"
A snow-haired, blue-eyed beauty resembling a fairy asked from atop her mount.
"Would you stop treating me like a helpless child? I'm perfectly fine."
Amber's grumpy reply came from behind the carriage curtains.
"Hmph, whatever."
Julep smirked.
"I'm not the one who pulled strings to make sure Zeke and I could tag along because a certain someone doesn't want to admit she'll miss us."
Amber's face instantly reddened behind the curtains.
She remained silent, unable to confirm or deny the accusation.
"See? What did I tell you, Zeke?"
Julep giggled.
"Oh, you may be onto something, Senior Sister Julep."
Zeke smirked, slipping into the youthful persona he often used around the pair.
"Hmph. What would a brat like you know?"
Amber muttered.
As the city walls faded into the distance, Haruto quietly dispatched one of the instructors to scout ahead.
He wasn't willing to leave anything to chance.
Soon afterward, Julep changed the subject.
"You still haven't introduced us to your quiet friend."
She glanced toward the pale boy occupying Zeke's other side.
Zeke paused briefly before answering.
"His name is Miz. We both came from the Chameleon Sect, but we trained under different masters, so we've never spent much time together."
As he spoke, Zeke studied the pale youth.
Despite his childish appearance, Miz was actually nineteen years old.
Over the past year, Zeke had observed Miz, Aka, and Akane from a distance.
Since all three belonged directly to Taki's faction, he remained cautious.
Aka and Akane practically radiated killing intent whenever they crossed paths with him.
Miz, however, was different.
His thoughts remained hidden behind an emotionless exterior.
The only thing Zeke knew for certain was that Miz stood in an entirely different class from the other two.
[Scout]
Alias: (Miz)
Mana (N/A) — Qi (14,300/14,300) — Sword Force (N/A)
Power Level (40,536)
Health (27,000/27,000)
Titles: (Stage 3 Disciple) (****)
Reviewing the status window once again, Zeke understood why Miz had been the only other outer disciple promoted alongside him.
What bothered him wasn't Miz's strength.
It was the title the system had deliberately censored.
Meanwhile, Julep's curiosity continued to grow.
On a whim, she hopped onto the roof of Amber's carriage.
"Is that so? Well, Miz, you don't have to be shy around us. Amber may look like she'd bite your head off, but trust me—she's actually much sweeter than she lets on."
"Hey!"
Amber immediately protested.
Ignoring her completely, Julep leaned forward and waited expectantly.
Under the spotlight, Miz finally opened his mouth.
The trio froze.
Inside was nothing.
Miz had no tongue.
Silence followed.
Then Julep awkwardly scratched her cheek.
"...I think I understand your situation now. Please forgive my earlier words. In hindsight, they were rather tactless."
Miz closed his mouth and gave a thumbs-up before expressionlessly turning his attention back toward the road.
Amber watched him for a moment longer.
For once, sympathy appeared in her eyes.
She quietly dropped the subject.
The conversation soon died, leaving everyone alone with their thoughts as the journey continued.
....
By the time the sun set, the group had traveled deep into the wilderness.
When the full moon claimed the sky, Haruto ordered camp to be established within a dense forest.
The escorts would rotate through four separate watches during the night.
For the first shift, Zeke and Miz were paired together on the northern perimeter.
'I suppose I'm not the only one who expects this trip to be more than a simple stroll.'
Zeke mused.
Seeking the best vantage point available, he climbed a towering tree overlooking the camp.
After reaching the highest sturdy branch, he settled against the trunk.
Moonlight illuminated an endless sea of greenery.
Countless pathways twisted through the forest below.
The sight served as a reminder that nature remained dominant, regardless of how much humanity tried to impose order upon it.
A perfect environment for predators.
Whether beast or man.
"It seems I can't complain about being starved in this world when my plate always remains full."
A grin briefly surfaced.
The thought of future conflict stirred something deep within him.
A dangerous excitement.
Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
Hours passed while he continuously swept the surroundings with Mind's Eye.
Eventually, his shift neared its end.
Preparing to descend, Zeke suddenly froze.
A voice transmission slipped through his defenses without warning.
'It's about time we talked, No.00.'
Though the voice was unfamiliar, Zeke instantly knew who it belonged to.
After all, very few people knew him by that number.
'Hmph. And here I was under the impression that you couldn't speak.'