***********
Without any warning, Scarlette's hand shot forward and seized Fenix by the chin.
The sudden motion startled him, a sharp gasp escaping his throat as her fingers tightened with merciless precision. His head was forced upward before he could react, his eyes dragged unwillingly to meet hers. Pain flared instantly, a dull throb spreading across his jaw as her grip tightened further.
Scarlette's crimson lilac‑colored eyes had darkened.
Not with unrestrained rage, but with something far colder—controlled displeasure sharpened into judgment.
In that instant, Fenix knew.
Scarlette Overland was truly furious.
"It seems that you're challenging my authority, Fenix," she said calmly. "You're quite bold for a mere B‑Ranker, to dare harm my companion in the process."
Her voice carried no raised tone, no outward aggression.
That only made it worse.
The words sank into him like venom, tightening around his heart with crushing inevitability. This was not the anger of someone seeking recognition. This was the warning of someone who had already decided his worth.
This woman…! panic screamed through his thoughts.
She looked slim. Petite. Unassuming at first glance.
Yet there was nothing fragile about the iron grip crushing his jaw.
How—how is she this strong?!
Pain shot through his face as her fingers tightened again, threatening to leave deep bruises—or worse.
Damn it! This isn't strength a normal woman should have!
Fenix tried to move, to struggle, to pull away—but his body refused him. His muscles locked as if frozen, not by magic he could identify, but by fear alone. His pride shattered at the realization that he was trembling uncontrollably in front of her.
A mere woman.
No—Scarlette Overland.
That difference mattered more than his rank ever had.
Scarlette leaned closer.
Her movement was deliberate, controlled to the fraction of a breath. She tilted her head slightly, bringing her lips close to his ear. Her breath brushed his skin as she whispered, her voice low and chilling.
"It seems like you lost your humanity the moment you decided to learn that thing," she murmured. "Did you truly believe I wouldn't notice?"
The words struck deeper than the pain.
Fenix's pupils shrank.
She knows.
"…W‑what do you—"
The question never finished.
Scarlette straightened just enough for his gaze to crash fully into hers.
And then—
Her eyes glowed.
There was no surge of mana. No violent eruption of power. No visible spell circle or flashing sigil for the crowd to witness.
The glow was faint.
Controlled.
A restrained illumination, like light filtered through mist, present for no more than a heartbeat.
Yet Fenix felt it entirely.
His trembling stopped.
His breathing stabilized unnaturally, fear and rage smothered beneath a suffocating stillness. His pupils dulled, his gaze losing all focus, as though something inside him had been gently—but decisively—pushed aside.
From the outside, it appeared as though his fear simply faded.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"…Did he stop shaking?"
"What did Lady Overland say to him?"
"He looks… empty."
Most of them caught nothing else.
Only two people sensed the truth.
Ryan, standing within arm's reach, felt the shift instantly. A subtle pressure rippled through the air—gone as quickly as it appeared. His brow furrowed as instinct screamed a warning he couldn't place.
What was that?
For a brief moment, there was something in Scarlette's eyes—something neither hostile nor kind.
Absolute.
And immediately after, Fenix no longer felt like himself.
Is he being controlled? Ryan wondered uneasily.
He stayed silent.
Whatever she had done was clearly deliberate and questioning it—especially when he himself hid his true identity—would be hypocritical.
Hidden within the crowd, Asterion felt it too.
His breathing stilled.
That glow…
His gaze locked onto Scarlette, pulse pounding in his ears.
Lumiere.
Not crude. Not explosive. But unmistakably aligned with it.
And at that exact moment—
Lunaris Astra responded.
Asterion stiffened.
Instead of flaring violently, the pendant beneath his clothing grew warm. Not alarmingly so—rather, a gentle heat spread through his chest, steady and calm.
Recognition.
Acceptance.
"…That's impossible," he thought.
Lunaris Astra had always reacted unpredictably around Scarlette—sometimes restless, sometimes eerily quiet.
But now, as her eyes glimmered faintly with that Lumiere‑like glow, the heirloom responded warmly, as if answering something long awaited.
Grandmother… His thoughts turned inward. What exactly did you leave behind?
Asterielle Valehart was never forthcoming about her relics, nor about the depths of her past. She walked the world as an S‑Rank Adventurer, yet chose silence over legacy when she settled down.
And now—
Why would Lunaris Astra respond to her like this?
Fragments of old teachings surfaced unbidden in his mind.
The Holy Welkin Empire.
Known as God's Sanctuary, a neutral land seated at the heart of the Miris Continent, surrounded by the Four Great Empires yet untouched by their political affairs and wars. Isolated. Revered. Obscured by contradiction.
Legends claimed it was the home of the Divine Nine Pantheons—the Nine Greater Gods and Goddesses governing the Ninefold Aetherium, the primordial source of all elemental magic.
Scholars argued endlessly over its existence.
Records were incomplete, often deliberately fragmented.
Some claimed the Empire predated even Silveria.
Others believed it emerged after the Dark Abyss War.
Yet there was one truth no doctrine disputed.
Lumiere Affinity was among the oldest magic known to this world.
And Lumiere answered only to one being—
The Greater God Nexus, God of Light and Creation.
Asterion swallowed.
Scarlette… what are you?
Before the implications could weigh further, he shook his head. Let's not think about unnecessary things that is no importance right now.
This isn't my place.
Scarlette had warned him.
This was an adventurers' matter.
So, he stayed hidden and watched.
........
..............
...............…..
Back at the scene, Scarlette leaned closer once more, her eyes still bearing that faint glow as she stared into Fenix's empty gaze. Her voice was barely audible.
« … "Go outside of the city.
Act normally.
Wait for my command." … »
The words were calm.
Unyielding.
Fenix's dull eyes flickered once in silent acknowledgment.
Scarlette released him.
He collapsed onto the stone, then rose without complaint. Without a word, without looking back, he turned and walked through the dispersing crowd toward the city gates.
Just like that—
The fight ended.
Ryan stared after him, stunned.
"…What?"
Moments ago, the man radiated killing intent. Now he left as if nothing had occurred.
Did I really just witness that?
Scarlette's earlier words echoed in his head.
"…dared to harm my companion."
Heat rushed into his cheeks.
W‑wait—
Embarrassment struck swiftly. He turned away, coughing lightly.
Why do I feel like some helpless damsel here?!
A man should protect a woman—not the other way around!
This was the first time in his life he had been saved by a woman.
And it unsettled him more than the fight itself.
Still, one truth remained undeniable.
If Scarlette hadn't intervened—
Ryan inhaled slowly, steadying himself.
'However, I should be thankful that Scarlette intercepts the fight since I don't have to reveal myself in front of these people.'
************