The Grand Hall of External Affairs stood beneath a ceiling of towering white arches engraved with ancient divine scripture. Sacred braziers burned quietly along the walls, their pale-gold flames illuminating rows of sanctified pillars adorned with the insignias of the Divine Sanctum. Normally, the hall carried an atmosphere of solemn order.
Today, it was replaced by something heavier—an invisible weight that pressed down on everyone present like the calm before divine judgment.
Elder Ozag stood at the center of the hall, his aged hands clasped behind his back and his white beard descending like snowfall over his ceremonial robes. His posture was as rigid as the pillars lining the walls, but his eyes, normally warm with the patience of centuries, were shadowed by grave solemnity. Beside him stood figures whose status rivaled his own—each a pillar of the Sanctum's hierarchy, summoned not by formal request, but by the sheer gravity of the situation.
One of them towered above nearly everyone present: Commander Dhonmac.
The lion-eared beastman stood like a restrained calamity wrapped in ceremonial armor. His broad shoulders carried the mantle of the Radiant Guards—the Sanctum's Templar division tasked with direct military enforcement of divine authority. The golden mane around his neck shifted slightly with each slow breath. His military tunic was immaculate, but his expression was anything but; his amber eyes burned with barely contained fury, and his tail lashed behind him in slow, dangerous arcs. He had abandoned his duties the moment news reached him.
The boy who had recently become his student had allegedly been assassinated.
Across from them stood the Justice Regulator officer who had introduced herself earlier as Tachibana. The hall listened in grim silence as she prepared to elaborate on the details. Her white mantle-like coat remained immaculate despite the long journey, and the silver insignias of the JR glimmered faintly beneath the hall's sacred lights. Her posture was flawless—professional, disciplined, and measured—but even she could not completely conceal the weight pressing behind her expression.
Behind her stood Ronan and the rest of Null's temporary rookie teammates: Derrik, Mira, Tobin, and Lyra. None of them looked well. Their faces were a collective portrait of exhaustion, guilt, and hollow grief. Some avoided eye contact entirely, while others stared blankly at the floor as though still trapped within the memory of that forest clearing. They had refused to leave, insisting on delivering their account in person.
After all, they were alive because someone else had stayed behind.
Tachibana inhaled quietly before continuing her report. "The clearing showed no signs of struggle," she stated evenly, her voice echoing softly through the vast hall. "No blood. No bodies. No residual mana signatures. The Obsidian Veil's signature eradication method was confirmed at the crime scene."
Several expressions immediately darkened. Even among the Sanctum's upper authorities, that name carried weight.
Tachibana lowered her gaze slightly. "The target—Acolyte Null—has not been recovered. Not a trace of his existence remains." She paused, then added quietly, "Based on the evidence… we can only conclude that he died. The assassins of Obsidian Veil were successful in their mission."
The words fell like stones into still water, sending ripples of silence through the chamber. No one breathed. Even the sacred flames along the walls seemed to quiet down.
Elder Ozag stood motionless for a long moment, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the walls. Then, he finally broke the silence.
"The Obsidian Veil."
The moment the name left his mouth, the atmosphere grew noticeably colder.
"They have existed for centuries," the elder priest said heavily. "Assassins who leave no trace. Killers who erase even the memory of their presence. They do not strike without contracts of immense value. But when they do... they fear retaliation from no one. They are the shadow scourges of this world."
Even Tachibana silently agreed. The Veil was not merely an assassination organization; it was a nightmare woven into civilization itself. Nobles feared them, nations monitored them, and prominent figures prayed never to appear on their contracts.
Ozag exhaled slowly. "We anticipated that the boy would become a target from the moment he was deemed an unblessed anomaly. That is part of the reason Her Holiness acted swiftly to place him under Sanctum custody, presenting it as an anomaly observation." His gaze swept across the room, landing briefly on Ronan's group before returning to Tachibana. "But we did not expect that even the Sanctum's protection would fail to deter someone from commissioning an assassination bounty on him."
The implication chilled the room. Someone had willingly risked provoking the Sanctum itself—someone powerful enough to believe they could survive the consequences.
His eyes narrowed. "This individual must be someone of at least very high noble status."
Tachibana nodded once, her tone remaining calm. "That is our working assumption, Elder Priest. A figure with significant influence and enough resources to afford the Veil's services, despite knowing the target was connected to the Divine Sanctum."
"He was just an unfortunate idiot." The voice came from the side—quiet, raw, and trembling. Everyone turned. Illiana stood slightly apart from the others, her bob-cut orange hair partially concealing her downcast face. Her eyes remained fixed on the marble floor beneath her feet, as though searching desperately for answers hidden within the stone.
"He didn't ask to be summoned here," she whispered, her lips quivering faintly. "He didn't ask for any of this. He just... wanted to go home." Her voice cracked completely, and a shuddering breath escaped her.
Illiana pressed her hands tightly against her mouth as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. "If only..." she whispered shakily. "If only I had accompanied him on missions like usual... this wouldn't have happened." Her half-elven ears pressed flat against her head, trembling faintly as a single tear struck the marble beneath her. "I'm sorry, Sora... I let you down..."
Standing beside her from the beginning was another elder priestess adorned in robes nearly identical to Ozag's—Isciel Solmire, Reverend Priest of the Sanctum. She was Illiana's master, but unlike Ozag's solemn gravity, Isciel carried a colder elegance befitting a high-ranking priestess: strict, dignified, and unyielding.
Her hand had been resting on Illiana's back throughout the report, offering silent comfort. Now, she pulled the younger woman closer, her touch compassionate.
"Master—" Illiana turned and embraced her fully, her shoulders shaking as she finally let herself break.
Isciel's hand rose to pat Illiana's head—a gesture so gentle it seemed almost foreign from a woman known for her rigorous discipline. "...Illiana," Isciel said softly, "it seems that boy made a deep impression on you."
"sob Y-yes mas-ter..." Illiana's voice broke apart between sobs, her fingers tightening around Isciel's robes. "He is... a fri-end I made rece-ntly... and he was some-one Sora entrusted me to look after... Wooo... I fail-ed her..."
Isciel closed her eyes briefly, her own expression flickering with something that might have been guilt. She had been the one to assign Illiana that important task—the one that had prevented her from accompanying Null as usual. "Sigh," she murmured. "Fate can indeed be cruel sometimes."
The others watched the exchange with dejected or solemn expressions. No one interrupted. No one offered empty platitudes. There were no words adequate for this.
Then, the atmosphere shifted, growing denser and more oppressive. A terrifying pressure leaked from Commander Dhonmac's motionless form. The sacred flames flickered violently. The marble floor beneath his feet groaned faintly, and even Tachibana, a seasoned officer of the Justice Regulators, felt her instincts scream at her to step back. Ronan's group instinctively drew closer together, their faces pale.
The current Dhonmac no longer resembled a commander; he resembled a divine beast moments away from rampaging. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw tight enough to crack stone. His lion-like ears flattened against his skull, and his amber eyes blazed with an intensity that promised violence.
For all his legendary spiritual discipline—for all his reputation as the unshakable commander of the Radiant Guards—the news had cracked something inside him. Null was his student. Brief as the training period had been, the boy had been under his care, his instruction, and his protection.
Elder Ozag stepped forward immediately, landing one aged hand firmly upon the lion beastman's shoulder. "Dhonmac," his voice carried calm authority. "Restrain yourself."
The commander said nothing, but the pressure intensified for half a second, causing the hall to tremble faintly.
Ozag's gaze sharpened. "Let us wait until Her Holiness returns and delivers judgment on this matter."
At the mention of the Pontiff, the terrifying aura abruptly halted. Dhonmac closed his eyes tightly, then slowly exhaled. "I… understand." Though his voice remained steady, the rage beneath it still burned fiercely. His faith in Pontiff Seraphel was absolute; if she decreed judgment, then judgment would come.
Ozag quietly withdrew his hand, suppressing an internal sigh of relief. Dhonmac was not merely strong; he was the Sanctum's Divine Force—its sword, its shield, its most lethal instrument. If he made any rash moves out of anger, the repercussions would be severe.
After stabilizing the atmosphere, Ozag turned back toward Tachibana. "Officer Tachibana," he said solemnly, "thank you for delivering the news to us personally. This is also our failure for not taking enough measures to protect that boy. We did not expect an organization as deadly as the Veil to target him first."
Tachibana bowed respectfully. "Do not be, Reverend Priest. It is the Justice Regulators' duty to report unfortunate mishaps to the victim's associates. Besides, it is also partially our responsibility, as we of The Lumeris JR Branch served as the official 'task assigner' for Quest File—[****************015-Capture the Roadside Bandits] in which Acolyte Null took part."
A flicker of regret or self-recrimination crossed her face. "We originally provided the mission as a novice-level field experience assignment, as per the Regulated Quest Delegation Program. But we did not anticipate that it would become the stage for an assassination."
Nevertheless, the mission itself may never have mattered; Null had likely been targeted from the very beginning.
Ozag's brows rose slightly. "Oh? What does the Corps intend to do?"
Tachibana lifted her head fully, and for the first time, a sharp conviction appeared within her eyes. "The Justice Regulators will continue the investigation," she said, her voice ringing clearly through the chamber. "We will identify whoever hired the Veil."
"And if you do?" Ozag asked, his voice neutral but his eyes sharp.
Tachibana did not hesitate. "Then we shall enact justice on behalf of Acolyte Null, as per the Code of Regulation and as faithful subjects of divine will." Her silver eyes hardened. "Then we will remind both the Veil... and those who seek their services... of the retribution of transgressing the Moral Laws of Righteous Order that we, the Justice Regulators, uphold."
The temperature in the hall seemed to drop. Ronan looked up, something flickering in his eyes—not hope, exactly, but something adjacent. It was grief slowly crystallizing into resolve and purpose.
Elder Ozag studied Tachibana quietly for several seconds, then slowly raised one hand in a priestly sign of blessing. "May divine guidance walk beside you, Officer Tachibana."
Tachibana placed a fist over her chest and performed the signature salute of the Justice Regulators—palm flat against her chest, head bowed in acknowledgment. "May order prevail."
She turned, preparing to depart with Ronan and the others. But before they could take more than two steps, the massive doors of the Grand Hall of External Affairs abruptly and forcefully opened. Every gaze snapped toward the entrance instantly. The moment they saw who stood there, several expressions changed completely.
Sora stood at the doorway, pale-faced, her sky-blue eyes trembling violently beneath strands of white hair. Accompanying her was a woman with golden blonde hair. And in Sora's trembling hand was an activated Arcane Communication Sphere, still glowing faintly with unread mana light.
The atmosphere inside the hall froze.
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