Path of the Extra

"Why the hell are both of you following me?"

Nol finally stopped in front of the heavily-guarded barrier, soldiers standing watch inside and out.

He turned around, his gaze landing on the two figures behind him—Yelena and Lumine.

He had noticed them trailing him not five minutes after he left.

He had waited, hoping they would either stop or confront him, but neither happened.

Lumine met Nol's eyes with a complicated expression, while Yelena cast a sidelong glance at Lumine, her gaze echoing the same question Nol had:

Why were they here?

Eventually, Lumine sighed and stepped closer to Nol.

"I need to speak with Azriel."

It was the only thing on his mind.

He had no time limit, but he didn't have much information either.

The idea of King Joaquin needing to be rescued—and the quest he had received because of it—felt ridiculous.

Yet, if he completed it, the reward would make him rich in system points.

Since Azriel and Jasmine were already here, at the very least, he could try to gather information.

Maybe they were planning to rescue King Joaquin, and he could assist them.

At least, he hoped.

Honestly, Lumine was nervous.

The events of the past few days had been overwhelming, and he wasn't sure how to approach Azriel about it.

But he knew he had to try. Even without the incentive of system points, he felt indebted to Azriel—someone he admired.

Yelena looked confused, while Nol stared at him with a skeptical expression.

"Why?"

Nol asked, his voice sharp.

Lumine feared this question, knowing he had no solid answer.

He stepped forward and spoke softly, so only the three of them could hear.

"I can't tell you the details, but... it's extremely important."

Nol scoffed.

"Important? You think I'll let you see Master, who could be assassinated at any moment by Neo Genesis, just because you say it's important?"

Lumine pursed his lips, knowing Nol was right.

Azriel was the most famous person in the capital right now, and soon, the whole world would hear of his achievements.

He had attracted attention—the kind that came with both admiration and danger.

Nol ignored Lumine's words and turned toward the gate where two soldiers, clad in dark crimson uniforms of the Crimson Army, stood watch.

The capital was becoming more organized by the second, and soon, everything would be secured once more.

"Halt. Name, purpose of entry, and who gave permission to come here," one of the soldiers demanded.

Nol bowed slightly.

"My name is Nol. Master requested me to come to him immediately."

The soldiers eyed him with suspicion.

"And who is this Master of yours?"

Nol grinned.

"Prince Azriel Crimson."

At the mention of Azriel's name, the soldiers' expressions hardened.

They glanced between Nol and the others before one of them spoke.

"We received word that someone matching your description would arrive, Sir Nol, but please wait while we confirm your identity."

Nol wasn't surprised.

With reports of Neo Genesis somehow possessing face-altering abilities, it wasn't unreasonable for them to be cautious.

One of the soldiers left to relay the message, disappearing into the sea of tents.

"Wait, Nol! I'm serious... just give me a minute to talk to Azriel!"

Lumine pleaded.

Nol's face twitched, and the soldier glanced at Lumine and Yelena, confused.

"Are these two with you, Sir Nol?"

With a sigh, Nol shook his head.

"Not yet, no."

He then stepped closer to Lumine.

"You have one chance," he said coldly.

Lumine was surprised by the sudden shift in Nol's tone but nodded, determined.

Nol's frustration was evident—he hated the title he had been given: Silver-Blood Devil.

It was a name that made his skin crawl, and being separated from Azriel only worsened his mood.

Yelena watched silently from behind as Lumine, having steeled himself, approached Nol, standing just an arm's length away.

"Please listen to me. I can't explain how, but there's a chance King Joaquin is in danger..."

The moment those words left Lumine's mouth, Nol's expression turned icy.

His aura surged, becoming unbearably oppressive. Instinctively, Lumine leaped back, while Yelena's face hardened, her bow already in hand.

The soldiers around them tensed, their faces growing stern.

"Sir Nol, what is the meaning of this?" the soldier asked coldly, but Nol ignored him, his eyes locked onto Lumine.

"It would be in your best interest not to joke about things like that, Lumine. Master may tolerate you, but if I sense you're a threat to him, I won't hesitate to erase you."

Nol's words were harsh, and Yelena narrowed her eyes, while Lumine kept his gaze steady, a grim expression on his face.

He didn't want to fight Nol, but he understood why Nol reacted that way.

From Nol's perspective, Lumine's words were those of a madman.

'...Shit. What should I do?'

Lumine's thoughts spiraled as his face darkened.

He needed to convince Nol he wasn't lying, but at the same time, he had to avoid appearing as a threat.

Yelena cautiously moved toward Lumine, about to speak, but before she could, another aura emerged, as someone else appeared between Lumine and Nol.

Lumine blinked, his heart racing.

This new presence was far more overwhelming than Nol's, forcing him to suppress his own aura.

He gulped as his gaze settled on a red-haired woman, her mere presence making him feel like an ant.

'...A Grandmaster...!'

"I didn't think this generation was foolish enough to start a fight in such chaotic times," the woman said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Everyone flinched, but before the situation could escalate further, another voice sounded as the gates creaked open.

"Please, Lady Mira, forgive them. It's been a stressful few days for everyone. It's natural for them to be on edge."

All heads snapped toward the speaker, and Lumine's eyes widened.

There, standing in front of the gate, was Azriel, with Jasmine at his side, and just behind him, a black-haired woman dressed in the same crimson military uniform as Mira.

'Azriel!'

It felt like a stroke of luck seeing him here.

Instantly, the soldiers, including Nol, saluted Azriel and Jasmine.

Even Lumine and Yelena, feeling awkward, mimicked the gesture.

Though they knew Azriel and Jasmine personally, it was clear that they were no longer being treated as mere cadets.

The differences between him and Yelena compared to Azriel and Jasmine were becoming more pronounced.

Mira's oppressive aura dissipated, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Nol started toward Azriel, but before he could take a step, the black-haired woman, Amaya, appeared in front of Azriel, blocking his path.

She narrowed her eyes at Nol.

"You too, Amaya. Don't worry about Nol; you can trust him," Azriel said gently.

Amaya looked skeptical but eventually stepped aside, her gaze still wary.

Jasmine, meanwhile, remained expressionless, hiding her boredom.

'All of them... members of the Crimson Clan...'

It was overwhelming for Lumine, who had never encountered such influential figures before.

Though he didn't know the two women, he could tell they were incredibly strong.

The red-haired one, a Grandmaster, and the black-haired one, a Master.

"Master! You won't believe the ridiculous name they've started calling me!"

Nol suddenly exclaimed, his unreadable expression replaced by one of despair.

"The Silver-Blood Devil!"

Azriel laughed awkwardly.

"I'm sure it will be forgotten in no time... probably."

Nol didn't seem reassured, sulking as he turned to face Amaya with curiosity.

"Nol. This is Amaya. Amaya, this is Nol. You'll be seeing a lot of each other, so get acquainted."

Amaya sighed and nodded, while Nol seemed to process Azriel's words.

Ignoring them both, Azriel glanced at Jasmine, who finally spoke up.

"One hour."

Azriel's smile widened as he thanked her, then turned his attention to Lumine.

"It must be extremely important for you to go through all this trouble to meet me right now. Well, you heard the princess—you have an hour to explain."

Lumine felt a weight lift from his shoulders at Azriel's words.

He wasn't sure why, but there was this urgent feeling gnawing at him, like he needed to save the Crimson King as fast as possible.

It was strange.

Before stepping forward, he glanced at Yelena. But before he could say anything, she cut him off with a stern voice.

"Forget about leaving me behind. I don't know what's going on, but there's no way I'm letting you deal with this alone, surrounded by wolves. Besides, I'm curious too."

Lumine smiled slightly at her response.

Seeing the situation calming down again, the soldiers under Mira's sharp gaze resumed their duties, visibly trembling.

Mira walked over to join Azriel and Jasmine.

Lumine and Yelena exchanged a glance and a nod before following Mira toward the group.

"You better be prepared to explain yourselves, Cadet Lumine, Cadet Yelena. Because of you two, we've delayed our plans to return home, putting our lives—and others—at risk," Jasmine said, her tone sharp.

Lumine nodded firmly, speaking politely.

"If you could just hear me out somewhere private, I promise I can explain."

Jasmine narrowed her scarlet eyes, her expression unreadable.

After a moment, she closed her eyes and turned away.

"Let's go to one of the tents."