The booming voice calling for the owner drew not only my attention as I was about to step out, but also caught Meha's and Hecate's, who was busy giving out waiting tickets to foragers looking for the demon mage.

“What’s going on?”

It was morning, and with most visitors having already arrived, the few who remained glared at the door with displeasure.
Their looks seemed to say that they were waiting since morning and questioned why someone was making such a ruckus.

However, that gaze vanished like bubbles the moment they laid eyes on the person who barged in, slamming the door open.

“What is it?”

The visitor appeared quite young—perhaps in their mid-20s?
At most, they looked to be in their late 20s to early 30s.
Their hair was a bright violet, lighter than Meha’s deep purple, with sharp eyes that appeared narrow from a distance but sparkled golden when viewed up close.
She resembled Meha with her purple hair and amber eyes, and I quickly realized it wasn’t just a coincidence as I noticed her ears.
They were short but pointed, a clear sign of being a half-elf, just like Leif.

Unlike Leif, who sometimes seemed timid, this woman exuded confidence.
Her smile radiated self-assurance, and her stride was bold as she approached, creating a strong impression.

If there was such a thing as presence, it was like that.
It was apparent at a glance.
The destination I should strive for was walking right towards me.

“Viola…”
“Why is the Frontier Guild…?”
“Damn, can’t you leave the first layer alone…?”

Sighs and exclamations of disbelief erupted from various corners.

Only then did I realize the identity of this woman.

One of the eight Pioneers.
Arthur’s mentor and the Guild Master of the Frontier.
Viola Pelletier.

How could I not know that name?
Now that I was connected with Arthur and Ray, it felt embarrassing not to recognize her at first glance.

‘But why is someone of her stature wandering around alone without any attendants?’

Aside from her call to come closer, she didn’t say anything else, merely walking in, and it felt like the very space had become hers.
Even Hecate, who was the original owner of this building, seemed unable to handle her presence.

Viola pulled out a vacant chair at the bar table and sat down, surveying the crowd.
“What’s this? Why are you still here?”

Get lost.
That was the implication behind Viola’s question.

Rebellion?
Impossible.
Those words came from someone at the top of the foraging industry.

To reject her words, you’d have to be a fellow Pioneer or at least someone of noble rank like Fiona.
However, if she were to trample down with such authority, it wouldn’t just tarnish her personal reputation; it would undermine the prestige of the Frontier Guild itself…

“Master!!”
Finally, it was time for someone to intervene.

“You’re late!”
“You’re the one moving too fast!”

A familiar face appeared, panting as he rushed in.
It was Arthur Carlisle, with his blue hair.

Upon spotting me, he nodded in greeting before quickly taking charge.
“I’m sorry, everyone. If you could write your names down here, we’ll make arrangements for you to join the next expedition the Frontier Guild is organizing.”

Arthur held up a clipboard for everyone to sign, and the frustrated expressions of those waiting for a reward from the Frontier Guild softened.
“If I can join the Frontier expedition, then…”
“Hehe, we were just about to head out, but seeing Sir Pelletier made me lose my mind a little… I’ll be quick. Just need to write my name…”
“Anyway, hunting the Evolver is a gamble. If we can’t find it, hiring a demon mage won’t help us. Joining the Frontier expedition is the safer bet, right?”

Visitors began to trickle out like a receding tide.
Rather than risking their chances on the uncertain Evolver hunt, they were making a wise decision to bet on a safer asset.

Before long, the Telema Academy was quiet.
Finally satisfied, Viola began to whistle, then pointed a finger at Meha and me, who were still standing there.

“You two, what are you doing? Come sit.”
“…You haven’t changed, Viola.”
“They say when an elf changes, it’s time to die.”

Viola chuckled as if to say she wasn't going to die just yet.

I had no idea how old she was, but her demeanor matched her appearance.
“I’m sorry, but I have a prior engagement.”
“Huh?”
“If you contact me later, I’ll visit the Frontier Guild.”
“Huh?”

Viola looked at me with a mock disbelief.
Arthur appeared anxious beside her.

Seeing her raise her voice earlier and how he was acting today, I was discovering a new side to Arthur that I hadn’t particularly been curious about.

“Is what you have more important than mine?”
“Am I not a Pioneer? Am I not the guild master of the five great guilds?”

Who wouldn’t know that?
But Viola was still a stranger.
In contrast, Ray and Leif were my companions, having shared quite a profound secret together.
Isn’t it clear which side should take priority?

“My teammates are waiting.”
“I came to have a serious discussion.”
“I promised a serious discussion with my teammates too.”
“Really?”

With that, Viola’s expression loosened, and she smiled.
Suddenly, Ray’s earlier remark came to mind.

‘She was a crazy woman.’

Amid the rising tension, Viola continued.
“Not bad. You’ve got some guts. I don’t dislike it. But you should know my time is valuable too, right? I’ll ask again. Which conversation is more serious? I won’t ask again.”

Was I being too pushy?
Help me out, Seir!

[Perhaps it’s better to step back here. That woman is strong.]
[True. Sigh, I would love to hunt, but being in this state of contract… tsk.]

Sorry for being weak, oh great demon lord.

But I got an answer.
If even the powerful demon lords who rule the Abyss consider her strong, then she truly stands at the pinnacle of strength in the human realm.

As the saying goes, those who have grasped the essence of the world say that the more complicated something is, the more fragile it becomes.
Then it must also be true that the more powerful it is, the simpler it is.

In other words, Viola is like a ticking time bomb, unpredictable in her actions.

“But I think our discussion here is more serious.”
“Good thinking.”

This wasn’t out of fear; it was out of concern that our precious Telema Academy might get wrecked.
I hoped Hecate would recognize my sincere dedication to this academy.

“I’m not coercing you at all, you know? If you both answered the same way, I would have let you go. Really? Do you think I’d treat Arthur’s friend and benefactor roughly? If I intended to give something and you couldn’t receive it, that would be your misfortune. Wouldn’t it?”
“That’s a fair point.”

I should have just left.

Great demon lords, why did you have to make such a decision?

[I see, did the contract maker make that decision?]
[I didn’t say anything! I just thought it would be a good time to hunt.]

You evasive cowards!

“Anyway, I wanted to see you, and now I do. So… Roman, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You…”

Viola’s golden eyes focused on me.
They took in everything connected to me.

“You’re an interesting one. I’d like to get to know you better.”
“…Master, that…”
“Ah, I know, I know. They say demon mages can’t have duels. I know that. Hecate here has been avoiding that because of it.”

Suddenly, the arrow turned towards Hecate.
When I looked at her, she was making a face of disgust.

“Could you just get to the point? Frontier Guild Master?”
“You’re cold. Your father used to give me a good fight. Chronix took over, right?”
“That's…!”
“Oh, sorry. Was it a taboo to mention a demon’s true name? Anyway, whatever.”

She was genuinely in her own world.
Ray also had a bit of a self-centered disposition, but Viola took that to another level.

‘Is this what absolute strength backed by confidence looks like…?’

“Anyway, I’ve heard a lot about you. You captured a Chromatic Fiend and that mutated Evolver, and this time you even defeated a Sentinel?”
“A Sentinel?”

Arthur gasped in surprise.
So it was true that the information network of the Pioneers was impressive.

“That much means you must have caught it too.”
“Which one are you talking about?”
“Zagan. The Undying Zagan. Don’t you know?”
“Is that the name of the necromancer from the Abyss Worshippers?”
“Exactly. I guess you didn’t know. I wonder why the Grand Duke’s family hasn’t mentioned it. Oh, don’t misunderstand, okay? Arthur here has been tight-lipped about it. Did he make some sort of demon contract with you? How he managed to keep quiet is a mystery.”

Although the conversation was bouncing around all over, Viola eventually paused and returned to her original flow.

“This incident regarding the paths on the second layer—you discovered it, right?”
“Yes.”
“I met with Zagan, and he talked about you incessantly.”
“Zagan? You mean Luke?”
“Yeah. He asked me to join our guild, but I wonder what he has against it.”

If Luke’s alias was “Zagan,” that name was quite fitting.
“The incident this time is likely the work of the Abyss Worshippers. You could say it’s almost confirmed.”
“Is that so…?”

Who else would have the gall to do such a thing?

“However, lumping it all together as the Abyss Worshippers is only half the story. The Abyss Worshippers aren’t a single group; they’re a category. Within them, just like in the city, there are various factions.”

I had learned about this during my time at the training center.
Among the Abyss Worshippers, there are four particularly large, strong, and dangerous factions, just like the five great guilds, six great academies, and three great clans.

“The Shade of the Trees, Desperados, Abyss Academy, and besides those, all sorts of oddballs operate within the Abyss Worshippers, but among them, there are certain groups to be especially wary of.”

At the same time, the same name slipped from Viola’s and my lips.
The Cult of the End.

They are a fanatical group that not only worships the Abyss but also believes that the Abyss is the true world, seeking the destruction of the outside world.
There are no safe Abyss Worshippers, but among all groups, they are the most dangerous.
And at the same time, they are our enemies.

“You know about them?”
“Yes. I heard from Fiona.”

The ones who attacked us were most likely members of the Cult of the End.
If even Viola, a Pioneer, points to the same place, its accuracy must be undeniably high.

“I’m not sure about the attack, but I suspect that this incident was also led by those from the Cult of the End.”
“Why do you think that…?”
“They are the only organization capable of creating such paths, Roman.”

Meha answered first from beside me.
Now that I think about it, during the attack at the training center, they had manipulated the underground space however they pleased.
And I had taken the core from the Undying Zagan, which I used to create Axis.

It’s quite likely that the Cult of the End is preserving the spatial magic that has since become extinct.

“Others may struggle to create paths, but the only confirmed ones created artificially belong to the Cult of the End. I’ve heard rumors that the Abyss Academy developed magic to pinpoint the locations of naturally occurring paths, but nothing has been confirmed yet.”

That sounded like classified information, yet Viola spoke casually as if it were no big deal.

“So, I’ve been tasked with leading an expedition to clarify the incident on the second layer.”
“You?”
Hecate exclaimed, her voice suddenly rising.
Viola lightly asked her, “Why? Are you going to join me?”
“Oh, no, that’s a bit….”

Hecate got shot down immediately.
“Since the Cult of the End might be involved, you’re telling me to move. The Grand Duke’s family is on edge, as is the alliance. After the attack on the training center, everyone is on high alert. Anyway, I want Roman….”

Boom!

“Hey! Roman! Why are you taking so long to—”

Oh no…
Upon hearing that voice, I squeezed my eyes shut.
I’ll pray for you, Ray.

“No, ahem, I’m busy! Okay, I’ll be there later! So long!”
“Lyancup.”

At Viola’s words, the presence I sensed outside came to an abrupt stop.
“Original position.”
“Wh-where…?”