The day after the bonfire, Group 8 gathered over lunch for a discussion.
"You have to complete at least one mission," Claudia continued. "Some students pick something simple around Roke Mountain just to clear the requirement, then spend the rest of the days studying to improve their grades. Others use the teleportation circles to leave the island, take on bigger cases, and try to earn both money and evaluation points."
"Mmm." Merida nodded quietly while taking a sip of her drink.
"So what happens if someone doesn't finish a mission within those five days?" Cindy asked curiously.
"Then the commission simply fails," Knox replied with an easy shrug. "No payment, no evaluation points. A complete loss."
Claudia nodded slightly and added, "In special situations, you can submit a written request to extend the mission. But doing that means you'll miss your classes during that time."
She paused before finishing calmly. "So in the end, the loss is still yours."
"That sounds pretty risky," Cindy said, nodding with a serious expression.
"Pretty risky?" Knox chuckled lightly. "More like extremely risky."
Cindy blinked. "Huh?"
"If you take a mission that's beyond your ability, five days isn't going to save you."
Claudia nodded slightly.
"That's why most students choose missions carefully. The evaluation points are important, but survival matters more."
Merida quietly set her cup down. "…And reputation."
The others looked at her.
Merida spoke in her usual calm tone. "If you fail missions repeatedly, clients won't trust you."
Knox smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Cindy leaned back in her chair.
"Hmm… so basically we need to balance difficulty and safety."
Claudia added thoughtfully,
"And profit."
"Right."
Cindy raised her finger dramatically.
"Money!"
Knox chuckled. "You're honest, at least."
"Well, materials aren't cheap!"
Cindy crossed her arms.
"Do you know how expensive spirit catalyst powder is these days?"
Claudia nodded in agreement. "She's not wrong. Even basic alchemical reagents are expensive."
Merida quietly murmured, "…Poison ingredients too."
Knox rested his chin on his hand, listening to their discussion.
Mission period.
For many Kizen students, it was their first real taste of the outside world.
But for Knox—
this was something he had experienced long before entering Kizen.
His gaze drifted slightly, his mind wandering back to memories from not too long ago.
Back when he was still working as a bounty hunter. Back then, missions like these were simply part of daily life.
Escorting nobles through dangerous territories.
Clearing monster infestations in remote villages.
Tracking criminals across the Neutral Zone.
Knox remembered one particular escort mission.
A group of minor nobles had hired him to escort them across a mountain road bordering the Neutral Zone. The journey itself was supposed to be simple—just a three-day trip through a relatively quiet trade route.
At least, that was what the client had claimed.
Halfway through the second night, a pack of mutated wolves had appeared out of nowhere. The noble carriage guards had panicked almost immediately. Knox had ended up handling the entire situation alone.
The memory made him smile faintly.
Another mission surfaced in his mind. A monster extermination request from a frontier village. The locals had reported a "large beast" lurking in the nearby forest.
When Knox arrived, it turned out to be a corrupted ogre that had been feeding on livestock for weeks.
That battle had been messy. But the pay had been good.
Compared to those missions…
Knox glanced around the cafeteria where the students of Kizen were calmly discussing strategies.
These missions felt almost… peaceful.
Cindy suddenly leaned closer to him.
"Hey, Knox."
He blinked, returning to the present.
"What kind of mission do you think we should take?"
Knox leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Something efficient."
Claudia tilted her head.
"Efficient?"
"A mission that gives good evaluation points without wasting too much time."
Cindy grinned.
"So… not the 'safe and boring' type?"
Knox smiled. "No."
His eyes glinted slightly. "But not reckless either."
Merida quietly muttered, "…Balanced."
Knox nodded. "Exactly."
Then Knox said, "Of course, choosing a balanced mission isn't necessarily the correct choice, nor is it the wrong one. But before taking any mission, the most important thing is knowing yourself—and knowing your limits."
Cindy nodded as if she had just reached a realization. "I see! Then picking a monster extermination mission would suit me perfectly!"
Claudia, who had been listening quietly, added, "Well, actually… Meilyn already invited me to join her on an escort mission near Langerstine."
Merida took another sip of her drink before speaking in her usual calm tone.
"…If possible, something efficient like Knox said. Or at least something that can be finished quickly."
Meanwhile, Group 7, who were seated not far from them, had also been listening to Group 8's discussion.
The moment her name was mentioned, Meilyn turned toward them and joined the conversation.
"By the way, Knox… can I ask you something? Or rather… ask for some advice?"
Knox turned to look at her, then suddenly exaggerated his posture dramatically.
"Ohooo~? Looks like our princess here has a question for this humble one. Of course, I shall gladly help you~."
Both Group 8 and Group 7 immediately chuckled.
Meilyn's face twitched. "Guhh—You! Forget it!"
Knox raised both hands lightly as if calming a child.
"Now, now. Calm down. Here, have some candy."
He took out a small pouch and placed several colorful candies onto the table.
They were small, star-shaped sweets in various bright colors.
Knox casually pushed the pouch forward so everyone could take some.
The girls' eyes immediately lit up. Not only were they sweets, but their shapes were adorable and the colors sparkled under the light.
It was an instant critical hit on their hearts.
Cindy didn't even hesitate. "Ooooh!"
She immediately grabbed one and popped it into her mouth.
"Hey! These are good!"
Claudia picked one up more carefully, holding it between her fingers while examining it closely.
Meilyn leaned in beside her, both of them squinting slightly as if trying to inspect every detail.
Their eyes practically zoomed in on the tiny star-shaped candy.
"…It's really shaped like a star," Claudia murmured with interest.
"And the color layering is pretty detailed too," Meilyn added.
Meanwhile, Cami held one gently between her fingers.
"Wow! So cute! What candy is this?"
Knox smiled slightly. "Hehe, thank you. I made them myself."
He gestured toward the colorful sweets. "I call them konpeito."
"A star-shaped candy."
While the others were munching on the candies—especially Cindy and Merida, who were chewing happily like little hamsters—Claudia suddenly looked at Knox as if she had just remembered something.
"By the way, Knox… have you already chosen a mission?"
Knox shook his head casually. "Nope. I haven't picked one yet."
Rick narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Isn't that a bit dangerous? The good missions—or the easy ones—will probably be taken by other students first."
Meilyn rolled her eyes.
"Hello? Rick."
She gestured toward Knox.
"Do you seriously think someone like Knox would struggle with finding a mission? Or that he'd even bother picking an easy one?"
Rick paused.
"…Ah."
Then he scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Hehe… yeah, you're right."
Knox chuckled lightly. "Well, to be precise…"
He leaned back in his chair slightly. "I won't be picking a mission."
Everyone around the table tilted their heads.
"…Huh?"
Claudia was the first to speak.
"Why?"
Knox showed a slightly smug smile.
"Well, let me share an interesting piece of information."
He tapped the table lightly.
"For Special Entries like me, it's actually not uncommon for something called a nominated mission to be assigned."
Cindy blinked. "Nominated mission?"
Knox nodded. "Yes."
"It's a mission where the client specifically requests a particular student to handle the job. Then Kizen officially dispatches that student for the mission."
Rick whistled softly. "So basically… someone already asked for you?"
Knox simply smiled. "Something like that."
Then Simon asked, "Then… does that mean someone might request a mission for me too?"
Knox nodded slightly.
"I'm pretty sure there will be someone who requests you. But for nominated missions, sometimes you have to wait a while."
He shrugged lightly.
"So it can be a little nerve-wracking if the deadline gets close and no one has requested you yet."
Simon grimaced. "Ugh… that actually sounds pretty risky too."
Merida, who had already finished munching on her candy, quietly spoke up.
"Then, Knox… what kind of mission did you get?"
She looked at him calmly. "And who requested you?"
Before Knox could answer, Cindy suddenly leaned forward excitedly.
"Oh! Let me guess!"
She pointed at Knox dramatically.
"Some super important mission, right? Like espionage… assassination… or eliminating some high-ranking monster!"
She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling.
"And then, just like in those novels, you meet a girl during the mission—and she falls in love with you!"
The other girls immediately rolled their eyes.
Claudia sighed. "Cindy… I've told you before."
"You should read fewer strange novels."
Knox laughed. "Hahaha."
"Well, my mission isn't some secret one, so I can tell you."
He rested his elbow on the table casually.
"The one who requested this mission for me is actually… Kizen itself."
Rick's eyes widened.
"What?! Kizen?!"
The atmosphere around the table immediately shifted.
Hearing that the one who nominated Knox was Kizen itself, everyone's expressions turned serious—especially Cindy, Claudia, Merida, and Meilyn.
Claudia frowned slightly.
"Kizen…? Then wouldn't that mean it's a dangerous mission?"
Knox simply shrugged.
"Well, who knows~."
He smiled casually.
"Besides, we're students of Kizen."
"Danger might as well be our daily breakfast."
Merida tilted her head slightly.
"…What mission?"
Knox leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Actually, it wouldn't exactly be called dangerous."
He paused for a moment.
"It's more… troublesome."
Cindy blinked. "Why troublesome?"
Knox smiled faintly.
"Because my mission is related to the royal family of the Dresden Kingdom."