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Hermit: introspection, solitude, isolation, guidance, and so forth.

"…That concludes the reminders. Please make sure you all adhere to them," said Resolute, the Weaver, her golden eyes sweeping over the cadets seated below. "Just because the 'Treaty' with Darkfang is still in effect doesn’t mean the Academy can afford to let its guard down. Maintaining the truth about psychic abilities at the level of urban legend is the Council's ideal outcome."

Resolute wasn’t a Master of the Academy; her role was more… administrative. To new cadets, she was likely one of the staff members they saw most frequently. Yet, some cadets were disrespectful toward her, perhaps because she was only an Epsilon-level psychic, even though she was known for her meticulousness.

I’d never understood the logic behind that attitude—if Resolute could barely utilize psychic abilities yet was still chosen by the Council, didn’t that prove how exceptional she was?

But today, I didn’t have the mental space to dwell on such things—I was so anxious that I’d started plucking my own fur.

As soon as the safety briefing and other procedures wrapped up, I darted out of the lecture hall, slipping into the stairwell and unstrapping my terminal. While waiting for messages to sync, I couldn’t help but recall how I’d completely forgotten about Aether.

Yes, it had been a full year without any contact or interaction. I’d been insanely busy—repeatedly getting knocked down by Master Field, reciting every tiny structure of my body from memory only rely on Snow’s simple-minded persistence, struggling through complex schemes and political maneuvering, and trying to build my social skills from scratch. Yet, no matter how intense Academy life was, I still couldn’t fathom how I’d completely forgotten him.

Maybe I just didn’t want to admit that this was simply who I was…

A soft chime from the terminal pulled me back to reality.

Several unread messages were in my inbox, mostly from Aether. Only one was from Qana.

I opened Qana’s message first. It was brief, mainly saying he had some matters to wrap up and might be out of contact for a long time, advising me to take care.

Though it was only a few words, the bitter ache at the back of my throat lingered for quite a while.

After sitting for a long moment, I finally gathered enough courage to start reading Aether’s messages.

It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to reach out to him right away and offer some explanation.

After checking the time at the Library of Alexandria, I initiated a call. While waiting for him to accept, I looked at the starry-night photo Aether used as his avatar. The sound of waves crashing against the seawall from that night we spent listening to the tide together echoed in my mind.

The call was accepted, and Aether’s face appeared on the screen, his yellow eyes gleaming like amber against his dark fur.

He didn’t speak or give any clear body language; he just looked at me.

"Hey," I forced myself not to scratch my ear, keeping my tone casual and pretending my mind wasn’t flooded with random speculations. "How have you been?"

Aether still didn’t respond, just stared at me intently. I hoped it was a connection issue causing a delay in the video, but I knew I wasn’t that lucky.

"I thought," he finally spoke after a long pause, his white teeth flashing briefly as he enunciated each word, "you were dead."

"Sorry, I thought Qana would explain…" Or something like that. Just wishful thinking, really.

"Qana killed half the members of the Golden House and reportedly almost did the same to the German House," Aether said slowly. My ears stood straight up, gaining a bit more perspective on his "matters to wrap up." "Everyone believes it was an act of revenge."

"Uh…" I didn’t know how to respond. "Why?" So many whys—why was it revenge? Why the Golden House and the German House? The only connection I could think of was the diplomatic clash I happened to witness in the Tree Hall.

"The Senate claims to be 'investigating' the whole 'incident.' It’s been a while since anyone has seen Qana, so it’s impossible to know whether he acted on Senate orders," Aether emphasized certain words. "In any case, the official line here at the Library of Alexandria is that the Golden House incited the German House into actions ranging from interference Selection in the Colosseo to sending mercenaries into Hadrian's Wall, and that Qana punished both Houses to send a message to other factions not to mess with the Senate."

"I don’t really understand…" So killing half the House members was what they meant by 'punishment'? I knew the Golden House was a noble family with a large membership, so half would be a sizable number. "What does Qana have to do with this?"

"You really don’t know Qana’s true position?" Aether tilted his head slightly, showing more emotion for the first time in our conversation.

"Uh… master swordsman?" I finally gave in and scratched my ear.

"Qana is the Senate’s Sword," Aether said, his expression hesitating for a moment before continuing. "In other words, he enforces the Senate’s will directly, including intervening in Imperial affairs."

"Is that common knowledge?" The flood of questions swirling in my mind had jumbled my thoughts into chaos.

Qana had never mentioned anything like this to me.

"Generally, anyone familiar with Senate affairs knows about the existence of the Senate’s Sword. But it wasn’t until Qana made such an open display that his identity as that Sword was confirmed. Snow likely knows, given the unusual way this position is passed down." Aether tilted his head the other way, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Anyway, rumors are rampant, and ever since Qana was summoned to the palace, he hasn’t been seen, while the high-ranking Masters remain tight-lipped."

"I’m sure Qana had good reasons for doing what he did…" I tried to recall the confrontation with those mercenaries at Hadrian's Wall—it felt like something from a long time ago. "And he can certainly take care of himself."

I wasn’t even sure what I was saying, but somehow, voicing it helped me start to process things.

After all, there was nothing I could do…

"Momus is on the Lunar now. The wolf from the London House came for him about half a year ago," Aether said, his ears flattening a little. "I suppose I never truly thanked you." He looked up again, his tone softening. "I didn’t think I’d get the chance."

"Oh, that was Qana’s doing," I replied, feeling uneasy about being thanked for something I had barely helped with, and briefly explained the situation at the time. "Maybe you can tell him in person next time you see him."

Aether nodded slightly, accepting my account of events without further questions. Then he updated me on Senate affairs, including the announcement of the new generation of prince-elector candidates and his own acceptance into the librarian training program. I wasn’t very familiar with Nyx’s structure, but I assumed that, at a place called the Library of Alexandria, a librarian must be an important role.

I was relieved Aether didn’t delve further into the matter of Qana. Even though I was confident the master swordsman could look after himself, listening to speculation with no resolution still made me anxious, no matter how irrational that worry was.

Aether talked a lot, never once complaining or questioning my sudden disappearance. Feeling a bit guilty, I decided to accept his kindness and summon the courage to explain, despite feeling unprepared, everything that had happened over the past year—from the fateful encounter at the Academy's psychic evaluation, the journey through the wormhole into an unknown mystic Academy, becoming roommates with a herbivore from the Federation, the buzz around my psychic assessment, my quirky dragon mentor, ongoing attempts to improve my social skills but not quite succeeding, and trying not to get swept away by the countless factions and conspiracies.

Since Aether was a psychic, our conversation wasn’t really restricted. I was almost certain I’d see a black wolf emerging from the wormhole at the teleportation platform next year.

“So… the Academy, huh?” Aether tilted his head, scratching his chin.

“Yeah, ‘Knowledge is Power!’” I recited the Academy’s motto, chuckling to myself. “Who would’ve thought becoming a psychic would come with so many required courses.”

Literature, art, philosophy, economics, history, biology, physics, chemistry, information science… Even though they were all introductory courses in the first year, they were still exhausting. To this day, I still don’t quite understand how I managed to survive the torture of quantum physics, let alone actually pass the final. I can only suspect the instructor went easy on me, probably out of respect for Master Field. Otherwise, I don’t see how it would’ve been possible.

“In the second year, we get to choose our own areas of specialization, so I’m hoping it’ll be a bit more interesting.” Under Master Dawn’s guidance, I gained a lot from the biology courses, so that’ll likely be my main focus moving forward. Meanwhile, Master Field’s required courses include probability and statistics, crystallography, and thermodynamics—it’s like he’s determined not to let me have it easy.

“Doesn’t sound that different from basic education training,” Aether shrugged. “But just hearing you talk about it sounds pretty interesting.”

Huh, really? Is there that much of a difference between basic education on Snow and Nyx?

“Well, that’s the gist of it.” I said cautiously, unsure of how Aether would actually react to my entire explanation. “I got chosen by a world-controlling organization, and now they’re trying to turn me into a qualified member.”

“All in all, sounds like you’re doing pretty well,” Aether chuckled, seeming surprisingly accepting of this surreal situation. “Have you met any interesting people?”

“Hmm…” I rubbed the back of my nose, feeling like I was about to step into turbulent waters and testing the depth with my toes first. “The wolves in the Senate are pretty much what you’d expect.” I didn’t need to explain further—Aether would understand. “Oh, and I’ve got a red deer for a roommate; he’s actually pretty interesting.” I imagined what it would be like to introduce Aether to Tadao.

“A herbivore from the Federation?” Aether seemed intrigued.

“Yeah, it seems the Academy did it on purpose.” I’d spoken with Kotetsu senpai about it before, which confirmed he and Hamp senpai were also roommates. “Everyone at the Academy has to room with someone from a different background—no exceptions.”

“Seems like a good chance for cultural exchange.” Aether’s white fangs showed from his slightly upturned mouth, quite noticeable. “So, how’s that going?”

“‘How’s that going’ is kind of broad.” I scratched my chin, uncertain whether the most surprising part of the past year was Kotetsu senpai displaying such an alpha predator stance around Tadao, or Tadao’s very visible mood swings when he was without his antlers. “But originally, I thought herbivores would all be kind of scrawny, so I was surprised to see a lot of them are pretty well-built.”

It’s only now that I realize it’s kind of funny for me, always the smallest in my pack, to be saying something like that.

“Oh?” Aether tilted his head, his higher ear perking up.

Was I reading too much into it? That one syllable seemed to carry a lot of weight—like the kind of weight that could lead to a bottomless fall if I made a misstep.

I really hope I’m just overthinking this…

“The Academy has a senior mentorship system,” I said, realizing I’d instinctively lowered my ears and shrunk down a bit, trying to choose my words carefully to avoid sounding flustered. “My senior mentor is an Altai Wapiti. Seeing him without clothes for the first time was… shocking.”

Wait, wasn’t I supposed to ease into this topic? And now I’m rambling incoherently! This definitely sounds way too suspicious!

“Hmm.” Aether hadn’t changed his posture, but at least this time, he responded with a two-syllable hum.

“He’s been looking out for me a lot and has taught me a lot about the Academy and psychic powers over the past year. Without his guidance, I’d definitely have run into all sorts of issues.” Maybe I should have started from this part, but it was too late.

I don’t know how I managed it, but under Aether’s intense yellow gaze and the growing heat in my ears, I successfully gave a brief overview of Kotetsu senpai and how much he’d helped me during this time.

“Sounds like he’s pretty important to you,” Aether said in a calm tone, giving away no discernible emotion or body language.

Somehow, I was getting a bad feeling, but I don’t think Aether’s the… uh, jealous type?

“Maybe he is,” I replied. Ignoring why Aether chose that particular way to phrase it, it was true. “I guess it’s because I’m not used to receiving kindness, so I really appreciate anyone willing to treat me with respect.”

I didn’t intentionally emphasize “anyone,” but I still snuck a glance at the black wolf on screen. Aether simply waited, just a little bit like a predator waiting for its prey to reach a dead end—I must’ve been watching too many nature documentaries.

“So, anyway, the other day,” I scratched my ears, giving up on resisting the itchiness. “After finishing some psychic training, I was a bit disheveled, and Kotetsu senpai decided to help me clean up…”

Trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, I told Aether about the events of that day.

“So,” he hadn’t moved a muscle the entire time. “You two did it.”

“Uh…” I guess that’s a pretty straightforward interpretation. “Yes.”

“What, you think I’d be mad?” Aether’s tone remained unchanged, still showing no movement or expression.

But you look exactly like you’re mad!

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was sure that saying, “I forgot you even existed in that moment” would only make things more awkward, so I wisely chose to keep silent.

“We haven’t commit anything, so where would I get the right to interfere in your social life?” Aether slowly tilted his head to the other side, though I was grateful he finally made a move. “‘Friends who give you benefit obviously count, too. So if I were angry, that’d be a strange reaction, wouldn’t it?”

Is this Nyx’s logical reasoning? I mean, it does sound reasonable, but…

“So you’re really not mad?” I raised my gaze slowly but kept my nose and ears down.

“No.” Aether sighed, his posture relaxing slightly. “I’m really not.”

“Oh… okay.” A wave of relief washed over me, which immediately brought a new wave of guilt. But another question quickly occupied my mind. “Then… what does it mean to ‘commit’, exactly?” I could feel the heat rising to my face at my shameless question, and as Aether burst into laughter, my already burning ears practically caught fire.

“Oh, Rationalism above, we haven’t seen each other for a year, and you don’t even know where you are!” He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “According to Qana, it’ll be five years before you’re back at the Senate. Isn’t that a bit abrupt?”

Abrupt…?

“I think we’ll see each other sooner…” I murmured, and Aether raised an eyebrow, though I couldn’t elaborate further—was Qana’s restriction still necessary?

“Anyway,” Aether didn’t push the topic and quickly shifted gears. “It might sound a bit… ‘lecturing,’” he rolled his eyes at his own choice of words, probably disliking the stereotype of Nyx. “But I think you’re not very clear on what you want.”

I didn’t respond, just listening silently, agreeing that I didn’t know what I wanted—though which aspect he was referring to, I couldn’t be sure. There were just too many areas that fit the description…

“I think this is a good opportunity to explore and try things out.” Aether gave me a faint smile. “When you’re ready, we can talk about how to ‘commit.”

“Oh…” I scratched my chin, feeling like he’d implied he was willing to wait.

“But right now, I’m more interested in your ‘well-built’ Altai Wapiti senior.” Aether flashed a mischievous grin, showing the tips of his fangs.

“Aether…” I protested weakly, too overwhelmed to care about my flushed ears.

“I’m really curious about the details, you know.” He laughed, clearly enjoying teasing me. “If you’re willing to share your experiences, then maybe…” Aether let his words hang, until I couldn’t resist looking up to meet his gaze. Only then did the black wolf continue, “Maybe I’ll share some of mine.”

“Eh?” That was all I managed to say, as if my brain had short-circuited.

“What?” Aether grinned, his sharp white teeth gleaming. “You think you’re the only one with ‘experiences’?”

“I…” I still hadn’t regained my ability to speak, unsure why he emphasized that word, so I curled up into a ball, pressing my hands over my head.

“Whenever you’re ready.” Aether’s voice came through the screen with a light-hearted tone. “I said I’d wait until you were.”

After a prolonged standoff, Aether finally coaxed me into stammering out the details of that day. When he laughed at Kotetsu senpai’s remark of “That was quick,” I realized that I no longer had a single shred of self-respect left.