Frostfire Legacy

After registering Octavia as a new party member, the trio wasted no time returning to the dungeon. Soon, they arrived at the party's portable home—a spacious, magical structure that resembled a cozy log cabin. Inside, they were greeted with warm smiles from their comrades.

"Welcome back, Aster," Liz said with a gentle smile before turning her attention to their newest member. "And welcome, Octavia, to our party! We're happy to have you."

"Come, come~! Let's have lunch together!" Cassy added, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "We waited for you to get back, and my belly's already rumbling!"

"Hmph! I bet she won't last a week before we're kicking her out," Tina muttered under her breath, her arms crossed and her expression cold.

Kali, standing nearby, didn't speak but offered an equally frosty glance toward Octavia.

"Ah, about that..." Aster interjected quickly, sensing the tension. "Octavia's actually skipping the one-week trial. She's a full member now."

"…That bastard," Kali grumbled under her breath, already suspecting the cause. "Always meddling in things."

"Oh, isn't that even better?!" Cassy said, seizing the moment to steer the conversation in a positive direction. "Let's have a feast to celebrate! Star's cooking is already laid out on the dining table~!"

Thankfully, Octavia didn't mind Tina and Kali's cold welcome.

"Really?!" Her eyes lit up with excitement. "I've heard about his cooking—it's practically legendary! I can't wait to try it!" She paused, then added with a grin, "And please, call me Little Cloud or Via. Octavia's too much of a mouthful!"

"Then Via it is!" Cassy replied cheerfully. "You can call me Cassy, as everyone else does!"

With Cassy and Liz warmly welcoming her, Via relaxed, allowing the trio to lead her toward the dining table. Meanwhile, Tina and Kali kept their distance, watching warily from the sidelines.

The table was already laden with food that Aster had prepared earlier in the day, anticipating their lunchtime.

"Pyra," Aster called out, summoning the fire spirit tied to his Frostfire Legacy. With a flick of his wrist, a wave of hot air spread on top of the table. Soon enough, everything was warmed to perfection. "Alright, that should do it. Please, help yourselves." Experience new stories on empire

Via didn't need to be told twice. She eagerly grabbed a plate and began piling it high with food. Her first bite elicited a loud, delighted gasp.

"W-WHAT IS THIS?!" she exclaimed, her voice almost shaking. "IT'S SO GOOD!"

Her reaction was so over-the-top that Aster blinked in surprise. But before he could respond, Via's hands blurred into motion, grabbing food at a speed that made the others panic.

"Hey, slow down, winged pig! Leave some for us!" Tina barked, diving in to compete with Via. The two quickly fell into a race, their plates emptying almost as fast as they were filled.

"Hehe, this is pretty normal when Star cooks," Cassy said with a laugh, calmly nibbling on her own portion.

Despite the chaos, lunch wrapped up faster than usual, leaving the group pleasantly full. Via leaned back in her chair, patting her stomach with a satisfied sigh.

"Ah, that was amazing. To think I'll get to eat like this every day now…" But then, she opened her eyes, brows curled in wonder. "But if this keeps up, won't I get fat?"

Her innocent comment sent shockwaves through the room.

"!!!"

The girls froze, their eyes darting to their own bellies and arms. Subtle, self-conscious pinches and prods followed as expressions of horror crept onto their faces.

*CLAP!*

Aster clapped his hands, snapping everyone out of their negatively spiraling out-of-control thoughts. "Alright, everyone. Let's get back on track. It's time to review the information we gathered while we were split up earlier."

The group immediately straightened, their focus shifting back to business.

"Tina, you're up first. What did you find?"

"A-Ah, that…" Tina stammered, her face slightly flushed from embarrassment. "Sorry, darling. I couldn't find anything useful. The Artifact Market was full of nothing but junk."

"I see," Aster replied, nodding calmly. He didn't seem upset, knowing that success often hinged on luck in such ventures.

"Liz and I had better luck," Cassy chimed in, flashing a confident smile. "We picked up some juicy rumors from the Residential Area!"

Liz nodded in agreement. "I've already compiled everything into a neat report. It's ready for review."

The two had been assigned to the bustling Residential Area, filled with restaurants, bars, and other social hubs. Their mission was to gather intelligence, and they had performed admirably. Cassy's charm and Liz's reputation made for an effective duo—Cassy's calm and friendly atmosphere drew people in with ease. At the same time, Liz's status as the daughter of a prominent conglomerate acted as a subtle deterrent against unwanted advances. Of course, Liz wasn't aware that many adventurers already knew of her "hidden" identity.

"Good work. We'll go over your findings in a moment," Aster said. "As for Kali and me, we got the information we needed from the broker. Though…" He paused, sighing at the memory of Natalie's antics. "It cost us a bit more than I would've liked. Still, it was within budget."

With a few taps on his tablet, Aster projected a holographic display into the center of the room. The 3D image shimmered to life, filled with charts, maps, and notes detailing key information about the 101st to 200th floors.

"These are the main points we'll need to consider as we move forward. We'll review them alongside Cassy and Liz's intel."

The group gathered around, their initial frivolity replaced by focused determination. Aster began walking them through the data, highlighting key hazards, potential shortcuts, and rumored treasures. The girls were giving their own doubts and input every now and then, making for a lively discussion.

"..."

As the conversation continued, Via couldn't help but marvel at the team's dynamic. Despite their differences—Tina's fiery personality, Liz's chivalric demeanor, Kali's cold temperament, and Cassy's bubbly charm—they worked seamlessly under Aster's leadership.

"By the way," Liz suddenly asked, breaking Via's train of thought. "What did you think of the broker? Natalie, wasn't it?"

"That's quite out of the blue, huh?" Aster reflexively replied, before thinking. "She's... Quite interesting. Her ability to transfer information is incredible, but she's not exactly easy to deal with."

Aster's gaze slowly turned to Kali, and just as he expected, her face was already blue from recalling their time back then. Liz also noticed this minor change and smiled.

"Figures," Liz said with a knowing smirk.

Via tilted her head. "This Natalie sounds like a handful. Do you think we'll work with her again?"

"Maybe," Aster said, his expression thoughtful. "For now, let's focus on the task at hand. We've got a long journey ahead."

The team nodded in agreement, their attention returning to the hologram. The room buzzed with energy as they strategized, the air thick with anticipation for the challenges to come.

But as they were discussing Aster's mind drifted. Bringing up Natalie's name reminded him of the sad smile she had shown before.

'If I could, I would like to help her out.' Aster thought but kept to himself.