Returning to the present time, John's group, along with Marcus and Peter, had completed their preparations and gathered their forces.
At the moment, everyone was assembled near the city of Aldor.
The entire team assigned to infiltrate the city directly consisted of ten people, with Captain Marcus as the commander.
From the Adventurers' Guild, Guildmaster John would participate. Besides John, there were two other adventurer teams.
The first team included Leon and Amy, both veteran B‑rank adventurers known for their strength.
The second team consisted of Orson and his two companions, Conal and Beck.
In this group, only Orson had reached B‑rank, while the other two were still at C‑rank. However, having fought together many times, their teamwork allowed them to perform beyond their usual limits.
Finally, from the Church of Light, Bishop Peter had arrived, bringing along two Holy Knights.
The first was Ethan, a man with short blond hair and a masculine face.
He had a tall, muscular build, and when standing behind Bishop Peter, he looked every bit the reliable guardian.
The second was Clara, a young woman with neatly braided brown hair to one side. Though not particularly beautiful, her bright, sharp eyes left a strong impression.
In contrast to Ethan's powerful physique, Clara appeared rather petite. Aside from a bit of muscle gained through regular training, she looked much like any ordinary girl one might meet anywhere.
Still, since she was one of the two chosen by Bishop Peter to accompany him, everyone understood that her abilities were far from ordinary.
Alongside these ten individuals, a group of Griffins had also been assembled.
Griffins were classified as rank C Magical Beasts, known for their distinctive appearance. Each had the tail, body, and hind legs of a lion, and the head, wings, and front talons of an eagle.
Unlike wild Griffins, the ones here were carefully raised, cared for, and trained by the military from birth. Because of that, each one was considered a highly valuable asset.
They would serve as mounts, playing an important role in this mission.
Marcus: "So that's our current situation and the tasks ahead. Does anyone have any questions?"
After explaining everything once more in detail, Captain Marcus spoke loudly and clearly.
Conal: "I have a question. What's that kid doing here?"
He pointed his finger toward one direction.
There, everyone could see a black‑haired boy with a rather feminine face, sitting for some reason on Amy's lap.
The boy was engrossed in reading a thick book in his hands.
Amy, meanwhile, seemed quite fond of him. She hugged him from behind and cheerfully chatted about topics related to magic.
Mage Conal, one of Orson's teammates, hadn't forgotten that the boy sitting there was the one who had broken his arm before.
Seeing that same kid now, comfortably and happily sitting on the lap of adventurer Amy, made him feel extremely jealous irritated.
Marcus: "That's Tris. He's actually the first person who discovered the anomaly in Aldor and provided us with those valuable details. Guildmaster John, Bishop Peter, and I have discussed the mission with Tris, and we agreed to let him participate as an independent operative rather than under my direct command."
Conal: "Are you sure that's not a problem?"
In truth, Conal's question was one shared by several others present.
After all, letting a child take part in such a dangerous mission was already strange enough, allowing him to act freely on his own made it even harder to understand.
Hearing that, the faces of Marcus, John, and Peter all tightened slightly, showing signs of frustration.
In reality, there wasn't much they could do, since Tris had made it clear that he would continue acting on his own.
The boy already had his own means and methods to infiltrate the sealed city. He needed no further assistance from them.
At the same time, he had declared that he would provide certain support once Marcus's group began their operation. Considering his contributions so far, such help was more than welcome and worthy of respect.
Neither Marcus nor John was foolish enough to try forcing Tris to obey their orders, which would only create conflict and risk losing a valuable ally at this critical moment.
Moreover, with their seasoned eyes and experience, both Marcus and John had already glimpsed a portion of Tris's strength when they saw him charge directly into their position atop a black horse earlier.
Possessing such ability at such a young age was already terrifying. Coupled with his mature way of speaking, it made them wary of treating him as just an ordinary child. In fact, they even regarded him as an equal when speaking with him.
John: "We have considered this carefully. This is the best course of action for now."
The Guildmaster's words carried authority and credibility, putting an end to the doubts.
His reputation and capability reassured the others, leaving no further questions about Tris's unusual participation.
Though still harboring some personal resentment, Conal accepted John's judgment as trustworthy.
He sat quietly, refraining from further objections, though his eyes remained fixed on the boy with a bitter glare.
Sensing the unfriendly gaze upon him, Tris lifted his head and met Conal's eyes.
With just that brief exchange, Tris seemed to understand everything.
He responded with a gentle smile, leaned back into a more comfortable position, and returned to reading his book.
Since he was still seated on Amy's lap, leaning back caused his head to rest lightly against her chest.
Seeing this provocative posture, Conal clenched his teeth and fists, veins bulging across his hands and forehead.
Conal: '(╬╯▔皿▔)╯Son of a bitch. That brat is definitely doing that on purpose.'
The small friction between Tris and Conal went unnoticed by the others, who were focused on more urgent matters.
Having finished addressing everyone's questions, Captain Marcus finally raised his voice and declared:
"Then let our mission begin."