Chapter 281: Matters Arising

Chapter 281: 281: Matters Arising

"I’m an A-rank female now. Nothing new, is it?" Ayra casually remarked with a smile. "So, let’s get down to business..."

"Huh?" Lord Ash blinked. "That was fast... So impressive! How is that even possible?" he asked, scratching his head.

Lord Vale nodded. "Given how impressive the female is, I’m not too surprised."

"Yes, me neither..." Lord Zark agreed with a nod.

Lord Ash folded his arms. "That’s something else... I’ll always be impressed by the female until the end."

Ayra smiled and shook her head at their reactions.

Nyx then asked, "At this rate... will you be able to reach S-rank female?"

Silence fell as everyone turned to look at Ayra. She said nothing, merely smiling casually as she shrugged.

But Commander Lynn sighed before adding, "Don’t be too sad, Ayra. Even if you don’t reach S-rank female, we still love you."

Lord Ash nodded in agreement. "Even as an F-rank female, we’d still love you. So don’t worry too much about it, okay?"

They were all trying to comfort Ayra because they believed it was nearly impossible to reach the S-rank female level in this era.

It was something legendary, a level they had only ever heard about in myths. They didn’t believe it was something that could be achieved so casually, no matter how extraordinary Ayra was.

And so, they consoled her, assuming she might feel bad about not being able to reach such a level.

However, Ayra simply smiled and nodded. "Thanks... I’ll remember that." She then turned to them with a smile. "So, let’s get down to business, shall we?"

They all nodded in agreement and proceeded to discuss the matter that had brought them together.

Commander Lynn began by explaining what had happened during their trip and investigation. He went into detail about how they had spent the entire day waiting without seeing anything unusual.

However, everything changed after Ayra arrived. That was when they encountered the strange monsters.

After finishing his explanation, he added, "So, I think they might have something to do with the strange energy we’ve been witnessing lately, or something even more..."

Nyx sighed. "And what’s even more messed up is that these monsters possess S-rank energy..."

He continued explaining as everyone listened attentively.

"It makes no sense because the monsters don’t look like S-rank beings, nor should they be S-rank at all. They have no business possessing such powerful energy in the first place."

Lord Zark stared at him thoughtfully. "So, what’s your take on this? Do you think someone infused them with that energy to make them attack you?"

Nyx hesitated before nodding. "Most certainly. It’s as though someone experimented on them and infused them with S-rank energy for that very purpose."

Commander Lynn nodded. "That makes sense because, while fighting them, there was an obvious mismatch between their energy and their bodies. They didn’t seem completely compatible at all."

Everyone listened as Lord Vale nodded thoughtfully before sighing.

"So, what do you think this is all about?" He looked around at them. "Who do you think might be behind all this?"

Nyx hesitated before speaking again. "While we’re at it, there’s also an important observation I made."

He looked at them seriously. "The S-rank energy wasn’t just any ordinary S-rank energy. It was extremely familiar... It belonged to the Dark Circle. At least, I could still recognize that energy from years ago..."

As soon as he said those words, silence fell over the room. It was as though someone had uttered something forbidden, and everyone sat quietly, absorbing the revelation.

It took a while before Lord Zark finally nodded.

"I thought as much. I had a feeling they would be behind this. We’ve already started picking up traces of their aura around us, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the ones responsible."

Lord Vale sighed. "Which means our theories were right. They’re clearly back..."

Ayra sat quietly, feeling the fear that had spread throughout the room. She said nothing, merely observing everyone as they sat in silence.

She could tell they were frightened, even though none of them openly admitted it.

Ayra couldn’t help wondering just how terrifying these S-rank Dark Circle monsters must be to inspire such fear in these wild beastmen. Whatever they had experienced in the past must have been truly horrific.

They must be really bad.

"And another thing..." Commander Lynn began, turning his attention to Ayra. "I have a feeling they came because they sensed Ayra’s presence there."

Everyone paused and looked at her.

"I had a feeling that might be part of the reason they’re back," Nyx explained. "Just as the Green Snake Queen mentioned."

Lord Zark nodded. "It’s to be expected, given her energy and everything else. These monsters are clearly drawn to her rare energy, and now they’re back for it..."

Ayra felt a shiver run down her spine as she listened to their discussion.

"Even back then, it was as though they were flooding in from everywhere just to capture her," Commander Lynn added, prompting the others to nod.

"This means we’ll have to protect her properly," Lord Ash declared firmly. "We can’t let them come back and take something precious to us..."

He clenched his fists before continuing, "We’ll do everything possible to protect her, no matter what it takes."

Ayra sat there, staring at them. She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

They had already gone through a crisis that had left them deeply scarred. Now, they were finally recovering from those painful experiences and beginning to live happily again.

But because of her, they might have to go through it all over again.

If these monsters were indeed returning because of her, then she couldn’t help feeling bad about it. She didn’t want her presence to bring more suffering to the people she loved.

But then again, she wondered whether this was fate’s way of giving them another chance to confront their past trauma, face their fears, and finally overcome them.

She could only wonder.

"It’s okay... You don’t have to feel bad about it," Commander Lynn said firmly, looking directly at Ayra. "It’s not your fault at all."

Ayra blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to see through her so easily and realize that she was worried and feeling guilty.

"I..." she began, unsure of what to say.

But before she could continue, Lord Ash spoke up.

"It was bound to happen anyway."