"So... who are you exactly?" I asked curiously as I saw the person sitting down.

"I already told you, I'm Silvantes," the person replied calmly.

"Well, I wasn't asking for your name. I meant, why are you alone running to this academy in the middle of the night?" I questioned.

"Huh?" The person looked slightly surprised. "Is this place actually an academy? I thought it was just a small town, so I came in to take a break."

"You're quite relaxed considering this place is quite different from the town. At least there was a sign with the name of the academy when we came in, but obviously you didn't see it," I remarked.

"I see. Well, you should finish your meal and leave quickly. There are some shady characters around here, so you better be careful," I advised, then returned my focus to the drone's screen.

"Shady characters?" The person suddenly seemed interested and asked further, "Did you hear the explosion from earlier? My friend is fighting those guys because they are experimenting on innocent people."

"What!" The person seemed genuinely shocked. "I thought it was just some monster causing the explosions themselves! Turns out there's a battle happening above! Why are we sitting here then? Those people harm the innocent, we should go eliminate them!"

"Are you serious?" I asked, looking at him.

"Absolutely!" The person seemed earnest, indicating that his sense of justice was sincere.

Oh my, so noble. As someone who was just coasting by, encountering such righteousness was overwhelming.

"Even though you say that, we currently have no way to get up there," I shrugged, "Those who can fly have already gone up, so it's best for us to wait here."

"How can we just wait! What if those who went up fail?" the person exclaimed.

"Fail..." I pondered for a moment before smiling. "That possibility probably doesn't exist."

"Even if you have great confidence in your companions, you shouldn't be so reckless! Even if you don't go, I will," the person declared, finishing the food Quark had served, then grabbing a weapon and heading out.

"Hey hey, running around after just eating isn't good for your stomach," I called out as the person left.

"Got it!" Surprisingly, the person responded.

"I say Quark uncle," I started, but he cut in, "Don't call me uncle, I'm not that old."

This person was quick-witted as well. "Alright Quark, is there a way up from here?"

"Well... it's not exactly impossible," Quark considered before continuing, "But it's not exactly a walk in the park. Climbing... more or less, you'd have to use the rope to ascend bit by bit. It's very dangerous since you can't be sure if the rope is sturdy."

"Tsk tsk tsk," I shrugged. "How can there be such a naive person? Too innocent, don't you think?"

"Probably just a new mercenary? Times are tough nowadays, and many kids end up becoming mercenaries at a young age. I saw the emblem on his chest; it's a rookie one," Quark remarked.

"Oh... I see," I stared at the screen, thinking. "Tsk, that guy, with such a strong sense of justice, will likely end up disillusioned with the mercenary occupation in the future."

"Well, young people tend to go through such a phase. They'll get used to it," Quark replied.

"That's true..." I remarked, watching the figure go further away. "Since we've crossed paths, it must be fate. Helping out a bit is the least we can do."

"Wait, are you planning to go up as well? How are you guys..." Quark trailed off, seeing my actions.

"It might be troublesome," I scratched my head and stood up. "But I suddenly remembered I have some spare equipment. I can use it now. Oh, and Pure White is here too. Without two people operating it, this thing can't be used effectively for combat."

I summoned a robot I had developed before, or rather, a mechanical griffon called Pure White, causing Quark to gasp in surprise as it landed with a thud.

"Wow! What is this..." he was astonished.

"A mechanical griffon. I took the body of a griffon, added some mechanical modifications, and now I'm using it," I explained with a smile. "But griffon bodies are rare, and airships are becoming more common, so I haven't used it in a while."

"Airship?" Quark looked puzzled. "It's just something that can fly, Pure White, you go in from the front. You handle the movement, and I'll operate weapons from above."

"Understood," Pure White nodded and sat inside the open mechanics of the mechanical griffon.

The metal armor on both sides slowly closed, encasing Pure White inside.

"Oh, and what about that hesitating kid?" I turned to Silvantes and questioned, "Do you plan to come up too?"

"Of course!" Even though the person was originally walking towards the mountain, they returned with curiosity when they saw me summon the mechanical griffon and stood by observing.

Considering the person's name was shining through the trees, how could they not be known?

I hopped onto the griffon and pulled Silvantes up. "Hold onto the handle there, or you might fall."

At level 30, this person should be strong enough, right?

"Okay, got it!" The eager expression in his eyes made me realize he was indeed a kid.

"Good! Let's go!" I declared, and with a magical ripple from the griffon's wings, we took off into the sky!