When Illusionary Feather woke up the next morning—having only seemed unconscious but actually asleep—he slowly opened his eyes. Right before him, nose to nose and forehead to forehead, was a face wearing a serene expression, clearly sleeping soundly. A smile unconsciously crept onto Illusionary Feather’s lips, then he froze.

Wait—what’s this situation? Why is Blazing Heart sleeping so close to me? She usually sleeps beside me, not like this.

As he thought this, his eyes darted left and right. Things got worse: Belka slept peacefully on his left, while Misa pouted with cat-like lips on his right.

This… this is out of control. Should I escape first? If Lily and Kerdling see this, explanations will be useless.

Just then, his gaze drifted right past Misa. On his work desk, two figures lay sideways facing away. Closer was a golden-haired girl; farther, a waist-length black ponytail swayed lively. Both seemed to have fallen asleep at the desk.

Lily and Kerdling… am I… still dreaming?

To confirm, Illusionary Feather lightly bit his tongue. A sharp pain shot through him. Faced with reality, he dramatically pretended to faint.

By the time sunlight flooded the room, Belka woke first. Then Lily and Kerdling stirred simultaneously. Seeing the two extra people on the bed, they gasped in shock. Kerdling stammered, “S-senpai… why are you two on the bed? Weren’t you in the living room last night?”

Lily frowned, seemingly unsurprised. “Belka-nee and Misa-nee, get down now! And Blazing Heart—why’s she in that position with that pervert?”

Roused by their voices, Misa and Blazing Heart sleepily snuggled closer to Illusionary Feather. Trapped between them, his blood boiled. Belka and Misa’s chests pressed against his arms; Blazing Heart’s small chest still sent tingles through him, especially with her breath warming his face.

Just as he neared his limit, Illusionary Feather vanished from the bed. Blazing Heart crawled onto the mattress. Belka, Misa, Lily, and Kerdling all stared in astonishment.

Right—as expected. One of Dragon God Continent’s two mysterious, powerful mages: the Spatial Mage. The other? The Temporal Mage.

By the time they recovered, Illusionary Feather reappeared at the door, fully dressed. He feigned surprise. “Why are you all here?” The question stunned them. They’d been here all along—why did he remember nothing? Could it have been an unconscious teleport? Legends said Spatial and Temporal Mages instinctively evade danger without awareness.

Realizing this, the four quickly covered for him.

“Yay~! Little Feather, we carried you back after you fainted yesterday!”

“Feeling energetic again, kouhai?”

“Pervert, you okay?”

“Illusionary Feather, recovered so fast?”

Hearing them, Illusionary Feather understood: they hid the incident and respected his rare magic.

“Oh, I’m fine. Breakfast together?” He gladly played along.

After breakfast, they left for class.

Illusionary Feather stayed in his dorm to avoid awkwardness. That afternoon, materials arrived. Delivery staff eyed him with deep reverence—rumors had spread.

He holed up for three days. Belka and the others visited whenever free.

On the third morning, ten black-clad figures reached their map’s endpoint in Dragon Rearing Mountain’s northern range. A hidden cave, invisible without the map or sharp eyes.

No traps guarded it—the digger likely trusted this otherworldly realm and its dragon guardians. Inside, the cavern was bright and empty except for black fragments at its center.

“Boss, there’s nothing! Were we tricked?” One man regretted aloud after scanning the space.

“Yeah, boss. Truly empty,” another agreed.

“Boss… only those black shell-like shards. Nothing else,” a third observed carefully.

“…”

Murmurs rose among them.

“Idiots!” their leader snapped. “The treasure we seek came from that ‘eggshell’!”

Silence fell. They crowded closer.

Those black pieces weren’t eggshells—they were Spatial Shards.

After deliberation, the leader gave orders. They searched thoroughly but left disappointed.

As they exited, another group in matching uniforms entered Dragon Rearing Mountain’s Teleportation Array. Their colors matched, but insignias differed slightly. Simultaneously, far away at Dragon Tamer Academy, Academy Head Maria Bella summoned the StudentCouncil and Disciplinary Committee.

Illusionary Feather finished lunch slowly after hearing the summons. Then he drove his Magic Vehicle to the Integrated Tower with Blazing Heart.

On the 52nd floor, Maria Bella’s office was packed. All StudentCouncil members stood present except Illusionary Feather. The Disciplinary Committee? Familiar faces: Avira leading, followed by Sophia, Misha, and barely noticeable Koya. Since when were they on the committee?

Maria Bella answered his unspoken question. “Other Disciplinary members are on missions. Avira chose replacements.”

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.” Her words made all but Illusionary Feather, Blazing Heart, and Koya snap to attention.

Illusionary Feather slipped to the very back of the StudentCouncil group.

Maria Bella detailed everything. Shock rippled through them—others could use the Teleportation Array? After stressing the severity, she outlined the mission.

Discussions ceased. All listened.

“I gathered you for StudentCouncil and Disciplinary Committee cooperation. The enemy is unknown; I trust no one else.” She glanced at Illusionary Feather, who stared elsewhere, unsurprised.

“I know your factions feud. I ignore petty squabbles, but this is critical. No personal grudges.” Her gaze flicked to Belka and Avira. They exchanged a glance, silent.

“With other Disciplinary members absent, your task is tracking both intruder groups. Capture them if possible; if not, fine.”

“You’re joking,” Illusionary Feather scoffed. “From your description, they can activate Teleportation Arrays. How can we few catch two groups?”

The room froze. No one dared speak to the Witch like this.

“No time for arguments. Questions later—in private.”

“If that fails, scout the area. Find clues even if you lose their trail. Prioritize survival. Retreat if outmatched. Your lives matter most.”

Maria Bella finished. Nods followed. Waving them off impatiently, she added, “Oh—and choose your own team leader.”

They dispersed. Illusionary Feather had nothing to discuss with her and left.