When Illusionary Feather brought Blazing Heart back to the spaceship, Belka was pondering their next move. Few people remained aboard. Even with their return, only three would be present—ignoring Koya, who’d been wandering the ship, checking for malfunctions.

At the conference room door, Illusionary Feather knocked. Startled from her thoughts, Belka called softly, “Come in, Little Brother Fei.”

Inside, Illusionary Feather and Blazing Heart found the table buried under documents. Belka hadn’t rested while they were gone. Though he knew idleness was impossible for her, the mountain of papers gave him a headache.

Spotting Belka’s silhouette, Illusionary Feather stepped forward. “Sister Belka, planning our next step?” Blazing Heart stayed silent, leaning gently against him.

Belka was slightly surprised he’d guessed her thoughts. She emerged from the papers. “Hungry, Little Brother Fei? I’m about to eat lunch.”

“Mm, I am,” Illusionary Feather replied. “Working nonstop makes me crave a meal.”

“Then I’ll cook today,” Belka said warmly. “Taste my skills.” She led the way out.

Illusionary Feather and Blazing Heart followed. Belka moved quickly; by the time they reached the kitchen, she was already busy. She’d told them not to help, so they sat obediently at the table. There, a small green-clad figure—Koya—lay sprawled across it, looking utterly starved.

Illusionary Feather felt a strange fondness for Koya. Seeing her like that, he reached out to pat her head. The gesture backfired instantly. Koya bolted like she’d seen a ghost, fleeing to the farthest corner. Though she liked him too, his sudden touch startled her. Beside him, Blazing Heart shot him an accusing glance for petting another girl. Illusionary Feather was trapped in awkwardness.

Belka emerged just in time, easing the tension. She noticed Koya curiously but accepted her presence without question.

After lunch, the four attended their own tasks. Meanwhile, others at three locations began searching outward from their tent, reporting any findings immediately.

Hunting faint traces in the dense, ancient forest was like finding a needle in a haystack—harder, even. But returning empty-handed was unthinkable.

Three teams dispersed simultaneously. Avira and Kerdelin started near the tent, moving slowly but examining every inch. Avira guided Kerdelin, sharing field wisdom. At a massive tree, Kerdelin spotted a hollow and wanted to enter. Avira stopped her: “Nocturnal beasts live there. They’d attack.” Skeptical, Kerdelin watched as Avira threw a dart inside.

Whoosh! A swarm of bats burst out.

Kerdelin wasn’t one to sulk. She listened to Avira’s advice afterward, using it as reference without rushing.

The other teams fared similarly. Misa seemed unserious, treating the search like a picnic, bubbling with excitement. Yet her forest experience helped her and Misha avoid beast attacks and spot minor clues.

Sophia and Lily, assigned east and north, were meticulous observers. Their large area required help; Illusionary Feather joined them, leaving Blazing Heart behind. He alone covered the north most thoroughly.

After the afternoon’s search, everyone handed clues to Belka instead of analyzing via communicators. She recorded everything for later discussion.

Three days later, all returned to the spaceship. They gathered to analyze the clues and find useful ones. The conference room held everyone, including Blazing Heart and Koya—though their presence mattered little.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s start,” Belka announced. “Review your records from these three days. Think hard. Share what’s important.”

They skimmed the summarized documents. Illusionary Feather frowned. The key clue: faint footprints on a tree south of the Teleportation Array hall, stained with black oil. This pointed to a serious problem.

Only one place had such prints: the Rivoss Empire, the southwest’s largest nation! Rivoss was a continental powerhouse, famed for machinery. Unlike the Dragon Tamer Academy, it used gasoline—not magic—to power machines. Nobles avoided its dirty engines, buying from the Academy instead. Rivoss sold cheap, grimy machines to commoners.

Illusionary Feather knew Rivoss was involved. Others agreed; Avira and Sophia suspected them too. Rivoss was a major power with obvious traits—and a bad reputation. Rumors claimed they’d sent agents disguised as Academy students to steal dragons from Dragon Rearing Mountain.

The Academy was the continent’s sacred institution. Such audacity sparked outrage. For a time, even commoners boycotted Rivoss machines. Only after the scandal faded did sales recover.

Everyone thought of Rivoss. But clues were scarce. Accusing them was impossible now; Rivoss had grown too powerful. Even if guilty, people might only gossip privately—not boycott their machines. Rivoss tech now rivaled the Academy’s.

They fell silent, understanding this, then moved to other topics.

As they discussed, dark mist rose from the Teleportation Array in the hall. It shaped into a human figure. A shrill voice echoed: “Master~”