-1505- The disappearances

Afterward, Rozen and his group first arrived at the hotel and placed their luggage there before setting out together to explore Vebel.

Every team that arrived at Vebel did the same.

It wasn't just because many of them were visiting Vebel for the first time, but also due to the fact that, up until now, no one knew how the Sky Wizards Martial Arts Festival would unfold.

When each academic floating city received the invitation for the Sky Wizards Martial Arts Festival, there was only one requirement written: each school must form a specific team to compete, and only one representative team was allowed per school.

As for how to select the team and its members, that was left entirely up to each floating city, somewhat similar to the Seven Stars Sword Arts Festival from the previous world.

However, while the rules and format of the Seven Stars Sword Arts Festival were well known, there was no mention of such details for the Sky Wizards Martial Arts Festival.

In past events, this was always the case. The competition's format and rules were not revealed to the participants until the festival started.

Thus, the method of competition remained unknown—perhaps it would be a ranking match, where teams would battle each other until a winner emerged, or it could be a massive free-for-all, with multiple teams or even all teams fighting at once to decide the victor. There were countless possibilities.

Considering this, without knowing the competition's format or rules, it was essential for each team to explore and familiarize themselves with the terrain and environment of Vebel beforehand.

The teams representing each floating city would, by Mistgun's standards, at least be ranked as A-rank, and there were even some S-rank teams. Everyone was well aware of the importance of being well-prepared in advance.

Thus, one by one, the teams wandered through the streets, exploring Vebel.

It's worth mentioning that the initial cold and desolate feeling they experienced upon arriving in Vebel had disappeared once they entered the city center.

The city center of Vebel was bustling and lively, as expected from such a floating city. There were people everywhere, running stalls, operating shops, and going about their business. Even children could be seen playing in the streets, a sight that brought comfort.

This made the members of the S128 Special Forces Team feel that the odd sensation they had upon arrival might have been a mistake, and they unconsciously relaxed their expressions, strolling around like ordinary tourists.

Of course, though they tried to blend in, Rozen and the others, wearing their Mistgun undergraduate uniforms, were still recognized as Sky Wizards. People around them continuously gave them respectful gazes and bowed in greeting as they passed.

This was not a treatment they received in Mistgun.

"The people here are so friendly," Yuri remarked.

"It's probably because we're Sky Wizards," Kanata noted.

"They're just ordinary people, constantly protected from the Armored Beetles by Sky Wizards, so they hold a certain respect for us," Mina nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat gratified.

"It reminds me of when we were in Rune," Chloe smiled gently.

Rozen also smiled slightly.

Back in Luen, people admired and respected the Sky Wizards, and many parents hoped their children would have the talent to become one.

At that time, when Rozen, Chloe, and Kanata were confirmed to have talent, they, too, received admiring and respectful looks from the adults around them as they walked through the streets.

Especially Rozen, an orphan with an unknown background, found that after his talent was discovered, the families around him would often bring him food and drinks, and the higher-ups even gave him a small house to live in, placing high expectations on him.

This demonstrated the high status Sky Wizards held in the eyes of ordinary people.

However, compared to Rune, the atmosphere in Vebel had an ever-present, oppressive tension, in stark contrast to the simplicity and purity of Rune's rural atmosphere, making Vebel feel more grounded in reality.

Nonetheless, apart from Rozen, no one else seemed to notice this. They continued chatting and laughing as they wandered through Vebel.

Still, amid the cheerful conversations, there were some exchanges that caught Rozen's attention.

"Did you hear? Another disappearance happened last night."

"Again...? Another one?"

"How many people is that now?"

"Don't know, but I heard this time the victim was a member of the council."

"Seriously?"

"Spare me."

"What are the city police doing?"

"Hurry up and catch the culprit already; this kind of Vebel makes people really uneasy."

"Exactly."

"Better remember not to wander alone, or go to deserted places, or stay out too late."

"Got it. I definitely don't want to see my name in tomorrow's headlines."

"Right, definitely."

Similar conversations could frequently be overheard from the passersby, sounding quite serious.

"A disappearance, huh?" Rozen mused to himself.

He made a mental note of this matter before continuing to wander through Vebel with the others.

Then, around noon, after lunch, the group decided to split up.

"I want to talk to the locals and see if I can gather any rumors or small details about what's been happening in Vebel lately," Kanata said, seeming to have sensed something.

"I'll go with you," Mina immediately volunteered.

"I'll head back to the hotel and try to exchange information with the other teams from the different floating cities. Maybe we can learn something useful," Chloe decided, capitalizing on her popularity.

"I'll... I'll go with you, Chloe-senpai," Yuri said, casting several glances at Rozen, as if she wanted to team up with him, but in the end, she decided to prioritize the task at hand, reluctantly saying her piece.

"I'll head to the central library and see if there's any new information or data from the past year," Rozen also had his target in mind.

"Let's split up, but make sure to keep your communication crystals with you at all times. If anything happens, contact each other immediately, understood?" Rozen reminded everyone.

"Understood!" they all nodded in unison before splitting up and heading in different directions.

Rozen watched his team members leave before turning around.

However, Rozen was unable to head straight to the central library.

Because...

"Are you Rorelai Arneet of Mistgun?" A cold and elegant young woman appeared before Rozen from within the crowd.

Seeing the girl, Rozen raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.

The reason was simple—he could sense a familiar miasma from her.

"I am Kirsty Vermilion, the personal secretary to Chairman Zeth," the woman said expressionlessly, looking at Rozen.

"Chairman Zeth has requested your presence. Please come with me, Mr. Rorelai."

Upon hearing this, Rozen smiled.