High above the city, the streets of Layer One remained calm and orderly.
Luxury vehicles floated silently between towers.
Bright lights reflected off the glass buildings.
It looked peaceful.
But far below them in Layer Two, chaos had already begun.
Rumors spread quickly in the lower layers.
A young noble carrying rare cultivation crystals and a top-tier robot had appeared in the district.
Several gangs began fighting over the possibility of stealing the treasure.
Three thieves were already dead.
Two guild fighters had been seriously injured.
Sanat knew none of this.
He walked calmly beside Lira across the skybridge.
A Question
Lira suddenly stopped walking.
"Can I ask you something?"
Sanat shrugged.
"Sure."
She looked at him carefully.
"Why did you trust me?"
Sanat tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"You followed me to Layer Three."
"You barely knew me."
Sanat thought for a moment.
Then he slowly reached into his coat.
Lira tensed slightly.
But Sanat simply pulled out a small dagger.
The blade was dark silver with faint glowing patterns along its edge.
Sanat held it casually.
"Well…"
"Not to brag."
"But I had this."
The moment Lira saw the weapon—
She froze.
Her eyes widened.
"Where did you get that?"
Sanat shrugged.
"Gift."
"From a Tier-Two Count House."
Lira stepped closer.
"Can I see it?"
Sanat handed it to her.
She held the dagger carefully and examined it.
Her expression slowly changed from curiosity to disbelief.
"…This is insane."
Sanat raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Lira looked at him seriously.
"Do you even know what this is?"
"A dagger?"
She rolled her eyes.
"No."
"This is a Tier-Four weapon."
Sanat blinked.
"Is that good?"
Lira stared at him.
"There are six weapon tiers in this world."
"This blade is only two tiers below the most advanced weapons on the planet."
Sanat whistled quietly.
"Well… that explains why my grandfather insisted I keep it."
Lira handed the dagger back carefully.
"This kind of weapon isn't extremely rare for the upper layers…"
"But in Layer Two or Three, it's priceless."
Sanat slid the dagger back into his coat.
The Story
Lira crossed her arms.
"Why would a Count House give you something like that?"
Sanat answered calmly.
"My father worked for that house."
"He died during an operation that made the house extremely powerful."
"The old man who leads that house grew fond of him."
"So before I left…"
"He gave me a few parting gifts."
Lira studied him quietly.
Then she nodded slowly.
"That actually makes sense."
Sanat raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"If you were very important to them…"
"They wouldn't let you wander around alone."
"They'd keep you close."
Sanat smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
The Invitation
They continued walking through the quiet Layer One streets.
After a moment Lira spoke again.
"You should join my guild."
Sanat looked at her.
"Your guild?"
She nodded.
"My father runs it."
"What's it called?"
"Iron Ruby Guild."
Sanat thought for a moment.
"Tier-Three guild, right?"
She looked impressed.
"You've been paying attention."
"We're not huge," she continued.
"But we have branches in Layer Two and Layer Three."
"And even a small office in Layer One."
Sanat nodded slowly.
"So what's the advantage of joining?"
Lira smiled slightly.
"You're heading to the Royal Academy, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, once you're a student…"
"After about one month, students are allowed to leave the academy to hunt."
Sanat frowned.
"Hunt what?"
"Beasts."
"Dungeon monsters."
"Crystal mines."
She shrugged.
"You earn your own money that way."
Sanat raised an eyebrow.
"The academy doesn't pay for everything?"
Lira laughed.
"Not even close."
"You still have to pay for some advanced classes."
"Special weapons."
"Combat equipment."
Sanat chuckled.
"So the academy trains you…"
"And drains your wallet."
"Exactly."
A Possible Alliance
They reached the main academy transport station.
The giant Royal Academy island floated far above the city skyline.
Sanat looked up at it.
"So…"
"You're saying joining your guild would make things easier."
Lira nodded.
"Exactly."
"You're new."
"You don't know the streets."
"But with a guild…"
"You'll have people watching your back."
Sanat smiled slightly.
"That does sound useful."
Then he extended his hand.
"Alright."
"I'll think about it."
Lira shook his hand firmly.
"Good."
Because in a few hours…
They would both be stepping into the most competitive place on the planet.
The Royal Academy of Astra Prime.
And life there…
Was far more dangerous than the streets below.