Parallel Memory

Chapter 538: The war council

(Mia frostines POV)

We had just returned from the Elven Kingdom when the celebrations began.

The Authority had pulled every political string available to stir up noise across Etheron. In every district, my ascension to Rank SS before the age of thirty was being broadcast as if it were some kind of divine revelation. My father, ever the politician, capitalized on the moment with a grand banquet that reached even the outer borders of Etheron.

I hated it.

The hall was filled with nobles, military elites, and representatives from the Authority—each one trying to shake my hand or propose an alliance or some veiled favor. None of them cared about what I’d endured or the sweat and tears it took to reach this level. They only saw value. Influence. Leverage.

What I really wanted... was to spend time with Zero.

But of course, I couldn’t. I was trapped in a maze of etiquette, formal dresses, and forced smiles. The entire night, I had to watch Saintess Amelia make small gestures, brushing her fingers against Zero’s arm, leaning in to whisper, laughing a little too often. My blood boiled. I’m not proud of it—but I couldn’t help wishing there were rules... maybe something from the Church that forbade a Saintess from forming romantic ties. Or a social law that restricted such relationships entirely.

The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on me.

Even during our return journey from the Elven Kingdom, Amelia always found a way to linger near him. Her playful demeanor, her ease of speech, and her tendency to act out emotional little dramas... it got under my skin. Sometimes, she’d pretend to argue with him over the smallest things, just to have more time in his attention. But I had one edge.

Unlike Amelia, I had mastered every cooking class in Eldoria. Every. Single. One.

And it showed. When Zero praised the meal I had cooked, the look on Amelia’s face was unforgettable. She didn’t say anything, but I saw her expression falter. She looked defeated.

I couldn’t help but blush with pride. For once, I felt the truth in that old saying: "The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach."

Still... I couldn’t be open about it. Not like Amelia. I had my image to uphold in front of Hiro and the others. I was once their professor. Even though we had started attending classes together back in Eldoria, and they had finally stopped calling me "Professor," after constant requests a part of me still felt the pressure to maintain that distance, that grace.

I wasn’t like her. I couldn’t be so carefree.

But the celebrations didn’t last long.

Just when I thought I might finally have a moment alone with Zero, an urgent announcement arrived. The devils had launched a full assault on Delta Outpost. The atmosphere in the banquet shattered instantly.

Everyone moved.

Zero had his own priorities. When I tried to ask him to come with me to the capital, he shook his head. He looked troubled, and when I asked, he said it was about his parents. That he had to make sure they were safe as they might need to join the war since their rise to a gold grad guild. There was a kind of sincerity in his eyes—one that made my chest tighten.

He wasn’t the type to abandon those he cared for.

I admired that. It made it harder to walk away.

But I had no choice. As a newly-ranked SS individual, I was expected to attend the War Council immediately. I wasn’t just a teacher anymore. Not with this rank. The Authority wouldn’t let someone like me waste away in a classroom.

There were only nine of us in the Human Domain with the SS Rank. Two were in the Authority itself—one of them being Professor Williams’ father. The rest of us? We were being prepared as the pillars of military strength. Guardians of the Domain. Frontline commanders.

Before I left for the Etheron city, I said a quick goodbye to Zero and the others. My heart ached. I wanted to stay. But I knew what was expected of me.

We departed that same evening, riding under escort straight toward the capital. My father had to attend a high-level meeting with the Authority’s political council, while I was expected at the War Council headquarters.

The War Council was a unique body. It operated independently of the Authority’s political structure. While the Authority governed the cities and policy, the Council managed the domains near the high-grade gates. These gates were constantly unstable, and even small mistakes could trigger a regional disaster.

When I entered the grand hall, I immediately recognized some of the others.

Nock—the unshakable tank who had held off an entire siege at Blackcliff Fortress. Seraphine—the fierce close-combat fighter known for clearing corrupted dungeons with nothing but twin swords and terrifying speed. Both of them greeted me warmly;

There were others, too—older warriors. Veterans. I had seen their names in records at the ace acdemy, their faces printed on public posters. Known once as the "Saviors of Humanity," they were like legendary figures. Most of them were in their fifties or seventies now, still strong, still proud.

Valen Drazmir (Age 68)

Ascended at age 46

Achievement: Successfully led the counter-offensive during the Siege of Blackridge, reclaiming three fallen cities in under two weeks using his unorthodox ambush formations.

A seasoned tactician known for his ice-cold decisions and unwavering loyalty to the Human Domain. Once a dungeon raider turned strategist, Valen now serves as the Council’s primary battle planner.

Kaelion Thorne (Age 72)

Ascended at age 45 – the youngest to ascend and the earliest among them

Achievement: Held Gate 09-E alone for 72 hours during a triple-rift event, preventing a catastrophe that could’ve wiped out the Eastern provinces.

The oldest SS-ranked council member, known as the "Shield of Emberreach." A defensive powerhouse who once held back an entire gate breach alone for three days. Calm, patient, and revered by younger generations.

Ilyra Voss (Age 70)

Ascended at age 50

Achievement: Designed and enacted the Temporal Recall System, allowing synchronized long-distance deployments and emergency retrievals of elite squads from unstable gates.

A sharp-tongued elemental mage and the only known practitioner of Chrono-Arts. Brilliant but aloof, she specializes in time-based battlefield coordination and recon magic.

Commander Rurik Halegrave (Age 60 – youngest of the four)

Ascended at age 49

Achievement: Orchestrated Operation Crimson Ash, a covert strike on a devil fortress deep within corrupted territory—neutralizing two S-ranked enemy commanders without a single casualty.

A former commander of the Eastern Legion, Halegrave represents the military front within the council. Charismatic and pragmatic, he’s often the first to suggest preemptive strikes against devil forces.

Seraphine and Nock were younger than the others in their late 50s, and had ascended in their late 40s as a completely new generational talent. Seraphine was known for the rediscovery of Dual Art, and Nock for his unbreakable defence.

As I stepped forward, I introduced myself with a simple nod.

"Mia Frostine. Former teacher at Ace Academy, now deployed as a member of the War council."

They welcomed me with quiet respect. No pomp, no applause. Just silent acknowledgment—soldier to soldier.

I appreciated that.

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