After receiving Alicia’s report, Ryan brought the meeting to a close due to the late hour and dismissed everyone to go to sleep.

The order he left was clear: everyone would meet with him in the morning, right in front of the house, where they would be evaluated and have their skills measured if necessary.

The hours passed by normally until dawn.

The first glimmer of light began to tint the walls of Ryan’s room with a grayish hue.

When Ryan stood up and positioned himself in front of his bedroom window, the first thing he noticed was.

The morning mist, cold and dense, crawled lazily across the village’s white stone floor, giving the place a solemn appearance.

Ryan stepped out into the outer courtyard just as the daylight began to overcome the darkness of the night.

He was immediately greeted by Alicia with the notification that the squads were completely ready; his mind had remained in a state of constant alertness.

There they were, waiting in absolute silence.

Nine figures stood firmly in the center of the courtyard, arranged in a perfect line. Ryan stopped a few steps away and observed them calmly, crossing his arms.

They were six elves and three beastmen. All of them belonged to the A-rank assassin class.

The elves wore light leather armor of a dull black color, designed specifically not to reflect sunlight or emit the slightest sound when moving.

Their silhouettes were slender and their faces remained serious, fixed straight ahead. Beside them, the three beastmen brought a much more imposing air.

Their ears, sharp and covered in gray fur, twitched subtly at the sound of the wind, and their physiques denoted a feline agility combined with a physical strength that the elven assassins did not naturally possess.

Each of the nine carried dual daggers sheathed at the waist. They made no unnecessary movements. They did not speak. The respect they showed toward the figure of their king was evident.

’Alicia really did an impeccable job selecting them,’ Ryan thought as he scanned the line with his gaze.

’Having an A-rank group like this under my direct command still feels a bit unreal.’

Beatrice and Karol appeared a few moments later, positioning themselves on either side of Ryan. Beatrice maintained her usual elegant and dangerous posture, with her arms crossed and a barely perceptible smile on her lips.

Karol, on the other hand, walked dragging her feet a bit, rubbing her eyes due to the early wake-up call and showing a small pout of annoyance on her face.

Ryan took a step forward, catching the immediate attention of the nine assassins.

"The plan for the city’s exploration is already defined. We won’t move in a single large block. That would draw too much attention. We will divide into four separate groups," Ryan decreed in a firm voice.

The assassins nodded slightly in synchrony, digesting the order without uttering a single complaint.

"Three of the groups will be composed of three members each. The fourth group will be made up of myself, and Beatrice and Karol will come with me," Ryan continued, pointing to the two girls beside him.

Karol smiled from ear to ear with flushed cheeks, immediately turning toward him, completely forgetting the presence of the soldiers in front of them.

"So you’re really coming with us?" Karol asked aloud.

Ryan looked at her out of the corner of his eye, maintaining absolute calmness.

"Yes, but as I said before, Karol. I will return early to meet up with Ophelia again," Ryan explained in the natural tone he usually used.

"But how do you plan to return all by yourself? You won’t be able to take the wyvern with you if we are going to a human nation..."

Ryan put his hands in his pocket, then pulled out a scroll. He briefly extended it toward Karol.

"Look, I obtained this when I completed the dungeon. It’s a scroll that uses flight magic, and I’ll use it to return alone. You must remain focused on the mission alongside Beatrice."

Beatrice let out a small, silent laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Alright, I understand," Karol said, realizing that Ryan already had everything calculated and there was no need to raise any objections.

"Curiously, this unusual group of three brings back certain memories for me," Beatrice interjected with a calmness that turned out to be quite terrifying for the mage.

Karol swallowed hard, averted her gaze with a blush as if she had remembered something embarrassing, and murmured something inaudible, finally accepting her position in the formation.

Ryan refocused his attention on the nine assassins, who had remained completely motionless during the brief exchange of opinions between Ryan and the girls.

"Now, for the other three groups, I need you to choose a squad leader. Someone who will make tactical decisions and report directly to Beatrice," Ryan ordered directly.

The line of soldiers shifted subtly. After a couple of quick glances between them and a silent understanding that only experienced warriors possessed, three figures decisively took a step forward.

The three selected leaders immediately knelt before Ryan, placing a hand over their chests in a sign of total submission.

The first was an elf with an extremely sharp gaze and short silver hair; the second was a beastman of robust build and wolf ears; and the third, another elf who maintained a completely serene expression.

"Introduce yourselves," Ryan demanded, standing in front of them.

"Ethan, leader of the first reconnaissance squad," the silver-haired elf pronounced in a clear and respectful voice.

"Void, leader of the second squad," the beastman continued, clenching his fist against his leather armor.

"Jake, leader of the third squad," the last elf concluded, bowing his head slightly toward the ground.

Ryan nodded, taking in the names immediately as he observed the three figures kneeling on the white stone.

"Good. Ethan, Void, Jake. From this moment on, the survival of your men on the outside depends on your ability to keep a cool head. We are not going out to fight; we are going out to gather information. If you are discovered, the priority is to retreat," Ryan declared strictly.

The three leaders raised their gaze at the same time, showing an unwavering determination in their eyes.

"Understood, my Lord," they responded in unison, ready to receive the coordinates for the different areas of the city they were to explore.