Nearly three months since coming to Darion had come and gone.
When the contract period with Zelphy came to an end, we gathered in a private room at the Guild to confirm the completion of our contract.
Hawkins was present and handed me a document.
He was asking for my evaluation of Zelphy as an instructor.
The highest rating was an [A], but assigning that meant paying additional compensation.
No matter how good things were, a [B] was the standard maximum.
Across the desk sat the four of us — me, Novem, Aria — facing Hawkins and Zelphy.
Wearing a serious expression, Hawkins explained to me.
"Please write the evaluation you feel is appropriate, Lord Lyle. If Zelphy retaliates against you over this, the Guild will impose severe punishment, so you needn't worry on that account."
Zelphy didn't say anything in particular.
She simply sat there.
Aria stared at Zelphy with a complicated look on her face.
Even after accepting that urgent request, we had continued to gain the knowledge and experience necessary as adventurers under Zelphy's instruction.
I had never once thought these three months were wasted.
On the document, I wrote the highest possible rating: [A].
"…The highest rating. You understand what that means, correct?"
When Hawkins said that, Novem placed money on the table.
Inside the small leather pouch were three gold coins.
Hawkins took it and checked the contents.
The larger the requested amount, the proportionally larger the additional reward had to be.
Of the three gold coins, one was taken by the Guild.
“Understood. Then, I will hand over the additional reward of two gold coins to Zelphy.”
Having received the two gold coins, Zelphy stood up and moved to leave the room.
“What a pain of a job. I’m never doing this again.”
Since taking on the urgent request, Zelphy had maintained a distant attitude toward us.
No, the distant attitude was specifically directed at Aria.
Watching Zelphy leave the room, Hawkins said:
“Not very honest, is she? Everyone already knows.”
Novem agreed.
“This is the only way to get her to accept a wedding gift.”
Indeed.
Everyone knew why Zelphy was acting distant.
And Aria knew that too, which was why she felt conflicted.
Zelphy, retiring from adventuring and marrying a civilian man.
Our additional reward also carried the meaning of a wedding gift for her.
Novem placed a hand on Aria’s shoulder.
“Lady Aria, I believe Zelphy is still nearby. Please go speak with her one last time.”
“B-but… lately she won’t even talk to me.”
As Aria’s spirits sank, Novem shook his head and spoke again with a serious gaze.
"If you don't go now, you'll regret it. We're leaving Darion. There's a chance we may never see each other again... So go."
Told by Novem, whose tone was firmer than usual, Aria left the room.
To go speak with Zelphy.
And then Hawkins placed different paperwork from before onto the table.
"This is your Guild transfer form. And here's your Guild Card, the one the Guild was keeping on file. You really are leaving right away, huh?"
Looking a bit forlorn, Hawkins joked that this would mean even fewer adventurers coming to see him.
I already knew that the Guild had lost one of its executives, and that Hawkins's name had come up to fill the void.
"I can't stay long. For Zelphy's sake, for Hawkins's sake... and it might cause trouble for Ventler as well."
My home, House Walt, still hadn't shown any signs of movement, and that was deeply unsettling.
What frightened me was not knowing what they would do.
Besides, Ventler—the lord of Darion—was the kind of person who would hand me over if it came to that. I couldn't even call that wrong.
When you thought about it in terms of protecting his territory, it was the natural thing to do, if anything.
Darion was small compared to the territory of my home, House Walt. The same held true of its influence over the Royal Capital, Central.
"...Lael seems to have his own circumstances too, so I won't pry too deeply. Still, I hope we can meet again someday."
"So do I. Hawkins, thank you for everything."
I filled out the paperwork.
After submitting the home transfer forms for myself, Novem, and Aria, I received documents from the Guild. They were forms to hand in at the Guild that would become our next home.
When I stood up, Novem stood up as well.
And then Novem thanked Hawkins too.
"Thank you for everything. Take care, Hawkins."
Hawkins was nodding.
He seemed to be getting a little teary-eyed, so we left the room.
It was something I learned only at the end: he had a sentimental side.
Guild corridor—.
“Zelphy!”
Aria spotted Zelphy and rushed over.
Zelphy was scratching her head awkwardly, averting her gaze.
“What? I’m on my way out for a drink,” she said, her tone brusque.
Aria was left unsure of what to say to such a dismissive attitude.
However, Aria had already made up her mind to leave Darion with the others.
She had already moved out and purchased tickets for the connecting carriage to Central.
“…Thank you for everything up until now, Zelphy. I was so sheltered and caused you so much trouble… and I never even stopped to think about how you might have felt.”
Her words didn’t come out easily.
Aria had been disappointed when she saw Zelphy rifling through the corpses of adventurers to snatch their valuables.
But later, she heard that Zelphy had delivered those valuables to the families of the deceased adventurers.
There were times she hadn’t thought things through deeply and had even blamed herself for being disappointed in Zelphy.
Aria wanted to tell Zelphy that she didn’t need to worry about her anymore.
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to find my own kind of happiness. So… you find happiness too, okay?”
Aria looked into Zelphy’s face.
And then, she saw that Zelphy was crying.
"…I'm sorry. Miss Aria. I… I couldn't do anything… All I could do was watch…"
Aria hugged the tearful Zelphy.
She called her the way she used to when they played together at the mansion.
"Thank you, big sister… I'm okay now. So, you need to be happy too, okay?"
Zelphy hugged Aria back.
Aria confirmed that Zelphy's body bore many wounds.
The marks of struggle, proof that Zelphy's family had scraped by after being cast out of the mansion, living hard in Darion.
Despite all that, Zelphy had still acted on her behalf.
In exchange for cooperating with the lord, the Walt family—expelled from Central—had been granted shelter in Darion.
Behind the scenes, they must have gone through so much trouble…
"Zelphy, thank you for everything. I'm okay now."
Aria embraced the one she had once looked up to as an elder sister.
She had finally been able to tell her sister, who had protected her until now, that she was alright.
Novem and I, waiting for Aria inside the Guild, noticed the trio—who had helped us out—approaching.
"Rondo!"
"Ryael!"
Of the adventurers we'd struck up conversations with upon meeting, these three were especially close.
Rondo had fashioned daggers from the rare metals obtained in the Dungeon.
Raaf was using them for his new spear.
Rachel had incorporated the rare metals into part of her staff.
The three of them were decked out in brand-new equipment, fresh off the workbench.
In particular, Lord Rondo's daggers shared the same hilt, guard, and scabbard design as his prized sword. I remembered how delighted he'd looked when he showed them to us for the first time.
"Oh, have you all finished your paperwork too?"
When I said that, Raaf let out a wry smile.
"We actually got here before Riel and the others, but they held us up and it ate into our time. Darion lets adventurers with a certain level of strength through in waves, so it goes fast."
That was one of Darion's hallmarks.
It was friendly to beginners and offered plenty of odd-job-type work that paid well — that was Darion.
On the flip side, it was a tough place for adventurers who weren't beginners to make a living.
But for the Darion Guild, which wanted to keep skilled adventurers on hand, it was a headache of a problem.
"So Riel and the others are heading out soon too? What about Aria? ...Don't tell me she got away."
Rachel said what was on her mind, as usual.
I shook my head.
"Unfortunately, she hasn't gotten away. We're waiting because something else came up. More importantly, are we good on the carriage's departure time?"
At that, Lord Rondo's voice suddenly grew louder, as if the thought had just struck him.
"Both of you, looks like we don't really have much time to chat."
Raaf started hurrying too.
"Right! Then we'd better get going. Give my best to Aria too, will you?"
Rachel turned to Novem.
"Novem, I'm counting on you with Riel. He's hopeless on his own."
Novem giggled and nodded.
"Thank you. Take care, you and Rachel."
And then, Rondo says as he waves at me.
"If we ever meet again, let's have some fun together. Riel... let's meet again!"
I wave back at Rondo as he heads off with a carefree air.
"Yes! Let's meet again!"
The trio departs from the Guild.
Then, Novem murmurs.
"They were wonderful people, weren't they, Master Riel?"
"They really were. I want to see them again. I'll have to become a more impressive adventurer by the time we do."
Looking forward to the day we meet again, Novem and I wait for Aria.
——Meanwhile, on some highway.
Rondo, Rauf, and Rachel, drenched in blood, lay collapsed on the road.
Rondo's prized sword had been mangled beyond recognition, and his dagger had been stolen.
Both of his arms were gone—he barely clung to life on the ground.
But Rauf and Rachel had already stopped breathing.
"Wh-what... what was that thing...?"
The monster, terrifying even just to recall, was no vicious creature or fiend.
——It was a human.
And not just any human—a young girl.
Crawling across the ground, Rondo looks at Rachel.
A large, charred hole gaped in his chest, and his eyes were hollow, with traces of tears still on his cheeks.
Looking at Ralf, he was in worse condition than Rondo himself, having stepped forward to try and help the two of them escape until the very end.
Rondo approached Ralf and, biting onto a part of him that had become light—his hair—he dragged him to where Rachel lay.
Behind him, Rondo's blood seeped into the ground.
His swordsmanship was utterly useless against them.
After all, there were three of them armed with Mana Tools, and they couldn't even touch a little girl.
The cause of it all was an incident that happened on the way to the next city, which they had decided to walk to after coming close to their destination on a connected carriage.
A luxurious carriage had stopped near them.
It was a carriage used by nobles, and its appearance alone made it clear they were not ordinary aristocrats.
"Rachel... Ralf... we're all in this together, forever."
Going over to Rachel's side, Rondo let go of Ralf's hair and pressed his forehead to hers.
They had met when they had just become adventurers, clicked, and struggled together as a trio for several years. Their strength was finally growing, and they had even obtained the Mana Tool they had longed for.
Just when they were on the verge of making it... that monster had set its sights on them.
The monstrous girl spoke words that were hard to believe.
"I'll make you mine. You can get rid of that one with the spear and that other woman. Just go away somewhere."
The frivolous demand of a noble girl who had taken a liking to Rondo.
That's what he thought, but the reactions around them were different.
The girl's parents, who were in the carriage, grew furious, believing Rondo had spurned their daughter's affection.
Because Rondo had refused, saying he already had a girlfriend named Rachel.
And then, the guards who accompanied them took up their weapons.
He had thought he could handle things up to that point.
He was confident in his skills. And he had a Mana Tool.
"Um... that monster..."
But the girl circled behind Rachel first and unleashed her magic in the same breath. It was over in an instant.
Through her tears, all Rachel could whisper was Rondo's name.
Enraged, Rondo and Lath reached for their weapons, determined not to forgive the girl just because she was a noble.
But the moment they drew them, both of Rondo's arms were blown away, and his prized weapons were reduced to fragments.
His sword — a companion he might as well have called a partner — was shredded to pieces like a sheet of paper.
The dagger was in the girl's hand. She had caught it mid-air and now held not just the blade but also the scabbard that had been at Rondo's waist.
He couldn't understand what had happened.
Then Lath stepped in front of Rondo and screamed at Rachel to run.
Even Lath was quickly covered in blood.
Having apparently lost interest, the girl walked away from the scene.
Even now, Rondo remembered the conversation from that time.
"What a waste, squandering Ceres's affection like that."
"Ceres, the outfit we bought for you is splattered with blood! Honestly... we have a party to attend. Even if you change over there, you still need to mind your appearance. You'll need to prepare something for Ceres to wear."
The man and woman who appeared to be her parents hadn't even looked at them.
They were only concerned about the small stain on Ceres's outfit.
"Prepare Ceres's clothes? You expect her to wear something cobbled together around here? Ceres is the jewel of House Walt!"
The girl named Ceres, who just moments ago had held a sword and killed someone with magic, wore a smile on her face.
"Father, I'd like to pick out different clothes once in a while. I want to try going shopping and things like that, so you'll let me, won't you?"
Hearing Ceres's sweet, coaxing voice, her parents were content.
For parents who indulge their precious daughter's every whim, it was a scene that carried an eerie sense of dissonance.
It was Rondo who noticed that the family wasn't paying any attention to their surroundings.
That they had eyes only for their adorable daughter.
The nobles who had whimsically snuffed out their lives simply moved on without a second thought.
Rondo gathered his fallen comrades, scattered across the ground, into one place, and then — as if satisfied — his strength finally gave out.
His last words were barely a whisper.
"…I couldn't keep…my promise."
And quietly, Rondo closed his eyes—.
After disembarking from the linked carriages, we arrived in Central.
It was my second visit, but this time the purpose was to go shopping in Central.
In Darion, the selection of sabers available was limited, and at the same time, I needed to decide on the next place to call home.
Since it would be easy to travel from Central, that was why we came.
"Well, we've arrived. Shall we spend some time at the inn for now?"
Novem replied.
"Spending some time in Central might not be so bad. Though, we can't stay long enough to make it our base."
Central is cold toward adventurers.
Or rather, it doesn't particularly need adventurers.
Even when monsters appear in the surrounding areas, the knight order or soldiers are dispatched to handle it.
Even the menial jobs are contested in Central, which overflows with people. Unlike Darion, it's not a suitable place to call home.
But as the nation's heart, it's a major city where goods and information converge.
Aria wore a complicated expression.
"I was kicked out, so I can't work as an adventurer here either. I might be able to stay for a visit, but to live here, I wouldn't get permission."
It seemed that Aria, the daughter of the Rockwood family who had been expelled from Central, was not permitted to reside here.
"Shopping and information gathering. I'll focus on acquiring whatever we need."
Most of the necessary items were already provided for.
They had weapons, but he wanted to possess ones that didn't consume mana.
The Jewel could be turned into a greatsword when needed, but relying solely on that would likely lead to problematic situations.
"Will you be visiting weapon shops, Master Lyle?"
Novem asked, and I answered.
"While I'm at it, I'll look at armor too. I'd also like to stop by a bookstore."
The bookstore was a request from my ancestors.
I touched the Jewel.
It was quieter than before, likely because the First Generation was gone.
They were always a noisy one.
"Well then, shall we look around the shops in Central? Aria, do you know of any famous shops? Weapon or armor shops, bookstores... anywhere worth visiting, I'd like to hear about it."
Novem asked Aria if she had any recommendations.
Aria then listed the names of several shops she had heard of.
"Central has many skilled craftsmen for weapons and armor, since it's the capital. But the prices... For bookstores, there's one with a great selection. There's also a library, but that would take too much time..."
When I heard the word "library," I thought it over for a moment.
(If I had the time, I'd like to stay a while, but lingering too long isn't ideal either.)
Central eats through your money no matter what.
It has everything, but that also means more cash flows out here than anywhere else. Prices are steep.
While I was wrestling with the decision, Novem offered her advice.
"Regarding libraries, Aramsass is said to be the finest in the world. It's a famous academic city, after all."
Aria nodded as well.
"I know it. If I recall, it's a city that draws talented young people from far and wide. But the lord was absent there too, wasn't he? I think I heard that the scholars of that city elect representatives to make decisions on various matters. Is it the same as Baim?"
Baim was a free city—one run by its merchants.
With no lord, it had become a comfortable place for adventurers to live.
"Aramsass or Baim… Either way, let's gather some information before we decide."
With that, I picked up my luggage and started walking to find an inn for the night.
"Hey, you should at least carry your own things!"
Aria hurriedly tried to grab her bag back, but I refused and kept walking.
"Come on, let's go. And Novem, stop laughing and hurry up."
"Yes, my apologies, Master Lyle."
I urged Novem along as she watched Aria and me go back and forth, then continued down the roads of the Royal Capital.
Thinking back to when I'd walked these same streets alongside the First Generation, I could still see traces of the past.
But unlike before, the city had become far more beautiful.
"This place has changed too.
When I murmured that, Aria tilted her head.
"Huh? You've been here before? Besides, this area hasn't really changed at all. Laiel, are you feeling okay?"
I gave a wry smile in response to Aria's suspicious gaze.
"Ah, about two hundred years ago, maybe."
When I said that, Aria looked at me with half-lidded eyes.
"Just kidding. This is my second time. Last time I just stopped by before heading to Darion... that's all."
The sky over the Royal Capital was just as clear and blue as it had been when I walked these streets with the First Generation.