Minutes had passed since Davyn asked his question. The captain's index finger was still pointed at Kael's chest.
He had seen the pendant earlier at the ruins, before they had returned to the guild. But the timing hadn't been right to ask.
Garry, Mira, Thorne, and Elda glanced at their captain. Then their eyes moved to Kael.
Kael's hands came up instinctively. Both palms pressed flat against his chest, covering the pendant beneath his shirt. His fingers curled inward, and protective.
The air at the table grew heavier as Kael's brow furrowed.
Mira, sitting beside Davyn on the opposite bench, swung the back of her hand into his shoulder.
"Hey!" she snapped. "You're making the kid uncomfortable."
Davyn blinked. He looked around—at Mira's glare, at the others watching him, at Kael's small frame hunched forward defensively.
He forced a smile, dropped his hand, then leaned back and raised both palms in a playful gesture.
"Relax, kid. I was only curious, that's all." His tone softened. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Hendrik, who had been silent the whole time, leaned toward Kael. The bench creaked under his weight.
"It's alright, lad," he murmured. "These aren't bad people."
Kael lifted his head toward Hendrik. He felt small under everyone's gaze. His throat felt tight, but he spoke anyway.
"The people who took me…" His voice cracked. "They were after my pendant too."
Hendrik's eyes went wide. He scanned the table—saw the same realization dawn on the others' faces—then looked back at Kael.
"What do you mean?"
Kael's fingers tightened around the pendant beneath his shirt. The metal pressed hard into his palm.
"They were going to kill me," he said. "If I didn't tell them how I got it." He paused. "But the girl—the one with the same hair as me—she told them it was hers. That's why they didn't kill me."
Hendrik's jaw clenched and his left hand on the table curled into a fist. The veins in his forearm stood out, taut beneath the skin.
Davyn's eyes dropped to Hendrik's hands. Then back to Kael. The others noticed too, but no one spoke.
Hendrik's voice came out low, barely controlled.
"Do you remember the faces of any of the men who took you?"
Kael nodded. "I do."
He looked up at Hendrik. His eyes were slowly filling with water, blurring the merchant's face.
"I remember a fat man," Kael said quietly. "He had one gold tooth, and his fingers… they had a lot of rings on them."
The C-rankers exchanged glances.
A nobleman?
Hendrik's fist slammed into the table. The sound cracked through the space. The empty plate and cup jumped once, rattling against the wood before settling.
Kael flinched. His shoulders jerked inward, his hands pulling tighter against his chest.
"That pig!" Hendrik's voice was sharp, edged with fury. "I'm going to kill him."
Kael's breathing quickened. His vision slowly blurring out.
Mira raised a hand toward Hendrik, her voice calm but firm.
"Calm down, Hendrik." She gestured subtly toward Kael. "You're scaring the kid. And besides, the city watch has already taken all the men who took him."
Hendrik's head snapped toward her. His brow furrowed.
"…!"
Davyn sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaustion written across his face. This was his fault. He'd asked the question that turned the air tense.
He glanced at his teammates. They were quiet. No one seemed willing to break the silence. Then he looked at Hendrik. The merchant's jaw was still tight, his eyes still burning. The man clearly knew what would happen—the nobleman would buy his freedom and walk away clean.
Finally, Davyn's gaze dropped to Kael.
"Kid," he said quietly. "We're not bad people, y'know."
Kael looked up. Something in Davyn's tone was different now. It sounded more sincere.
"I saw that blonde woman earlier," Davyn continued. "She was kind to you, even though she's nobility." He paused. "I figured it was because of your pendant. That's why I asked."
Kael sniffed. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, then let both hands fall to his lap. He kept his head lowered.
"This pendant… is a gift from my mother," he said softly. "Before she died…"
The table went quiet. Everyone glanced at each other.
Kael looked up at Hendrik. The merchant's expression had softened, worry creasing his face.
"…she asked me to show it to someone," Kael continued. "Someone called Veylin."
Hendrik's eyes went wide. Understanding flooded his face. His mouth opened slightly, then closed. A faint smile tugged at his lips. He reached out, his hand settling gently on Kael's head. His fingers moved through the silver hair.
"I see," Hendrik murmured. "You could have said so sooner."
Kael stayed quiet, avoiding Hendrik's warm gaze.
"D-did you say…"
Elda's voice cut through the moment and everyone turned toward her. Her eyes were locked on Kael, narrow and intense.
"Veylin?"
Kael looked up at Elda. His brow furrowed.
"Y-yeah," he stammered.
Thorne turned toward Elda, sitting beside him. One eyebrow raised.
"You know who Veylin is?"
Elda nodded. Her eyes stayed on Kael.
"Yeah. He's the headmaster of the academy."
Thorne's eyes narrowed.
"The Emberfall Academy?"
Elda nodded again. A small smile tugged at her lips. She turned to face Thorne.
"Not just that. Master Veylin is also the great mage of the magic tower in the Citadel of Dreams."
Davyn clapped his hands together. The sound cracked through the space. Everyone's attention snapped to him.
"Great!" he said. "All we have to do is get him to the magic tower, right?"
Elda looked at him, then shook her head.
"It's not that simple."
Mira and Garry—who hadn't spoken since—followed the conversation in silence. Their eyes moved from Davyn to Elda.
"Master Veylin is no ordinary figure," Elda said. "In order to see him, you must be in the academy or an apprentice in the magic tower."
She paused to take a breath.
"Being an apprentice is out of the question. Kael has no mana. So he can't use magic."
Kael's face flushed red. He turned his head away and his eyes dropped to the table.
"What about the academy?" Mira asked.
Elda looked at her. She brought a finger to her jaw, tilting her head slightly. A moment passed. Then she looked back.
"That would also be difficult. To get into the academy, you need extreme talent—for swordsmanship or magic mastery." Her voice grew quieter. "It's easier for noble children. But for us commoners… it's the only way."
Davyn sighed. He leaned back slightly, the bench creaking beneath him.
"So basically," he said, "there's no way to get the kid to this Veylin guy?"
Elsa went quiet, her eyes darting from one to another.
Then Garry spoke.
"Maybe if we train the kid, he'd be able to give it a shot?"
Everyone turned to the stocky man who met their gazes calmly.
Davyn stroked his jaw, his fingers brushing over his neatly trimmed beard.
"Good point," he said slowly. "If we train the kid, he'd definitely have a shot."
He turned toward Hendrik.
"What do you say, old man? How about we take Kael in from here on out and train him?"
Hendrik looked down at Kael. The boy had been watching quietly the entire time, his small hands resting in his lap.
Hendrik smiled.
"What do you think, lad?"
Kael gave a small nod. Slowly, he lifted his head. His eyes were barely visible beneath his silver hair.
"I would like you all to train me," he said quietly.
"Well," Hendrik said, looking back at Davyn. "You heard the kid. Can I leave him in your care?"
Davyn spread his arms wide—nearly hitting Mira and Garry.
"Of course, old man. We're all family in this party. Kael would be no exception."
Hendrik smiled. He rose slowly from the bench, his knees creaking.
"Thank you. He'll be in your care."
Kael's eyes followed him. His head tilted up.
"Where are you going?" His voice was thin.
Hendrik reached down. His hand rubbed Kael's hair playfully. Kael closed one eye.
Then Hendrik dropped to one knee. His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"I'm heading back to the guild of builders. I need to get my permits back so I can work as a merchant again." He paused. "You stay with these folks for now. They're good people. They'll take care of you. I'll check on you from time to time, so don't worry."
He stood then his hand moved from Kael's hair to his small shoulder.
"Look into the destruction of Oakhaven for me, will you? Whatever did that is still out there somewhere."
Davyn's gaze caught Kael pressing his lips together tightly. Then he spoke up.
"You bet. We'll take it up as a request from you too." He grinned. "If it's really a talking demon, it'll be worth it. Killing one would finally get us some respect and recognition."
Hendrik nodded. Then he turned and walked out of the guild hall.
The sound of his boots faded.
Mira raised an eyebrow, her eyes fixed on Davyn.
"You do know that killing a demon is no easy feat, right? Let alone one that talks."
Davyn avoided her gaze. His eyes moved up to the roofing beams of the guild hall.
"Please."
Kael's voice cut through the air—sharp, and sudden. Everyone turned to look at him.
"I need you all to help me find it… and kill it."
His small frame was rigid. His hands were fists on the table. His eyes were narrow, his brow furrowed.
He stared unblinking at the stunned adventurers.