About half an hour earlier
Lys, Sara, and Tresta were walking along the path from the outer settlement toward the village walls.
Lys carried Tresta's two bags in one hand and kept the bow he took from Tresta's home slung over his shoulder. He had not put any of it down since they left the crowd of people they left behind, even though sweat ran down his face, as the bow was a little heavier than he expected.
Tresta walked beside him, her steps slow and careful. Sara just stayed on Tresta's other side, watching her quietly. Though she didn't notice Lys struggling to walk with the bow in hand, she definitely noticed how Tresta was struggling to walk by herself.
They passed through the village gate. And the moment they stepped inside, everything felt different.
The market square looked almost nothing like it had when Lys and Sara left earlier.
Most vendors had packed up their stalls or pushed them to the sides of the road. Empty spaces stretched out where people used to buy food and goods. Wagons stood lined up near the bigger buildings, and workers loaded crates onto them with quick, steady movements, as if they were leaving the village.
Adventurers moved through the crowd, helping village workers carry supplies. Some directed confused families, telling them to stay in their houses, or where to go, in calm but firm voices.
"Stay together. Don't panic. Follow the chalk marks," one adventurer called out.
Far down the main road, Lys saw the temple doors wide open. People were carrying bedding and baskets of groceries inside. He guessed Priest John and Vivian had already started making arrangements there.
White chalk arrows marked the main road, pointing clearly toward shelter areas, mainly toward the chapel.
Lys looked around at the hurried footsteps and tight faces. Everyone looked like they were moving with purpose now. There was a kind of urgency in them that came when people finally accepted that the danger was real.
"So they broke the news to everyone," Lys said quietly to himself.
Sara nodded as they kept walking. "Yeah, it looks that way. Words like this spread fast."
"Yeah, I can see that now."
Tresta stayed silent the whole time. She kept her head slightly down and focused on each step. By now, Lys and Sara both noticed how much she struggled. The walk from the outer settlement was long, and her already weak body showed it. Her breathing stayed controlled, but it sounded heavier than it should. Her pace grew slower with every minute, and sweat appeared on her pale forehead.
Lys slowed down to match her steps. "Tresta, lean on me more. It's okay."
Sara moved closer on the other side. "Lys, I can take one of the bags for you. You just let Tresta lean on you. You don't have to carry anything extra."
Lys was about to hand the bags over to Sara, but Tresta shook her head right away. Her voice came out flat and tired. "I'm fine. I can walk on my own."
She kept going forward without accepting their help, even though her legs looked very unsteady. It seemed to Lys that she would rather push through the pain than rely on them more.
He said nothing else about it. He just adjusted the bags in his grip and continued walking. The bow on his shoulder was getting heavier by the second, but he held everything steady. Not showing anything to others, as he knew Sara wouldn't be able to touch the bow even if she wanted to. Only he was the one who was immune to the curse of objects like this.
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Walking slowly but steadily, they reached the front road near the guild building. The entrance looked busy with people going in and out. Sara stopped walking when they were in front of the guild gate.
"Lys, I need to go inside now," she said. She looked at Lys, then at Tresta. "I have to find Vessa, Rhuvia, and Priest John. We need to figure out the living spaces, food supplies, and the rest of the logistics. Take Tresta to your house first. Get her settled in. And then come join us at the guild if you feel good."
Lys nodded. "Got it. I'll just take her to my house and get her settled first, before coming back."
Sara gave Tresta a small, respectful nod. "Well then. Rest well, Miss Tresta."
"Uhh…" Tresta was about to say Sara didn't have to mention her as Miss, but before she could say anything, Sara turned and walked quickly through the guild's big doors. The big gate swallowed her as soon as she stepped inside.
Without standing around and wasting precious time, Lys and Tresta continued forward along the road. The street felt quieter as they got close to Lys's house, with just the two of them on a whole section of the village road. Only their footsteps and the distant sounds from the market square behind filled the air.
After a few more steps, Tresta spoke without looking at him. "You and that girl are very acquainted, aren't you?"
Lys glanced over at her. "Yeah."
He did not explain further, and Tresta did not ask anything more, either.
They walked side by side toward his house. The village around them looked nothing like it had that morning.
As they turned onto the quieter street near home, Lys spotted a familiar figure moving quickly in their direction.
It was Mitsu.
She was walking at a fast pace, her green dress slightly dusty, and a small bag clutched in her hands. There was worry visible on her face.
When they got closer, Mitsu noticed them too. Her eyes widened.
"Mitsu?" Lys called out first. "Why are you outside? Where are you coming from?"
Mitsu slowed down and stopped in front of them. After catching her breath, she replied, "From the vendor near the market. I went to buy more seeds for the garden. But everything outside is chaos. People were packing up, adventurers were shouting, and everyone was talking about a dungeon break. So, I got scared and just came back right away."
Lys nodded. "Yeah, good thing that you did. We were just coming from the outer settlement. Oh, let me introduce you. This is Tresta. She'll be staying with us."
Mitsu looked at Tresta and gave a small, polite bow. "Nice to meet you. Come, the house is just ahead."
Tresta could see there was no surprise in Mitsu's eyes, even when Lys just brought a woman into the house. That made her curious how the rest of Lys's family would react.
The three of them continued walking together. Mitsu stayed on Lys's other side, glancing at Tresta with quiet concern. They reached the front door of the Veyne house and stepped inside together.