The room they were given was not a beautiful place. But it had everything an adventurer needs when they have to sleep in the same place for several nights without breaking the bank.
Kai was still enjoying his sleep, but was awakened when Rin placed the purse in front of him like a judge delivering his verdict.
"Okay. Let's do this fairly!"
She went out and opened her purse, counted without mistake, and placed three silver coins in Kai's still half-asleep hand.
"We both get our share."
Kai blinked.
She patted him on the head with a smile, then headed for the door with an already impatient stride.
"I'm releasing you for the day, don't look for me today."
Then she disappeared into the hallway before he could answer.
Once he was wide awake, he could easily imagine what she was going to do.
A warm bath, her muscles finally relaxing, the fatigue of the last few days washing away in the water like a bad thought. The mana in the water, discreet, putting her body back in place, like smoothing out a wrinkled piece of fabric. Everything Rin had been asking for for days.
Kai, on the other hand, wasn't in the mood for bathing.
Once he was ready, he returned to the Hall, to the side where you paid for tangible things. A tired-looking steward greeted him without looking up.
Kai leaned on the counter to make his presence felt. "It's for mail."
The steward looked up and smiled too broadly. "Where do you want to send it?"
Kai took a breath. "Solene."
The smile disappeared.
The man rummaged under the counter and unrolled a logistics map. It showed the roads, the relays, the black zones, the "danger" zones, and that long line that crossed the continent like a scar.
He placed his finger on Elronde. Then he traced a line westward. Long. Very long. Passing over forests and mountains marked in black.
"Solene is far away. Too far away. On foot… it's several months."
Kai didn't even have the strength to respond.
The steward continued, neutral, professional. "By road, it's expensive and, above all, very long."
He placed his finger on a small number. "A minimum of fifteen centiars for secure mail. And even then... not guaranteed depending on the season."
Kai felt his stomach knot.
Fifteen.
He had three.
The steward folded the map in half, then reopened it to the center of the continent. "Otherwise, you could try by the dove."
Kai looked up. "The dove?"
"You send it to Eldine. From there, they relay it to Solene."
He tapped a mountain range on the map with his finger. "Except... for a dove, it crosses areas full of monsters. Forests, peaks, currents. Some get caught. Some get lost."
Kai clenched his jaw. "And... how much does it cost?"
"One centiar."
Kai almost wanted to laugh.
The steward shrugged. "It's fast. It's for emergencies. But for your message to get there... you don't send it once. You send it several times."
He finally looked at him properly.
"On a long road like that? Let's say... if you only send one, you're gambling."
Kai waited.
The steward sighed. "I'd say one in ten will arrive. One in five if they fly at the right time…"
Kai looked at the silver coins in his hand.
One in ten.
He could have tried. He could have written three lines, gritted his teeth, and hoped the world would do the rest. But for now, he wasn't yet sure he could survive on those three coins. At least not enough to afford to spend them trusting this world.
Kai put the coins back in his pocket.
"Not today."
The steward nodded, as if it were the most common answer in the world.
"Come back when you have fifteen, then."
Kai forced himself to breathe.
"Thank you."
He left with the map in his head. The road. The mountains. The forests. And somewhere, Solene. His home. His parents. And Ken. And the idea that, to them, he might already be dead.
⸻
Kai didn't dwell on this thought for too long. Because he had a problem to solve. The next day, he was going on a mission with a team. And until then, he had mostly fought with his materialized throwing knives and a fire that didn't belong to him.
That wouldn't be enough anymore. Not in a party. So he did what he always did: he thought and trained.
He went to a training yard behind an annex of the Hall, moving from one thing to another without stopping. Weapons first.
He borrowed a Skill that had already proven itself.
[Rare] Power: Fast Learning. Remaining points: 12
And he forced himself to learn what he had never learned due to lack of time: the balance of a short axe, the recoil of a mace, the tension of a bow and more. He spent his mana without counting, to create all the possible weapons he might need to use. Even a chain and a battle axe, in case he had to replace his new allies.
He wasn't seeking complete mastery. He was seeking the minimum necessary to be useful and make a difference. How to hold. How to strike without breaking his wrist. How to shoot without dislocating his shoulder. How to parry. And all of the above with his left hand in addition to his right.
Then he borrowed another power, simpler, more raw.
[Rare] Power: Agility Boost. Remaining points: 7.
And once again, he trained. To be faster than his own hesitation. So that his reflexes would finally keep up with his mind. To keep his balance when his body shifted into high gear.
His day went from a mixture of inaccurate shots, blows thrown a little too early, clumsy stumbles... to small, consistent victories.
An arrow that finally hit the right spot. A precise blow that tore off part of the dummy. A step to the side that avoided a blow. All this, with no one to applaud. And that was fine.
⸻
When Kai returned to the tavern, he was hungry. And he felt a different kind of tiredness. Not the tiredness of a day's walking or a difficult fight. The tiredness of a body that is learning. He pushed open the door.
And stopped short. Rin was there, looking different. She had swapped her adventurer's outfit for street clothes.
She wore a light, off-the-shoulder white top with puffed sleeves tight at the wrists. Over it, a brown lace-up corset cinched her waist, practical and flattering without being noble. A short burgundy skirt, soft and full, gave her a livelier, almost carefree look. Her chain was no longer wrapped around her arm, and even her hair was down.
She saw him and smiled as if she had been expecting exactly that reaction.
Kai blinked and then smiled. "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm looking for my sister. Have you seen a girl dressed like a delinquent, still walking around with chains on her wrists?"
Rin played along, amused. "Hmm, I think I saw the pretty young lady you're describing. Unfortunately, she disappeared in the baths."
Kai approached, sat down, then looked at his sleeves more seriously. "You... spent it all?"
Rin pretended to be shocked. "Excuse me? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Rin."
She leaned over and whispered to him. "I had some savings."
Kai was silent for a moment. That's right. He had forgotten.
Rin placed both hands on the table, satisfied. "These baths are amazing..."
Kai sighed. "You look... dangerously happy."
Rin closed her eyes for a second, as if reliving the moment. "I think I could survive an apocalypse if I had access to these baths."
Kai shook his head, amused despite himself.
"What about you?" Rin asked. "How much did you spend?"
"Almost nothing."
"Liar."
Kai sighed. Then he explained about Solene. The card. The fifteen centiars. The doves. The "one in ten chance."
Rin fell silent, and for once, she didn't make a joke. "Is it... that far away?"
Kai nodded. "I'll save up. Or... we'll move closer."
Rin immediately resumed her normal voice, so as not to let the seriousness settle in.
"So now, you're going to the baths. After dinner, of course."
Kai looked at her. "Is that an offer?"
Rin stared at him as if the question were stupid. "I gave you three centiars. You can sacrifice a little for a moment in paradise."
Kai was about to protest.
Rin cut him off. "You need it."
⸻
After dinner, Kai did indeed go to the baths. And Rin was right. It was... something else. It was as if someone had taken his muscles and massaged them one by one. All while taking care of his skin and helping him breathe. He had nothing to do but enjoy it.
When he returned to the room late, he pushed the door open silently. Rin was already there, proudly admiring his belongings spread out on the bed. And she had changed again.
This time, it was a loose-fitting, short-sleeved, unbleached linen top, fastened with two small wooden buttons at the collar. And soft, slate-gray cotton shorts, held up by a black drawstring at the waist. Nothing decorative, nothing fragile, just light fabric that doesn't stick when it's hot.
Kai stared at her, surprised.
Rin stared back, immediately defensive.
"What?"
Kai adopted a very serious tone.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I must have got the wrong room."
He immediately left the room and closed the door.
Rin came to open the door for him right away, almost amused. "Stop it, Kai. Next time I'll make you eat the door."
Kai rubbed his eyes. "Ah, Rin, it's you!"
Rin turned back to the bed. "Shut up, Bloodie."
Kai laughed, just enough to avoid getting hit with a pillow or something else.
⸻
Later, they talked about the next day's mission, the road east, and the village of Selis they were going to, as well as its forest. They talked about their new team. Peko and Nao seemed serious, and Towa seemed like someone trustworthy...
Then Kai hesitated. And finally said, "I need a favor."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Oh no."
Kai ignored her. "I want to test something with Thalior."
Rin sat down, intrigued anyway. "Go ahead. I'm curious."
Kai closed his eyes for a second.
The world froze. Then came back.
[Rare] Power: Shared Skill. Remaining points: 2.
Rin hadn't noticed anything. Not a muscle. Not a beat. Kai took a breath.
"I took a rare Skill. It's called Shared Skill."
Rin narrowed her eyes. Kai continued.
"It lets you lend a Skill to someone. Or borrow theirs. While sharing, the lender can no longer use it. Only one at a time. And as soon as one of us wants it, the shared link ends."
Rin smiled slowly. "...It sounds like a scam."
Kai nodded. "I want to try it with Folded Pouch."
Rin blinked. "My inventory?"
"Yes."
Rin hesitated for a moment, then her excitement won out. "Go ahead. Do it. I want to see it."
Kai reached out his hand to her. And naturally, she took it. Rin felt something, not physically, but like a weight had been lifted. And Kai felt the inventory. An inner space, like a fold within itself.
He placed his hand in the void, but mentally he placed it on top of it. A purse appeared, Rin's one.
They both smiled automatically.
"Oh," said Rin.
"...It shares the contents?" said Kai.
Rin leaned in, fascinated.
Kai was about to put the purse back when he felt something else. Lighter, thinner. He began to pull out a small piece of fabric.
Rin blushed. She pushed his hand away as if she could hit the air. "STOP."
Kai froze and the sharing stopped. "What?"
"Nothing. You put it away. You don't touch it anymore."
Kai blinked, completely lost. Then he backed away slightly. "Sorry."
Rin crossed her arms. "I don't like this skill after all."
Kai stared at her. Then, before he could say anything else, Rin turned away.
"Forget it."
Kai nodded, but had no intention of forgetting the result of their test. His eyes sparkled with newfound curiosity.
He used Thalior again for a second.
[Common] Power: Folded Pouch. Remaining points: 0.
This time, he took Folded Pouch for himself, without getting it from Rin. When he opened his inventory, it was empty. Obviously. So he took a kriar out of the small pocket on his belt and slipped it inside.
Rin looked at him sideways. "What are you doing?"
Kai smiled. "Making sure I don't depend on you."
Rin grimaced. "Too bad. I liked having financial power over you."
Kai ignored her, then looked up. "Second test?"
Rin sighed. "Please no."
Kai pointed at her. "This time, I'll lend you a Skill. Would you prefer Fast Learning or Agility Boost?"
Rin blinked. "Agility. I want to see if I can slap you faster."
Kai sighed. "Okay. Agility."
He activated the share.
And Rin moved her hand, concentrating on it to try to notice the change.
Kai picked up a small coin from the table and threw it gently. Rin caught it almost before her head came up. Kai threw a second one. Faster. Rin caught it again, with a growing smile. Kai threw a third one, quite far from her, and this time Rin caught it too easily, as if it were insulting.
"Oh," Rin said, delighted. "I like it."
Kai smiled.
Rin played with the coin for another two seconds, then put it down. "It works well, you can take it back."
Kai shook his head. He smiled. "That wasn't the test."
Rin narrowed her eyes. "Then what was it?"
Kai didn't answer. He just got ready for bed. "We need to sleep, we're leaving early tomorrow."
Rin sighed. "You love playing the mysterious guy too much..."
Kai closed his eyes and smiled. "I know."
⸻
The next day, they met outside the southeast gate before dawn. Nao was already there, calm and ready. Peko too, as if the morning didn't exist. Towa didn't look quite as awake, but he was up and ready. The group set off.
Destination: Selis. To the east.
A long escort. Twelve hours, Nao had said. Rin complained after ten minutes. But the hours passed, and they were almost used to these hours of walking without any action by now. But there were more of them this time, enough to keep the conversation going. And Towa was much more talkative now.
Almost halfway there, they saw a strange camp: tents, guards, stakes, and a commotion that was not that of a convoy.
Towa slowed down. "What's that?"
Nao replied. "A dungeon in formation."
Kai blinked. "Here?"
Peko replied through his summon's voice. "It's been almost three weeks already. Another week or two and it will finally open."
Nao added, "And when a dungeon appears, the mana around it becomes unstable. So there will be more monsters and more work."
Rin made a satisfied sound. "More work... so more baths."
Kai sighed. "Everything comes back to baths with you..."
"You should take more, lil'bro... it would relax you," Rin replied, half-turning her back to him.
Towa looked up. "Lil'bro?"
Nao chuckled, amused. "They're at it again..."
Kai materialized a kind of ball, not hard, a little soft. And threw it, without warning, at Rin. Not hard. Just to annoy her.
Rin caught it. Without even turning her head. Kai stopped dead in his tracks.
Rin turned around, proud. "What?"
Kai frowned.
Rin smiled mockingly. She raised her hand, as if she could still feel something in her body. "You left me with the Agility."
Kai smiled instantly, and let out a small laugh.
Rin looked at him. "Have you gone crazy?"
Kai spoke in a very calm voice. "The day ended hours ago."
Rin blinked in turn.
"So I don't have Agility anymore. I don't have Shared Skill either. Everything has been refunded…" finished Kai.
At that precise moment, a horse appeared in the distance. It was running away from the road and the forest that bordered it. There was a saddle on it, but no rider.