After a while of talking, Benson stretched and stood up.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to move. Go get your stuff."
The group didn't waste time.
They left the guild together and made their way through the city streets toward the gates. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the ground, and for Lily, everything felt… different.
This wasn't training.
This was real.
At the entrance, a carriage was already waiting.
John and Benson climbed up front, taking control of the horses, while Christina stepped inside without hesitation. Lily followed, then Kane, sitting across from each other as the door shut behind them.
John called back, "Sit tight. About a day's journey. We'll stop at a town before night."
The reins snapped lightly.
The wheels began to turn.
The mission had begun.
Inside, the carriage rocked gently as it moved.
Christina sat near the window with a map, occasionally calling directions forward. She looked focused—but not tense.
Which left Lily and Kane with something they hadn't had much of before.
Time.
Alone.
For a while, they stayed quiet, both unsure where to start.
Then Lily leaned forward slightly.
"So… why are you here anyway?"
Kane looked up, almost like he'd been waiting for that.
"Well… my dad told me I have to prove myself as a mage," he said, lowering his voice a little. "If I can't… I have to become a knight."
Lily blinked.
"That sounds like a threat."
"It kind of is."
She let out a small laugh. "What's so bad about being a knight?"
Kane leaned back. "Too stiff. Too many rules. Wake up early, train all day, follow orders…"
"…You just described your current situation," Lily pointed out.
"…Okay, fair."
They both laughed quietly.
Kane tilted his head. "What about you?"
Lily hesitated for a moment.
"I was assigned this mission by my guildmaster."
"That's it?"
"…That's it."
Kane narrowed his eyes slightly. "Feels like there's more."
Lily immediately shot back, "Feels like you're being nosy."
"Hey, I'm just saying—"
"You are being nosy."
"…Okay, I am."
She smirked.
The conversation didn't stop there.
It just… shifted.
They started talking about smaller things.
"What kind of elemental magic do you use most?" Kane asked.
"Fire, mostly," Lily said. "It's simple and effective."
"Simple?" Kane raised an eyebrow. "Fire's like… the most destructive basic magic."
"Exactly."
"…That doesn't help your case."
She shrugged. "It gets the job done."
Kane grinned. "I use wind magic more."
"That explains it."
"Explains what?"
"You talk too much."
"Hey—!"
kane had really opened up to her compared to when they first met.
before he was cold and nonchalant but now he is kind of friendly.
She laughed, leaning back slightly.
Across from them, Christina adjusted the map.
But her eyes flicked up briefly.
Watching the two of them bicker quietly.
The way they leaned in.
The way they didn't seem to notice anything else.
A faint, amused smile appeared.
They're getting along well…
She didn't say anything—just returned her attention to the map, as if she hadn't noticed at all.
As time passed, the conversation drifted again.
This time, softer.
"Have you done missions like this before?" Kane asked.
Lily shook her head. "Not outside the guild."
"Same."
"…Are you nervous?"
Kane paused.
"…A little."
Lily looked at him, surprised by the honesty.
He scratched his cheek. "I mean… it's a castle. With something weird going on. That's not exactly normal."
"…True."
She looked out the window.
"…But we'll be fine."
Kane blinked. "That confident?"
Lily turned back, her expression calm.
"We're not alone."
Kane followed her gaze briefly—toward the front, where Benson and John were, then to Christina.
"…Yeah," he said.
Then he smiled slightly.
"And we've got you too."
Lily froze for half a second.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're strong."
"…I know that."
"Wow, okay."
She looked away, but there was the faintest hint of a smile.
By the time the sun began to set, the carriage rolled into a small town.
They stopped at an inn, and Benson quickly got them rooms.
Holding up the keys, he asked, "Who's with who?"
"I don't mind," Lily said.
"Same," Kane added.
Christina sighed lightly. "I'd prefer my own room."
That settled it quickly.
Christina alone.
Benson and John together.
Lily and Kane together.
"Rest up," Benson said. "Dinner soon. We leave at five."
As they went upstairs, John quietly handed Lily and Kane a few coins.
"For snacks," he said with a grin.
Their room was simple but comfortable.
Two beds, a small table, and a balcony.
Lily immediately dropped onto one of the beds.
Kane, on the other hand, sat on the floor.
Then started exercising.
Lily turned her head.
"…What are you doing?"
"Training."
"…On the floor?"
"My dad said consistency is important."
She stared at him.
"You're really trying to avoid becoming a knight, huh?"
"Very."
She chuckled.
After a while, they were called down for dinner.
Bread. Soup.
And beer.
Both Lily and Kane froze.
"No," Lily said instantly.
"I'm good," Kane added.
Benson grinned. "Come on."
Kane tried to refuse again—until Benson gave him a solid slap on the back.
"Man up."
Lily wasn't spared either, though Christina's tone was calmer.
"It's just a sip."
"…Fine."
They both picked up their cups.
Looked at each other.
And drank.
Immediately—
Both spat it back out.
The table burst into laughter.
"Terrible, right?" John said, handing them water.
"Why would anyone drink that…?" Lily muttered.
Back in the room, the night settled in.
Lily cast a water barrier across her side of the room.
Kane blinked. "That's actually really cool."
"It's for privacy," she said.
She stepped behind it, using magic to wash and change quickly. When she came out, Kane hadn't moved.
Still the same clothes.
She stared.
"You're not changing?"
"I don't feel dirty."
"…You're hopeless."
"I am not."
She smirked. "Definitely knight material."
"That's not a compliment."
They lay down soon after.
The room grew quiet.
But not silent.
"Hey," Kane said.
"…What?"
"…Do you think this mission will be dangerous?"
Lily thought for a moment.
"…Probably."
"…Oh."
"But," she added, "we'll handle it."
Kane let out a small breath.
"…Yeah."
The next morning, at exactly five, they regrouped and continued their journey.
The road grew quieter.
More isolated.
Until—
They saw it.
The castle.
It loomed in the distance, tall and still.
Even from afar, something felt… off.
The air was heavier.
The atmosphere unnaturally quiet.
Kane narrowed his eyes.
"…You feel that?"
Lily nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
She stared at the castle.
This mission—
Wasn't going to be easy.