A long time passed.
Everyone stared at their half-dead "colleague," and the entire hall fell dead silent.
Scenes like this were already routine here. The veterans of Evilus didn't bat an eye.
Only the newest recruits, recently brought in from outside the city, were truly realizing for the first time what kind of place Evilus really was.
Bloody.
Brutal.
Merciless and cold-blooded toward outsiders, treating lives like dirt.
And toward their own people? Exactly the same.
"Boring."
A derisive snort echoed from the corner of the hall. A towering figure turned away with open contempt and strode off.
The rhythmic clang of his full plate armor rang with every step, echoing through the cold hall.
Everyone: "..."
The officers: "..."
Valletta: "..."
"Lady Arachnia, our ace just left... what do we do now?"
Valletta's expression darkened for a moment, then she split into a grin again.
"Doesn't matter. They never thought much of us anyway, did they?"
"As long as that ace is willing to step in when it counts and crush Finn's crew into the ground... he can do whatever he wants."
"R... right."
...
"What a boring meeting."
The massive, rough-hewn man shoved open a door and started talking the moment he stepped inside, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"All these years without us in the city, I figured the rats in the sewers might've grown a spine by now... but nope. Same as always. They can't even measure up to the old Osiris Familia. At least those guys had the guts to challenge us head-on!"
He turned his gaze to the mysterious woman sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, and a flicker of puzzlement crossed his eyes.
"Alfia, you... seem a little different since you got back from your outing?"
The woman kept her eyes closed as always, merely tilting her head slightly.
In the silence, her voice rang out, cold and flat:
"Do you want to die, Zald?"
A cold killing intent spread outward in a single heartbeat, almost something physical.
The big man flinched, shrinking his neck, and scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
"Uh... whatever makes you happy."
After that brief exchange, the room sank back into a long silence.
Finally, Alfia spoke, her voice distant.
"I just ran into an... interesting adventurer. That's all."
Seeing her actually talk, Zald perked up immediately.
"An interesting... adventurer? For you to take notice, that's rare."
He knew exactly who Alfia was. If someone had caught her eye, that meant they were even more exceptional than he'd imagined.
With that in mind, he ventured carefully:
"Can you tell me who they are? He... or she?"
Alfia fell silent again at the question.
"I don't know."
"...?"
"All I know is he belongs to the Demeter Familia."
"Huh?"
Zald's eyes went wide with disbelief.
"Demeter Familia? You sure you didn't see wrong? Not Loki, not Freya, not even Ganesha, but that massive agricultural powerhouse that doesn't do dungeon exploration at all and is purely a commercial operation... Demeter Familia?"
"You're talking too much, Zald."
"Yes ma'am!"
Alfia hadn't given a definitive answer, but Zald already believed her.
An adventurer that the witch called Silence found "interesting," and he came from an agricultural powerhouse rather than any exploration-type Familia.
"That's weird... is the guy moonlighting as a gardener? Or a farmer?"
"Actually... yeah, that is interesting!"
Muttering to himself, Zald broke into a grin.
As he smiled, the three old claw scars across his eyelids looked all the more savage.
...
...
Time flew, and the next day arrived.
Leon's house.
Morning training ended as usual. After a hearty breakfast, the group split into teams and headed out.
Jeanne took Laurier to meet with Tsubaki to discuss weapon and armor maintenance.
Rose and Aura went shopping for dungeon supplies and daily necessities.
The last group was Leon and Kureha, heading for Adventurers Street. First stop was the Guild Headquarters to sort through and pick up some commissions along the way, then on to the Dian Cecht Familia Treatment Center and Blue Pharmacy to stock up on potions.
"Alright, let's split up here!"
"See you later!"
The courtyard gate clicked shut, and they waved goodbye at the entrance.
Jeanne's group headed toward the First District, Rose's group toward the Fifth District, and Leon and Kureha walked side by side toward the Seventh District.
...
Autumn was deepening. Along the tree-lined cobblestone path, the once-lush greenery on either side had quietly turned yellow and begun to wither.
Leather boots crunched through thick layers of fallen leaves, each step crisp and satisfying.
"Summer's finally over. That muggy heat was brutal for someone from up north like me."
"Autumn's dry air is so much better."
The two walked side by side, chatting about nothing in particular.
Hearing Leon complain about Orario's climate, Kureha smiled softly.
"I never found it uncomfortable, actually. To me, every season has its own beauty. Spring with new life stirring, summer burning bright, autumn rich and still, winter pure and peaceful... each one worth savoring."
Her expression dimmed slightly.
"Before, my whole life was spent swinging a sword for the kingdom and the royal family. If I wasn't hunting down enemies, I was on the road to the next battlefield. I never had time that was truly my own. Even on the rare occasions I was free, I poured everything into sword practice. I never once stopped to notice the seasons changing."
"That kind of life kept me busy every single day, but I never once complained. I was born into the Clyret house of Sword Saints, and I was granted the title of Sword of the Kingdom. Protecting the kingdom was my birthright, and I was proud of it."
"Until that day..."
Betrayed by the royals. Abandoned by the kingdom. The ugly faces of those people, the darkness they'd tried so hard to hide... it all surfaced again.
Kureha's body trembled.
Leon thought of everything she'd carried, everything she'd been through, and let out a quiet sigh. He reached over and took her cool hand in his, his voice gentle but firm.
"You've already left that life behind. Right now, you're just an ordinary adventurer in Orario. You don't have to live for anyone else anymore. You live for yourself."
"From here on out, if you like something, you do it. If you don't, nobody can force you."
"That's my promise to you."
Then he flashed a grin, teeth and all.
"Now c'mon, gorgeous. Gimme a smile!"
The sudden teasing caught Kureha off guard, and then a laugh slipped out.
"Hehe..."
The corners of her lips curved upward, warmth reaching all the way to her eyes. Leon found himself staring.
Especially that beauty mark at the corner of her eye, which added an indescribable allure to her stunning face.
"So beautiful."
The words slipped out before he realized it, and the Sword Saint's cheeks instantly turned crimson.
"B-beautiful? Don't just... say things like that..."
"Ah, geez!"
"You're the worst!"
One offhand remark and she was this flustered. When it came to this kind of thing, the gap between them was painfully obvious.
...
...
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