Rynel and Aira looked at each other for a moment.

  It still didn’t feel real. As they cautiously stared down at the C-rank badges in their hands, Arzen spoke quietly.

  “Which reminds me···”

  His gaze shifted, slowly settling on Rynel.

  “The Kingdom Adventurers’ Association badge I gave you before—

  you still have it, yes?”

  Rynel nodded.

  “Yes. I still have it.”

  Arzen smiled and unfolded a document.

  “Then I’ll give you this.

  A letter of recommendation for admission to the academy in the capital. Both your names are on it.”

  Aira’s eyes went wide.

  “Wait—hold on!

  I didn’t get that badge.”

  Arzen nodded as he explained.

  “Only one person in the party needs it.

  For a companion recommendation, we verify the badge under the representative’s name.”

  Aira scratched her head, flustered, then let out a small laugh.

  “Feels a little unfair··· but it’s convenient.”

  A brief laugh lightened the room.

  The meeting had started with tension, but it ended—unexpectedly soft.

  The Guild Master clapped his hands once, lightly.

  “Alright, then—dismissed!

  I’ll be looking forward to your journey to the capital!”

  Wearing his usual easygoing grin, he opened the door first.

  Arzen rose as well, calm as ever.

  “If anything comes up while you’re preparing, contact me through the guild anytime.

  I hope we meet again in the capital.”

  They exchanged quick farewells and left the meeting room.

  Only after the door closed did the room fall into nothing but quiet breathing.

  Holding the recommendation letter, Aira suddenly lifted her head.

  For a moment, Ivela’s face—somewhere out there—flashed through her mind.

  Aira stood.

  “I should go tell Ivela, too···”

  At that, Laken went quiet for a beat, then shook his head.

  “No need.

  Ivela··· already refused.”

  Aira stared, eyes wide.

  “She refused···? Why···?”

  Rynel turned as well, asking softly.

  Laken let out a short breath.

  “That’s··· something you should hear from her.”

  Just as he turned toward the door—

  The guild’s front entrance opened quietly.

  Through the warm light, the edge of a black cloak appeared, slow and deliberate.

  It was Ivela.

  Aira swallowed on instinct.

  “Ivela···”

  The air inside the guild was clear and dry like noon,

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  but between the three of them, a different warmth moved—quietly.

  Ivela leaned her back against the wall and fell silent for a moment.

  A single letter was still in her hand.

  “···Zeke’s letter. You two know about it, right?”

  Aira opened her mouth slowly.

  “What did it say···?”

  Ivela closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again.

  “It said···

  the truth about Shertan’s betrayal, and how Regid died.”

  “···That’s insane.”

  Rynel murmured low.

  Ivela lifted her hand and tapped the corner of the letter—once, twice.

  “Zeke wanted to protect the Organization until the very end.

  But at the same time, he tried to warn you—how dangerous this mission was···

  what was hiding behind it.”

  She looked down at the letter in her hand.

  “He hesitated until the end, but I think he finally decided.

  The letter also said··· he hoped you wouldn’t get hurt.”

  Her voice was quiet and low.

  Even so, every word stayed heavy.

  “And one more thing.”

  Ivela’s tone hardened slightly.

  “The first message about investigating the temple said, ‘Be careful.’

  That the risk was high—approach with extreme caution.

  It sounded like Regid. That careful way he had.”

  Rynel nodded slowly.

  Ivela continued.

  “But the second message right after that was completely different.

  It ordered us to investigate aggressively,

  like the sender already knew everything.”

  Aira’s brow tightened.

  “So··· Shertan sent that one?”

  Ivela nodded, slow and firm.

  “After reading Zeke’s letter, I’m sure.

  The first message really was Regid’s.

  But right after he sent it··· Regid was killed,

  and Shertan took his place.”

  She inhaled once, steadying herself, then went on.

  “That second message—

  Shertan sent it while pretending to be Regid,

  and dragged us into that dangerous temple.”

  “···.”

  “And that wasn’t the end of it.”

  For the first time, a thin thread of restrained anger slipped into Ivela’s voice.

  “He wasn’t just some traitor inside the Organization.

  He was the hands and feet of the real power behind the so-called ‘Charity Temple.’”

  She clenched her jaw, paused, then forced the words out again.

  “They supplied the materials needed to make chimeras,

  ran experiments with them···

  and moved us around like pieces on a board, not knowing a thing.”

  Her eyes turned cold.

  “Without a single word.

  They used us, and when we were no longer needed—

  they would’ve thrown us away.”

  Rynel’s expression tightened as he listened.

  Something rose slowly from deep in his eyes.

  “···So we were bait.”

  His voice was low, the anger he’d swallowed turning clear.

  “Hiding it even though they knew it was dangerous means···

  they were watching from behind. Waiting for the results.”

  He ground his teeth, lowering his head.

  “···It’s not even funny.”

  Beside him, Aira clenched both hands hard.

  Faint veins stood out on the back of her small hands.

  No one could speak for a moment.

  The wind brushing past the window felt unusually cold.

  Rynel lifted his head slowly.

  “Then··· what are you going to do now?”

  At the question, Ivela lowered her eyes for a moment.

  A brief hesitation—then she looked up.

  “···I’m staying here.

  I’m going to rebuild the Organization.”

  Aira stopped breathing.

  Ivela spoke on, quiet and even.

  “From the outside, it’s an Organization people don’t look kindly on.

  But to me··· it was meaning. It was something I could lean on.”

  A short breath passed.

  “So I still have things I need to do here.

  Which means··· our adventure ends here.”

  Her words were soft, but there was no wavering in them.

  Aira’s lips parted, but no sound came.

  Her gaze flickered once, then settled quietly.

  Rynel lowered his eyes as well, letting out a slow breath.

  That exhale carried what he couldn’t say.

  Then—

  Ivela smiled. Gently—truly, for the first time.

  “···I had fun with you.”

  It felt familiar and yet—

  it was a face they had never once seen from her.

  A smile from someone who had finally let her guard down.

  So unfamiliar, it became sharper in their eyes.

  Rynel and Aira both froze.

  Seeing Ivela smile like that···

  it was the first time.

  Aira wiped lightly at the corner of her eye.

  “···Me too.

  I still don’t really understand the Shadow Organization, but···”

  Careful, but honest.

  Aira smiled faintly and added in a small voice.

  “Still.

  Ivela—you were a really good teammate.”

  Rynel nodded quietly.

  “While we’re traveling, I’ll write sometimes···

  Read them, and write back.”

  Ivela looked at him for a moment.

  Unspoken feelings lingered in her eyes.

  Quietly, but clearly, she nodded.

  They didn’t need to say the word promise.

  That nod was enough.

  A short, sincere farewell.

  Ivela stayed where she was,

  and Rynel and Aira turned without a word.

  The guild’s door closed softly behind them.

  Outside, a calm breeze brushed their collars.

  They didn’t have to say it.

  Somewhere inside them, a page had closed—quietly.

  ◇

  The next morning.

  The sky was high and clear.

  The air was gently cold, and a wind like the edge of winter teased at their collars.

  At the edge of the village, Rynel and Aira were saying goodbye to familiar faces.

  “Take care out there.”

  “Make a name for yourselves in the capital!”

  “And eat some city food while you’re at it~”

  The farewells were rough, but warm.

  Aira waved with a bright smile,

  and Rynel answered with a quiet bow.

  Then a familiar voice called out.

  “Still here, huh. Good.”

  It was the Guild Master.

  As relaxed as ever, he walked up holding a folded map.

  “Can’t send you off without explaining the route to the capital.”

  With practiced hands, the Guild Master spread the map,

  and the two stood side by side before it.

  His finger moved slowly along the lines.

  “If you walk straight without stopping··· it’ll take about a month.”

  “A month?!”

  Aira’s eyes went round.

  “Yeah. It’s a long way.

  But it’s November now, and the capital academy’s schedule really kicks off from late February.

  So you’ve got about three months of room.”

  He tapped one edge of the map and added.

  “But there’s a stretch you need to watch out for.

  Here—the southern section of the Kinebon Snow Range.

  From mid-December, the snowfall gets pretty brutal. If you want to cross, pack proper cold-weather gear.”

  “Ugh···”

  Aira huddled her shoulders and muttered.

  “Even getting to a city is hard, seriously.”

  The Guild Master laughed and nodded.

  “There are a few towns along the way, and request boards are spread out well.

  Don’t push yourselves. Rest a day or two when you need to, take jobs, earn travel money.

  Moving slowly like that is best.”

  Rynel studied the map in silence, then nodded.

  “That sounds better.

  We can gain experience while we move.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  The Guild Master grinned and clapped his hands lightly.

  “Planning matters, after all.”

  At that moment,

  a familiar presence approached from behind.

  “Couldn’t you use one more companion for the road?”

  It was Laken.

  “Laken?”

  Rynel turned.

  Laken nodded, gesturing with his chin behind him.

  “So I brought one.”

  Footsteps—small and hesitant—approached from the back.

  Then a sturdy shoulder line came into view, and a face still carrying fatigue.

  Sun-darkened skin, a solid build.

  A classic monk-type adventurer.

  Bulging forearms showed beneath loose sleeves,

  and even his awkward steps carried trained weight.

  Rynel narrowed his eyes, then let out a short breath.

  “What. You here to pick a fight again today?”

  Monero flinched and looked away.

  “I-I was kind of immature back then··· anyway, I’m sorry.”

  He bowed his head, embarrassed.

  Laken explained for him.

  “Watching you handle the temple incident shocked him.

  He said seeing people lower-ranked than him pull that off··· made him jealous.”

  Monero lifted his head quickly.

  “It’s true.

  So I··· I wanted to try again. Properly, this time.”

  Rynel pressed a hand to his forehead.

  Beside him, Aira laughed.

  “You know, Rynel.

  When you got hurt in the temple and someone carried you out··· it was Monero.”

  Rynel’s brow rose slightly.

  “···What?”

  Aira nodded.

  “It’s true.

  He talks rough, but he’s the type who looks after people in his own way.”

  Rynel looked at Monero again.

  The way he stood there, stiff and hesitant, really did feel different from before.

  Laken added.

  “He lived in the capital for quite a while.

  The capital will be unfamiliar for you two—he’ll help with day-to-day stuff, and taking requests.”

  Rynel narrowed his eyes, sighed again, then gave a small shrug.

  “···Fine. I’ll trust you. Just this once.”

  Monero’s eyes widened, and he nodded fast—over and over.

  “Really?! I’ll work hard, I swear!”

  And just like that, they’d gained an unexpected companion.

  The three of them spread the map together,

  smiled a little, and tightened their packs.

  The next town wasn’t far.

  New requests. A new journey.

  A wind at the edge of winter brushed their collars lightly.

  On the road,

  three shadows stretched out side by side.