Perhaps if he had known greater Healing Magic, he could have mended himself properly. His already pale complexion had turned ashen, his breath a ragged, unsteady thing. Bacha held him, her small frame straining as she supported his weight through the mana zone. The memory of the lake surfaced in Paley’s mind - a place to wash the blood and gore from their clothes and skin.

  "Maybe this water's good for cleaning, too," Paley suggested, pulling off his shirt. Only then did Bacha see the full, nauseating scale of his wound. How much worse would it have been without his rudimentary magic? A sob escaped her, raw and helpless.

  "Paley, don't die." Her fingers dug into his shoulder and arm, as if she could physically anchor him to this world.

  Something within his heart fractured. Her profound care was a weight he didn't know how to bear. Why did her pain feel like his own? Perhaps it was his nature - to feel the suffering of others too keenly. Gazing into her terrified eyes, he knew he had to comfort her.

  "It doesn't hurt, Bacha. The body can heal itself, you know? You don't always need magic." He patted her head, the words as much for himself as for her. Strangely, death held no terror for him; his fear was of never seeing her or the others again. 'Please don't get any worse. Please,' he begged the wound silently.

  He stepped into the water, its cool freshness rising to his knees as he began scrubbing his clothes. Seeing his pained grimaces, Bacha forced him to sit by a tree and took over the task. Drowsiness washed over him as he watched her work, the rhythmic slosh of water a soothing balm. He fought the urge to sleep. What if he never woke?

  Perhaps it was the hand of death that touched him then: warm and inviting. 'I know you,' it said in a melodious, feminine voice. Paley relaxed unknowingly. 'Why do I know you?'

  He tensed, eyes snapping open as he forced himself awake. The drowsiness had vanished. Would Death speak like that? he wondered. Bacha returned - the lake water had worked wonders, their clothes now spotless - but her surprised gaze wasn't for the cleaning. He followed her stare downward. His stomach was clean. The gash was gone, leaving only smooth, pale skin.

  "Did you heal yourself?" Bacha ran over, ecstatic.

  "I... No... I don't know." Confused, he touched the area, confirming it had been wholly restored. They lingered in bewilderment before he shook his head. "We'll figure this out later. Let's just get this done. I really want to sleep at home." Paley walked to the sled and began to heave it once more; the effort was still immense.

  "We need a plan," he began as they left the mana zone and continued through the forest until the river separating it from the orphanage came into view. "We can't just walk into the Monster Hunter's Guild. I have a bounty. Do you have anything else to change my face?"

  "I can make it - I just need a little time."

  "The more time we take, the more likely Mother catches us." He detoured around the orphanage, avoiding any contact. "She'd die from shock if she knew we fought a monster. I have an idea. My Illusion Magic isn't good. The most I can make are colours. But if I study something enough, I can try replicate it." He placed his hands on her cheeks, scanning her face carefully. Her heart pounded at the unexpected closeness.

  Within seconds, his face began to fade, some of her features becoming visible. A minute later, Paley's face had transformed completely into Bacha's. She touched it, but her fingers slipped through slightly - a surface illusion worn like a mask.

  "How is it?" he asked.

  "It's... creepy," she grimaced. He released the spell.

  "It takes a lot of focus and mana, but I can disguise myself as Adimia to enter the city. Then we can copy a known hunter to sell the parts."

  She tried to wrap her head around the plan, but her mind was fried - too much had happened that day.

  "Why Adimia?" she asked, catching up.

  "He'll ask the least questions."

  Indeed, Adimia felt only excitement as Paley approached and began assuming his form. Staring at his own face, he roared, "Paley! We can mess with the others! Come on-"

  "Sorry, Adimia," Paley resisted his strong pull. "Bacha and I need to do something in the city. Can you tell mother we've gone to deliver goods for a merchant we met on the road?"

  "Why does that sound like a lie?" Adimia caught on, unexpectedly.

  Paley resigned. "We hunted a monster and we don't-"

  "YOU DID WHAT!?" he yelled, nearly deafening them. Then he teared up, "So that's what that is!" He pointed at the sled. "Why didn't you take me?" He began sobbing.

  It was hard to believe Adimia was the older one as Paley comforted him. "Fine, how about you come to the city with us to sell the parts," Paley said, promising a real hunt next time and omitting the part where he almost died.

  With Adimia's help pulling the sled, the trio continued. Paley noticed Bacha limping slightly. "Do you want to go home? We can take it from here," he offered.

  "Huh?" She seemed distracted. "No! I'm- fine." She nodded, as if trying to convince him.

  "Here." He picked her up and sat her on a clean part of the sled.

  "..." She watched him push stoically from the other side. "You're so strong, Paley."

  "Thank you, Bacha."

  Adimia, straining at the front, grumbled, "I'm helping too, you know!"

  Ignoring him, Bacha murmured, her voice soft and embarrassed, "...I love you."

  Paley, focused on the strain, didn't seem to hear, but Adimia's head whipped around. "What was that? What did you say?"

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  Bacha's face flushed crimson. "N-nothing! I didn't say anything!" she flustered, staring fixedly ahead.

  The strain was unbearable for Paley, but his newfound energy after the lake's miracle pushed him onward. He couldn't use two magic types at once, so he helped drag the sled with raw strength - little as there was after only a few weeks of proper food and sleep. He'd gained some weight, but not enough for this. It was actually fortunate Adimia had come.

  They arrived at the city gates. The guards stared at the two identical Adimias. Maintaining the illusion while exhausted was a tremendous effort, but Paley managed.

  "Wait, Paley! We forgot-"

  "Shut up, Adimia." Paley covered his mouth, raising the guards' suspicion. He tried to settle things cordially. "We request passage. We've been hired to transport these monster parts to the Guild."

  "Who is your employer?" a guard asked, making Paley grit his teeth.

  "Hig Reish," Bacha answered.

  "Do you have proof?"

  "If you call him, he should confirm." Her lie surprised Paley and Adimia - it was impressive.

  "No need. I'll accompany you."

  Another issue, but they would deal with it later.

  The guard walked behind the sled as they hauled it through the streets. "Could you maybe help us, sir?" Adimia asked.

  "Your work, your pay." The guard drank from a waterskin.

  Adimia sighed and continued. Paley could no longer pull, his strength spent on maintaining his appearance, especially with his wanted posters dotted around.

  They reached the Monster Hunter's Guild - a three-story monolith, run-down, its wood faded, moss spreading on the stones, the door half-broken.

  "Thank you, Mr. Guard. Are we fine on our own now?" Paley asked.

  "I don't know much about monster hunting - this seems a good place to leave you. You don't seem like troublemakers." The guard contemplated. "Yeah. I'll leave you. Don't disrupt anyone." He pointed and walked away.

  The three orphans entered. Thick, woody, and dusty fragrances filled their noses. The guild was empty, save for one Registror in the central booth, so bored she had fallen asleep with her eyes open, head resting on her hand.

  "That's good. I just realized we'd be asked for identification if we sell these as ourselves." Paley took a handful of raw meat, swallowing with difficulty despite the nauseating taste, until he felt he had enough mana to try something new.

  He walked to a wall stacked with pages bolted to a board: requests featuring monster hunters' images, names, and fee ranges. Paley chose a few priced between 1 and 5 Silver, indicating they weren't too well-known.

  He studied their faces as he returned. "Bacha, can you hold this?" He had her hold a hunter's image next to Adimia's face as he began his spell, replicating the features - easier since the hunter was bald like Adimia. The issue was height. Paley scrapped that idea, chose another hunter, and had Adimia carry him on his shoulders. Bacha acted as art editor for their disguise as Vergan Widao. Once she confirmed no holes, they continued, Adimia finding Paley's light weight manageable.

  They approached the counter. Paley cleared his throat. The woman turned slowly, asking through a slur, "How can I help you today, sir?"

  Paley cleared his throat again, preparing a deeper voice. "We have defeated a monster. We'd like to sell the parts."

  "We?" The Registror looked around for allies.

  "Y-Yes. My fellow hunters tasked me with selling. W-We were all itching for a celebration, and I lost the draw... So here I am."

  "I see." She gave a warm smile, unable to detect his fragile lie - or perhaps she couldn't be bothered. "Shall I appraise the parts?"

  "Of course. Take as long as you need."

  Paley and Adimia, as one person, dragged the cart closer and began loading the parts onto the desk, staining the wood with blood.

  "I didn't mean here," the Registror grew annoyed. "The appraisal room..."

  "Right! I was in such a hurry to join my companions that I forgot. I'm sorry. Very sorry." Paley bowed, making Adimia stumble. The sight was bizarre.

  "Are you drunk?" she asked.

  "Uh, a little. I couldn't help myself."

  "Save it for later. Makes this faster for both of us." She sighed and stood - or rather, made the sound of standing, though her height didn't change. A snicker escaped. She turned with disbelief, as if to confirm she heard it.

  Paley, beneath the illusion, held Adimia's mouth shut.

  She narrowed her eyes - clearly, he was now her least favorite client. Paley thought of making it up to the real Vergan but ultimately didn't care.

  She led them to the appraisal room, a small chamber filled with lensed and filtering runestones. One by one, she examined the parts, making notes on a clipboard.

  Paley and Adimia sat patiently - Adimia's shoulders ached, but he soldiered on. Paley couldn't help him; using two magic types at once was impossible for now.

  After half an hour, during which Bacha waited outside, stacking stones to pass the time, they emerged as Vergan Widao. Once out of sight, they undid the disguise. Paley gasped for air as if he had run a marathon; Adimia rubbed his sore shoulders.

  "Did you guys do it?" Bacha asked.

  Paley and Adimia looked at each other, then smiled, producing two bags of coins. Bacha's eyes lit up as she opened them. Silver coins - at least a hundred in total.

  "The monster was a Weynsoo. A Tier 2 bird of the Air Magic Type. We got really lucky," Paley said.

  "Even a real hunter like Vergan would've struggled. You're really awesome, Paley. But you have to take me next time!" Adimia pouted.

  "Yeah... Maybe."

  "What do you mean maybe!?"

  Their back-and-forth was interrupted by Bacha's quiet sobs. "I'm really happy you're with us, Paley." She wiped away tears of joy. Having lived in the orphanage since infancy, she could count the times she'd eaten quality meat on her fingers. She owned two rugged dresses. Water was limited, bathing infrequent. As a young lady, she struggled but kept it to herself.

  "You're happy 'cause he's earning money for us? Tsk tsk tsk," Adimia teased.

  "Shut up, Adimia!" She lashed out, then hugged Paley. "Thank you. You're so cool, Paley."

  Adimia gave a warm smile. He felt the same.

  "I..." Paley began, his voice dark, "For the longest time... I feel like I've been... alone. I don't remember. I don't want to remember. But I know that... everything I had, or could've had, I... lost." His expression tightened. "Maybe it's the fate of a Quimnia. I was lonely. It was... horrible. Empty. So lonely." He raised his head, looking Bacha in the eye as she slowly released him. "But when I look at you," he acknowledged Adimia too, "all of you, when I talk to you, I feel... full. And I really don't want to lose that. Even if it means fighting a hundred more Weynsoos."

  Adimia fought the urge to cry, trying to remain manly, but failed. He stood and screamed to the world, "I'm going to become a knight!" He recoiled in shame, hiding behind Paley as passersby stared in confusion. A Hijian girl took personal offence, eyeing Paley suspiciously. He worried she recognized him from the posters and checked his illusion, but when she moved on, he sighed in relief.

  "Sorry guys. I was just..." Adimia began.

  "Overcome with emotion?" Paley finished.

  "Yeah." Adimia huffed, and they shared an awkward laugh. "So are we going to tell mother you hunted a monster?"

  "We'll say Bacha and I gathered alchemy materials. She could gather more since I was with her for safety. Then we sold them after meeting a merchant on the way to the city. The merchant's name is..." He tried to think of one.

  "Mongey," Bacha suggested.

  "Did you just replace the 'k' in 'monkey' with a 'g'?" Adimia asked.

  "Amasha says 'Monkey King' like 'Mongey Ging'. It's cute."

  "Mongey it is. It also sounds like 'money,' hahahah."

  "See? It's all lining up!" Bacha laughed.

  The walk back was slower, longer. The guards allowed passage - Paley hid the full amount with illusion, showing only 5 Silver, a decent payment for errand boys.

  They didn't talk much, simply enjoying each other's presence; Paley had Bacha count the real money as practice. She started over many times but eventually succeeded.

  122 Silver.

  Not the gold coins that Paley expected but it was a start.

  it was Paley's first monster hunting reward.