A chorus of monstrous growls echoed in the darkness, their grotesque shadowy forms shifting against the stone walls.
Tame stood firm, blood trickling down her face. Yet, not a hint of hesitation crossed her expression. Instead, she focused her energy, her coating shimmering around her like molten gold.
"Hey, hey."
She slammed her fists together, the crackling force shaking the ground beneath her. "What are you lazy asses doing back there? The job's just getting started."
Julius and Kira stepped forward, unfazed by the monstrous horde. Their companions, however, trembled behind them, their hands tight around their weapons.
Julius exhaled sharply. "This doesn't look good. I thought the monsters were running from something but if there's this many gathered here…"
Kira twirled his dagger around his fingers, his sharp eyes glinting. "And strangely enough, the commission said it started a few days ago. There's gotta be something valuable here."
Tame shot him a glare, her teeth bared.
"Shut up, you imbeciles."
She turned to the cowering adventurers. "Look at them! This isn't some battle to win and walk away with treasure. We prioritize lives. Got that?!"
Julius studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. We'll get the injured out."
Kira groaned, stomping a foot on the ground. "Come on, where's your spirit?! We're adventurers! We don't just back down from—"
Tame's cold, piercing gaze locked onto him.
Kira stiffened, the weight of her presence enough to silence him.
Grumbling under his breath, he hurried to help the injured, guiding them toward the exit.
Tame, meanwhile, turned back toward the abyss. The darkness pulsed with movement. Dozens of beasts are watching, waiting.
"I'll make sure they don't trail us." She cracked her knuckles. "Now go."
Without waiting for an answer, she lunged forward. Her fist met the face of a plant-like monstrosity, sending it flying into the stone wall with a thunderous crash.
The others pounced. Too fast, too many.
But she didn't waver.
With a roar, she slammed her fists into the ground. The very earth trembled, then shattered, splitting apart in a controlled collapse. The monsters screeched as they plunged into the abyss, swallowed by the darkness below.
Only the ground beneath Tame remained intact.
Julius, just steps from the exit, hesitated for only a second, his gaze lingering on their captain.
Then, with a heavy heart, he pressed forward.
The doors shut behind them.
Alone, Tame smirked. "Now I don't have to worry about them getting hurt."
She lifted her chin.
"Damn you monsters! Bring it on!"
A sudden surge of power erupted from her, crushing the lifeforce of the weaker beasts causing them to fall unconscious instantly.
She leapt into the air, grabbed hold of a winged creature, and swung it downward, sending it plummeting into the abyss. To avoid the same fate, she twisted midair, commanding the wind itself.
BOOM! A burst of energy launched her across the hall, where she crashed into another wave of creatures.
She fought.
Crushing skulls ,and tearing off wings.
Yet still, they overwhelmed her. Claws and fangs tore into her as the monsters tossed her around, slamming her through stone pillars. Her body ached, but she refused to fall.
A beast hurled her down, the impact shattering the ground beneath her.
Tame struggled to her feet, panting, fury in her gaze.
"Damn you all!" she roared, lifting a monster's severed head in her grip.
And then—
A whisper brushed against her ear.
"How noisy."
Chills shot through her spine.
Something… no—someone had snuffed out her lifeforce in an instant yet she was still standing, and too terrified to turn back.
A pale, slender hand grazed the nape of her neck, its touch like ice.
"You're not the one I seek."
A gentle voice said. Almost… kind.
"He's coming. I can feel him. After all these years."
Tame clenched her teeth, swinging around for a punch.
Her fist passed through nothing.
A girl floated before her, her white hair drifting unnaturally in the air, her diamond-dark eyes gleaming like the void itself.
Her ghostly form flickered, radiating an unnatural energy.
The air itself trembled.
Tame's body seized up, her vision blurring.
The monsters who had been relentless moments ago stood motionless, silently watching.
Tame's knees buckled. Darkness overtook her.
As her body collapsed, the monsters caught her, stopping her from hitting the ground.
The girl hovered above, her fists clenched.
"He's coming," she whispered again, her eyes burning. "After all these years."
#
Pasta sneezed. Then sneezed again. And again. A thin line of snot trailed down his nose, which he wiped away, only to sneeze once more. Bundled in layers of heavy jackets, he shivered and snuggled deeper into their warmth.
His watery, red eyes peeked at Emilia.
She was cocooned in multiple blankets, leaving only her face exposed. Adjusting her glasses, she casually flipped a page in her book—A Comprehensive Guide to Treating Wounds in the Adventurer's Guild while sipping a steaming cup of cocoa. A bowl of snacks sat beside her, no doubt a treat she had secured back in Verdantia.
Sensing his stare, Emilia's fingers subtly slid her bowl closer. With an almost exaggerated slowness, she picked up a piece and took a satisfying bite.
Pasta swallowed as his drool formed at the corners of his lips.
He turned to Mr Swordsman surely he was suffering too?
…Nope.
To no one's surprise, Mr. Swordsman stood as still as a statue, arms crossed, gazing out the carriage window. His fur-lined coat, the one Emilia had painstakingly chosen for him remained untouched on the floor.
Emilia sighed, huffed, and returned to her book.
Mr. Swordsman, unconcerned, continued gazing through the window, his breath visible in the frigid air. The silence suited him.
Pasta shuffled closer, shedding all but one of his jackets. He crossed his arms and leaned against the window. "Nice view," he murmured, his voice shaky as his snot threatened to freeze midair.
Mr. Swordsman gave a small nod. "Yes."
Pasta sniffled. "I gotta say, the cold here was definitely overrated. Thought it'd be more of a challenge, you know? Yeah, yeah. How about you?"
Mr. Swordsman crossed his arms. "It's a bit cold. Distracting in battle." His eyes flicked toward the abandoned coat Emilia had given him. "The one you got me isn't practical, Emilia. It may provide warmth, but it's too layered, and too tight at the joints. Restricts movement."
Emilia sipped her drink. "Yeah, sure, blame the girl with a good heart and zero experience in picking dark, terrifying outfits that are apparently meant to be more practical for combat instead of snow." She exhaled, shaking her head. "You know, that cost me a lot. And I'd rather not remember what happened in Gildenspire. I still have nightmares."
Pasta sneezed violently. "Cost? Says the one wearing the most expensive sweater in the Nine Realms. Oh, Empress"
He snickered. A second later, a bowl smacked him right in the face.
Mr. Swordsman ignored them, resting a hand on his sword's hilt. "Can you sew?"
Emilia eyed him warily over her book. "I'm decent. Need something?"
Without answering, Mr Swordsman strode to the front of the carriage and slid open the slot to speak to Bhaa.
"Stop the ride"
Bhaa grunted. "Hey, no pit stops. We're on the clock, you know."
Mr. Swordsman didn't respond immediately, simply waiting. "I won't take long. Stop."
Bhaa muttered a string of complaints but yanked the reins, slowing the wagon to a halt.
Pasta, meanwhile, hurriedly put all his jackets back on as he blew warm air into his mittens. "Okay. Not quite there in the cold-resistant warrior class yet. Step by step. Yes, P-Pasta s-step b-b-by step."
Mr. Swordsman stepped out into the mild snowstorm. The siblings exchanged glances before trailing behind him to see what was so important.
Bhaa, on the other hand, immediately reclined in his seat and shut his eyes, and even the fur-covered horses decided it was the perfect time for a nap.
Mr. Swordsman stood there in absolute silence.
…Just standing.
Emilia took a sip of her cocoa only to find it had frozen over.
She sighed and tossed the cup into the snow.
The wind howled softly, swirling through the snow and brushing against Mr. Swordsman's form. His breath came out in a misty wisp, only to be carried back into his face by the frigid air.
He cast a glance over his shoulder at the siblings, then took a few steps forward before halting. Slowly, his fingers drifted toward the hilt of his blade.
Pasta, bundled up in his thick jacket, shivered violently. His nose had transformed into a frosty snot popsicle, which promptly shattered as the ground beneath them rumbled.
The ice split apart with a deafening crack. A monstrous, fur-covered serpent burst from the snow, its gaping maw stretching wide, fangs bared, lunging straight for Mr Swordsman.
With a single sidestep, he avoided the beast's strike. His sword flashed, nothing more than a lazy flick of his wrist, yet the creature was cleaved cleanly in two.
A man tumbled from the severed stomach, gasping and coughing as he hit the snow, clutching a massive bag in one hand and a parchment in the other.
Emilia and Pasta stood frozen in shock.
Bhaa, meanwhile, remained undisturbed in his carriage, snoring away.
Mr. Swordsman, completely unbothered, pulled out a knife, sat down in the snow, and started skinning the monster's fur.
Emilia snapped out of it first, rushing to the man's side. "He's alive!" she called, then turned to Mr. Swordsman with a glare. "Hey, a little help here?"
Mr. Swordsman, still cutting. "He's not injured. Just covered in monster guts. Nothing serious."
The man coughed, blinking rapidly before suddenly screaming in horror. "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FOUL BEAST!"
He swung his cane, cracking her straight across the face.
Pasta, from the sidelines, burst into laughter before immediately sneezing again.
The man blinked. "Oh. Oh, dear me, I thought you were—" He turned and finally noticed the massive dead serpent, along with a man casually peeling its fur.
Scrambling to his feet, the man stormed over and began kicking the lifeless beast. "DAMN YOU! GOBBLING ME UP—AND I WAS SO CLOSE!"
His voice lowered into despair. "...There's no way I can go back now… not alone… not after this…" His face crumpled as he wiped away his tears with a sniffle.
Emilia twitched in the snow, then hauled herself up, rubbing her sore cheek. She approached him carefully this time. "What's wrong?"
The man hesitated, then turned to the group. "You all… You're adventurers, aren't you?"
Before anyone could answer, Mr. Swordsman heaved the freshly stripped fur onto his shoulder, hoisted Emilia over his other shoulder, and began walking away. "I know where this is going."
"HEY!" Emilia kicked her legs, whacking him repeatedly. "Let's at least hear him out! It could be important!"
Mr. Swordsman sighed, stopping in his tracks. "Fine. Let me predict how this plays out." He turned slightly, facing the others. "He's about to offer us an 'urgent commission'—one too important to ignore. We'll think it's simple. We'll take the job. Then we'll realize we were horribly, painfully mistaken and nearly die before somehow, miraculously surviving. We're already dealing with enough problems with the possibility of encountering hunters. We don't need to add another form of trouble to the list."
The man bowed low, his forehead nearly touching the snow. His voice quivered. "P-Please. My children. Monsters… I can't fight them on my own." He swallowed thickly, gripping his cane with trembling hands. "I sent a request to the guild, but no one took the commission. So I went alone—but I was swallowed by that monster before I could reach them. Please… they're in danger."
Mr. Swordsman sighed. "See? What did I say? Now we have to do it."
Bhaa's voice bellowed from the carriage. "Hold up! I hired you lot first! You can't just go chasing side quests—we don't have resources to waste here!"
He hopped off the carriage, only to be immediately met by Pasta's trembling blade, his face completely caked in frost.
"Hey," Pasta shivered violently. "Children are involved. We j-just c-can't leave them to d-die." His blade wobbled so hard it nearly fell from his hands. "The old man will t-take us to the monsters, and w-we'll finish the job in a j-jiffy."
Mr. Swordsman dropped Emilia, who huffed before dusting herself off and turning to the old man. "Here, let me help with your bag. It looks heavy."
The man smiled, shaking his head. "No need. It's… already a part of me," he murmured. "My name is Oscar, by the way."
Emilia nodded, leading him toward the wagon, while Mr. Swordsman stood in the snow, watching them go.
With a deep sigh, he muttered, "Why does this keep happening?"
#
Julius sat by the campfire, the flickering flames casting wavering shadows against the hastily assembled tents. The storm had finally passed, but the unease in their hearts remained.
"Tame…" he said under his breath. "She's still in the castle."
Kira, sitting beside him with hands clasped together, let out a heavy sigh. "She's strong, yeah. But against that many monsters…" His voice trailed off, uncertainty gnawing at him.
Julius' eyes glowed faintly in the firelight before he suddenly reached for his sword. Kira reacted instantly, mirroring his movement as the other adventurers stirred, all drawn by an approaching presence.
A carriage loomed in the distance, rolling toward them under the moon's pale glow.
"What a strong yet subtle life force…" Julius muttered. "Had we not been on edge, we might've overlooked it entirely."
"A hunter?" Kira asked, twirling his dagger between his fingers.
Julius shook his head. "No. They don't travel this far."
"Treasure seekers? Adventurers? Or just fools who have no clue what lurks in the Fourth?" He let out a quiet chuckle, settling back onto his seat. "How this encounter unfolds depends on who they are. We might even get a free ride out of it."
The adventurers remained on guard as the carriage rolled to a stop.
Bhaa, hunched in his seat, scowled as his path was blocked. Before him, Julius stood tall, his hand resting lightly on his sword hilt.
"A travelling merchant?"
Julius observed, stepping forward. "Ahead lies a monster stronghold, a castle crawling with creatures. You'd do well to find another route."
Bhaa let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "Spare me the warnings. You think I had a choice in the matter? These adventurers of mine—"
He jabbed a thumb toward the carriage "—are itching to poke their noses where they don't belong. Something about 'helping a man in need.' And guess what? Not like I WAS THE ONE WHO HIRED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. So tell me, what exactly is a simple merchant supposed to do?"
Julius' brow furrowed. "To conquer that castle, you'd need an army of elite adventurers. We had an A-rank, two B-ranks, and twenty C-ranks, and even then, we couldn't claim victory."
From inside the carriage, Mr Swordsman's ears twitched.
"No matter how skilled your group may be, they won't survive in there," Julius said as he cleared his throat. "Our best course of action is to report this to the guild and request reinforcements. We were lucky to leave with our lives. I won't let you march toward your deaths."
A figure stepped from the carriage, casting a long shadow over the firelit clearing. His blue eyes gleamed in the dark, a heavy fur cape draped over his form, its luxurious texture disrupted only by the delicate floral embroidery at his chest—a personal touch from Emilia herself.
Julius stiffened. The energy this man carried… it was eerily familiar.
No… it can't be. This presence…
Mr. Swordsman approached with unhurried steps, his gaze calm yet unreadable. "We'll be fine. This won't take long." His words carried a quiet certainty, his eyes locking onto Julius. "Or is there another reason you don't want us setting foot in that castle?"
Julius shook his head slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I have no reason to interfere with an S-rank's work…" His breath hitched. "You're the S-rank from Pyrovile… The Ninth."
A hushed murmur passed through the gathered adventurers. Kira's grip tightened around his dagger as he studied the man before him.
"This energy…" Kira swallowed hard. "It's controlled. Subdued. And yet… it's beyond anything I've ever seen. He's stronger than Tame. So this… is the power of the Ninth S-rank."
Julius averted his gaze, his fists clenching at his sides. "At Pyrovile, I saw you. I helped the Guard Captain evacuate the people. I watched your strength with my own eyes. I was frozen in awe," he said, lifting his gaze to meet Mr. Swordsman's once more. "Though I never learned your name… please, allow me this request."
His voice wavered. "Our leader… she's fighting those monsters alone. Please, save her."
Mr. Swordsman adjusted his hat, turning away. "I'll do my best."
Then, without another word, he strode back into the wagon and rode into the night.