"Ms. Northern! A beer, please!"

  "I'll be right there!" Lovia called back. "And just call me Lovia."

  She was busy tending to patrons scattered throughout the feast. As she hurried down the street, balancing a tray of drinks, she noticed two familiar figures standing at an alley entrance.

  "Master! And Ella!" She changed course toward them. "What are you two doing here?"

  "Lovia!" Rhanes smiled. "Nice to see you. How's the feast shaping up?"

  "Great! It's one of the best days ever. Getting to feast on a Morvane is truly a spectacle." Her smile faltered, visible nervousness creeping into her expression. "But I'm worried the big names in the city will hear about it. After all, the meat is more useful to them than us. What if some noble came and—"

  "Don't worry." Rhanes raised a calming hand. "Nothing will happen. They'll be getting the main trophy—the head of the beast. They won't even know we're having this feast."

  "If you say so..." Lovia turned her attention to Ella. "And Ella, aren't you going to eat? It's your kill, after all. You deserve it more than any of us."

  "It's not entirely my kill," Ella said, her face carefully neutral.

  "Hmm? What do you mean?"

  "Nothing." Ella paused. "Lovia."

  "Yes?"

  "You like Kuro, right?"

  A sudden wave of shock flooded Lovia's entire body. Her face turned crimson. Her eyes went wide.

  "W-w-wh-what y-you m-m-m-mea-mean?" she stuttered uncontrollably. "W-what g-ga-gave y-you tha-t ide-a?"

  Rhanes's face went still with secondhand embarrassment. He quietly excused himself and walked away.

  "You. Just by breathing."

  "Wh-what? I breath-the normally, thank-you."

  "Of course."

  Lovia took a minute to compose herself, forcing her heartbeat to slow.

  "Why are you asking suddenly? It's random."

  "Well, I was planning on bringing Kuro with me to Euneim, and—"

  "WHAT?!" Lovia's voice cracked. "What are you saying? Why? Are you serious?"

  "Yes."

  "What?" Lovia's hands clenched at her sides. "He's a novice—a D-rank adventurer who will climb up eventually, but it doesn't make sense. Why him?"

  "I think he has great potential to be a great warrior. And I think it will be wasted here. That's all."

  "Wha—I... I mean, yes, I... I think so too. He has great potential, but it's just so sudden, and..." Her eyes began to twitch. Her body went rigid. "Wait. Did Kuro fight... Morvane along with you?"

  Silence.

  "...No."

  Lovia kept staring at Ella, not uttering a word.

  "Lovia, I—"

  "Did you ask him?"

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  "Huh?"

  "Kuro. Did you ask Kuro?"

  "...Not yet."

  "I see." Lovia's voice went flat. "Then bye. See you later. As you can see, I'm busy."

  She turned and walked away, eyes glossy with unshed tears.

  Ella stood frowning, watching her go.

  "Sorry, girl," she whispered.

  She started walking back to her inn, replaying the conversation with Master Rhanes in her mind.

  "Master? Do you know something about Kuro that I don't?"

  "Maybe."

  "I see." Ella had narrowed her eyes. "So?"

  "So?"

  "Can you be so kind and tell me what you know... please?"

  Rhanes had thought deeply, his face shifting through several expressions before answering simply: "No."

  "Oh, come on! Share the secrets. Don't keep it to yourself. If you hold onto something too long, it becomes poison. Lay it out, Master."

  "...Ahhhhhh." Rhanes had sighed. "Sorry, Ella. It's not that I won't. It's just... I'm not sure of what I know. It's still in the basement of speculation."

  "Fiinnneeee. Keep it to yourself. I'll find it one way or another myself."

  Creak.

  Ella opened her room at the inn and went inside. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

  Across town, Kuro and Fenric were stumbling back to their house, both thoroughly drunk.

  Out of nowhere, Fenric stopped. His nose wrinkled. His ears flattened.

  "Partner, do you smell that?"

  "Smell what? Do I look like a dog?"

  "No, it's just the air. It's..." Fenric's body went rigid. "Heavy. Wrong. That pressure—that could only be of them." His eyes scanned the crowd frantically. "There. By the feast. Can you see, partner?"

  He got no response.

  He turned.

  Kuro's drunken haze had vanished. His eyes were sharp, focused—dangerously alert.

  Fenric froze.

  "Wait here," Kuro said quietly.

  He walked away before Fenric could respond.

  "Wait, that's—" Fenric's voice trailed off uselessly.

  Step by step, Kuro approached a figure observing the feast from the shadows.

  The man wore a dark red cloak that covered his entire body from head to toe.

  "Do you need something?" Kuro asked.

  The cloaked figure turned. His eyes studied Kuro—who was wearing Fenric's borrowed clothes—up and down.

  "No." His voice was soft, almost delicate. It put Kuro on edge. "I'm just observing the vibrance leaking from people's faces. It captivates me."

  "...Uhm. Okay. Uh... have I seen you before?"

  "Probably not. I'm from the neighboring town. Came for the delicacy—that of Morvane. It's truly delicious. Tell my regards to the chef."

  Silence.

  "By the way," the cloaked figure said, "what's your name?"

  "Konrad," Kuro uttered the first name that came to his mind, his Earth commander.

  "Konrad. That's a unique name. Never heard it before." The figure tilted his head. "So, Konrad—I heard the Morvane was defeated by this A-rank adventurer, Ella. But I find it hard to believe she did this alone. Do you know anything? Like... did she have any help? From someone?"

  "No. Not that I know of."

  "I see. She must be one strong warrior, then." The figure turned to leave. "Excuse me. I'll be on my way."

  "What's your name?"

  The cloaked figure smiled.

  "It's Belmat."

  As he said his name, he straightened, revealing a single eye cloaked in bright red beneath his hood.

  "Glad to meet you."

  Kuro watched as the cloaked figure disappeared into the crowd.

  Fenric came running up beside him, fear written across his face.

  "Kuro, are you alright? That was an—"

  "Noble. Right." Kuro finished his sentence.

  "...Gulp. Yes. That smell. That disgusting smell—that could only be a noble. But how did you know?"

  "Just a guess." Kuro's voice was flat. "Or it could be the fact that I tried to kill him multiple times, but I couldn't even move. Like I was held by invisible ropes."

  Fenric's eyes dropped to Kuro's hand.

  It was gripping his knife—knuckles white.

  "Dude, are you serious?" Fenric's voice went higher. "He looked at your hand! Oh god, that was one big mistake. You nearly got us all killed. Thankfully, he didn't do anything." He exhaled shakily. "For a noble, just thinking ourselves lucky is... why? Why did you try to kill him?"

  "Just a hunch." Kuro's eyes didn't leave the spot where Belmat had vanished. "If I leave him alive, he may become a problem in the future."

  Fenric didn't deny it. The possibility was high.

  "Belmat, huh?" Kuro whispered to himself.

  Morning.

  The streets were still closed, empty of movement. The sky was filled with dark clouds.

  "Beast," Kuro called from the hallway.

  "What is it, partner?" Fenric responded from his room.

  "My unif—my coat. Where is it? Only my shirt is here, with half-ass stitch work. Where's my coat?"

  "Uhmm... well... uh... I..."

  "Just spit it out already."

  "Yes!" Fenric went to his room and returned with Kuro's overcoat. "Here."

  Kuro received it and looked it over.

  It was fully stitched—but more than half of the coat was missing. The rest had been poorly patched together.

  "What the heck, beast? Can't you even do stitching?"

  "Dude, take pity on me, man! Look how you brought that thing back! It was hanging in threads! Even the world's most famous tailors couldn't bring your coat back to life!"

  "...Tch. Sigh. Fine."

  Knock, knock.

  "Hm? Are you expecting someone?" Kuro asked.

  "I think it's Ella. She said she'd drop by this morning."

  Fenric opened the door.

  Lovia stood on the doorstep. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her hair hung loose—she'd never worn it down before.

  She looked at Kuro, standing behind Fenric in the hallway.

  "Is it true?" Her voice cracked. "You're leaving?"