— Wait, didn’t you say I wouldn’t become an adventurer? — he asked, confused.

— Silence — she snapped, red with anger. — Gray-colored runes can be used by people with cores ranging from gray to light green. Blue ones, by those between dark blue and light purple — she explained, pouring more coffee. — The violet ones can only be absorbed by adventurers with cores from violet to pale yellow. And the white ones... well, I don’t even need to explain those, because you’ll never find one.

— Please, tell me! — he begged.

— Fine — she sighed. — White runes are undefined. They can have the power level of gray, blue, or violet runes. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it unless my life was on the line.

— Wait a second... what color was the rune you absorbed again?

— What do you think? — she replied, expressionless, sipping her coffee.

— Not surprised — Tate commented, lying back on the bed. — That’s all, kid?

— I think so. I’ll head home.

— Use this rain to meditate and strengthen your core — he advised.

— Alright — he said, walking to the door and opening it. — See you.

— So you talked about the origin of your rune? Funny how you told that to a ten-year-old and not your work partners — he mocked.

— Your past and the past of the lamppost snoring upstairs mean nothing to me, just like my story is none of your business — she replied, setting her cup on the wooden table and heading toward the stairs.

— Hmph. Always short-tempered — he muttered, amused by the situation.

The rain was starting to let up, though the cold remained in the small village. Catarina and Payton rebuilt the bond of friendship that had been cut, while Beta stepped outside the village in his leather coat, fabric hood, and old wooden sword.

— That boy doesn’t understand that meditation is far more important than training itself, regardless of which core you choose — Tate sighed, watching him through the window.

≠

Walking through the village on patrol, Jonathan was revisiting memories from the dream he’d had inside the shack with Philipe. He pulled from his neck a clover-shaped necklace, its edges stained with dried blood. It was his way of never forgetting that raid from years ago.

— If only I could change everyone’s fate… — he murmured, feeling powerless as he walked along the muddy dirt road.

Not paying attention, he bumped into Beta, who was once again carrying his wooden sword, ready to resume training. This irritated the warrior, who, no matter how much he tried to remove the idea from the boy’s head, had never succeeded.

— Off to train again? — he asked, expression unchanged.

— Yeah. I think I’m finally starting to understand how to do it — Beta replied with a smile, running off toward the field.

Leaving the boy behind, Jonathan turned his focus back to the village. He noticed odd movements through the windows of Liz’s house. Cautiously, he approached and saw the girl’s mother screaming furiously. Liz had no bruises or signs of physical violence, indicating it was just another of their frequent arguments. With that, he moved on.

— I’ll have to go get the healing potions myself, so you’ll be alone for an indefinite amount of time — the woman said while organizing her bag and folding clothes. — And if you even try to tell anyone what happens while I’m gone... you already know what’ll happen — she added, with a chilling smile and a cold glare.

Liz would finally have some peace, perhaps for a day or two, free from constant psychological torment. She hid her relief and urge to cry behind an expressionless face, feigning helplessness in front of her mother.

Upon leaving the house, she greeted Jonathan, who was heading to the church where the mysterious adventurers were staying. Seeing him immediately reminded her of Beta — a swordsman in training, even though he was still a child. Remembering him, she ran to the field where he usually trained, hoping to keep him company. After all, now she could truly be herself.

In the field, Beta moved his wooden sword with fluidity, but nothing felt like enough. He couldn’t replicate the adventurers’ movements and skills. Liz watched, intrigued by such determination. Why put himself through that? Was his ambition really to explore the whole world?

— Damn it! — he shouted, throwing the sword to the ground, noticing Liz’s presence. — What are you doing here? — he asked rudely.

— You’re going to take your frustration out on me now, is that it? — she asked, leaning on the fence. — I just came to see how you were, idiot — she added, jumping into the field.

— Same as always — he said, picking up the sword and assuming a combat stance. — A useless kid.

— You know you won’t make it… so why keep trying? — she asked, seeing the boy panting, clearly worn out both physically and mentally.

— I already told you: I’m going to be an adventurer. I want to travel the world, slay monsters, and hear stories.

— Just that?

— Isn’t that enough?

— Don’t you have any bigger ambition? — she asked, sitting on the grass to watch him.

— Becoming an adventurer is already a big ambition. It’s not as easy as it looks — he said, still panting as he trained.

— Ah… right — she murmured, running out of things to say, simply gazing at the landscape. — So you’re really going to leave this village?

— I won’t be leaving it. Everyone will always be with me, in my heart, guiding me on my journey.

— I… Can I com— — she stopped mid-sentence, realizing the boy had vanished in the blink of an eye, without making a sound. — Beta? — she called, worried, standing up.

— No way!!! — Beta shouted behind her, celebrating and scaring her.

— You idiot!!! What the hell was that!? — she yelled, startled.

— I have to tell them! — he said, running toward the gate and leaving the wooden sword in the grass.

— Your… sword — Liz murmured, crouching and picking it up. She wanted to have something in her home to remember Beta by, something that would give her comfort while facing the abuse she endured.

Inside the church, while Ferry and Dereck rested on the first floor of the house, Tate and Jonathan were discussing the escort mission to the new cave and the extermination of any monsters that might inhabit the place.

— Not to be rude, but don’t you think you’re asking too many favors from us? — asked Tate, calmly, though visibly irritated.

— You’re an adventurer. You know full well that small villages like this one depend on this kind of help — Jonathan said, leaning forward.

— I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you train some of these men to do the job? — Tate suggested, leaning against the wall and crossing his legs on the bed.

— You think this is funny?

— Just offering solutions. Either way, we leave tomorrow — he said with a hint of provocation.

— But you said you’d stay for two days! — Jonathan exclaimed, surprised.

— You were an adventurer once. You know unexpected things happen, don’t you?

Jonathan could no longer stand the provocations. It was strange to see this kind of behavior coming from Tate, who once emanated an aura of leadership and confidence. The warrior suspected it might have something to do with what he’d overheard the day before. But asking directly could be dangerous, especially when facing three extremely powerful individuals.

Instead of starting an argument, he simply stood — which caused Tate to stiffen slightly — and bowed deeply, formally requesting his and his companions’ help. That caught Tate off guard. His sarcastic expression was replaced by one of concern and empathy.

— Where is this cave located? — he asked, now with a serious tone.

— Tsk — muttered Dereck, who had just come down the stairs and walked out the door without another word.

— Is everything okay between you two? — Jonathan asked, watching him walk away through the window.

— Yeah, just a minor disagreement. Anyway — he diverted the subject, standing up — show me where the cave is. I’ll see what I can do.

— We don’t know the exact location yet. Only the miners’ chief knows. The sweep was supposed to happen tomorrow, but since you’ve confirmed you're leaving the village, we’ll do it today — he explained, placing his hands on his hips.

— And you’re going to look for it alone? Do you have any idea where it is? Are you going to talk to this “chief” or what? — he asked, arms crossed.

— Since I see you’re still willing to help us, I’ll go to him now. I’ll bring the information soon — Jonathan replied, walking toward the door.

As Jonathan opened the door, he found Beta standing there—panting, sweaty, and visibly exhausted. His expression was a mix of surprise at seeing the warrior there and a brief smile before collapsing in front of the church.

The fainting caused immediate commotion, and for a moment, both feared something serious had happened. But they soon realized it was just exhaustion. They carried him to the bed Tate had been using in the church and laid him there to rest.

— He’s taking this way too seriously… I don’t like it — said Jonathan, sitting beside the boy. — I shouldn’t have taught him so much. I’m sure he’s only going to push himself harder in the future.

— That’s part of it — replied Tate, watching the boy sleep deeply. — Looks like the rain’s going to last all day — he added, hearing the intensifying patter of the drops.

— In that case, we won’t be able to go to the cave today — Jonathan stated, sitting at the other end of the bed, running his fingers over his necklace, which caught Tate’s attention.

— Where did you get that necklace? — he asked, unable to hide his interest.

— That was a long time ago… It’s a keepsake from my first guild, so to speak — he replied, looking down, letting out a heavy sigh. — It was a complicated time.

— Why does it have that reddish tone on the edges? — Tate asked, staring at the necklace intently.

— That’s none of your business, kid. Though I’m sure you know what happened.

— Every adventurer is bound to go through it. You can’t live this life for years without facing betrayal… or loss — Tate commented, sinking into his own thoughts.

— Do you feel comfortable telling your story? — Jonathan asked, curious.

Tate just shook his head, giving a subtle gesture to indicate someone else was present.

— I see. In any case, I’d better get back to work — Jonathan said, standing and giving the boy a brief head pat before leaving.

The warrior exited the church, and Tate was left alone with the boy, still thinking about that necklace.

— Could it be...? — he murmured, ignoring the child’s presence until he heard knocking on the door again. — Tsk! — he grumbled. Upon opening it, he found Liz, who was looking for Beta and panicked upon seeing him unconscious.

— Beta!? — she shouted, rushing over. — What happened to him!?

— He’s just resting. Collapsed from exhaustion.

— If you hadn’t put those ideas in his head, this wouldn’t have happened! — she shouted, overcome with anger.

But it wasn’t ordinary anger. Tate, experienced and used to dealing with all kinds of people, sensed something more. In Liz’s eyes was a lost, sorrowful child on the verge of breaking.

— What is he to you? — he asked, staring at her suspiciously.

— What?

— Do you see that boy as someone who needs to be protected?

— No! I see him as someone who needs to stop chasing impossible dreams!

— Do you have any dreams? — he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

— That’s none of your business.

— What does your mother want you to be when you grow up? — he asked, waiting for a reaction.

— I… — Liz froze, speechless. She stood up, head down, and walked to the door, leaving without saying another word.

— Hmph... — Tate sighed, understanding what was going on. — Still, that’s not my business. I have bigger problems — he murmured, staring out the window.

— You know this help won’t mean anything, don’t you? — said Ferry from the first floor.

— I know. But I want to do this as one final contribution before the main event. I don’t want to leave here with a guilty conscience — he replied with a heavy sigh. — Wait a minute… How much did you hear?

— You were so deep in your thoughts, you didn’t even notice me coming down the stairs — she replied, staring at him. — There’s no way to leave this village without carrying some kind of guilt… unless you tell everyone the truth.

— As if I’d actually do that.

— That’s what you’re showing.

— Even if I still have feelings and empathy for people — unlike you two, by the way — I still know how to separate work from personal conflicts.

— I hope so — Ferry replied, falling into a long silence. — So, you’re really going to help them?

— Yes… One last contribution… — Tate murmured, running a hand through the sleeping boy’s hair.

‡