After the paladins’ ceremony, Mateo and Nai carried burning hearts for days. Not only because of the sacred marks now etched upon their chests, but because of a new kind of responsibility. Something real, looming over them like the tip of a spear: their first mission as paladins of Yanúr.

The mission was espionage. A strategic move by the Church of Ezys, requested directly by high figures within Huwofin’s government. There were rumors of a shadowy sect infiltrating the southern borderlands, near the forgotten territories of Lizpanza. Nothing concrete—only whispers, but dangerous enough to mobilize their new recruits.

The first two days were filled with intense preparation. Salda, her fingers still bandaged, handed them maps, explained surveillance techniques, and even conjured simple illusions that Nai and Mateo had to either break through or detect.
“Sharp eyes see what fools ignore,” she said with her hoarse voice and crooked smile.

Nai took care of supplies and light weapons. Mateo sharpened his dagger with obsessive precision. Neither of them spoke much—not out of coldness, but out of respect for the weight of what was to come. In silence, there was understanding.

On the eve of their departure, Nai’s family home was more lively than ever. Servants hung discrete streamers, soft music filled the halls, and the kitchen exhaled aromas of sweet herbs, roasted meat, and floral wine.

The small farewell was intimate. Only Nai, Mateo, her parents, and Salda were present—who, against medical advice, arrived with a crooked smile and a glass of wine in hand.
— “If I survived a two-headed dire wolf, I can survive a bit of wine.”

Later in the evening, Nai’s father called Mateo for a walk in the garden, away from the bustle. The night breeze rustled the leaves, and the silence between them was comfortable, until the man sighed deeply.
— “Mateo… there is something I need to tell you.”
Mateo, eyes lowered, waited.
— “When Norn first brought you here… I didn’t know what to think. The blessing of death is frightening. Misunderstood… dangerous. But now… now I look at you and see someone who protects my daughter. Someone who bleeds, trains, and laughs with her. Someone… of this family.”
Mateo turned his gaze aside, swallowing hard.
— “We’re working on a project with the king. Something important. When it’s finished… peace will come. You’ll finally be able to do what you love. You’ll be able to rest, to smile, without always looking over your shoulder.”
Mateo, with a sheepish grin, only said:
— “I think… I think I’m happy here. I hadn’t realized it.”

Back at the party, Nai had been watching them from afar. Her eyes shone with pride. When Mateo returned, she nudged him lightly, smiling:
— “What was that? Did he ask you to marry him in my place?”
Mateo laughed and quipped:
— “Maybe. But I only agreed if you’d be the maid of honor.”
They both laughed. For a brief moment, they forgot the weight of the world.

At the end of the night, Norn raised a simple toast, voice trembling:
— “To the children who grow… and face the world unafraid. May Yanúr’s light guide your every step. And may you always return whole.”
Cups were raised, words exchanged in silence. That night—before missions, before betrayal, before blood and fire—they were just two young souls, surrounded by love, hope… and a home.