For a moment, the courtyard was completely silent.
Then the noise exploded.
"What the hell was that fight?!"
"He actually held his ground against General Glade!"
"No way… that guy is insane!"
Adventurers stepped closer, whispering and arguing loudly among themselves.
Kael barely heard them. The tension that had kept his body moving suddenly vanished. The faint black flame around his dagger flickered weakly… then disappeared. His legs trembled.
"…Ah."
His knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground, sitting heavily in the dust. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to catch his breath.
Rowan rushed forward.
"Kael!"
"I'm fine," he muttered, breathing hard.
"Just… used everything I had."
Rowan reached out and offered him a hand.
Kael grabbed it and tried to stand, but his legs were still shaking.
Before Rowan could pull him up completely, another large armored hand appeared in front of him.
Glade.
The commander looked down at him with a wide grin.
"Well done, kid."
He grabbed Kael's arm and pulled him the rest of the way to his feet. Kael blinked in surprise.
Glade laughed loudly.
"You almost got me killed out there, kid."
The courtyard erupted with shocked murmurs.
"Did he just say that?"
"General Glade almost killed?"
"That guy must be insane!"
Lenalie crossed her arms and looked at Kael with a smug expression.
"Not bad… kid."
She said it arrogantly, like she was giving him a score.
Glade slowly turned his head toward her with disbelief.
"…You're the same as him, lil' miss."
The crowd burst into laughter. Lenalie frowned immediately.
"What?!"
Kael steadied himself and looked at Glade.
"…Did I pass?"
Glade crossed his arms and smirked.
"Yeah. Most likely."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Considering you almost killed me back there… I'd say you did pretty good."
More murmurs spread through the adventurers. Some of them looked at
Kael with completely different expressions now. Respect.
Zerilda stepped forward, her sharp eyes focused on him.
"Kael… that flame you used."
She studied him carefully.
"What power was that?"
Rowan nodded.
"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. That black flame of yours… I've never seen anything like it."
The courtyard grew quiet. Everyone suddenly became curious. All eyes turned toward Kael.
But before he could answer.
Grrrrrrrlllll.
A loud growling sound broke the silence. Kael froze.
"…."
He covered his face slightly.
"…Damn it... Speaking of bad timing."
For a second the courtyard was silent. Then everyone burst out laughing. Even some of the Purge Knights chuckled.
Glade shook his head with a grin.
"Guess that's understandable."
He gestured toward Kael.
"After all that fighting, even your stomach's protesting."
Zerilda sighed but smiled slightly.
"Yeah, he's right. After all the chaos that happened today… even your stomach has the right to be upset."
The laughter slowly faded. Kael was still catching his breath when his stomach growled loudly again.
Kael just closed his eyes in embarrassment.
The courtyard went quiet for a second. Then everyone burst into laughter again.
Glade chuckled and crossed his arms.
"Guess that's understandable. After all that fighting, even your stomach is protesting."
Zerilda shook her head but smiled.
"Yeah. After today… it has every right."
The atmosphere had completely relaxed.
Then...Clank… Clank…
Heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance of the courtyard. Everyone slowly turned.
Two figures were walking toward them.
The first was a tall man with bright orange hair tied back with a black hairband. His eyes were half-closed, as if he had just woken up. He wore the same battle armor as Glade.
An elegant dark cape rested on his shoulders, and two swords were strapped to his back in a crossed position. A silver earring hung from his left ear. He looked like he could fall asleep standing.
Walking beside him was another man, casually chewing a piece of bread. His long dark hair covered his left eye.
A spear rested across his back, and in one hand he carried a bag full of bread. He wore the same armor as the other Purge Knights.
Lenalie's eyebrow twitched the moment she saw them.
"…Where have you two been all day?"
Her tone was clearly irritated.
Rubal calmly chewed his bread.
"Relax," he said, raising the bag slightly.
"I told you before. I went to look for food."
He pointed his thumb toward the tall orange-haired man beside him.
"And Kraust took a nap on a tree near the plaza."
Kraust slowly blinked.
"…Good nap."
Lenalie stared at them in disbelief.
"You two disappeared the entire day!"
Rubal shrugged.
"Priorities."
Kraust yawned lazily and looked around the courtyard.
"…So who won the duel?"
The question hung in the air. Several adventurers exchanged glances. Some of them suddenly looked nervous. Others whispered quietly.
"Those two… aren't they… from the capital?"
Rowan's party immediately recognized them. Kinon straightened slightly.
"…No way."
Runo swallowed.
"Those are two of the capital's elite fighters."
Rowan folded his arms, watching them calmly. Kraust and Rubal. Among the Purge Knights stationed in the capital, they were known as S-rank elites. Not just strong, monsters.
Rubal finally noticed the silence.
"…What?"
One adventurer pointed slowly toward Kael.
"That guy fought the commander."
Kraust blinked. Then slowly looked at Kael.
"…That kid?" Glade scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah."
Kraust stared at Kael for a moment. Then nodded once.
"…Interesting." Rubal walked closer while still chewing his bread. He looked Kael up and down.
"…You look half-dead."
Kael sighed. "Long day."
Rubal nodded in understanding.
"Fair enough..."
He tossed a piece of bread toward Kael. Luckily he caught it before it fell to the ground.
"Eat first," Rubal said.
"Then explain how you almost killed the commander."
The courtyard exploded again.
"WAIT WHAT?!"
"You almost killed the commander?!"
Kraust's half-closed eyes opened slightly.
"…Now I'm curious." Rubal sighed.
"That story can wait." Glade turned toward the guild hall.
"Everyone inside. Tonight we eat."
Cheers erupted from the adventurers. And for the first time that day, Kael was finally going to get a proper meal.
The group walked through the plaza under the warm glow of lantern lights.
The town was still lively despite the late hour. Adventurers filled the streets, laughter and music drifting from nearby taverns.
Glade stopped in front of a large wooden building near the center of the plaza. A golden crescent moon was painted on the hanging sign above the door.
Golden Moon Tavern.
Glade pushed the door open and looked back at the adventurers who had followed them from the courtyard.
"Well then," he said loudly, "let's feast."
Some of the adventurers cheered, but Glade raised a hand.
"And tonight," he added with a grin, "it's on me."
For a moment, the plaza went completely silent. Then...
"WHAT?!"
Cheers exploded across the street. Adventurers rushed toward the tavern doors immediately.
"Commander Glade is paying?!"
"Free drinks!"
"I'm not missing this!"
Zerilda shook her head with a faint smile. She turned toward the crowd and raised her voice.
"You heard the man. Move before the food runs out."
The crowd roared again and rushed inside. Kinon laughed as he watched them push through the doors.
Then he turned toward the guild master.
"How about you, Guild Master? Aren't you coming?"
The Guild Master shook his head with a tired smile.
"Nah. I've got too much paperwork waiting for me. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. You all deserve a break once in a while."
Zerilda gave Kael a thoughtful look.
"We'll talk later, when everything settles down," she said calmly.
Kael nodded slowly. "…Alright."
With that, the group finally entered the tavern.
Inside the Golden Moon Tavern, the noise hit them immediately. Tables were filled with adventurers, laughter and shouting blending with the clatter of mugs and the rich aroma of roasted meat, fresh bread, and hot soup.
Behind the counter stood a young woman lazily wiping mugs with a cloth.
Long hair, mostly white with streaks of red, framed sharp eyes that gave her a naturally intimidating look, but her bored expression made her seem completely indifferent to the chaos around her.
Kael blinked. The resemblance was uncanny, same sharp eyes, same attitude, same face. She looked exactly like the woman from the inn he had stayed at last night, only younger.
Glade chuckled. "Good to see you too."
Rowan tilted his head slightly. "Do you know him?"
Thalia shook her head "Nope. But I'm sure my mother does."
Glade's expression softened slightly.
"Oh… I guess you were just an infant the last time I saw you. I hope your mother was doing well."
Thalia waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah, yeah… she's perfectly fine.".
She grabbed a mug, filled it quickly, and slid it across the counter. Kinon caught it with ease.
"Thanks."
Kael, meanwhile, was staring. Thalia noticed immediately.
"…Never seen a barkeeper before?"
She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kael scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"Sorry, but… do you run the Silver Lantern Inn?"
Thalia blinked once.
"Well… practically, yeah. My mother does, but lucky me, I'm stuck here working tirelessly. Guess what? I hate this job."
"Yeah… I can see why," Kael said, shrugging. "Must be really exhausting."
Thalia nodded in full agreement.
"You bet…" Her eyes suddenly narrowed, her expression sharpening.
"But… why did you ask?" She added.
"I stayed there last night." Thalia sighed.
"Then you already know how annoying she is."
Kael laughed awkwardly.
"…Yeah."
Meanwhile, Kraust had already claimed a chair in the corner of the table.
Meanwhile, Kraust had already claimed a chair in the corner of the table. He leaned back, arms behind his head, one leg lazily draped over the other, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep, as if he'd just fought the duel himself.
"…Is he sleeping again?" Kinon asked.
Lenalie crossed her arms. "He's been awake for five minutes."
Glade let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
"Don't sweat it, Lenalie… there's no harm in relaxing for a bit. I'm sure he'll wake up when the food arrives."
Thalia muttered from behind the counter. "…Same as a dog."
Nearby adventurers laughed quietly.
Kael sank into a large chair, still exhausted from the duel. The smell of food made his stomach growl, loudly.
Grrrrrrrrl.
Everyone paused. Kael slowly covered his stomach.
"…Damn it."
Kinon burst out laughing. "Again, Kael? Seriously?!"
Rubal calmly dropped a loaf of bread in front of him, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"Eat."
Kael grabbed it without hesitation, tearing into it like a man starved for days.
"Thanks," he muttered between bites.
Across the table, Rowan leaned back slightly and glanced at Glade.
"So… what now?" he asked.
Glade leaned back, resting his arms on the table.
"Patience, kid. I'm sure the capital will send word once all the preparations for the expedition are settled."
Then, Rubal gave Kael a slow, unreadable look.
"…You're going to be popular," he said simply, the kind of popularity that came from fighting the commander and catching the attention of the Purge Knights.
Kraust spoke without opening his eyes, his arms draped over the back of his head.
"…Or hunted."
The table went quiet for a moment. Kael stared down at the bread in his hands, completely ignoring what Rubal and Kraust had said. His mind drifted back to the cave… and Eiscia.
Behind the counter, Thalia stacked several plates onto a tray before carrying them over. She set them down in front of the group, roasted meat, steaming soup, and fresh bread, then straightened slightly, crossing her arms.
"Eat before it gets cold," she said, her tone flat but firm.
Kraust's eyes opened instantly.
"…Food."
Lenalie sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "I swear you're unbelievable."
Kael barely paid attention to his surroundings. The moment the food hit his stomach, the tension from the day began to ease.
Since leaving the cave, he could finally take a proper breath.
Meanwhile, Rubal and Kraust slid into their seats like they owned the place, drawing a few surprised glances from the adventurers nearby.
Kael finally slumped into his chair, letting out a long, tired breath. The roasted meat, fresh bread, and warm soup in front of him felt like a small miracle.
For the first time since waking up in this world, he could eat without looking over his shoulder or bracing for a fight. He dug in, savoring every bite like it might be his last.
Laughter bubbled around the table.
Lenalie argued with Kraust over who would take the last piece of bread, while Glade allowed himself a rare approving grin. Rubal handed Kael another loaf.
"Eat up, kid," he said.
"Gather your strength, you're going to need it soon."
Kael chewed quickly, though his mind couldn't fully relax.
The cave, Eiscia, the black flame, and now the attention of the Purge Knights, everything was still pressing down on him.
Just as the group was starting to relax, a loud bang echoed through the tavern doors.
A young messenger soldier from the capital burst in, armor scratched, cloak fluttering from the run.
"Commander Glade! Urgent message from the capital!"
The tavern froze. Even Kael's rumbling stomach went unnoticed as all eyes turned to the messenger.
Glade's brow furrowed.
"What is it?"
The soldier gasped for breath, bowing quickly.
"Sir… in three days, the expedition to the Sanctum Forest will commence. The cave has been prioritized. All forces are to prepare for immediate deployment."
A heavy hush settled over the tavern. Kael froze mid-bite, and Rowan's hand instinctively tightened on his weapon.
Glade exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.
"So… it begins sooner than expected."