Night had settled over the city like a dark velvet curtain.
From the upper window of the small inn room, the fantasy capital stretched outward in a quiet glow. Mana lanterns hung along the curved stone streets, each one humming faintly with soft blue light. Their glow reflected off tiled rooftops and narrow canals that ran between districts like veins of silver.
Farther away, the towering spires of the academy rose above the rest of the city. Their crystal tips pulsed with faint magical light, reacting to the constant flow of atmospheric mana that drifted through the night air.
Even at this hour, the city never truly slept.
Distant carriage wheels rolled over stone roads. Laughter drifted from a tavern somewhere below. A patrol of city guards walked past the street corner, their armor clinking softly as they moved beneath the lanterns.
Rei stood beside the open window, leaning slightly against the wooden frame.
His eyes weren't on the city.
They were somewhere far beyond it.
The jungle.
The black-robed men.
The memory replayed in fragments in his mind.
The way they moved.
The way they spoke.
And the moment he realized that staying even one second longer would have gotten him killed.
Rei exhaled slowly.
What happened after he left?
Did the adventurer party survive?
Or did those robed figures finish whatever they were doing and erase everyone who saw it?
He hated unanswered patterns.
His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet rustling sound behind him.
The small figure on the bed shifted beneath the blanket.
A moment later, two sleepy eyes opened.
The girl blinked several times before sitting up.
Her messy hair fell around her face in soft, uneven strands, clearly the result of someone who had been running through forests and sleeping wherever they could.
For a few seconds she just stared at Rei.
Then her expression changed.
Relief.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You came back…"
Her voice was quiet, still half asleep.
"I thought you wouldn't."
Rei turned slightly from the window.
The girl hugged the blanket closer to herself.
"Just like my mother."
The words were simple.
But the room suddenly felt a little heavier.
Rei looked at her silently for a moment before speaking.
"What's your name?"
The girl blinked, clearly not expecting the question.
"Lumi."
She said it softly.
"Lumi Arlen."
The name suited her. Short. Light.
Rei nodded once.
"Age?"
"Fourteen."
Rei glanced at her again, measuring.
That sounded about right.
"Where are you from?"
"A village near the forest… about half a day from the eastern road."
She shifted slightly on the bed as she spoke, pulling her knees closer.
Rei crossed his arms.
"What happened to your family?"
Lumi hesitated.
For a few seconds, she just stared at the blanket in her hands.
"My father was an adventurer," she said quietly.
"He died during a mission two years ago."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"After that it was just me and my mother."
Rei remained silent.
Lumi continued.
"She worked in the village… cooking, cleaning… whatever people needed."
Her voice grew smaller.
"We were fine."
Another pause.
Then—
"One evening a man came to our house."
Rei's eyes sharpened slightly.
Lumi swallowed.
"He wore a dark cloak… I couldn't see his face clearly."
"He talked to my mother for a long time."
"What about?" Rei asked.
"I don't know," she said quickly. "She told me to stay in the other room."
Her voice trembled slightly now.
"But they were arguing."
Rei leaned against the wall beside the window.
"And after that?"
Lumi looked down.
"That night…"
"She disappeared."
Silence filled the room again.
"I searched everywhere," Lumi continued, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The village… the forest paths… nearby towns…"
Her eyes grew slightly wet but she stubbornly rubbed them with her sleeve.
"It's been almost six months."
"I can't find her anywhere."
Rei watched her quietly.
He understood what she wanted.
Comfort.
Reassurance.
The usual human responses.
Unfortunately for her, Rei wasn't built that way.
Sympathy felt inefficient.
So he chose the practical route.
"I'll help you find her."
The words came out flat and direct.
Lumi looked up instantly.
Rei continued.
"Until then, you can stay with me."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then a small smile slowly returned to her face.
Not a big one.
Just enough to show relief.
"Okay."
Rei turned away from the window.
"Sleep."
Lumi blinked.
"You need rest."
He walked toward the door.
"And tomorrow we start figuring out where your mother went."
Lumi quickly slid back under the blanket.
"…Thank you."
Rei didn't respond.
He simply blew out the mana lantern beside the bed.
The room darkened instantly.
Outside, the quiet glow of the city still filled the window.
Rei sat in the chair near the wall.
Eyes open.
Mind still working.
Because now there were two problems.
The black-robed men in the jungle.
And a missing woman connected to a cloaked visitor.
And if his instincts were right…
Those two things might not be unrelated.
Morning arrived without ceremony.
The city didn't wake gently. It stirred. Wooden shutters creaked open across nearby buildings, merchants dragged carts onto the streets, and somewhere outside a baker loudly argued with a supplier about flour quality. The distant clang of metal tools echoed between stone walls as workers began their day.
Inside the small inn room, Rei was already awake.
He sat beside the narrow table with a small pile of coins spread out in front of him.
Copper. A few silver pieces. One slightly scratched silver coin that probably lost half its value the moment someone dropped it in the mud.
Rei stacked them neatly into small piles, counting with quiet precision.
One stack for food.
One stack for lodging.
One stack for things that would inevitably go wrong.
His fingers moved efficiently as he reorganized the small fortune that was not remotely close to a fortune.
Behind him, the bed creaked.
Lumi slowly sat up, rubbing one eye with the sleeve of her oversized hoodie.
Her hair was even worse than last night, sticking out in several directions like it had personally fought the pillow and lost.
She blinked sleepily.
Her gaze landed on Rei.
Then on the coins.
Then back on Rei.
For a moment she just stared at the money.
Rei noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
He glanced at her once, then went back to stacking coins.
"Go take a bath."
Lumi blinked again.
"…Where?"
Rei didn't even look up.
"Ask the counter girl downstairs."
Lumi frowned slightly.
"I don't know where anything is."
"Then ask."
She stared at him for another few seconds.
Then said very calmly,
"You come with me."
Rei finally looked up.
"No."
Lumi tilted her head.
"Why?"
Rei stared at her like the answer should be painfully obvious.
"Because you're a girl."
She looked at him.
Then looked at the door.
Then back at him.
"Just drop me near the bath."
Rei said nothing.
"The place is new," she added quickly. "I might get lost."
Still silence.
"…Please?"
Rei stared at the ceiling for a second.
Then sighed.
The sound carried all the emotional enthusiasm of someone volunteering for unpaid labor.
He stood up.
Lumi immediately jumped out of bed, pulled on her hoodie, and followed him like a small shadow.
They walked down the wooden staircase together.
The inn was already lively.
Travelers were eating breakfast, someone loudly complained about cold soup, and the smell of bread and fried eggs filled the room.
Behind the counter stood the same girl from yesterday.
The inn's counter attendant.
She was wiping a mug with a cloth when Rei approached.
He stopped at the counter.
"Where's the women's bath?"
The girl froze.
Slowly she lowered the mug.
Then she looked at Rei.
Then leaned slightly over the counter.
"…Pervert."
Rei didn't react.
Not even a blink.
The girl sighed.
"Relax. I know why you're asking."
She pointed down the hallway.
"Go straight. Men's bath is first."
Then she lazily pointed left.
"Women's bath is just past that."
Rei nodded once.
Before he could leave, footsteps came down the stairs.
Lumi.
The counter girl looked up and noticed her immediately.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Oh!"
She leaned forward with a warm smile.
"Well hello there."
Lumi hesitated slightly.
The girl rested her elbows on the counter.
"If you ever want food, just come ask me, okay?"
Rei spoke without turning around.
"I'm not paying for charity."
The counter girl rolled her eyes.
"Obviously not."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't ruin my reputation by making it sound like I'm generous."
Lumi looked between them with quiet confusion.
Rei turned toward the hallway.
"Come on."
Lumi quickly followed.
They walked down the corridor until two wooden signs appeared on opposite doors.
One had a crude drawing of a man.
The other a woman.
Rei stopped.
"That one."
He pointed at the second door.
Lumi nodded.
She paused for a moment before opening it.
"…You're not leaving, right?"
Rei leaned against the wall beside the hallway.
"I'll be here."
She seemed satisfied with that.
Then she pushed the door open and disappeared inside.
The door closed.
Rei crossed his arms and waited in the hallway.
Completely motionless.
People occasionally passed by, giving him strange looks as he stood outside the women's bath like some silent statue of poor decision-making.
Rei ignored them.
Waiting was easy.
Thinking wasn't.
His mind had already moved somewhere else.
Practical problems.
Annoying ones.
He mentally reopened the small financial ledger he had been calculating earlier.
Food for two.
Lodging for two.
Unexpected problems for two.
Which meant one simple conclusion.
He would have to take another portion from his already unimpressive pile of coins.
Rei stared at the wooden floor.
His "fortune" was quickly turning into a "not so fortune."
Now a portion of it belonged to Lumi.
He didn't particularly mind.
But the arithmetic was irritating.
For a moment his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The academy.
Shin.
Mira.
Elira.
Valen.
Cassian.
They were probably still inside the High Academy by now.
Training.
Sparring.
Getting yelled at by Professor Hale.
Day after day.
Rei imagined Shin arguing with someone. Mira probably talking too much during training. Elira quietly trying not to draw attention. Valen taking everything too seriously. Cassian complaining about something as usual.
The thought lingered longer than he expected.
He missed them.
Not enough to walk all the way back to the academy and deal with people.
But enough to notice their absence.
Rei exhaled quietly.
"They're probably suffering."
A faint hint of amusement crossed his mind.
High Academy training wasn't exactly pleasant.
Meanwhile he was here.
Standing in a hallway.
Looking after a fourteen-year-old girl.
Life had strange priorities sometimes.
His thoughts shifted again.
Training.
He had barely practiced recently.
That was unacceptable.
Rei slowly raised one hand.
His fingers opened.
For a brief moment the air around his palm darkened.
A small flicker of black energy appeared.
Thin.
Unstable.
Like a distorted flame made of shadow.
It pulsed once.
Rei immediately closed his hand.
The energy vanished before anyone walking past could notice it.
Good.
No witnesses.
That ability still attracted the wrong kind of attention.
Footsteps approached from behind.
The counter attendant.
She stopped a few steps away and looked at him.
Then she looked at the women's bath door.
Then back at him again.
"…You know," she said, folding her arms, "it doesn't look very good for a boy like you to stand outside the women's bath."
Rei didn't move.
"What would people think?" she added.
Rei answered without turning his head.
"I don't care what other people think."
The girl studied him for a moment.
"…That tracks."
She leaned against the wall nearby.
"So," she continued casually, "the girl."
Rei said nothing.
"She told me a bit earlier."
Rei glanced at her.
"She did?"
The attendant nodded.
"About her village. Her mother disappearing."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Rough story."
Rei remained silent.
The girl tilted her head slightly.
"You're helping her look for her mother?"
"Yes."
"No reward?"
"No."
She stared at him for a moment.
"…You're a strange guy."
Rei didn't respond.
The bathhouse door creaked open.
Both of them looked toward it.
Lumi stepped out.
Her hair was still messy, but at least it was clean now and slightly damp around the edges. The oversized hoodie hung loosely on her shoulders as she walked out into the hallway.
The counter girl immediately straightened.
"Well look at that," she said with a smile. "You survived the bathhouse."
Lumi blinked.
"…Was I supposed to die in there?"
The attendant laughed.
Rei pushed himself off the wall.
"Done?"
Lumi nodded.
"Yeah."
Rei turned toward the hallway.
"Good."
He started walking.
Lumi followed immediately.
The counter attendant watched them go.
Then muttered quietly to herself,
"…Weird pair."
But she was smiling when she said it.
Rei and Lumi walked back down the hallway toward the stairs.
The inn had become louder since earlier. Plates clattered, travelers argued over breakfast portions, and someone downstairs was loudly explaining a story that had clearly grown more dramatic with every retelling.
Rei ignored all of it.
Halfway up the stairs he finally spoke.
"We need to get you new clothes."
Lumi looked up at him.
Rei continued walking without slowing.
"That hoodie is too big."
She glanced down at it.
"…I like it."
"It still doesn't fit."
They reached the upper floor corridor.
Rei continued.
"You'll also need other things."
Lumi tilted her head.
"Like what?"
Rei counted calmly on his fingers as they walked.
"Clothes."
"Shoes."
"Probably a bag."
He paused.
"Food that isn't whatever the inn happens to serve."
Lumi blinked.
"That's… a lot."
Rei stopped outside the room and pushed the door open.
"Not really."
They stepped inside.
Lumi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"…Rei."
He was already moving toward the small table where his coins still sat.
She stood near the door.
"Thank you."
Rei glanced at her once.
"For taking care of me," she added quietly.
Rei picked up one of the coins and flipped it between his fingers.
"Don't thank me."
Lumi looked confused.
"Why?"
Rei placed the coin back on the table.
"It's normal."
She blinked.
"Normal?"
"Yes."
He sat down in the chair again.
"If someone needs help, you help them."
Lumi stared at him.
For a boy who talked so little, his answers were strangely simple.
She slowly nodded.
"…Okay."
Rei began sorting his coins again.
The small stacks rearranged slightly.
A new one appeared.
Expenses for Lumi.
His already unimpressive fortune shrank a little more.
Rei didn't complain.
Just adjusted the math.
Because if he was going to do something…
He might as well do it properly.
Copper slid into one stack.
Silver into another.
Then he mentally added the new category.
Lumi expenses.
The pile got smaller.
Rei didn't look particularly bothered. Just mildly annoyed at the math.
Behind him, Lumi sat on the edge of the bed watching him work like he was some kind of strange accountant wizard.
After a moment she asked,
"So… what are we doing now?"
Rei didn't look up.
"I still have to do the daily guild quests."
His fingers shifted another coin.
"After that we'll buy the things you need."
Lumi nodded slowly.
Then she asked carefully,
"…Can I come with you?"
Rei answered immediately.
"No."
Lumi looked down.
"…Oh."
Rei added without thinking,
"I won't die like your father."
The room went quiet.
A soft sniffing sound followed.
Rei froze.
He slowly looked up.
Lumi's head was lowered and she was rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.
Great.
Autopilot answers. His brain had fired before the rest of him bothered checking the target.
Rei stared at the table for a second.
"…That came out wrong."
Lumi kept sniffing.
Rei rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I wasn't thinking."
Another sniff.
Rei sighed quietly.
"Sorry."
Lumi wiped her eyes with the sleeve of the hoodie.
"…It's okay."
Her voice was small but steady.
Rei watched her for another moment before speaking again.
"You can come."
Lumi looked up immediately.
"…Really?"
"Yes."
Her face brightened instantly.
That small, quiet happiness kids get when something they expected to be taken away suddenly isn't.
Rei stood up.
"Pack up."
Lumi blinked.
"I don't have anything to pack."
"…Right."
Rei grabbed his own bag from beside the chair and slung it over his shoulder.
Then he tied the small coin pouch to his belt.
He opened the door.
"Let's go."
Lumi hopped off the bed and hurried after him.
A few minutes later they were back on the streets.
The city had fully woken up now.
Merchants shouted over one another, food stalls filled the air with the smell of grilled meat and bread, and travelers moved through the streets in every direction.
Rei stopped at a small food stand.
Two simple breakfasts later, Lumi had a warm bread roll and something resembling scrambled eggs.
She ate like someone who had learned not to waste food.
Rei finished his portion quickly.
"Come on."
Next stop.
The Adventurer Guild.
The familiar wooden doors creaked open as they entered.
Inside, the usual chaos waited.
Adventurers arguing.
Armor clanking.
Someone loudly celebrating a completed mission.
And behind the counter…
The receptionist.
She spotted Rei immediately.
Her eyes lit up like someone had just delivered free entertainment.
"Well look who's here."
She leaned forward with a grin.
"My favorite cutie."
Rei stopped walking.
"My name is Rei."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Yes yes, your name is Cutie."
Rei stared at her.
"…That's not my name."
"Too late," she replied cheerfully.
"Reputation established."
Rei gave up.
Not worth the energy.
Then she noticed the small figure standing behind him.
Her grin softened instantly.
"Oh?"
She leaned forward again.
"And who is this?"
Lumi stepped slightly closer to Rei.
"…Lumi."
The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Well hello Lumi."
Then she pointed at Rei.
"And this is our resident cutie."
Rei felt cheated.
She learned Lumi's name immediately.
But him?
Still Cutie.
He sighed quietly and walked past the counter.
The mission board stood against the far wall, covered with parchment requests.
Lumi followed beside him.
Rei scanned the papers quickly.
"Look for D-rank missions."
Lumi stepped closer to the board.
"…What's D-rank?"
"Easy work."
She nodded seriously.
Then began studying the board with full concentration.
Like a very small adventurer trying to look professional.
After a few minutes of quiet searching, three slips of paper ended up in Rei's hand.
Lumi had actually helped pick one.
Mostly by pointing at things and asking, "Is this dangerous?"
Rei's standards for "dangerous" were… questionable.
Still, they settled on three D-rank missions.
When Rei walked back to the counter and placed the requests down, the receptionist raised an eyebrow.
Then the other one.
"Three again today?"
She leaned on the counter and looked impressed.
"You're seriously trying to speed run the guild ranks, aren't you?"
Rei shrugged.
"Work is work."
She flipped through the requests and nodded.
"Well… good news."
She tapped the paper.
"You're only four missions away from C-rank now."
Rei didn't react much, but the information registered instantly.
C-rank meant higher pay.
Better missions.
Less annoying beginners' work.
The receptionist slid the mission tokens across the counter.
"Try not to die, cutie."
Rei stared at her.
"My name is Rei."
"Sure it is."
He gave up again and walked away.
Lumi followed quickly.
The jungle greeted them the same way it always did.
Heavy air.
Thick green shadows.
And the constant sound of insects and distant creatures moving through the trees.
The missions themselves weren't complicated.
A small wolf pack that had been harassing trade routes.
Collect a few monster materials.
Clear the area.
For Rei, it was routine.
For Lumi…
Not so much.
By the time they returned to the city gates later that afternoon, Lumi looked like someone had just introduced her to the harsh realities of the food chain.
Her expression was frozen somewhere between shock, exhaustion, and questioning all life decisions.
Rei walked normally beside her.
Lumi dragged her feet slightly.
Every few steps she glanced at him like she was still processing what she had witnessed.
Specifically—
Rei calmly dismantling wolves like he was doing routine gardening.
Back at the guild hall, the noise greeted them again.
Rei dropped the collected materials on the counter.
The receptionist inspected them quickly.
"All three missions completed."
She looked up.
Then her eyes moved toward Lumi.
She blinked.
"…Why does she look like she just saw a wolf?"
Lumi stared at the counter.
The receptionist leaned forward.
"Wait."
She squinted.
"…Did she actually see a wolf?"
Rei answered flatly.
"Yes."
The receptionist slowly turned her head toward him.
"You took a fourteen-year-old into a wolf hunt?"
Rei opened his mouth.
"She insisted."
The receptionist slapped the counter dramatically.
"That is not a defense!"
Several nearby adventurers turned to look.
She pointed at Lumi.
"Look at her!"
Lumi still looked mildly traumatized.
The receptionist crossed her arms and glared at Rei.
"You know blood and violence can negatively affect children, right?"
Rei paused.
"…She insisted."
"STOP SAYING THAT."
She sighed loudly.
Then handed over the reward coins.
"You're lucky she's still walking and not fainting."
Rei took the coins calmly.
Lumi still looked like she had witnessed the world's most educational nightmare.
The receptionist leaned closer to Lumi.
"You're okay, right?"
Lumi nodded slowly.
"…He killed them very efficiently."
The receptionist stared at Rei again.
"…That is somehow worse."
Rei already started walking toward the exit.
Conversation over.
Outside, the evening air had cooled slightly.
They walked back toward the inn.
Halfway there—
Grrrrrr.
Lumi froze.
Her stomach had just betrayed her.
She immediately pulled her hoodie up and covered half her face.
Her cheeks turned red.
"…Right."
Rei glanced at her.
Then turned slightly toward a nearby restaurant.
"Dinner."
Lumi peeked out from the hoodie.
"…Really?"
"Yes."
It was still early evening, but food stalls and small restaurants were already filling with people.
They found a small place with wooden tables and warm lantern light.
Nothing fancy.
But the food was hot.
Lumi ate quietly but quickly.
The earlier trauma from the wolves seemed to fade with every bite.
Rei finished his meal without much comment.
Once they were done, they stepped back into the street.
Night was settling again.
Lanterns flickered alive along the roads.
People moved more slowly now.
The day winding down.
They returned to the inn not long after.
Inside, the counter attendant noticed them immediately.
She glanced between them.
"…You two survive the day?"
Rei walked past without answering.
Lumi followed him upstairs.
Back in the room, the day finally caught up with her.
Between the long walk, the jungle, the wolves, and the constant adrenaline…
She looked ready to collapse.
Rei placed his coin pouch back on the table.
Another successful day.
Three missions closer.
Only four more before C-rank.
Progress.
Behind him, Lumi had already curled up on the bed again.
This time falling asleep much faster than the night before.
Rei glanced at her once.
Then sat in the chair near the window again.
Night in the city returned quietly outside.
And tomorrow would probably involve more wolves.
Or something worse.
Which, knowing his luck…
Was extremely likely.