The tension in the meeting room hadn't fully settled when the door suddenly opened.
Kaito walked in casually.
Hands in his pockets.
Expression relaxed, almost bored.
He glanced around the table once.
Then tilted his head slightly.
"…Did I miss something?"
Silence.
Fein and Gein both turned their heads toward him at the same time.
Their expressions shifted instantly.
Recognition.
Shock.
Fein stood slightly from his seat.
"…You."
Gein narrowed his eyes.
"That aura…"
Fein's voice dropped.
"An assassin…"
A pause.
Then—
"…Noctarion."
The word alone made the air feel heavier.
Kaito blinked once.
Then shrugged lightly.
"Yeah."
He stepped further into the room.
"Is there a problem?"
Fein's hand tightened slightly on the table edge.
Gein's expression hardened.
"…You're serious."
Rick exhaled slowly from his seat.
Fein turned sharply toward him.
"Rick… you knew?"
Rick nodded calmly.
"Yes."
"And that's another reason I joined them."
Gein clicked his tongue.
"…You're insane."
He leaned forward slightly, voice lower now.
"That man is the one who ended Mayor Harpy's reign."
"He's the reason Jokun City broke from a kingdom into scattered villages."
The room went quiet again.
All eyes shifted toward Kaito.
Kaito, however, didn't react much.
He simply looked at Saito.
"…Everything okay here?"
Saito, still seated at the head of the table, gave a small nod.
"Yeah."
"You came at the right moment."
Kaito walked over and casually dropped onto a nearby sofa, stretching his legs out.
"Good."
Fein and Gein both clenched their jaws slightly at the casual behavior.
But neither spoke.
The weight of Kaito's presence alone was enough to silence further objections.
Saito leaned forward slightly.
"So."
"Are we done?"
A pause.
Fein looked at Gein.
Gein looked at Fein.
Then, slowly—
both of them gave a reluctant nod.
"…Yeah," Gein muttered.
Fein exhaled through his nose.
"…For now."
The meeting room remained tense—
but the agreement had moved forward.
After the terms of the alliance were formally settled, the atmosphere in the meeting room loosened slightly.
Fein stood first, adjusting his coat.
"Hmph… we'll take our leave."
Gein followed shortly after, still wearing a doubtful expression.
"…We'll see how this turns out."
Without further argument, both mayors exited the room with their guards.
The heavy tension they brought in slowly faded with their footsteps.
The room became quieter.
More casual.
John, however, lingered near the table for a moment.
He glanced toward Kaito, then hesitated.
"…Uh."
Kaito looked at him from the sofa.
"…What?"
John scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I know it's weird to ask an assassin about this but…"
He pulled out a document from his coat.
"…Can I get your signature?"
A pause.
Kaito stared at him.
Blinking once.
"…Huh?"
Takashi, sitting nearby, sighed lightly.
"Just give it to him, Kaito."
"He's still young."
Kaito exhaled through his nose.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Still, he stood up.
Took the paper.
And signed it with a quick stroke.
He handed it back without ceremony.
"Here."
John's face lit up immediately.
"Thank you!"
He bowed slightly, then quickly turned and left the room, clearly satisfied.
The door closed behind him.
Silence returned.
Kaito dropped back onto the sofa.
"…What even was that?"
Rick let out a small amused breath.
"Well… what can I say?"
"He's a young man who leads a wonderful village."
Takashi nodded lightly.
"That he is."
Saito leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the now-empty doorway where everyone had left.
The formal tension was gone.
But what remained was something else.
A strange sense of… connection between all of them.
"…Yeah," Saito muttered.
"Looks like this is really starting to become something bigger than I thought."
Morning light filtered softly through the office window.
Saito stood beside it, one hand resting lightly on the frame.
Outside—
Lorum Village was already alive.
People moved through the streets.
Merchants set up their stalls.
Wolfbeasts patrolled calmly along the routes.
There was no chaos.
No fear.
Just… movement.
Steady. Peaceful.
Saito watched quietly.
His expression calm, but thoughtful.
The weight of everything from the past few days still lingered—
But for once, it wasn't overwhelming.
Just… real.
A soft knock came from behind.
Before he could answer—
The door opened gently.
A wolfbeast maid stepped inside, careful with her movements.
She carried a tray in both hands.
Without making much noise, she walked to the table and placed a cup of tea down.
Steam rose lightly from it.
Warm.
Fresh.
Saito turned his head slightly.
A small smile formed.
"…Thanks."
The maid gave a polite bow.
"You're welcome, Sir Saito."
She stepped back quietly, not disturbing the calm of the room.
The door closed just as softly behind her.
Saito walked over to the table.
He picked up the cup.
Paused for a second—
Then took a sip.
The warmth settled in.
Simple.
But grounding.
He exhaled slowly.
His eyes drifted back toward the window—
Toward the village that was now… his responsibility.
Saito had just set his cup down—
When the door suddenly burst open.
Bang!
Saito jolted in his chair, nearly tipping it backward.
"—Whoa—!"
He caught himself just in time, gripping the edge of the table.
His eyes snapped toward the door.
"Takeru—?!"
Takeru stood there, slightly out of breath.
"…Saito."
He walked in quickly and placed something on the desk.
A poster.
Saito blinked, still recovering.
"…What's wrong?"
Takeru pointed at it.
"Here."
Saito picked it up and looked at it.
Bright colors.
Flames drawn across the edges.
At the top, bold letters—
Fire Carnival — Bypass Village
Saito raised a brow.
"…A carnival?"
Takeru nodded.
"Bypass Village is known for its fire performances."
"Villagers, performers… they all take part."
Saito glanced at him.
"…So you want to go?"
Takeru immediately shook his head.
"—No, not like that—"
He hesitated slightly.
His ears twitched once.
"It's just…"
A short pause.
"My wife… Feina…"
"She said she wants to go."
Saito stared at him for a second.
Then a small smile formed.
"…I see."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Well then…"
He stood up.
"Let's head to Bypass Village."
Takeru blinked.
"…Wait, really?"
Saito shrugged lightly.
"We can strengthen our relationship with them…"
A faint grin appeared.
"…while having some fun."
Takeru's expression relaxed.
"…Thanks."
Saito grabbed his coat from the side.
"Don't thank me yet."
He glanced toward the door.
"Let's see what kind of carnival this is first."
The mood in the room shifted—
From quiet responsibility…
To something a little lighter.
For once.
The carriage moved steadily along the dirt path.
Wood creaked softly with each turn of the wheels.
Inside—
Saito sat near the window, one arm resting against the frame.
Across from him, Kaito leaned back casually, eyes half-closed.
Takeru sat beside Feina, his posture relaxed but alert as always.
And near the opposite side—
Tina pressed her face close to the window, eyes wide with excitement.
"Wow…"
Her voice was filled with awe.
She followed the passing scenery with her gaze—
Tall trees swaying gently.
Sunlight slipping through the leaves.
Open fields stretching into the distance.
"It's so pretty…"
Feina smiled softly beside her.
"It is."
Tina didn't even turn.
She just nodded quickly, still staring outside.
Kaito opened one eye slightly and glanced forward.
"…We're almost there."
Saito shifted his gaze.
"Bypass Village?"
Kaito gave a small nod.
"Yeah."
The carriage rolled forward a bit more—
Then the trees began to thin.
The path widened.
And ahead—
Something massive came into view.
A statue.
Tall.
Imposing.
A warrior, carved from stone, stood with a weapon resting against his shoulder.
Worn by time, but still powerful.
At its base—
Two guards stood on either side of the entrance.
Armed.
Watching carefully.
The carriage slowed.
Then stopped.
One of the guards stepped forward.
"State your business."
Saito reached into his coat and pulled out the poster.
He handed it over calmly.
The guard took it and glanced over it briefly.
His expression shifted.
Then he stepped back.
"…You may pass."
He gestured forward.
The second guard stepped aside as well.
The path opened.
The carriage began moving again—
Rolling past the towering statue—
And into Bypass Village.