They walked through the streets.
It was night, and the streetlights flickered faintly.
The crickets didn't crick. People were few. Those who lingered outside, upon seeing them, rushed indoors and shut their doors tight.
Others peeked out from behind windows, eyes glimmering in the dim light.
Slowly, Zenora's excitement waned.
Gilly was still lost in her inner dialogue.
"What's this feeling?"
She clenched her chest softly. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. An unusual warmth coursed through her body.
When she touched her cheeks, they felt warm—too warm for a cold night.
Siel tried to make sense of what was happening.
As they walked, nothing around gave him any hint so far. The guards were few, which didn't suggest any sort of emergency.
They strolled on.
The city lay within a crater, so their path led steadily downward. From where they walked, they could see the bright lights that shimmered from deep within the city.
The deeper they descended, the more people they encountered. The strange tension that had gripped the outskirts began to ease. Passersby walked more freely; some even exchanged polite greetings as they passed.
Then Zin spotted a familiar figure at a distance—white armor, red hair.
Imposing men in armor surrounded her as she issued orders, pointing in various directions. One by one, they dispersed, until she stood alone amidst the bustling heart of the district.
Slowly, she turned—and a faint smile crept up her cheeks.
She seemed mildly surprised to see them here, especially amid the commotion.
"Hilary. Did something happen?" Zin asked, straight to the point as usual.
Siel's eyes wandered. He noticed more guards moving toward the city's outskirts.
"Well, something definitely happened," he thought.
Meanwhile, Zenora's excitement returned in full as she admired the city's beauty.
The tall buildings. The diversity of people. The glowing night stands filled with chatter and laughter.
The heart of Loran pulsed with life—so different from the stillness they had just passed through.
This was Loran after all—one of the Five Great Cities of Asram.
Hilary leaned close to Zin's ear.
"Let's go somewhere else," she whispered.
He nodded and signaled the rest to follow.
They approached a large castle surrounded by a high wall. It stood at the lowest point of the crater—its presence commanding. Tower spires rose at intervals along the wall, like silent sentinels watching the city below.
Gilly could feel it—the auras on those towers. Whoever stood guard there… they were no ordinary soldiers.
As they passed the gates, the stationed guards tensed and saluted Hilary.
Gilly compared their presence to the ones she had felt above. It was alarming. These gatekeepers gave off nothing. Not even a trace of aura.
Zenora, still oblivious, let her eyes sparkle as she took in every sight she could.
They walked through a serene garden lined with trees until they reached the western entrance. A few guards crossed their path here and there.
Then Siel's hand went to his sword.
Several guards in similar white armor were approaching from the opposite direction.
They didn't salute Hilary. Instead, they exchanged fleeting glances—then their eyes settled on Gilly.
"Danger!" The voice screamed inside Gilly's head. Her heart pounded violently. Her feet froze.
Then Zin's eyes flickered faintly with light.
The white-armored men passed. The air eased.
Zenora was the only one who hadn't felt the suffocating tension moments before.
Soon, they exited the castle domain, rejoining the busy streets.
More guards patrolled nearby, but their presence felt routine.
Ahead stood a massive building—half the size of the castle, yet lively in its own right.
The Adventurers' Guild.
It was buzzing with energy. People clustered in groups, arguing over quests. Some played games at the side tables. The main desk was crowded with adventurers handing in or picking up missions.
As they moved through the crowd, Zin made his way to the counter and dropped off loot from their recent expedition.
Gilly felt nauseous. Her mind was being overwhelmed by the flood of information around her.
Thanks to her skill, "Language Beatification," she could understand every word of every tongue she heard.
It was too much. She tried to focus—to filter the chaos.
Some spoke of a disaster that had destroyed a village to the east.
Others gossiped about rising tensions in the distant western continent.
There were talks of trade, of profits, of newly subjugated monsters.
And then she felt it—the stares.
Few, but sharp.
They crawled across her skin like insects.
Her hand tightened around her sword's hilt for comfort.
It wasn't as suffocating as the aura of the white-armored guards—but it still made her light-headed. She shook her head, trying to steady herself.
Zenora tilted her head, watching her friend curiously.
Gilly's behavior was… strange.
"Don't worry," Hilary said with a faint smile, noticing her discomfort. "They're just sizing you up."
Zenora almost got separated from the group at one point—her curiosity drifting toward the dazzling lights and sounds of the guild.
When Zin finished his report, they took the stairs upward, passing through several beautifully designed floors.
Each level carried its own atmosphere—decor, sound, and aura distinct from the last.
Here and there, Gilly spotted people who made her uneasy. Power radiated from some, subtly, like flickering embers.
As they reached the top floor, they felt it—the faint wisp of aura in the air.
Even Siel's composure wavered. Zenora, too, was pulled from her daydreams; her palms grew damp on her staff.
"Is the old man here?" Zin asked quietly.
"That's rude, you know," Hilary replied. "By human standards, you're almost his age, mate."
Her light teasing cut through the tension.
Gilly's eyes widened. Siel chuckled softly. Zenora shook her head.
Hilary pushed open the door.
"Excuse me, Executives. We have visitors."
Across the room sat an old man with a flowing white beard.
When he saw them, his eyes brightened.
"Ho ho ho. So you finally came to visit," he said with a deep, amused voice.
"Well, he has responsibilities," came another voice—a woman's—from behind him.
She stepped forward, her elegant dress whispering with motion.
White cat ears adorned her head, and behind her stood a younger girl with the same feline traits.
Five people occupied the room—each emanating a distinct, restrained power. The atmosphere was calm, yet heavy with presence.
One had horns and goat-like legs.
Two bore feline features.
Another was short but built like a boulder.
"He has a life, you know, Katharine," said the bearded man, addressing the woman with white cat ears.
Zenora blinked in recognition.
She remembered that girl—the one who had spoken to her when Gilly took her test.
Now she stood behind Katharine, smiling, and waved playfully.
"Bathamul!" Siel exclaimed suddenly.
The goat-legged man grinned. "Great to see you're fitting in."
After a round of brief greetings, the room fell silent.
Then, another presence entered.
A man clad in white armor. His gaze swept the room before he took his place beside Katharine.
Only Gilly paid him full attention. He looked familiar—like one of the guards they had passed earlier at the castle.
The old man's eyes flicked toward her, thoughtful, but he said nothing.
"So?" Zin finally asked.
The air shifted.
Every major figure in the room subtly adjusted their posture.
The stillness deepened.
Once more, silence filled the room.