Night slowly fell as they stepped through the city gates. Oil lamps lined the streets, their dim glow casting warmth that contrasted sharply with the swamp's chill still clinging to their bodies.
Barnard let out a long breath, his shoulders heavy. "Hah… finally. I even miss the smell of stale ale from the guild right now."
Kaze still clutched his cloak, the pallor on his face fading into relief. "I-I honestly thought we wouldn't make it out alive…"
Hiori kept her calm stride, eyes fixed straight ahead. "Don't relax yet. We're not done. What we carry back isn't just bad news—it's a grave threat."
The moment the guild doors swung open, a storm of noise greeted them. Adventurers laughed, shouted, and swapped stories over raised mugs. But the clamor softened as the three entered, their clothes caked in mud, a heavy seriousness radiating from their steps.
A receptionist who recognized them leaned forward nervously. "Y-you're back? What about… the village in the swamp?"
Barnard dropped his hammer onto the counter with a solid thud! that made the whole guild turn to look. "The village isn't gone. It's been corrupted. Its people… turned into part of the swamp."
Silence fell instantly. A few adventurers exchanged uneasy glances, their faces paling.
Hiori stepped forward and placed the object she had carried from the well: a cracked wooden mask etched with spirals. A cold aura seeped from it, sending shivers through the room.
"This is the medium they used," Hiori's voice was steady but firm. "The Masked Sorcerer. He bound the village through an essence ritual. If he isn't stopped, other villages will follow."
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"The Masked Sorcerer? I heard rumors about him up north…"
"I thought that was just a myth!"
"Don't tell me he's real—"
The murmurs died at the sound of heavy boots. A woman in silver-blue robes descended from the upper stairs—her golden hair flowing, her eyes sharp as ice. The adventurers fell silent at once.
It was Eira von Alden, one of the guild's Rank-S adventurers.
"Interesting," she said, her voice cold. Her gaze locked onto Hiori, Barnard, and Kaze. "I want a full report from you three. If this Masked Sorcerer truly exists—and he can consume an entire village—then the guild can no longer turn a blind eye."
Barnard glanced at Hiori and Kaze, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Heh. Looks like our little mission just turned into something big."
Hiori stared straight ahead, her voice low and sharp as frost. "Something that may decide the fate of this world."
After placing the wooden mask on the table, Eira and a few senior adventurers decided to hold an official meeting the next morning. Hiori, Barnard, and Kaze were finally able to rest for a while.
They sat in the corner of the guild, accompanied by simple food and a glass of warm water.
Barnard immediately grabbed a plate of smoked meat and devoured it greedily. "Hhhah! This is what I've been waiting for! After all that swamp muck, nothing tastes better than salted meat and a warm drink."
Kaze looked at him with a bewildered face. "U-uh… I still don't get it… you're really four hundred seventy-five years old? You eat like someone who's been starving for a month straight."
Barnard paused for a moment, turning with his mouth still full. "What's wrong with that? I'm still young—my metabolism's fast."
Hiori stared at him flatly. "Fast metabolism? More like a slow brain."
Kaze quickly covered his mouth with both hands, holding back laughter. "Pfft—"
Barnard pointed his fork at Hiori. "Hey! You're way too cold, Hiori. If I weren't around, our team's atmosphere would be stiff as a board."
Hiori scooped her soup without looking at him. "If you weren't around, that swamp would've been destroyed much faster."
Kaze couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "Ahaha! Y-you two are hilarious…"
Barnard rolled his eyes, then leaned closer to Kaze. "Hey, kid. Don't laugh too hard, or your stomach will cramp. That short body of yours won't be able to handle it."
Kaze's face turned bright red. "I-I told you, I'm an adult! I'm eighteen! It's just… my body's growth is… a little behind, that's all."
Hiori looked at him with a cold expression, but her eyes softened slightly. "Then prove it on the battlefield. Don't just hide behind my cloak."
Kaze swallowed hard, then nodded firmly. "Y-yeah! I'll prove it!"
Barnard chuckled, patting Kaze's shoulder so hard the boy nearly fell off his chair. "Heh, that's the spirit! If you die first, it'll be a pain having to bury you in the swamp."
Their table filled with small jokes and laughter, briefly washing away the grim air of the mission they had just endured. Yet behind the laughter, each of them knew that tomorrow awaited a grand meeting—and perhaps, a long road chasing the masked sorcerer.
"Hiori… after this quest is over, what are we going to do?" Barnard asked, leaning back in his chair with a curious look.
Hiori gazed toward the dim guild window, then replied calmly, "Hmm… we'll take a short break, then continue completing quests. Isn't our purpose to find Raya coins?"
Barnard nodded firmly. "That's true."
Hiori added, "I think we'll board a ship, then head toward the city of Mörgenfeld."
Kaze, who had just taken a sip of warm water, nearly choked. "W-wait, that's really far!"
Barnard turned to Hiori, raising his brows. "Hmm… wait. I just realized—I've never asked about your purpose in adventuring, Hiori."
The room seemed to grow quieter as Hiori paused for a moment, her eyes dimming yet filled with resolve. "My goal… is to find my younger brother."
Barnard was taken aback. "Your brother? Wait… what happened to him? You can tell me. If it's necessary, I can help."
Barnard, who had been sitting casually, immediately straightened up. The wooden chair beneath him screeched loudly as he suddenly stood. His face, usually lit with a wide grin, had turned pale, his eyes widening in shock.
"My younger brother… was taken, by… demons," Hiori's voice was soft, yet heavy, as though a crushing weight pressed upon her chest.
Barnard drew in a sharp breath, his hand clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"W-what…" he muttered, then fixed his gaze on Hiori with an expression he rarely showed. Serious. Resolute. "Do you know who they are?"
Hiori shook her head slowly, lowering her eyes. "No… but I heard the name of one of their commanders—Zagan."
The air grew thick with tension. Even Kaze, who was usually quick to speak, could only sit in silence, his lips trembling.
"Zagan…" Barnard repeated the name in a low voice, almost like a cursed whisper. His expression shifted, as if a ghost from his past had come back to haunt him. "H-he's still alive…"
Kaze finally broke the silence, his voice barely audible. "Eh? W-who exactly is this Zagan? You keep saying his name, but it only makes me more scared…"
Barnard didn't answer immediately. He dragged his chair back and sat down heavily, covering his face with his hand. "If it's truly the same one you mean, Hiori… then we're not just dealing with ordinary demons. We're talking about one of the… war monsters."
Kaze gulped hard, his eyes going wide. "A war monster?!"
Barnard looked back at Hiori, his expression more serious than ever. "If Zagan is still alive… then the demons were never truly defeated. And if your brother has fallen into their hands…" He paused, then slammed his fist against the table. "Then we must prepare ourselves for a greater war."
Hiori's hand tightened on the hilt of the sword at her waist, her eyes burning with unyielding resolve. "I don't care how great the stakes are. I will bring him back."