"This city is really lively and peaceful," said Dina.
"Only on the surface. Deep inside, it hides sorrow," replied Arya.
"I'm heading out, big bro! Gonna look for information at the mansion," Gamma said as she slowly walked away.
"Be careful, Reisa-chan."
"Take care, Gamma. But wait—"
"Do you guys still have money?" asked Arya.
"Still got some, big bro!" Gamma answered and left.
"I still have some too, but just a little," said Dina. "Can I have more?" she added, reaching out her hand.
"I still have some as well," said Venus. "I'm leaving now." Venus slowly walked off.
"Yeah, yeah. You're so bad with money!" Arya handed some coins to Dina.
"I'm not bad with money! Hmph." Dina took the money and walked away.
"Hahaha!" Arya also began to walk off.
They all split up to carry out their own tasks. Venus went to the bar and food stalls to grab drinks, Gamma headed to the mansion to gather intel, Dina went to several food stalls—obviously to buy food. Arya went to the adventurer's guild to seek more information.
Kerchak! The door opened, and everyone turned to look at Arya.
"Hmm... It's still morning, but already crowded with adventurers. Let's take a look at the bulletin board first," Arya thought.
"There's a missing child poster in the guild, but nowhere else. That means the adventurer's guild is completely clean regarding this matter," he continued thinking.
"Excuse me, is this missing child poster still valid?" Arya asked the receptionist.
"Yes, the parents are still searching for their children everywhere," the receptionist replied.
"I see," said Arya. "Also, I have a question. If suddenly the child returns to their parents, does that make the poster invalid?"
"The poster remains valid because the parents have paid a search fee. But if the child is found and the person who found them doesn't report it, then the money is returned to the reporter," the receptionist explained.
"I see, thank you very much for the explanation. And one more thing... Is there any news about the BLUE DRAGON in this kingdom?" Arya asked.
"What?! Hey, he mentioned BLUE DRAGON." Everyone who heard instantly looked at Arya.
"BLUE DRAGON is considered a guardian deity of this kingdom. He lives on Mount ZEASTI. He protects the kingdom from monster attacks but doesn't want to be involved in human affairs. If any human dares provoke him, he will destroy their cities," the receptionist explained.
"I see, thank you very much for the information, miss. Here's payment for the info." Arya handed her 2 gold coins.
"N-no need! That's my job. And this is way too much," the receptionist tried to return the coins.
"It's fine, take it," Arya said as he walked away.
"Thank you very much."
"Hey, he just casually gave 2 gold coins!" adventurers whispered.
"That's enough to live luxuriously for one months!" they murmured.
Kerchak! The sound of the door echoed as Arya left the guild.
"Hmm... BLUE DRAGON lives on Mount ZEASTI, huh? I'm curious what he looks like. Even Lord Noctarion was said to be obsessed with his beauty," Arya thought.
"Alright, time to restock supplies." Arya headed to the bustling market.
"Wow! It's really crowded here!"
The market was full of customers. Vendors shouted to promote their goods, while buyers squeezed through to grab fresh items. The aroma of food, drinks, and people's presence mixed in the air.
"Excuse me, sir. Can I buy all the meat in your shop?" Arya asked, pointing to the meat.
"A-all the meat?!" the vendor was shocked.
"Yes. How much is it?"
"15 gold coins."
"Alright, here you go." Arya handed over 15 gold coins.
"Okay, but how will you carry it all, young man?"
"No problem." Arya absorbed all the meat from the stall, even though there was a huge amount.
"G-gone?!" The vendor fell to the ground.
"Thank you very much, sir!"
The nearby shoppers and vendors watched the scene in shock.
"Gone? There was so much meat just now!"
"Could that kid be using storage magic?!" they whispered.
"Hey kid! Looking for food? My fruits are super fresh! Buy them here!" shouted the vendor next to him.
"Alright, I'll buy all your fruits. How much?"
"10 gold coins!"
"Here you go." Arya gave the 10 gold coins and absorbed all the fruits.
"Thank you so much!" the vendor said joyfully.
"Hey kid! I've got lots of fish!"
"We've got cakes and bread too! Come buy!"
"Buy here, kid!"
The vendors shouted to get Arya's attention, hoping he'd buy out their stock. And since Arya was a kind and humble person, he bought everything. Then, he distributed the food to nearby shoppers because he had bought too much… In total, he spent over 100 gold coins.
"Thank you so much!"
"Come again!" the vendors said.
"Yeah! See you!" Arya waved.
Arya covered his face while shopping so that he wouldn't be recognized by too many people.
"Damn it, they drained me dry. Over 100 gold coins, gone just like that," Arya muttered internally.
"But... it's alright. As long as they're happy."
Afternoon turned into midnight. The once-busy city was now silent, and no citizens were active.
"Alright, are all preparations done?" Arya asked.
"All set," they replied in unison.
"Let's go."
The four of them headed toward the ruler's mansion.
"Sir, you should flee from here," said one of the men.
"What?! You're telling me to run?! I hired dozens of experienced guards—over 30 of them!" the ruler barked back.
"But sir, the ruler of TYUIA city was killed even though his guards were strong."
"Shut up! Who do you think you are?!" he snapped.
"Understood."
"Argh! H-help me!" screamed someone outside the room.
"What was that?!" the ruler asked.
"It's started, sir."
"What?! How dare they! I paid those guards a fortune and they're useless!" The ruler stormed out to check the situation.
"W-what is this?!" He was shocked beyond belief.
What he saw was horrifying. Flesh and blood scattered everywhere. The guards' faces were unrecognizable, chopped to pieces.
"Sir, run!" urged the man who had warned him earlier.
"Oh? So the ruler came out by himself," Arya said. "Wait... You're the fat ruler, right?" he pointed.
"W-who are you people?! How dare you! Do you know who I am?! I am the—" Bang! A shot pierced his leg. "AARGHH!!"
"I don't care who you are. Whether a ruler, a king, or even a god. In my eyes, you're just scum," said Arya coldly.
"Hey Ar, what about the one next to him?" asked Dina.
"You can kill him."
"Alright." Dina stepped forward and Srett! the man's head was sliced off. Thud! it hit the ground.
"Hiii! F-forgive me!" the ruler begged in fear.
"I won't."
"I-I'll give you everything!"
"Trash always begs the same way before they die," Venus said in disgust. "I'm heading out." She left.
"Calm down the maids, Venus," Arya said.
"Yeah, yeah."
"And now... it's time to send you to hell, you bastard."
"P-please!" he begged while crying.
Bang! A bullet went through his head. "I never fall for a bastard's plea," Arya said coldly.
"Where's Gamma, Ar?!" Dina asked.
"She said she's on the fourth floor, freeing the captives."
"What about the ruler's wife and child?"
"Let's go check." Arya moved toward their room.
Srettt. The sound of a door being cut, then slowly opening.
"Who is that, Mom? The door just opened... I'm scared," said the trembling voice of a child, hiding under the blanket.
"Calm down, sweetie... Stay calm. Who's there?!" a middle-aged woman's voice responded, worried. Her eyes stared blankly in the wrong direction.
Arya and Dina paused for a moment.
"Ar... I think she's blind. She keeps looking in the wrong direction," whispered Dina.
"I'll check," Arya stepped closer, gazing into the woman's eyes. Her pupils were completely white. Arya nodded slightly. "Yeah... she's really blind."
"Mom... I'm scared..." the child clung tightly to his mother.
"Don't be scared, sweetie. I'm here with you."
Arya took a slow breath, then spoke gently, "Excuse me... We don't mean you any harm. My name is Arya Setya, and this is Dina, my companion. We've... taken down your husband and all the mansion's guards."
"W-What...?!" the woman was shocked, collapsing to the floor. "Y-You killed... my husband? But... why?! What did he do wrong?!"
Arya stared at her firmly. "Do you really not know? Your husband kidnapped children and sold them. There's a secret prison on the fourth floor of this mansion… full of chained children."
"W-What...?" the woman trembled violently.
"Mom! Get up! Are you okay?!" the child panicked, trying to help her.
Arya knelt down. "You knew about this, didn't you?"
The child stayed silent for a moment, then replied softly, "I... I knew Father was a bad person. But I didn't tell Mom. I didn't want her to be sad."
"You knew he was evil, but you stayed silent?"
"Because Mom loved him... I didn't want to break her heart. But... I was wrong too. I'm a coward."
The mother wept.
"So all this time... you knew, sweetie? Why didn't you tell me..."
"I'm sorry, Mom..."
Dina gripped Arya's arm. "Ar... they're so pitiful."
Arya nodded slowly. "Here's the deal... I'll make an offer."
"An offer?"
"I can heal your mother's eyes. But in return, you must become the new leader of this city and make up for all the sins you stayed silent about."
"Heal Mom's eyes...? Are you serious?!"
Dina also asked, "Ar, you can heal blindness? Then why didn't you heal the victims of the experiments?"
"I can, if the damage is only in the eyes. But the experiment victims... their bodies and minds are already too broken. They can't be restored."
Arya turned back to the child. "So? Do we have a deal?"
The child immediately knelt down and bowed deeply. "Yes! I'll do it! Please... heal my mother!"
Arya gave a faint smile. He approached the blind woman and gently touched her forehead.
"Extra Heal."
A soft light enveloped the woman's face. Slowly, the light faded, and her sight began to return.
"I... I can... see...? Sweetie! I can see your face!" she cried and hugged her child tightly. "You're so handsome..."
"Mom..."
"Sweetie..."
Arya gave them a moment before gently asking, "May I know your names?"
The woman wiped her tears. "I'm Terra Iares, and this is my son, Zeni Iares..."
"Hm... I see. Nice to meet you again. I'm Arya, and this beautiful woman is Dina."
"Beautiful?!" Dina blushed. "Nice to meet you."
"Alright then, as we agreed. You will be the next leader. How old are you?"
"10 years old!" the child answered.
"Can he lead a city at just 10?" asked Dina.
"Seems like he can. Besides, he has his mother by his side."
"Alright. We're going to the hidden room now."
A few minutes after Arya and Dina left Terra and Zeni room, they made their way through the dark corridor toward the fourth floor, where Gamma was waiting.
As soon as they arrived, Gamma ran up to them, slightly out of breath.
"Big bro! Why did you take so long?! Hurry, heal them!" she urged.
"Sorry, Gamma, we had something to take care of," Arya replied, then turned his gaze toward the room.
The door creaked open.
The stench of iron, filth, and fear hit them immediately. Inside, dozens of children sat in silence. Their thin bodies were covered in wounds, and chains bound their wrists and ankles.
Some children stared blankly at the wall.
Some cried softly.
Others looked numb, as if fear no longer had meaning to them after witnessing hell for too long.
Arya stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Heal."
A gentle light enveloped the body of a boy near the entrance. His wounds slowly faded, and his breathing steadied.
Then the boy burst into tears.
"Thank you... Thank you...!"
Arya lowered himself and gently patted the boy's head.
"You're safe now."
One by one, Arya continued to heal all the children in the room.
With each flash of healing magic, the cries of pain were replaced by sobs of relief.
Their tears no longer stemmed from terror—but from hope, from something they never imagined they'd feel again.
Dina stood beside them, silently wiping away her own tears.
After every child had been healed, Arya reached into his storage and took out food and drinks.
"Here. Eat and drink slowly, don't rush," he said gently.
The children cautiously took the food, as if afraid it would all disappear if they moved too fast.
They chewed with teary eyes, overwhelmed by the feeling of safety and warmth.
Gamma stepped closer, her voice low.
"Big bro... what was the thing you had to take care of earlier?"
Arya looked at her.
"The ruler's wife... she turned out to be blind. So I made a deal. If I healed her eyes, her son would lead this city with honor."
"Oh... I see."
"But... can we really trust them?" Dina asked hesitantly.
Arya gave a small nod.
"I don't know either... But we've done our part."
A few moments later, once all the children had finished eating and drinking, Arya stood and spoke loudly.
"Alright, kids! Have you finished eating?!"
"Yes, big bro!" they answered in unison, smiles beginning to bloom on faces that had once only known misery.
"Good! Now... we're getting out of this horrible place!"
"YEAH!!!" they all cheered together.
"Shout it loud!"
"YAAAHHH!!!"
Laughter and little screams echoed through the corridors that had once been filled with wailing.
"Alright, follow us. We're going home."
The children walked behind Arya and Dina, their steps small but filled with hope.
Arya paused for a second.
"Oh right, I almost forgot."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stamp. Then he pressed it onto the stone wall near the exit. A symbol of Exone appeared, clear and unmissable.
"This is a mark. The world needs to know who took down this corrupted ruler."
They all exited the mansion, and the children were returned to their homes one by one.
Tears of joy, family hugs, and endless words of gratitude echoed through the streets that night.
And just like before...
this mission was also a success...