Eiran didn't know who the woman who offered to help him was, but he was surprised when she took him and Runi to a house that he thought was quite luxurious. In a medieval world like this, Eiran was certain her home was considered extravagant.
And now Eiran felt uneasy because the woman had taken Runi into a room, and he wasn't allowed to go in. So he could only wait outside the room anxiously.
"Should I just go in?" Eiran paced back and forth in front of the room, extremely uncomfortable. "Why is she taking so long checking on Runi?" he added, trying to peek into the room.
Eiran was already considering barging into the room before the woman finally came out with a dark expression on her face, which made him even more uneasy.
"How is my brother?" Eiran quickly approached her.
"You're absolutely insane. Your brother has fire magic, and you took him into the middle of the ocean? Are you trying to kill him?" The woman scolded Eiran harshly, unable to believe he could be that foolish.
"What do you mean?" Eiran was confused. He had never known that Runi possessed fire magic, he didn't even know Runi had magical powers at all.
Whether it was Eiran or the body he was borrowing, there was no memory of any power Runi possessed.
"You didn't know?" The woman was stunned by Eiran's bewildered reaction.
"Runi never told me anything about magic," Eiran replied, shaking his head slowly. "Can you please just tell me how my brother's doing right now?"
"Fortunately, I found you just in time. Any later and your brother could've died," the woman answered with a heavy sigh.
Eiran was relieved to hear that Runi had made it through the critical stage, but he still couldn't rest easy until he saw his brother with his own eyes.
"Let me see him," said Eiran, trying to enter the room to check on Runi.
"You can't," the woman replied, blocking Eiran from going into her room.
Unwilling to accept what she said, Eiran intended to push past her, but stopped when he heard her following words.
"If you want your brother to wake up, then listen to me. Besides, have you forgotten what you promised me earlier?" The woman grinned subtly when she saw Eiran freeze in place.
"Tell me what you want," Eiran replied coldly. He knew this woman wouldn't help him without expecting something in return.
"Follow me. I'll explain what you need to do." The woman closed the door to the room and walked away.
Eiran had to restrain himself from entering the room and instead turned to follow her.
. . .
After following the woman, Eiran realized that this house was far too empty and plain to be considered luxurious. He felt that it was rarely occupied, as it looked somewhat worn and oddly cold.
He was led to a room with a black door. Unlike the rest of the house, the room Eiran just entered looked classic and antique.
"You can call me Virella. Sit down and I'll tell you what you need to do for me," said Virella, now seated on a single chair that gave off an old-fashioned vibe.
Obediently, Eiran sat in the chair across from her table. He wasn't entirely sure what he was about to be asked to do, but he hoped it wouldn't endanger him.
"So what do you want from me?" Eiran asked seriously, not wanting to waste any more time.
"I want you to go to the northern border of the Kingdom, to Frosthollow. My mercenary group was sent there to exterminate the monsters appearing at the border, and now we're short on people." Virella explained the task she wanted Eiran to do for her.
"You might as well be sending me to die by asking me to go there," Eiran replied, unable to believe what Virella had just said.
With the memories in his body, Eiran knew that there were a lot of monsters in Frosthollow and that the Kingdom had trouble maintaining control over that area.
Virella only shrugged indifferently, not caring what happened to him.
"That's up to you. If you want to return to your brother, then you'll have to survive and come back," Virella said, casting a condescending glance at Eiran.
"Damn it, you've trapped me!" Eiran stood up and slammed his fists on the table in front of him.
Now Eiran realized that Virella had been targeting him and Runi all along. If Eiran wasn't around, she could keep Runi as long as she wanted.
Virella laughed gleefully. She wasn't afraid of Eiran because she knew he wouldn't be able to oppose her. She smirked and pushed a parchment toward him.
"So, will you accept my request? I'll pay you the standard mercenary rate and return your brother to you if you come back successfully," Virella said, trying to persuade him.
"Tch! I'll do it." Eiran grabbed the parchment, a sign that he would do what Virella wanted.
"Good boy. You'll leave in the morning," Virella replied while stroking Eiran's cheek and giggling with delight.
Eiran brushed away her silky hand and shot a death glare at her. "Let me see my brother before I go," he said curtly.
"As long as you promise not to try anything stupid, then I'll let you see him," Virella replied sweetly.
However, Eiran could sense the threat behind her sweet tone. He knew he could put Runi in danger if he acted recklessly.
"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid," Eiran muttered, turning and leaving the room.
Now that he had permission from Virella, Eiran hurried back to the room where Runi was staying.
Eiran felt like he couldn't breathe when he saw Runi lying weakly on the bed. Slowly, he walked closer and finally sat at the edge of the bed.
Eiran removed his braided bracelet and fastened it around Runi's wrist while whispering softly, "Rest while I'm gone. I'll come back for you soon."
In truth, Eiran had no intention of leaving Runi here, but he also couldn't take him along given his current condition. Especially since Eiran had no idea Runi even had fire magic until now.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has successfully completed the Quest!]
[The host has received a reward. Tap the screen to open your reward!]
Eiran rolled his eyes when he heard the System's mechanical voice again. He had almost forgotten this annoying System even existed. Thankfully, this time, its appearance didn't make him feel worse.
"At least you showed up with a reward this time," Eiran muttered, casually tapping the interface screen that appeared before him.
The screen in front of him displaying the reward box began to shake and grow faster and faster until a glimmer of light started to shine so brightly that it made Eiran squint.
[Congratulations! The host has obtained the Skill 'Vanguard' and one 'Skill Selection Coupon'!]