Warm lantern-light filled the upper hall of Reflynne's guildhouse, a welcome contrast to the pale cold still clinging to Team Yoshiya's clothes. The journey from Frostholm felt etched into their bones—every breath, every step, every memory still rimmed with ice.
Kaisei Aoi, the guild manager, was already waiting as they entered through the main doors. He was tall, slender, perpetually tired, but his voice carried a sharp clarity.
"You're back earlier than projected… and looking half-frozen."
Yoshiya didn't argue. He simply offered a weary nod before the rest of the team filed past him.
Before Kaisei could speak further, a courier burst from the adjoining chamber and bowed deeply. "Urgent directive from Korvath Command. Highest classification."
Kaisei accepted the sealed parchment, broke the wax, and read quickly. His brows rose—first in surprise, then resolve.
He looked up at the team.
"Team Yoshiya is officially placed under forty-eight hours of mandatory stand-down. Effective immediately. Medical observation is required for all, but especially you, Hazeru."
Omina folded her arms, bristling. "Is this really necessary?"
"Yes," Kaisei replied. "Your condition qualifies as post-exhaustive mana risk. Command is specific."
Yoshiya sighed, not quite defeated, but far too drained to protest. "Understood."
Behind him, Akihiro leaned against the wall, Kindling Light flickering around his palm like a dying candle. Yami's usually sharp gaze was dull with study-fatigue, and Fukashi looked ready to collapse on his alchemical toolkit.
Kaisei waved them toward the inner rooms.
"Food, beds, healers—everything is prepared. Rest. The city will function without you for two days."
The team obeyed, not out of discipline, but necessity.
---
The Unfrozen Five
Reflynne's infirmary stretched along the eastern wing, repurposed overnight into a triage hall. White sheets, warming wards, runic lamps—every resource the guild had was concentrated here.
The five rescued civilians occupied beds closest to the hearth. Their breaths were shallow, their limbs wrapped in gentle mana threads to encourage circulation.
Seiko Nakahara, Reflynne's mayor, entered the room with quiet urgency. Her hair was neatly tied, her cloak lined with thin steel plates—not ceremonial, but practical. She took one look at the survivors and exhaled slowly.
"I've seen frost injuries before," she murmured, "but nothing like this."
Akihiro, despite his fatigue, offered a respectful bow. "Their mana pathways were nearly crystallized. Recovery depends on rest and warmth. We can't rush them."
"Then they'll have both," Seiko said firmly.
She motioned to the attendants. "More blankets. And keep the hearth bright."
Fukashi hovered over the victims, checking pulse, skin color, and arcane residue.
"The moment they wake, their testimonies become priority. Document everything. No detail is too small."
Seiko nodded. "I'll assign scribes."
---
Frozen Evidence
Two stasis chambers stood in the back—Valerian soldiers, still locked in their ice like insects preserved in amber. Their armor bore Valeria's insignia, untouched by time or thaw.
Yami approached the barriers, black mana trembling faintly in her fingers.
"If Korvath studies them properly, we might get answers. These men were inside Frostholm before the freeze."
Kaisei remained firm. "They are to remain sealed. Command insists they are not prisoners, but evidence."
Akihiro reinforced the chambers with Wild Growth—vines of spiritual energy weaving into protective wreaths around the frozen bodies.
"Any tampering will be immediately detectable."
Kaisei placed a hand on one chamber's glass-like surface. "They'll be transferred to Korvath under heavy escort. Until then, they stay here."
---
Korvath Speaks
Evening fell. The guildhall grew quiet as if holding its breath. Then the enchanted speaker-crystal mounted on the wall lit with a pale, commanding glow.
Kouki Nozomi's voice emerged—calm, controlled, unmistakably resolute.
"Reflynne Guild. This is Guildmaster Kouki speaking."
Everyone within earshot froze. Even the lantern flames seemed to steady.
"The five civilians are your top priority. Their recovery and debriefing are critical. Extract every detail related to the first frost event. The two Valerian subjects are to remain in maximum-security magical containment. They will be interrogated with every legal—and arcane—method once they reach Korvath. We need to know who designed the Frost Engine, the origin of the dragon, and whether more exist."
Kaisei bowed his head instinctively, though the speaker could not see him.
"Understood, Guildmaster."
Kouki continued.
"Korvath remains on lockdown. However, effective immediately, the city's alert level will shift from Crimson to Scarlet. Announce our victories at Giggleburg and Bustleburg. Morale must not waver. A stable city is a functional one."
Seiko exchanged a glance with Kaisei—relief mixed with apprehension. Scarlet was still severe, but it allowed markets to open, children to walk outside, and the public to breathe again.
"And one more directive," Kouki said.
"Hokuto Chika is to redirect every non-essential mana crystal, arcane component, and healing supply to Reflynne. Frostholm is now the primary operational theater."
The crystal dimmed. Orders were set.
---
Quiet in the Aftermath
When the decrees were done, the guildhouse moved with disciplined purpose. Couriers sprinted through the streets. Storage rooms opened. Crates of potions, wards, and crystalline batteries piled up like miniature mountains.
Meanwhile, Team Yoshiya finally settled in their assigned quarters.
Omina dropped onto her bed with an exhausted grunt.
"I hate resting when there's work to do."
"You'll live," Fukashi murmured from a nearby cot, asleep before he finished the sentence.
Yami sat cross-legged by the window, ink-stained fingers moving automatically as she pressed fresh notes into her anomaly journal.
"I'll organize the Frostholm report during the stand-down," she whispered. "My brain refuses to sit still."
Akihiro placed his hands together, offering a soft prayer of gratitude that the five civilians were alive.
Yoshiya sat last, lowering himself slowly as if each motion weighed something heavy. His vision blurred at the edges—a lingering echo of Purify's drain.
Kaisei Aoi stopped at their doorway.
"You did more than anyone could've asked. Rest now. Reflynne will hold the line."
Kireina Miyu, the guild receptionist, appeared behind him carrying trays of warm broth and bread. Her smile was small but genuine.
"Please eat before you sleep. The mayor insisted."
Yoshiya accepted the tray with a nod. "Thank you."
And for the first time since Frostholm's icy silence, the team allowed themselves to breathe.
Outside, Reflynne continued preparing for whatever came next.
Inside, the frost-weary heroes finally surrendered to the stillness.
The storm would resume soon enough—but for now, the chapter closed with warmth instead of ice.