Korvath moved like a city wrapped in a slow exhale. Not dead, not broken—just… breathing differently. Street torches burned lower, conversations fell to murmurs, and even the clang of armored patrols sounded gentler than usual. Black ribbons hung from guild banners, tied by dozens of quiet hands through the night. They fluttered in the morning wind like muted flames.
Kuroba Rykeri's name had already been carved into the memorial wall.
Fresh. Raw. Impossible.
A few adventurers stood before it with heads bowed. Someone placed an obsidian dagger on the ground—his favorite weapon type. Someone else set down a small pouch of dried nuts, the snack he always kept in his pocket for long missions. Little offerings from people who weren't necessarily close to him, but who had grown safer because he'd existed.
Korvath wasn't good at mourning. But it tried.
And that effort, flawed and honest, gripped the whole city like a shared heartbeat.
---
Inside the guild hall, the usual lively chaos was replaced by a strange sort of stillness. At the center wall, mounted above a line of empty quest boards, hung the kobold greatsword—taller than any man, and heavy enough to crack stone if dropped.
It used to be a trophy of victory. Now it was a reminder of the price.
A group of young adventurers hovered beneath it. None spoke. One of them, barely past her first year, whispered under her breath as if confessing something to the steel.
"…He carried this thing by himself."
The thought alone seemed to straighten their spines. Grief, reshaped into resolve. The kind Kuroba would've wanted to see.
---
In the war hall, urgency replaced grief. Maps covered the main table—circles of frost radius, notes from Yoshiya's team, speculations written in Lia Shinsei's sharp handwriting. The room hummed with concentration.
Iroko Ryusei stood at the head, arms folded. Yaguro Aka lingered near the windows, Kouki Nozomi reviewed the last scout reports, and Reflynne's own representatives—Seiko Nakahara and Hokuto Chika—sat stiffly, listening.
"Winter's Kiss is no longer a theory," Iroko said. "It's a confirmed weapon. And Frostholm was its field test."
Kouki tapped a diagram of the magical signature. "The presence of an ice dragon means the weapon isn't merely mechanical. It has a living core."
Lia added, "A core that might extend its radius. We don't know how far the cold can reach."
A brief, heavy pause.
Tamaki Yume, Korvath's mayor, leaned forward. "We cannot let another city fall."
"Then we prepare," Iroko replied. "Every branch, every officer, every mage. Coordination must be absolute."
They didn't raise their voices. They didn't need to. The tension was sharp enough to scrape the walls.
---
When the meeting ended, Yaguro Aka strode out first. His expression didn't show mourning, but his aura carried a quiet, simmering anger—as if Kuroba's death was carved into his bones.
He assembled a cluster of captains in the guild corridor.
"Double the patrols on the northern approach," he ordered. "Bustleburg and Giggleburg may have been victories, but that only corners Valeria. And cornered foes lash out."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"Winter's Kiss may be their next move. Korvath must be ready."
The captains saluted, boots echoing sharply as they spread to mobilize their units. The city began moving again, gears tightening, defenses thickening.
---
At the guild notice board, fresh parchment was pinned with a clean, decisive motion.
SCOUTING MISSION – GIGGLEBURG OUTSKIRTS
Objective: Identify anomalies, Valerian traces, or Dargath signs.
Note: Recon only. Avoid direct engagement.
Four signatures quickly appeared beneath it.
Juweru Kasumura, rogue with silent steps and sharper instincts.
Jyurei Miyata, archer whose arrows flew truer than most truths.
Chiriyana Chihoko, druid reading the world like scripture.
Kiroko Kosha, crafter who could patch a barricade or fix a wagon with equal skill.
They gathered at the reception desk, where Emi Toshiko laid out a map.
"Here are the safe routes," she said, marking paths with a red quill. "Northern slope collapsed, so avoid that. Mana fog persists near the shockwave crater—don't breathe it in."
She slid four small crystals across the table.
"Emergency flares. If you're in danger, crush them. Someone will come."
Juweru raised an eyebrow. "Someone? Or hopefully someone?"
Emi offered a thin smile. "I choose to believe in competence."
They accepted their kits and moved out, a small but steady spark of progress in the shadow of greater threats.
---
Before the ink dried on their mission, two more parchments appeared beside it.
BUSTLEBURG RECON – Pending Volunteers
ELDORIA BORDER WATCH – Pending Volunteers
No names. No takers.
The guild hall watched those blank lines with a nervous silence. The world was shifting again, danger creeping at the edges, and for a moment those empty slots captured the fragility of it all.
Korvath wasn't broken. Just bracing.
The winter winds were changing—and the city felt the next storm coming.