"Good, open wide—just like that. Aaaahm!"
Violet sat at their usual table, carefully feeding Nainai his breakfast.
"You two are just adorable," Mela said, standing beside them with her hands on her hips. "You look like father and daughter. Or grandpa and granddaughter. Or a parent and their little pup."
Violet guided the oversized spoon through the air like a bird in flight.
"Here it comes… Aaaahm!"
Nainai chewed peacefully, letting himself be spoiled with a satisfied, almost blissful expression.
It had been a busy period—one mission after another for the Guild.
But the work had allowed Violet to earn enough coin to finally breathe a little easier.
Enough to relax, settle into the town, and get to know its people.
"All done!"
Violet straightened up from the bench after finishing Nainai's meal.
"Heading out again? Back to the Guild today too?" Mela spoke in rapid bursts, her tail flicking with energy. "You've been doing so many missions lately… Will you be back for lunch?"
"Yes," Violet nodded. "I have to collect the reward from the last job, and check the board to see if there's anything else we can take."
It had been an easy mission—chasing a handful of slimes out of a shop cellar.
They'd slurped all the wine from the old barrels over the past few days.
Not much money involved, but simple work, clean and quick.
After helping Nainai stand and tying the rope between them, Violet headed for the door.
"We'll be going now, Mela. See you later…"
As the two left, Mela cleared the table and began washing the dishes, her thoughts drifting.
They had shown up at her inn some time ago. At first they looked like two strange travelers—nothing more than a pair of odd guests.
Yet, after all this time, she had grown used to having them around.
She glanced at the empty inn and felt… a bit lonely.
Then a sound made her ears twitch sharply.
Mfmfmfmfmf… psssssssss.
She lifted her gaze toward the ceiling, frowning.
Rolling up her sleeves, she sniffed the air with seriousness.
"Sniff sniff… Alright! You and me."
Meanwhile, Violet and Nainai had begun making their way toward the Guild, walking along the now-familiar streets.
"Good morning, Violet! Nainai!"
It was Siska, the young butcher, who leaned out from his stall the moment he saw them pass.
"Good morning, Siska."
All the jobs she had completed since arriving in town had made Violet a familiar and well-liked presence among the locals.
She had helped many people, and that had allowed her to settle in, becoming part of their daily routine—forming a small web of friendly connections around her.
Unfortunately, despite all that, she still hadn't found any useful information about Sigillaria or the mission she'd been given.
So she simply kept working, taking her time… almost forgetting about it.
Reaching the Guild building, she stepped inside with brisk confidence and headed straight for the counter.
"Good morning, Violet. Welcome back. Here to confirm a mission?"
The elf at the counter bowed slightly, offering her a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Elyune. Yes, the mission is complete."
As Elyune updated her progress in the magic stone, Violet glanced around the hall.
Biiip!
There were only a few people inside—some small groups here and there—but nothing like the busy crowds she had seen during her early visits.
Things have really changed…
News had been arriving from the north.
The heroes and adventurers who had gathered at the great fortresses of that region had finally joined ranks with the royal armies.
They had advanced, clashing with demonic forces along the borders.
But the reports coming from the front were sparse and often contradictory—sometimes speaking of victories and advances, other times of defeats and retreats.
"All done." Elyune bowed again.
"Hi, Nainai!"
From behind her, Brinna peeked out and waved.
The dwarf answered with his usual gentle smile.
"Looking for more missions? I don't think there are many left at this point…"
Minphy, the cat-girl, stepped forward to greet the pair, smiling brightly with her tail swaying behind her.
"Not exactly. I was actually hoping you might have new information…"
Violet had repeatedly urged the girls to try contacting their sources for anything related to her mysterious mission.
"Well, um…" Elyune began carefully.
"I'm afraid we still don't have anything for you."
And of course… Not that I'm surprised. I've already given up hope on that front…
Over time, a comfortable familiarity had grown between the duo and the Guild attendants.
And despite her initial hesitation, Violet had eventually shown them the contract she carried—stamped and signed by the Guild itself—proving its authenticity.
"We asked all our contacts. Travelers, merchants… We even sent letters to a few other Guild branches. But no one has ever heard of Sigillaria, or the Seal."
Violet sighed.
Is it really possible that no one knows anything about Sigillaria? That no one has ever heard of the Void Seal? And how am I supposed to complete a mission like this? I haven't made a single step forward since arriving here. Ugh… I'm so tired…
She herself had been confused at first—she hadn't known who this Goddess Sigillaria was.
And yet, the contract she signed… and Nainai's very existence… were the only things tying her to that mission.
She turned to look at the dwarf, wondering for the thousandth time whether this was all some elaborate prank.
"We did everything we could. I'm sorry."
The girls exchanged troubled glances, genuinely disappointed they couldn't help her.
"Maybe you should go back to Giltown, Violet. Someone there might have more information… or at least know where to point you."
"Go back? I don't even want to think about it!"
Violet leaned against the counter, feeling herself sink.
Walk all that way again… deal with the cave, the orc, and those monsters in the forest? And then what? Show up at the orphanage like nothing happened? No! Out of the question!
Violet straightened up, picked up her magic stone from the counter, and slipped it back into her robe. Then she turned to Elyune.
"Thank you for going to all that trouble. I really appreciate it…"
She stepped away from the counter in silence and headed toward the mission board, scanning it with little enthusiasm.
The remaining missions were all out of her reach—either requiring a much higher rank or a large, well-organized party.
Her gaze caught on a sheet of parchment she hadn't seen before, pinned right in the center of the board, layered over the others.
A new posting.
At its center was a parchment displaying the illustration of a face, framed by a bold caption: "WANTED."
It was the face of a wolf-woman with a dangerous, threatening expression.
Eyes sharp and intense, mouth twisted in a half-snarl.
Intrigued, Violet stepped closer to read the bounty description written in heavy, deliberate strokes.
"By grace of His Majesty and for the glory of the kingdom, the following individual is hereby sought:
Thelvaria, the wolf-woman, also known as Whitefang.
Commander of the Wolfkin Brigade and enemy of the Crown.
A reward of 500 copper Zinni will be granted to anyone who delivers this woman to His Majesty's justice,
dead or alive."
Violet studied the face depicted on the notice.
A commander, huh?
Thelvaria, the wolf-woman, had sharp, striking features and a vicious expression.
Two thick, pointed ears rose from her long hair, and from the edges of her mouth protruded the faintest hint of sharp fangs.
A shiver ran down Violet's spine.
She's beautiful… but she looks just as dangerous.
She finished reading the rest of the message and felt slightly relieved.
Well, looks like she's somewhere to the east. Good! I'd really rather not run into her by accident…
Pushing the thought aside, Violet turned away from the board, considering how to spend the rest of her day. Lost in thought, she heard a voice calling her.
"…Violet!"
It was Elyune.
Curious, Violet approached the counter and noticed the elf holding an envelope in her hands.
"Forgive the interruption. I have a favor to ask of you."
Elyune bowed slightly and presented the object she was holding.
"This just arrived. It's a delivery request."
Violet looked at the letter, intrigued.
It was small, pale in color, sealed with red wax. The emblem stamped into it resembled that of a noble house, though she didn't recognize it.
"Delivery? You mean that letter?"
Elyune straightened up with a shy smile.
"Yes, exactly. This letter is the item to deliver."
"And to whom?"
Holding the envelope forward, Elyune pointed to the wax seal impressed upon it.
"Do you see this seal? It belongs to the governor of this province—Baron Sprunfald of Grezzacava."
Violet raised her brows, impressed.
"A baron?"
"Yes. Baron Sprunfald. As I mentioned, he governs this province. He lives in a large estate north of Ostelria. I was wondering if you might be interested in taking this mission…"
Violet weighed the idea for a moment.
She had nothing else planned, and keeping herself busy would help distract her from her worries.
"Danger level?" Violet asked, trying to read the elf's expression.
"Low. There are no particular threats associated with this mission—only the usual risks of travel."
It was tempting.
A baron… a manor… and all I have to do is deliver a message? Why not…
"Alright, I'll take it!"
Leaving the city for a while sounded like a welcome distraction—
and the chance to meet a baron wasn't something that happened every day.
"Then I'll entrust it to you. Thank you, Violet!"
Elyune bowed with satisfaction before continuing her explanation.
"The manor is about half a day's walk along the northwestern path. Just stay on the main road until you reach the vineyards—you can't miss it!"
Violet took the letter and examined its seal.
Pressed into the wax was a crest depicting two tusked boars staring each other down with a menacing glare.
"Seems like an easy mission… We'll head out right away!"
She tucked the letter securely beneath her robe.
"Ready, Nainai? We're going for a little trip in the countryside today!"
The dwarf's relaxed expression made it clear he approved of the idea.
"Then I wish you both safe travels! Be careful out there, and come back soon!"
Elyune looked relieved, dropping her formal tone for a warm smile.
Minphy perked her ears and slowly swayed her tail in a graceful arc.
"Yes, and greet the baron for us when you meet him! Tell him he should come visit every once in a while—it's been ages since we've seen him in town!"
"Y-Yes… I'll do that!"
After saying goodbye to the girls, Violet stepped out onto the street with her companion tethered to her side, and they set off.
"So… northwest, then straight ahead until the vineyards. Easy!"
The duo followed the road that would lead them out of the city—
unaware that, from the shadows, a tall hooded figure was watching them.