The morning sunlight streaming through the windows of the inn served as a silent witness to Eins's profound transformation. With steady breaths, he slowly unwound the linen bandages from his forehead and peeled away the medical tape clinging to his cheek. The skin beneath was flawless—smooth, vibrant, and devoid of even a phantom scar. Physically, Eins was restored, yet he couldn't shake the heavy awareness that his recovery was a "medical lie" enforced by a biological miracle the world wasn't meant to know.
Every time his mind drifted back to the mechanism of his healing—the memory of consuming Lysara's blood—his face would instantly flush.
"Her blood... it's literally flowing through me," Eins murmured, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His cheeks burned a deep crimson. He felt a nagging sense of guilt, as if he were some parasitic creature, yet beneath that guilt was an inexplicable resonance—a tethering of souls that felt more real than any research paper he had ever written.
Greb.
A pair of strong, surprisingly soft arms wrapped around his neck from behind. Lysara pressed her cheek against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering shut as she inhaled the scent of mild soap and the natural, earthy aroma of the young researcher that she had grown to cherish above all else.
"Eins... you smell particularly wonderful today," Lysara whispered, nuzzling into the crook of his neck like a pampered great cat.
"Ly-Lysara! Please, I'm trying to put on my researcher's vest," Eins stammered, his heart doing an erratic dance in his chest. He tried to gently pry her arms loose, but it was futile. The strength of an Ancient Beastfolk was not something a mere human could contest, especially when she was in a state of primal affection. He finally let out a long, defeated sigh and leaned back into her, allowing the silence of the room to wrap around them for a few more minutes.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the recovery ward of the Adventurer's Guild was suffocatingly grim. Sei's party lay scattered across the beds in a pathetic display of ruin. Sei himself was a patchwork of plaster casts—his leg and right arm immobilized—while his face remained a map of livid bruises and swelling.
"It's all his fault... that trash Eins Neuro and his feral bitch..." Sei hissed, his voice a ragged croak of agony and resentment. He poured his hatred into the name, refusing to acknowledge the treacherous trap he had set that had led to this inevitable retribution. To Sei, he was the victim of a world that no longer respected his noble status.
CRACK.
The infirmary doors were thrown open with a sharp, authoritative bang. A woman radiating an aura of absolute command stepped into the room. She wore the deep navy gown indicative of her station, her long hair tied back in a severe, elegant braid that highlighted her sharp, regal features. This was Zalafina, the Guild Master of Ark Town—a woman whose word was law in the world of mercenaries and heroes.
"Sei Arfelt," Zalafina's voice was as cold as a mountain glacier.
Sei jolted, wincing as the movement pulled at his injuries. "Guild Master! You've finally come! You have to execute that worm Eins! Look what his monster did to us! This was an unprovoked attempt at murder!"
Zalafina didn't even blink. She produced a single document bearing a heavy crimson wax seal. "I am not here to entertain your delusions or listen to your petty grievances. I am here to deliver a formal decree: The Sei Party is hereby disbanded. Your names are to be blacklisted and erased from the registers of every Guild branch on the continent. Permanently."
"WHAT?!" Sei tried to surge forward, but the pain in his shattered limbs sent him collapsing back onto the pillows. "Why?! Look at us! We are the ones who were nearly killed! Eins is the one who should be exiled!"
"The First Law of the Guild: Never turn your blade against your own kind, and never lure comrades into a death trap," Zalafina stepped closer, her eyes boring into Sei's with visible disgust. "From my perspective, Eins Neuro is an asset worth more than your entire group combined. He shares his knowledge, he drafts maps that save hundreds of lives, and he provides the tactical data that keeps our novices alive. You? You are merely thugs in expensive armor."
Sei went deathly pale, the reality of his situation finally sinking in. His noble lineage, his family name, his wealth—none of it carried any weight against the cold logic of the Guild Master. Zalafina turned on her heel and strode out, ignoring the hollow, desperate protests that echoed behind her.
Outside the ward, Ena was waiting, her face etched with concern. "How did it go, Guild Master?"
"Justice has been served," Zalafina replied shortly. "Ena, when Eins and his partner arrive later today, escort them directly to my private office. I have a matter to discuss that requires absolute discretion."
It wasn't long before Eins appeared at the Guild gates. He was dressed in his full field gear, clutching the strap of his oversized leather satchel. Beside him, Lysara walked with an air of newfound confidence. She wore her new adventurer's cloak, and while her hood was up to conceal her horns, it couldn't hide the soft, radiant smile she wore as she clung stubbornly to Eins's arm.
Eins walked with stiff, awkward steps, his face flushed. "Lysara... people are watching us... the whole hall is staring."
"Let them stare," she replied airily, tightening her grip. "I am where I belong."
Ena hurried toward them. "Eins, Lysara! The Guild Master wants to see you in her chambers on the second floor. Immediately."
Eins nodded nervously, and they ascended the stairs to Zalafina's office. Upon entering, they were greeted by an unexpectedly cozy and luxurious space. Zalafina gestured for them to sit on a velvet sofa while she personally prepared a tray of steaming tea and spiced biscuits.
"Let us get straight to the point," Zalafina said once they were settled. "I have a task for you. This is not a standard posting. It is an Urgent Quest of the highest priority."
Eins set his teacup down, his researcher's instincts instantly flaring. "What is the nature of the crisis, Guild Master?"
"An investigation of the Cave of Spring. That grotto is the primary source of the pure water required to synthesize high-grade antitoxins. Currently, we are seeing a spike in sudden livestock poisonings at the city's outskirt farms, and our stockpiles are dangerously low. The complication is that the cave has been overtaken by a Crystal Core Lizard."
Eins gasped, his mind racing through biological data. "That creature... its crystalline scales are nearly impervious to physical trauma. Conventional weapons will just shatter against it. The only way to neutralize it is to destroy the internal mana core located beneath layers of hardened mineral plating."
Eins looked down at his hands. "Forgive me, Guild Master... but am I truly the right choice? I am a researcher, not a high-tier combatant."
Zalafina offered a faint, enigmatic smile, her eyes shifting to Lysara, who was contentedly munching on a biscuit. "I am not asking you to fight alone, Eins. I am calling upon you because you possess the greatest asset this city has seen in a century. Lysara is the only one with the raw, primordial strength to penetrate that beast's defenses."
Eins's expression darkened as he clenched his fists. "I refuse to use Lysara as a living weapon, Guild Master. She is my partner, my equal—not a tool to be deployed for the Guild's convenience."
The room went silent. Lysara stopped eating. She looked at Eins, seeing the fierce protectiveness in his eyes, and then she looked at Zalafina. A slow, steady light of determination began to glow in her gray irises.
"I will take the quest," Lysara stated, her voice ringing with clarity.
"Lysara? You don't have to do this just because she asked—"
"Eins," Lysara said, taking his hand in hers. "This is not about being a tool. This is my choice. For a thousand years, I existed as a statue, a legend with no purpose. Now, I have found a reason to move. I want to be useful to you, and to this town that you love. This task... it is the proof that I am truly alive."
Seeing the fire and the vitality in her gaze, Eins felt his protests die in his throat. He realized that protecting her also meant respecting her autonomy and her desire to forge her own path.
"Alright," Eins exhaled, reaching out to take the quest scroll from the table. "We'll do it. We'll bring that pure water back."
Zalafina nodded, a look of profound satisfaction on her face. "I am placing the safety of Ark Town in your hands."
To be continued...