I left the office and made my way back down the long marble staircase toward the grand hall. I was utterly exhausted from the mission and just wanted to go home to my son, leaving Big Sister to stress over the rest.
A healer... every squad thinks they need one. But when hundreds of soldiers fall at once, what can a single healer actually accomplish? If that healer dies or gets captured, what happens to everyone else?
To truly survive in a world like this, a warrior must become a complete one-man army. Instead of relying on someone else to fix your wounds, an elite survivor must learn to heal themselves, scout for themselves, and kill for themselves. Working together with others is just a temporary tool, but absolute self-reliance is the only true way to stay alive. I chose the lone wolf path long ago. In my eyes, trust is a dangerous luxury, and a promise is just a hidden trap.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around the crowded hall. The rest of our group had split up. Patricia, Catherine, Chris, and his daughter Lukreia were resting up in the Bureau infirmary. Keith, James, and Aisha had left the building to grab some lunch, trying to give Aisha a moment of peace after losing her mother back in Lulu City.
Meanwhile, Keane was sitting at a wooden table, playing cards with a group of local adventurers.
As I walked closer, I watched Keane slap his hand down onto the table with a smug grin. "Hehe... Four of a kind! What a shame for you guys. To think Goddess Elpis smiles upon me with so many miracles today!"
"Damn you! You've gotta be cheating!" one of the adventurers cursed, slamming his fists on the table.
From my angle, I spotted a extra card subtly hidden under his hip against the bench… a sleight of hand only he could pull off.
I let out a quiet sigh in my heart.
Personal gain is the only real truth in this world. If a card game brings you money, then the game is just a tool, and the cards are merely pieces on a board. 'Cheating' is just a soft word made up by the weak to keep the strong from winning.
To a person like Keane, if you win by following the rules, you win. If you win by breaking the rules without getting caught, you still win. The method doesn't matter at all.. only the final result counts.
"Well, Keane," I said, stepping up to the table in my usual deadpan voice. "Let's move before high noon hits. Scram and get your stuff."
"Oh, alright then," Keane said smoothly.
He stood up, casually scooping the giant pile of coin winnings off the table and counting the gold right in front of their angry faces.
"You boastful bastard!" the players yelled, glaring at him.
Keane just smirked, poked his tongue out at them in a childish tease, and turned around to follow me out of the hall.
We stepped out of the Bureau's heavy doors, the bright morning sunlight washing over the paved avenue. I immediately pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders, drawing the dark hood low over my face so not a single ray of sunlight could touch my pale skin.
Just outside the courtyard, the rest of the crew… James, Aisha, and Keith… were standing by a street vendor's cart, holding meat skewers, a famous local street delicacy here in Caria.
"Wait, there's Eirene!" Keith called out, wiping sauce from his mouth as they walked over to us.
"Well, it's time our paths split," I said plainly.
I reached into my pouch, pulled out three of the four gold coins I had just earned, and tossed one gold coin to each of the three boys.
"Use this gold to find a place to stay and rest up, I can't protect you anymore."
A single gold coin was a massive safety net in Caria City. A decent inn room cost about five silver a night, while daily food and water added another two or three silver. One gold coin… worth a full hundred silver… could easily cover a person's living expenses for an entire month without working. Since Chief Anton had locked down the borders and no civilians could leave the city during the outbreak, they were forced to stay put, making that single coin invaluable while they looked for work. Combined with Keane's card-game winnings, they were more than set.
I glanced over at Aisha, looking at the young mage standing awkwardly beside the three men.
"Aisha, you're coming with me," I said flatly. Then I turned to James, Keith, and Keane. "You three, make yourselves scarce. Goodbye."
"Take care, Eirene!" James nodded, waving as the three of them turned and disappeared into the crowded market district.
Aisha blinked, hurrying to keep pace with my long strides.
"Eirene... where are we going?"
"To my place, you'll be staying with me for a while." I replied, keeping my eyes fixed ahead.
We walked through the lively avenues toward the residential district of Caria City, where my tavern and home were located. As we reached the security checkpoint dividing the commercial sector from the residential wards, a massive line of civilians and incoming refugees stretched down the block.
We waited our turn until we finally stepped up to the armored gatekeeper standing behind his wooden inspection desk.
The guard looked up, tapping his register.
"Tolls and status cards."
I pulled out my status card and handed the required toll fee to the gatekeeper. He stamped the parchment, raised the heavy wooden barrier, and motioned us through.
Aisha and I walked down the stone streets until we reached House 132. As we stepped onto the porch, the rich smell of cooked stew drifted through the front door. I unlocked the latch and pushed the door open.
Inside the hallway stood a plump, elderly woman with deeply wrinkled skin, wearing a crisp maid's dress.
"Oh, young master Evelyn! You're back early!" she greeted warmly.
Because Evelyn and I were sisters, we shared almost identical physical features. My face remained completely flat as I corrected her.
"I am not Evelyn, Evelyn is my younger sister. My name is Eirene." I said in my usual deadpan tone.
The old woman blinked in surprise.
"Wait... so you must be the mother of the little boy! Evelyn told me about you. My goodness, you two look so much alike!"
"Where is my son?" I asked directly.
"He is in the first bedroom upstairs," she replied, gesturing toward the staircase. "The little baby boy is still fast asleep."
That's my bedroom, I noted silently.
Having an extra person living inside my private residence was an unnecessary risk. Every additional body under my roof increased noise, wasted household resources, and created a security vulnerability that could draw unwanted attention to my child. To maximize safety, the house needed to remain strictly for my son and me.
"Out," I said plainly. "Leave my house."
The maid looked flustered.
"Wait! I can't leave now! My shift isn't over, and young master Evelyn won't be back for a few weeks!"
A few weeks? I thought, my eyes narrowing slightly under my hood. Evelyn... where on earth did you run off to?
Even so, letting her wander off without a function was a waste of available labor. If she was already being paid, her labor needed to produce actual value for my estate. My tavern on Lot 42 in the industrial district needed staff to keep operations running smoothly and bring in steady income.
"I am reassigning your duties, go to the industrial sector in the first district and find my tavern on Lot 42. You will work there from now on. Since you are a maid, your first task is to scrub the restrooms until they are spotless. Scram."
The old woman bowed quickly, not daring to argue further.
"I understand! Thank you, Lady Eirene. I'll head there right away!"
She gathered her coat and quickly exited the front door, leaving the house completely quiet.
I walked into the kitchen, opened a storage cabinet, and pulled out a tin of preserved meat. I tossed the canned food straight to Aisha, who caught it with both hands.
"Eat this, those skewers from the market weren't enough nutrition for a growing mage. I'm going upstairs to check on my son." I said flatly.
I unbuckled my heavy cloak and let it fall away, fully exposing the solid, crimson blood wings folded against my back. Leaving the cloak hanging on the hook, I headed up the stairs to my bedroom.
There, sitting in the middle of my bed, was Cliff. He was wide awake, happily chewing on the leg of a stuffed cloth doll. That old maid had lied about him sleeping, but seeing him intact and safe was all that truly mattered. My usual cold demeanor softened immediately, my tone shifting into genuine motherly warmth.
"Oh, Cliff... Mommy's back!"
The moment he saw me, his face lit up with a wide, toothless grin before he let out a loud, wet burp.
"Oh, you're full! Alright, let me take you downstairs." I laughed softly, leaning down to scoop him up into my arms.
Carrying him down the steps, I walked back into the kitchen where Aisha was sitting at the table, eating the canned meat directly with a spoon. She looked up, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the baby in my arms.
"Wait... that's your son?" she asked, her voice quiet.
"Indeed he is! Isn't he the absolute cutest thing in existence? Truly the world's number one cutie!" I replied, holding Cliff up slightly with a bright, proud smile.
Despite her polite response, I could see the heavy shadow hanging over Aisha's eyes. Her mother had just perished in the collapse of Lulu City, and seeing a happy family dynamic right now was clearly a bitter pill to swallow. She forced a small, tired smile onto her face.
"Woah... that's amazing, Eirene, to think the powerful hunter who saved us back in Lulu City is actually a mother, raising a child all on her own. You are so resilient." Aisha murmured, setting her spoon down.
Realizing she needed a distraction from her grief, I brought Cliff closer so she could get a better look at him.
"Look at him, Aisha. See his silky brown hair and those bright hazel eyes that sparkle like tiny jewels? And look at his little wings… aren't they just like delicate little twigs? Tell me he isn't the most adorable thing you've ever seen."
"Y-yes... he really is adorable," Aisha admitted, her expression softening just a fraction as Cliff babbled and reached toward her.
"Come on," I said, carrying him over to the bright living room.
I set him gently inside his wooden crib near the window. Unlike me, Cliff wasn't affected by the harsh afternoon sunlight streaming through the glass. Protecting a child's life requires constant vigilance, but seeing him thrive in safety was an investment that paid off in absolute peace of mind.