Two suspicious hooded figures stood before me.

  Their pure white cloaks concealed their faces and most of their features, draping them in an air of mystery. The fabric acted like a thin veil, shrouding them from perception and making it difficult for anyone to discern their identities.

  Despite their efforts, I could still make out an expensive-looking sword poking out from under the taller figure’s cloak. The scabbard was adorned with an intricate lion head carving, a sign of wealth and status. Judging by the clean, high-quality fabric of their clothes and the ornate weapon, I guessed they were either a high-ranking noble or a wealthy merchant, accompanied by their bodyguard. Given where we were, I leaned toward the latter since there was little reason for a noble to be here.

  “Isn’t it rude to speak to someone while concealing your appearance like that?” I asked.

  “Yes? Ah, my sincere apologies. You are right, it was rude of me,” the shorter figure replied, holding the hem of their cloak and bowing elegantly.

  “However, I must ask for your forgiveness, as we have our own circumstances.”

  That’s suspicious.

  “We all have our own circumstances,” I said with a nod. “How may I address you, and what brings you to me, miss?”

  “Thank you for your understanding. Please, call me Ari.” Her voice was light and pleasant, carrying a hint of a smile. “I’ve come to ask if I may purchase your method for expelling the crimson fog. I assure you, you will be compensated handsomely.”

  She glanced at her companion, who promptly produced a pouch filled with coins. Judging by the weight and the way it clinked, it was no small amount.

  I hadn’t left Xanderson Village since I was born, so I couldn’t gauge its exact value, but it was clear this was no casual offering.

  Even so, there was something I needed to address first.

  “And what do you intend to do with my method?” I inquired.

  I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but I’d seen enough people in past lives who pretended to be saints, only to exploit a crisis for personal gain. Beasts in human clothing who thought only of profit. I refused to accept money without first understanding the consequences of sharing my knowledge.

  “The life of someone dear to me is in danger because of the crimson fog. Please, I only want to cure her.” Ari clasped her hands in front of her waist, her left hand tightening over her right in a gesture of desperation.

  Why does this sound so familiar? Oh, that’s right. It’s the exact same story I’d heard thousands of times before. My dearest is dying, please have mercy. My family is waiting for me, please help. My town is in danger, everyone will die.

  Same old stories, recycled endlessly.

  “Not interested,” I said flatly, turning on my heel to walk away.

  “Please wait!” She reached out, trying to grab my sleeve, but I sidestepped her attempt. “My mother is dying. I can’t wait any longer. This is my last chance!”

  “Can you stop with the sob story already?” I sighed, causing her to freeze mid-motion. “Look, I don’t want what I’ve created falling into the wrong hands. The consequences of that are beyond me. If you truly want my method, then convince me you won’t use it to profit from the weak and desperate. If all you can offer is money, save your breath and leave.”

  With that, I turned and resumed walking.

  “Well said, young man,” came a voice from behind. “But that was a bit too rude, don’t you think?”

  The bodyguard’s voice carried a distinct edge, Mana subtly embedded within it. My instincts screamed at me, and I reflexively leaped forward to create distance, my body shifting into combat mode.

  I glanced at her level, my heart beat faster as the System displayed [Level ???].

  Shit.

  Her level was far above mine, meaning she not only had more Skills but also a significantly larger Mana reserve. Engaging in a direct confrontation would be foolish. The chances of winning were slim at best.

  Avoiding a fight was my top priority.

  Still, the fact that they approached me with an offer first suggested they weren’t entirely unreasonable. Drawing attention or escalating the situation probably wasn’t their goal either. There was a good chance they wanted to avoid combat just as much as I did.

  Time to probe their intentions.

  As I took a deep breath and pretended to shout, the bodyguard quickly dropped her money pouch and raised both hands in a surrendering pose.

  “Wait. I mean no harm,” she said, her voice calm. Then she pulled down her hood.

  Short, curly brown hair with a single streak of white on the right side framed her youthful but weathered face. Her emerald eyes gleamed like polished gems under the moonlight, drawing attention away from her lean but muscular frame. Her arms were well-toned and rugged, with calluses covering her palms — evidence of rigorous training.

  She reminded me of Sera. Except for the fact that she had squirrel ears twitching atop her head and a massive, fluffy squirrel tail swaying gently behind her. Her white knightly uniform bore a golden lion emblem on the right side of her chest. The fitted, functional slacks she wore hinted at a design made for speed and agility.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I stopped a safe distance from her — close enough to catch even the smallest movement, yet far enough to dodge if necessary. Her hands might have been raised, but her longsword remained at her waist. And I wasn’t going to take any chances.

  I had made the mistake of underestimating a swordsman because of distance once. One swing, and he looped off my head. I wasn’t about to repeat that lesson.

  “I’m impressed,” she said, lowering her hands and picking up the coin pouch to stow it away. “There aren’t many who can sense Mana in my voice and react before it’s too late.”

  “Is this really okay? Should we be revealing ourselves like this?” Ari asked anxiously.

  “I believe so, Your Highness.” The bodyguard turned to her with a refreshing laugh. “From what I’ve observed, this young man has his own principles — protecting the weak. And he upholds them well, even in the face of great temptation. A spirit worthy of being a Blazing Blade.”

  Your Highness?

  I froze for a moment. That revelation was more unexpected than anything else so far.

  “I see,” Ari said softly, pulling down her hood as well.

  I didn’t expect to meet someone who looked like they had stepped straight out of a painting.

  Long, silky black hair cascaded over her petite shoulders like a dark waterfall, perfectly contrasting her rosy, flawless skin. Her vibrant violet eyes glimmered like lilac blossoms blooming on a green hill at dawn, each petal kissed by a single drop of dew. A golden butterfly hairpin perched delicately on the left side of her head, adding a charming touch, especially when paired with her twitching white lion ears and a long tail that ended in a fluffy white furball instead of a tuft.

  Just like her knight, Aria’s hands bore calluses. Faint motes of light, remnants of crafting Runes, still lingered on her fingers. She carried no visible weapon, suggesting either complete trust in her knight or having a Class that didn’t rely on using weapons.

  Her outfit was a loose, white shift dress trimmed with simple blue lace at the hem. Sequins dotted the fabric, giving it a whimsical and cozy appearance. It was practical for movement, but clearly inadequate for this cold weather. I supposed magic made up for that flaw.

  “Please, allow me to properly introduce myself.” She held the hem of her dress and dipped into an elegant bow.

  “I am Aria Leonheart, daughter of Tkarion’s Protector.”

  Aria? And your alias is Ari? I thought to myself.

  “And I’m Hilda, her personal knight. Impressed yet, young man?” the knight said with a hearty laugh.

  Their demeanor carried no malice or murderous intent, so I decided to hear them out.

  “I’m Karl Xanderson. Nice to meet you.”

  With introductions done, the two pulled their hoods back up. The cloaks’ enchantments must have included some kind of vision-obscuring ability, as their ears and tails disappeared from view the moment the hoods were in place.

  “Now that you know who we are, are you willing to negotiate?” Hilda asked, stepping behind Aria to stand guard once again.

  “…Let’s talk somewhere else,” I replied.

  *****

  As I suspected, they were staying at the guest house alongside the other members of the expedition team to avoid unnecessary suspicion.

  Unlike the igloos the Frost Elf lived in, the guest house resembled a standard two-story inn constructed from wood. It didn’t bear a sign above its two-panel door to mark it as an inn. Being the only wooden structure in the entire village made it obvious enough.

  From their demeanor, it was clear they hadn’t snuck in as we entered through the front door naturally. Inside, we bypassed an open resting area with an indoor fire pit and went upstairs. The design was plain and functional, with no decorative touches. Just a simple wooden building.

  “Finished your business already, little lady?” a middle-aged human scholar asked Aria as he stepped out of his room.

  “Yes, thank you for your help earlier, sir,” she replied with a slight bow.

  The man glanced at me, his expression hardening as he narrowed his eyes. As he walked past, he tapped my shoulder and muttered, “You’d better not let us catch you doing anything indecent to this little lady, you hear? Or we’ll mess you up.”

  He stared at me with a protective intensity, like a father intimidating his daughter’s new boyfriend, then continued on his way without waiting for a response.

  “Quite beloved, aren’t you?” I commented.

  It seemed she had won the team over in just the few days they’d been together, which hinted that she wasn’t as bad as I’d initially assumed. There was just one more test I needed to conduct to be sure.

  “This way.” Hilda opened the third room on the left and stepped inside.

  The room was spacious enough to accommodate five people, as evidenced by the four beds lined up — two on each side — and an open area near the window that could fit a sleeping bag. Between each pair of beds was a small nightstand crafted from basalt rock. Atop each nightstand rested a small orb of dark orange light powered by Light Runes.

  The simple yet functional arrangement was a promising sign. They might truly be who they claimed to be.

  Hilda moved around the room, placing four pieces of paper in the corners. Once she finished, she tore the last piece in her hands, conjuring a translucent dome that shimmered briefly before settling into place around us.

  “Now we can talk freely.” She dusted her hands off and resumed her position behind Aria.

  Before I could say anything, Hilda preemptively answered a question that had popped into my mind.

  “Ragna knows who we are, so we get slightly better accommodations,” she explained.

  They had money to spare and were casually using a high-level item — something that only someone at 3rd Ascension or higher could create — as though it were an everyday tool. Another promising sign.

  Aria pulled down her hood. “Once again, please forgive me for dragging you all the way here,” she began, her violet eyes steady. “But as I mentioned before, I want to purchase your method of dispelling the crimson fog.”

  Her voice carried a resolute undertone, her gaze unwavering as if she were prepared to stake something significant on this request.

  “Sure,” I agreed immediately.

  Both of them stared at me, wide-eyed, letting their guard down.

  “…Eh?” Aria let out a small, bewildered sound, as though the simplicity of my reply had short-circuited her expectations.

  Her body trembled slightly, and tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, though she quickly wiped them away with her handkerchief. Her reaction seemed genuine enough.

  “Thank you,” she said softly, sounding relief.

  Hilda, still composed, retrieved the money pouch and extended it toward me, but I raised my hand to stop her.

  “Before we proceed with this trade, you need to know something. I haven’t tested this method on a person. It was created specifically for… let’s call it a special purpose for the Frost Elf. The process I used on their infected patients required me to act personally. Unfortunately, it’s not something anyone else can replicate.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come to Tkarion with us to help my mother?” Aria asked, her voice tinged with hope.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head firmly. “This might sound rude, but there are things I need to do. Things that might seem insane to everyone else, but are necessary nonetheless.”

  Aria’s face fell. Hilda’s sharp eyes settled on me, unreadable, as she interjected.

  “Then what do you suggest, young man?”

  Calm and steadfast. This knight was clearly more capable than she appeared.

  I smiled slightly. “I propose teaching you a new method. One that anyone can use, but it may carry some risks. Because it’s untested and risky, I won’t accept any payment.”

  “That’s not good enough,” Hilda said, shaking her head. “Her Majesty’s life isn’t something to gamble with…”

  She stopped mid-sentence when Aria turned back and looked at her. For a moment, the two exchanged a silent conversation with their eyes. Then, with a sigh, Hilda stepped back and let Aria speak.

  “I’ll take any chance,” Aria said firmly. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her, and her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “As long as it can heal my mother.”

  One final question, then.

  “Before I share the method, there’s something I need to know.” I looked directly at Aria. “Do you know Marcie Xanderson?”