Luss arrived at the Aide Party’s headquarters earlier than usual, waiting for Stion.

A growing sense of unease gnawed at her. Stion had reassured her multiple times that it was just a casual dinner, but that did little to calm her nerves.

She wanted to hear what had happened yesterday. Had the topic of Starchis’ engagement come up? Did the atmosphere hint at such a thing? There were so many things she was curious about.

As she helped the other party members who had already arrived, she kept glancing at the door.

Boyle, the vanguard of the Aide Party, noticed her anxiety and spoke up.

“Calm down, Luss. Worrying like that won’t change anything.”

Everyone in the Aide Party knew that Luss had feelings for Starchis. They understood why she was acting this way.

“If you really can’t calm down, how about some training?”

Boyle tried to ease her tension with a light joke.

But Luss just nodded and headed to the training room in the base. She really couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

Fioren, the spearman, blocked her path as she headed to the training room.

“Hey, pretty lady! It was just a joke~. Don’t really go and start training. It’s still morning, don’t do that.”

Fioren then shot a glare at Boyle.

“She’s already tense, don’t make it worse.”

By now, everyone was watching Luss with pity. A woman who had lost the one she loved.

But it wasn’t as though they were going to help her. They just wanted to help her calm down.

No one had any intention of breaking up a love that had already blossomed.

—Creak

“I’m here.”

Stion walked in, rubbing his messy hair.

“Seira, get me some water. I drank way too much last night.”

“You drank a lot?”

Luss cut in.

Stion, who had been rubbing his sleepy eyes, suddenly opened them wide.

“...Oh, L-Luss. You’re here.”

And then, pretending to be calm, he went and took his seat. Stion couldn’t understand why he was suddenly so conscious of her gaze. Luss sat down across from him.

“...I didn’t drink much.”

“Did something happen yesterday?”

“Nothing happened. What could have?”

“...Maybe something about Starchis’ engagement…”

Stion opened one eye to look at Luss.

At that moment, Seira came over, handed Stion a glass of water, and sat down beside him. Stion thanked her and took a sip.

Luss pressed on.

“Stion… What’s going on with Starchis—”

“Luss, you’re not even trying to hide your feelings anymore, are you?”

Stion said, after gulping down the water.

“...”

“I told you, it’s already too late for that. Even if something did happen, what would you do about it?”

Stion decided to push through the discomfort he felt, realizing there was no point in tiptoeing around Luss’s feelings anymore.

Though the truth was that Starchis didn’t have a girlfriend, he had to go along with his brother’s lie, since he hadn’t yet revealed the truth.

“What are you going to do, break it off? What if I told you they were getting married the day after tomorrow? What could you possibly do?”

Luss’ expression fell, her face visibly drained of energy. Her eyes lost focus, leaving a hollow emptiness behind. A chill seemed to hang in the air.

Stion wasn’t one to get scared easily, but watching someone deteriorate like this was unsettling. He backtracked, trying to soften his words.

“Hey, hey, don’t make that face. It’s creepy.”

“...What?”

Luss’ focus snapped back at Stion’s words.

“Are you making that face without realizing it? Jeez... Anyway, I already told you, nothing happened. There was no—”

He suddenly remembered the incident from the night before, when Rose’s dress was soaked with wine.

There was definitely something suspicious. If wine had been spilled, Rose should have quickly called for Elza to help clean it up.

But for some reason, Rose had asked them to wait, and when they entered, they found an awkward Starchis and a still-disheveled Rose sitting there.

“...Hmm.”

Stion couldn’t finish his sentence.

Luss stammered, urging him to continue.

“Uh, right? Nothing happened, right?”

“...I’m not sure. I don’t really know what that was about.”

Luss felt her heart sink again. Once more, Starchis was drifting further away, somewhere she couldn’t see.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand why he kept slipping out of reach.

Every morning, without slacking off, she came to the Aide Party’s headquarters, helping with everything she could, doing all that was possible. Yet, her love kept growing more distant.

“...I need to go see Starchis.”

She felt she needed to talk to him, face to face. They say out of sight, out of mind, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was slowly being erased from his heart.

—Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!

Suddenly, a loud alarm echoed through the Aide building. All the Aide Party members jumped to their feet.

As if on cue, they all headed towards the equipment storage room.

At the same time, the main door opened, and Marshall entered.

Luss glanced around, trying to grasp the situation. It seemed an urgent mission had come up.

But this wasn’t something that involved her. Starchis hadn’t given her permission yet.

Her swordmaster monkey would need to be classified as an A-rank monster before she could join the Aide Party on missions.

The party members quickly donned their gear and emerged, the atmosphere noticeably tense.

Seira was discussing something with Marshall.

Stion asked, “Marshall? What are you doing here?”

Luss had thought there might be a connection between the loud noise that shook the building and Marshall’s sudden appearance, but it turned out there wasn’t.

Stion was equally puzzled by the Marshall’s presence.

“Before that, let me explain the mission, Stion.” 

“It’s an A-rank mission. The party ‘Hecksy’ went after a sky serpent and has gone missing. It’s been two days, and there’s still no contact.”

“Hecksy? They’ve gone missing?”

Hecksy was another A-rank party like the Aide Party. There weren’t many A-rank parties in the country, so one going missing like this was a significant issue.

Stion slowly grasped the gravity of the situation.

“...Damn it... Why did they go after that troublesome thing... Anyway, I’ll get the rest of the details on the way. So, Marshall, why are you here?”

Marshall quickly responded to Stion's question.

“I'm sorry to take up your time at a moment like this, but the ranking for the swordmaster monkey has been determined.”

Both Luss and Stion reacted immediately.

“...The one Starchis caught?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“A-rank.”

Marshall glanced at Luss as he spoke.

“It’s been classified as A-rank.”

Luss nodded. The memory of being defeated by that creature was still painful, but now that the wounds had begun to heal, the A-rank designation was good news for the Bearfoot Party's reputation. It also brought Starchis one step closer to his dream.

Stion looked over at Luss.

“Grab your gear.”

The restriction that Starchis had placed on her was now lifted.

Her plan to meet with him crumbled. This wasn’t the time to go see him.

This was a chance to prove herself, to develop her skills and become someone who could support him.

“Yes.”

Luss hurried off to the storage room to gather her equipment.

The meeting with Starchis would have to wait a little longer. And if possible, she might even get the chance to release some of her pent-up frustration.

Vienna descended from the mountain.

Once again, her bag was filled with herbs.

She rubbed her sore hands. Digging up the earth to gather herbs, cutting through thick grass—her hands were covered in cuts and bruises.

She could heal herself instantly, but the stinging pain felt like a form of penance, so she chose not to.

The guilt of failing to protect Starchis during the swordmaster monkey incident still weighed heavily on her.

She was still haunted by that moment, reliving it as a nightmare over and over.

She bore all her burdens in silence, with no one to confide in. That’s why Starchis had found his way into her heart. When she was alone and brooding, he approached her, understood her feelings, and knew just how to lift her spirits. She adored that about him.

But she couldn’t share these worries with him, and he must never find out.

Lately, the frequency of those nightmares had decreased. It had all started when she began gathering herbs. With her hands covered in small cuts and after offering countless prayers, the nightmares gradually faded.

Still, there were moments when her hands ached so much that she could barely move them, and she would gently blow on them to soothe the pain.

That was the extent to which she allowed herself to ease her suffering.

From a distance, Vienna noticed Casey sweeping the yard.

At the same time, Casey spotted Vienna.

Casey waved cheerfully, welcoming her. Vienna, in turn, raised her hand slightly to acknowledge the greeting.

Casey set the broom aside and ran over.

“Vienna! You’re back! You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“No, I’m fine. Hey, Casey…”

Vienna’s voice trailed off, and Casey, who had been smiling brightly, opened her eyes wide in surprise. It had been a while since Vienna had asked her a question.

“Yeah, tell me, Vienna.”

“...Do you know the Nisty family?”

“...Nisty?”

It was a question that had been on Vienna’s mind since she climbed the mountain last night. She figured Casey might know the answer.

Casey tilted her head, looking at Vienna curiously.

“You don’t know the Nisty family, Vienna?”

From Casey’s reaction, Vienna realized it was a well-known family. She felt a bit foolish for not knowing.

“...No, I don’t.”

“Wow, you really don’t know anything besides that guy, do you!”

Casey teased, and Vienna shot her a sharp glare. But even that, Casey found endearing.

She stopped teasing Vienna and explained.

“The Nisty family? They’re one of the major benefactors of our medical center!”

Casey spread her hands wide and laughed.

But Vienna only grew more confused.

“Major benefactor?”

“...It means they’re the largest donor to our medical center.”

As Vienna’s expression became even more puzzled, Casey elaborated.

Casey found it surprising that Vienna didn’t know about the Nisty family.

For years, they had provided the funds to buy bandages and herbs for the medical center. They’d even occasionally replaced old beds and treated the doctors, saints, priests, and even the volunteers to delicious meals. Recently, they’d gained a reputation as one of the few ‘good nobles’ around.

“...I see.”

Vienna wondered why Starchis had gone to that noble’s house yesterday. It left her feeling even more frustrated.

For every question answered, new ones seemed to sprout up.

As Vienna’s expression turned into a frown, Casey noticed and checked on her.

“...Vienna?”

“...Casey, who from our church deals with these nobles?”

“Huh?”

“Who in our church speaks with these nobles? Would Sister Helen know them?”

“I have no idea, Vienna. Why do you ask?”

Casey thought to herself that Vienna sure became talkative whenever something involved Starchis.

“....”

When Vienna fell silent again, Casey asked a question that came naturally.

“This is about that guy, isn’t it?”

“...”

Vienna didn’t respond, which Casey took as a confirmation.

Even if Casey didn’t have an answer for Vienna, she knew there was one way she could help.

“Sister Helen was in the garden earlier. You should go ask her.”

“...Okay.”

Without hesitation, Vienna left Casey and headed toward the garden.

Though she didn’t say it, Vienna felt deeply grateful to Casey.

.

.

.

.

.

“Helen, Sister Helen.”

Vienna called out to Sister Helen, who was sitting on a garden bench, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight. Hearing Vienna’s voice, Sister Helen slowly opened her eyes.

And, as always, she greeted her with that gentle smile.

“...Vienna, here we are again.”

“I have something to ask you…”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“Do you know the Nisty family?”

There was something hidden beneath the surface.

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